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A Church commission inspected the bust in Crimea after Natalya Poklonskaya made the claim on a Russian TV channel. Revolutionaries murdered Nicholas II - the last tsar - with his wife and children in 1918. The Church made most of the murdered family saints in 2000. President Vladimir Putin has done much to restore the Church's prestige. In the past some Russian Orthodox worshippers have claimed to see myrrh seeping from holy icons - but not from any busts of the old ruling family, the Romanovs. Ms Poklonskaya's claim about the bust in Crimea's capital Simferopol was derided by some on Russian social media. She claimed it was a sign that the dead tsar wanted Russia to "prosper and be great again", 100 years after his abdication. The Crimean branch of the Russian Orthodox Church said its commission "did not detect traces of holy secretion on the bronze bust... nor on icons in the [nearby] chapel". The Church said the chapel's priest "should continue observations, and if there are any traces of holy secretion he should immediately inform the bishop and the commission". In the past some Roman Catholic worshippers have also made claims about weeping statues of the Virgin Mary. Ms Poklonskaya was born in Ukraine and has lived in Crimea since 1990. She was appointed Crimean chief prosecutor in May 2014, after Russian forces had annexed the peninsula from Ukraine. She has been a deputy in the Duma - Russia's lower house of parliament - since September 2016.

The Russian Orthodox Church says it has not found any fragrant myrrh seeping from a bronze bust of Tsar Nicholas II, after a Russian MP made such a claim.

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The hosts led when Ben Richards-Everton volleyed home but Jordan Hugill slotted in to equalise for the visitors. With four minutes of extra time left, Jordan Clark restored the lead but Hugill levelled again in added time. But Billy Kee struck in the third minute of stoppage time to give Stanley victory over their Lancashire rivals. Kee also scored in Accrington's 3-1 win against Colchester on the opening day of League Two. They have now knocked out higher league opposition in the EFL Cup for the second successive year after they beat Burnley last season. Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I'm delighted with the result as it was a difficult game. It was a full-blooded derby and just to be competing against teams like this on what we believe is a level playing field is testament to how far the club's come. "Preston are a good side and they showed that. They moved the ball really well and we knew that from when we played them in a pre-season friendly. "We were a different animal tonight. We created far more problems for them." Preston North End manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire: "To be honest we shouldn't have been forcing for extra-time. At 1-1 we looked like we were going to go on and win the game. "When we conceded the corner I thought I've seen this a million times before. We conceded from a set piece which is really frustrating. "If you look at the game, we had numerous opportunities and chances, we didn't take them or make them count and ultimately we got punished because of that." Match ends, Accrington Stanley 3, Preston North End 2. Second Half ends, Accrington Stanley 3, Preston North End 2. Attempt missed. Daryl Horgan (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Paul Gallagher (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Tyler Hornby-Forbes. Goal! Accrington Stanley 3, Preston North End 2. Billy Kee (Accrington Stanley) header from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Dallison following a corner. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Daniel Johnson. Goal! Accrington Stanley 2, Preston North End 2. Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) header from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Sean Maguire. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Andrew Boyle. Goal! Accrington Stanley 2, Preston North End 1. Jordan Clark (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kayden Jackson. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Chris Maxwell. Attempt saved. Liam Nolan (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Attempt missed. Billy Kee (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Substitution, Accrington Stanley. Seamus Conneely replaces Scott Brown. Kayden Jackson (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Alan Browne (Preston North End). Substitution, Preston North End. Alan Browne replaces Callum Robinson. Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Scott Brown. Attempt saved. Kevin O'Connor (Preston North End) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Ben Richards-Everton. Foul by Jordan Clark (Accrington Stanley). Kevin O'Connor (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Paul Gallagher. Attempt missed. Kevin O'Connor (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Ben Richards-Everton (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jordan Hugill (Preston North End). Attempt blocked. Sean McConville (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Goal! Accrington Stanley 1, Preston North End 1. Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daryl Horgan following a fast break. Attempt blocked. Jordan Clark (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Foul by Billy Kee (Accrington Stanley). Andrew Boyle (Preston North End) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt blocked. Paul Gallagher (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Substitution, Preston North End. Sean Maguire replaces Liam Grimshaw. Ben Richards-Everton (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jordan Hugill (Preston North End). Attempt blocked. Kayden Jackson (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Mark Hughes. Attempt missed. Daniel Johnson (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Attempt saved. Callum Robinson (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Accrington Stanley secured a dramatic late victory over Championship side Preston North End to seal their place in the second round of the EFL Cup.

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Arsenal dominated with Gervinho failing to hit the target from a good position and Jake Kean making several key saves. Tomas Rosicky hit the bar after the break but the Championship side scored when Kazim-Richards followed in on Martin Olsson's shot. Theo Walcott was denied late in the game as Arsenal's hopes of ending their eight-year trophy drought were dented. "Blackburn just kept believing they could get something out of this game. "The amount of pressure Arsenal were putting on them at the end was relentless. Grant Hanley and Scott Dann will not have played a better game this season, or even in their entire careers. "An outstanding performance from Blackburn." The Gunners could not find a way through Blackburn's defence as Michael Appleton's team defended for their lives at the end of the game. Mikel Arteta was another Arsenal player who shot off-target. It means Arsene Wenger's team have only the Champions League left if they are to win silverware this season, having already been knocked out of the Capital One Cup by League Two side Bradford in December. Appleton has already lost in the FA Cup this season, when in charge of Portsmouth, and was manager at Blackpool in the third round when they drew with Fulham before the 37-year-old left the club. But he has overseen a transformation at Ewood Park during his short time at Rovers, who were relegated from the Premier League last season. This victory extended his side's unbeaten run to six games after suffering defeat by Charlton in his first match in charge on 19 January. Blackburn are yet to concede in the FA Cup this season and have now reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2007 and sit six points off the play-off places in the Championship. Having made seven changes to the side which defeated Sunderland 1-0 last weekend, it was clear Wenger had one eye on Tuesday's Champions League tie against Bayern Munich. But the Frenchman may live to regret waiting until 70 minutes had passed before bringing on substitutes Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla as his side chased the game at 0-0. Gervinho returned from an impressive Africa Cup of Nations tournament with the Ivory Coast to start his first Arsenal game since that penalty shoot-out loss to Bradford on 11 December. Unfortunately, his biggest contribution in a first half dominated by the Gunners was to drag his shot wide when he was put through by Rosicky after 41 minutes. For all their possession in an opening period where Arsenal had 12 corners, Wenger's team did not forge many openings. And when they did, the impressive Blackburn goalkeeper Kean saved headers from Abou Diaby and Thomas Vermaelen, who returned to the side after injury. Kean also stopped Olivier Giroud's effort after the break with Jason Lowe's header Blackburn's best effort up until the hour mark. Rovers brought on former Gunner David Bentley to try and make an impression, but it seemed to rouse the home supporters before Rosicky smacked a long-range shot against the bar. That was his last meaningful action as Wenger brought on his trio of substitutes to try and avoid a replay in an already-congested month. But Blackburn went ahead two minutes later. Wojciech Szczesny could only palm Olsson's angled shot away and Kazim-Richards's scuffed rebound went in off the post. It was a stunning blow by the Rovers striker, a boyhood Arsenal fan. Walcott injected some much needed urgency into the Gunners' play and his header from Wilshere's cross could not breach the Blackburn rearguard as Appleton's side held on for a famous victory. Blackburn manager Michael Appleton: "Colin Kazim-Richards has been fantastic for the last five games and has played in a couple of different roles. "I am delighted he got the reward for all of his work, it was not his greatest of strikes, but I think he was just trying not to welly it into Row Z and got the bit of luck he deserved. "I had a brief stint at Blackpool when I ended up with a 1-1 draw at Fulham in the last round, then was lucky enough to win at Derby, but this is the icing at the top of the cake." Full Time The game is over, as the referee blows his whistle. Effort on goal by Mikel Arteta from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the goal. Francis Coquelin takes a shot. Scott Dann gets a block in. Thomas Vermaelen takes the free kick. Booking David Goodwillie is shown a yellow card for unsporting behaviour. Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Francis Coquelin by David Goodwillie. Theo Walcott takes a shot. Comfortable save by Jake Kean. Scott Dann produces a right-footed shot from long range that goes harmlessly over the bar. Santi Cazorla takes a shot. Scott Dann gets a block in. Vassiriki Diaby takes a shot. Jake Kean makes a save. Olivier Giroud takes a shot. Jake Kean makes a comfortable save. Foul by Morten Gamst Pedersen on Francis Coquelin, free kick awarded. Thomas Vermaelen takes the free kick. Effort from the edge of the area by Nacho Monreal goes wide of the right-hand upright. Jake Kean restarts play with the free kick. Substitution Jordan Rhodes leaves the field to be replaced by David Goodwillie. The offside flag is raised against Theo Walcott. Morten Gamst Pedersen restarts play with the free kick. Booking Francis Coquelin goes into the referee's book for unsporting behaviour. Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Morten Gamst Pedersen by Francis Coquelin. Shot by Nacho Monreal from deep inside the penalty area misses wide to the left of the target. Olivier Giroud handles the ball and concedes a free kick. Jake Kean takes the free kick. Theo Walcott fouled by Morten Gamst Pedersen, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Jack Wilshere. Corner taken right-footed by Santi Cazorla, Header on goal by Olivier Giroud from inside the box goes harmlessly over the target. Assist on the goal came from Martin Olsson. Goal! - Colin Kazim-Richards - Arsenal 0 - 1 Blackburn Colin Kazim-Richards grabs a goal from deep inside the penalty box low into the middle of the goal. Arsenal 0-1 Blackburn. Martin Olsson takes a shot. Save by Wojciech Szczesny. Substitution Santi Cazorla replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Substitution Yao Gervinho leaves the field to be replaced by Theo Walcott. Substitution Jack Wilshere comes on in place of Tomas Rosicky. Shot by Vassiriki Diaby from 25 yards. Save by Jake Kean. Yao Gervinho takes a shot. Blocked by Bradley Orr. Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Mikel Arteta played to the near post, clearance made by Morten Gamst Pedersen. Shot by Tomas Rosicky. Tomas Rosicky has a shot on goal from outside the area which misses left. Substitution (Blackburn) makes a substitution, with David Bentley coming on for Markus Olsson. Shot from inside the area by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain clears the bar. Corner taken by Tomas Rosicky from the left by-line played to the near post, clearance made by Morten Gamst Pedersen. Header from deep inside the area by Vassiriki Diaby goes harmlessly over the crossbar. Vassiriki Diaby produces a right-footed shot from long range which goes wide right of the target. Mikel Arteta gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Jordan Rhodes. Free kick taken by Scott Dann. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain takes a shot. Blocked by Bradley Orr. Thomas Vermaelen gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Martin Olsson. Jake Kean takes the free kick. Corner from the left by-line taken by Morten Gamst Pedersen, Thomas Vermaelen manages to make a clearance. Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Thomas Vermaelen by Jordan Rhodes. Thomas Vermaelen restarts play with the free kick. Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Olivier Giroud takes a shot. Jake Kean makes a comfortable save. Inswinging corner taken by Morten Gamst Pedersen, Jason Lowe takes a shot. Mikel Arteta makes a clearance. The referee gets the second half underway. Half Time The ref blows to signal half-time. Jason Lowe gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Olivier Giroud. Shot on goal comes in from Mikel Arteta from the free kick, save made by Jake Kean. Effort from the edge of the area by Yao Gervinho goes wide of the left-hand upright. Yao Gervinho produces a right-footed shot from outside the penalty box and misses left. Shot by Nacho Monreal. Blocked by Bradley Orr. Tomas Rosicky takes the inswinging corner, clearance made by Lee Williamson. Lee Williamson is penalised for handball and concedes a free kick. Mikel Arteta takes the direct free kick. Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Tomas Rosicky, clearance by Bradley Orr. Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Tomas Rosicky, clearance by Bradley Orr. Bradley Orr fouled by Thomas Vermaelen, the ref awards a free kick. Jake Kean takes the free kick. Free kick awarded for a foul by Mikel Arteta on Jordan Rhodes. Morten Gamst Pedersen delivers the ball, Headed effort from inside the area by Scott Dann misses to the left of the target. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has an effort at goal from outside the area missing to the wide left of the goal. Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Tomas Rosicky, Vassiriki Diaby takes a shot. Comfortable save by Jake Kean. Outswinging corner taken by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, clearance made by Martin Olsson. Corner taken right-footed by Tomas Rosicky from the left by-line, save made by Jake Kean. Vassiriki Diaby takes the chance to get an effort at goal. Bradley Orr gets a block in. Colin Kazim-Richards concedes a free kick for a foul on Francis Coquelin. Free kick taken by Francis Coquelin. Corner taken by Tomas Rosicky from the left by-line, comfortable save by Jake Kean. Mikel Arteta handles the ball and concedes a free kick. Jake Kean takes the direct free kick. Corner taken by Tomas Rosicky, Bradley Orr manages to make a clearance. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain takes a outswinging corner to the near post, Morten Gamst Pedersen makes a clearance. Lee Williamson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Vassiriki Diaby. Direct free kick taken by Mikel Arteta. Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Close range header by Laurent Koscielny goes wide of the left-hand post. Tomas Rosicky takes the inswinging corner, clearance by Scott Dann. Outswinging corner taken by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the right by-line played to the near post, clearance made by Jordan Rhodes. Thomas Vermaelen takes the direct free kick. Booking The referee books Bradley Orr for unsporting behaviour. Bradley Orr gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Yao Gervinho. The referee penalises Bradley Orr for handball. The free kick is swung in right-footed by Mikel Arteta. Markus Olsson has an effort at goal from deep inside the area missing to the right of the goal. Martin Olsson fouled by Francis Coquelin, the ref awards a free kick. Morten Gamst Pedersen restarts play with the free kick. Markus Olsson is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Free kick taken by Wojciech Szczesny. The game kicks-off. Live data and text provided by our data suppliers

Colin Kazim-Richards's late goal stunned Arsenal as Blackburn Rovers reached the FA Cup quarter-finals.

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The world changed on 6 August 1945. Arguably, the appalling effects of that first atomic strike - and the subsequent attack on Nagasaki - have played a large part in the determination to prevent the use of far more devastating weapons developed since. Back then, the US was the only nation with "the bomb". The story since has been of the steady spread, the proliferation, of nuclear weapons: first to Russia, Britain, France and China - then to Israel (although never officially acknowledged), India, Pakistan, North Korea. The big powers seemed either unable or unwilling to prevent that spread except perhaps now - in the case of Iran. All sorts of conflicting signals are coming out of the international talks in Vienna meant to end all the hostility between the major world powers and Iran over its much disputed nuclear programme. There's talk of both breakdown and possible breakthrough. So why is it judged so important to stop Iran? I asked Sir John Sawers, chief British negotiator with Iran from 2003 to 2007, and after that the UK's representative on the UN Security Council when sanctions against Iran were being decided. He said: "If Iran acquired a nuclear weapon, then it would change the dynamic across the Middle East. "It would make them invulnerable to any response to their unacceptable behaviour in the region." Sir John told me: "If there is an agreement then, first of all, it gives everyone much greater assurance that Iran is not going to make a break for nuclear weapons. "It opens the possibility of Iran and its Arab neighbours coming together and developing a more normal relationship. "At the moment, the Middle East is riven by disputes - many of them along Sunni-Shia lines - and if we can create a possibility whereby Saudis and Iranians can talk to one another and it is not driven by continuous hostility, then there is a possibility of creating a different sort of Middle East." It's not just August 1945 which hangs heavy over the negotiations with Iran. The events of February 1979 in Iran itself, and everything which has followed, help explain the years of suspicion and outright hostility between Tehran and Washington which a nuclear deal could do so much to ease. Ayatollah Khomeini's triumphant return to Tehran - on 1 February 1979 - from exile in Paris to take power as supreme leader of an Islamic Republic symbolises the moment when the US and its allies lost control of Iran with the fall of the shah. The years of blatant Western interference were over. Ruhollah Khomeini was born in Kohmeyn in central Iran. He became a religious scholar and in the early 1920s rose to become an 'ayatollah', a term for a leading Shia scholar. Arrested in 1962 by the shah's security service for his outspoken opposition to the pro-Western regime of the Shah. His arrest elevated him to the status of national hero. Exiled in 1964, living in Turkey, Iraq and then France, from where he urged his supporters to overthrow the shah. In January 1979, the shah's government collapsed and he and his family fled into exile. On 1 February, Khomeini returned to Iran in triumph. There was a national referendum and Khomeini won a landslide victory. He declared an Islamic republic and was appointed Iran's political and religious leader for life. Islamic law was introduced across the country. The new religious leadership inherited a nuclear research programme, but consistently denies expanding it with the aim of making "the bomb". The big powers have never accepted that, pointing instead to all the Iranian effort to produce highly-enriched uranium in the quantities you could only need to build a bomb, as well as the secrecy and alleged concealment of so much activity which is specifically outlawed by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to which Iran is a signatory. Years of pressure applied by sanctions and negotiations to find a way forward have now reached a point where agreement could - just could - be possible. I spoke to Ariane Tabatabai, of Georgetown University, who, like me, has been in Vienna to follow what is supposed to be the endgame in these talks. She told me: "Ultimately, the negotiations are about making sure that Iran's nuclear programme remains peaceful and to do that it needs to provide a set of assurances and that would mean Iran scaling back some of its nuclear activities. "It will also provide more transparency to the International Atomic Energy Agency to make sure that everything is essentially under constant monitoring, with enhanced access given to its facilities so the international community can verify that Iran is holding its end of the bargain." Which brings us neatly to the unanswerable question: Is the Iranian leadership ready to make a bargain? It could be, partly to pacify those Iranians fed up with sanctions which help cripple their economy and symbolise isolation from a fast-developing world they yearn to be part of. Professor Ali Ansari, historian of Iran at St Andrews University, pointed me to another of the country's ambitions, which is to recover some of the global respect which Iran believes it is due. "What the Iranians are after is a degree of respect as a country that considers itself a great power - certainly in the region - that has not had a good time in the last century or so. "The real pride and achievement is that they have developed what they've considered to be an indigenous nuclear industry. "One of the arguments many people have made is that an Islamic government wouldn't be scientifically advanced. "Well for the Iranians, you know, this is, sort of proof that it actually can be, if they put their mind to it." But Prof Ansari is far from certain that a deal can be done, and - even if it is - that it will hold. And Sir John, from all his years negotiating with Iran, is blunt: "Whenever you buy a carpet in Iran, you have to buy it two, three times over. "You sometimes feel that is the same in the nuclear negotiations as well. There is an Iranian saying that the real negotiation only begins once the agreement is signed. "They will always come back for more. Even if we get an agreement - it doesn't mean it is 'peace in our time'." So suspicion on both sides remains strong. Whatever happens in the next few days, building and then maintaining trust between Iran and the key world powers, particularly the US, is still the toughest of all the challenges.

We're fast approaching the 70th anniversary next month of the dropping of the first nuclear bomb, on Hiroshima.

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Trains from Nottingham Victoria Station used to take passengers to destinations around England, including London, York, Bristol and Oxford. It was demolished in 1967, a year after the final service to London left the station. The site is now home to a shopping centre. Following the station's closure, all rail traffic was sent to Nottingham Midland, now the city's central station. Exhibition organiser Janine Tanner said: "It was one of the most beautiful stations there has ever been. "People used to refer to it as a cathedral. "I think the majority of people were horrified when it closed. "Obviously there were people who thought it should stay but the general consensus was that it shouldn't have closed." The station opened in 1900 and was named after Queen Victoria but its owners cited falling passenger numbers and increased car travel in the 1960s as the reason for its closure. All that remains now as a reminder of the site's railway past is the clock tower, a tunnel entrance and a retaining wall. Pictures highlighting its past are on show at the Nottingham Industrial Museum for the next three weekends. The images then go on display at the Great Central Railway at Ruddington and the Victoria Shopping Centre.

An exhibition of photographs has gone on show to mark 50 years since the demise of "one of the most beautiful stations there has ever been".

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But Team Sky's leading rider stressed the importance to the outfit of under-fire boss Sir Dave Brailsford. UK Anti-Doping is investigating a 'mystery package' sent for Team Sky's former rider Sir Bradley Wiggins at a race in 2011. Brailsford last week said he would not resign over the package. "Without Dave B, there is no Team Sky," said Froome, who added it would "take time for faith to be restored". Brailsford has said he was told the package contained a legal decongestant - Fluimucil - but the team has been unable to provide records to back up the claim. Team Sky has since accepted "mistakes were made" over how medical records relating to the package were kept but denied breaking anti-doping rules. Froome added: "I would like to apologise for this on behalf of myself and the other riders of Team Sky who feel passionately about our sport and winning clean." A parliamentary select committee into anti-doping has been hearing evidence about the package, with committee chairman Damian Collins MP saying that Team Sky's reputation had been "left in tatters". Dr Richard Freeman, who received the package for Wiggins at the Criterium du Dauphine, did not attend the last hearing because of ill health. The committee has also heard evidence about Wiggins' use of therapeutic use exemptions, or TUEs, which allow athletes to take otherwise-banned substances when there is a clear medical need. Wiggins was granted a TUE to take anti-inflammatory drug triamcinolone before the 2011 Tour de France, his 2012 Tour win and the 2013 Giro d'Italia. Wiggins' TUEs were approved by British authorities and cycling's world governing body the UCI, and there is no suggestion either he or Team Sky have broken any rules. Last week several Team Sky riders - including Britain's Geraint Thomas - tweeted their support for Brailsford, but Froome did not comment publicly at the time. Thomas also said last week there were "still questions to be answered" and expressed his annoyance that "Freeman and Brad don't seem to have the flak". "It disappoints me hugely to see the way in which Team Sky has been portrayed by the media recently. It does not reflect the support crew and the riders that I see around me. "At the same time, I completely understand why people feel let down by the way in which the situation has been handled, and going forward we need to do better. "I would like to apologise for this on behalf of myself and the other riders of Team Sky who feel passionately about our sport and winning clean. I believe in the people around me, and what we are doing. "With respect to Dave Brailsford, he has created one of the best sports teams in the world. Without Dave B, there is no Team Sky. "He has supported me throughout the last seven years of my career and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunities and the experiences I've had. By his own admission, mistakes have been made, but protocols have been put in place to ensure that those same mistakes will not be made again. "I know it will take time for faith to be restored, but I will do my utmost to ensure that happens, along with everyone else at Team Sky." BBC sports editor Dan Roan This may appear to be Chris Froome belatedly backing his under-fire boss Sir Dave Brailsford, but read the careful wording closely and it is clear that his support is very, very qualified. This is different from the "100% backing" messages that several of Froome's team-mates gave to the Team Sky principal last week. Instead, Froome seems to be taking a more pragmatic stand, making the point that unless Brailsford stays, Sky's sponsorship may cease, and the team could fold. This is how high the stakes have now become for one of the most successful professional teams in sport.

Britain's three-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome has apologised for the way Team Sky has handled questions over its record on doping.

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Previously, Mr Jones warned Wales was "unlikely to consent" to a deal unless certain conditions were secured. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said it was "ultimately a decision" for Prime Minister Theresa May. Mrs May has said she wanted the Welsh Government to be "involved and engaged" in the negotiations. During a trip to Chicago last week, Mr Jones said talks would fail if it "becomes a two-way dialogue between Brussels and London". He said all four of the UK's parliaments and assemblies should have to "agree to any deal the UK government comes to". Mr Jones said he could not "envisage consent being given by Wales" unless access to the European Union's single market and protection for the rights of citizens from other EU countries were secured. The call was interpreted by some as a threat to block a future Brexit deal. But speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales programme, Mr Jones said he "never called for a veto". He said: "What I have said is that I think it's right that all four parliaments should ratify, agree to any deal the UK government comes to. "It wouldn't be right for the UK government to negotiate in terms of farming and fisheries when they have no role in farming and fisheries in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. "If the UK government want to get as much support as possible across the UK for any potential deal, they're going to have to seek support in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well." Mr Cairns said it was ultimately a decision for the UK government's cabinet and the prime minister. "The prime minister has tasked me to look after Wales' interests and in doing so I will engage with the first minister but the first minister will also want to engage with other administrations around the UK as well as with the UK government," he said. "We will come to a view that serves the whole of the United Kingdom and it's my job to make sure that Wales is absolutely at the centre of those discussions." Asked what he thought were Wales' priorities in the Brexit negotiations, Mr Cairns said: "It's about making sure that immigration controls are appropriate, that meets the needs of the community in Wales but also of Welsh business. "It's about access to the markets and ensuring, of course, that we've got access to the new markets that are emerging. "Australia, New Zealand, India, north America, Singapore - they've all indicated positive discussions. That will be so important to our future prosperity and trade opportunities."

First Minister Carwyn Jones has said he never called for Wales to veto the UK's future Brexit deal.

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Seven members have not yet turned up, allegedly because of transport issues. But there are suspicions the Algeria team wanted to boycott the match against Israel because of longstanding tensions between the two countries. Goalball is a sport for the visually impaired involving a ball with bells. Algeria had been due to play the US on Friday, and Israel on Saturday, and the seven team members were scheduled to leave a training camp in Poland for Rio last Monday. The IPC says the team claims to have missed a bus which led to them missing a flight. They allegedly did not manage to rebook it in time because of a public holiday in Algeria. "It's an interesting account they have delivered to us," IPC spokesman Craig Spence told the BBC. "To have five days travelling to Rio, it's a long time. I've missed connections in the past, and you usually get there within 24 hours," he said. Goalball at the Rio 2016 Paralympics: All you need to know A beginner's guide to goalball The Times of Israel suggests the Algerian absence is "likely to avoid an Israel draw". "It is a great shame that politics has also seeped into the Paralympics," the paper quotes the head of the Israeli Paralympic Committee, Danny Ben-Abu, as saying. The issue has received some reaction on social media too. The IPC says it will check the facts and act accordingly. "If, as many people believe, this is a political protest, we can take some form of action against them," Craig Spence says. "It could be a slap on the wrist, or we could remove the goalball team from the tournament altogether," he added. In the meantime, both the US and Israel have been awarded a 10-0 win and three points each for the unplayed matches. Goalball is played by two teams of three visually impaired players, using a ball with bells inside. The object of the game is to throw the ball into the opposing team's net, while defenders attempt to block it with their bodies.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has said it is investigating why the Algerian women's goalball team failed to arrive in Rio in time for matches against the US and Israel.

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Tareck el-Aissami was described by the US treasury as a drug "kingpin" who worked with traffickers in Mexico and Colombia to ship drugs to America. Hitting back, he accused the US of "defamatory aggression". Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demanded a public apology from the US for sanctioning his new deputy. The sanctions freeze Mr Aissami's assets in the US and bar him from entering the country. He is seen as a powerful figure within the governing party and has been entrusted by Mr Maduro with key powers normally held by the president, such as determining ministerial budgets and expropriating private companies. The US treasury accuses him of being in the pay of convicted Venezuelan drug lord Walid Makled for protecting drug shipments. "They'll never be able to defeat our unbreakable resolution to be free forever," Mr Aissami said. Sanctions were also imposed on wealthy Venezuelan businessman Samark Lopez, described as Mr Aissami's "primary frontman". Mr Lopez released a statement saying he had not trafficked drugs. Vice-President Aissami is the highest-ranking Venezuelan official ever to be sanctioned by the US, which has not exchanged ambassadors with the country since 2010. US counter-narcotics experts have long said that large amounts of cocaine transit from Colombia through Venezuela on to Europe and the US.

The vice-president of Venezuela has accused the US of "imperialist aggression" after it slapped sanctions on him for allegedly trafficking drugs.

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There are thought to have been as many as 200m downloads of period tracking apps worldwide. But a leading UK medical royal college has warned that women should not rely on them as a form of contraception. And privacy campaigners say users should be wary of what data they might unwittingly be sharing when they download some apps. A search for period tracking apps will quickly bring up dozens of offerings - some with charts, others illustrated with pink tulips or lilac flowers. In the health and fitness category, period trackers come second only to apps which monitor running. Amy Worsfold, from Greenwich, south-east London, has used different trackers for three years. She is a soprano opera singer. Amy told me: "When you are starting your period or you're pre-menstrual, the hormones that rush around your body affect your larynx in ways that are detrimental to your singing voice. "I use the app to avoid auditions, premieres or really important performances on those days if I can." She plots and predicts her cycle on her smartphone. The app also helps her identify connections with changes in her emotions, eating habits and headaches. Amy added: "Being able to chart what happens to you and how you uniquely respond to your cycle is a great way of taking ownership of something that really sucks - but is completely necessary." Sometimes women download period trackers to monitor their fertility. But the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has warned they should not be used as a form of contraception. Only one such app on the market has been independently evaluated for effectiveness in this area. Generally, they are not classed as medical devices, which would involve stricter regulation. Ida Tin is the Berlin-based Danish entrepreneur behind an app called Clue. Around 10% of her market is in the UK. She said: "I wanted to develop the next generation of technology for family planning - and I do believe we'll get there. But we're not there yet." Women in Mexico and Brazil have recently shown huge interest in Clue, possibly because of fears about getting pregnant during the Zika virus outbreak. Ida Tin is interested in how anonymised user data from her free app can be used for the greater good. To this end, she is collaborating with medical researchers at Oxford University. She has built her business on a responsible approach. She added: "The app is a very powerful tool. I can't do what our users want me to do unless I use their data. "I appreciate I'm asking people for a lot of trust in me, but a lot of companies [in the same line of work as mine] don't honour that trust." Some apps which are more firmly pointed at conception have a clear value to advertisers - as a woman planning a baby is a potential market for prams, clothing and many other purchases. Sam Smith is a privacy campaigner at medConfidential. He said: "For all medical apps, but especially for conception apps, there needs to be a source people can trust that's independent and says this app is safe for you. "You can read the terms and conditions - and legally you are required to. But everybody knows that nobody does." He sees the lack of regulation, or even official recommendation, as a market failure in this area. His advice is that if an app is free, consider whether you are paying for it in effect by giving away your data - and investigate where it might be going.

The market is booming in apps which offer women the chance to monitor the cycles of their monthly periods.

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The 27-year-old had been set for a rematch with Nate Diaz, who beat him in their welterweight fight in March, at the Las Vegas event in July. After a dispute over promotional duties, UFC president Dana White said organisers were looking for a replacement for the Irishman. But McGregor said on Sunday: "Happy to announce that I am back on UFC 200." Writing on social media, he added: "Shout out to Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta on getting this one done for the fans. Respect." But US media, including the Los Angeles Times, quoted White as saying: "We haven't talked to Conor or his manager since the press conference. I don't know why he would tweet that." And McGregor's manager John Kavanagh later added: "I'm 51% optimistic and 49% pessimistic, if you want to know my feelings on it." McGregor started speculation he was quitting last week when he tweeted: "I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese." But in a statement two days later, he said: "I am not retired." White claimed McGregor was withdrawn from the card for refusing to fly to Las Vegas for a news conference and promotional photographs. In his statement, the fighter claimed he was being asked to do too much promotional work by the UFC and was not able to concentrate on his training.

Conor McGregor says he is back on the card for UFC 200, but event organisers claim no new talks have taken place.

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Mr Abbott told Australian media that the only way to prevent people dying at sea was to "stop the boats". Australia detains any migrants trying to reach its shores by boat, and takes them to offshore processing camps to be eventually resettled elsewhere. On Thursday, the New York Times described the policy as "brutal". In an editorial, the newspaper said the "ruthlessly effective" policy was "inhumane, of dubious legality and strikingly at odds with the country's tradition of welcoming people fleeing persecution and war". It said it would be "unconscionable" for European leaders to consider adopting similar policies, as Mr Abbott has previously suggested. Australia has not responded to the editorial, but on Friday Mr Abbott said the image of Syrian three-year-old Alan Kurdi, who died trying to reach Greece by boat with his family, was "very sad". "If you want to stop the deaths, if you want to stop the drownings you have got to stop the boats," he told ABC Radio. "Thankfully, we have stopped that in Australia because we have stopped the illegal boats." On Thursday, Mr Abbott angered Australian Jewish groups by saying the so-called Islamic State (IS), from which many of the migrants to Europe are fleeing, was worse than the Nazis. "The Nazis did terrible evil, but they had a sufficient sense of shame to try to hide it," he told Sydney Radio 2GB. But IS militants, he said, "boast about their evil, this is the extraordinary thing". The Executive Council of Australian Jewry Robert Goot said the comment was "injudicious and unfortunate", saying there was "a fundamental difference between organised acts of terrorism and a genocide systematically implemented by a state as essential policy". "The crimes of Islamic State are indeed horrific but cannot be compared to the systematic round-up of millions of people and their despatch to purpose-built death camps for mass murder," he told Australian media. Mr Abbott later said he stood by his comments, but that he was not in the "business of ranking evil".

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe is proof of the need for tough asylum policies.

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Poet Thomas was staying in Apartment 205 in the renowned hotel before his death aged 39 on 9 November, 1953. Now developers are about to refurbish the building which will affect the layout of the apartment. Geoff Haden, who restored the poet's Swansea birthplace, is now appealing for help to stop the work going ahead. Mr Haden is asking for people to show "financial and emotional support" to the apartment's current tenant Artie Nash. He said Mr Nash has been battling against developers refurbishing the building for nearly a decade, but work is now due to start on the entrance to the apartment. Mr Haden said: "Time is of the essence as the developers of Hotel Chelsea have told Artie that they are blocking up the doorway and tearing up parts of the apartment to make way for a maintenance stairwell. "Not only is Artie desperately trying to preserve his own home, but also a small piece of literary heritage which is why we are taking on the campaign on both sides of the Atlantic."

A battle is under way to save the apartment in New York's Hotel Chelsea where Dylan Thomas slipped into a coma just four days before he died.

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But they say it is still too early to say whether it is the remains of Swedish journalist Kim Wall. She was last seen alive on 10 August as she departed on a trip with submarine inventor Peter Madsen. He initially said he had dropped her off safely near Copenhagen, but has since said she died in an accident and that he had "buried" her at sea. The body has been sent for DNA analysis, but the results will not be available until Thursday morning. Divers continue to search the waters near where the torso was discovered, but, despite some reported sightings, other remains have not been found. "The current situation is that there is a torso in which arms, legs and head have been removed off as a result of deliberate cutting," said Jens Moller Jensen of the Copenhagen police. "There is nothing about the length of the torso to indicate that it is not Kim Wall, but we do not yet know." Ms Wall, 30, was a freelance journalist who had graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She was based between New York and Beijing and had written for The Guardian and The New York Times. She was reported missing by her boyfriend after she failed to return from what should have been a short trip to research a feature about Mr Madsen and his submarine, the Nautilus. The submarine sank hours after the search for the journalist began, and Mr Madsen was charged with negligent manslaughter. Danish police believe the 40-tonne vessel was deliberately sunk by Mr Madsen, who was rescued before being arrested. The torso was found on Monday in shallows off the densely populated Danish island of Amager, on which the Danish capital of Copenhagen is partly situated. Mr Madsen denies any wrongdoing. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

A headless and limbless corpse found in waters off Denmark was deliberately mutilated, say Copenhagen police.

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The 22-year-old, who is on a season-long loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa from Chelsea, has been told by the team doctor he needs time to recover. "I feel sad about it as it was another good opportunity for me to represent my country," Omeruo told BBC Sport. "The doctor insists I need rest to start next season without injury." Omeruo was first called up by Nigeria in January 2013 and he went on to play at that year's Africa Cup of Nations and Confederations Cup - and at the 2014 World Cup. He admitted he was looking forward to playing at the Games, especially after the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2015 and 2017 African Cup of Nations. "It is disappointing and frustrating to say the least. I'd be lying if I said I would not want to be out there playing," he said. "But at the same time I need to be fully fit to be at my best and I have no doubt that the squad will do great in Brazil. "I would also like to thank the coach [Samson Siasia] for even considering me in the first place." A firm fixture in the Kasimpasa side, such has been Omeruo's impact that the Turkish club are now exploring the option to buy him at the end of his loan spell. He joined Chelsea from Belgian side Standard Liege in 2012 and developed on loan at ADO Den Haag in Netherlands in an 18-month spell from 2012 to 2013. The centre-back, who is yet to make his competitive debut for Chelsea, then went on loan to Championship side Middlesbrough in January 2014 and made 14 appearances. He returned to Teesside again for the whole of 2014/15 season where he made 22 appearances.

Nigeria international defender Kenneth Omeruo has been declared unavailable to play at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio because of a groin problem.

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The ticket for the Grosvenor in Norwich was bought for seven shillings and sixpence and signed at the gig by John Lennon and Ringo Starr. It also states the band were supported at the now defunct venue on Prince of Wales Road by local band Ricky Lee and the Hucklebucks. The ticket is being auctioned by Bonhams on 3 July. At the time of the gig The Beatles were celebrating their first number one single From Me To You, which stayed at the top of the British singles chart for seven weeks. Bonhams said if the ticket also contained the signatures of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, it would have been worth nearer £4,000.

A signed Beatles ticket from a concert in Norfolk in 1963 is expected to fetch up to £2,000 at auction in London.

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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) are inviting new bidders for the tournament. Caf say that countries wishing to host the tournament have until 30 September to express their interest. A decision on Libya's replacement will be made next year. African football's ruling body also state that because of the limited time left to organise the 2017 Nations Cup, the Caf Executive Committee will select a host country who can guarantee that accommodation, transportation and hotel facilities, as well as training sites and stadiums already exist. Libya has endured weeks of recent chaos as the government struggles to control former rebel groups who helped topple former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Libya were originally scheduled to hold the Nations Cup in 2013 but because of the civil war swapped with 2017 hosts South Africa. The north African country had been planning to build 11 stadiums at a cost of $314 million, including a showpiece new 60,000-seater Austrian-built stadium on the site of a former military camp in Tripoli. Benghazi and Misrata were also set to have new major stadiums. Libya's government said last year it hoped the hosting of the Nations Cup would allow it to demonstrate that life had returned to normal in the country and encourage investors. Former World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer had accepted a role as an "ambassador" to help promote the tournament and the country and the former Spain coach Javier Clemente was hired to prepare their team for the tournament. Caf's decision follows the visit of a delegation from the Libyan FA to Caf's headquarters in Cairo this week. Libya also delayed the scheduled start of their new league season earlier this month because of the fighting while teams competing in international competitions in recent months have been holding home matches in neighbouring Tunisia. In February, Libya claimed their first senior African title, winning the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament they were originally set to host. The civil unrest in the country meant that the event ended up taking place in South Africa instead. Caf are due to decide the host countries for the 2019 and 2021 Nations Cup finals at a meeting in Addis Ababa on 20 September. Algeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Zambia are bidding.

Libya have withdrawn as hosts of the 2017 African Nations Cup finals as ongoing fighting in the country delays plans to build new stadiums for the 16-team tournament.

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It comes after the 24m (80ft) poles appeared close to the MacLeod House hotel and near the clubhouse at Mr Trump's Menie site. There have been concerns the poles are too large and bids for planning permission have now been submitted. The US presidential candidate's resort has been a focus for local protest. Mr Trump has called the links course one of the finest in the world. A legal challenge by the tycoon over plans for an offshore wind farm on the Aberdeenshire coast was rejected by the UK's Supreme Court.

Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course has been forced to apply for retrospective planning permission for two large flag poles.

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It comes days after IS was pushed out of the nearby ancient city of Palmyra. IS captured al-Qaryatain in August, and abducted hundreds of residents, including dozens of Christians. Many were later freed. A monitoring group said there were still pockets of fighting in the town. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday there were still IS fighters in the eastern parts of the town, but that they were withdrawing. If the government reasserts its control over al-Qaryatain, it would be a further boost for President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces - backed by Russian air strikes - have made a string of gains against rebels in recent months. The capture of the town would also provide a central base for government troops and their allies to attack IS-held areas near the Iraqi border, observers say. A Syrian army general said troops had "restored security and stability to al-Qaryatain and farms surrounding it" and would cut off IS supply routes between the east and the Qalamoun mountains region in the west. Al-Qaryatain, about 80km (50 miles) west of Palmyra, was taken over by IS fighters in their first major offensive since they seized Palmyra last May. The mixed city had a large Christian population, many of whom fled, though dozens were abducted and reportedly taken to IS' de facto capital, Raqqa. They were released weeks later, reports said. There has been a dramatic drop in fighting in Syria since a partial ceasefire came into effect last month, though IS and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front were excluded and are still being targeted.

Syrian forces and their allies have retaken the central town of al-Qaryatain from so-called Islamic State (IS), dealing a further strategic blow to the militant group, state media say.

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Having heard submissions from Glentoran and the match officials and also having viewed footage, the committee was not satisfied that an error had occurred. However, under article 16.7 of the code, it opted to suspend half of the sanction for six months. Novo's three-match ban will start on Monday, 3 April. Glenavon have the right to appeal against the disciplinary committee's decision.

Glentoran striker Nacho Novo has had a six-match ban for an attempted head-butt halved to three games by the Irish FA's disciplinary committee.

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The men included lawyer and ex-Cardiff City chief executive Alan Whiteley, and former Celtic Energy directors Richard Walters and Leighton Humphreys. They had been accused of conspiracy to defraud the Coal Authority, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, and Powys councils. But the case was dismissed and the judge said no law had been broken. The case centred on an accusation that the men had been planning to set up a firm in the British Virgin Islands in order to transfer the leases of four Welsh opencast mining sites owned by Celtic Energy in order to avoid it having to restore the sites once coal extraction had ended. They had been arrested in 2011 and it took nearly three years to come to court. But after five days of legal submissions, Lord Justice Hickinbottom threw the Serious Fraud Office's case out saying that the six defendants had not acted unlawfully regardless of whether or not they had acted dishonestly. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) applied to the High Court to continue the prosecution under a little-used legal tool called a "voluntary bill of indictment" but that was also thrown out. Nearly a year after the case was dismissed, the High Court sitting in Cardiff made a judgement that the legal costs of the multi-million pound case should be paid by the SFO. The costs claim is for £7m, to cover the cost of 10 barristers and two separate High Court hearings. The SFO, which disputes it, said it is "considering possible avenues of appeal" on the issue of costs. The order to pay the costs has potential ramifications for the SFO, which has been heavily criticised for its handling of other cases including the investigation of the Tchenguiz brothers. That case resulted in the organisation having to pay millions of pounds in costs and damages to the property developers. Eric Evans, solicitor Alan Whiteley, solicitor Stephen Davies, barrister Richard Walters, managing director Celtic Energy Leighton Humphreys, finance director Celtic Energy They were represented by 10 barristers including five QCs, while the SFO had two barristers For a serious fraud to be successfully prosecuted, it's all down to sufficient evidence, well presented to the jury so it is easily understood. But this particular case was flawed from its inception - it was difficult to prepare and present to the jury and I don't think there was joined up thinking in the way it was investigated. This is a stark reminder for the SFO and the CPS that they should not take on cases of that magnitude, cost and resource when they don't think they have a very good prospect of success. I imagine this has cost the SFO about 25% of its annual budget. And I think there has to be serious questions asked over the current set up of the SFO - which is known in certain circles as the "seriously flawed office". Is it fit for purpose? Or is another branch needed to investigate cases such as these? If that is the case, that could be the death knell for the SFO. Eric Evans said the case against them had been "wholly flawed" and it was another example of a "misconceived" SFO blockbuster case. "In an attempt to prosecute me with an offence not known to law they have repeatedly changed their case." Alan Whitely said he felt relieved and vindicated, adding: "Having lived and breathed it for four years, there are a number of questions the SFO need to address, in terms of how they go about their investigations. "It's my understanding they're supposed to be an investigative body but our experience hasn't really proved that."

A multi-million pound legal bill racked-up in a failed case against six people accused of a fraud conspiracy is to be paid by the Serious Fraud Office.

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In a leaked memorandum, Jeremy Browne said French authorities were seeking "disruption". "They are in favour of the hardest Brexit," he wrote. "They are crystal clear about their underlying objective: the weakening of Britain, the ongoing degradation of the City of London." Mr Browne a former Liberal Democrat minister and since 2015 the City's special representative to the EU, attended talks with various French authorities earlier this month. The memorandum, which was leaked to the Mail on Sunday, summarised for ministers Mr Browne's impressions following those talks and others in Luxembourg, where he said the tone was more co-operative. "The meeting with the French Central Bank was the worst I have had anywhere in the EU " he wrote. He acknowledged that the French were possibly simply taking tough negotiating positions, the "bad cop" approach, but said that "nevertheless ... France sees Britain and the City of London as adversaries, not partners." "Every country, not unreasonably, is alive to the opportunities that Brexit provides, but the French go further, making a virtue of rejecting a partnership model with Britain and seemingly happy to see outcomes detrimental to the City of London even if Paris is not the beneficiary." Mr Browne said the mood in France was "more giddy and more assertive" since Emmanuel Macron was elected president in May and that "French representatives [were] currently crashing conspicuously around London, making heroic relocation promises." Several European cities, including Frankfurt, Dublin and Brussels as well as Paris are vying to attract business that may shift out of London following the UK's departure from the EU. Financial institutions are drawing up contingency plans to open new subsidiaries within the rest of the EU to ensure they can continue to do business-as-usual post-Brexit. Mr Browne suggested that France's adversarial tone was jarring with other EU member states, aiming for a more conciliatory approach. "There is plenty of anxiety elsewhere in the EU about the French throwing their weight around so aggressively, but their destructive impulses are not being confined, and other EU countries that want a friendly relationship with Britain and the City of London are being marginalised," he wrote.

France hopes that Brexit will weaken Britain and London's role as a financial centre, according to the City of London's envoy to the EU.

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Andreu was denied from the spot by a brilliant save from Raith keeper Kevin Cuthbert 15 minutes from time. United were reduced to ten men when former Rovers defender Lewis Toshney was sent off in 55 minutes after collecting a second yellow card. Rudi Skacel struck the bar for Raith but neither side could find the net. Dundee United manager Ray McKinnon is desperate to add more of a goal threat to his team and Dutch trialist striker Felitciano Zschusschen watched from the stands. The Tangerines struggled to make clear cut chances but with 15 minutes to go Scott Fraser went down in the box as he tried to go between Jean Yves M'Voto and Kyle Benedictus. Cuthbert produced an impressive save to deny Norwich City's on-loan striker Andreu to ensure the points were shared. Raith Rovers manager Gary Locke: "It was a great save from Kevin but he shouldn't have had to make it. It was a poor decision. "I'm not one that likes to go about these things as the referees have got a hard job and it's not something I want to talk about too much but it was a soft, soft decision. "It was great that he saved it though as we wouldn't have deserved to get beat in that game." Dundee United manager Ray McKinnon: "I'm so proud of the players today as I thought we were the better team for the entire 90 minutes and even when we were down to ten men we were excellent. "We created a few chances but there will be twists and turns in this league all season and we have lots of positives to take forward. "To get a point against a tough team like Raith with just ten men was absolutely outstanding and if you had said to us three months ago we would be up at the top of the league we would have taken that." Match ends, Raith Rovers 0, Dundee United 0. Second Half ends, Raith Rovers 0, Dundee United 0. Attempt missed. Ross Callachan (Raith Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Substitution, Raith Rovers. Joel Coustrain replaces Bobby Barr. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Sean Dillon. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Scott Fraser. Ross Matthews (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Sean Dillon (Dundee United). Attempt saved. Simon Murray (Dundee United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Tony Andreu (Dundee United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Thompson (Raith Rovers). Attempt saved. Kyle Benedictus (Raith Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Mark Durnan. Blair Spittal (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jordan Thompson (Raith Rovers). Substitution, Raith Rovers. Lewis Vaughan replaces Declan McManus. Hand ball by Declan McManus (Raith Rovers). Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Blair Spittal (Dundee United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Declan McManus (Raith Rovers). Attempt missed. Chris Johnston (Raith Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Foul by William Edjenguele (Dundee United). Mark Stewart (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Hand ball by Declan McManus (Raith Rovers). Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Iain Davidson. Attempt missed. Mark Durnan (Dundee United) header from the centre of the box is too high. Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Kevin Cuthbert. Kyle Benedictus (Raith Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Penalty saved! Tony Andreu (Dundee United) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner. Penalty Dundee United. Simon Murray draws a foul in the penalty area. Penalty conceded by Kyle Benedictus (Raith Rovers) after a foul in the penalty area. Attempt blocked. Scott Fraser (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Hand ball by Ross Callachan (Raith Rovers). Substitution, Raith Rovers. Mark Stewart replaces Rudi Skacel. Attempt missed. Tony Andreu (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Rudi Skacel (Raith Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Blair Spittal (Dundee United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt missed. Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Tony Andreu (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Tony Andreu missed a second-half penalty as Dundee United dropped two points in the Championship title race with a draw at Stark's Park.

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The film star and his lawyer wife Amal, want to put up eight cameras on poles in the grounds, up to five metres (16ft) high. They also wish to attach a further 10 cameras to the property. The Eye and Dunsden Parish Council has concerns over privacy and the CCTV system's visual impact on the village. David Woodward, chair of the council, said: "When you are strolling next to a pretty riverbank, it's a visual intrusion close to where people are walking." Mr Woodward said the CCTV could also cause privacy concerns for Mr Clooney's neighbours. The property at Sonning Eye is located on an island in the River Thames on the county line between Oxfordshire and Berkshire. South Oxfordshire District Council's conservation officer recommends approval as long as the cameras can easily be removed from the building. The district councillor has until Friday to decide whether to put the application before a planning committee.

George Clooney's neighbours in Sonning have lodged objections to the star's plans to install 18 CCTV cameras at his Oxfordshire home.

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That's the conclusion of a study that suggests a fourfold rise in the amount of mineral and organic phosphorus needed on grasslands by 2050. The researchers say that at present, more phosphorus is being lost from soils than is being added by farmers. But there are concerns that increases in the use of the mineral could damage the environment. Phosphorus is an irreplaceable element for all life forms - but it is only since the 19th century that humans have been systematically using it to boost agricultural production. The mineral can be mined as phosphate ore - but animal excrement is also an important source especially in the developing world. Demand grew so rapidly over the 20th century that there were concerns about overuse and "peak phosphorus". But research published in 2012, looking at the need for phosphorus on crops, suggested that future demand could be met from existing sources. This new study though looks at the use of phosphorus on grasslands which cover around a quarter of the Earth's ice-free land areas. These fields are crucial are in the production of milk and meat. As global incomes rise, demand for these products is set to soar. This in turn will spark a rise in demand grass crops and production is expected to increase by 80% by 2050. But the study points out that at present, the vast majority of grasslands in the world are losing more phosphorus than they are gaining. The losses are mainly caused by farmers collecting manure from grasslands and using it to fertilise croplands. The amount being lost from intensive farming is far greater than from pastoral systems. Between 1970 and 2005, 44% of these losses occurred in Asia. "This is one main factor," said Prof Martin van Ittersum, a co-author of the study from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands. "Of all the manure that is deposited on the grassland, half of it is taken away for croplands or used for fuel or for plastering the walls of the houses in Africa. The fact is that the grasslands are not fertilised, so you have very little inputs to the system." The researchers say that to meet the projected demand for grassland in 2050, the amounts of phosphorus used will have to grow more than fourfold from 2005 levels. To cope with both grassland and arable land demands, the overall use of mineral phosphorus fertiliser must double by the middle of the century. "It is a vast area but that is very significant, yes," said Prof van Ittersum. "It is our strong assumption, that productivity will decrease and the pressure on our feed crops will increase and that is something that we should avoid," he said. "There is already a societal concern that we are feeding too much of our cereal crops to livestock and that pressure will only increase if our grasslands decrease in productivity." But increasing the amount of phosphorus used on land, especially in mineral form, carries significant environmental concerns. Excessive use of fertilisers of all types can lead to a leaching of nutrients into the sea where they have created so-called "dead zones". "A fourfold rise in phosphorus use would have a big impact on the environment, especially on marine life," said Marissa de Boer who is European Project Manager of SusPhos at VU University in Amsterdam. "The leaching of phosphorus from agricultural lands into rivers and eventually the sea leads to uncontrolled algae growth and dead zones such as the ones found in the Baltic Sea, Lake Erie and the Gulf of Mexico. This is an effect of increased fertilizer use in the past half century. What would the effect be if we now increase phosphorus use fourfold?" Prof van Ittersum says these issues can be controlled. The most important thing is awareness. "We are still talking about modest amounts, I don't think the environmental risks are particularly big," he told BBC News. "We have to do it carefully, we have to reuse our residues and wastes and make sure as little phosphorus as possible ends up in our sewage systems." The study has been published in the journal, Nature Communications. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook.

The world must significantly increase its use of phosphorus-based fertiliser to meet future demands for food.

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Wales in the 13th Century was a mixture of regional powers. By the middle of the previous century, most of the lowland areas, particularly in south Wales, were under English control, in the form of Anglo-Norman barons from the Marches and across Glamorganshire to Pembroke. Gwynedd and the north-west of Wales remained largely independent. Welsh princes acknowledged the ruler Llywelyn the Great and his successor Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as the overarching Prince of Wales. But as the century wore away, and Edward I of England came to power, the balance of power changed as Llywelyn refused to pay tribute to Edward. In 1276 Edward I led an invasion into Gwynedd and forced Llywelyn into the very top corner of the country, and set about his castle-building programme. An uprising in 1282 led to renewed fighting, and saw the death of Llywelyn. By the following year it was over, and English domination over Wales was entrenched. Edward's son, the future Edward II, was created Prince of Wales. At the start of the 1200s, Welsh was the language of the common people. It was how people did business, conducted family life and worshipped. By the end of the century, daily business was increasingly done in English. English settlers were encouraged to move to Wales by free land grants and the imposition of English law. As the settlers moved into the more fruitful lowlands, Welsh speakers were increasingly pushed to the higher ground, although there was crossover between the two. One of the main changes through the course of the 13th Century was the difference in the way people paid for things. According to Dr Mark Redknap, head of collections and research in the history department at the Museum of Welsh Life, the old system of "render" was starting to change. "It's fair to say that from about the end of the 13th Century the Welsh were more familiar with using money than they had been a century earlier," he said. "You had an increasing use of coinage whereas there is very much a barter economy with the pre-Norman period, and payment in kind." He said taxes to the English king were paid in cash. Coinage though was still more at the stage where the actual weight of the coins, in silver for example, was what provided the value rather than a nominal amount printed on the coin. As well as tithes paid to the church, Llywelyn had tried to levy tax on cattle and in lieu of military service. But it was Edward I who pushed formalised tax collection. By the time of his death in 1307, tax revenue from Wales had tripled. According to Gerald of Wales, the Welsh were a militaristic society, more concerned with learning to fight rather than ploughing their land more than necessary. But this only applied to free men: about a third of the population at the start of the century were bonded to a lord and worked for them on large estates. The common people wore simple clothes: a tunic and thin cloak. Although much of Wales was rural, with large forests being an important source of food and resources for many, fledgling towns had been established by the Normans in places like Carmarthen and Cardiff and by the end of the century there were around 90 small towns, although few had populations over 1,000. It is worth remembering that the population of Wales was tiny in comparison to now, with the whole population equivalent to modern-day Cardiff. Sources: BBC History; St Fagans National History Museum; The People of Wales ed Gareth Elwyn Jones and Dai Smith

As the Welsh government publishes plans to reintroduce Welsh taxes for the first time since the 13th century, BBC News looks at what life was like in Wales last time there was direct Welsh taxation.

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Don't insult the object of your desire with promises you both know you can't keep. If you lack the cash for that magnificent bunch of fragrant roses, resist the temptation to brandish a fraying fake bouquet instead. There has to be a better alternative, and you're unlikely to get a positive response. And as for trying to bully or force someone into partnership with you - a little tip: it's unlikely to go down well. In this respect, the EU makes a lousy suitor. After reeling in panic and reacting in slow motion to the - to an extent predicted - dramatic surge this year in refugees and other migrants arriving, the EU is now trying a more comprehensive, strategic approach. It includes an attempt to persuade (woo/push) the migrants' countries of origin, or the transit countries, to: Migration to Europe explained in graphics The EU also plans to send cash and other aid "over there", in the hope of dissuading more refugees and others from wanting to reach Europe, risking their lives. A rather similar formula worked for Spain several years ago when it was the main EU arrival point for people smugglers' boats. Bilateral deals with Morocco and Mauritania significantly reduced the arrival of "pateras", as Spaniards nicknamed those boats. But Spain came under fire from aid organisations (NGOs) at the time for trying to make African countries the "gatekeepers of Europe". The NGOs also raised concerns about possible human rights abuses against would-be migrants blocked at the border. They complained that the bilateral agreements, sorely lacking in transparency, smacked more of backroom deals. Similar concerns are now being directed at the EU as a whole. This week, the EU hosted a summit in Malta with African nations, in the hope of coming to an "understanding" on slowing the flow of migrants to Europe. But, in addition to NGO concerns (such as the risk of groups linked to human rights abuses, like the Eritrean security forces, siphoning off money allocated to stop migrants), African leaders widely dismissed EU offers of cash and other aid, as far too little to tackle the root causes of migration. As flowers go, the extra aid package doesn't even make the gaudy plastic category. The EU offered €3.6bn ($3.9bn; £2.5bn) to improve life in a number of African countries. This in addition to the €20bn it already gives in aid to Africa. Somalia's distinctly unimpressed Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke put it to the BBC that Africa needed investment, not charity, to improve its economies. The same as the US, the EU or anywhere else in the world, he said. In fact, EU countries couldn't even muster the pledged extra cash. It's a promise they seem unable or unwilling to keep. The European Commission says it will put in €1.8bn and wants the rest of the new fund made up by individual European nations. So far they've coughed up less than €80m. The EU was also unable to persuade/charm - some say bully - African countries into automatically receiving deported migrants back. Instead, in the written summit conclusions, the EU was forced to emphasise "voluntary repatriations". That prompted obvious questions about the bloc's declared aim of "speeding up the return" of economic migrants and other failed asylum seekers - a key part of its plan to tackle the migrant crisis. In short: the summit was not a resounding success. And a number of European newspapers were critical of the EU even trying to make a deal. Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung says the EU's offer of money to reduce the refugee numbers from Africa could open the EU to accusations of "showing its real values by co-operating with unjust regimes". Similar objections are raised when it comes to EU attempts to strike a deal with Turkey - now the main departure point for refugees and other migrants crossing to Europe. EU leaders are planning a Turkey summit before the end of the year, but - as German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pointed out - "Ankara holds the cards". And diplomats worry that Ankara will demand an extravagant bouquet in terms of money and political concessions - such as lifting visa restrictions, and accelerating Turkey's EU membership bid - in exchange for help on migration. And again, critics challenge the EU for courting Turkey at all - a country with an imperious president and dismal human rights record. There are also those who say the EU's focus is far too fixed on creating "Fortress Europe", on keeping people out and not on introducing legal ways for them to come to over. Because come they will. The European Commission expects about three million refugees and other migrants to arrive in Europe by 2017. Clearly, whatever the EU does during this crisis, it will come under fire from some quarter or another. All too often, it comes up against itself - a behemoth of 28 nations, struggling to work together. Even the quota system - accepted (reluctantly) by most EU countries - to share out more equally the asylum seekers in Europe is an unmitigated flop so far. Agreed number of people to be relocated: 160,000. People moved to date: 147. Cross-border co-operation is disintegrating as barbed wire goes up and borders slam shut across Europe: in Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Sweden, Norway… Even Germany is toughening border regulations. In stark contrast to the warm welcome given to hundreds or thousands earlier this autumn, Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's hugely popular finance minister, has begun to mutter darkly about a migrant "avalanche" engulfing his country. There's little evidence of the EU - more of each country for itself. That prompted the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, to warn that Schengen, the EU agreement allowing passport-free travel across much of Europe, risks collapse. Yet it is one of the EU's proudest achievements. You could argue Schengen has already wilted and died.

Surely some of the first rules of wooing are: if you're going to do it, do it properly.

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Lisa Bridgett, of Pwllheli, had been using the phone after the Ariana Grande concert on Monday when the explosion caused a steel nut to hit her. She lost a middle finger before the nut went through her phone and her cheek, ending up lodged in her nose. Her husband said the phone probably diverted and slowed down the nut. The bomb attack at the Manchester Arena killed 22 people and injured a further 64. Eight men are in custody following the attack, carried out by Salman Abedi. Mrs Bridgett, who was at the concert with her daughter and her daughter's friend, was in a "positive mood" and felt "very lucky to be alive", her husband Steve said. She had surgery on Tuesday and was due to have another operation on Thursday after suffering multiple injuries, including a fractured ankle and a large wound on her thigh. "The fact that she was on the phone at the time probably saved her life," said Mr Bridgett in a Facebook post. "The nut has hit her phone which has more than likely not only diverted it, but also slowed it down considerably," he said. Mr Bridgett said the couple were keen to thank police and hospital staff, as well as a steward called Peter "for helping Lisa outside and getting her to safety".

Pictures have emerged showing a mobile phone which is believed to have saved the life of a Gwynedd woman badly injured in the Manchester bombing.

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The highly symbolic visit, Mr Xi's first since becoming leader in 2012, comes amid an increasingly tense political climate. Official celebrations are planned, as well as large protests from pro-democracy and pro-Beijing camps. Several well-known activists were arrested on the eve of Mr Xi's arrival. The group, which included student leader Joshua Wong, had staged a protest at an iconic sculpture symbolising the handover. The golden sculpture of a bauhinia flower - Hong Kong's emblem - by the city's harbour was a gift from China. Mr Xi arrived for the three-day visit with his wife Peng Liyuan at the city's main Chek Lap Kok airport. The couple were welcomed by a marching band and children waving flags. In a brief speech on the tarmac, he said Hong Kong was "always in my heart". Beijing's central government "has always been a strong backer of Hong Kong" and "will, as always, support Hong Kong's economic development and improvement of people's lives". He also said Beijing was "willing to work with all sectors of Hong Kong's society in maintaining Hong Kong's extraordinary journey these past 20 years", and would "ensure 'one country, two systems' will continue with stability". The city was handed back from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Beijing agreed to govern it under "one country, two systems", granting the city its own legal system, limited democracy with multiple political parties, and rights like freedom of assembly and free speech. But China's growing influence has been met with unease and concerns that the mainland could undermine Hong Kong's more politically liberal traditions. Activists have been campaigning for years for Hong Kong to have more political freedom. A series of official celebrations are planned for this weekend, as well as the inauguration of Hong Kong's incoming chief executive Carrie Lam. But parts of Hong Kong are under a tight security lockdown amid worries of further protests, with several major roads closed and sections of the city centre blocked off from the public. Thousands of police officers are being deployed across the city and along the route Mr Xi's motorcade will take when it enters the city. When former president Hu Jintao visited for the 15-year celebrations in 2012, he was met with hundreds of thousands of protesters, marching against what they saw as Beijing's stifling influence on political reform in the city. Tensions spilled over into mass protests in the city centre in September 2014, with calls for full democracy and the resignation of then-Chief Executive CY Leung.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Hong Kong to mark 20 years since the territory was handed back to China by Britain.

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On everything from music to microwaves, and taxis to train tickets. Consumers save money by doing their transactions on a computer or mobile phone. But not when it comes to banking. Customers of UK banks who use the internet pay just as much for overdrafts and fees as everyone else. These low-maintenance customers rarely need to call their bank, let alone visit the local branch. From the bank's point of view, they are cheap to look after. Yet they get no price reductions. On the face of it, digital customers are getting a raw deal. Lloyds - the UK's biggest retail banking group - boasts that is has 10 million customers who access its services via the internet. In effect, those 10 million are paying for the other 12 million customers who still want a premium and personalised service; namely the ability to go in to a centrally-heated, business-rate paying, well-decorated and well-staffed High Street branch, to speak to a human being. "If I'm just using online, and never go into a branch, or never ring a call-centre, I would expect to get a better price, because otherwise I am subsidising those people who go into a branch," says Kevin Mountford, head of banking at MoneySupermarket. No bank will say how much its branch network really costs them. But Lloyds has no fewer than 1,300 such branches in England and Wales alone. And Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) spent £400m last year on refurbishments. Either way, transactions on the internet cost banks a tiny fraction of those in-branch, or compared to the cost of processing a cheque. "As a customer, if I am seeing that my behaviour brings down the operational cost, what's in it for me?" says Mr Mountford. "I would expect something back. But unfortunately it doesn't happen." None of the big High Street banks offer their customers separate internet banking directly. However HSBC and The Co-operative Bank do so under separate brands. One of them is Smile, the first full internet bank to be set up, in 1999, and owned by the Co-op. Smile customers borrowing £500 for a month benefit significantly. The cost is just £7.34, as opposed to £17.40 with the Co-op. The other is First Direct, which - as a telephone and internet bank only - has much lower running costs than its parent brand, HSBC. Yet First Direct charges £83.05 to fund a £500 overdraft for a month, only marginally cheaper than HSBC's £87.52. Mark Mullen, the former chief executive of First Direct - and now boss of Atom Bank - is not impressed. "I think it is astonishing that you can have banks with very different cost bases, very different sizes of banks, and very different histories of technology, yet somehow miraculously they price just about the same." Others might wonder why, if Smile charges £7.34 for an overdraft, and HSBC charges £87.52 for exactly the same thing, more customers aren't switching; or why the self-evident benefits of internet banking aren't available more widely. The banks concerned argue that customers are unlikely to be charged the amounts listed above, as they would be advised to take out a personal loan instead of the more expensive overdraft option. In any case, the mainstream banks believe consumers should not be getting lower prices for banking online. They are acutely aware that differential pricing would make life more expensive for older and vulnerable customers, who rely on a branch network, and often still use cheques. James Daley, the managing director of Fairer Finance, and a former campaigner with Which? believes that banks have a social responsibility to provide an equal service for everybody. "You start telling pensioners that they're going to have to pay twice as much for their banking services because they aren't comfortable with the internet - I don't think that would be the right solution. "I wouldn't want to advocate a world where people who bank predominantly online end up with significantly better deals than those customers who have to use branches." So are online customers going to have to continue tolerating paying over the odds for banking? The answer to that could depend on the launch of Atom, the UK's first truly internet-only bank, sometime before Easter. Built from scratch, with just 150 staff at its Durham headquarters, Atom will only offer access via the internet or an app. No branches, no call centres. As a result of its low cost base, it is promising cheaper prices. "We would expect to be more competitive when it comes to some - not all - of our charges, and some of our costs," says Mark Mullen. For example, customers will not be forced to pay both an interest charge and a fee for an overdraft. And there will be no distinction between an authorised and an unauthorised overdraft. "That's just nonsense", says Mr Mullen. But even if Atom does offer its users a significantly better deal, the rest of the industry may not feel obliged to follow suit. In this market, competition does not work as it should. So without a significant shift in banks' attitudes, digital customers may continue to argue they're not getting a good deal. But they may just have to lump it. Monday: Do other countries offer consumers better banking than the UK?

Around the world, and across different industries, the internet has cut the cost of doing business.

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Activists want to stop the consumption of dog meat at the festival in the southern city of Yulin which is due to begin later this month. Correspondents say animal rights is a growing concern in China. There have been frequent calls to treat animals more humanely. About 24 activists accompanied by their dogs handed in the petition at the representative office of Yulin city in the Chinese capital, Beijing. They unfurled banners with pictures of their pets alongside the message: "I'm not your dinner." The annual festival - due to begin on 21 June - involves the slaughter of thousands of dogs for human consumption. Figures cited by The Washington Post say about 30 million dogs are killed across Asia every year for their meat, with more than a third of that number killed in China. Opponents say many dogs are either stolen or are strays rounded up for the festival. They say many are caged in cramped conditions before being killed. Campaigning group Humane Society International has described the Yulin event as a "nightmare not a festival". Supporters of the festival argue that dog meat is good for people and eating canines is no different from consuming any other meat. In 2014, the Yulin government distanced itself from the festival, arguing it was organised by private business people and did not have official backing. Celebrities including British comedian Ricky Gervais have criticised the festival along with Chinese pop star Chen Kun and actors Yang Mi and Fan Bingbing. The tradition of eating dog meat dates back four or five hundred years in China, South Korea and other countries, as it is believed to ward off the heat of the summer months, according to state news agency Xinhua. However, the Yulin festival only began in recent years, Xinhua reported last year.

Animal rights campaigners in China have handed in a petition with 11 million signatures calling for an end to an annual dog-eating festival in the south-west of the country.

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It followed soon after an apparent industrial relations dispute at De La Salle college in Andersonstown. It is understood on Wednesday, more than 25 teachers out of a teaching staff of about 70 called in sick. It is believed a dispute at the school, which has about 1,000 pupils, centres on an incident prior to half-term. Many of the teachers are said to be concerned over the way it was handled and sent a letter to the principal. At one point, for a brief time, a large number of teachers stood silently at the doors of classrooms. A staff meeting on Monday, when no pupils were in the school, has been described as robust. So far, there has been little comment from teaching unions. INTO, which represents most teachers in the school, said that it and other unions are attempting to resolve what it described as an "industrial relations issue". It is understood that about 15 teachers called in sick on Friday. The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools has said there will be meetings next week involving it and the Board of Governors and unions.

About a third of the teaching staff at one of west Belfast's biggest secondary schools called in sick one day this week, the BBC understands.

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It extends BBC Sport's current deal, which runs until 2013, as exclusive broadcaster of the Six Nations and covers TV, radio and online. This year's tournament saw audiences increase to their highest level for 13 years, with an average audience of 4.7m per match. "The Six Nations is a crown jewel in the sporting calendar," said BBC director of sport Barbara Slater. The championship, the premier annual northern hemisphere rugby union tournament, is contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy every February and March. "We're delighted that we can continue to bring the tournament to our audiences," Slater added. "Viewing figures continue to grow year on year and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the Six Nations to build interest even further through the BBC's unparalleled offering of TV, radio, online and interactive services." In total over 30m people within Britain watched some of this year's tournament. Among the most memorable matches in the 2011 edition were Italy securing a first ever Six Nations win over France and England, who had won their first four matches, being denied the Grand Slam when they lost to Ireland. John Feehan, chief executive of the Six Nations, added: "We are delighted that BBC Sport will maintain, extend and enhance its coverage of the RBS Six Nations, the world's biggest annual rugby tournament, for a further four years to March 2017."

The BBC has agreed a deal to broadcast the Six Nations until 2017.

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Adam Purinton, 51, fled the scene of the attack at a pub in Olathe and went to a restaurant where he confided in a staff member, police say. He was arraigned in court on Monday with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. The accused wore a safety smock to prevent him from harming himself. Police say he shot and killed Srinivas Kuchibholta at a pub on Wednesday evening. He allegedly fired on Mr Kuchibhotla and his friend Alok Madasani, two 32-year-old Indian men who worked as engineers at GPS-maker Garmin. Mr Kuchibhotla died and Mr Madasani survived. A third patron, 24-year-old Ian Grillot, was wounded trying to intervene. The FBI is investigating whether the shooting constitutes a hate crime. After the attack at Austins Bar and Grill, the suspect, who is white, drove 70 miles (112km) to an Applebee's in Clinton, Missouri, where he allegedly admitted what he had done to an employee. On Saturday at 11am, the doors of Austin Bar and Grill reopened, after a fatal shooting which has shaken people here in Olathe and beyond. "We've come back to show we won't let the attacker change our way of life," said one patron who'd turned up. Austins is your regular local bar in a strip mall. It serves the usual diet of fried food and beers, with sport on big screens. But, Austins is now also the place which robbed one man of his life, and left two others injured. As Alok Madasani sat in pain in his living room, nursing an injury caused by the bullet which struck his thigh, he told me how he and Srinivas were so well known at the bar the staff knew how much ice they took in their drinks. Until that fateful night, he said he'd never heard anyone use overtly racist language in Olathe. And many other Indians I met at a vigil on Friday night echoed that sentiment. They said Olathe has always been a friendly and welcoming place. One man said he hoped this tragedy was a "one-off", and that the show of support here would help heal the many hearts, which have been broken. In a 911 call, a bartender, Sam Suida, told the police dispatcher a man had come into the bar and said he'd done something "really bad" and that he was on the run. "He asked if he could stay with me and my husband, and he wouldn't tell me what he did," she says on a recording of the call. "I kept asking him, and he said that he would tell me if I agreed to let him stay with me. "Well, I finally got him to tell me and he said, like, that he shot and killed two Iranian people in Olathe." The shooting drew worldwide attention and has gripped the Indian-American community. Hillary Clinton weighed in on the matter on Twitter on Monday, demanding President Donald Trump speak out against intolerance following the shooting. "With threats & hate crimes on rise, we shouldn't have to tell @POTUS to do his part. He must step up & speak out," the former Democratic presidential candidate tweeted. Mr Trump has yet to comment, but his press secretary, Sean Spicer, said on Monday that early reports on the Kansas shooting were "disturbing". Witnesses said the suspect shouted "get out of my country" before shots rang out. Mr Madasani told the BBC the gunman had demanded to know if they were in the country legally. The suspect is being held in the Johnson County Jail on a bond of $2m (£1.6m). His next court appearance is on 9 March.

A man arrested last week for shooting two Indians at a Kansas bar allegedly told a barmaid he had just opened fire on some "Iranian people".

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KLM has added a 06:00 weekday flight from the Highlands airport and an evening flight from Schiphol. Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) said the flights would allow people to spend a full day in the Netherlands before returning home. It is the latest addition from KLM since it started Inverness-Amsterdam flights last year.

New scheduled flights have been introduced between Inverness and Amsterdam.

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The Bath winger, 22, missed matches against France and Wales after injuring his hamstring in January. Head coach Eddie Jones said on Sunday that he was "confident" Watson would feature against Italy. The defending champions have also retained Northampton Saints prop Paul Hill for the week-long training camp. Forwards: Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Ellis Genge (Leicester Tigers), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins) , Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints). Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

Anthony Watson has been included in England's 25-man training squad for their Six Nations game against Italy on 26 February.

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The report was commissioned by Stormont's Department for Social Development (DSD) and the Department of the Environment (DoE). DSD had proposed an "affordable housing contribution" would apply to all developments of five homes or more. Similar schemes operate in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The departments commissioned the research from Heriot Watt University and Three Dragons Consultancy. It concluded that introducing a scheme "with a single percentage of affordable housing across Northern Ireland will not work given current market conditions". It added that a scheme could be considered for greater Belfast but that "timing, percentage target and form of provision is best left to local decision makers". That suggests that it would be decision for councils on whether to implement a scheme. Social Development Minister Lord Morrow said: "This research report will make a valuable contribution to our evidence base on this issue. "My department, along with the Department of the Environment, will now reflect on the findings and recommendations detailed in the report."

A scheme to compel private developers to contribute towards building social housing is "not realistic" for most of Northern Ireland, a report has found.

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The 33-year-old takes over the role from Charlotte Burton, whom he assisted last season alongside his coaching commitments at Brighton College. Seamer Anyon took 199 wickets in 63 first-class appearances for Sussex between 2010 and 2014 and retired last year because of a knee injury. He will also coach the women's under-19 and under-21 sides. "This is a great opportunity to continue working with Sussex," he said. "The women's game is fast-growing and I am looking forward to bringing my own experiences from professional cricket and using them to help the girls." Alexia Walker, Sussex's most-capped women's player and coach of the under-17 side, will take on roles with the senior, under-21 and under-19 sides.

Sussex have appointed former player James Anyon as head coach of their women's side.

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Derek Bruder was giving evidence as the inquests focused on the final movements of 15-year-old Kevin Williams. He said he made his first statement shortly after the 1989 disaster and was visited by police the following year. While the meeting left him "confused", he agreed to make changes. The officer concerned, former Insp Matthew Sawers, denied asking Mr Bruder to change the sense of his statement. Mr Bruder told the inquests into the 96 deaths at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989 that he was visited by an inspector from West Midlands Police, who were supplying evidence to the first inquests. He said Insp Sawers spent six hours with him. When the officer went to the bathroom, Mr Bruder said he looked through some of his notes. He said he found a sheet of paper divided lengthways in two, with handwritten notes on it. On one side it said "first statement" and on the other side it said "change to", Mr Bruder said. During the meeting he said he was asked to speak over the phone to a pathologist from the coroner's office. Mr Bruder, who was 22 at the time of the disaster, said he conceded "to the doctor's medical superiority" when it was suggested Kevin could not have been alive when Mr Bruder tried to revive him. He agreed to make changes to his original statement. Among them he accepted he may have been mistaken to say he had felt "a faint pulse" while trying to save Kevin. Mr Bruder told the jury he was 100% confident he had felt a pulse and had seen the teenager move while lying on the pitch. The court heard he wrote to the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2012 to say West Midlands Police had made a "deliberate attempt" to make him change his statement. He told the inquests he stood by that view and the inspector who visited him had not been honest with him. Earlier Mr Bruder told the inquests that, along with a St John Ambulance volunteer medic who gave heart massage, he had tried to resuscitate Kevin. He said he was "absolutely 100% confident" he felt a pulse in the teenager's neck, adding: "It was not something that would appear to me to be absolutely healthy, beating vibrantly, but there was definitely a pulse." Asked whether he saw any signs of life while giving CPR, Mr Bruder said: "Well, to me he was alive. There was a faint pulse." The jury also heard from two Liverpool fans who tried to help Kevin while Mr Bruder was with him. One of them, Stephen Rankin, said Kevin did not show any signs of life. Mr Bruder said a female St John Ambulance medic eventually joined the group, and took over the CPR. After trying to resuscitate him she said Kevin had died. Mr Sawers, who was formerly in charge of coronial inquiries for West Midlands Police, told the inquests he had been asked by the original coroner, Dr Stefan Popper, to visit Mr Bruder to get further explanation and detail around evidence, including the convulsions and pulse. He was to give a summary of the further statement to the inquests the following day, but denied he had applied pressure on Mr Bruder or had attended with the intention of changing his statement. Mr Sawers said: "I did not cause him to change the sense of the statement. What I did was to go through the details and to elicit more detail and explanation. "Everything that I did in my encounter with PC Bruder was done with integrity and with the best of intentions. It wasn't something that I had any personal stake in." But Pete Weatherby, representing Kevin's family, suggested there had been "a determined effort" to change his statement which was "inconvenient to the investigation". Mr Weatherby said that "it was very inconvenient that here was a serving police officer giving evidence of vital signs in a casualty that died". He suggested that as a result of the meeting, Mr Sawers came away with a second statement that "loosened up" evidence about Kevin's vital signs. The inquests, sitting in Warrington, Cheshire, are due to resume on Monday. BBC News: Profiles of all those who died

An off-duty former police officer who "felt a pulse" while helping a dying boy at Hillsborough said West Midlands Police made a "deliberate attempt" to make him change his statement.

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Ofsted says it has found evidence of children being taught in squalid conditions in three places in Birmingham which have now closed. Anyone running illegal schools could face a jail term of up to 51 weeks. Ministers are also consulting on plans for more regulation of places teaching for more than 6 to 8 hours a week. Sir Michael Wilshaw, Chief Inspector of Schools in England, told the BBC this week that his inspectors were visibly shocked by the conditions they found. It is understood that a total of 18 unregulated schools, mainly in Muslim communities in the Midlands, have been visited as part of an investigation in recent months. Three places in Birmingham have been closed and the owners are being investigated under suspicion of running an illegal school. Sir Michael said the cases uncovered were likely to be the "tip of the iceberg" and he was seriously concerned that children were at risk of being abused or radicalised. Any place where children are taught for more than 20 hours a week has to register as a school. Some places describing themselves as part-time education centres or "flexi schools" are operating within the law providing support for home-educated children. But Ofsted and ministers are concerned that some are taking advantage of the legal right to home educate to operate what are in fact illegal schools. In a letter to the education secretary on Friday, Sir Michael suggested officials had been slow to take decisive action in the three places which Ofsted had closed with the help of the local council. "This was achieved in spite of your officials providing, what I believe to be, confusing and unhelpful advice to the proprietors that they could now apply to register their provision." The government has provided funding for a team of six inspectors whose job will be to investigate illegal schools. While most of the places visited by Ofsted so far have been in Muslim communities, inspectors may also turn their attention to similar unregistered tuition centres operated by other groups. "It will apply across the board, to any religious group whether Muslim group, Jewish group, or Christian group who wants to operate this sort of provision in unsafe accommodation, in unhygienic and filthy accommodation. "It will apply to all religious groups, I want to make that absolutely clear," Sir Michael told the BBC. The education secretary has now said she intends to go further. "I have now asked Ofsted to prepare cases for prosecution against unregistered schools it has identified. For a child to spend a single day in one of these schools is unacceptable." In order for a prosecution to be brought against an unregistered school the Education Secretary has to give consent. The government consultation on further regulation runs until mid-January.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan says anyone found running an illegal backstreet school in England will face fines or a prison sentence.

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The wicketkeeper-batter, 26, has been a key part of the England set-up since making her international debut in 2006. She is England's third highest one-day international run-scorer and second only to Charlotte Edwards in T20 games. In October last year, Sussex's Taylor, who took a four-month sabbatical in 2010, became the first woman to play in Australian first-grade cricket. The England and Wales Cricket Board said Taylor could still feature in the one-day and Twenty20 series against Pakistan beginning on 20 June. An ECB spokesperson said they were continuing to monitor the situation and that the board would "support her, keep in touch and talk with her prior to selection for the Pakistan series and the start of the Super League". Taylor has scored 5,581 international runs in 190 appearances, claiming 114 catches and 88 stumpings, and is one of only seven women to play in 100 ODIs for England. Last November, her Sussex team-mate Holly Colvin retired from international cricket to take up a role with the ICC in Dubai. And last week, England captain and record run-scorer Charlotte Edwards announced her international retirement after being told coach Mark Robinson wanted to build a new team.

England's Sarah Taylor is taking an indefinite break from cricket for personal reasons.

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The Carnival Triumph docked in Mobile, Alabama, at 21:15 (03:15 GMT Friday). Disembarking the passengers took more than four hours and many still faced a long bus journey to New Orleans or to the port of departure, Galveston. Passengers had reported sewage on the floors, poor sanitation and lack of access to toilets. Some lined the decks as the 900ft (275m) ship docked, waving and cheering at people on shore. Chants of "Let me off, let me off!" could be heard coming from the ship as they waited to disembark. One homemade sign read: "Sweet Home Alabama!" and another: "The ship's afloat, so is the sewage." Disembarking passenger Brittany Ferguson said: "I'm feeling awesome just to see land and buildings. The scariest part was just not knowing when we'd get back." Carnival Corp, which operates the ship, was also the owner of Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that ran aground off the Italian coast and sank last year, killing 32 people. On Thursday, tugboats began pulling the vessel to a shipyard for repairs. The Carnival Triumph took six hours to be towed through the 30 mile (50km) channel to Mobile - the largest ship ever to dock there. One passenger, Clark Jones, told the BBC the last day was "especially nightmarish because we knew we were so close to land and getting off". The passengers were taken by bus either to Galveston in Texas, which is about seven hours away, or to New Orleans, where the firm said it had booked 1,500 hotel rooms. New Orleans is two hours away. One bus broke down as it carried passengers to New Orleans, local media reported. Carnival chief executive Gerry Cahill apologised again for the "very poor" conditions on board. "We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience, and clearly we failed in this particular case," he said. Hospitality staff will be sent on early holiday with full pay or transferred to other ships, depending on the length remaining in their contracts, senior vice-president Terry Thornton said. Passenger Janie Baker told NBC by phone on Thursday that conditions on the ship were "extremely terrible''. There was no electricity and few working toilets, she said. Ms Baker described using plastic bags to go to the toilet and that she had seen a woman pass out while waiting for food. The stench from overflowing toilets and drainpipes made some cabins uninhabitable and many people slept in corridors, while others took bedding out into the open to escape the heat and foul smell. Passengers will be offered a full refund and discounts on any future cruises. Carnival announced on Wednesday passengers would each get an additional $500 (£322) in compensation. But the firm has disputed the accounts describing the ship as filthy, saying employees were doing everything they could to ensure people were comfortable. Carnival has cancelled more than a dozen planned voyages aboard the Triumph, while acknowledging that the crippled ship had other mechanical problems in the weeks before the fire.

All 3,200 passengers have now disembarked from a crippled cruise ship that reached the US coast five days after an engine fire knocked out power.

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The Manchester-born full-back has admitted previously that moving closer to his family was a temptation. But he this week agreed a new three-year contract to remain at Pittodrie. "It was definitely a big factor in me signing," the right-back said of McInnes' decision. "It was nice to re-assured that he would be the manager." Logan, 29, joined the Scottish Premiership club from Brentford in May 2014 and had been linked with a move back to England. "It was always a temptation," he said. "My family's down there, my friends are down there, but at the end of the day it is about enjoying football and being happy and I am more than happy here. "Family has never been an issue. The manager gives me more than enough time to see the kiddies and I can arrange for them all to come up and spend time with their dad up here. "So it is probably a stage of my career where I thought a three-year deal at club where I've been for three and a half years it suited me down to the ground. "It would have been difficult signing under a manager I had never played under." McInnes paid tribute to Logan for the way he has handled his family situation. "Shay's not had it easy because of that," he said. "His own situation domestically is a huge commitment for him to see his kids. "But that's another positive of Shay Logan - how committed he is to his family and his children - but at no point does he lack that commitment to us. "He gets quality time with his kids, but he also brings us the necessary work to prepare for a game. "He never misses training. He's consistently fit and available and he's chalked up a lot of games. He is a fantastic boy to work with." McInnes also praised Logan's quality as a player. "It's important that we try to retain good players, players that have served us well and there's no doubt that Shay, from day one, has impressed us all," he added. "A lot is made of his personality, his confidence and rightly so and I think the fans are drawn to that. "But what also has to be said is that he is a very good player and he's been voted the best right-back in the league in the last few seasons and rightly so. "He has been a brilliant signing and I'm delighted he has shown that commitment to be with us."

Shay Logan says Derek McInnes' decision to turn down Sunderland - rather than his own family situation - persuaded him to extend his stay with Aberdeen.

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The stones and bottles thrown and the hate banners displayed by Borussia Dortmund supporters on Saturday exposed a widespread loathing in Germany for a team seen as upstarts, RB Leipzig. The club is challenging for Champions League football in its first ever season in the top flight. The hatred is because of the way they are wholly owned by one company, Red Bull. A wall of hatred was on view: "Slaughter the bulls", "Red Bull, enemy of football" were some of the milder slogans used. Families came under attack, and six fans and four police were hurt. One top football official Max Eberl said the violence was sick: "Whether you like RB Leipzig or not, it shouldn't get out of hand." Dortmund's fans are not alone. One tabloid newspaper, the Berliner Kurier, even refused to print the club's name a few weeks ago, using the insulting term "Dosenverkauf" (Can-sellers) in their Bundesliga table. Selling drinks is the core business of RB's owner, Red Bull, and there have been plenty more insults since the company bought a team in the Leipzig suburbs in 2009 and oversaw four promotions in seven seasons. Listen to Tim's BBC World Service programme here: The Rise of RB Leipzig The vitriol derives from RB's ownership model. Traditionally German football clubs are run without a single, rich investor. It is the members who must control a majority of the shares in the entity that owns the team. But RB Leipzig has only 17 members. It follows the letter of this law, but not its spirit. Among the club's biggest critics is the chief executive at Borussia Dortmund, Hans-Joachim Watzke. "It's a club built to push up the revenues for Red Bull and nothing else," he says. Read more on RB Leipzig here: RB Leipzig's rapid rise 'no fairytale' Andreas Bischof, whose blog in Leipzig pokes fun at the new club, goes further. "This club is not owned or sponsored by a company, this club is like an outlet of a company," he says. "It's a whole new level of using sports as a marketing vehicle." But others argue that RB Leipzig is just what the city and surrounding region need. There has been little Bundesliga football in the former East Germany since unification in 1990. "Football is a business that needs an enormous amount of money," says Martin Machowecz from weekly newspaper Die Zeit. "And here's someone who's come along, got involved and made sure that we've now reached the same standard as in West Germany in an area of society that's important." What RB as a club lacks in sporting history, its home city and its stadium provide. Lokomotive Leipzig became a household name when they beat Bordeaux in a penalty shoot-out to qualify for the final of the Uefa Cup Winners' Cup in 1987. The goalkeeper saved two penalties before stepping up to score the winner. Gerlinde Rohr, now director of the Leipzig Sports Museum, was among the reported 110,000 in the stadium that night. "I was there with a school mate and after Rene Mueller scored his goal I jumped on the seat and we embraced each other," she remembers. The Zentralstadion fell into disuse after unification but was given a new lease of life by the 2006 World Cup. The oval embankment of the old stadium was retained and a new stadium built inside it. It's now called the Red Bull Arena. Many see the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as the turning point for RBL, who had spent two frustrating seasons in the fourth tier before his arrival in 2012. As sports director and, for a brief period, trainer, he oversaw three promotions in four seasons. Ralf Rangnick's key to success is youth. He likes to buy players who may never previously have had a professional contract and his squad is the youngest in the Bundesliga, with an average age of a little over 23. In his eyes, young players are hungrier for success and fit his playing philosophy. In Leipzig they place huge emphasis on pressing the other team high up the pitch and winning the ball in the opponent's half. "Even if you're the best player in the world and you're being attacked by three players, you lose the ball," he says. Ralf Rangnick also believes in the club's controversial ownership model. "What do you need members for? I'm more interested in the number of supporters we have," he says. As for suggestions that Red Bull's owner Dietrich Mateschitz plays a big role in the way the club is run, the sports director says they meet and speak on the phone a handful of times every year. But what of the complaint that RB Leipzig is merely a vehicle for selling cans of energy drinks? "For us it is completely unimportant," he says. "It's got nothing to do with what we do."

Football hooliganism is nothing new in Germany, but when violence broke out before a Bundesliga match between two of the top clubs, this was something different.

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Files were found after the attacks on a computer dumped in a rubbish bin, a well-placed source confirmed. The computer also included a final message from one of the airport bombers, Ibrahim el-Bakraoui. Belgian authorities have identified all 32 victims who died on 22 March. Seventeen were Belgian, and the other 15 from around the world. Another 94 people are still in hospital, and dozens of them are in intensive care. The first funeral has taken place, for Raghavendran Ganeshan, whose body was returned to the Indian city of Chennai on Tuesday. The discovery of the computer emerged the day after the Brussels attacks. It had been abandoned in a bin in Max Roos street in the Brussels area of Schaerbeek. The three suspects captured on airport CCTV had left a house on the same street by taxi and the driver had later guided police to the address, where explosive materials were found. Quoting reliable sources, De Tijd newspaper said earlier that files on the computer contained details and photos of the prime minister's building and office at 16 Rue de la Loi (Wetstraat in Dutch) as well as details of his official residence in Lambermont street. It is unclear if these were downloaded from the internet or taken by the bombers themselves. A spokesman for Mr Michel said security had been strengthened well before the attacks last week because of concerns the buildings were vulnerable. The chancellery is also next door to the US embassy and on the same street as Maelbeek metro station, where Ibrahim el-Bakraoui's brother blew himself up little over an hour after the airport attack. The computer has become a vital source for Belgian investigators searching for the third airport suspect, who is thought to have fled the airport when his suitcase did not explode. In his final message on the computer Ibrahim el-Bakraoui complained of being hunted and not feeling safe anymore. Copies of laptop hard drives linked to suspects in the Brussels attacks have been sent to the FBI, according to reports from the US. Brussels airport remained closed for flights on Wednesday, after a test involving hundreds of staff. The airport operator said no flights were planned until at least Thursday afternoon as the results of the trial were still being assessed. A temporary check-in area has been installed along with enhanced security measures. But officials say they will only resume flights when they are able to operate at 20% capacity, Chief executive Arnaud Feist has said it will take months to reopen fully, as the departures hall will have to be rebuilt "from the air conditioning to the check-in desks". Several airlines have diverted flights to Liege, Antwerp Ostend and Charleroi. However, Brussels Airlines is running only 40% of its flights and says it is losing €5m a day because of the closure of Brussels airport. In a separate development, an open letter written by police at the airport has been published by Belgian broadcaster VRT, in which they express frustration and say security was not taken seriously enough. They complain of a shortage of staff and say the airport's "open infrastructure" meant that trains, buses and cars were able to approach and leave the airport without any control.

Jihadist bombers who attacked Brussels airport and metro last week also collected building plans and photos of Prime Minister Charles Michel's office and home, the BBC has learned.

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Cassells won the title with fellow Coleraine man Peter Chambers last year. Chambers, meanwhile, helped the British four take silver behind defending world and European champions Switzerland. Enniskillen's Holly Nixon and her GB team-mates were fifth in the quadruple sculls final with Alan Campbell third in the B single scull final. London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Campbell said afterwards that he had been suffering badly from hay fever over the weekend in Germany. Cassells and Scrimgeour dominated the lightweight pair final and had over three seconds to spare from Denmark at the finish. The lightweight pair is a non-Olympic boat class but Cassells and Scrimgeour will have reminded the Great Britain coaches of their selection claims for the lightweight four. Chambers, Mark Aldred, Jonno Clegg and Chris Bartley led the fours final at the halfway stage before the Swiss took control to win by a length. Enniskillen's Holly Nixon and her Great Britain crew mates Rosamund Bradbury, Jess Leyden and Kristina Stiller were going along well in fourth place before catching a crab just before the halfway mark which stalled the boat momentarily. They eventually finished fifth behind winners Germany and will now finalise their preparations for the Olympic qualifying regatta in Lucerne in a fortnight's time. There was success for Ireland in the men's lightweight double sculls when brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan from County Cork rowed through leaders Norway in the closing 500m to clinch gold. Reigning world champions France and silver medallists Great Britain - Coleraine's Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher - were missing from the field but that doesn't detract from a memorable moment for Irish rowing. There was a second medal for Ireland in the women's single sculls when London Olympian Sanita Puspure took bronze behind scullers from Austria and Latvia.

Coleraine rower Joel Cassells retained his European men's lightweight pair title as he and San Scrimgeour took gold for Britain in Brandenburg.

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Confessions had been forced from the Muslim men after they were beaten up in custody, a rights activist said. They were among a group of people arrested late last year. Homosexual acts are illegal in the West African state under both Islamic and secular law - the latter was tightened earlier this year. Same-sex marriages, gay groups and shows of same-sex public affection are now banned throughout Nigeria. Another Muslim man also received 20 lashes in January after the Islamic court in Bauchi convicted him of homosexual offences. Most states in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria have adopted Islamic law, known as Sharia, since the end of military rule in 1999. The BBC's Ishaq Khalid in Bauchi says details about the latest case are sketchy, but court officials have confirmed the whippings. It seems the court wanted to avoid publicity after an angry crowd disrupted proceedings last month, demanding the death sentence for the four, our reporter says. The judge did not impose the death penalty because the homosexual offences had taken place a long time ago, and the men had repented, he says. Where is it illegal to be gay? The men, aged between 20 and 22, were also ordered to pay a fine of $120 (£70) each, Dorothy Aken'Ova, a rights activist with the Nigeria-based International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights, told the Associated Press news agency. Rights groups were trying to raise the money - otherwise, they will remain in prison, she said. The men should not have been convicted because they were beaten up and their confessions forced, she said. Their families, mainly subsistence farmers, turned down an offer of legal representation because they preferred to negotiate with the judge and get the case behind them, Ms Aken'Ova said. Nigeria is a deeply conservative country, where most people - Christian and Muslim - are opposed to homosexuality.

Four Nigerian men have received 20 lashes each after an Islamic court in the northern city of Bauchi convicted them of gay sex, officials say.

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Media playback is not supported on this device The home side, leading by 136 on first innings, wobbled to 153-7 before Moeen's 59-ball knock took them 224-8 when rain forced an early close. Under-fire opener Keaton Jennings managed only 18. South Africa were earlier bowled out for 226 and will begin day four 360 runs behind. The Proteas already need to break the record for the highest successful run-chase on this ground, with the pitch showing further signs of turn and uneven bounce. England, 2-1 up, are chasing their first home series win against South Africa since 1998. Media playback is not supported on this device Bar captain Joe Root, who made a typically unflustered 49, none of the England top order were able to take advantage of home side's superior position in the game. Collectively, South Africa's attack was excellent, none more so than pace bowler Duanne Olivier, who picked up three wickets in the Manchester gloom. When Jonny Bairstow became the seventh wicket to fall, England were 289 ahead and in danger of letting South Africa back in. Moeen, though, counter-attacked, dishing out some particularly brutal treatment to the previously economical Keshav Maharaj. Targeting the leg side, left-hander Moeen hit the left-arm spinner for three sixes, sharing an eighth-wicket stand of 58 with Toby Roland-Jones, who contributed 11. When the rain arrived at 17:15 BST, Moeen had taken 38 runs from the previous 22 balls he faced. Media playback is not supported on this device South Africa began the day on 220-9 and lost their last wicket when Olivier top-edged to Bairstow. Trailing by such a large margin, they needed everything to go their way with the ball and, though the bowlers played their part, they were not always backed up in the field. Jennings was dropped by Dean Elgar at third slip and Dawid Malan put down by a diving Temba Bavuma, with Kagiso Rabada the unfortunate bowler on both occasions. A potential Ben Stokes edge off Morne Morkel did not result in an appeal, with the same batsman put down by Heino Kuhn at short mid-wicket off Olivier. Bairstow and Roland-Jones also survived tough chances to Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis respectively. None were particularly costly in terms of runs, but the same cannot be said about an edge from Moeen off Maharaj to Elgar at slip, which just about carried. Moeen was on only 15 at the time. This was perhaps a last chance for Jennings, who averages 15.87 in eight innings in this series. The Durham left-hander, the 11th different partner for Alastair Cook since 2012, had not scored when he was given a life by Elgar and battled for more than an hour before lunch. Soon after the break he slashed at Rabada to be held at first slip by Amla. If his place is the one that is most under-threat, then the other new batsmen in the England side still have work to do in order to establish themselves in Test cricket. Tom Westley, who made a half-century on debut in the third Test, made only nine before edging a drive off Morkel, already a familiar dismissal. Malan, who has managed just 35 runs in four innings, tamely inside-edged to short leg off Maharaj for six. Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan: "Maybe for Jennings it is best that he steps out of the pressure cooker, goes back to Durham and work on things. "I think he has got better, he played a few nice defensive shots and a nice shot to cover, but he's not doing it consistently. "Early in his innings he doesn't get his weight back on the ball. "Who replaces him? Hameed was poor for Lancashire today, Stoneman would be next in line I think." Former England spinner Graeme Swann: "Calls for Ian Bell to return? I don't think he will. "His big chance was the first few games of the season and to score runs then. "You've got to look at why players aren't picked, because someone at the top doesn't rate them. Personally, I think he is one of the best players ever, but by the end he just wasn't scoring heavily enough. "I just can't see it."

Moeen Ali's thrilling, unbeaten 67 cemented England's stronghold over South Africa on day three of the final Test at Old Trafford.

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A top Kiev official reported the case. The mother, Vladislava Podchapko, had gone to her partner's flat, without leaving food at home, reports say. Her son Daniil, aged one year and 11 months, died on 3 December. His sister Anya, nearly three, remained in the Kiev flat with the dead body for three more days, until the mother returned. Ukrainians have expressed shock about the case on social media, and the details were given on Facebook by Mykola Kuleba, the Ukrainian presidential adviser on children's rights. Anya is in intensive care in hospital, but her condition is improving, Mr Kuleba reports. Doctors have been trying to feed her - she had reportedly fainted from hunger in the flat. Her father and grandmother have visited her. According to Mr Kuleba, Ms Podchapko had left just a few chocolates for the infants to eat. He said the linoleum by the locked front door had been pulled up - an apparent attempt by the children to get out. Ms Podchapko gave birth to a second son in October. Her partner, whom she calls her "husband" on VKontakte - the Russian version of Facebook - is reportedly the father, and the baby lives with him. In her VKontakte profile, Ms Podchapko describes herself as "a modern mother". She posted many selfies and snapshots with her toddlers, accompanied by affectionate messages. She spoke lovingly of her partner, saying "my husband is always right, always the best and always the winner - naturally, as he is my husband". She could face up to eight years in jail under a law against "leaving a person in peril", Ukraine's 112.ua news website reports. But she may be shown leniency because she has a new baby. According to Mr Kuleba, the infants last saw a doctor back in February, and they stopped going to kindergarten in August. Police say they did not get any call to visit the flat. It appears that Ms Podchapko herself revealed what had happened there. Mr Kuleba said Ms Podchapko first got pregnant at the age of 16, and each of her three children has a different father. She grew up in a big provincial family and allegedly asked for loans from friends and family repeatedly. Mr Kuleba lamented that the case illustrated not only parental neglect but also Ukraine's "weak social services". The number of care professionals has fallen by 12,000 in Ukraine since 2014, he said.

Ukrainian prosecutors are questioning a 20-year-old mother after she allegedly left two toddlers in her flat for nine days, and one starved to death.

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Vincent Hudson has been charged with the historical offence on a boy under the age of 16, Cumbria Police said. A spokesman for the force said the attack was reported to have taken place in 2001. Mr Hudson, 54, of Loweswater Avenue, Whitehaven, is due to appear before North Cumbria Magistrates' Court later, the spokesman added.

A man from Cumbria has been charged in connection with the rape of a boy 14 years ago.

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Media playback is not supported on this device Hamilton was initially stuck behind Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel but switched to a different strategy to get ahead. The German was third ahead of Williams' Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen. The result means Rosberg has reduced Hamilton's advantage in the championship to 20 points, while Vettel is 31 points adrift in third place. It was Mercedes' most dominant grand prix since the first race in Australia. Ferrari had come to this weekend with a major upgrade package, with revisions to almost every aerodynamic surface of the car, but Mercedes were perhaps further ahead than they had been all season. Rosberg converted his pole position into a lead at the first corner and simply cruised into the distance as Vettel held up Hamilton behind him. Mercedes urged Hamilton to try to pass the Ferrari, but he told the team it was impossible to get close enough to overtake on the pit straight even with the help of the DRS overtaking aid. Mercedes decided their best option was to give Hamilton some clear track, and told him that they would switch to a three-stop strategy and try to pass Vettel at the end of the race. But Hamilton did not need to overtake the Ferrari on track. Stopping on lap 32 to fit the slower 'hard' tyre, Hamilton immediately set the fastest lap of the race and proceeded to take huge chunks out of Vettel's advantage. Media playback is not supported on this device Twenty seconds behind when he rejoined, Hamilton had cut Vettel's lead in half by the time the Ferrari driver made his second and final stop eight laps later. Vettel rejoined 13.5 seconds behind Hamilton, who continued to pull away until he was 23 seconds in front by the time of his final stop on lap 51, which was comfortably enough to allow him to rejoin in front of the Ferrari. Now 17 seconds behind Rosberg, Hamilton fancied his chances of catching his team-mate for the win, but was told by his engineer Peter Bonnington that he had too much to do and to "consolidate" second place. Hamilton pressed Bonnington, saying: "Is it impossible?" He was told: "Yes, it's impossible. He'll respond if we pick up the pace." "Perfect weekend," said Rosberg. "The car has been awesome - all weekend." Hamilton said: "I got a bad start, had lots of wheelspin but it was a good race. Nico did a fantastic job and I was just grateful I could get back up to second. This was a difficult weekend for me and I'll take this." Behind Vettel in the race, Bottas took fourth, fighting off a stern challenge from Ferrari's Raikkonen in the closing laps. Ferrari inverted Raikkonen's tyre strategy, putting him on the 'hard' tyre for his middle stint rather than taking the conventional route of leaving it for the end of the race. Media playback is not supported on this device That meant Raikkonen had a grip advantage over Bottas, who was on the 'hard' tyre in the final stint, but he was unable to make it pay. The second Williams of Felipe Massa was sixth, from the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo and Lotus's Romain Grosjean. Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz passed Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat for ninth place at the first corner of the last lap. The stewards investigated the incident because Sainz went off track through Turn Two as he completed the move - gaining an advantage by leaving the track is forbidden - but they decided to take no further action. Three laps earlier, Sainz cleanly passed team-mate Max Verstappen for 10th place. The two Toro Rossos had started fifth and sixth and had always suspected it would be tough to beat Raikkonen, Massa and the Red Bulls, all of which had qualified behind them. Sainz took advantage of being on the 'medium' tyres in the final stint while Verstappen was on the 'hard'. The Dutchman ran wide in the final twisty section of the track on lap 62 and Sainz was able to draft past on the straight. Jenson Button finished 16th after a troubled race for McLaren. Team-mate Fernando Alonso ran 12th in the first stint, climbed as high as seventh at one point thanks to a late first pit stop, but retired from 14th place with brake failure. Full race results here

Nico Rosberg took a dominant win in the Spanish Grand Prix as Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton fought back from a slow start to take second.

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Thomas Sargent was on his Yamaha Fazer motorbike on Bolton Road, Withnell, on Sunday afternoon when he was involved in a collision with a Volvo car. He was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital, where he later died. His family described him as a "quiet, enthusiastic, caring and loving man" with a "real passion for motorcycles". Paying tribute, they said: "He had just celebrated his 21st birthday by touring Europe on his Yamaha motorbike. "He died doing something he loved and is now at peace and resting with his Grandma. He will be dearly missed by everybody that knew him and will never be forgotten." Police are urging witnesses of the collision to get in touch.

A man killed in a crash in Chorley had recently returned from a motorbike tour of Europe as part of his 21st birthday celebrations.

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Strachan would not be drawn on his future following last week's 3-0 defeat by England. The Scots are second bottom of their World Cup qualifying group on four points after four games. "I'd be amazed if he doesn't," said Motherwell boss McGhee when asked about Strachan continuing in the role. "I think in terms of the performance he got the best out of the players, so I think he's entitled to move on to the next games and see if we can improve on the results." Scotland next play Slovenia at home in March before the return meeting with England at Hampden in June. Double-headers against Lithuania and Malta and then Slovakia and Slovenia later in 2017 complete the qualifying campaign. Group winners progress to the 2018 finals in Russia while the eight best runners-up from the nine European sections will play-off for four further qualification spots. Group F started positively for Scotland with a 5-1 win away to Malta but only a late goal prevented defeat at home by Lithuania and Slovakia then humbled the Scots 3-0 in Bratislava before a repeat scoreline at Wembley. "Everyone has their opinions and they're entitled to those opinions," said McGhee. "Whatever anyone else says, we'll just keep doing what we're doing until someone takes the keys off of us. "If people look at it objectively and properly and see that players are doing their best but we fall short because we're either not good enough or have a bit of bad luck then I think we're entitled to say, 'okay let's keep going because we're still getting the best out of the players that we can get'."

Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee insists he would be surprised if Gordon Strachan did not carry on as national coach.

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It is hoped the sale, to be handled by estate agent Knight Frank, will cover the £502m debts accrued by a firm which tried to redevelop the landmark site. The 39-acre property is on the Thames and a new public park is planned there. Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed government backing for plans to extend the London Underground's Northern Line into the heart of the area. Stephan Miles-Brown, head of residential development at Knight Frank, said: "This is the first time Battersea Power Station has ever been offered for sale on the open market. "As one of the UK's most recognisable landmarks, Knight Frank anticipates considerable interest in a scheme that is among the most exciting in the world today. "Battersea Power Station is as iconic as the Chrysler Building in New York or the Eiffel Tower, and familiar to people who may have never even been to London." The Grade II listed building opened in 1933 and generated power until 1983. As such any building work would require listed building consent - even minor works, such as painting. It was acquired by Real Estate Opportunities, the majority owner of the holding company, in 2006. Last year its debts on the project were called in by creditors.

Battersea Power Station is being offered for sale on the open market for the first time.

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Reading Borough Council had said it would need to spend £700,000 to bring the Arthur Hill Memorial Baths up to standard. The authority said it would sell the building to help pay for a new facility in the area in about four years. However, campaigners have now set up a community interest group in a bid to reopen the pool. Phil Vaughan, who has been a regular at the baths for 15 years, said he hoped the group would attract grants to fund a reopening. He said the council had agreed not to drain the pool for a few months. "We pay taxes, we are entitled to some community benefits," he added. Alan Hardie, secretary of Reading Dolphin Swimming Club, which used the baths, said: "It's very sad we will all be separating and won't be meeting here on Sunday mornings as we have done for many, many years. Dolphin member Margery Taylor, who has rheumatoid arthritis and has been using the baths for 20 years, said: "It's quite a social life for people who can't get about so easily - we don't want fancy wave machines, we just want a pool we can swim up and down." The original 90ft (27m) pool - which six individual hot baths for people who did not have them at home - was opened on 29 November 1911. During World War One the council agreed to let soldiers quartered in Reading use the baths free of charge. The building was donated to the town by the Hill family, in memory of Arthur Hill JP who was mayor of Reading four times between 1883 and 1887.

A 104-year-old swimming pool has closed after a council said it could no longer afford to repair the building.

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The British Film Institute's Sight and Sound magazine polls a selected panel once a decade and Citizen Kane has been its top pick for the last 50 years. This time 846 distributors, critics and academics championed Vertigo, about a retired cop with a fear of heights. Starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, Vertigo beat Citizen Kane by 34 votes. In the last poll held 10 years ago, Hitchcock's 1958 thriller came five votes behind Welles's 1941 classic. Its triumph coincides with the launch of the BFI's Genius of Hitchcock season, a major retrospective celebrating the acclaimed "master of suspense". Vertigo, the film Hitchcock regarded as his most personal, sees the director tackle obsessional love, one of his recurring themes. It opens with police officer Scotty Ferguson, played by Stewart, retiring after his vertigo inadvertently leads to the death of a colleague. 1. Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) 2. Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) 3. Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 4. La Regle du Jeu (Renoir, 1939) 5. Sunrise: a Song for Two Humans (Murnau, 1927) 6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968) 7. The Searchers (Ford, 1956) 8. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929) 9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer, 1927) 10. 8½ (Fellini, 1963) He is then hired by an old friend whose beautiful wife - played by Novak - is behaving strangely. As the story plays out against a San Francisco skyline, there are several revelations that challenge the audience's preconceptions about characters and events. The film is famous for a camera trick Hitchcock invented to represent Scotty's vertigo - a simultaneous zoom-in and pull-back of the camera that creates a disorientating depth of field. The visual, often imitated, has become known as a "dolly zoom" or "trombone shot". Like Citizen Kane, Vertigo received mixed reviews on release but has grown in stature as the years have passed. The Sight and Sound list contains few surprises, with all of the films cited more than 40 years old. Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story, from 1953, is ranked third - bettering its 2002 placement at five - while Jean Renoir's La Regle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game) drops one place, from three to four. Both new entries in the Top 10 are silent - Dziga Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera at eight, and Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc at nine. The newest film in the Top 10 is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, released in 1968, which charts at six. The top British film in the countdown is The Third Man, which came in at the relatively low placing of number 73. 1. Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 2= 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968) 2= Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) 4. 8 ½ (Fellini, 1963) 5. Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976) 6. Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979) 7= The Godfather (Coppola, 1972) 7= Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) 9. Mirror (Tarkovsky, 1974) 10. Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948) Source: Sight & Sound The panel, which voted for 2,045 films overall, was asked to interpret "greatest" how it saw fit. Its results, said Sight and Sound editor Nick James, "reflects changes in the culture of film criticism". Vertigo, he continued, was "the ultimate critics' film". "It is a dream-like film about people who are not sure who they are but who are busy reconstructing themselves and each other to fit a kind of cinema ideal of the ideal soul-mate." In a separate poll run by the monthly publication involving 358 film directors, Ozu's Tokyo Story was voted the greatest film ever made. Citizen Kane is ranked at number two jointly with 2001, while Vertigo occupies seventh place. Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen and Mike Leigh were among the participants in the poll. The full results are published in Sight and Sound's September issue.

Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo has replaced Orson Welles's Citizen Kane at the top of a poll that sets out to name one film "the greatest of all time".

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Mae'r asgellwr Steff Evans yn rhydd i chwarae wedi iddo dderbyn cerdyn coch yn y rownd gynderfynol yn dilyn penderfyniad panel disgyblu i ddileu'r gwaharddiad. Bydd Liam Williams yn chwarae ei gêm olaf i'r Scarlets cyn iddo arwyddo i'r Saracens. John Barclay fydd yn arwain y tîm yn absenoldeb Ken Owens gyda'r mewnwr Gareth Davies yn ymddangos am y 150fed tro i'r Scarlets. Mae Munster hefyd yn ddi-newid ar gyfer y gêm. Llwyddodd Munster i ennill yn erbyn y Scarlets ar benwythnos agoriadol y Pro 12 ym mis Medi o 23-13 ond fe wnaeth tîm Wayne Pivac dalu'r pwyth yn ôl ym mis Chwefror pan enillodd y Scarlets o 30-21. "Fe wnaethom gymryd hyder o'r fuddugoliaeth ym Mharc Thomond, ond mi fydd hi'n achlysur hollol wahanol," meddai prif hyfforddwr y Scarlets, Wayne Pivac wrth edrych ymlaen i'r gêm. Ychwanegodd: "Mi fydd rhaid i ni fynd yno i chwarae ein gêm ein hunain a mwynhau'r achlysur. "Mae'r bechgyn yn gwybod os bydden ni'n cael y perfformiad yn iawn ar y diwrnod fe allwn drechu unrhyw dîm, felly mi fydd rhaid i ni fod yn iawn ar y diwrnod," meddai. Dywedodd Cyfarwyddwr Rygbi Munster, Rassie Erasmus mai "tymor go-lew" fydd hi os na wneith nhw ennill y tlws. "Mi fyse hi'n dymor hyfryd os llwyddwn i ennill," meddai. Bydd wyneb cyfarwydd arall yn rhan o'r gêm wrth i'r Cymro, Nigel Owens gael y cyfrifoldeb o ddyfarnu'r gêm. Bydd y gêm ymlaen Dydd Sadwrn 27 Mai gyda'r gic gyntaf am 18:15. Bydd sylwebaeth lawn o'r gêm ar raglen Camp Lawn BBC Radio Cymru o 18:00 ymlaen. Cadarnhad o'r ddau dîm ar gyfer y gêm Munster: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Francis Saili, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray; CJ Stander, Tommy O'Donnell, Peter O'Mahony (captain), Billy Holland, Donnacha Ryan, John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne Eilyddion: Rhys Marshall, Brian Scott, Stephen Archer, Jean Deysel, Jack O'Donoghue, Duncan Williams, Ian Keatley, Jaco Taute Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl; Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Steffan Evans; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; John Barclay (captain), James Davies, Aaron Shingler, Tadhg Beirne, Lewis Rawlins, Samson Lee, Ryan Elias, Rob Evans Eilyddion: Emyr Phillips, Wyn Jones, Werner Kruger, David Bulbring, Will Boyde, Jonathan Evans, Hadleigh Parkes, DTH Van der Merwe

Mae'r Scarlets wedi enwi'r un tîm a drechodd Leinster i wynebu Munster yn rownd derfynol y Pro 12 yn Nulyn ddydd Sadwrn.

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Security minister James Brokenshire set out the motion, which was passed unopposed in the House of Commons on Thursday. It will now be an offence to be a member of any of the groups in the UK. Mr Brokenshire said terrorists from or connected to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq posed a threat to the UK security. The list of proscribed organisations includes ISIS, whose fighters are known to have been involved in conflicts in both countries. The four other groups to be banned are: Turkiye Halk Kurtulus Partisi-Cephesi (THKP-C); Kateeba al-Kawthar (KaK); Abdallah Azzam Brigades, including the Ziyad al-Jarrah Battalions (AAB/ZJB); and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC). Mr Brokenshire said that Syria was the "number one destination" for jihadists anywhere in the world, and added that by banning these groups it sent a "strong message that terrorist activity is not tolerated wherever it happens". He said: "The reality is that the Syria conflict has seen a proliferation of terrorist groups with multiple aims and ideologies and little regard for international borders. For example in the last week we have seen significantly increased violent activity in Iraq by ISIS." Downing Street said on Wednesday that 65 people had been arrested in the past 18 months for Syria-related jihadist activities. And between 2001 and the end of March 2013, 32 people were charged with proscription offences as a primary offence in the UK, of which 16 were convicted. The motion was welcomed by Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, who said more work needed to be done with internet service providers to ensure content related to the banned organisations was taken down. He said: "We face our gravest threat in the last 13 years and the government is right to bring before the House a number of orders proscribing organisations which they feel undermine the security of this country."

Five Syria-linked jihadist groups - including the The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) - have been banned in the UK by MPs.

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Craig Rodger, 25, was hit by a Porsche as he crossed Wilbraham Road in Chorlton, Manchester, in March 2014. Mohammed Basit Chaudhry was accused of causing death by dangerous driving but died in Dubai the following year. Mohammed Omayr and Raheel Rehman, both from Chorlton, were sentenced to two and three years respectively at Manchester Crown Court. Police said Omayr had been contacted by Mr Chaudhry after the crash. The men drove in convoy to Brookburn Road, about half a mile away from the scene of the crash, where Rehman set fire to a Porsche Panamera. Mr Chaudhry was dropped off at his home by Omayr, police said, and, six days later, he left the country. The following month he died in a collision in Dubai. His identity and death were confirmed when his body was brought back to the UK. Omayr, 33, of Wilbraham Road, and Rehman, 28, of Lambton Road, both admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice at an earlier hearing. After sentencing, Mr Rodger's family said they had been given "legal closure" but "the grief and heartache for us will go on forever". They added: "To anyone who thinks they can drive recklessly and dangerously on our roads, this is the result, and to think you can then run and cover up your crime - you cannot and you will always look over your shoulder until you are brought to justice." Sgt Lee Westhead, of Greater Manchester Police, said Omayr and Rehman were "cowardly and insidious individuals". "The decisions they made that night are truly abhorrent," he said. "The unwavering patience and dignity demonstrated by Craig's family throughout this period is utterly amazing."

Two men who helped an alleged hit-and-run killer conceal evidence have been jailed.

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Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire have been worst affected, after 2-5cm fell overnight, with 10cm reported on higher ground. Passengers waiting to depart Manchester Airport have reported being stuck on the runway for hours due to a lack of de-icers. Leeds Bradford Airport suspended all morning flights but has since reopened. Manchester Airport reported "minor delays to departing aircraft" - but passengers told the BBC they had been stuck on board outbound flights. Shirley Hale said her Jet2 flight to Tenerife had been waiting to depart for over four hours. "We have been told that there are not enough de-icers at the airport," she said. The airport apologised and said de-icing was the responsibility of airlines and their ground teams. More than 100 schools were closed across East Lancashire and Oldham, with 80 shut in West Yorkshire. BBC Weather said Buxton in Derbyshire saw up to 17cm of snow, the deepest measured on Friday. The avalanche risk in the Peak District was currently extremely high, Buxton Mountain Rescue Team said. Parts of Staffordshire have been affected, with several centimetres of snow reported in Flash, England's highest village. Commuters have been urged to allow extra journey time, and the Met Office has issued snow and ice warnings. More on the snow and other stories in West Yorkshire Weather updates for Lancashire and Greater Manchester BBC Weather presenter Kay Crewdson said conditions were due to slowly improve into Saturday. Molly Greenwood reported 10cm of snow in the Huddersfield area. "Don't think I'm going anywhere," she said. Zulfi Hussain said the snow was causing "traffic chaos" in Woodhall Road, Calverley, near Leeds. Elliott Hudson, another West Yorkshire resident, said: "Looks like I have woken up in Narnia." West Yorkshire's Liversedge FC, who have had to cancel every home game for the last four months due to bad weather, tweeted a picture of snow with the caption: "It's not looking good for Liversedge FC's home game with Worksop Town tomorrow." The A628 Woodhead, A57 Snake Pass and A537 Cat and Fiddle roads are all affected, with delays reported on the M65 motorway. Highways England said the A57 eastbound in Great Manchester is closed between M67/A560 and B6174 due to severe weather conditions. It said teams were working to clear the road. Tony Hallwood, from Leeds Bradford Airport, said it reopened at about 09:00 GMT after crews used ploughs to clear snow from the runway. He said: "We are asking passengers to make their way to the airport as early as they can given the difficult conditions." Bus operators are also reporting delays to all services across West Yorkshire. Oldham Council has said 48 schools had closed this morning as a result of the snow and severe weather. Drivers are also being asked to take extra care after snow fell overnight in some parts of Northern Ireland. A Met Office yellow warning for ice and snow in northern England and Wales ended at 15:00.

Heavy snowfall has caused travel disruption in parts of northern England.

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The oil painting was commissioned by Royal Northern Sinfonia, which wants to challenge the Austrian's "chocolate box" portrayal, ahead its new season. "Somehow we've come to think of his music as pretty," said the orchestra's music director Lars Vogt. "But that music is often dramatic and dark. Those qualities must have been there in the man." The portrait was painted by renowned American artist Tim O'Brien, and will be projected onto buildings around the orchestra's home towns of Newcastle and Gateshead over the coming months. Regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time, Mozart wrote more than 600 works, including some of the most celebrated and enduring pieces of classical music, before he died at the age of 35. Only 14 images of the composer are known to have been created during his lifetime, but many are stylised or incomplete. The best physical description came from baritone Luigi Bassi, for whom Mozart had written the role of Don Giovanni. "Mr Mozart was an extremely eccentric and absent-minded young man, but not without a certain spirit of pride," he said. "He was very popular with the ladies, in spite of his small size; but he had a most unusual face, and he could cast a spell on any woman with his eyes." Describing the existing portraits as "cosy and pretty", O'Brien explained the thinking behind his new painting. "I know of few musicians of real depth where you can't see some of that complexity in the face. So to find the Mozart who was obsessively driven, who pushed boundaries and who lived in a world where harsh poverty and crime were a very real facts, I looked at musicians from our own era to provide some inspiration. "Photos of Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton suggested both obsession and some kind of danger. Johnny Rotten provided a certain precocious brilliance, and I related to those for Mozart." O'Brien previously made headlines by creating a portrait of Beethoven for the cover of Gramophone magazine, which was inspired by U2 singer Bono. The portrait accompanies the Northern Sinfonia's new season, which includes a series of concerts called Reclaiming Mozart. They begin on Friday, 18 September with the first movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 25, and will also include his Clarinet Concerto and the rarely performed Symphony No. 33. Musical director Vogt will be the soloist in the Quintet for Piano and Wind, of which Mozart once wrote: "I myself consider it to be the best thing I have written in my life." The German concert pianist and conductor, who recently played the first night of the Proms, is an avowed Mozart fan - whose desert island disc would be a box set of the composer's works. In his first season as director of the Sinfonia, he plans to stage a number of "pop-up" concerts in venues that echo the "darker corners of Vienna" that Mozart would have frequented in the 18th Century.

A new portrait of Mozart imagines the composer as a "daring" and "edgy" musician in the mould of Johnny Rotten.

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New Healthway, a book on hygiene and health aimed at 11 and 12 year-olds, is printed by one of India's leading publishers. Academics have urged the government to exercise greater control. But the authorities say schools should monitor content as they are responsible for the choice of textbooks. "This is poisonous for children," Janaki Rajan of the Faculty of Education at Jamia Millia University in Delhi told the BBC. "The government has the power to take action, but they are washing their hands of it," she said. It is not known which Indian schools have bought the book for their students, but correspondents say what is worrying is that such a book is available to students. "The strongest argument that meat is not essential food is the fact that the Creator of this Universe did not include meat in the original diet for Adam and Eve. He gave them fruits, nuts and vegetables," reads a chapter entitled Do We Need Flesh Food? The chapter details the "benefits" of a vegetarian diet and goes on to list "some of the characteristics" found among non-vegetarians. "They easily cheat, tell lies, forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes," it says. The chapter, full of factual inaccuracies, refers to Eskimos (Inuit) as "lazy, sluggish and short-lived", because they live on "a diet largely of meat". It adds: "The Arabs who helped in constructing the Suez Canal lived on wheat and dates and were superior to the beef-fed Englishmen engaged in the same work." The publishers, S Chand, did not respond to the BBC's requests for a comment.

Meat-eaters "easily cheat, lie, forget promises and commit sex crimes", according to a controversial school textbook available in India.

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Edmund, 21, is leading the British team as Andy Murray sits out the tie on clay following his Wimbledon victory. Although Murray is not playing, the British number one has flown out to support his team-mates. "If any of the players want to ask me anything, I'll help or try and give some advice," Murray told BBC Sport. "I'm not here to start telling anyone what to do. We've got a great team - this team has won the Davis Cup before. "The guys that are here helping, they do a great job and I've had that advice from them over the last few years." In Friday's second match, British number five James Ward takes on Dusan Lajovic, the world number 81. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Saturday's doubles match will see Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot take on world number 405 Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic. World number 67 Edmund made his debut in last year's final against Belgium as Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936. Ward, ranked 240 in the world, earned a crucial win against American John Isner in the first round of last year's competition. Serbia's world number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of the tie following his surprise defeat by American Sam Querrey in Wimbledon's third round. Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent Kyle Edmund has clocked up some useful tour wins since making his debut in last year's final and can be expected to be a major part of the GB team for another decade. Captain Leon Smith says he can "absolutely" see him as a top-10 player of the future. James Ward, with his grass court shoes in his suitcase, was planning to fly to Rhode Island last Wednesday, before a call from his captain that morning altered his plans. He has not won a tour level match since last year's Wimbledon, but the hope is that his Davis Cup experience will come to the fore. Friday's first rubber could be critical to the outcome of the tie. Edmund might be ranked 338 places above Janko Tipsarevic, but before a string of injuries the Serb was good enough to qualify for the 2012 World Tour Finals.

Great Britain's number two Kyle Edmund will take on Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic in the opening match of their Davis Cup quarter-final in Belgrade on Friday.

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Concerns from English Institute of Sport (EIS) medical staff over coaches' practices led to a review in 2015. The EIS has queried the review panel's independence and findings, although both UK Sport and GB Taekwondo say the review was carried out appropriately. Taekwondo is the latest sport to be involved in a welfare controversy after cycling, swimming and canoeing. Medical staff working with GB Taekwondo raised concerns to UK Sport with regard to concussion, weight loss and training loads, including claims that athletes were asked to train in saunas, reported City AM. This led to GB Taekwondo commissioning an independent review, although the organisation was allowed to select its own panel. They chose not to interview any of the complainants or athletes, according to the paper, but had access to written submissions and medical notes. The report published last year found no evidence to support the complaints or of poor practice. A statement from the EIS said it had concerns over the independence of the panel - which was set up with funding agency UK Sport's help - the management of the review process and did not wholly agree with the findings of the final report. "The EIS has continued to have a dialogue with UK Sport around these issues," it added. The GB Taekwondo team enjoyed its best Olympic medal haul last year, when Jade Jones, Lutalo Muhammad and Bianca Walkden won gold, silver and bronze respectively in Rio. GB Taekwondo says it "has no greater priority" than the health and wellbeing of athletes on its world-class programme. "They are given an individualised training and competition plan as well as a bespoke nutrition and hydration programme which is underpinned by a robust weight management policy to ensure they are among the best prepared athletes in the world," it said. "They travel with medical support at all times to ensure they are fully fit to compete in this demanding sport." GB Taekwondo no longer uses EIS medical staff but says this change was planned before the claims were made, adding that improvements had been made to support athletes. A UK Sport spokesperson said it took "appropriate and timely" action and there was not sufficient evidence to stand up the claims. "That said we have asked our internal teams within UK Sport (performance and governance) to provide an extra emphasis in their monitoring in terms of both the world-class programme and GB Taekwondo's internal processes on athlete welfare/safeguarding," it said. "We are also exploring how we can involve athletes more directly in providing their views on a confidential basis about both performance and services provided by practitioners." The latest claims come amid concern over the culture of high-performance programmes in British sports.

UK Sport is under further scrutiny after its treatment of complaints about GB Taekwondo was questioned.

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Helen Garner initially dismissed the message from Yale University as a hoax. "I thought what the hell is this? Somebody's having me on," Ms Garner told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. She was going to delete the email but thought to call her publisher, who informed her that the Windham-Campbell prize was in fact real. The Windham-Campbell prize is one of world's richest literary awards, according to reports. Garner, 73, won for her body of non-fiction work. She is also the author of novels and screenplays, including 1977's Monkey Grip, considered a classic of Australian literature. She was not the only author to be taken aback by the surprise award, because the prizes have no submission process. "Writers are judged anonymously and unaware that they are in the running," Yale says on its website.

An Australian author says she "fell off her chair" when she discovered an email about a $150,000 (A$207,000; £106,000) literary award was not a hoax.

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The Staggies won the League Cup and have secured a top-six finish. Mark Warburton is in the running after steering Rangers to the Championship title, lifting the Challenge Cup and reaching the Scottish Cup final. Peter Houston, whose Falkirk side lie second in the Championship, and Jim McInally, whose Peterhead are third in League One, are also nominated. Part-time Peterhead also reached the Challenge Cup final and still have a chance of promotion via the Championship play-offs. Falkirk have reached the Premiership play-offs and presently lead Hibernian in the race to finish second in the second-tier table. Bairns manager Peter Houston told BBC Scotland: "I am thrilled that people have voted for me and it has come as a surprise. "Because I look at other managers and the resources they have and some wonderful jobs are being done." McIntyre's County knocked holders Celtic out of the League Cup semi-finals before lifting the trophy for the first time. The County manager said: "It was a big surprise as there are some fantastic nominees beside me and there also other managers out there who have had real success this season by winning their leagues and they have not been nominated." There is no place on the award shortlist for Celtic's Ronny Deila, whose side are poised to win the Premiership title - their fifth successive league triumph. However, the Norwegian has already announced he will stand down at the end of the season after failing to win either domestic cup competition and having had poor campaigns in the Champions League qualifiers and Europa League group stage. Despite Deila leading his side to a league and League Cup double, last season's award went to John Hughes, whose Inverness Caledonian Thistle side lifted the Scottish Cup and finished third in the Premiership - their highest-ever position ensuring a debut in European competition. The 2014 winner, Derek McInnes, also does not make the shortlist this time despite his Aberdeen side posing the biggest challenge to Celtic for a second year running in the top flight. Neither does Allan Johnston, who won the award in 2013 for leading Queen of the South to the third-tier title and has done so again with Dunfermline Athletic, and Gary Naysmith, whose East Fife side have won League Two. Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson is another notable absentee, with his side sitting third in the Premiership after winning promotion last season. Top 4: Peter Houston (Falkirk) Jim McInally (Peterhead) Jim McIntyre (Ross County) Mark Warburton (Rangers)

Ross County's Jim McIntyre is the only Premiership boss in the running for PFA Scotland's Manager of the Year award.

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Tom Stilwell fell from his neighbour's balcony in his apartment block in Auckland at 02:00 local time on Sunday (14:00 GMT on Saturday), reports said. He was trying to lower himself onto his balcony, which was directly below his neighbour's, when he fell, police said. His friends said that he had bone fractures and internal injuries, but was "fine" and "a very lucky man". He was awake and laughing on Monday, but had no recollection of what happened, his friends told New Zealand newsgroup Fairfax Media. "He looks alright," his flatmate, Beth Goodwin, said. "It's more internal injuries. He's broken some bones in his ribs and neck but they're not important bones." "The odds may be against it, but others have lived after even more dramatic plummets. "Juliane Koepcke, 17, was flying over the Peruvian rainforest with her mother when her plane was hit by lightning. But she survived a two-mile (3.2km) fall. "In January 1972, 22-year-old Yugoslav flight attendant Vesna Vulovic's plane exploded following a suspected terrorist bomb. The Guinness Book of Records recorded that Ms Vulovic plummeted 33,000ft (10,160m) before landing in snow." Read more In a statement, New Zealand police said: "It appears that the man was locked out of his 14th floor apartment. He fell while attempting to climb down the outside of the building from a 15th floor apartment directly above his, in an effort to gain access via his balcony." There were "no suspicious circumstances surrounding the fall", the statement added. The 20-year-old is said to be in New Zealand on a working holiday. Mr Stilwell discovered he was locked out of his flat early on Sunday, and asked a neighbour if he could climb down from her balcony into his flat, his friends said. The neighbour, Geraldine Bautista, told the New Zealand Herald that Mr Stilwell was "a little tipsy" but polite. "I wasn't scared of him - he just requested 'Can you please let me jump off from the balcony? I will not bother you, just let me use your balcony.'" "I never thought he would really do that. In my mind I thought 'Okay, I'll just let you see that it's really impossible. I didn't think he'd jump, because it's really scary." However, he quickly pulled himself over the balcony railing before she could stop him, she said. "I thought I was dreaming... it happened within seconds," she said. "I couldn't even scream for help." Mr Stilwell's fall was broken by the roof of an adjacent building, reportedly some 13 floors below. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but was in a satisfactory condition by Monday, a hospital spokesperson said. Dr Tony Smith, a medical director at St John, an emergency healthcare organisation, told the New Zealand Herald that a person's chances of survival were increased if they were able to break their fall on something. However, "survival from falls of that height are extraordinarily unusual", he said. In December 2007, New York window cleaner Alcides Moreno plummeted 47 floors when cables holding the platform he and his brother were working on failed. His brother died but Mr Moreno made a full recovery, something doctors attributed in part to his escaping major head injuries. In June 2010 a four-year-old boy escaped with minor injuries after falling from the 17th floor of a hotel in Miami. Joey Williams, who bounced off palm trees as he fell to the 10th-floor pool area, was sitting up in bed by the next day.

A British man has survived a fall from the 15th floor of a building in New Zealand, local media report.

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Mills scored 102 goals for Whitehawk after joining the club in 2012, having previously had spells with clubs including Peterborough and Torquay. Details of the length of the 26-year-old's contract at Stonebridge Road have not been disclosed. Mills is Ebbsfleet's first signing since winning promotion from National League South in May.

Newly-promoted National League side Ebbsfleet United have signed former Whitehawk striker Danny Mills.

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Joseph McHale, 38, Kevin Schruyers, 42, and Robin Vaughan, 43, all from Liverpool, were part of a gang who targeted ATMs. The gang struck in the early hours of the morning at machines in Stonehaven, Inverurie, Aberdeen, New Deer and Ellon between August and November 2013. Sentence was deferred. They used oxygen and acetylene to get to the safes behind the ATMs. At the High Court in Glasgow, McHale and Schruyers were convicted of blowing up the cash machine at Scotmid in North Deeside Road, Bieldside, Aberdeen and stealing £112,000. They were also found guilty of blowing up an ATM at the Royal Bank of Scotland in New Deer and stealing £21,020. The pair were also convicted of blowing up four ATMs in Ellon, Stonehaven, Inverurie and Aberdeen and attempting to steal from them, and stealing a quantity of clothing, golf equipment and money from the golf professional shop at the Paul Lawrie Centre in Aberdeenshire. The duo were also found guilty of attempting to break into a cash machine in Mintlaw by using a crowbar. Vaughan admitted blowing up the ATM in New Deer and Bieldside. He also admitted trying to force open the ATM in Mintlaw using a crowbar. The focus of the investigation led to Liverpool after a number of Scottish banknotes started to circulate in the Mersey area. Many of these notes had edges cut off in a bid to remove the signs of dye which went on to them. Others had some red dye on them even though the gang had tried to remove all traces of it. The court heard they duped Francis Clark - brother of actress and model Sophie Kennedy Clark and grandson of singer Calum Kennedy - into providing them with a hideaway after a meeting at a party. The court heard that Mr Clark was originally a suspect in the case, but appeared during the trial as a witness. Lady Scott deferred sentence until next month at the High Court at Livingston. Ch Insp Graeme Mackie, of Police Scotland, said afterwards: "This was a complex police enquiry. "I would like to commend the effort and work undertaken by all the officers involved in this enquiry and also the public, whose assistance was vital. "There is no place for serious organised crime in Scotland."

Thieves have been found guilty of using explosives to blow up cash machines in a series of raids which netted more than £130,000 across Aberdeenshire.

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Today's 30-something generation has missed out on house price increases and better pensions, according to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Those born in the early 1980s have an average wealth of £27,000 each, against the £53,000 those born in the 1970s had by the same age, said the IFS. They will also find it harder to amass wealth in the future, it added. The think tank found that people born in the early 1980s were the first post-war group not to have higher incomes in early adulthood than those born in the preceding decade. "This is partly the result of the overall stagnation of working-age incomes," it said. "But it also reflects the fact that the great recession hit the pay and employment of young adults the hardest." Jessica Lucas, 27 A lot of my friends can't find a way to get a deposit for a house. A lot of them are struggling - working full time, sometimes working two jobs - and that's just to rent. Renting alone is causing us a lot of trouble to save up for a house, so I don't know how we're going to get out of the vicious cycle of renting to then own. Adam Snape, 36 For pretty much everyone I know around my age it's hard to get a house. Everyone was spending on credit cards that were limitless and people could get another one and another one. People didn't think they needed a plan really. What is the norm now is renting. It's getting a lot more like Europe. It's becoming a bit of a daydream that people can buy a house. "It looks like those born in the early 1980s are likely to find it harder than their predecessors to build up wealth in housing and pensions as they age," said report author Andrew Hood. "They have much lower home-ownership rates in early adulthood than any other post-war cohort, and - outside the public sector - have much less access to generous defined benefit pension schemes than previous generations did at the same age." "Wealth" as defined by the IFS includes property, savings and investments, and money held in private pensions - minus any debts a person may have such as student loans or credit cards. By Simon Gompertz, personal finance correspondent There is plenty to celebrate for younger generations: better health, longer lives, more interesting food, travel and technology. But there is no avoiding the financial hit which thirty-somethings have suffered as latecomers to the property and pensions game. It's as if they had sat down to a Monopoly binge on a rainy afternoon, only to be told they couldn't collect £200 on passing go and couldn't have any houses of their own. They could only rent. What does the future hold if you are in your early 30s? There is little sign of the situation getting any better. Property prices remain out of reach for many. Few have the gold-plated pensions of yesteryear. The worst case scenario is the thought of millions reaching old age, still renting, with paltry savings and more likely to turn to the state for support. Campbell Robb, housing charity Shelter's chief executive, said: "With sky-high house prices so out of step with average wages, it's no wonder a whole generation are being priced out of a home of their own and left with no choice but expensive, unstable private renting. "At Shelter we see the impact of our chronic shortage of affordable homes every day, with thousands of people forking out most of their income on rent and left living from one pay cheque to the next." Laura Gardiner, from the Resolution Foundation think tank which works to improve the living standards of those in the UK, said this was not just a problem for the 30-something generation - often referred to as Millennials. "If we have far higher proportions of pensioners renting in years to come this is going to put a far higher cost on the state to support them through things like housing benefit - this is an individual and collective problem," she said. She also said there were other knock-on impacts, for example young people with unsecured debt were much less likely to take risks in the labour market.

People in their early 30s are half as wealthy as those now in their 40s were at the same age, a report finds.

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Negotiations over who will run the £200m Metrobus network have stalled as bus companies are reluctant to run the service on a completely commercial basis. Metrobus admits public subsidies might now have to be used to entice firms on board. The first of the new bus routes are due to be completed in the next few months. David Redgewell, from passenger group Bus Users UK, said the lack of a current operator was a worry. "We need to be realistic about what the bus industry can deliver in hard times," he said. "The buses have to make money, so there's really going to have to be realism amongst the public authorities that unless they are prepared to put public subsidy in then they [buses] need to be commercial." In March 2015, Bristol City Council was required to spend more than £1m removing protestors from Stapleton allotments, part of the new Metrobus route. Former secretary of Stapleton Allotments Association, Jane Ghosh, said she was "absolutely shocked but not the least bit surprised". "It's cost £200 million plus, it's a lot more than that because of the delays. They only have £34 million from the government, which is static and won't go up," she said. "We told them right at the beginning, this was never going to be a commercially viable project - but nobody listened to us." BBC Radio Bristol politics reporter Pete Simson Could Bristol really be left with a brand new public transport network, but no company willing to run it? The idea was always for Metrobus to be run without subsidies, using shiny new buses with clean fuel. Unfortunately, it would appear bus companies view this as simply too risky, after all, they want to make a profit. With huge swathes of Bristol's roads currently being dug up to build Metrobus, the need for a deal becomes ever more pressing. Time will tell if this is merely another teething problem, or a hugely costly mistake. Commuters are currently enduring roadworks associated with the scheme in the city centre, on the M32 and various other locations in South Gloucestershire. The scheme was devised by the West of England Partnership (WEP), an alliance between the four councils in Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. It involves three routes: Ashton Vale to Temple Meads, Cribbs Causeway via Emersons Green to the city centre and the South Bristol link between the A370 Long Ashton bypass and Hengrove Park. It will provide an express bus service on 31 miles (50km) of segregated bus-ways and bus lanes. The WEP said Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset council were "actively negotiating" with bus operators and such discussions were commercially sensitive. A spokeswoman said: "We have always been clear that the aim is that the MetroBus services are run entirely on a commercial basis via a quality partnership scheme that sets minimum standards for frequencies, quality of vehicles and maximum fares, supported by a voluntary partnership agreement with one or more operator. "Of course should negotiations not be successful, we have a range of back up plans which could include formal contracts to run all or some services on a contracted basis. "This might require the use of public money following a competitive procurement process, but this would depend on the situation when negotiations conclude - which all parties agree should be in about three-four weeks' time." First Bus, Wessex and the Bath Bus Company RAPT were said to be in the running for the contract.

A "rapid transit" bus scheme due to be running in Bristol by 2017 still has no operator and may need public funds.

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The Bristol-raised creator of the Open Bionics project says he can 3D-scan an amputee and build them a custom-fitted socket and hand in less than two days. It typically takes weeks or months to obtain existing products. Joel Gibbard says he aims to start selling the prosthetics next year. "We have a device at the lower-end of the pricing scale and the upper end of functionality," he told the BBC. "At the same time it is very lightweight and it can be customised for each person. "The hand is basically a skeleton with a 'skin' on top. So, we can do different things to the skin - we can put patterns on it, we can change the styling and design. There's quite a lot of flexibility there." The 25-year-old inventor intends to charge customers £2,000 for the device, including the cost of a fitting. Although prosthetic arms fitted with hooks typically can be bought for similar prices, ones with controllable fingers are usually sold for between £20,000 and £60,000. That cost can sometimes be prohibitive for children, who usually need to change their prosthetic once or twice a year to take account of their growth. Open Bionics' hand relies on myoelectric signals, meaning it detects muscle movements via sensors stuck to the owner's skin and uses them to control its grip. A single flex of the wearer's muscles opens and closes the fingers, while a double flex changes the shape to form a pinch grip. Although the user cannot feel what the fingers are touching, sensors built into the digits can tell when they come into contact with an object to limit the pressure they exert. This means owners can pick up objects as fragile as an egg without crushing them. However, Mr Gibbard acknowledges there are still some limitations to his design. "We're using lower-cost motors than they have in high-end devices, so the overall strength is lower," he said. "So, we are testing it with users and household objects and trying to come to a compromise that means it is very affordable and still has enough power to do most of the stuff that people want." The UK engineering prize includes a £2,220 reward and the chance to compete for an international title worth $45,000 (£28,600). But, perhaps more valuably, it will also help the project gain wider recognition. "Joel Gibbard is to be congratulated in advancing the availability of functioning prosthetic devices at affordable prices," commented Miss Barbara Jemec, founding chair of the British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery and Training (BFirst), on learning of the prize. "Amputees, especially in developing countries, such as Sierra Leone where the civil war left many upper limb amputees, need to have access to affordable and durable prosthetics that work. "A working hand can make all the difference between hunger and being able to work and take care of yourself and your family. I shall be following the development with interest." Open Bionics started as a bedroom-based crowdfunding project in 2013, which was supported by Bristol Robotics Laboratory. Since then the design has been revised 10 times, and the number of separate parts radically reduced. Mr Gibbard says he can now size up a user in a matter of minutes using a tablet equipped with a special sensor, 3D-print the parts in about 40 hours, and finally fit them together in a further two hours. "The original design was primarily made of different plastic parts that were screwed and bolted together along with off-the-shelf components," he recalls. "It took a very long time to build, and because it was all made of plastic it was subject to a lot of weak points where it could break. "The new design is made of thermoplastic elastomer, which is basically a flexible rubbery plastic. "So, we're able to print something in far fewer pieces and then have flexible joints. "That means it's much more robust to impact forces and it requires much less assembly, so there are savings in cost, time and improvements in performance." While the current design only supports patients whose limb loss is limited to their forearms, the ultimate goal is to be able to help those with above-elbow amputations as well. The roboticist is currently based in Los Angeles where his work is being supported by Walt Disney's Techstars Accelerator mentorship and investment programme. Although he intends to start a business by selling custom-made robotic hands in the second half of 2016, the project is also "open source" - meaning anyone can share and use its designs without charge so long as they in turn share any improvements they make. This is not the first time a James Dyson Award has gone to a robotic appendage. In 2013, the University of Pennsylvania's Titan Arm - an exoskeleton for one arm designed to help people with back injuries - won the top prize.

A prototype 3D-printed robotic hand that can be made faster and more cheaply than current alternatives is this year's UK winner of the James Dyson Award.

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The 23-year-old, who made her senior international debut in 2012, featured at last year's World Cup in Canada. The former league winner with ADO Den Haag scored 15 goals in 94 appearances for Ajax since joining them in 2012. "I was looking for a new challenge and I'm delighted to get the chance to play for such a big club," Middag told the Women's Super League leaders' website. "It's a bonus to be playing in the Champions League and I'm really looking forward to playing at the highest level against clubs from France and Germany."

Manchester City Women have signed Netherlands midfielder Tessel Middag from Eredivisie Women's side Ajax.

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Hackney Council is providing temporary office space for up to eight people in the canopy of a tree in Hoxton Square from June. The idea from the Park Hack community partnership aims to generate more investment in parks and open spaces. The council said the booking fees would help maintain the park and other open spaces, and community groups could book the space free of charge at weekends. Groundwork London environmental charity is delivering the project and said between six and eight people would be able to hold meetings or work on laptops in the weather-proof structure, which will be built around the tree. Workers will be able to see across the square and up into the canopy, as the office will be as "transparent as possible", Hackney Council said. The tree office has been designed by Australian-American artist Natalie Jeremijenko along with "collaborative artists" Shuster and Moseley, and architect firms Tate Harmer and Gensler. It will be launched at the biennial 2 Degrees Festival to celebrate art, environment and activism and will be available to book for seven months initially. A statement on the festival website reads: "This tree offers sanctuary, a power supply, and free Wi-Fi amongst the bustle of east London. "The workspace is owned and operated by the tree itself, with revenues made being reinvested into Hackney's parks."

Office workers in east London could soon be hanging out among the trees.

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St Michael's Hospital is joining other UK foetal medicine centres to set up a twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) registry to share information. Consultant Mark Denbow said they were "constantly learning" about TTTS. He said the "rare and often devastating condition" occurs in about 10-15% of identical twin pregnancies. St Michael's Hospital is also one of a few UK centres offering laser ablation surgery, where doctors can operate on the babies while they are in the womb. Jo and Finbarr O'Halloran, from Backwell, said they were "devastated" when they discovered their twins had the syndrome during a hospital scan. Mrs O'Halloran was given laser ablation surgery at about 22 weeks into the pregnancy in 2013. A few weeks later, daughters Eve and Amy were born by emergency caesarean section. Jo O'Halloran said: "I am literally thankful every single day that they survived and that they're here." Keith Reed, from the Twins and Multiple Birth Association (Tamba), said they were "still only skimming the surface" in terms of data collection. He said: "In order to build the best possible picture of TTTS cases in the UK, and help see which treatments offer the best possible outcomes, we need more hospitals with foetal medicine departments to sign up." TTTS affects twins who share a placenta, where the babies are not sharing blood equally. One baby gets too much blood and the other baby does not get enough. If left untreated 90% of these babies will die and even with treatment there is only up to 70% chance of both babies surviving.

A study to improve the survival rate of unborn twins, with a potentially life threatening syndrome, is under way in Bristol.

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The annual Bank of Scotland Business Digital Index assessed small firms in five key skills needed to get the most out of being online. It found that fewer than a third of small businesses north of the border lacked these basic skills. This compares to a UK average of 38%. Only London rivals Scotland in terms of this measure. Experts said the lack of key digital skills was a primary barrier to doing more business online, with 15% of firms across the UK stating this was the main barrier, more than doubling since 2015. The skills assessed for the current report were managing information, communicating, transacting, creating and problem solving. The report also noted cyber security was rising in prominence as a reason for small businesses not doing more online. Almost 60% of Scottish firms said they still needed to invest in cyber security, lower than the UK average of 69%. Philip Grant, chair of the bank's Scottish executive committee, said: "It's pleasing to see that the Business Digital Index shows digital maturity is increasing for small businesses in Scotland, however, there are still too many without basic digital skills. "It's clear that being online can open the doors to opportunities, as well as cost and time saving benefits. "We must do more to encourage small businesses based in Scotland to invest in digital skills, allowing them to make the most out of being online and to reap the benefits." Two thousand businesses and charities across the UK were surveyed, including 109 in Scotland. The study was developed along with Doteveryone and Accenture.

Small businesses in Scotland are leading the way when it comes to digital skills, according to a study.

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All 10 had their passports confiscated after they were detained at Montreal's Trudeau International Airport at the weekend. Police said in a statement on Tuesday that none of the suspects had been charged, but investigations were ongoing. Their families have been informed. "These are very difficult times for the relatives and loved ones of the persons arrested, as the decision to leave the country was not that of the family, but of a single family member," the statement said. "As a result, family members often find themselves at a complete loss and unable to understand the decision made by the youth." Police said they could not disclose the identity of the suspects or provide information about what led to their arrests. Steven Blaney, Canada's public safety minister, commended the officers for their "continued vigilance" in protecting communities from "the ongoing global terror threat". Canadian troops are part of a multinational coalition to halt the advance of IS militants in Iraq and Syria. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced in March that he planned to expand the mission and has since pledged $139m (£89m) to help alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in the region.

Ten youths have been arrested by Canadian police on suspicion of planning to travel to Iraq and Syria to join Islamic State.

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The 23-year-old, on loan from Chelsea, saved a penalty in normal time and one in a shoot-out when the Chairboys knocked Blackpool out of the EFL Trophy in January. And, with four minutes left on the clock in this game, Blackman saved Brad Potts' spot-kick to preserve a point. The first chance of the game fell to Adebayo Akinfenwa who drilled wide after 10 minutes. Midway through the first half a speculative effort from Potts grazed Blackman's crossbar. On the stroke of half-time Paris Cowan-Hall's low drive brought a smart save from visiting goalkeeper Dean Lyness. Shortly after the break a Potts effort was acrobatically clawed back from the goal-line by Blackman. Blackpool claimed the ball had crossed the line but their appeals fell on deaf ears. And Wycombe's keeper had his crowning moment in the dying stages, producing a brilliant save to deny Potts from 12 yards. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Wycombe Wanderers 0, Blackpool 0. Second Half ends, Wycombe Wanderers 0, Blackpool 0. Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Neil Danns (Blackpool). Foul by Michael Harriman (Wycombe Wanderers). Neil Danns (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Sam Saunders replaces Sam Wood. Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jack Payne (Blackpool). Penalty saved! Brad Potts (Blackpool) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner. Penalty conceded by Max Müller (Wycombe Wanderers) after a foul in the penalty area. Penalty Blackpool. Jamille Matt draws a foul in the penalty area. Attempt missed. Myles Weston (Wycombe Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Alex Jakubiak replaces Paris Cowan-Hall. Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Tom Aldred (Blackpool). Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers). Will Aimson (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Blackpool. Neil Danns replaces Jordan Flores. Substitution, Blackpool. Jamille Matt replaces Mark Cullen. Attempt missed. Jack Payne (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool). Attempt blocked. Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Myles Weston replaces Dayle Southwell. Jordan Flores (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card. Marcus Bean (Wycombe Wanderers) is shown the yellow card. Attempt blocked. Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Max Müller (Wycombe Wanderers). Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is too high. Marcus Bean (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jordan Flores (Blackpool). Foul by Aaron Pierre (Wycombe Wanderers). Mark Cullen (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Tom Aldred (Blackpool). Attempt missed. Max Müller (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the right.

Wycombe goalkeeper Jamal Blackman saved a penalty to thwart Blackpool for a second time this season as his side held on for a goalless draw.

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Trading Standards officers working with sniffer dogs uncovered the illicit haul at six properties in the Freeman Street area of the town. The cigarettes and tobacco would cost an estimated £200,00 if bought legally. North East Lincolnshire Council's Trading Standards team said it was the largest haul since it began a crackdown on illicit products last year. Prior to the latest haul, the team seized nearly 90,000 cigarettes and 181lbs (82.5kg) of tobacco since launching Operation Nightshade. Councillor Terry Walker said: "This is the most significant stash to have been uncovered during Operation Nightshade and is the result of a long-term, intelligence led campaign aimed at dishonest retailers who persist in flouting the law."

About 300,000 counterfeit and illegally imported cigarettes and 330lbs (150kg) of tobacco have been seized in Grimsby.

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Zoe Gregory, 26, is accused of sending a message claiming an explosive had been left at Ormiston Victory Academy in Costessey, Norfolk, on 9 February. The 16-year-old girl's home was raided and she was questioned over the threat by police. Ms Gregory has been bailed to appear before Norwich magistrates on 14 April. She has been charged with communicating false information and unauthorised computer access. Ms Gregory, of Blackhill Wood Lane, Costessey, has been dismissed from her role, said a school spokeswoman.

A teaching assistant has been charged with using a pupil's email account to make a bomb threat against the school where she worked.

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says GSK made more than £50m of payments to companies making generic versions of its anti-depressant Seroxat to delay them coming to market. GSK has been fined £37,606,275 and the generic firms have to pay £7.4m. But GSK says its actions actually saved the NHS money and brought the generic drugs to the market sooner. The other companies fined were Generics UK, Merck, Alpharma, Activis UK and Xellia Pharmaceuticals. The CMA found that between 2002 and 2004, GSK had made agreements to pay cash to its competitors to prevent them bringing the generic version of Seroxat, called paroxetine, to market. In addition to the cash payments, the CMA said the deals allowed the competitors to bring small amounts of paroxetine to market instead of GSK, transferring some of the profits to the generic manufacturers without increasing competition. Michael Grenfell from the CMA said: "Today's decision sends out a strong message that we will tackle illegal behaviour that is designed to stifle competition at the expense of customers - in this case, the NHS and, ultimately, taxpayers." But GSK said it disagreed with the ruling and was considering appealing. "GSK and the generics companies entered into these agreements at the time in order to settle costly, complex and uncertain patent disputes," its spokesperson said. "The agreements allowed the generics companies to enter the market early with a paroxetine product and ultimately enabled a saving of over £15m to the NHS." The CMA pointed out that after generic paroxetine entered the market properly at the end of 2013, average prices for the drug fell more than 70% in two years.

Pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and some generics companies have been fined for being anti-competitive.

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But the design, for a new apartment complex in South Korea, has sparked a furious response from critics who say it resembles the collapse of New York's World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. The design, by a Dutch architectural company, is part of a flagship project to develop a major new site in central Seoul. The PR chief at the Yongsan Development Company, Seo Hee-seok, said the accusation was a shock. "When I heard that, I was totally surprised, and bewildered," he told me. "It felt like something out of a novel. And because this is just one of many buildings in the new development, I even wondered whether it was a conspiracy." The symbolism and spiritual impact of buildings is important in South Korea. Feng shui experts are often consulted on the best possible position of a new construction, and just a few years ago, the vast front gate to Seoul's main Gyeongbok palace was moved and rotated, to erase changes made by Korea's former Japanese colonial rulers. Mr Seo says this latest dispute is not a matter of insensitivity but of different cultural perceptions. "If I'd been living in New York at that time, and been part of that experience," he says, "I might agree it looked like it. But to me, at the moment, it doesn't resemble the World Trade Centre attacks at all." On the streets of Seoul, though, some people do make the connection. "Even if it does remind people of 9/11, there's no law saying it can't be built," one man told me. "It might even remind people of the tragedy that happened back then." "I know there's been some criticism of this," another commuter said, "because it looks like the 9/11 attacks, but in my view it's a piece of architecture and I don't think there's a problem with it - I think it's a fantastic design." The development company say they were offered two versions of the design. The chaotic pixelated style was chosen because it was seen as "trendy". A second version, with a smooth, undulating bridge snaking round the two buildings was dismissed as "too old-fashioned". The design will not be finalised until next year, with construction due to begin in 2013. But as of now, the company says there has been no decision to alter their plans to appease the critics.

It is what developers are calling a "pixelated cloud" - a profusion of box-like extensions jutting out from the middle of two tower blocks, and fusing them together.

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Warren Hall, 25, of Holland Crescent, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, was discovered dead inside the bungalow on the same street on Thursday afternoon. His former partner Sandie Rayne, 25, had suffered "extensive injuries" and was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition. An inquest into his death has opened at Loughborough Coroner's Court. A child, who was unharmed, was also found inside the property. Leicestershire Police had said: "No one has been arrested and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident."

A man and woman found stabbed at a house in Leicestershire have been named.

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The Charles Dickens Museum in London has been given the grant to buy the desk and chair, which has always been in private ownership. They had been passed down through the Dickens family after his death in 1870, but were auctioned for the Great Ormond Street Charitable Trust in 2004. Dickens used the desk in his final home in Gad's Hill Place in Kent. Our Mutual Friend and his unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood were also penned at the desk. The furniture would have been sold at public auction if it was not for the grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF). Made famous in two paintings begun the year he died, the Empty Chair by Luke Fildes and Dickens' Dream by RW Buss, the desk and chair are already on display at the Charles Dickens Museum at the author's former home. Robert Moye, director of the Charles Dickens Museum, said: "We are delighted to have been able to acquire Charles Dickens' iconic writing desk and chair for permanent display in his study at 48 Doughty Street. "They hold a unique place in our literary heritage and, as we embark on our exhibition exploring The Mystery of Edwin Drood, it is timely that the desk he used when writing his final novel has been secured for the benefit of all our visitors."

The desk where Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations is finally on public display thanks to a £780,000 grant.

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Spaniard Valdes, 34, has made eight appearances for Liege since joining in January, helping them win the Belgian Cup final in March, but is currently injured. In a statement, Liege said they had decided to play their younger players for the rest of the season. Valdes' current contract with United will expire this summer. Former Barcelona player Valdes clashed with United manager Louis van Gaal in July before a proposed move to Turkish club Besiktas collapsed the following month. Never want to miss the latest Man Utd news? You can now add United and all the other sports and teams you follow to your personalised My Sport home.

Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes has had his loan spell with Belgian club Standard Liege terminated.

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That's the verdict of scientists who have analysed ancient DNA of the extinct animals for mutations. The studies suggest the last mammoths died out after their DNA became riddled with errors. The knowledge could inform conservation efforts for living animals. There are fewer than 100 Asiatic cheetahs left in the wild, while the remaining mountain gorilla population is estimated at about 300. The numbers are similar to those of the last woolly mammoths living on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean around 4,000 years ago. Dr Rebekah Rogers of the University of California, Berkeley, who led the research, said the mammoths' genomes "were falling apart right before they went extinct". This, she said, was the first case of "genomic meltdown" in a single species. "You had this last refuge of mammoths after everything has gone extinct on the mainland," she added. "The mathematical theories that have been developed said that they should accumulate bad mutations because natural selection should become very inefficient." The researchers analysed genetic mutations found in the ancient DNA of a mammoth from 4,000 years ago. They used the DNA of a mammoth that lived about 45,000 years ago, when populations were much larger, as a comparison. Woolly mammoths were once common in North America and Siberia. They were driven to extinction by environmental factors and possibly human hunting about 10,000 years ago. Small island populations clung on until about 4,000 years ago. "There was this huge excess of what looked like bad mutations in the genome of the mammoth from this island," said Dr Rogers. "We found these bad mutations were accumulating in the mammoth genome right before they went extinct." Knowledge of the last days of the mammoth could help modern species on the brink of extinction, such as the panda, mountain gorilla and Indian elephant. The lesson from the woolly mammoth is that once numbers drop below a certain level, the population's genetic health may be beyond saving. Genetic testing could be one way to assess whether levels of genetic diversity in a species are enough to give it a chance of survival. A better option is to stop numbers falling too low. "When you have these small populations for an extended period of time they can go into genomic meltdown, just like what we saw in the mammoth," said Dr Rogers. "So if you can prevent these organisms ever being threatened or endangered then that will do a lot more to help prevent this type of genomic meltdown compared to if you have a small population and then bring it back up to larger numbers because it will still bear those signatures of this genomic meltdown." Scientists think the genetic mutations may have given the last woolly mammoths "silky, shiny satin fur". Mutations may have also led to a loss of olfactory receptors, responsible for the sense of smell, as well as substances in urine involved in social status and attracting a mate. Love Dalen is professor of evolutionary genetics at the Swedish Museum of Natural History and head of the team of scientists that originally published the DNA sequences of the mammoths. He said they found "many deletions, big chunks of the genome that are missing, some of which even affected functional genes". "This is a very novel result," he said. "If this holds up when more mammoth genomes, as well as genomes from other species, are analysed, it will have very important implications for conservation biology." The research is published in the journal, PLOS Genetics. Follow Helen on Twitter.

The last woolly mammoths to walk the Earth were so wracked with genetic disease that they lost their sense of smell, shunned company, and had a strange shiny coat.

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General Vladimir Padrino tweeted that the "leaders and masterminds of the paramilitary and terrorist assault" had been arrested. The suspects are a 38-year-old former captain, Juan Carlos Caguaripano Scott, and a lieutenant, Jefferson Garcia. Two of the rebels were killed and eight seized after the incident in Valencia. Venezuela has seen four months of violent anti-government protests, and almost 130 people have died in clashes. Just before the barracks attack, a video released on social media showed the uniformed men saying they were rising against the "murderous tyranny of President Nicolás Maduro". "This is not a coup but a civil and military action to re-establish constitutional order," said the leader, who gave his name as Juan Caguaripano. Venezuelan officials say Mr Caguaripano was discharged from the army in 2014. They claim he commanded around 20 uniformed men during the attack. He then escaped with Lieutenant Garcia and some stolen weaponry, they say. The 6 August incident raised tensions in the divided country, where critics of President Maduro say he is trying to cement a dictatorship. Mr Maduro insists his actions - which include creating a pro-government assembly with the power to rewrite Venezuela's constitution - are the only way to re-establish peace. The US has led a chorus of international alarm against the Maduro government in recent weeks, and has imposed sanctions on several high-ranking Venezuelans - including the president. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had not ruled out "a possible military option if necessary" against Venezuela. Gen Padrino dismissed the claim as an act of "craziness". He told Venezuela's state television: "It is an act of supreme extremism. There is an extremist elite that rules the United States. "As a soldier, I stand with the Venezuelan armed forces, and with the people. I am sure that we will all be on the front lines of defending the interests and sovereignty of this beloved Venezuela." The White House said Mr Maduro had requested a phone call with his US counterpart on Friday. It said President Trump would speak to Venezuela's leader "as soon as democracy is restored in that country".

Two renegade officers who attacked a Venezuelan army base last weekend have been captured, the country's defence minister has said.

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The Fiji international missed Ospreys' 33-27 Champions Cup loss in Bordeaux. Prop Nicky Smith is also available after injury for a match coach Steve Tandy expects to be one to savour. "The weather dictates a fair bit, you can't be throwing the ball around if it's greasy, but if there's any casual supporters at that game, it won't lack in intensity and physicality," he said. Ospreys have been involved a series of entertaining matches in Europe, the latest being their narrow defeat by Bordeaux-Begles, a match that produced eight tries. That was in stark contrast with the Scarlets' try-less 9-6 loss at home to Glasgow on Saturday. "Our game in Bordeaux was really pleasing to the eye and a huge physical effort," added Tandy. "But I'm sure there'll be some physicality and intensity in the game (on Boxing Day) and I'm sure it'll be a spectacle either way." His side start 14 points behind their west Wales rivals in the Pro12 table, with just four wins compared to the Scarlets' eight after a slow start to the season. "It would go a long way to closing that gap on them, but we've got three games now in the Pro12 where we need to put in positive performances," said Tandy. "The Scarlets have had a real good start to their season but we've got a bit of momentum in the way we're doing things at the minute." New Zealand scrum-half Brendon Leonard remains doubtful with a shoulder injury.

Ospreys hope to have centre Josh Matavesi available for their Boxing Day derby match with Scarlets.

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In its annual report, the charity said its local workers carried out a total of 349 counselling sessions with children at risk of suicide in 2015/16. The callers considered most at risk were aged between 12 and 15. Across the UK as whole, the number of calls from suicidal children almost doubled from the total five years ago. The figure show that youngsters plagued by suicidal thoughts contacted Childline 19,481 times throughout the UK last year - an average of one call every 30 minutes. The charity also said girls were more likely to seek its help than boys. Geraldine McConaghy, a senior supervisor with Childline Northern Ireland, said suicidal thoughts were a result of the "pressures that young people are under". "They might have poor mental health, they might be feeling pressure from school, pressure within the family," she said. "When they come to us, what we've noticed is that, on average, one child in Northern Ireland contacts Childline each day who is feeling suicidal." One 17-year-old girl who contacted the charity last year said she was having difficulties coping at college and finding the lessons "a struggle". "In the past, I've had to take some time off because I've been suffering with mental health problems," the caller told Childline staff. "Sometimes I feel so stressed and useless; I just have to walk out. "I sometimes feel like I want to die." Childline Northern Ireland's service manager, Mairead Monds, said: "We need to understand that there are children and young people living in Northern Ireland that are experiencing significant mental health problems, self-esteem issues, isolation and feelings of worthlessness. "These are children who have very little support and who very often feel that life is simply not worth living."

Childline received a call from children experiencing suicidal thoughts in Northern Ireland almost every day over the course of last year.

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He died at his home in Cambridge following an illness lasting several months, a statement on his website said. It added his funeral will be private, with a memorial service to be held at a later date. Hogwood worked with many leading orchestras around the world and was considered one of the most influential exponents of the early-music movement. The conductor founded the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) in 1973 and directed the academy across six continents for some 30 years. The AAM also made more than 200 CDs, including the first-ever complete cycle of Mozart symphonies on period instruments. Among his most famous recordings include the 1980 version of Handel's Messiah with Emma Kirkby and Carolyn Watkinson, which was named by BBC Music Magazine as one of the top 20 recordings of all time. Hogwood studied keyboard at Cambridge University with Rafael Puyana and Mary Potts and later with Zuzana Ruzickova and Gustav Leonhardt. His first positions were as a keyboard player and musicologist with the Academy of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields under Sir Neville Marriner, and was a founder member of the Early Music Consort of London. He was the artistic director of the King's Lynn Festival and Boston's Handel and Haydn Society. He was also a tutor at Harvard University, honorary professor of music at the University of Cambridge and a professor-at-large at Cornell University in the US. "Christopher had extraordinary generosity of spirit," Christopher Purvis, honorary president of the AAM, said. "He was a great ambassador for historically informed music, the movement of which he was a founder. And he was happy to see the orchestra he founded develop and grow after he stepped down as director." The AAM's music director Richard Egarr added: "I am deeply saddened by the news of Christopher's passing. Christopher provided a fantastic legacy for me to build upon when I joined in 2006 and I know he will be greatly missed by all who knew and worked with him." Speaking to Sean Rafferty on Radio 3's In Tune, soprano Dame Emma Kirkby said: "Some of the best players that now lead orchestras all over the world, they started with him. "Chris was a natural academic, an incredibly clever man. He had an amazing capacity to absorb information of all kinds and a really sure sense of how things would be if he really tried to reproduce conditions... a very genial person." David Thomas from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London added: "He always said I want the music to speak for itself because it can, it's good enough, it will… a very pleasant and lovely man."

British conductor Christopher Hogwood has died aged 73.

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His comments come on a day marking the first anniversary of a project to protect all of the nation's mangroves. As well as storing carbon, the forests provide habitat for fish and protect communities from tsunamis and cyclones. Also on Tuesday - World Mangrove Day - Sri Lanka's president will open the world's first mangrove museum. The museum will act as a hub for conservation training for adults, and educating children about the value of mangroves. It is estimated that 20,000 pupils will visit the museum in the first year. Read also: The community who won back their mangroves The Sri Lankan government has also included mangrove forest conservation into its national curriculum. The museum is a central pillar of a five-year programme to protect all of the island nation's mangroves. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said: "Mangroves swiftly absorb carbon dioxide and inject oxygen into the atmosphere, maintaining an ecological balance vital for the environment. "It is my belief that the mangrove restoration project will generate much needed awareness among key stakeholders such as the community, leisure sector personnel, tourists, and the general public." He added: "It is my hope that this will be the beginning of a long-term effort to sustain the mangroves for greater conservation benefit." In partnership with island conservation organisation Seacology and local NGO Sudeesa, the Sri Lankan government has identified all of the nation's 15,000 hectares of mangrove forests, and has surveyed almost half of them. Ministers have also introduced legislation to protect the habitats and have assigned forest officers to help guard them. Seacology executive director Duane Silverstein explained that although the project required US $3.4 million of funding, the sum was dwarfed when the ecosystem services provided by Sri Lanka's mangrove forests were taken into account. "In last year, research has been published looking at the economic value of mangrove in Asia," he said. "It has concluded that each hectare has a value of US $194,000 - that would put an economic value of our project at US $2.9 billion." He told BBC News that mangroves were critical in a number of areas, socially as well as environmentally. "Firstly, they provide nurseries for young fish, which are protected among the mangrove roots," he explained. "Secondly, and increasingly important, they provide protection from natural disasters such as tsunamis and cyclones. They disperse the energy in the sea and waves, therefore the villages that have intact mangroves suffer significantly less damage. "Thirdly, and most importantly, mangrove forests sequester far much more carbon than other times of forest. A recent UN report estimated that mangroves store about 1,000 tonnes per hectare in their biomass and underlying soil. There is a minimum of 15,000 hectares of mangrove in Sri Lanka, meaning that the country's mangroves are sequestering 15 million tonnes of carbon." One of the threats facing mangrove forests around the world is the emergence of shrimp farms in order to meet the growing global demand for shrimps/prawns. In order to build saltwater ponds needed to rear the crustaceans, mangroves - which grown in the intertidal area of shorelines - are felled, either legally or illegally. This practice has been identified by the United Nations as one of the main drivers for the loss of the valuable and most at-risk habitat, with more than half of mangroves being lost or felled over the past century. However, the development of shrimp farms in Sri Lanka had resulted in a significant fall in fish catch yields, say local conservationists. This resulted in local fishing communities losing incomes and livelihoods, making them aware of the importance and value of healthy mangrove forests, and keen to protect them. Mr Silverstein said that the conservation model adopted in Sri Lanka could be rolled out to other mangrove-rich nations, however he added that "one size would not fit all". "However, it is very clear that we are demonstrating that a nation can preserve all of its mangroves, and still improve the economic quality of people's lives. "Although the Sri Lanka project has four more years to run, it does take many years of planning. We are looking at working with another nation to do something similar." Follow Mark on Twitter.

Sri Lanka's prime minister has said mangroves' ability to swiftly absorb carbon make the forests vital in the fight against climate change.

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Emergency services were called at 11:44 BST to reports a boat carrying a father, his teenage daughter and her two friends had capsized. Torbay inshore and all-weather lifeboats were called and the four were taken to Torbay hospital. The coastguard search and rescue teams from Berry Head and Torbay and the coastguard helicopter were also called. Specialist divers are at the scene and are expected to remove the capsized boat from near the entrance to the harbour. Mark Criddle, coxswain of Torbay's RNLI lifeboat, said the vessel was launched at 11:51 BST to reports of an overturned boat just outside Brixham harbour with four people in the water. 'We arrived on scene to find a 16ft speedboat upside down with a girl trapped in it," he said. "We located the girl and brought her onboard the lifeboat where she was immediately given first aid by a doctor and paramedic who were members of the lifeboat crew." He said the three other people who had been on the speedboat had been rescued by other craft in the area, including two jet skiers and a yacht. 'We took the girl back to shore where she was handed into the care of paramedics who took her to hospital. The three other people who had been aboard the overturned speedboat were also taken to hospital after being treated at the lifeboat station."

One person died and three others were taken to hospital after a boat capsized in Brixham harbour in south Devon.

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The airline had suffered years of financial losses even before it was hit by two major disasters in 2014. Flight MH370 disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and is still missing, while MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine. Mr Mueller said he was leaving due to "changing personal circumstance." He took up his role in May 2015 to oversee a $1.56bn (£1.1bn) turnaround plan which included massive job cuts and dropping unprofitable destinations. "We are very disappointed to lose Christoph as CEO but we fully understand his reasons and respect his need to do this," Malaysian Airlines Chairman Md Nor Yusof said. Mr Mueller will continue to serve until September 2016 and will stay on the board as a non-executive director. The carrier has already begun to look for a new chief executive and says it is considering both internal and external candidates. It said that Mueller had set up a strong management team which would be the foundation for a successful turnaround.

Malaysian Airlines chief executive Christoph Mueller has resigned after less than one year of leading the carrier's reorganising efforts.

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Julie Sayles, 59, of Sewerby Road, Bridlington is alleged to have persuaded Edith Negus to change her will to benefit her. She also bought two houses with money she allegedly took from a joint bank account she shared with Mrs Negus. Ms Sayles, who worked for an elderly-care charity, denies fraud charges. More on this and other East Yorkshire stories At Hull Crown Court Ms Sayles described herself "as a woman of faith". She said she became close to Mrs Negus after she started taking her for days out and church visits and said Mrs Negus was not getting any support from her family. Ms Sayles said Mrs Negus had known exactly what she wanted to do with her money and that she "had repeatedly said that she wanted me to have that money". Prosecutor Robert Stevenson accused Ms Sayles of "being a liar" and said she was taking advantage of the fact Mrs Negus was no longer here. Mr Stevenson then asked Ms Sayles why she did not inform Mrs Negus's family about the will change. He said that if she had contacted the family "her game would've been up." Ms Sayles denied the accusation and said that the family had the opportunity to discuss it with Ms Negus and contacting them would have meant she would "have lost her friendship with Edith". Ms Sayles is accused of fraud by abuse of position, buying properties with the proceeds of crime, making a fraudulent will and presenting it to a solicitor. The trial continues.

A carer accused of stealing almost £290,000 from a 102-year-old said the woman "wanted her to have the money", a court has heard.

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The ministry of information said it has "successfully jammed the signals" of the station. However, the BBC's Abdussalam Ahmed in Enugu says Radio Biafara is still broadcasting. It is not clear where it is based but it mainly broadcasts to the Igbo-speaking south-east of the country. The first republic of Biafra declared its independence from Nigeria in May 1967, but was eventually defeated after a three-year civil war that cost more than one million lives. Our correspondent says the station hosts phone-in programmes with listeners calling to talk about issues affecting their region and their desire to break away from Nigeria. It also attacks and ridicules President Muhammadu Buhari and other government officials. Although the Biafra uprising was quelled by the military, a group called the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob) has attracted the support many young people in the region. They feel they have been discriminated against by those in power in Abuja and demand independence. Several of their leaders and sympathisers have been detained by authorities and accused of treason.

Nigeria's government has vowed to shut down an illegal radio station operated by people sympathetic to the breakaway state of Biafra.

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The incident, in a village in western Bengkulu province, sparked a rare debate in Indonesia about sexual violence. The maximum penalty would have been 15 years each, but the judge said he took into account the boys' youth. The girl, Yuyun, went missing on 2 April on her way back from school. Her body was found in undergrowth two days later by villagers, bruised, beaten and with her hands tied. The case was not widely covered by Indonesian media until it was picked up by activists online several weeks later. That led to protests in the capital, Jakarta, and prompted the Minister for Child Protection Yohana Yembise to call for rapists to face the death penalty. Five men are also facing trial in connection with the case, and police say two more suspects are still on the run.

Seven boys below the age of 18 have been sentenced to 10 years in jail each in Indonesia for the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl.

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Adam Wilson, of Lostock Hall, was found with serious injuries at a property on Albrighton Crescent in Lostock Hall near Preston in September. Jason Taylor, 21, of Westfield, Lostock Hall denied murder but was found guilty after a trial by jury. At Preston Court, he was ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years. Mr Wilson died as a result of catastrophic bleeding from a stab wound in his thigh, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. Sophie Lorimer from the CPS North West said the "brutal attack" in front of his ex-partner was "purely motivated by jealousy". "He could not accept that the relationship with his ex-girlfriend was over," she said. Taylor's girlfriend said he bombarded her with text messages and phone calls which "progressively became more and more abusive". "The final text he sent to her stated he was giving her one last chance before things turned sour. "Minutes later he violently broke into her house where Adam Wilson was also present." Ms Lorimer said Taylor then stabbed Mr Wilson numerous times with a large knife which he had taken with him. Taylor carried out the "frenzied" knife attack "fully aware" there were two young children also present at the house, she said. He then fled and hid from police in a neighbouring garden, she added. Ms Lorimer said Taylor had shown "no remorse" throughout the case in which he claimed he was acting in self-defence. Det Ch Insp Neil Ashton of Lancashire Police said Taylor's actions were carried out "in anger and jealousy". He said: "His actions were completely unprecedented and resulted in the needless and very sad loss of a young man's life."

A man who murdered a Lancashire man in a "jealous, frenzied knife attack" at his ex-partner's house has been jailed for life.

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Sinn Féin, the UUP, Alliance and the SDLP will hold separate meetings with Theresa May in the afternoon. She has already held talks with the DUP this week about a deal to support her minority Conservative government. DUP sources have told the BBC an announcement on a deal with Tories had been delayed because of the unfolding tragedy of the Grenfell Tower blaze. Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has demanded details of any Conservative-DUP deal, calling it a "nonsense situation". "We want to know what is in the deal they are offering to the DUP and we want to know when it is going to be put before Parliament," he said. Labour has confirmed that Owen Smith will be its new shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland. In a tweet on Wednesday evening Mr Smith said he was "honoured" to take on the role. If a deal was to be delayed it would mean the Queen's Speech, which had originally been planned for next Monday, could be put back for at least a week. It could also delay the start of Brexit talks. The Conservatives are having to rely on the support of 10 DUP MPs after they fell eight seats short of winning an overall majority at the general election. It means that Mrs May will remain as prime minister and the DUP MPs will be central to the survival of a Conservative Party administration. Ahead of her meeting in London Sinn Féin's leader at Stormont, Michelle O'Neill, said a DUP-Tory deal would not be allowed to undermine the peace process. The MLA, who will also meet new Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin on Friday, said it was imperative both governments recommitted to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement if there was to be any prospect of re-establishing Northern Ireland's Executive. The delegation of Sinn Féin - whose seven MPs refuse to take their seats at Westminster - is expected to include Mrs O'Neill, party president Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald, the party's deputy leader and a member of the Irish parliament. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire has warned there was "very little time left" to restore a power-sharing executive at Stormont before a 29 June deadline. "Northern Ireland's political leaders now have it in their hands to take control and shape a brighter future for everyone in Northern Ireland," he said. The DUP have been playing their cards close to their chest, but we know the areas they're talking about because of a DUP plan drawn up in 2015 in anticipation of a hung Parliament. Things have moved on a bit since then with Brexit, but we do know they're looking at trying to lower the cost to the Northern Ireland Executive of any move on corporation tax. They've been of the view that leaving the EU should lessen some of the stipulations in relation to state aid that were being applied by the Treasury to Northern Ireland, and that might take down the bill that the Treasury would put on the executive if corporation tax was lowered. We know other matters, such as cutting air passenger duty and increased infrastructure spending, have been discussed, but we haven't got any sense of the exact details of the deal. I suspect it will be top loaded with economic rather than political matters. Some political issues, such as altering the definition of a Troubles victim or doing away with allowances for MPs who don't take up their seats, might be included. Other legacy matters, such as protecting former soldiers or police officers from prosecution, may feature at a later stage. The DUP has indicated its potential role at Westminster does not change its desire to restore power-sharing, and that it remains ready to form an executive without preconditions. But the other Stormont parties have warned that any deal between the DUP and Conservatives could make restoring power sharing more difficult. There would be very serious consequences if there was any suggestion of a back-room deal with the DUP, said SDLP leader Colum Eastwood. "We will be asking the prime minister to be open with politicians and also with the public," he said. "Any deal struck must not hinder cross-community confidence in our politics. "We are steadfast in our commitment to devolution and are ready to work with all willing partners to restore the devolved institutions in the interests of all our people." Devolved government in Northern Ireland broke down in January. The late deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, stood down to protest the DUP's handling of an energy scandal, in a move that triggered a snap election. The DUP and Conservatives were close to reaching agreement to enable Theresa May to form a minority government and the talks were not in trouble, according to DUP sources. But they added that the London tower block fire made an announcement on Wednesday "inappropriate". The DUP source told BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith the two parties were now finalising the "terms and conditions" of an agreement after Mrs May and DUP leader Arlene Foster met on Tuesday. Downing Street sources told our correspondent talk of a delay in announcing a deal was "not coming from us."

Northern Ireland's main parties are expected to hold talks with the prime minister in Downing Street on Thursday.

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A lot has changed since All Saints first charged onto the scene in 1997. Back then, Tony Blair had just won the election, Oasis were at number one with Be Here Now, and the world's biggest website was a page full of dancing hamsters. Pop music was in the doldrums - this was the year of Barbie Girl and Gary Barlow's solo album - so Shaznay Lewis, Melanie Blatt and sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton were a welcome breath of fresh air. Positioned as a credible alternative to the Spice Girls, they wrote their own material, dressed in street-smart clothes and shunned the chirpy choreography of other girl groups (their signature move was an apathetic shrug of the shoulders). But it was a difficult time to be a woman in the male-dominated music industry. Female pop stars were expected to dress provocatively - a revealing photoshoot for FHM was a rite of passage - and All Saints, never knowingly in possession of a smile, were frequently dismissed as "difficult" or "sulky". It was unfair and it was sexist, protests Melanie. "A lot of Britpop groups at the time would act very arrogantly and very stroppy, but that was never seen as a negative thing," she says. "We weren't half as bad - but if we didn't want to smile one day, or we weren't really interested in doing an interview, we'd be labelled as stroppy cows." The sexism spilled over into their TV appearances, and the band shudder as they recall a traumatic Top of the Pops taping. "They were filming images of us to use as a backdrop," says Shaznay, "and they wanted us to take our tops off." The producers, they explain, wanted to shoot the band from the shoulders up, giving the impression they were performing in the nude. "The vision was that we looked naked and we didn't want that vision," adds Natalie. "But because it was such a huge show, we were told 'if you don't do it, you don't get to go on the show,'" says Melanie. "The girl that worked with us was in tears because she was trying to fight our corner," Natalie continues. "We ended up having to compromise with the producers. We dropped our tops to here [indicating her armpits] so it would look like we were topless." "We did it but we were stroppy about it," says Nicole. "Again, we got labelled as being difficult." A BBC spokesman said: "We're not able to comment on something that is alleged to have happened nearly 20 years ago, but today we seek to ensure that everyone working at the BBC does so in an environment in which they are comfortable." Nineteen years later, squeezed together on a couch in West London, the band are anything but stroppy. They trip over each other's words, trading jokes and locking their band-mates out of hotel rooms as a way of surviving a long day of press interviews. Even the Top of the Pops incident is laughed off. "These days it'd be like, 'you want to see me naked? OK! Sure!" jokes Natalie. "I'll take my trousers off this time!" Their camaraderie is something of a surprise. After two multi-platinum albums, the band imploded in 2001 over the disputed ownership of a combat jacket. "Being in a group is like being in a marriage, and right now we are going through a really rough time," Nicole said shortly before the split. A subsequent statement confirmed the band were "on ice" in order to "clear the air between themselves". The former schoolfriends didn't speak for years, but bridges were built during a brief reunion in 2006, and strengthened on a nostalgia tour with the Backstreet Boys three years ago. "But we still get asked about the jacket every day," laughs Nicole. Following the 2013 tour, the band were keen to continue, but their management suggested they needed new material before going back on the road. "Shaz was nominated to write the album," says Natalie, "but there was no master plan, no-one telling us, 'this is the vision we have for you'. There was no pressure. And she pulled out an amazing record." After a year in the studio, All Saints' comeback was announced on New Year's Day via Twitter but the response was more one of curiosity than enthusiasm until the band unveiled their new single on Chris Evans's Radio 2 Breakfast show. One Strike recalls the dreamy, blissed-out sound of their number one hit Pure Shores, with the quartet's silken harmonies provoking a rush of 90s nostalgia. "It was a natural first single," says Shaznay. "We didn't really even have to discuss it that much. It was the first song we recorded together again. It's just a great beginning." Although written by Shaznay, the lyrics were triggered by Nicole's divorce from Liam Gallagher. The couple split in 2013 after the Oasis star phoned his wife on holiday and confessed to fathering a child with another woman. One Strike refers to that phone call, and "how your life can change in an instant". "Like everybody's seen and heard [in the press], I was away when stuff went down," says Nicole. "I had to pull myself together because I'd got my family and kids around me but, after a couple of days of letting it sink in, I was on the phone with Shaz for a long time, just explaining [how] I was getting through it. You know, having to stand up to it, instead of becoming some sort of victim. "The next thing I knew… she played [One Strike] to me and I was singing along. Then she said, 'were you listening to what the song's about?' and suddenly the penny dropped and I was like, 'oh my God. It's our phone call!' "The thing is, for me, I've kind of handled everything with dignity and the support of the girls and my family. I think the song represents that very well. I don't feel sad when I hear it, I feel quite liberated. It's a very positive song. It's just great. It really captured the moment." As Nicole tells this story, Shaznay quietly watches her with the protective gaze of a mother. At 40, she is the band's youngest member - but the others look up to her as the leader; the one they turn to for advice and, says Nicole, "a great listener". "She writes poetry," says Natalie. "Sometimes, when I start to think about the things she's written, it blows my mind." In the 10-year gap between albums, Shaznay has continued to work as a songwriter, collaborating with the likes of Little Mix and Sugababes - so how did she relocate the trademark All Saints sound? "I actually can't explain it," she says. "I think one of the fundamental ingredients for the sound is our voices together and that sort of slotted back into place." However, she says, everyone's voice changed in the intervening years, meaning the arrangements have to be re-written for their upcoming tour. "I used to do the high harmony, now I do the low one," explains Melanie. "My balls have dropped." Not for the first time, the band cackle with laughter, happily unencumbered by the media training that dictates most modern interviews. "Artists tend to be more careful of what they say now, because it can move into the stratosphere so quickly," says Shaznay. "But while it's understandable, I think it's a shame - because you lose the essence of who an artist is. You don't get a real feel for anybody, so everybody becomes generic." Perhaps that's the essence of All Saints' appeal - they're not caricatures, but real women who embrace their strengths and flaws. So, is this reunion the start of a new chapter? "When we'd finished this album we could have easily carried on because, by the time we got to the end, we'd started to explore different sounds," says Shaznay. "I think if we hear more material that we're inspired by, we'll definitely write more." "But we're in no rush," cautions Melanie. "We're taking our time." Surely they won't wait another 10 years, though? "It'll take me that long," says Nicole, "to get off this couch." All Saints' album Red Flag is out now on London Records.

Reformed pop group All Saints discuss their new album, and recall the sexism they encountered in their first flush of fame.

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Thomas Baker, known as Tommy, was found badly injured at Stanley Meat Market in the Old Swan area of Liverpool on 27 January. The 44-year-old, from Everton, had been shot in the head and chest. He died later in hospital. The three Liverpool men arrested - two aged 29 and the other 32 - remain in police custody for questioning. Merseyside Police said Mr Baker had left Phoenix Gym at the market shortly before he was shot while getting into his car. Detectives believe those involved in the shooting had been waiting outside the gym for about an hour. Det Ch Insp Bev Hyland said officers were still searching for a silver VW polo, which "left the scene at speed" and travelled along a number of roads including Balmoral Road, Molyneux Road and Queens Road. She added that a number of people captured on CCTV near the meat market had yet to come forward and while "they may not think what they saw would be of any significance, they could have information which is key to our inquiries".

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder over the shooting of a man at a meat market.

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