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The RMT union began the 72-hour walkout on New Year's Eve. The action prompted warnings of widespread disruption for travellers during new year celebrations. Southern's parent firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) is in dispute with both the RMT and Aslef unions. Another strike is set for 9 January. The planned six-day strike involves train drivers from both unions. Most routes are expected to have no services. The train drivers' union Aslef is continuing with a ban on overtime which is adding to the disruption. The RMT and GTR have said they are available for talks and Aslef took part in negotiations in December at conciliation service Acas, but discussions ended without a deal. RMT leader Mick Cash called on Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to make it his new year resolution "to get in a room with the unions and his contractors to sort out the current shambles". Mr Grayling said it was frustrating the unions had decided to start a new year with the continuation of an old strike. He said: "We are investing record amounts in improving our railways and we need everyone in the rail industry to work together to deliver for passengers. "Now the unions need to come back to the negotiating table. Only they can end this misery for rail users." Southern's deputy chief operating officer Alex Foulds said: "Our door remains open for meaningful talks." The politics behind the Southern rail dispute What's the Southern Rail strike about? How bad have Southern rail services got? The Association of British Commuters said disruption had caused health problems, forced people to move house and lose jobs. The campaign group surveyed about 1,000 passengers and said the results highlighted the extent of suffering as a result of the "breakdown" of Southern services, with delays, cancellations and overcrowding. Calling for government intervention, a spokesman said: "Thousands of people are now at breaking point." The Department for Transport has said the dispute is between Southern and the unions and "not something the government is involved in".

A strike by conductors on Southern rail has entered its second day as a long-running row about the role of guards on new trains continues.

Since the initial fall-out there has been a legal challenge and a general election. While everyone waits to see exactly what will happen, Leave voter Paul Austin has told the BBC why he made his choice and whether, a year on, he would vote the same way again. Mr Austin lives in North Yorkshire and runs an interior fitting-out business. He has spent 36 years working in the construction industry around the world. "I was quite an aggressive Brexiteer and my friends were probably sick to the stomach of me trying to persuade them all to vote Leave," he said. "I wanted limited immigration, not a ban, because I feel that it's totally uncontrolled. "I'm also still concerned about taxation and VAT. I think the payments we make are very high and that money is going to other countries when it could be used better here." However, Mr Austin says that on recent trips to the EU he has started to pay more attention to the immigration queue for non-EU passport holders - and is already starting to feel that he is becoming an outsider. "I think other Europeans are starting to look at us as if we're a bit different and I've now started to back-pedal a bit on how I think about things," he explained. "I have ended up with more questions than before the referendum." As well as the continuing political conversations around Brexit, Mr Austin said recent news events had played a significant role in him moving from a clear Leave stance to one where he was less certain. The recent news story about about baby Charlie Gard and the decisions about his continuing treatment had a powerful impact on him. "I was quite upset by it and I'm glad his parents were able to get access to the European Court of Human Rights so he can be kept on life support until another group of experts have had time to look at his case," he added. "But I wonder now about what this means when we leave and if means that other real people won't be able to have one more throw of the dice to have their case heard. "I'm not saying that had the court not been available judgements would have been unjust, but they would have been unfair because they lost that extra level of consideration." Another key factor behind Mr Austin's decision to vote Leave was his belief in the potential for the UK to expand its trading base around the world and access more competitive markets. However, Mr Austin says that since the Grenfell Tower fire last week he now has concerns about how rigorous quality checks will be post-Brexit for imported goods. "It's made me wonder about the sort of building materials that might be able to come into the country that might not have been tested properly or as well as things are now. "At the moment we have the European kite mark which means the goods we buy are strongly and intensively vetted and tested. "I still want more aggressive trading around the world but I'm also starting to think that maybe 40 years of working together to do all this in terms of quality control might be wasted." By the UGC and Social Media Team

It is a year since the UK voted to leave the European Union and Brexit negotiations are under way.

Arsenal will host Leicester City on Friday 11 August, with a 19:45 BST kick-off, as the Premier League starts its 25th anniversary season. Sky Sports were awarded the rights to screen 10 Friday night matches as part of their multi-million pound deal with the Premier League. Last season the broadcaster chose seven fixtures for the slot. Two years ago, Sky and BT paid a record £5.1bn for the right to show top-flight games for three seasons from 2016-17 - a 70% increase on the previous deal. Earlier this week, a BBC survey revealed more than a third of Premier League football fans said they regularly watch matches live online via unofficial streams.

The new Premier League season will kick off on a Friday evening for the first time, after TV fixtures were announced.

Plans include relocating the town's Central Library and cutting back on the Citizens Advice Bureau. The council will also work with traders to find a private buyer for the town's Victorian indoor market. The Labour-run authority said it was implementing the cuts "with a heavy heart" and blamed "severe austerity cuts imposed by central government". Councillor Bill Dixon, leader of the authority, said that tough choices had been made, but local people had been able to comment during a public consultation. "There were other cuts that people didn't want us to make," he said. "Withdrawing school patrol crossings for example - some authorities have done that, this authority decided not to." Responding to protesters opposed to the relocation of the Crown Street Library to the Dolphin Centre, he said: "I was born and bred in the town. "I do understand the attachment to Crown Street Library, but we should emphasise we are not closing the library but moving it."

Darlington Council has rubber stamped moves aimed at making £10m savings over the next four years.

Berlusconi told an Italian daily that Americans had chosen Mr Trump, "now let him go to work". Both men both entered politics from the world of business, Berlusconi a media magnate and Mr Trump a property tycoon. Legal battles have dogged Mr Trump but unlike Berlusconi, he has no criminal convictions. Aged 70, the man who defeated Hillary Clinton at Tuesday's polls is one of America's most famous and colourful billionaires, with a net worth of $3.7bn (£2.9bn; €3.4bn), according to Forbes business magazine. Berlusconi, 80, served four terms as prime minister before his criminal convictions in 2013 and 2015. Forbes values him and his family at $5.9bn. Asked what they had in common, Berlusconi told Italian daily Corriere della Sera (in Italian): "There are some obvious similarities even though my story as an entrepreneur is very different to Trump's, whom I've never met." The Italian politician did not go into detail but similarities he may have had in mind include: The combover: A hairstyle that refuses to lie down Berlusconi bandana hides mystery Berlusconi and the bunga bunga What are the allegations against Trump? Trump lewd video on women: Transcript Berlusconi says Obama is 'tanned' Italians have not been slow to pick up on the comparisons between the incoming US president and their former prime minister, fusing the two on social media as "Trumpusconi". In the interview, Berlusconi stopped short of welcoming Mr Trump's victory but the centre-right politician explained why he thought Mrs Clinton had been defeated. Mr Trump, he argued, "was elected by all Americans weary of an old political order". This group had, he suggested, made a "mistake typical of all the left around the world" in "thinking that "'political correctness' was the way to keep close to people's needs". A constitutional reform referendum due to be held in Italy on 4 December is being seen as a vote of confidence in the country's current Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi. He has threatened to resign if he loses the vote. Opinion polls suggest he risks a narrow defeat and that would boost Italy's anti-establishment Five Star Movement. Five Star's founder, ex-comic Beppe Grillo, has described Mr Trump's election victory as "the apocalypse for information, TV, the big newspapers, the intellectuals, the journalists". Will Trump-style revolt engulf Europe?

Disgraced former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said comparisons between himself and US President-elect Donald Trump are "obvious".

"The most scared I've ever been," says Scotland's open-side flanker. The setting is a building in Queenstown on New Zealand's south island - a holiday resort about an hour and a half from Dipton, the farming country where Hardie was born and reared. Legend has it that there was a fire in Lockhart's place in the late 1800s. Three generations of the family perished. Only a girl called Mary survived - and she haunts the place to this day. Many Kiwis have gone there over the years and many talk of the sense of foreboding that exists behind that main door. Hardie's now one of them. Chilled to the bone, he says. "Never going back. Never ever." The fact that Lockhart's gaff is part of a theme park called Fear Factory - New Zealand's equivalent of the Edinburgh Dungeons - is neither here nor there to Hardie. When you ask him what's the most tense he has ever been in his life, you don't hear tales of his early years playing for the Southland Stags in Invercargill, or the time he came face-to-face with some assassin in Super Rugby. He mentions the Fear Factory instead. "I went with my girlfriend about a year ago," he said. "It's pitch dark and you have to follow this red light around these alleyways. "You don't know where you're going then these creatures start jumping out at you. Terrifying. Once was enough. "I don't normally go in for that kind of stuff, but I did a bungee jump once and I'm not doing that again either. Give me a hard game of rugby instead." Afraid of the dark? It doesn't tally with Hardie's tough persona. Hardie, 27, is a strange animal - a Scotland international who has never played an international in Scotland, his five caps being won in Turin, Paris, Gloucester, Newcastle and at Twickenham in that epic World Cup quarter-final against Australia. A measure of his success since his sudden elevation to the Scotland squad in the summer has been the silencing of the debate surrounding his arrival. One minute, he was a Highlander who wanted to be an All Black and the next a Scot - with a granny from Fife - in the World Cup team. His ascent jarred, but the quality of his game has overtaken everything. He was terrific at the World Cup, his dynamism and cleverness at the breakdown helping to protect and unleash the rapiers in his backline. "It's one of the best things I've done in my life," he says of his move from what he calls the "comfort zone" of Highlanders rugby. "Having won a cap, I owed it to Scotland to stay here and playing for Edinburgh has been a really good decision. "I got into too much of a routine in New Zealand and it was good to get out of it. I needed something different in my career - a change in scenery, new players, new coaches. "I love the Highlanders, but it was time to try something else. But it was nerve-racking coming here. It was like going back to school again. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect." He talks about that day against the Wallabies, but only briefly. "We had to suck it up." That's it?" No torment, no ghosts? "Nah. We have to learn the lessons, that's all. Nothing else we can do." Nobody should mistake the emotionless matter-of-fact response to a heartbreaking loss as indifference. It's just the Kiwi in him. What's done is done. You move forwards, you don't look backwards. What about Scotland's habit of losing big games at the death, though? There was that Australia match and the Italy game in the Six Nations just before. There was the France game in the 2014 Six Nations, lost to a penalty two minutes from the end despite France losing eight line-outs and losing the possession and territory battle by a wide margin. Scottish sides, routinely, come up with novel ways of shooting themselves in the foot. Most recently, Glasgow Warriors lost a Champions Cup match to Northampton in the closing minutes, a defeat that put paid to their European hopes, and Hardie's Edinburgh team collapsed close to the finishing line against Grenoble last weekend, a late capitulation which led to them exiting the European Champions Cup. You keep hitting him with this stuff and it doesn't put a dent on him. Zero points scored in the second half against France in the 2015 Six Nations. Another zero in the second half against England and yet another zero against Ireland. Only three points scored in the second half against Italy despite having 61% possession and spending 62% of the second period in the opposition half. He says he doesn't know much about what happened before he arrived on these shores. "As a kid, I used to watch the Six Nations, but not live," he said. "I'd watch it in the morning. I've always known that it was a fantastic thing. But that stuff about what happened in previous seasons doesn't bother me. "I mean, we were points down against Samoa in the World Cup and we won it late on and that was as big a game as any. "I don't think there's a mental barrier. I'm new to it all, but I can't sense anything like that. "I don't see any fear, there's no blockage. We scored lots of tries at the World Cup. Lots of line-breaks. I think there's a lot of improvement." His knowledge of the Calcutta Cup is from across the other side of the world. He's never played in it, watched it in the flesh, or even watched it live on television. There's a hurricane coming his way on 6 February and he knows it. "The boys have told me about it, but I know that Scotland v England is massive, it's one of the great fixtures," he said. "I'm not a great watcher of other teams, but there's a lot of change going on with England. New coach, lots of new players, lots of excitement. They've got a fresh start and they'll be fizzing. "This is why you play rugby, for the pressure, for games like this, for tournaments like the Six Nations. "Everything is in our own hands. Whatever happened before, happened. I see a hungry bunch of boys with all the talent you need to do well and a set of coaches who are working night and day to try to make it happen." In the midst of all this, there is the unflappable son of Dipton. "It's about the length of the three rugby pitches. There's about 30 houses, a dairy, a wool shop and a garage. Population of a couple of hundred." And, on 6 February, he says, they will all become honorary Scots. As long as nobody switches the lights out, their boy, you'd wager, will have a big say in what happens.

He doesn't know what possessed him to visit the old Lockhart Hotel that day, but it was an experience John Hardie is never likely to forget.

It is likely to include a scrappage scheme for older diesel cars in areas with high levels of dirty air. Speed bumps could be removed in some cities to cut pollution from cars slowing down and speeding up. Environmental lawyers ClientEarth said they would "thoroughly analyse" the proposals. According to the Royal College of Physicians, air pollution across the UK is linked to around 40,000 premature deaths every year. The UK has struggled to keep within EU limits on some pollutants, particularly nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is produced by diesel engines and is linked to a range of respiratory diseases including asthma. Some 37 of the 43 regions of the UK are in breach of NO2 limits. Under earlier government plans, some parts of the UK would not have met EU NO2 standards until 2030. The original deadline to achieve these limits was 2010. Exasperated by what they believed was government foot-dragging on the question of cleaner air, ClientEarth mounted a legal challenge to force faster action. In April 2015, the UK Supreme Court ruled the government had to take immediate steps on the issue. Unhappy with the timescales in the plan that was then produced, ClientEarth went to the High Court last November for a judicial review. Once again the court supported the lawyers, telling the government that its scheme was "woefully inadequate" and giving ministers until 24 April this year to produce a new draft. With a general election in the offing, the government last week asked the judge for permission to delay the draft plan. But Mr Justice Garnham disagreed and ordered publication by 9 May. "These steps are necessary in order to safeguard public health," he said. Earlier this week, the government said it would not appeal against the ruling and would publish. In their previous plans, ministers wanted to create "clean air zones" in five cities outside London with high levels of NO2. Only the most polluting vehicles would have to pay a charge to enter the zone under that scheme. The new draft plan is expected to create many more such zones. Councils will be given the power to impose fines or restrictions on all polluting vehicles in these areas. In the worst cities, so called "toxin taxes" could range up to £20 a day but the government is said to be keen not to punish drivers who bought diesels as a result of incentives brought in by a previous Labour administration. This is something that the lawyers at ClientEarth support. "Successive governments have encouraged people to buy diesel. We don't want to see diesel drivers vilified, and we think the plans should also include properly funded incentives to help people move to cleaner forms of transport," said ClientEarth CEO James Thornton. "We will thoroughly analyse the government's draft plans when they are produced. If we do not think they are in line with the court order, to deal with illegal levels of pollution as soon as possible, then we will consider our next steps." According to newspaper reports, the government has agreed to back a "targeted" scrappage scheme for older diesel cars, but limited to vehicles in areas of high pollution. There may also be funding for a retrofitting scheme to help existing diesel car and van owners cut their emissions of NO2. The government is also said to be pushing for councils to use alternatives to charging, including the removal of speed bumps in some places and the better sequencing of traffic lights in others. Both of these measures could limit cars having to slow down and speed up repeatedly, actions that can almost double the amount of NO2 produced. However, the idea that speed bumps which slow down traffic would be sacrificed to help clean up the air we breathe is not a welcome concept according to road safety charity Brake. "We ought not to be made to choose between having cleaner air and safer roads," a spokesman said. "The evidence shows that air pollution is contributing to the early deaths of thousands of people. It's now clear that there's more than one way a car can kill you." The new proposals will be out for consultation for six weeks before the government produces a final plan at the end of July. Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook.

The UK government is set to publish a draft air pollution plan after a protracted legal battle with environmental campaigners.

The BBC has seen a copy of the document, which is due to be formally signed off on Thursday. It contains policies on nationalising railways and renewing the Trident weapons system and suggests Labour will not leave the EU without a deal. Labour would not comment on the leak but the Tories called it "a shambles". According to the draft, Labour would: On energy, Labour would have at least one publicly-owned supplier in every region of the country, with the government controlling the transmission and distribution grids. First it would introduce an "immediate emergency price cap" of £1,000 a year. The manifesto still has to be approved by around 80 Labour figures, including the shadow cabinet and the party's National Executive Committee. The final version will form the foundation of Labour's pitch to voters on the 8 June general election. A spokesman for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "We do not comment on leaks. We will announce our policies in our manifesto, which is our plan to transform Britain for the many, not the few." The draft document is seen by some senior Labour figures as the most left-wing manifesto since the party was led by Michael Foot in 1983. It certainly appears to be the most detailed in a generation with a 20-point plan for workers' rights alone. Many individual policies are likely to be popular - not every privatisation is seen as having been a success and polling suggests the commitments to renationalise the railways and cap energy prices aren't as controversial as critics would claim But opponents and sceptical voters will await further detail behind the assertion that everything has been costed. Privately, many Labour MPs believe Jeremy Corbyn will get the manifesto he wants but in return he must take full responsibility if voters find it less appealing than he does . Many of the policies have been previously announced by Labour or were proposed by Mr Corbyn during his successful leadership campaign. These include banning fracking, and the draft manifesto also says nuclear power would continue to be supported. On welfare, Labour says it would scrap benefit sanctions and the so-called "bedroom tax" and restore housing benefit for people aged under 21. The triple lock protecting the state pension would be maintained, and the retirement age would not increase beyond 66. The draft was initially leaked to the Mirror and the Daily Telegraph. A Conservative spokesman said: "This is a total shambles. Jeremy Corbyn's plans to unleash chaos on Britain have been revealed. "The commitments in this dossier will rack up tens of billions of extra borrowing for our families and will put Brexit negotiations at risk." In other general election news, the Conservatives are pledging to continue meeting the Nato target of spending 2% of GDP on defence. Prime Minister Theresa May said she was also extending by two years a pledge to increase the defence budget by at least 0.5% above inflation annually. Labour is also promising to meet the 2% Nato pledge.

A draft of Labour's general election manifesto has been leaked, including plans to nationalise parts of the energy industry and scrap tuition fees.

They have trained wild monitor lizards, known locally as goannas, not to eat the toxic amphibians. They did this by feeding the reptiles small, less potent cane toads. Many that tried the toads once did not make the same mistake again. The researchers say that extending the trial could help the continent's wildlife. The study is published in the Royal Society journal, Biology Letters. Lead researcher Georgia Ward-Fear, from the University of Sydney, said: "We've been very surprised by the results, by the amount of time that some of these lizards have actually retained this knowledge and survived in the presence of a high-density of cane toads, which is basically unheard of in the wild." Cane toads were introduced to Australia in the 1930s to control sugar cane pests. But the subsequent spread has been unstoppable, devastating the continent's animals. Among the hardest hit are the yellow-spotted monitors (Varanus panoptes). Their population is estimated to have plummeted by 90%. When the toads invade a new area, these yellow-and-black-spotted reptiles feast on the amphibians, and subsequently die. "A goanna only has to mouth a toad for less than 30 seconds and it can kill them," said Dr Ward-Fear. "This species is quite abundant in ecosystems ahead of a cane toad invasion, and then as we see the invasion move through, they are basically wiped out of the landscape." In the trials, the researchers tracked down wild lizards before the toads descended. Dr Ward-Fear explained: "We presented them with a small toad via our very technical apparatus: a telescopic fishing pole. The toad had a little cotton belt attached to it. "We sidled up to the goanna in a very stealthy manner and extended the fishing pole." The young toads made the lizards sick, but were not toxic enough to do lasting harm. The scientists then attached radio transmitters to follow the goannas as the amphibians arrived in the area. Many of the 16 lizards who'd already tasted toad did not make the same mistake again - and more than half survived during the 18-month study period. The team also followed 31 "untrained" lizards that had not eaten the toads. "We saw the goannas that had not had a negative experience with the small toad died very quickly. They all died within three months of the natural cane toad invasion arriving at the site. At the end of the study, every untrained goanna had died." The scientists say the study suggests goannas have the ability to learn from experience and retain that knowledge over a long period of time. Dr Ward-Fear said: "This study provides the proof of principle that this strategy could be very effective. Employing it in the wild could potentially have a really large positive impact on the goanna population." Follow Rebecca on Twitter

Scientists have devised a radical solution to reduce the damaging impact of Australia's deadly cane toads.

Stephen Hammond said job roles would change when the paper system for car tax discs is scrapped in October. The minister allayed fears about job losses in a letter to Swansea East AM Mike Hedges. Mr Hedges said the minister's response would "give comfort" to DVLA employees. Concerns over the future of some of the 5,000 workers at the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency centre were raised in October after Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement. The chancellor announced that the tax disc would be replaced with an electronic system in October 2014. The new system will allow people to pay the charge by monthly direct debit. Mr Hedges had written to Mr Hammond asking for clarification of the government's intentions. In his response to Mr Hedges, Mr Hammond said: "It is likely that the introduction of a direct debit scheme may mean there will be a natural reduction in the amount of refunds received, in addition to the withdrawal of the tax disc. "This may mean changes to job roles and the need to train on new processes. "Any reductions in numbers of people needed for these activities will be managed through redeploying to other growth areas of the business." Mr Hedges welcomed the minister's assurances. He added: "Whilst disappointed that the changes will reduce the number of job opportunities at the DVLA, I can see the advantages of both paying by monthly direct debits and not having to show a tax disc. "I am pleased the minister is committed to redeployment rather than redundancies and I am sure this response will give comfort to many concerned DVLA employees."

Staff at Swansea's DVLA offices will be redeployed rather than face redundancy after changes to the way motorists pay their car tax, a UK transport minister has confirmed.

Lizzie Mould, from Bristol University, was challenged by Gloucestershire firm Snow Business to come up with a "green" realistic snow for film and television. It took her two years and a "few hundred attempts" but now her new snow liquids are being sold to the industry. Ms Mould, said: "To say that seeing the products on the market is rewarding would be an understatement." The Stroud-based company which specialises in fake snow and ice effects, has previously worked on James Bond film Spectre, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. But in a bid to create a "really good snow effect" which was "robust in different climates", environmentally friendly and would not damage people's skin or leave a residue - they approached the university. "I must have made hundreds of formulations. before we got to where we are today," said Ms Mould, who has now been offered a full-time job with the firm. "The original plan was just to make one fluid but by the end of my project we had two which both worked really well." Recently launched to the industry, Paul Denney, from the company, said as far as they know the new liquids are "the most environmentally friendly falling snow products in the world". "We had looked at developing the product ourselves but the chemistry involved was beyond our capabilities, which is why we approached the University of Bristol," he said. "We weren't totally sure what Lizzie would be able to do, especially as we had a long wish list of characteristics but she's really come up trumps and surpassed all our expectations."

A chemistry student has created "the most environmentally-friendly" fake snow, as part of her research.

The Marchwood Park and Cracknore Hard industrial estates, covering 113.73 acres, were acquired by Associated British Ports (ABP) for an undisclosed amount. Port director Nick Ridehalgh said the estates would provide "strategic long term value" for the company. Local councillor David Harrison called for a "statement of intent" from ABP. The estates are located on the western side of Southampton water, opposite the cruise terminal and Southampton Docks, and are six miles (9.5km) from the M271 motorway. The sites had been owned by Oceanic Estates for the last 15 years and and are among the largest self-contained industrial and warehouse holdings in the South East with occupiers including Ocado and Royal Mail, according to property consultants Lambert Smith Hampton. Mr Harrison, who represents Totton South and Marchwood, said: "In the longer term, local people in Marchwood and Totton South will be particularly concerned about any change to future usage of the site. For example, any increases in traffic and more pressure on our overburdened local roads will be completely unacceptable". Mr Ridehalgh said: "Our intention is to continue to develop the estates to increase the income... and directly contribute to the economic success of the Port of Southampton and the wider region."

The company which manages Southampton port has bought industrial estates close to its western side.

Nurseries increasingly focus on plants that can be mass produced so the big stores can sell them cheaply, he says. "You have these vast wholesale nurseries now supplying supermarkets - and that's a diminution of choice," he told Radio 4's You and Yours. However, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) says supermarket sales actually help grow the market. According to Kantar World Panel, nearly 40% of gardeners get their plants, bulbs and seeds from supermarkets. "That's bad," says Don. "It's rather like the vast suppliers supplying food - you get lots and lots of the same thing mass produced to be as cheap as possible." The UK garden market is worth around £5bn, with some £1.4bn spent on garden plants by UK consumers in 2013, according to the HTA, the industry body. The Gardeners' World presenter believes consumers should shop around. "I'm a huge fan of independent nurseries. That is where you get the expertise, it's where you will find people who have devoted their life to growing something. "They will grow geraniums or trees and they will really know about it, so when you contact them, they can give you great help and assistance." Martin Simmons, HTA director of operations, said: "People often make impulse purchases of plants in supermarkets and if this then encourages them to buy more plants then this is good for the industry and helps to grow the market. "Buying a plant in a supermarket may be the first step for some consumers, particularly younger ones. If this grabs their interest they will naturally seek out garden centres and retail nurseries." Waitrose told the BBC it took quality seriously, and that its plants were supplied by two reputable nurseries who supply only garden centres - not other supermarkets. Inviting Monty Don for a visit to talk to buyers, Asda said it works with a network of expert growers to ensure it offered quality. Sainsbury's said it had a longstanding relationship with suppliers, many of whom were family businesses. It added that it always worked to give customers choice and value. The BBC first broadcast Gardeners' World in the 1960s, making it one of the longest running shows on TV. Monty Don presented it from 2003 to 2008 and returned to the helm in 2011.

Supermarket plant sales are reducing customers' choice, says Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don.

That scenario once seemed beyond the reach of clubs that were being weighed down by the heedless spending of the past and drastic changes in the financial landscape of the game. What has brought about this shift, though? And what does it mean to the individual clubs and the state of Scottish football itself? There are a number of questions to ask about how the debt has been shed and what the impact might be. In terms of bank debt, essentially all are free of long-term liabilities now that Aberdeen have reached a deal with Lloyds Bank. Dundee United and Kilmarnock reached similar agreements last season, while Motherwell and St Mirren have been operating at more or less break even for a number of years. That said, the former often need the financial support of major shareholder John Boyle at points in the season and have been operating at a loss. Celtic have no bank debt and their interim results for the financial year to 31 December showed a surplus in the bank, while, through long-term planning, St Johnstone, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hamilton Academical are all free of bank debt. Dundee received investment from a US consortium and are now managed carefully financially, as are Partick Thistle, while Ross County's progress has been enabled by the largesse of the owner Roy MacGregor. Essentially, because Lloyds Bank had already written off the debts and there was no prospect of clubs ever being able to pay it back in full. Clubs have been fortunate that when Lloyds took over HBoS in January 2009 it provided a window of opportunity for the new owners to review all the debt on the bank's books. Any that was declared bad could then be written off in the accounts. With Scottish football unable to generate rising income streams - indeed, the league is still currently operating without a title sponsor - clubs saddled with large debts were ultimately able only to service them. Kilmarnock, for instance, owed £9.4m, having invested in the building of the Park Hotel next to Rugby Park. Last season, with the hotel valued at around £2.5m, it was sold to a company owned by Billy Bowie, with the businessman then converting the balance of the bank debt into equity. As a result of the restructuring, chairman Michael Johnston's 87% stake was reduced to below 50% and he was joined on the club board by Bowie and three new investors: Jim Mann, David Moran and Russell Smith. Yes, the bank's debt is being bought by Willie and Elaine Donald, who own the Stonehaven-based engineering company, WM Donald. Whatever sum the bank receives towards the approximately £9m debt is more than they expected, since in accountancy terms it was written off five years ago. The Donalds will likely convert the debt to equity at some stage and join the Aberdeen board. By wiping out the bank debt, Aberdeen have a little more financial freedom and can direct more resources to investing in the football side of the business. To an extent. The club will still have to operate at break even, since banks are no longer lending to clubs. They have to live within their means now that sources of credit have reduced or, as with the case of some clubs, disappeared completely. There will be more money available to Aberdeen since they will not have to service the debt any more, but it will not mean a drastic increase in available finance. Manager Derek McInnes won't be about to embark upon a spending spree. Dundee United will feel less constrained now, since selling assets was part of their agreed strategy with the bank to meet repayments. There is no essential need to accept offers for young players each summer, so the club can hold out for higher fees. The bank will have protected itself to an extent so that the debt reduction deal wasn't agreed only for the club to suddenly sell a batch of players and raise millions of pounds; percentages of future transfer fees will, until the end of next August, still go to the bank. Similarly, other clubs will not suddenly be able to sell their stadium having just agreed to a debt reduction deal. The bank was in a position to do these deals out of necessity but also desire, since there is no wish to be involved in football any more. There are also community and social benefits to striking the deals. It is too early to tell, but the best case scenario is that clubs are no longer on the brink of financial collapse. Also, there should be more leeway to try to hold on to their better young talents, although there must always be a recognition that English clubs will lure them south eventually. It is also often good for the players' career to move to a higher level, but they can move too early and become lost in the reserve squads of clubs when staying for longer in Scottish football will help them develop and boost the game in Scotland.

Debt has become a rarity in Scottish football.

Some of these traditions have been going on since Victorian times, while others are relatively recent creations. BBC News revisited scenes from London's festive past to see how things have changed over 170 years. App users should tap here to fully explore the interactive images, or on each individual picture to compare archive and modern-day London. The hustle and bustle of Leadenhall Market was captured on Christmas eve in 1845, when it was a place to buy meat and poultry. The market, which began operating in the 14th Century, looks different these days following a redesign in 1881 when the stone structure was replaced with glass and wrought iron. The produce on sale has also changed. Today's Christmas shoppers are unlikely to find raw meat but instead gift shops, pubs, restaurants and the occasional film crew (it has been used as a location for several movies including the first Harry Potter film). Regent Street claims to be the first central London street to have had a Christmas lights display, having first put them on show in 1954. This year's theme has been called The Spirit of Christmas, which organisers say is a reminder of the street's "festive heritage". Selfridges on Oxford Street has been a popular destination for Christmas shoppers for more than a century. The store was opened in 1909 by Harry Gordon Selfridge after he arrived in the capital from Chicago. The outbreak of World War Two did not stop some Oxford Street stores marking Christmas. In 1939, sandbags were placed around the display windows of Selfridges to protect the glass against feared bombing raids. The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square has been given to London by the people of Norway since 1947, as a gift for Britain's support during World War Two. The layout of the square may have changed slightly but the tree remains a popular destination for tourists. In 1922, Christmas mail from across the UK was piled up on the platforms at Paddington Station before being delivered to addresses across the capital. The same platforms have been used by travellers this year to make their way out of the city before the station shuts for several days for engineering works. Petticoat Lane Market in the East End is thought to be one of Britain's oldest surviving markets, having first begun operating in the 1750s. It is best known for selling clothing and leather goods, and while it may appear to have been a lot busier in December 1938, it still attracts shoppers - particularly for the main market on Sundays. In the heart of the West End, Carnaby Street found fame when it became the centre of "Swinging London" in the 1960s. The Christmas lights in 1967 reflected this, as does this year's display which has been inspired by the V&A museum's new exhibition "You Say You Want A Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966-1970". All archive images courtesy of Getty Images.

There are many famous ways that Christmas is celebrated in London, from the lights of Oxford Street to the Trafalgar Square tree.

The 24-year-old striker, who scored 25 Premier League goals last season, turned down the most lucrative contract offer in Everton's history in March. "I don't want to stay at the same level. I want to improve and I know where I want to do that," Belgian Lukaku said on Monday. Former club Chelsea, who he originally signed for in 2011, remain favourites to complete a deal for Lukaku. The Premier League champions, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have been linked with a move for Lukaku, who has been at Everton since 2013. "We are now talking to the club. I know what's happening, but I will leave the talks to my agent," he added to journalists after Belgium beat the Czech Republic in a friendly in Brussels. "I know what's happening, but I can't tell you anything more. "What I would like most is to play in the Champions League and try to win the Premier League once. Or better - a few times." Lukaku is represented by Mino Raiola, the agent who helped negotiate Paul Pogba's £89m move to Manchester United last summer.

Everton's Romelu Lukaku has decided where he wants to play next season.

Frontrunners Donald Trump and Ben Carson, with no political experience, were under attack from the start. Ohio Governor John Kasich condemned their "fantasy tax plans" and added: "We can't elect someone who doesn't know how to do the job." Mr Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who has edged past Mr Trump in national polls, had a quiet night in Boulder. His tax proposal, which is based on biblical tithes, was decried by Mr Kasich, who also dismissed Mr Trump's plan to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and build a wall on the Mexico border. The five key confrontations Political friendships were strained by some of the testy exchanges, notably one between former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Mr Bush urged Mr Rubio, once his protege, to resign from the Senate because of his poor voting record. The media were also in the firing line - Texas Senator Ted Cruz got the night's biggest applause when he attacked the hosts, CNBC for stirring confrontation. "The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media. This is not a cage match." The hostility against CNBC continued after the debate when Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus complained about the "gotcha questions". Twin contests played out on the stage in Colorado - a fight to become the candidate of the Republican establishment and a battle to become the standard bearer of the radical right. In the first contest, Jeb Bush delivered another listless performance that will deeply worry his donors, and a premeditated decision to attack his friend and rival Marco Rubio for absenteeism from his day job as the Florida senator backfired badly. It seemed so contrived, as Rubio, a big winner tonight, deftly pointed out. In the establishment contest, it was the defining exchange of the night, and will enhance Rubio's growing stature and further diminish Bush. The New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also outstripped Bush. As for a rumble in the Rockies between Donald Trump and the candidate who dislodged him in the polls, Ben Carson, it never unfolded. Trump was low-key - it seemed almost that he is tiring of the process. Carson disappeared for much of the debate. Perhaps sensing a chance to impose himself, the Texas Senator Ted Cruz delivered an impassioned attack on the moderators of the debate and the media more broadly for its liberal bias. Speaking of his born-again father will have impressed evangelicals. This was the best two hours of the Cruz campaign so far. But the main headline of the evening comes from Jeb Bush. He needed to energise his troubled campaign tonight, and he failed abysmally. Other highlights included: The four lowest-polling Republican candidates squared off in an early debate. Lindsey Graham, a senator from South Carolina, got the most laughs, especially when he said Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders "went to the Soviet Union on his honeymoon and I don't think he ever came back". Primary voting begins in February in Iowa, 10 months before the nation goes to the polls to vote for its new president.

US Republicans have traded blows in a heated presidential debate in Colorado that featured several angry exchanges.

Media playback is not supported on this device The Reds led at the interval only to suffer a second-half collapse as Sevilla became the first team to win the competition three seasons in a row. The defeat means Liverpool will not play any European football next season. "It was 50-60% of our usual quality and we have to accept that," said Klopp, who took charge at Anfield in October. "I am responsible for this performance. I promise everybody we will use it and come back stronger." Liverpool were on course to secure Champions League football - on offer to the winners of the competition this year - when Daniel Sturridge's magnificent strike with the outside of his left foot gave them the interval lead. But the Reds conceded three goals in the space of 24 second-half minutes - Kevin Gameiro netting 17 seconds after the interval, before Coke struck twice. Media playback is not supported on this device "There is no criticism and I have spoken to my players," added Klopp. "What I think about not being in the Champions League is that we have to use the time. "It is not about the size of the squad, it is about using the time in training to get better." Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson was frustrated by the Reds' second-half collapse. "Experience was key after conceding," said the 1984 European Cup winner, who was part of BBC Radio 5 live's team in Basel. "Where was the central defender or captain saying 'circle the wagons for 20 minutes - we do not concede and we get ourselves back into game'? That is something Liverpool just didn't do. "They had one stonewall penalty in the first half but when you go in 1-0 up at half-time in a cup final, what is the first thing anyone says in the dressing room? "You make sure you don't concede in the first 10 or 20 minutes. What did Liverpool do? They conceded in the first 17 seconds." Left-back Alberto Moreno was at fault for Sevilla's first goal, and Lawrenson was also critical of the 23-year-old's performance. "Yet again Moreno, who used to play for Sevilla, has made a massive mistake," he said. "I've lost count of how many mistakes this guy has made. "It's all very good pouring forward but the clue is in the title - left-back. Try defending occasionally. Moreno has made mistakes all season - basic errors. "Where was he for Villarreal's goal the other week? He was trying to score a goal at the other end." Lawrenson said former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked in October, had to share the blame for not strengthening the left-back area during his tenure. He added: "Liverpool didn't have, by the end of August, another player who could play left-back unless they moved Nathaniel Clyne from the right. "Jose Enrique was never going to play. I'm sorry, Brendan Rodgers gets the blame for me." Lawrenson expects a summer of change at Anfield, but expects Sturridge and Brazilian duo Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho to stay. "I'd imagine Liverpool have spoken to agents and will have an indication of whether players are coming," he said. "If you are in a room with Klopp then I'd think it was hard to say no to him. This summer's transfer window is going to be the biggest ever in the Premier League in terms of money spent. "Firmino, Coutinho and Sturridge are not going anywhere this summer - other than on holiday. "Klopp knew within two weeks of taking over he needed to bring in players. "Why didn't he address it in January? He probably did but could not get the right personnel in."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp took responsibility for his side's 3-1 Europa League final defeat by Sevilla - and said they would come back stronger.

Max Jowitt crossed early on after good work by Craig Hall, but three quick tries by Tony Gigot, Dave Taylor and Justin Horo put the hosts in control. Wakefield drew level at 18-18 at the break when Jonny Molloy powered over and Hall touched down. The teams both scored two further tries but Pat Richards missed a late kick with his side trailing by two at 30-28. And Wakefield, who were already assured of their place in the top eight, held on for a victory which ends a three-match losing run. The Wildcats had regained the lead after an even first period when Bill Tupou made the most of some quick thinking by Hall to go over. Catalans responded again when Morgan Escare ran onto a Lucas Albert kick. Mikey Sio then crossed for the visitors and the reliable boot of Liam Finn made it 30-24, but although Fouad Yayha scored in the corner, Richards' missed conversion proved costly for Catalans. Catalans Dragons: Escare, Yaha, Garcia, Duport, Richards, Gigot, Albert, Baitieri, Taylor, Horo, Maria, Pelissier, Casty. Substitutes: Bousquet, Da Costa, Mason, Navarrete. Wakefield: Jowitt, Lyne, Arundel, B Tupou, Hall, Miller, Finn, Simon, Moore, Arona, Ashurst, Molloy, Sio. Substitutes: Scruton, A Tupou, Walton, Fifita. Att: 8,562. Ref: Chris Campbell (RFL).

Wakefield moved up to sixth in Super League after edging a thrilling topsy-turvy encounter with Catalans Dragons.

12 March 2016 Last updated at 13:12 GMT BBC Points West's political editor Paul Barltrop reports.

Engineering companies in the West Country say they are having to recruit skilled workers from abroad because of a shortage of trained engineers.

The Labour MP, who was shot and stabbed after holding an advice session for her constituents in West Yorkshire, had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU and championed the contribution of immigrants to British society. She was also an active supporter of Syrian opposition groups against the country's President, Bashar al-Assad. US politician Gabrielle Giffords, herself the victim of an assassination attempt at a political rally in 2011, wrote on Twitter that she was "absolutely sickened" by the killing, praising Mrs Cox as "young, courageous, and hardworking. A rising star, mother, and wife". Ms Giffords survived being shot in the head in an attack that left six people dead and many injured. She was put in an induced coma and endured weeks of slow recovery. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the killing was "an assault on everyone who cares about and has faith in democracy". Germany's government tweeted about the "sad and terrible news of British MP Jo Cox", adding that "our thoughts are with her husband and children". French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Twitter that the assassination was an attack on the democratic ideal and called on people to "never accept that!" Spanish Prime Minster Mariano Rajoy said in a letter his British counterpart that "violence has no place in democracy" and asked Prime Minister David Cameron "to convey our deepest and sincere condolences to their families, relatives and all the British people". Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who also chairs the group of eurozone finance ministers, tweeted that the UK was "a beacon of peaceful politics, I hope the people of the UK can make their democratic choices serenly and in safety next week". Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted he was "saddened by the terrible murder" and included a statement from Mrs Cox's husband in his tweet. Media in Europe and the US report the killing, stressing the role of Mrs Cox as a determined campaigner for Britain to remain in the European Union in the forthcoming referendum on 23 June. The motive for the murder is still unclear but witnesses say the killer shouted "Put Britain first!" before repeatedly shooting and stabbing Mrs Cox. Campaigning in the EU referendum has been temporarily suspended, with British politicians widely condemning the attack and expressing their condolences for the family. Mrs Cox's role as a vocal supporter of Syrian opposition groups and refugee rights has also brought many expressions of solidarity and condolence. The Syrian White Helmets non-partisan volunteer rescue group tweeted: "Our thoughts and prayers are with @Jo_Cox1 and her family." The British MP had given a passionate speech on the crisis in the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo and was co-chair of a recently formed cross-party parliamentary group on Syria. Syrian journalists in exile have also expressed their grief at the death of someone who they saw as a strong voice of support. Before entering Parliament, Mrs Cox worked for a number of charities including Oxfam and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring tweeted that all at Oxfam were "devastated at the loss of our much loved and admired former colleague #Jo Cox MP".

Tributes to British MP Jo Cox have poured in from politicians and public figures around the world.

Jackson, 22, scored four goals in 36 appearances last season as Wrexham finished eighth in the table. He is Barnsley's third signing for next season, ahead of their League One play-off final at Wembley on Sunday. "Kayden has pace to burn, likes to get at defenders and will fit in nicely to the way we play," caretaker boss Paul Heckingbottom told the club website. Jackson turned down a contract offer from Wrexham for next season. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Barnsley have signed striker Kayden Jackson from National League club Wrexham on a two-year deal.

The husband-and-wife team beat Christopher Coles and Sophie Brown 21-11 21-11 in the final in Derby. It is the fourth occasion the top seeds have triumphed in the event overall, beating the record of Olympic silver medal-winning pair Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms, who won it three times. Between them, the Adcocks have now won 10 English titles. All five titles at the championships were won by the top seeds. Rajiv Ouseph won his eighth men's singles title, beating Alex Lane 21-10 21-9, and in the women's final Fontaine Chapman triumphed after twice being a beaten finalist. She beat training partner Chloe Birch 21-15 21-16. In the men's doubles, Marcus Ellis and Christopher Langridge proved too strong for Peter Briggs and Tom Wolfenden with a 21-15 21-11 victory. In the women's doubles, defending champions Heather Olver and Lauren Smith beat Brown and Kate Robertshaw in the closest final of the day, which ended 19-21 21-18 21-7.

Chris and Gabby Adcock won the English National Championships mixed doubles title for the third successive year.

Officers confiscated marijuana in the UK with a street value of £100 million, according to an Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) report. The number of farms discovered increased to 7,865, more than doubling in four years. The UK is at "significant risk" from criminal gangs who cultivate cannabis on a commercial scale, says the report. It estimates that the number of recorded cannabis production offences in the period from April 2011 to March 2012 will rise to 16,464, up from 14,982 in 2010-11. In the last two years, police forces have seized 1.1 million cannabis plants. Source: projected Acpo figures for 2011/12 Based on a street value of £134 per ounce, the drugs are valued at £207 million. Commander Allan Gibson of the Metropolitan Police, Acpo's lead on cannabis cultivation, said: "Increasing numbers of organised crime groups are diverting into this area of criminality, but we are determined to continue to disrupt such networks and reduce the harm caused by drugs." The report also recorded an increase in robberies, burglaries and violence - including the use of firearms - linked to cannabis farms. There is evidence of "taxing", or stealing of crops, while debt bondage is being used to control some cultivators. Criminals are spreading risk, to reduce detection and financial losses, by paying a large number of "gardeners" to manage smaller crops in residential areas. The study notes a shift from cannabis farms in commercial and industrial properties to "multiple site" small scale factories. It also says that with the economic downturn and a reduction in amounts supplied by drug dealers, the number of personal use cultivation offences is rising. Police intelligence suggests the purchase of seeds and hydroponic equipment (for growing the plants without soil) is on the increase. More farms were found in the West Yorkshire force area - 936, or 42 factories per 100,000 people - than any other in the country. But South Yorkshire had 64 farms for every 100,000 people, the highest per capita in the UK, with 851 farms. Some 663 farms were found in the West Midlands or 25 per 100,000 people, while the Metropolitan Police had 608 farms, or eight per 100,000 people. The highest rise in the number of farms since 2009/10 was recorded in Devon and Cornwall, where the number rose 1,664% per cent from 11 to a projected total of 183. Fife saw a 488% increase from eight farms to a projected 39 for 2011/12.

An average of more than 21 cannabis factories were found daily in Britain last year, police chiefs say.

The 40-year-old, who is based near Malpas in Cheshire, fell from her mount Topwood Beau and was airlifted to Bristol's Southmead Hospital. British Eventing (BE) said last week she suffered a traumatic brain injury. In a further update on Monday, BE said she was about to be moved to the neurological ward. "Emily is progressing steadily, and the family would like to thank everyone for their messages of support and thank Southmead Intensive Care Unit for their wonderful care," it said. Topwood Beau, a 14-year-old gelding, was uninjured in the fall, which happened at the third fence - Keepers Question - on the cross-country course. Gilruth, who is married with two young daughters, made her Badminton debut in last year's event. She has competed in British Eventing competitions for 18 years and runs her own yard.

British rider Emily Gilruth is set to leave intensive care after she was injured in a fall at the Badminton Horse Trials.

Cameroon's Ekeng died aged 26 of a suspected heart attack after collapsing on the pitch during a match on Friday. Thirteen-time winners Dinamo face CFR Cluj in the postponed final on 17 May. "If we win the final, the trophy will be sent to Cameroon, where it will be placed on Patrick's grave," said sporting director Ionel Danciulescu. Danciulescu told Romanian TV channel Digi Sport that Dinamo would ask Cluj to do the same if they win. The final, scheduled to be played on Tuesday 10 May, was postponed following Ekeng's death. Ekeng fell to the ground in the 70th minute of the televised Romanian league match against Viitorul and was pronounced dead in hospital two hours later. Two days later Cameroon women's goalkeeper Jeanine Christelle Djomnang, 26, died after collapsing during a warm-up session.

Dinamo Bucharest will honour the memory of midfielder Patrick Ekeng by sending the Romanian Cup to his family in Cameroon if they win the trophy.

Over 100 shops in the coastal town of Cumana were hit and at least one person died according to local media. Venezuela has one of the world's highest inflation rates at 180% and people can queue for hours for subsidised food. Opposition politicians blame government mismanagement for the shortages. But the government says the shortages are part of an economic war being waged to drive President Nicolas Maduro from office. Most of the shops were looted for food according to opposition congresswoman Milagros Paz. She is quoted in Venezuelan newspaper El Universal as saying that the authorities "have not admitted the food distribution emergency". But according to the socialist governor of Sucre state, Luis Acuna, it was off licenses, opticians and clothes shops that were targeted in the looting, reports El Nacional. Food and medicine are in short supply and street protests have become increasingly agitated. More than 10 attempts of looting happen every day, according to the non-governmental organisation Venezuelan Violence Observatory. Diosdado Cabello, a lawmaker from Mr Maduro's PSUV party, blamed the opposition for inciting violent protest. "These are fascist groups which are generating unrest," he said. "Don't come to me with this fairy tale that these are spontaneous protests," he said on his television programme.

At least 400 people have been arrested in Venezuela after rioting and looting over food shortages.

Voters here have yet to make their choice in the regional election. But already there's something of the victory march in the chancellor's step. It has been years since her party won here in Germany's most populous state. Sunday's vote in North Rhine-Westphalia is the last ahead of the general election in September. And it is viewed as a bellwether. This is Social Democrat country. The centre-left SPD currently rules in coalition with the Greens but polls suggest that could be about to change. In recent weeks Mrs Merkel's centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) have been closing in and support for the SPD has dwindled. The rivals are now neck-and-neck in the polls. It is not often that a German regional election is considered so important. Martin Schulz, the charismatic SPD leader, has thrown down the gauntlet. If his party wins here, he declared recently, he will be the next German chancellor. It is a statement he may live to regret. When Mr Schulz, ex-president of the European Parliament, returned to domestic politics there was an immediate surge of support in the polls for his party. The CDU looked on nervously as commentators noted for the first time in years that Mrs Merkel was no longer unchallenged in her bid for a fourth term in the chancellery. But since then the Social Democrats have suffered two humiliating electoral defeats at the hands of Mrs Merkel's conservatives, in regional votes in Saarland and, last Sunday, in Schleswig-Holstein. The party has slipped in the national polls and, even here in the SPD heartland, the so called Schulz effect appears to have dwindled. "His approval ratings will only stabilise once he says very clearly what he wants to do," says Brilon's SPD mayor, Christoph Bartsch. "In the eyes of the voters that hasn't happened yet. We need a clear programme and clear policies on topics which matter to the electorate." Here the issues that matter include internal security and the economy. On security, the CDU's candidate for North Rhine-Westphalia has promised to make the state the envy of other German regions. There is a powerful industrial lobby here. On the edge of town, under a chimney smoking into the clouds, huge lorries deliver logs to the sawmill. Martin Ansorge, finance officer at Egger wood processing, tells me that Germany's next chancellor will need the support of what Germans call the Mittelstand - medium-sized family firms. "We need to cut bureaucracy, we need a modern education system, we need support for businesses in the digital future, and we need a better infrastructure in this region," he says. Mr Ansorge will not discuss his preferred choice of party or candidate, and Germany as a whole has four months left to make up its mind. In Brilon's market square, among the flower stalls and vans selling fish rolls, one enterprising pub was advertising "Schnitzel Angela Merkel" in honour of the chancellor's visit to the town. Few of the diners seemed tempted, and the cost of €19.54 (£16.50, $21) - presumably chosen to reflect Mrs Merkel's birth year - was perhaps a little steep. "I think she really will be chancellor again," said one stallholder. "She's very self-assured, reliable and calm. And she's a woman - I like that." An elderly man nearby wasn't convinced. "She promised too much and invited too many people without asking us. She wasn't thinking properly and too many bad people came to the country." Later, the rally finished, Angela Merkel posed for pictures with the band. She laughed as she refused to take the baton from the conductor. But make no mistake, this woman wants German voters to continue dancing to her tune. Unless Martin Schulz finds a way of reversing his fortunes, they may well do so.

Under the wooden beams of Brilon's medieval hunting lodge, Angela Merkel sweeps past a gleaming brass band to address her party faithful.

Fields around organic farms have more types of wild plants, providing benefits for wildlife, say scientists. The research is likely to fuel the debate over the environmental benefits of organic farming. Studies suggest that organic farming produces lower yields than conventional methods but harbours more wildlife. The new study, by researchers at the University of Swansea and institutes in France, looked at fields sowed with winter wheat in the region of Poitou-Charente. They found that organic farming led to higher weed diversity on surrounding conventionally farmed fields. "Wild plants are important for birds, bees and other farmland species," said Dr Luca Borger of the department of biosciences at Swansea University. "Organic farming has advantages in maintaining these, but even a mixture of organic and non-organic farming in an area can help maintain this biodiversity. "Even only 25% of fields being organically farmed can make a difference." Farmland provides essential habitat for many animals but intensification of agriculture has led to a loss of biodiversity. However, in order to provide the extra food needed by the bigger human population of the future, without destroying forests and wetlands, farming needs to be made more intensive. Supporters of organic farming say the method could be a potential compromise between meeting food security needs and providing habitat for bees, birds and other wildlife. The researchers say land-sharing between organic farms and non-organic farms could have benefits for both crop production and biodiversity. This theory needs to be tested in follow-up studies, they say. The study is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B- Biological Sciences.

Organic farms act as a refuge for wild plants, offsetting the loss of biodiversity on conventional farms, a study suggests.

The plane came down en route to Russia from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. A group linked to so-called Islamic State (IS) said it bombed the plane. Nearly all the victims were Russians. Russia has said a bomb brought down the Metrojet Airbus, after finding what it said were "traces of foreign explosives" on the debris. It has vowed to "find and punish" the perpetrators. In response to Monday's findings, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov re-iterated that "our experts concluded this was a terrorist attack". Russian plane crash: What we know Russia suspended all flights to Egypt in the wake of the attack, with the UK also suspending flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh. However, the head of the Egyptian committee investigating the crash, Ayman al-Muqaddim, was quoted by state TV on Monday as saying there was "no evidence that there is an act of terror or illegal intervention". IS-affiliate Sinai Province said it had destroyed the plane because of Russian air strikes on Syria. Last month IS's magazine published a photo of what it claimed was the improvised bomb that brought down the airliner. The picture in Dabiq showed a Schweppes Gold soda can and what appears to be a detonator and a switch. The crash has dealt another blow to Egypt's vital tourism industry, already struggling after years of unrest. Egypt's tourism minister told Reuters earlier this month that tourism revenues for 2015 will be at least 10% below last year's.

Egyptian investigators say they have so far found no evidence that terrorism caused a Russian jet to crash in the Sinai in October, killing 224 people.

Kirsty Williams told them they have a "responsibility as stewards of community, city and country", at a speech in Cardiff. The referendum showed "notions of togetherness" were "perhaps weaker than we imagined", she warned academics. The Conservatives said she had offered some "nuggets of wisdom" but was "exaggerating a sense of crisis". Universities and the Ms Williams campaigned for the UK to remain an EU member before the vote in June. However, Brexit was backed by 52.5% of voters in Wales, with 47.5% supporting Remain. On Monday, First Minister Carwyn Jones said Wales must get away from the abuse and bitterness of the referendum campaign. Speaking at Cardiff University on Thursday, Ms Williams claimed there was an "urgency" for universities to "recapture a civic mission" after the Leave vote. She suggested the existence of much of what is taken for granted in modern life might not be as secure as many people believe. "The victories that help bend the arc of history towards progress - feminism, opening up access to education, civility in our discourse and towards others, civil rights, even devolution - may be far more fragile than we imagined," Ms Williams said. "The vote showed that when people and communities think advancements are for the benefit of others - rather than for them, their families or society at large - they will think they have nothing to lose by standing against these." Urging colleges to do more to reach out to people across Wales, Ms Williams said the referendum exposed the "distance between campus and community". She warned: "At a UK-level, the pro-EU campaign of universities was too easily dismissed as one of self-interest, almost exclusively focused on income. "This is not to exempt politicians and government from criticism, far from it. But it is certainly incumbent on universities to reflect on the distance between campus and community exposed by the referendum." Ms Williams has also announced she is establishing a Welsh Higher Education Brexit Working Group, to advise on the "impact and possibilities" arising from the UK's departure from the European Union. Six years ago the then Education Minister Leighton Andrews said university governance was "the last resting place of the crachach" - elitist and detached from mainstream Welsh society. In her first big address to university bosses, Education Secretary Kirsty Williams's tone was distinctly less confrontational. But her more nuanced message still displayed a view in government that institutions getting millions in public money should do more for their communities and the nation. "They can't hide behind the walls of their very fine buildings - they have to be a part of the communities in which they are placed and the country as a whole - they recognise that," she told me afterwards. The EU referendum - in which the universities argued strongly to stay in - is one example of the divide between campus and community, she says. The universities' response is to say they are committed to bridging the gap and will build on what they already do in their communities. And both government and universities will hope the Diamond Review on higher education finance, due to report later this month, will go some way to resolving the tensions between them over funding. Conservative education spokesman Darren Millar accused the minister of "exaggerating a sense of crisis and division". "There are some nuggets of wisdom in this speech, and few would argue that the gap between campus and community has widened over the course of a generation," he said. "However, the suggestion that Wales' decision to leave the EU has somehow placed education, civil rights or feminism under threat is absolute nonsense." Cardiff University vice chancellor Prof Colin Riordan, who chairs Universities Wales, said: "Being part of and contributing to community has always been at the heart of what we do as universities." He added: "We are proud of our successes, but we can do more to embrace and appreciate the cultural and social diversity of the communities within which we sit."

Universities should help re-unite Welsh society after the Brexit vote, the education secretary has said.

Captcha checks typically ask people to complete a puzzle that a computer would struggle to complete correctly. They are designed to stop automated bots accessing and using websites. Google's new system tracks how a person interacts with a website to prove they are real, so the puzzles are no longer necessary for most people. Captcha checks are often deployed by concert ticket websites to stop people setting up automated bots to buy all the best tickets. They also appear when somebody is trying to log in to a website with the wrong password, to spot automated attempts. The puzzles present challenges that people find simple but computers can find more difficult, such as: The puzzles also benefit companies such as Google by helping train artificial intelligence algorithms. For example, if Google's AI can not recognise a house number in a photograph taken by a Streetview car, it may add the photo to its Captcha system to get human input. However, genuine users can find the interruption by puzzles a nuisance. Google's reCaptcha system has already simplified the process by asking users to tick a check box on the website they are using. The box monitors how each person has interacted with it, to separate natural human clicks from bots. For example, an automated script might take just a second to fill in a form on a website, and may not move the mouse at all during the process. Google's latest development removes the check box as well, and instead analyses how people have interacted with other elements on a website such as the "submit form" button. However, in some cases "suspicious" activity will still trigger a puzzle.

Website security checks that challenge people to prove they are human are likely to "disappear" in favour of a new system developed by Google.

These clouds of particles are released in explosive outbursts from the Sun. With the Sun in an active part of its cycle, there are concerns that some storms could disrupt technology on Earth including satellite navigation signals and aircraft communications. The Sun may seem to change little from our viewing position on Earth. With the right equipment, it is possible to see dark regions called sunspots. But up close, our Sun is a dynamic, violent beast. Bright loops of matter arch and twist like fiery fountains above the surface of this gigantic natural nuclear reactor. And every so often an intense burst of radiation called a solar flare appears when magnetic energy - stored in our star's atmosphere - is suddenly released. Solar flares are sometimes associated with the release of high energy particles into space - eruptions that are known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), though these can also occur on their own. A large CME can contain billions of tonnes of gas and other matter that pours into space at several million km per hour. The charged particles in this cloud stream towards any planet or spacecraft in its path. When these particles collide with the Earth, they can cause a geomagnetic storm - a disturbance in the magnetic sheath (or magnetosphere) that surrounds our planet, protecting its denizens from the worst effects of cosmic rays. Many of the effects of charged particles hitting the Earth's magnetosphere are benign, such as polar lights - the Aurora borealis and australis. Geomagnetic storms - often referred to as solar storms - cause these northern or southern lights to become visible at lower latitudes. However, they also disrupt technology on Earth, such as communications systems - including those used by aircraft, satellite navigation signals and electrical power grids. As such, they could wreak long-lasting havoc with communications and power infrastructure across the globe. A 2008 report by the US National Academy of Sciences concluded that an extreme storm could cause up to $2 trillion in initial damages by crippling communications on Earth and causing chaos around the world. As such, several agencies around the world are working to better understand the changing conditions near our planet - known collectively as space weather. Forecasters at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center monitor activity using data from a network of sensors, including those on satellites, and US Geological Survey instruments that detect magnetic fields (magnetometers). The Sun goes through cycles of high and low activity that repeat approximately every 11 years. It is currently gaining in activity and is expected to peak in 2013 or 2014, although nobody can be sure. This means we can expect more solar flares and more coronal mass ejections over the next few years. The solar cycle we're currently in has been a relatively quiet one in compared with previous ones. But that does not mean that there could not be a large event in the build up to the next "solar maximum". Yes. In 1994, a solar storm caused major malfunctions to two communications satellites, disrupting television and radio services throughout Canada. In March 1989, another event caused the Hydro-Quebec power grid in Canada to go down for over nine hours. The resulting damages and loss in revenue were estimated to be in the region of hundreds of millions of dollars. But the most significant historic event remains the great solar storm of 1-2 September 1859. This disturbance shorted telegraph wires, starting fires in North America and Europe, and caused bright aurorae to be seen in Cuba and Hawaii. In 1859, our technological infrastructure was in its infancy, but a storm with the magnitude of the so-called Carrington Event would be much more damaging today. Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

Solar storms are a natural occurrence caused by high-energy particles hitting the Earth.

Michael Gove said his decision to defy his friend and ally the prime minister and back the leave campaign was the most difficult of his career. But he said the EU had "proved a failure on so many fronts" and he felt compelled to put his political convictions before loyalty to the PM. He is the most high-profile minister to declare for out so far. Four other cabinet ministers - Iain Duncan Smith, Chris Grayling, John Whittingdale and Theresa Villiers - have signed up to the Leave campaign. Home Secretary Theresa May - who out campaigners had hoped would join their cause - has backed the campaign to remain in the EU. In a lengthy statement on his reasons for joining the leave campaign, Mr Gove said: "I believe our country would be freer, fairer and better off outside the EU. And if, at this moment of decision, I didn't say what I believe, I would not be true to my convictions or my country. "By leaving the EU we can take control. Indeed, we can show the rest of Europe the way to flourish. "Instead of grumbling and complaining about the things we can't change and growing resentful and bitter, we can shape an optimistic, forward-looking and genuinely internationalist alternative to the path the EU is going down." He said he had wrestled for weeks "with the most difficult decision of my political life". "I was encouraged to stand for Parliament by David Cameron and he has given me the opportunity to serve in what I believe is a great, reforming government. "I think he is an outstanding prime minister. There is, as far as I can see, only one significant issue on which we have differed. And that is the future of the UK in the European Union. "It pains me to have to disagree with the prime minister on any issue. My instinct is to support him through good times and bad. "But I cannot duck the choice which the prime minister has given every one of us." Mr Gove said it was "hard to overstate the degree to which the EU is a constraint on ministers' ability to do the things they were elected to do, or to use their judgment about the right course of action for the people of this country". Addressing claims by Mrs May and the prime minister that remaining in the EU was the best option for Britain's future security, he said: "Far from providing security in an uncertain world, the EU's policies have become a source of instability and insecurity." Mr Cameron has warned that leaving the European Union would be a "leap in the dark", as he urged voters to back his reform deal. The PM said: "Those who want to leave Europe cannot tell you if British businesses would be able to access Europe's free trade single market, or if working people's jobs are safe, or how much prices would rise. All they're offering is a risk at a time of uncertainty - a leap in the dark." Mr Gove's decision was welcomed by out campaigners, with UKIP MEP Roger Helmer tweeting: "Seems that Michael Gove will campaign for #Brexit. Well done that man. Courageous and principled." There has been increasing speculation in recent days that Mr Gove would argue for an EU exit, with some commentators suggesting he would not lead the campaign. Leave campaigners have been pinning their hopes on landing a big name to go up against Mr Cameron - with London Mayor Boris Johnson, who is yet to reveal which side he will back, still their top target.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove has said Britain would be "freer, fairer and better off outside the EU".

Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir made the announcement as part of a reallocation of funds known as a monitoring round. He said that when added to the last monitoring round it means the executive has allocated an additional £200m to health in 2016/17. Health accounts for about half of Stormont's departmental spending. Last week, Health Minister Michelle O'Neill said her department needed "significant additional funding" to meet growing demand. When asked on Tuesday if any of the money would be allocated to waiting lists, Ms O'Neill said she "would make her decisions on the allocations of the additional resources as soon as possible within the next few days". So how will the money be spent? At this stage there is little detail. However, from the health minister's statement it seems that the money will go directly to unscheduled care which includes emergency departments. It will also be directed to those areas within hospitals which often experience bed blocking - when patients cannot be discharged as there is nowhere for them to be cared for in the community, including in their own homes. Read more. Other reallocations include £30m to schools with £5m of that for special educational needs. There is also £25m for roads maintenance and building schemes and £20m for further education. Mr Ó Muilleoir said there have been no new spending cuts despite pressure on budgets "as a result of the Westminster austerity agenda". A large slice of the money which has been reallocated is £30m which had been set aside to mitigate cuts to tax credits. However, the money is no longer needed for that purpose after the chancellor reversed his plan to cut tax credits.

The Northern Ireland health service is to receive an extra £72m to help deal with pressures in the service.

The body will also be responsible for the registration and regulation of youth support workers and work-based learning practitioners. They join more than 75,000 school and further education teachers and learning support staff on the national register. The council's chief executive Hayden Llewellyn said regulating all these groups was a "world-first for Wales". He added it was "a bold and welcome step". "By bringing non-formal and in-work education in line with formal education, we are enhancing the status of the often overlooked professions of youth work and work-based learning and the increasingly important role they play in young people's wellbeing and education," Mr Llewellyn said. Keith Towler, chairman of CWVYS (Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services), said good quality youth work "saves young lives". "The trusted relationship between young people and youth workers and youth support workers is vital for the development of resilience, self-esteem and delivery of professional responses to a huge range of issues," Mr Towler said. "Recognition of informal and non-formal learning in a wider educational context is important and this will support the development of quality youth work provision." Julie James, minister for skills and science, said the new registration system "supports our ambition to achieve the highest possible professional standards throughout the whole education sector and it will provide a vital component in ensuring the people of Wales receive high quality learning throughout their lives".

Wales' youth workers will be regulated by the Education Workforce Council for the first time from 1 April.

Around 150 countries are meeting in Kigali to try and agree a speedy ban on hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases. HFCs were introduced to limit damage to the ozone layer, but cause much greater levels of global warming than CO2. However nations are divided over the speed and timing of any phase-out. Concern over a growing hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica saw the Montreal Protocol agreed back in 1987. The key aim was the removal of gases called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which scientists had determined were causing the destruction of ozone, which protects people and animals from the dangerous impacts of ultraviolet radiation. Found in hairsprays, refrigeration and air conditioning, CFCs were ultimately replaced by factory-made hydrofluorocarbons, which essentially do the same job but without the damage to the Earth's protective layer. The substitution worked. Earlier this year, scientists said that the ozone hole is showing "the first fingerprints of healing." There has been just one unfortunate side effect caused by the solution. HFCs are several thousand times better at retaining heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. HFCs have helped the ozone layer, but exacerbated global warming. As well as being destructive, they are also the fastest growing greenhouse gases - increasing demand for air conditioning in emerging economies has seen the use of HFCs up by 10-15% per year. Scientists, through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have warned about the warming dangers of HFCs. Unusually, governments took heed and have sought an international approach to phase out all these chemicals. This move has been given added urgency in the wake of the Paris climate agreement, which aims to keep temperature rises this century well below 2C and as close as possible to 1.5C. The scale of HFC growth is adding greater urgency say experts. After a year of negotiations, an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase out these chemicals is expected to be agreed at this meeting in Kigali. "It's a big piece, these are the fastest growing greenhouse gases right now, although they are still a small percentage," said Durwood Zaelke, from the Institute for Government and Sustainable Development (IGSD). "But an amendment could bend the curve down quickly and take out 100 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by mid century, and by the end of the century you'll avoid up to half a degree of warming." There are dozens of replacement gases emerging including natural alternatives like ammonia, hydrocarbons and ironically, CO2. Refrigerators based on these coolants are already available in some developed countries. A new generation of short-lived refrigerant chemicals called Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) are also coming on stream. However countries meeting here in Kigali are divided over the speed at which existing HFCs should be phased out. Around 100 nations including the US, EU, African and island states are pushing for a peak in their use by 2021. India, a large manufacturer of the gases, favours a much later date of 2031. "The Montreal Protocol has a good track record of getting things done quickly and efficiently," said Gaby Drinkwater from Christian Aid. "We would hope that there would be an ambitious baseline and an early freeze date for all parties concerned. The earlier the freeze date the better for the planet." There is a lot to play for. An early peak means a far greater impact on temperatures - but it will cost a lot more in funding to help poorer nations adapt. The hope is that by having an early phase down, emerging economies will not take intermediate steps but go for the most advanced and sustainable options. Unusually, industry and environmental campaigners are fairly well aligned on the need for an early phase out. Governments and private donors are willing to step into the breach and last month offered $80m to speed the transition. There is also a hope that newer coolants will also spark more efficient cooling devices. "If you increase the efficiency of your room air conditioner, you can double the climate benefits of HFC phase down," said Durwood Zaelke. "So private funders have said this is a very good opportunity, and they have put together a fund that is designed to be a bridge to greater sources of funding." Ministers arrive in Rwanda on Thursday to lead the negotiations to a conclusion. There is still much detail to be agreed. However, in the light of the imminent ratification of the Paris agreement, and a new deal on aviation emissions, there is added pressure for the Kigali talks to succeed. "A meeting like this has its ups and downs, we will go through that cycle," said Durwood Zaelke. "We just want to land on the up, that's the key." Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathBBC and on Facebook.

Cooling chemicals that play a key role in refrigeration and air conditioning are likely to be rapidly phased out if delegates can reach agreement in Rwanda this week.

When the Red Lion in Northmoor was put up for sale last year, locals formed the Northmoor Lion Ltd, secured a loan and bought the pub in November 2013. Since then, 70 people have bought company shares, raising about £300,000. Parish council chairman Graham Shelton said the community was "very excited" after six-months of hard work. "Northmoor has proved that if there is an energetic group of people that want to get things done, you can get things done," he added. "When the pub came on the market, we feared we'd lose it. Alongside the church and village hall, it's greatly valued by local people and is at the heart of our community." Previous owners Greene King put the pub up for sale at the beginning of the year after failing to find new tenants. Mr Shelton said villagers explored "making it a community asset" but decided to buy it after securing a loan from "a private individual". The pub will now be run as a free house and Mr Shelton said the company had been "overwhelmed" with the response to an advertisement for tenants. It will be run by first-time landlords Ian Neale and Lisa Lyne, who have 30 years' industry experience between them. Mr Shelton added that the couple "ticked all the boxes" for the local community, including "experience, capability, friendliness and empathy". He added: "[They] will enable us to regenerate our pub, which has been in continuous existence since the 1700s." "They have the whole village behind them."

A 17th Century pub in Oxfordshire has been bought by the local community, which has raised tens of thousands of pounds to secure its future.

Speaking in an ITV documentary about his charity work in Lesotho, the prince said losing his mother at a young age made him question his position. He said he used to "bury his head in the sand" but now views life "very, very differently". Harry co-founded the Sentebale charity with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people affected by HIV/Aids. The 32-year-old prince told the programme: "I always feel like I need to make something of my life. "I was fighting the system, going 'I don't want to be this person; my mother died when I was very, very young and I don't want to be in this position'. "But now I'm just so fired up and energised to be lucky enough to be in a position to make a difference." Sentebale has delivered adolescent HIV testing and counselling services to more than 21,000 people since it was founded in 2006, and plans to expand into several sub-Saharan African countries by 2020. Harry was interviewed by broadcaster Tom Bradby, who shadowed the prince when he first visited Lesotho 12 years ago. The prince said it was "fun to be good and boring to be bad". "If you're me, if you're your Average Joe, whoever you are, if you can't affect politics and change the big things in the world then just do whatever you can do. "Whether it's in your local community, your village, your local church, walking down the street, opening a door for an old lady, helping them cross the road. "Whatever if it is, just do good. Why wouldn't you?" The programme, due to be broadcast on Monday 19 December, also features contributions from musicians Sir Elton John, Joss Stone and Chris Martin of Coldplay. Harry is reunited with a teenager he met on his first visit and is seen dancing with local children.

Prince Harry has said he no longer struggles with his royal role and wants to "make something" of his life.

The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in July fell more sharply, down by 29,000 to 1.4 million. The unemployment rate remains at 7.8%, still well above the 7% rate target set by the Bank of England. The Bank's governor, Mark Carney, says interest rates are unlikely to rise before that target is reached. The ONS said the figures meant unemployment was "broadly unchanged" from the first three months of the year. The number of people in work increased by 69,000 in the three months to June, up to 29.78 million. That is the highest level since records began in 1971. That means 307,000 more people are in employment in the UK, compared with the same time last year. Latest unemployment figures across the UK The ONS's David Freeman said two-thirds of this increase had been seen in UK nationals. A third of the employment increase came from non-UK nationals working in the UK. Suddenly everyone is watching out for the unemployment rate. That's because the Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, has said future interest rate rises will not start until, barring unexpected events, the rate falls to 7% of the workforce. The latest figures, the first since the Bank's forward guidance announcement, showed the rate was unchanged at 7.8%. Yet the figures also showed the number in work was at a record high. And therein lies a problem for the Bank. The economy is creating jobs but the workforce is growing. So there may be solid economic growth over the next couple of years, but the unemployment rate still takes a while to come down. And during that time, inflation alarm bells may start to ring. Analysts said the figures portrayed a mixed picture of the UK jobs market. "Despite some good news in the latest jobs figures there are worrying signs about the underlying state of the UK jobs market," said John Philpott, from the think tank, The Jobs Economist. "The rise in employment is almost matched by an increase in the size of the workforce, which means the unemployment rate is unchanged at 7.8%. "The headline jobs figures may continue to be broadly positive but one only has to dig a little deeper into the statistics to see that millions of people are continuing to be hit by a combination of lack of jobs and a ceaseless sharp fall in the real value of their pay." Youth unemployment, among those aged 16-24, increased by 15,000 to reach 973,000. The number of people out of work for more than two years also rose by 10,000 to 474,000, the highest number in 16 years. The ONS also released figures showing that wages grew by 1.1% over the past 12 months. When bonuses were included, wages grew by 2.1% - the highest annual growth rate since June 2011. The small fall in unemployment comes a week after Mr Carney linked the Bank of England's interest rate policy decisions to the unemployment rate for the first time. He said the MPC will not consider raising interest rates until the unemployment rate falls below 7%, which he predicted would take about three years and the creation of 750,000 jobs. Work and Pensions minister Steve Webb told the BBC that "things were starting to look much more positive". He said the jobs figures added to a general picture of an economy that was starting to pick up. But Labour's shadow employment minister, Stephen Timms, said the reality was that for ordinary families things were getting "harder not easier", highlighting the rise in part-time workers. "Ministers just sound out of touch when they ignore the fact that the number of people who are working part-time because they cannot find a full-time job is at record levels," he said.

UK unemployment fell by 4,000 in the three months to June leaving 2.51 million out of work, says the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The 17-year-old boy was arrested at an address in Netherton, West Midlands Police said, and remains in custody. A 65-year-old man was attacked at 18:15 GMT in Owen Street, Kates Hill, Dudley, suffering serious stab wounds to his head, shoulder, chest and back. Police said he was now in a stable condition in hospital. Det Insp Greg Evans said: "Thankfully, the man is... recovering well in hospital. "We are still working to establish a motive for the attack and we are currently questioning a teenage boy, who was arrested yesterday afternoon."

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed on his doorstep in the West Midlands on Tuesday.

The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) said it was hit by "exceptional mortalities" amounting to 1,300 tonnes - about a fifth of its potential harvest. SSC also said "biological challenges", such as sea lice, had led to a lower mean weight of fish harvested. As a result, operating costs increased and earnings dipped, it added. The Oslo-listed company reported losses of £1.4m in the quarter before interest and tax. This was despite a 39% increase year-on-year in revenue as a result of increased harvested volumes and higher market prices. Revenue stood at £25.5m, while volumes rose from 5,130 tonnes to 5,486 tonnes. SSC managing director Craig Anderson said: "This quarter has been challenging and, like many other operators in the sector, results have been impacted by biological issues. "We have been working for some time to develop effective long term solutions to tackle these industry wide issues, such as the use of cleaner fish to combat sea lice. "In the shorter term, we are using a range of established best practice methods to manage the situation. "We remain focused on growing our business and developing our export markets to enable us to capitalise on the continued demand for premium Scottish salmon. "Maragay Mor, our new site in the Hebrides, has been commissioned and is an important element in delivering our strategy of long term sustainable growth."

A Scottish salmon producer has reported third-quarter losses after suffering an "unprecedented" level of deaths at its fish farms.

He was appointed by Nigel Farage in 2014. Nevertheless, he still thinks he enjoys the support of the majority of UKIP members. Now he must convince party members in north Wales to put him on top of their list of candidates for May's assembly election. In each of the assembly's five regions, UKIP's candidates will be ranked in a ballot of party members. Mr Gill says he fought for that ballot inside the party's National Executive Committee (NEC). Some were worried about candidates imposed on them from outside Wales - candidates like former Tory MPs Mark Reckless and Neil Hamilton. Mr Gill won't be drawn on individuals. It's up to members to decide, he says. But some say Mr Gill didn't do enough - that the entire selection process should have been handled in Wales and that Mr Gill should stand down "I've worked in Wales for UKIP for 11 years. I know the vast majority of members. I've canvassed with people all over Wales in every single area," he says. "I know the quality of the people that we've got, the passionate membership, the capability that we have. And I've stood up for them. "And maybe some of the members haven't seen that because it's happened behind closed doors. But I've stood up for Wales." Critics in other parties, who dismiss UKIP as anti-Welsh, will raise an eyebrow at that statement. But the critics in his own party are the bigger problem. And because the decisions on how candidates are selected were taken in three private NEC meetings, unless those critics were in the room they have to take Mr Gill at his word. "There are people obviously who don't like me. There are people who do like me. But I think the people who back me by far outweigh those who don't." Some of those speaking out are motivated by "personal reasons", he thinks, having changed their minds about standing as candidates. And those who say he fails to represent the rank-and-file are talking "nonsense". Compared to the other parties, UKIP's selection procedure has been messy. But UKIP sells itself as the antidote to other parties. Despite being an MEP, Mr Gill doesn't see himself as part of a political class. Perhaps that's not surprising in a climate where politicians are routinely traduced. Who would identify themselves as members of the political class? I met him his at his home - a family-run bed and breakfast on Anglesey where he and his wife Jana are raising their five children. Does part of him think he could do without the flack from those who want him to quit? "Part of me does think that of course, I'm human. I've got a beautiful family. I've got a life outside politics." So why carry on? "Because we have the most important election in Wales for us in five years. We must get UKIP representation in that assembly. "And also, very likely in five or six months time we will have the whole raison d'etre of UKIP. "The whole reason why I joined UKIP is that referendum whether or not Britain should be a member of European Union. "Whether we should be governed by Brussels or whether we think we're big enough to make our own laws. "That is why I joined the party. I can't give up at the last hurdle."

Unlike the other four main party leaders in Wales, Nathan Gill wasn't elected by his party members.

The SFA's performance director has been conducting a review since taking over from Mark Wotte. Across the seven schools involved throughout Scotland, 374 children receive up to 10 hours a week specialised coaching as part of their everyday studies. "There's been a lot of time invested in this project by a lot of people and we're looking at how we continue to improve the programme as we travel through the years," McClair told BBC Scotland. The project is now in its fourth year, with this year's intake of pupils the final one of the initial scheme. McClair will decide in the coming months whether it will continue in its current format once an analysis of how it is working has been concluded. Alternatives could include certificating the programme to award pupils a Higher qualification for completing the course or focusing on a smaller group of children at one single, residential campus rather than the seven schools involved just now. At the very least, the current system will continue until this year's S1 pupils have completed fourth year. Gauging its success thus far is tricky, with the oldest participants still only in S4, but McClair believes there are some good indicators. "I think you can be encouraged by the number of young people who have been in the performance schools who have been in the younger representative squads over the last three-and-a-bit years and the evidence suggests that will continue," he added. "By summertime I think it'll be a half-decent measure of the number of young boys who are being offered the opportunity to go into full-time football, although I believe that's changing a little bit in the sense that it's 16 or 17 that some clubs are looking at taking them in full-time. "The idea's great. Many clubs in England have taken it on board - getting kids in during the day, giving them more opportunities to practise the disciplines involved in football. "The evidence is all there that they're improving quicker than they were previously under a hybrid programme where all the coaching was taking place in the evening or at weekends." The other important gauge of success is academic achievement. Exam results will not be available from the SFA project until this summer, but Graeme High School in Falkirk ran a pilot scheme - of which Craig Sibbald and Celtic youngster Paul McMullan are graduates - that allows for some analysis. "Last year we had a group of 14 or 15 and the vast majority were highly successful, able pupils, one with five Highers, two with four Highers, three with three Highers and a suite of other academic achievements," headteacher Lesley Carroll told BBC Scotland. "Most of them have gone on to professional clubs but they have got a fallback position. They have been some of our top-performing academic pupils too because not only do they have to be elite athlete footballers, they have to have what the SFA would call a growth mindset. "They're not afraid of targets, hard work, commitment, drive and confidence." Indeed, Carroll believes there is an argument the programme helps the performance school students achieve better results in their other subjects, though she admits no "real forensic research has been done into that". But it will be the level of footballing development that determines exactly how McClair and the SFA proceed in terms of their future performance strategy.

Brian McClair says he's "very encouraged" by the work being done in the Scottish Football Association's performance schools as he considers a future strategy for the game.

Media playback is not supported on this device Five goals were scored in the first half, with Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings striking early for Dundee. Ross County captain Andrew Davies headed in from a corner before Rory Loy diverted home Hemmings' shot. Alex Schalk netted on half-time, but Craig Wighton and Stewart with a fine solo goal made the points safe late on. After seven minutes Stewart drove through the heart of the County defence before turning the ball onto his favoured left foot and curling it into the bottom corner. Two minutes later Hemmings took full advantage of slackness in the Staggies defence and knocked home his 23rd goal of the campaign. It was no more than Paul Hartley's side deserved after a whirlwind start. Jim McIntyre's team eventually woke up and reduced the deficit after a succession of corners. Davies ghosted in at the front post and with a glancing header knocked the ball beyond David Mitchell to give the travelling fans hope of retaining their place in the top half of the table. And they should have been back on level terms when Michael Gardyne's cross was met on the volley by Martin Woods but the midfielder hammered the ball over the crossbar. Dundee however restored their two-goal advantage as once again the visitors defence was breached. Hemmings had a shot on goal that was glanced into the top corner by Loy giving Gary Woods no chance in the County goal. The first-half action though was far from over. Schalk latched onto a long through-ball and although Dens keeper Mitchell got his hand to the shot there was enough The second half failed to live up to the opening period but there were still plenty of chances created at both ends. Gardyne blasted high over the crossbar from 12 yards out while Ian McShane saved on the line from Dundee top scorer Hemmings as the home side looked for goal number four. County survived a scare when Hemmings managed to get a touch on the end of a Stewart free-kick but the ball trickled only a few inches the wrong side of the post. The home side secured all three points with four minutes left when Wighton hammered the ball home after Stewart's shot was blocked. Stewart completed the scoring when he once again fired home with a cultured left-foot shot that beat Woods. Hartley's side are now in pole position to secure a place in the top six for the season run-in.

Dundee leapfrogged Ross County and moved into the Premiership's top six, prevailing in a hugely entertaining Dens Park encounter.

The Acting Up report suggests the high audition costs for drama school is one of several factors deterring people from working class backgrounds from entering the arts. It also recommends more school trips to the theatre to encourage young pupils. The government said it was a "priority" to ensure everyone can take part in the arts and culture, including in schools. Former Coronation Street and EastEnders actress Tracy Brabin, who was first elected as an MP in by election last year, led the inquiry along with fellow Labour MP Gloria De Piero, who worked as a presenter on GMTV before becoming a politician. Ms Brabin, whose best-known role was as single mother Tricia Armstrong in Coronation Street from 1994 to 1997, said there was a "diversity crisis on our stages and screens". The report, commissioned by Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson, looked at what more could be done at school level to encourage young people to consider a career in the arts. It said that drama, and other related subjects, are often treated as inferior at some schools - and that students are sometimes discouraged from studying them. It also suggested there are poor drama facilities, few arts excursions and a lack of awareness about arts career opportunities in many schools. Ms Brabin, who also worked as a TV writer in her pre-political life, said: "Our performing arts are some of the best in the world and they should represent our whole nation, not just a privileged section of it. "But the systematic eradication of arts education in schools, sky-high drama school audition fees, chronic low pay and a lack of diversity behind the scenes are all contributing to a diversity crisis on our stages and screens." The publication of the report follows comments made by presenter Anita Rani last week, who said the pay gap among the BBC's top talent was as much about race and class as gender. A government spokesman said it was investing £300m between 2016 and 2020 to encourage young people to participate in music and arts. He said: "We are completely committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to take part in arts and culture, including in schools." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

The arts industry is suffering from a "class-shaped hole", a Labour Party inquiry says.

The Local Government Information Unit said 94% of the 131 councils it spoke to were intending to put up bills, with their finances at "breaking point". A third of these, 34% in total, intend to hike bills by more than 2% in April. Councils, many of whom have frozen bills in recent years, say it will not be enough to plug the funding "gap" exacerbated by the cost of social care. But the government says council tax is expected to be lower in real terms at the end of this Parliament than it was in 2010. Although councils in Wales were included in the survey, the Welsh government has said it will not allow councils to raise bills to pay for social care. Ministers say they are bringing forward money to help councils pay for social care by increasing the "precept" - a supplement that councils are able to charge on bills - from 2% to 5% over the next two years. Years of cuts to central government funding since 2011 have put pressure on the budgets of the 375 councils in England and Wales, with many paring back core services. Financial pressures on county councils and unitary authorities that provide adult social care have become particularly acute in the past year. Surrey County Council abandoned controversial plans this week to hold a referendum on a 15% rise in council tax which it said was needed to pay for social care. It will now increase bills by 4.99% - the maximum it can do without holding a public vote. Labour have accused the government of doing a sweetheart deal with the Tory-controlled council to call off the referendum - claims it denies. Publishing its research, the Local Government Information Unit said five district councils which do not provide social care had wanted to hold local referendums to sanction council tax rises above 2% but had "thought better" of it in recent weeks. Inflation, as measured by the CPI index, currently stands at 1.6% but is projected to rise to 2.7% next year. The LGIU said there was growing concern in town halls that the current system of funding local authorities - through a mixture of government grants, council tax and other income streams such as business rates and parking charges - would become unsustainable in the near future. Of the 163 council chiefs - across 131 local authorities - which responded to its survey, 42% said future cuts would be "noticed" by residents while one in 10 feared the situation might become so serious that they would no longer be able to fulfil their councils' legal obligations to provide certain services. A number of county councils - including Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland - have already said they will add the full 3% "social care precept" to council tax bills next year and many others are expected to follow suit. Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the LGIU, said: "Local government finances are at breaking point." "We see councils around the country patching their budgets by raising council tax, drawing on their reserves and increasing charging. They have very little confidence in the sustainability of the system. "Councils are allowed to place a 3% precept on council tax to fund adult social care - nine out of 10 of them saying it is not enough money and won't meet the gap. Councils are going to retain 100% of the new business rates - half of councils tell us they think they will be worse off under that new system post-2020." He said councils were being frustrated in their efforts to address the problems themselves with revenue-raising measures such as greater scope for charging, local hotel taxes and a re-evaluation of council tax bands "off the government's agenda". "None of these are wild and wacky ideas. They are things that are done in other countries, in the US, France and Spain and they work. "Here they are not even part of the conversation. That needs to change." A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said: "Council tax is expected to be lower in real terms at the end of this Parliament than it was in 2010 and we've protected residents by allowing them to veto excessive rises at a local referendum. "Our historic four-year funding settlement gives local authorities the certainty they need to plan ahead, with almost £200bn available to provide the services that local people most value. "We've also announced an additional £900m for social care, meaning councils will have £7.6bn of dedicated funding to spend over the four years."

Scores of local authorities in England plan to increase council tax by up to 5% in 2017-8, according to research.

Marc Carter's plea to find a replacement sippy cup for son Ben was retweeted more than 12,000 times. The 14-year-old has only drunk from the double-handled vessels, which are no longer produced, since the age of two. Tommee Tippee said it will produce 500 cups after it searched factories worldwide and found the original mould. The firm's attention was drawn to the family's plight when Mr Carter launched the Twitter appeal to find a replacement. More on a dad's desperate search for a cup, and other stories His original plea prompted offers of help from as far away as Australia. Mr Carter, 42, said the response from well-wishers had been "incredible" and it was a "huge surprise" to be contacted by the manufacturer. Mr Carter said: "For me it's massive. Some people think I'm exaggerating but without it he doesn't drink so personally I'm very relieved." Tommee Tippee will send the cups on demand for free to the Carter family. Mr Carter said: "I would not be happier if I won the lottery. We've moved down to the middle of nowhere and don't want much. "Just knowing he has got these cups gives us peace of mind." Northumberland-based Tommee Tippee does not normally keep the moulds but had been searching factories around the world in the hope of finding the original plans. A spokesman said: "We are delighted to confirm that we are able to start production on a run of the original cup. "This will ensure that Ben has a lifetime supply and that his family won't ever have to worry about finding another cup for Ben." Mr Carter, from Devon, told the BBC his son has had his current blue cup for three years, but it is now falling apart and may only last a few more weeks. He said: "This tiny blue cup dictates our life."

A dad's desperate search to replace his autistic son's beloved "little blue cup" has ended - after the manufacturer stepped in to make a lifetime's supply.

The surprise move, announced on Tuesday evening, is part of a crackdown on corruption and illegal cash holdings. Banks will be closed on Wednesday and ATM machines will not be working. India is overwhelmingly a cash economy. New 500 and 2,000 rupee denomination notes will be issued to replace those removed from circulation. "Black money and corruption are the biggest obstacles in eradicating poverty," Mr Modi said. People will be able to exchange their old notes for new ones at banks over the next 50 days but they will no longer be legal tender. The announcement prompted people across the country to rush to ATMs that offer 100 rupee notes in an attempt not to be left without cash over the next few days. The move is designed to lock out money that is unaccounted for - known as "black money " - which may have been acquired corruptly, or be being withheld from the tax authorities. Finance Secretary Shaktikant Das warned people with large stashes of hidden cash that banks would closely monitor the exchange of old notes for new ones. Mr Modi has set his stall out as a modernising, anti-corruption crusade. Scrapping notes that are very, very common is his biggest offensive yet. Most transactions in daily life are in cash and 45% of those are in notes in denominations of 500 rupees and over. Not a single news organisation seemed to know this was coming. I saw one news anchor produce a wad of 500s from his own pocket on air wondering whether these were now just pieces of paper - and also wondering if the bars of Delhi would see a sudden surge of business. It has caught the country completely off guard. There will also be limits on cash point withdrawals over the next couple of weeks. Read more from Simon here The 500 and 1,000 rupee notes are the highest denomination notes in the country and are extremely common in India. Airports, railway stations and hospitals will only accept them until 11 November. People will be able to exchange their money at banks between 10 November and 30 December. Mr Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party came into power in 2014 promising to bring billions of dollars of black market money into the country's financial system. His government is half way through its term of office. The announcement comes just over a month after the government raised nearly $10bn through a tax amnesty for Indians to declare hidden income and assets. The BBC's Justin Rowlatt in Delhi says the issue of "black money" is a huge problem in India and the latest move is the prime minister's big demonstration that he is taking it seriously. The idea is to lock out money that is unaccounted for and make it visible for tax purposes - banks will be happy to exchange a few thousand rupees, but will be asking questions of those who turn up with hundreds of thousands or millions in currency. There are no precise figures available but experts say the government's move could be "a very powerful measure" to curb "black money". IIFL Holdings Ltd Chairman Nirmal Jain told Bloomberg that it will have "a deflationary impact in general and more specifically on real estate prices - making homes affordable". It seems not. An individual can put as much as he or she likes into the bank - but withdrawals are limited so the banking system may end up being flooded with cash. Government guidelines say it is possible to exchange 4,000 rupees - but it is not clear if this is per day or in total. Critics say the new rules may make it especially difficult for people who choose to keep their cash at home rather than in a bank account and for people with large rupee cash reserves who live abroad. If there is a legitimate explanation for the cash, the authorities say, it will be possible to exchange it. Cash points will close on Wednesday and in some places also on Thursday - a development that it seems may cause cash blockages or queues at ATMs. It's a bold step because many people who voted for Mr Modi were small traders who overwhelmingly did their business in cash. Our correspondent says these are people who probably do have a few hundred thousand rupees - a few thousand dollars - stored under their beds and will have problems when they turn up in the bank on Thursday trying to change their money. The move leaves a lot of uncertainty about the Indian economy at least in the short term.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the 500 ($7.60) and 1,000 rupee banknotes will be withdrawn from the financial system overnight.

Mutations of the NR5A1 gene were found in a small percentage of infertile men, reports the American Journal of Human Genetics. Scientists from the Pasteur Institute in France and University College London said it could help doctors investigating men with the condition. A UK expert said he hoped that further gene defects could be found. In the majority of cases, doctors can find no cause for male infertility, despite it accounting for up to half of cases in which couples have difficulty conceiving. Male infertility appears to be more common within certain families, and this leads scientists to believe that there may be a genetic root for some cases, but only a handful of gene mutations which might be responsible have actually been found. The latest research looks at a gene already known to be involved in sexual development in both men and women - defects in NR5A1 have been linked to physical defects in the development of the testicles or ovaries. Their findings suggest that, even where there is no physical evidence of a problem, defects in the gene may be hampering the ability to make sperm. They looked at the gene in 315 apparently healthy men who had an unexplained inability to produce sperm. From this group, they found mutations in the gene in just seven, and closer examination revealed the men had altered levels of sex hormones and, in one case, mild abnormalities in the cellular structure of the testicles. The research authors, from the UCL Institute of Child Health in London and the Institut Pasteur in Paris, said: "We conclude that approximately 4% of men with otherwise unexplained failure to produce sperm carry mutations in the NR5A1 gene." Although the find would affect only a small proportion of infertile men, other specialists believe that other similar discoveries could help build up a clearer picture of the origins of the condition. Dr Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, said that there was still "embarrassingly little" known about the genetics behind male infertility. "Given the complexity of the sperm production process it is likely that many genes are involved and therefore that may gene defects linked to infertility may be found. "Although this gene defect affects only a small number of men, we need more studies like this so that we can fill in the gaps in our knowledge and possibly one day build a robust diagnostic test for male fertility based on genetics."

A faulty gene could help explain some cases of unexplained male infertility, according to research.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 750,000 people across five different hospitals. Experts from health regulator Monitor also identified issues with safety, leadership and "a culture of bullying". The trust said it would "work to make improvements to the services". It was deemed inadequate by the independent watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, in August. The trust runs the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford; the Kent and Canterbury in Canterbury; the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) in Margate; the Buckland in Dover; and the Royal Victoria in Folkestone. Concerns were raised about a culture of bullying at the organisation and inspectors identified staff shortages in A&E, children's care and at night. They found risks to patients and incidents involving patient safety were not always identified. The inspection team also noticed that in a number of areas around the trust, buildings and equipment were "poorly maintained". Monitor said it would be appointing an improvement director at the trust to provide support and to ensure it is making progress. "The trust needs to urgently improve the safety of care for patients, and strengthen its management to better support frontline staff," said Paul Streat, regional director at Monitor. "By putting the trust into special measures we can ensure they turn things around quickly. "Senior leaders need to listen to and work with all staff to understand and tackle problems on their wards," he said. Patients visiting the Kent and Canterbury Hospital on Tuesday said they had no confidence in the management. Former cancer patient Ken Rogers, who quit in July as a governor, said: "I've argued with the trust over some of the performance results of what they've been doing to patients and they haven't listened." Robert Watts, who was at the hospital with his wife and baby son, said: "You want the best. You want to be told the right things and hope that they do the best job they can. "Sometimes they don't, they miss it. I just don't think that this hospital can do that." The trust's chief executive, Stuart Bain, said: "We want to work with our regulator Monitor, our staff and our health partners to make improvements to the services we provide to the people of east Kent." He said areas for improvement had already been recognised including the investment of an additional £2.9m to recruit 69 nurses where shortages existed. An additional four general surgeons had also been recently appointed and a further three would be recruited shortly, Mr Bain added. "In addition we identified the need to improve our appointment system some time ago and have just completed a public consultation on our outpatient services that will allow us to make improvements to the services we offer patients. "New appointment booking systems, more flexible appointments, and an investment of £28m in improved facilities including a new hospital in Dover will start to address these issues," he said. "The trust is committed to working with staff and health partners to produce an action plan to address the issues raised by the CQC and Monitor and to see us removed from special measures as soon as possible."

One of the largest hospital trusts in England is to be put into special measures because of "serious failures" in patient safety.

The 777-200, which was carrying 294 passengers from Paris to Vancouver, was diverted to Prestwick after taking off at 10:57 on Saturday. The airline said the plane landed "normally" at 13:20 local time. Air France added that it had sent a second aircraft to Prestwick in order to fly the passengers back to Charles de Gaulle Airport on Saturday. In a statement, it said: "Air France confirms that flight AF374 operating from Paris CDG to Vancouver on 15 July, 2017, was diverted to Glasgow Prestwick where it landed normally. "Following the appearance of a slight smell of burning on board, the cabin crew, trained for this kind of situation, took the necessary precaution and diverted to the closest airport."

An Air France passenger jet has made an emergency landing at Prestwick Airport after fumes were detected on board.

McDonald's planned to open a two-storey restaurant in Fishponds in 2014. There was fierce opposition from a campaign group over congestion and childhood obesity concerns. The planning inspector said there was little evidence the "proposal would result in any significant increase in obesity". Mike Jempson from the Say No To McDonald's campaign group said he was "appalled and astounded" by the decision, which he claims was taken "with scant regard to the wishes and concerns of local residents". He said: "Disgracefully, he [the inspector] dismisses the 495 written objections received by the council, the 1,667 signatories to the No McDonald's In Fishponds petition, and 617 signatures of families in the streets most directly affected by the scheme." He added that the group will consider its options before deciding whether to challenge in the High Court. A McDonald's spokesperson said: "We are pleased that our application has been allowed but will now be taking time to review the inspector's decision. "We strongly believe that we will make a positive contribution to the local community, not least through the creation of 65 new jobs for local people."

The government has overturned a decision by Bristol City Council to refuse planning permission for a McDonald's drive-through.

The claim: Boris Johnson says the European Union will only allow bananas to be sold in bunches of two or three. Reality Check verdict: There is no such rule - we popped out and bought a bunch of five without difficulty. A member of the tireless Reality Check team nipped off to a local shop to check this claim. It was touch-and-go for a bit, as the self checkout said there was a problem with buying five bananas, but it turned out not to be a problem with EU regulations, and eventually the transaction was allowed. We've been in touch with Vote Leave, who pointed us towards this directive from 2011. It goes into considerable detail about how unripe bananas should be presented by wholesalers, but nowhere does it say that you are not allowed to sell bunches with more than two or three bananas in them. If you are a wholesaler, you are not allowed to pack bananas in bunches of two or three - they have to either be single bananas or bunches of four or more. But that doesn't affect retailers, who can sell bunches of any size they like. Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate

Addressing a crowd in Stafford, Boris Johnson said: "It is absurd we are told that you cannot sell bananas in bunches of more than two or three bananas."

Sarries beat Tigers in the final round of pool matches, and will play Aaron Mauger's side at Allianz Park again. Quins, seventh in the top-flight, go to an Exeter side hoping to reach the final for the third time in a row. Welsh regions Dragons, Scarlets, Ospreys and Cardiff all failed to make it into the last four. The Anglo-Welsh Cup did not take place last year due to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The semi-finals will take place between 10-12 March, with the final to be staged at the Twickenham Stoop.

Reigning champions Saracens will host Leicester, with Exeter at home to Harlequins in an all-Premiership semi-final line-up in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Two leading groups, Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham, which formed a pact last year, both say the plane was shot down. Syrian state media said the crash was caused by a technical fault. Jaysh al-Islam, the larger of the two groups, posted footage online which it claimed showed the pilot being held after ejecting from the jet. The video, bearing Jaysh al-Islam's logo, showed an object engulfed in flames followed by an interview with the supposed pilot. The man gave his name as Nawras Hassan, as well as his date of birth and hometown. He said he was based in Dumair air base and that he had been a pilot for 16 years. A later image posted by the group appeared to show the pilot dead. Jaysh al-Islam said in a statement that the pilot was captured by the Joint Operations Room - the name adopted by a collection of rebel groups in the region including Jaysh al-Islam, Ahrar al-Sham, and Jabhat al-Nusra. Jaysh al-Islam said the pilot was captured by militants from the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra, who were supposed to hand him over but killed him instead. Neither the claims nor the footage have been independently verified. More than 280,000 have been killed and millions displaced by Syria's five-year conflict, according to UN estimates.

Syrian rebels say they shot down a Syrian air force jet and blamed an al-Qaeda-linked group for killing the pilot.

The animal welfare charity received a call saying there was an injured or possibly dead snake at Green Street Park. It said the caller had been "too scared" to get any closer. SSPCA animal rescue officer Coreen Hill said it was "always better to be safe than sorry." She said: "I expected to be met with an escaped corn snake that had been attacked by a cat or dog, but instead I discovered it was made of plastic. "The caller believed they had spotted a snake in the distance whilst at the park and was too scared to get any closer to investigate. "They could only tell that it wasn't moving and had its mouth open. "This job can be very tough as we deal with severely injured animals on a daily basis, so it's quite nice when something like this makes us smile."

The Scottish SPCA was alerted by a member of the public to a snake in Forfar only to discover it was a plastic toy.

Britain's last world title was secured by Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson, while Chris Adcock partnered Imogen Bankier to world silver in 2011. The Adcocks are the reigning European and Commonwealth champions. "We have a good track record in Glasgow and hopefully we can get the crowd behind us and challenge for a medal," Gabby Adcock told BBC Sport. The World Championships run from 21-27 August and are being held in the venue that hosted badminton events at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. After receiving over £5m in the build-up to the Rio Olympics - where Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis won bronze - GB Badminton was hit with the "devastating" news late last year that it would lose all UK Sport support leading towards the 2020 Games. As a result, half of the English players and support staff had to be cut from the programme in Milton Keynes. "It was tough and a massive kick in the teeth, but as athletes and support staff we'll bounce back together," said Gabby Adcock. The Adcocks, who married in 2013, remain part of a 12-strong group of English players looking to challenge for honours and despite their struggles off the court the pair claimed silver at the World Superseries Finals in Dubai and became European champions for the first time in April. "Obviously it's been a lot harder and an emotional time when people have been losing their jobs, or unable to train but on court we've channelled that into working even harder," Chris Adcock told BBC Sport. Gabby Adcock added: "Winning a medal would be huge and it's one of the wish-list to tick off. "Commonwealths was one and Europeans was another so it's now world and Olympic medals and, as we're coming into our prime over the next four years, I feel like it's definitely achievable." Chris Adcock continued: "It's been a painful time but we've moved on and even though UK Sport aren't funding us, our ambitions haven't changed." The Adcocks as well as Ellis and Langridge and Scottish Commonwealth silver medallist Kirsty Gilmour have received first-round byes at the World Championships and begin their campaigns on Tuesday.

Chris and Gabby Adcock will this week bid to become the first British badminton world champions since 2006.

Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) said Ahmad Mohammed al-Mousa was killed by a group of masked men in the rebel-held city of Idlib on Wednesday. The group have no further details, but at least two other members have been killed by IS militants since 2014. RBSS was honoured last month by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The New York-based organisation condemned Mr Mousa's murder. "Just a few weeks ago, nearly 900 journalists, press freedom advocates, and supporters attending CPJ's International Press Freedom Awards stood together in solidarity with Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently. Today we are all standing together again, this time in mourning," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. Earlier this year, IS claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of Mr Mousa's father and four other Syrians accused of being members of RBSS. In October, RBSS member Ibrahim Abdul Qader was killed by IS militants, along with fellow journalist Fares Hamadi, in south-eastern Turkey. IS subsequently published a video showing one of the men with his throat cut, and warned: "You will not be safe from the knife of the Islamic State. Our hand will reach you wherever you are." RBSS is one of the few independent sources of news left in the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, which IS has controlled since August 2013 and serves as the de facto capital of the "caliphate" whose creation the group proclaimed in June 2014.

Another member of a Syrian activist group that reports on the activities of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) in the city of Raqqa has been murdered.

Williams, who took Cuthbert's place on the wing during the Six Nations, will miss Wales' first two warm up matches following foot surgery. Ex-Wales centre James says Cuthbert faces a big task to win the shirt back. "He'll be very lucky if he gets back in," he said. "I don't think he's put his hand up this season." Cardiff Blues' back Cuthbert, 25, has not played for Wales since their 26-23 win over Scotland in February at Murrayfield, their second match of Six Nations. He was left out of the matchday squads altogether for their three remaining fixtures. The previously prolific Cuthbert failed to score in 11 of the 14 matches he played for his region in the Pro12 during 2014-15, but crossed twice in their final fixture of the campaign against bottom side Zebre. He has been included in Wales' 47-man World Cup training squad which will be trimmed down to 31 at the end of August and James told Radio Wales Sport that the winger needs to improve. "It's down to mental attitude possibly," the 2001 British Lion said. "It depends how he goes in the training camp. "If I was in the training camp and I was one of the backs I'd see this as a massive opportunity to really step up my game, show what you can do and put your hands up." Wales head coach Warren Gatland is "optimistic" Williams, 24, will recover in time to take part in the World Cup. James says losing the Scarlets' back would be a setback for Wales, who are already without injured centre Jonathan Davies (knee). "It would be a massive blow," said James. "He's certainly a valuable commodity to have in the back division. "He seems to create a hell of a lot of try-scoring opportunities, which we've seen him doing time and time again for Scarlets, but also for Wales this season. So let's hope he makes a speedy recovery."

Alex Cuthbert would be "lucky" to regain his Wales place even if Liam Williams is ruled out of the Rugby World Cup, according to Dafydd James.

One Met Police officer received an overtime payment of £45,000 last year, a Freedom of Information request found. The overtime bill for officers and staff in England and Wales totalled almost £1bn over three years and went up by £6m last year. The Home Office said the government had "already taken steps to reduce unnecessary overtime payments". "We have asked the independent Police Remuneration Review Body to consider whether more can be done on this issue," said a spokesman. "Police officers' pay should reflect the difficult work they do - but the public rightly expects that this is not abused." The National Police Chiefs' Council said it was "only right" that officers should be compensated for overtime. By Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent "Overtime does not go sick or take leave." That pithy phrase, from Tim Godwin, the former Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner, sums up the usefulness of overtime to a service that has to cope with sudden and unexpected events. Whether it's the surveillance officer monitoring a terrorism suspect, the detective constable deployed on a murder investigation, or the civilian staff employee answering calls after hours because a colleague has gone home ill - overtime has a valuable part to play. Sir Tom Winsor's review recognised that, while also recommending changes designed to reduce the overall bill. The year-on-year increase, identified by 5 live's research, does not mean that work has stalled. But it's interesting to note that some overtime payments appear to be connected to staff shortages. As the police workforce shrinks further, it may well be that existing officers and staff are increasingly asked to plug the gaps. Figures for 39 forces in England and Wales show the overtime bill rose from £307.1m in 2013/14 to £313.2m in 2014/15. The Metropolitan Police accounted for about a third of the overall bill, while in two other forces, Bedfordshire and Cleveland, the overtime bill went up by 50% - explained in part by gaps in recruitment. The Met said officers earning the highest amounts were in specialist roles, where working time was determined by the operational circumstances. An officer at West Midlands Police earned £32,702 in overtime working in a contact centre. Inspector Tony Morris from that force said "recruitment in this business area has been on hold" due to a reorganisation. "This means the department has been carrying a significant number of vacancies, resulting in an increased need for planned overtime." Sergeants and constables are eligible to claim overtime for working extra days, for staying on at the end of a shift, or for being recalled between shifts. On four days each week, officers are expected to give the first 30 minutes of unplanned overtime for free, traditionally referred to as "half an hour for the Queen". Three years ago, Sir Tom Winsor's review of policing in England and Wales called for "cultural change" to reduce the cost of overtime. He suggested that in future, the police pay review body may consider a "buy out" for sergeants which would see them give up overtime pay in return for an increased salary. Overtime for inspectors was "bought out" in 1994. South Wales Police reported the biggest percentage increase for overtime spending in the last year, from £5.2m in 2013/14 to £8.4m in 2014/15. The force said the majority of that increase was due to the Nato summit in September 2014, which involved 9,500 officers from across the UK, including 1,500 from South Wales. But in Scotland and Northern Ireland the figures were down on the previous year. Police Scotland spent £18.2m on overtime in 2014/15, a reduction of £6m on the previous year. The Police Service of Northern Ireland also spent less, down by £11.5m from £59.2m in 2013/14 to £47.7m in 2014/15. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "Overtime is called upon when it is essential to maintain operational effectiveness and, in the context of capital city policing and national responsibilities, there are times when there is a genuine need to call on officers to work beyond their scheduled hours to police unforeseen events, to provide security, or public reassurance." The force said the London Olympic and Paralympic Games had a particular impact on its overtime bill for 2012/13 - when forces in England and Wales spent a total of £354.9m. Chief Constable Francis Habgood from the National Police Chiefs' Council said: "Overtime is a very flexible - and can be a very cost-effective - way of managing unexpected demand and it is only right that officers whose lives are disrupted by a last-minute order to work an extended tour of duty or work on a rest day are compensated for that disruption. "With the current cuts regime, we are doing all we can to ensure that the police service offers the best value for taxpayers' money and all forces have reduced overtime spend in recent years."

Some UK police forces are using overtime to cover gaps caused by staff shortages, BBC Radio 5 live has found.

It comes after paediatric pathologist Dr Caroline Gannon resigned over interventions by Mr Larkin on abortion laws surrounding fatal foetal abnormality. The Foyle MLA said the attorney general was supposed to be above politics. "Mr Larkin's entitled to his own conscientious beliefs, religious and otherwise," Mr McCann said. "Mr Larkin is not entitled, it seems to me, to go around the world, into European courts and so forth, expressing points of view which reflect his own moral religious beliefs, but which cannot be represented as the beliefs of the majority of people in the north. "I think he's gone too far so I think he should leave." Dr Gannon investigated the deaths of babies including those in the womb or stillbirths. She said the recent interventions by Mr Larkin made her position untenable. She said the final straw for her was having to advise a couple to use a picnic cooler bag to return their baby's remains to NI following an abortion in England. A family can have a post-mortem examination carried out in England - but they are difficult to arrange. Dr Gannon's resignation leaves Northern Ireland with only one paediatric pathologist. Both the attorney general and the Department of Justice are involved in legal proceedings which are looking at the current law. Peter Lynas, from the Evangelical Alliance, said he could see no reason why Mr Larkin has been singled out. "I don't hear any call for the justice minister to stand down," he said. "John is upholding the law as he is supposed to do, so I'm not quite sure what the series of offences are. How has he overstepped the mark? "The attorney general's role is to uphold the law as it is and he is joined in that appeal by the Department of Justice."

People before Profit MLA Eamonn McCann has called for Attorney General John Larkin to stand down.

Bell, 19, made three first-team appearances for Dale in addition to loan spells at Chester and Droylsden. He follows former Forest Green striker Reece Styche among the Tynesiders forward imports this summer. "Nyal is a young, athletic striker who is prepared to work hard and willing to learn to go on to the next level," assistant manager Lee Nogan said.

Gateshead have signed striker Nyal Bell on a two-year deal following his release by Rochdale.

The Argentine-born film-maker died in hospital in Sao Paulo on 13 July after a heart attack, Denise Winther of Babenco's HB Films said. Kiss of the Spider Woman, a surreal prison drama, was also nominated for best picture at the Oscars, while William Hurt won best actor. Babenco also directed 1987's Ironweed with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. Both Nicholson and Streep were nominated for best actor and actress Oscars in the film about an alcoholic drifter. Babenco's most recent film was last year's My Hindu Friend, a film about a film director very close to death, starring Willem Dafoe. Babenco leaves his wife Barbara and daughter Janka.

Hector Babenco, the Brazilian director nominated for an Oscar for 1985's Kiss of the Spider Woman, has died aged 70.

The 30-year-old is in his second spell with the Saints, having returned after two years with Hibernian in 2015. He first moved to Perth on loan from Falkirk in 2007, signing a permanent deal the following year. Craig has scored five goals in 35 appearances this season for Tommy Wright's side. The midfielder told the club website: "I'm delighted that, having been back for two years, the club has shown this kind of commitment to me and I'm looking to have as much success over the next two years as we are currently enjoying. "I think everyone knows my feelings for the club and it is great to have my immediate future sorted." St Johnstone team-mates Zander Clark, Richard Foster, Joe Shaughnessy, Brian Easton, David Wotherspoon, Steven MacLean and Aaron Comrie have all recently agreed new deals.

St Johnstone midfielder Liam Craig has signed a contract extension with the Perth club, keeping him at McDiarmid Park until the summer of 2019.

Burnley Empire Theatre defaulted to the care of the Duchy of Lancaster as an "owner of last resort" after the ownership could not be established. Last used as a bingo hall in 1995, the Cow Lane venue was recently named the fifth most at risk theatre in the UK. Campaigners who want to restore the building to its former glory said the decision was a blow to their plans. Sophie Gibson from the Burnley Empire Theatre Trust (BETT), said: "This news came as something of a surprise and a disappointment. "The viability study, which the council contributed to as well, is currently taking place and the results are due very shortly. "If, as we hope, the verdict is a positive one we can then move on to stage two, the architectural planning phase for the project, when we also begin applying for funding. "All of this could have been for nothing if it is auctioned off before we are able to get that far." The Duchy of Lancaster, said it had been left with "no alternative" but to put it to bidders after offering it free of charge to both Burnley Council and the Theatre Trust - an offer that "remains open". A spokesman added: "The Duchy remains hopeful that the building will remain in local ownership." BETT said it could not yet afford the legal costs that would be incurred to take on the building. The four-storey building, designed by G. B. Rawcliffe, opened in 1894 as a music hall, before being converted to a cinema in 1938. It is to be auctioned in Manchester on 16 October.

A dilapidated Grade-II listed theatre, which has stood empty for over 20 years, is to be sold at auction.

Researchers discovered it after looking back at some fossils found in the late 2000s in Morocco, North Africa. Two of the fossils were in such good condition that the team were able to make this amazingly detailed reconstruction. You can clearly see its small mouth filled with hundreds of teeth and the prickly spines which cover its body. This slug like creature also had a built in, helmet like, shell to keep it safe from predators. It might look a little terrifying but it was only four inches long and scientists think it survived by eating algae off rocks. Molluscs first appeared on earth around 520 million years ago, Calvapilosa is an ancient relative of modern molluscs. A mollusc is a type of animal that doesn't have a spine, there are lots of different kinds including slugs, snails, oysters and squid. Jakob Vinther who was the lead researcher on the project said "This discovery brings a neat solution to how the ancestor of all molluscs may have looked."

This is Calvapilosa, a prehistoric relative of modern sea slugs.

The blue-chip index closed 0.6%, or 45.4 points, higher at 7,337.8 - the 14th time it has ended higher. Housebuilders helped to lift the index, with Barratt Developments up 3.1% and St James's Place 2.3% higher. ITV shares rose 2.9% after Goldman Sachs named the broadcaster as a possible takeover target. Shares in building materials company SIG jumped 15.4% after it reported higher sales. The FTSE 250 firm said like-for-like group sales increased by 0.3% last year, adding that full-year profits were on track to meet its forecast range of £75m to £80m. Pub group Mitchells & Butlers - whose brands include Harvester, Toby Carvery and All Bar One - rose 2.9% after reporting "particularly strong" trading over Christmas. The company said like-for-like sales were up 4.7% in the four weeks to 7 January. On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.4% against the dollar at $1.2212, and rose 0.2% against the euro to €1.1488.

London's FTSE 100 has chalked up its 12th consecutive record high as shares in housebuilders led the way.

We got a foretaste a couple of weeks ago when Europe Minister David Lidington delivered a Commons statement on the government's demands for a renegotiation of Britain's EU membership. The reaction from the hard core of backbench "outers" was summed up by Bernard Jenkin's dismissive comment, "Is that it?" The government's promised in-out EU referendum was a vote-winner at the election, and probably essential to keep the lid on Tory euro-tension in the last parliament. But as the 2017 deadline appears on the horizon, it is prompting some Commons Tories to murmur of a "Corn Laws-style split" in the party. Of course, historically, the Conservative Party has always been able to rely on a powerful instinct for unity, born of an equally powerful instinct for power. But party history offers some warnings too. Issues that go to the heart of what the Conservative party is about can split it, and have split it. In the 1840s, it was agricultural protection and the move to abandon the Corn Laws which protected the incomes of landowners. In the 1900s, it was imperial protection and the idea of moving away from free trade to a customs union with the countries of the Empire. And ever since the UK joined the EU, a growing - possibly now a majority - faction of the party has wanted out. Those splits destroyed Tory governments - conjure up the ghosts of Robert Peel or AJ Balfour, ask John Major about his cabinet rebels - and recall that party management has never been David Cameron's strongest suit. Next time, the dynamics of the promised referendum suggest that it could pull the Conservative party apart again. The scenario works like this: polling suggests that, without substantial change in the UK's membership terms, the British public will vote to leave the EU - with immigration a particularly crucial area. But most people will not assess the small print setting out changes to an intricate and little understood institutional structure. Instead, they will look to figures they trust to tell them whether enough has changed. And in particular, that means Mr Cameron. His will be the crucial voice in any effort to persuade the voters that he has delivered acceptable terms. This week's tough talking to other EU leaders on benefits for EU citizens is a public display of political hardball, for UK consumption, as well as an attempt to underline his determination. But, assuming he does campaign to keep the UK inside the EU, the referendum will turn on how voters react when he says to them, "Trust Me." The "out" side of the argument will have no option but to attack his personal credibility. Tory toes are already creeping across this line. If you listen carefully to interviews by some "outers", they praise his past successes and talk about how his place in history has been secured by his victory in May. It's a subtle point, but what they're not doing is banging the normal party gong and hoping he will rule forever. And soon they will go further than that. And for the prime minister and his heir-presumptive, Chancellor George Osborne, if they do - as seems almost certain - campaign to maintain British membership, the referendum will become a struggle for survival. Whatever they say, the idea that they could campaign to stay in, then, after a vote to leave, pick themselves up, dust themselves down and negotiate the terms of a so-called Brexit, is met with frank incredulity. In the anti-EU ranks they are quite clear - if their team wins, they'll hoist the trophy, run the victory lap and provide the captain. Combine the certainty of attacks on the PM's personal credibility with the struggle for factional survival that's facing the current magic circle of the Conservative Party, and you have a sinister brew of malice and ambition certain to corrode Tory unity. The more so if Labour is languishing in the polls with problems of its own. Expect purges and punishments to be the order of the day. And whatever the referendum result, we know that there will be a Tory leadership campaign at the back end of this Parliament - into which this poison will seep. In some ways, the worst-case scenario for Tory unity is a narrow vote to stay. Scotland does not provide an encouraging precedent - a No to independence by an 11% margin has fed, rather than slain, the SNP. A tighter result in an EU referendum could allow the "out" side to sustain a "we wuz robbed" mentality and treat the forthcoming leadership election (Mr Cameron has said he won't serve another term as PM) as a continuation of the referendum by other means. A Conservative MP reminded me the other day that in 1975 Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson campaigned for and won a mandate to keep Britain in the then EEC in a referendum - but eight years later his party fought a general election on a manifesto commitment to leave. Parties, he said, can turn on a sixpence when they have to, even if such a handbrake turn can fling some passengers out of the vehicle altogether. All of which raises the question, as the country staggers towards the 2020 general election, will there, by then, be any functional UK-wide political parties left?

The sheer pyrotechnics of Labour's internal feuding have mesmerised Westminster, but Conservative MPs should not titter too hard at their opponents' discomfort - they have their own civil war brewing.

For Zimbabwean MP Joseph Chinotimba, a loyal supporter of President Robert Mugabe, 2016 began with romance. The 66-year-old war veteran and his wife Vimbai kissed their way into the Book of African Records, after scooping the top prize in a competition organised as part of Valentine's Day celebrations. The couple, who have been married for eight years, won "The Longest Kiss in Africa Challenge", locking lips for a record 10 minutes and 17 seconds, beating the previous African record by five minutes and 17 seconds. Though the Chinotimbas' passion didn't quite match that of the world record holders from Thailand, who kissed for 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds. Later in the year, one Nigerian MP gave an example of just how far women still have to go in the battle against abusive language and gender equality. After a row during a closed door session of the Senate in July, Dino Melaye allegedly threatened to beat up and "impregnate" a female colleague, Oluremi Tinubu. Mr Melaye later denied saying this, releasing a statement that shocked some commentators: "Biologically, it is even impossible to impregnate Tinubu because she has arrived at menopause." According to Nigeria's Punch newspaper, Ms Tinubu said she would forgive the comments, but would remain defiant in public life in socially conservative country. "I am not championing a cause for women. I am only standing in my space and if my space is encroached upon, I have to fight back. "Rosa Parks wasn't an activist; she just decided to sit in her space and not give up her space anybody in a bus. And that sent a message." Despite the various ways in which women are denied basic human rights across Africa, they are allowed to vote. But during past elections in Zambia, women wearing nail varnish were not allowed to cast their ballot unless they first wiped their fingernails clean. Officials complained that the nail varnish prevented them from applying the indelible ink correctly. However, the situation changed this August when Zambia went to the polls in an election that led to a fresh term for President Edgar Lungu. A few days before the votes were cast, the country's electoral commission posted on social media, saying women with "painted nails and/or false nails" could exercise their democratic right. In a peculiar move towards gender equality, Cameroon's parliament in June debated a new law which would see men who commit adultery sent to jail. Women in the country already faced being jailed for between two to six months for having sexual relations outside marriage. The law, which had the backing of President Paul Biya's party, was approved, and men in the country now face up to six years' incarceration for adultery, as well as a fine of up to $160 (£130). "Men having children out of wedlock should be punished because that is evidence of adultery," one MP, Tomaino Ndam Njoya, is reported to have said during the debate. Cecil the lion is gone from this world and probably from many of our minds, but an elephant in Zimbabwe suspected to have been targeted by poachers was not so keen to follow suit. Nicknamed "Pretty Boy", the 25-year-old animal lived with a bullet in his head for between three and six weeks, before being treated by veterinarians in Mana Pools National Park in June. "We think he was shot outside of the park and came into the park for refuge," said Lisa Marabini, one of the team from Aware Trust Zimbabwe, who cleaned Pretty Boy's wounds but judged it safer to leave the bullet in place. It would come as no surprise to learn that a group of people you saw chatting boisterously and laughing exuberantly at an international airport was made up of Nigerians. Whether it is in conversation or in parties or in appearance, the citizens of Africa's most populous country are usually happy to be loud. But, in June, the government of Lagos State decided that it had had enough of the loud singing in Christian congregations and the Muslim call to prayer, shutting down 70 churches and 20 mosques accused of being too noisy in the commercial city. Though with more than 20 million inhabitants in the city, the task of policing all the hundreds of thousands of churches and mosques could take years. Women in South Africa seemed to spend quite a bit of time this year protesting about what goes on their heads. In addition to the well-publicised demonstrations about what hairstyles should be allowed in the country's schools, there was also the lesser-known debate about the "doek", or headscarf, in the corporate world, after it emerged that the story of a news reporter for ENCA, an independent news channel, had been taken off air because she filmed it wearing a doek. Following the social media storm that ensued, the channel, while explaining that its dress code does not allow on-air journalists to wear headgear to work, said it would review that policy and had "zero-tolerance" towards racism. But for hijab-wearers it has been a more positive year, given a spate of bannings across the continent in 2015. Separate courts in Kenya and Nigeria ruled that schools, even those funded by Christian churches, could not ban Muslim girls from wearing them as part of their uniforms. Although in Nigeria's Osun state it has led to a war of the robes, with some Christian students turning up wearing church clothes - such as choir gowns - over their school uniforms. And after Zimbabwe started the year with a kissing competition, Kenya rounded it off with a beauty pageant for people with albinism. Jairus Ong'etta, who went on to be crowned Mr Albinism, reportedly said during a performance: "It will always remain black boards need white chalk, white bible pages - black inscriptions. "So white in Kenya doesn't just stand for peace, it means a people, a face." Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa, on Instagram at bbcafrica or email africalive@bbc.co.uk More from Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:

Africa has contributed its fair share of captivating headlines this year, but submerged in the coverage of migrations and mass killings, Nigerian novelist and journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani picks out some of the quirkier stories you might just have missed.

Two of the songs come from the Don Quixote musical Man of La Mancha, which was a Broadway smash in the 1960s. "As far as I am concerned, Don Quixote is the most metal fictional character that I know," the Hobbit star said. "Single handed, he is trying to change the world, regardless of any personal consequences. It is a wonderful character to sing." The album also includes an ear-splitting version of Frank Sinatra's My Way - originally written by Paul Anka - which Lee originally released in 2006. "My Way is a very remarkable song," said the star in a YouTube preview. "It is also difficult to sing because you've got to convince people that what you're singing about is the truth." Sir Christopher launched his singing career in the 1990s, with an album of Broadway tunes, including I Stole The Prince from Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers, and Epiphany from Sweeney Todd. In 2010, his album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross, which told the story of the first Holy Roman Emperor won a Spirit of Metal Award from Metal Hammer magazine. His latest release, Metal Knight, is a collaboration with Italian symphonic metal band, Rhapsody Of Fire. "I associate heavy metal with fantasy because of the tremendous power that the music delivers," he has said. The actor is known for his numerous appearances as Dracula, as well as playing Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun, Saruman in Lord Of The Rings, and Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels. Last year, he was presented with a fellowship from the British Film Institute.

Actor Sir Christopher Lee is marking his 92nd birthday by releasing an album of heavy metal cover versions.

From 20 March, speed restrictions and speed cameras will be introduced where work is taking place. The upgrade work will see the six-mile "missing link" completed on the M8 in North Lanarkshire. Improvements to the Raith Interchange and widening of key sections of the M8, M73 and M74 are also taking place. The work will see upgrading of the M8 between Baillieston and Newhouse to motorway standard. This will require upgrades to the connections to the M73 motorway at Baillieston and a new junction at Shawhead, which will connect to the A725 East Kilbride road. There will also be new junctions at Eurocentral and Chapelhall. Improvements to the Raith Interchange near Hamilton in Lanarkshire include realignment of the A725. There will be an underpass for the A725 and bridges carrying the Raith roundabout. The improvements are expected to cut journey times by up to 18 minutes for the busiest sections of the M8. Graeme Reid, project sponsor for Transport Scotland, said: "We have reached a pivotal point in this three year project, involving traffic management measures which are likely to cause some disruption to road users, especially at peak times. "The biggest challenge on a project of this scale is to keep the 100,000 vehicles that use these key routes every day moving and to ensure disruption to road users is minimised as far as is practically possible." He added: "The installation of safety cameras is a tried and tested mechanism that improves safety for both road users and the workforce during what will be an extremely busy period in terms of construction." The first traffic restrictions and safety cameras will be brought in along the M74 northbound and southbound from J6 Hamilton to J3A Daldowie. Three narrow lanes will be in operation to allow the construction of a new lane and hard shoulder. Improvements at the Raith Interchange will see speed restrictions and temporary lane closures and diversions to allow excavation works to start on the construction of the A725 underpass below the existing roundabout. The new underpass will link the Bellshill Bypass and the East Kilbride Expressway (A725) and create a new route for traffic, cutting out the heavily-congested Raith Junction. Two lanes will remain operational in each direction across all roads during peak times, although traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place.

Traffic restrictions are being brought in next week on some of Scotland's busiest motorways as work ramps-up on a £500m improvement scheme.

Moses, 24, has not played a competitive game for Chelsea since Jose Mourinho returned as coach two years ago. "It could be he plays a part for Chelsea this year," said Hughes, who failed in a bid to keep the player. "He showed enough in his time with us that it made Chelsea very aware of the talent they have." Moses scored four goals in 23 appearances while on loan at Stoke last season and there were suggestions he could be part of a deal to take Asmir Begovic to Stamford Bridge. However, the Bosnian goalkeeper joined the Blues this week with Dutch midfielder Marco van Ginkel going to Stoke on loan, while the future of Moses was left unclear. According to Hughes, that could be because Moses has been given another opportunity to shine at the club that he joined three seasons ago from Wigan. "I think they would possibly like to keep him although if they go into the market again, they could change that idea," he said. "Victor obviously came to us last year and did exceptionally well for us."

Nigeria forward Victor Moses may now be given a chance to play at Chelsea after returning from his loan deal at Stoke, says Potters manager Mark Hughes.

In a statement to its members, the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) said it has "decided to shelve discussions about a sale" of Silverstone Circuit. Potential investors including the Jaguar Land Rover group and MotorSport Vision had previously shown interest in the Northamptonshire venue. The statement added the move is "not without risk". Former British F1 driver Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision pulled out of the running for the circuit before Christmas. In November, Jaguar Land Rover said it had ended discussions with the BRDC "for the foreseeable future". BRDC chairman John Grant said it had expected to "pick up discussions" with an "unnamed substantial overseas investor" in the new year, but added: "After further reflection and, in particular, completion of the sale of Formula 1 to Liberty Media, the board has now decided to shelve discussions about a sale and continue on a go-it-alone basis." He said: "While this is not without risk, we feel sufficient confidence in the improved prospects for our business to justify this change of direction." Mr Grant also said the decision means background changes such as the removal of the club secretary role and the introduction of a new voluntary club ambassador would now be put in place. These had been on hold while the talks were on-going. Further details will be discussed at the BRDC's AGM, due to take place in April.

The home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix is no longer for sale, its owner has announced.

Midfielder Jeff Hendrick has been ruled out because of a shoulder problem and has returned to his club Derby County. Harry Arter will miss the Dublin games because of an Achilles injury. The Bournemouth player, who has only one Republic cap, has returned to his club for treatment. Stoke City forward Walters sat out training sessions in Dublin over recent days. "Jeff has got a shoulder injury that he has had to deal with for quite a number of weeks now so we thought it best going back and getting is sorted a club level," said Republic manager Martin O'Neill. "Jon, I think he will be fit for Tuesday, he just thought he might be best to go home for a day or two. He should be back on Friday night to watch the game. He will definitely play on Tuesday. "Robbie Keane sat out training again on Wednesday but there is no real problem. He will be okay and will be available for any of the two games." Republic of Ireland Euro 2016 fixtures (all times BST) Monday, 13 June Republic of Ireland v Sweden (17:00; Stade de France, Paris) Saturday, 18 June Belgium v Republic of Ireland (14:00; Stade de Bordeaux) Wednesday, 22 June Italy v Republic of Ireland (20:00; Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille)

Republic of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters will not feature in Friday's friendly with Switzerland because of a hamstring injury, but should be fit to face Slovakia on Tuesday.

The man suffered serious neck injuries after falling from a low roof at Melbury Lodge, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in December 2015. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) brought the prosecution against Southern Health, who run the Winchester hospital. District Judge Philip Gillibrand adjourned for sentencing in October. Paul Spencer, representing Southern Health, entered a guilty plea at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court to the offence of failing to provide safe care and treatment and failing to assess risk to patients at the unit. The court heard the patient, named in court as "AB", had already climbed onto the roof during an earlier stay at the unit. Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting for the CQC, said Southern Health had failed to take action to prevent patients from gaining access to the low rooftop between 2010 and 2016. "The trust was aware of that dangerous state of affairs but did nothing sufficient to stop it until late April 2016," he added. Judge Gillibrand said Southern Health faced an unlimited fine for the offence. He added: "It's clearly a case of considerable public interest and concern." Southern Health has previously been criticised over its failure to properly investigate the deaths of hundreds of patients in its care between 2011 and 2015. The Melbury Lodge unit at the hospital treats people with severe mental health problems.

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has admitted failings over the fall of a mental health patient from a roof.

The National League sold the Republic of Ireland midfielder to the Cherries for £175,000 in 2012 and had a 15% sell-on clause included in the deal. O'Kane moved for an undisclosed fee, but Nicholson says any money will go to help the cash-strapped club. "I don't think I'll be getting anything," Nicholson told BBC Devon. "There's more important things." The Gulls are still looking for new owners having been taken over by a consortium of local business people last summer. They were forced to close down the club's academy and drastically reduce the playing budget after millionaire former owner Thea Bristow left the club.

Torquay United boss Kevin Nicholson says none of the money from Eunan O'Kane's move to Leeds from Bournemouth will go to the playing squad.

The draft guidelines propose that two doctors rather than one should make the assessment. It describes as a grey area the lawfulness of advocating or promoting terminations outside Northern Ireland. The draft guidelines are still being considered by ministers and will be consulted on for 16 weeks. The document, titled 'the limited circumstances for lawful termination in Northern Ireland', include a recommendation that a consultant psychiatrist should be involved where a mental health assessment is required. There is an allowance for conscientious objection and a new section dealing with accountability and collecting data on each abortion - the reason given must be clearly documented. Abortion is only allowed in very restricted circumstances in Northern Ireland. Justice Minister David Ford has called for clarification on some of the guidelines and said the document could lead to more confusion. "On an issue like abortion we need to have a law which is absolutely clear and not something that brings further confusion and disarray to the legislation," he said. In February, a judicial review in the High Court by the Family Planning Association (FPA) to have guidelines issued on the law on abortion in Northern Ireland, was halted after the department of health promised to publish draft advice within a week. The FPA had been campaigning for more than a decade for guidelines to be issued on abortion for the NHS in Northern Ireland. After previous legal action by the charity, the department of health issued a 20-page document in 2009 containing guidance for health professionals on the termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland. It was withdrawn the following year after a successful legal challenge by anti-abortion campaigners led to a ruling that sections on counselling and conscientious objection should be rewritten. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said its members were working from the earlier draft guidelines, described by government officials as having "no status". Meanwhile, two Stormont assembly members are attempting to change the law to make it illegal to perform an abortion outside the NHS. It follows the opening of the private Marie Stopes International clinic in Belfast last year. The DUP's Paul Givan, who chairs the justice committee, and the SDLP's Alban Maginness have tabled a joint amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill. The laws covering abortion in Northern Ireland are the 1861 Offences against the Person Act, and the Criminal Justice act from 1945. It is a criminal offence, which carries a life sentence. The only exceptions are to save a woman's life, or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health. Last year official figures confirmed that at least 40 terminations a year are carried out on these grounds. More than a thousand women a year who do not fit in these categories travel from Northern Ireland each year to have an abortion in other parts of the UK. In England, Wales and Scotland access to abortion is covered by the 1967 Abortion Act. That permits terminations up to 24 weeks of pregnancy on grounds that include risk to the physical or mental health of the woman or existing children in the family, and abnormalities that could lead to a child being "seriously handicapped". It is also allowed over 24 weeks if a woman's life or health is at serious risk, and for serious disabilities.

The Northern Ireland health minister, Edwin Poots, has circulated a 30 page draft document to executive colleagues on long-awaited abortion guidelines.

Jack Beales, 93, of Rhyl, carried out the attacks while she was a young girl, mainly when he was in his 70s. He denied five charges of rape and six other sexual offences but was unanimously convicted by the jury at Mold Crown Court on 9 December. Sentencing him on Wednesday, Judge Rhys Rowlands said Beales had destroyed his victim's childhood. His victim, now aged in her 30s, took to the witness stand to read her victim impact statement. The court heard the abuse began when she was aged six and continued for about 10 years. She said she had wanted to commit suicide and hoped, when she confronted Beales last summer, it would bring some kind of closure. But she said it had not and she was still on strong medication for depression and anxiety, and was awaiting counselling. The court had heard she confronted Beales at his home and he admitted in front of her mother and his wife he had groped her as a child. He later said "that was what men did". The woman said every time she came into contact with Beales he made hurtful comments. She said: "Once again I felt suicidal and felt I could not continue suffering while he was living a happy and carefree life, with no apparent suffering." The woman said one of her biggest wishes in life was to start a family. But she added: "I worry that there may be internal physical damage due to the abuse which may mean I am unable to conceive or carry a child to full term." She said she felt she could not trust anyone and saw the world "as a very dangerous place". "I am hyper vigilant when kids are left unattended or unsupervised around men," she told the court. "I feel unable to relax, and as though I have a responsibility to be watchful over others." Defending barrister Andrew Green said Beales had no previous convictions and accepted some acts had taken place but he denied other allegations including all the rapes. Jailing him, Judge Rowlands said Beales did not have "an ounce of remorse" and was "devoid of any moral compass at all". He will have to serve a further 12 months on licence. Det Insp William Jones, of North Wales Police, said: "John (Jack) Beales was a manipulative and depraved sexual predator who committed multiple offences over a sustained period of time. He is now thankfully behind bars. "No child should ever have to experience what the victim went through." An NSPCC Wales spokesman said the victim "must be commended for showing incredible bravery in reporting what happened to her so Beales could eventually face justice for his crimes".

The victim of a pensioner jailed for 13 years for horrific sex attacks has told of the abuse that ruined her life.

Research suggests Oxford may be affected the most by public sector cuts Oxford among worst GCSE results Chairman of Oxfordshire Economic Partnership Frank Nigriello said small firms would not have jobs available. It comes as research suggests Oxford has one of the highest number of employees in vulnerable sectors. The BBC-commissioned study, carried out by Experian, ranks the resilience of council areas to economic shocks. In the research, Oxford was rated the third highest in England for the number of employees working in vulnerable sectors. Figures from the government estimate 48% of jobs in Oxford East are in the public sector. Mr Nigriello said Oxfordshire had very few large companies, with many people employed in the county's pioneering health services, as well as research and development, including Oxford University. He added: "If there are massive cuts in the public sector, then Oxfordshire's private sector won't have the resilience. "Small businesses don't have the opportunities or availability of jobs." A special BBC News season examining the approaching cuts to public sector spending The Spending Review: Making It Clear The Oxfordshire Economic Partnership (OEP) is a company formed by a number of business people in the county to help promote enterprise. The research also suggests Oxford has few self employed people, but that the working-age population were highly skilled. In South Oxfordshire, according to the Experian research, the situation was different, with the 11th highest proportion of those self employed in England. Mr Nigriello, who works for Unipart in Cowley, suggested the private sector should be willing to assist the public sector in making changes to their organisation. He said: "Private sector companies would be foolish not to help. "While we may be the engine that creates the wealth, we recognise that we need the services to create the community we want to live in". Oxfordshire County Council is currently looking to make more than £200m of cuts by 2015. The figure may be adjusted after the government's spending review next month. Meanwhile, the research also revealed Oxford is in the bottom five regions of the UK for GCSE results. South Today will be debating the issues raised in the spending review tonight at 2235 BST. BBC Oxford 95.2FM will be discussing the research from 0700 BST.

Private companies in Oxfordshire may not have enough capacity to employ people who lose their public sector jobs, an economics expert has warned.

The inmate, from Romania, had been serving a 30-month sentence for sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13. He was due for release from HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire on 6 January, but was deported on Friday morning. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said an investigation is now under way. A spokesman said the man had not been released out on to the streets, but placed in an immigration removal centre. "He was placed in an immigration removal centre before being removed from the country the following day," he said. "Incidents like this are extremely rare." An investigation was under way to establish the circumstances of the man's release, he added.

A sex offender was mistakenly released from prison a month early, the BBC has learned.

The men were trying to descend Bla Bheinn when they got into difficulty in fading light on Thursday. They raised the alarm at 20:40 and a rescue operation involving the coastguard, Skye Mountain Rescue Team and Police Scotland was launched. A coastguard helicopter from Stornoway in Lewis airlifted the men. They were flown to an airfield at Broadford on Skye. They were uninjured and did not need medical treatment. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it had been a tricky rescue operation carried out on what it described as a dangerous cliff ledge. A spokesman said: "Winch operator Robert Glendinning and winchman Peter Wood had to use all their skills to rescue the four - the winchman even climbing the cliff at one point to reach them."

A group of four hillwalkers have been airlifted to safety after getting stuck on a "dangerous ledge" 2,000ft (609m) up a mountain on Skye.

Joseph Mensah was arrested on suspicion of assault on Sunday before being transferred to Manchester Royal Infirmary with leg injuries. After jumping from the first-floor window, he is believed to have caught a number 50 bus on Upper Brook Street. Greater Manchester Police have appealed for anyone with information about Mr Mensah's whereabouts to contact them. He is described as black and of heavy build and was wearing a dark coat and jeans at the time of his escape. Police were at the hospital at the time, but were not specifically tasked with guarding Mr Mensah. Det Ch Insp Chris Mossop said: "We are currently investigating the circumstances that led to Mr Mensah's escape and are continuing to search for him. "I would like to remind those who may be hiding him it is a criminal offence to do so. "I would also make a direct appeal to Mensah as he was originally admitted to hospital for injuries to his leg and needs treatment."

A suspected criminal is on the run after leaping from a hospital window and catching a bus.

Tennant was the 10th Doctor and Piper played his on-screen companion Rose Tyler in the BBC One show. Filming on the show, which will also star John Hurt, will start next week. Tennant's successor, Matt Smith - also in the special with his new assistant played by Jenna-Louise Coleman - says fans "will not be disappointed" by the 3D show, due to air on 23 November. Tennant and Piper have long been rumoured to be making a return for the special, which is being written by the show's executive producer and lead writer Steven Moffat. In January, Piper, appearing on the Graham Norton show, denied she would be appearing. "I wasn't asked, no," she said. "I think Matt Smith may have said, in passing or in jest, it would be nice. "I think maybe he said that and then it became something quite different, but no." Smith has said the show "manages to pay homage to everything - and look forward". "I read it and I clapped at the end. I think it's hilarious, it's epic and it's vast," he said. Moffat, meanwhile, has said he took special care to protect the secrets of the story. "One length I've gone to which is a really good security measure - I make sure I don't get a script, because I will lose it," he said. "I forbid people to hand me one. It's on my computer under lock and key." The first story of Doctor Who's 2013 run, The Bells of Saint John - described by Moffat as a "proper London thriller" - was screened on Saturday. Viewers saw the Doctor and new companion, Clara, played by Coleman, battling an evil entity in the world's wi-fi networks. Future episodes of the show, which is filmed in Cardiff, see the return of the Cybermen and old enemy the Ice Warriors, who last appeared during the Jon Pertwee era in 1974. Tennant starred in Doctor Who from 2005 to 2010 while Piper first appeared in 2005 opposite Christopher Eccleston, who played the ninth Doctor. She left the show in 2006 but returned for a number of episodes in 2008 as well as for Tennant's final episode, broadcast on 1 January 2010. The first episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, starring William Hartnell as the Timelord, was broadcast on 23 November 1963. As part of the anniversary events, the BBC will also broadcast An Adventure in Space and Time - a one-off drama looking at how the sci-fi show came to be made. Doctor Who: The Bells of Saint John will be shown on BBC One at 18:15 GMT on Saturday.

David Tennant and Billie Piper will appear in the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who, the BBC has confirmed.

And this year the yacht received a record score of 96%, the highest mark ever awarded to a visitor attraction in Scotland. It was rated by national tourism organisation VisitScotland. VisitScotland's quality assurance scheme, is the official measure of quality for tourism businesses. Tourism businesses are assessed on the welcome, attitude, knowledge and efficiency of staff, as well as audience level, interpretation, maintenance and cleanliness. With 308,906 visitors in 2015, the Royal Yacht last week announced 2015 as its best since its opening year in 1999. Almost five million people from around the world have visited The Queen's former yacht since it opened to visitors in Edinburgh in 1998. Britannia's chief executive Bob Downie said: "To be the best in Scotland once is a fantastic achievement, but to do this for 10 consecutive years is a phenomenal tribute to our staff who go the extra mile to ensure that all our visitors have a great experience when they visit Britannia. "The true test of any great organisation is consistency of performance, delivering great value for time and money, year in year out, and there is no doubt that our pioneering approach to providing great customer experiences has underpinned our success." Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland's chief executive, said: "I'd like to congratulate Britannia on this fantastic achievement, which demonstrates an outstanding commitment to quality and excellence in every aspect of the business. "Retaining the accolade of Scotland's best attraction for 10 years running, Britannia is setting the standards for tourism in Scotland, and it is a real testament to the total commitment shown by their staff to consistently deliver a world-leading customer experience."

The Royal Yacht Britannia has been judged as Scotland's best visitor attraction every year for the past decade.

Corey Lewandowski had been charged with simple battery after reporter Michelle Fields said he forcibly grabbed her arm on 8 March. State prosecutors determined there was not enough evidence to convict him. Mr Lewandowski, supported by Mr Trump, accused Ms Fields of exaggerating the event and changing her story. "Our perception is reality, her perception is that she was almost thrown to the ground," said Brad Cohen, Mr Lewandowski's lawyer. Police in Florida had charged Mr Lewandowski after Ms Fields filed a criminal complaint. "Although there was probable cause to make an arrest, the evidence cannot prove all legally required elements of the crime alleged and is insufficient to support a criminal prosecution," prosecutor Dave Aronberg said. The announcement comes days before the New York state primary, which will be crucial to Mr Trump's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Mr Trump currently leads the race. Investigators did concede that Mr Lewandowski "pulled Ms Fields back" when she tried to interview Mr Trump, but said he could have thought she was "making unwanted physical contact" with him. "While the facts support the allegation that Mr. Lewandowski did grab Ms Fields' arm against her will, Mr Lewandowski has a reasonable hypothesis of innocence," Mr Aronberg said The Trump campaign said in a statement that Mr Lewandowski is "gratified" by the prosecutor's decision. He "appreciates the thoughtful consideration and professionalism by the Palm Beach State Attorney and his staff who carefully reviewed this matter, as well as Mr. Trump's loyalty and the support of his colleagues and family during this time, the statement reads. "The matter is now concluded." Ms Fields tweeted that the office of the prosecutor asked her if she would accept an apology from Mr Lewandowski, to which she said yes, but that she has not heard back about it. Ms Fields quit her job at conservative news site Breitbart following the event, saying that they did not defend her in the aftermath of the event. Security video released by Mr Trump appears to show him trying to pull Ms Fields out of the way as she walks alongside Mr Trump and tries to speak to him following an event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. A Washington Post reporter corroborated Ms Fields' claim that Mr Lewandowski forcibly grabbed her and she tweeted a photo of her bruise. Both Mr Trump and Mr Lewandowski accused her of lying, which she repeatedly denied. Mr Trump rejected calls to fire Mr Lewandowski and told him "good job" at a press conference shortly after the incident.

A Florida prosecutor has decided not to pursue criminal charges against Donald Trump's campaign manager who was accused of tussling with a reporter.

The 23-year-old Ivorian broke hearts across Great Britain when he snatched victory from Lutalo Muhammad in the last second of the men's -80kg taekwondo Olympic final. It was the Ivory Coast's first Olympic gold and he has, since Rio, become a national hero. He has been gifted a new house and a 50 million CFA franc (£65,400) cash bonus. Not bad for an athlete who only has access to poor facilities and finds it hard to raise funds to meet his training costs. Cisse insists, however, his celebrity status won't distract him from his taekwondo title defence in Tokyo in 2020. "People look at me differently now, I've become a national symbol. I can't walk in the street without being recognised, I'm a star," he told AFP. "People approach you, they congratulate you, it's nice, touching, all this gives me strength to achieve even more." Cisse, who stunned third seed Muhammad with a four-point score right at the death to win 8-6, was honoured by Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara on his return home. He took the opportunity to ask for an improvement in conditions and coaching for athletes. "We were supported. The Government did what it could. But we need new laws passed so that athletes can live off their sports," pleaded Cisse. His request was heard and Ouattara promised to examine what could be done. "We have talented boys and girls in taekwondo. We have to help them," insisted Cisse. "I want to tell my little brothers to believe in their dreams. I've gone from nothing to become someone, without any help."

The phrase "one man's loss is another man's gain" could not be more apt than in the case of Cheick Sallah Cisse.

The way we work, play and live with robots is changing. In a special series Ricky travels the country meeting the robots of the future and the scientists working on them. From spending a night in a robot house to getting a brain scan, Ricky finds out how and why our relationship with robots is changing, fast. Check out his first report here...

They can walk, they can talk, and may soon be thinking for themselves.

L/Cpl Craig Roberts and two others died on an SAS selection exercise in 2013. The government said allowing court action would not help training safety. But Kelvin and Margaret Roberts said they believed the army would be more responsible if they were legally accountable. In March, the Ministry of Defence was reprimanded over failures which led to the deaths of L/Cpl Roberts, from Penrhyn Bay, Conwy county, Cpl James Dunsby from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and L/Cpl Edward Maher, of Winchester, Hampshire. At their inquest last year a coroner ruled neglect contributed to their deaths. The Health and Safety Executive issued a censure, which is the highest action it can take, as the MoD cannot be prosecuted. It has since apologised for the failings. But, responding to the Commons Defence Select Committee report 'Beyond Endurance?' which was published after the deaths of the SAS candidate reservists, the UK Government ruled out amending the 2007 Corporate Manslaughter Act. Mr and Mrs Roberts said: "We are extremely disappointed that the government has decided not to accept the recommendation of the... committee to remove the immunity from prosecution from the MoD when served with a crown censure. "The government states that they fail to see how losing the immunity would make improvements to the safety of military training, however, we believe that if the MoD are legally accountable for their actions then they will be more responsible and diligent in their training methods. "We have done our best to have the immunity removed and bereaved families in the past have also tried, so we are pleased that the Defence Committee intend to pursue their interest in this matter with the MoD." The three men were on a selection march in Powys on one of the hottest days of 2013 when they fell ill. All three were on course to complete it within the allocated time but were found in three separate locations at different times. An inquest found they died after suffering the effects of hyperthermia - or overheating. Coroner Louise Hunt, who ruled the men died as a result of neglect, warned there was a risk of future deaths on SAS selection marches unless action was taken. The HSE investigation into the men's deaths found the MoD failed to plan, assess, and manage the risks associated with heat illness during the training. In its response to the 'Beyond Endurance?' report, the UK government said existing arrangements in respect of military training fatalities worked effectively as a means of ensuring lessons were learnt and mistakes were not repeated. It said: "The MoD invariably implements any corrective measures identified by the HSE and treats crown censure as a matter of the utmost seriousness. "It is not therefore clear how the proposed amendments to the act, which would only take effect once the MoD has been subject to a crown censure, would result in any tangible improvement to the safety of military training. "These safeguards (to learn lessons, implement corrective measures identified by the HSE and the seriousness with which we treat crown censure), together with the ability to bring civil claims for negligence against the MoD, where a breach of a duty of care occurs within the UK or abroad, provide a strong system both for discouraging failure by the MoD and for learning lessons where things go wrong." It added the MoD would be the focus of any civil claim whether the breach was at the highest levels of the MoD or at the immediate level at which training was carried out and it would be "extremely difficult, perhaps impossible to apply the concept of manslaughter to the role of the senior management of the MoD in permitting and setting parameters for training which is essential and which is by its nature hazardous".

The parents of one of three soldiers who died on the Brecon Beacons have said they are "extremely disappointed" the government will not allow the Ministry of Defence to be prosecuted.

Tiote, 30, died after collapsing during training for Chinese second-tier side Beijing Enterprises on 5 June. Friends, family and former team-mates attended the memorial and his coffin was draped with an Ivory Coast flag. "I lived some extraordinary moments with this man and today he is gone," said Senegal striker Cisse, who spent four years at Newcastle. "He was like a brother. We shared a lot in life. His family was my family," added the Shandong Lueng player, who was in tears at the service. In his seven years at Newcastle, Ivory Coast international Tiote made over 150 appearances, including three last season. He joined Beijing Enterprises in February. Media playback is not supported on this device

Papiss Cisse led the tributes at a memorial for former Newcastle United team-mate Cheick Tiote in China.

The cargo ship SS Politician, which had 28,000 cases of whisky, sank off Eriskay in Western Isles 75 years ago. Eight bottles of the whisky were recovered by a diver in 1987. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has suggested that two bottles it has on the Isle of Canna could be added to these eight known bottles. The bottles in the care of NTS are kept at Canna House and belonged the late John Lorne-Campbell and his wife Margaret Faye-Shaw, who gifted the property and Hebridean island to the trust. Fiona McKenzie, archivist at Canna House, said: "According to the previous archivist, the bottles have 'always been at the house'. "She was here from the 1960s and that's well before the diver brought up eight bottles in 1987. So looks like we may have two bottles that are not included in the official stats." Many other bottles were salvaged from the SS Politician at the time of its sinking in 1941 and still thought to survive, but have not been officially recorded. Hundreds of cases of whisky were hidden from customs officers by islanders. Some locations of these secret stashes have since been forgotten, according to islanders today. The SS Politician was headed for Jamaica when it ran aground on the northern side of Eriskay in bad weather. Scottish author Compton Mackenzie, published the novel Whisky Galore in 1947, which was loosely based on the shipwreck. It was adapted for the cinema in a 1949 Ealing comedy.

Two bottles of whisky recovered from a shipwreck that inspired the book Whisky Galore may have been missed from official statistics.

However, Mr Tillerson said the proposals provided a basis for dialogue leading to a solution of the crisis. On Saturday, Qatar's foreign minister rejected the list of 13 conditions imposed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain. They accuse Qatar of backing terrorism - a charge it denies. Qatar has been under unprecedented diplomatic and economic sanctions for more than two weeks, with Iran and Turkey increasingly supplying it with food and other goods. The four countries also want Qatar to reduce its ties with Iran and close a Turkish military base, setting a deadline on Friday of 10 days. Among other things, the fellow Gulf states have demanded the closure of Al Jazeera TV, which is funded by the Qatari government. Mr Tillerson said Qatar was assessing the demands and stressed there were "significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution". He urged the countries to sit together to stop terrorism and counter extremism. "A lowering of rhetoric would also help ease the tension," Mr Tillerson said. After the demands were made on Friday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the dispute was "a family issue" that the countries should work out together. On Saturday, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, quoted by Al Jazeera, said: "The US secretary of state recently called upon the blockading nations to produce a list of grievances that was 'reasonable and actionable'. "The British foreign secretary asked that the demands be 'measured and realistic.' This list does not satisfy that [sic] criteria." He said the demands were proof that the sanctions had "nothing to do with combating terrorism... [but] limiting Qatar's sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy". Al Jazeera accused them of trying to silence freedom of expression, adding: "We assert our right to practise our journalism professionally without bowing to pressure from any government or authority." Qatar's main import routes - by land from Saudi Arabia and by sea from container ships docked in the UAE - have been disrupted, and much of the surrounding airspace has been closed to its air traffic. However, the small but wealthy country has so far avoided economic collapse by finding alternative routes. Qatari citizens living in neighbouring countries or with family living there have been hit harder, Reuters news agency notes, because of ultimatums issued for them to leave. The United Arab Emirates has been trying to mediate in the crisis. UAE's foreign minister said on Saturday there would be a "parting of ways" with Qatar if it failed to meet the demands. "The alternative is not escalation," he said. "The alternative is parting of ways. It's very difficult for us to maintain a collective grouping with one of the partners... actively promoting what is an extremist and terrorist agenda." US President Donald Trump has taken a hard line towards Qatar, accusing it of being a "high-level" sponsor of terrorism. However, the Arab states involved in the crisis are all close allies of the US, while the largest US base in the Middle East is in Qatar.

Some demands set by four Arab states on Qatar in return for lifting sanctions will be "difficult to meet", US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says.

Network Rail said it would provide Twitter updates of engineers installing new freight lines over Easter weekend. But Railway Magazine said the firm's PR team had gone into overdrive after work overran during the festive period leading to heavy criticism. The rail firm said they would "definitely have a story to tell". Major work, including extensive signalling improvements, is being carried out on the route from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Patrick Hallgate, from Network Rail, said: "We are acutely aware that some of our work could inconvenience those who want to travel over the Easter period. "Which is why we want to be open and provide the public with live information about how we are using this time to make improvements to this part of the network." Railway Magazine assistant editor Nick Brodrick said this live feed is a result of "the embarrassing fallout caused by the delayed engineering works on the East Coast Main Line after Christmas". He said: "It is therefore not surprising to see its PR team go into overdrive to reassure passengers that it can deliver on its promises." He added that following the minutiae of rail engineering works would not be a popular pastime this Easter. "Most people won't be particularly interested in the nuts and bolts of the work involved; what they expect is a better train service as a result." The improvement work can be followed on Twitter from Friday morning via @networkrailgwrm and the hashtag #greaterwest.

A social media feed of rail works at Reading is due to the "embarrassing fallout" of engineering delays at Christmas, it has been claimed.

Sir Alex Ferguson's Premier League champions responded in spectacular fashion to Manchester City's outstanding 5-1 win at Spurs by returning to the top of the table with a result that represented Arsenal's worst defeat since 1896. Wenger sent out a makeshift side depleted by injuries and suspensions - but even this cannot excuse the manner in which they were outclassed in all parts of the pitch and swept aside with such ease by United. Wayne Rooney was United's inspiration with the sixth hat-trick of his Old Trafford career, but Ashley Young also made his mark with two stunning goals. Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-sung were the other scorers. Media playback is not supported on this device Theo Walcott reduced United's three-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time but Robin van Persie's strike late in the second half-represented no measure of consolation for a dispirited, broken Arsenal. United keeper David de Gea distinguished himself with a fine penalty save from Van Persie moments after Welbeck had opened the scoring - and in a game of almost unrelenting misery for Arsenal, teenager Carl Jenkinson ensured they have failed to end a game with 11 players in any of their league games this season when he was sent off. Old Trafford was understandably exultant at the conclusion of such a carnival performance but Wenger now faces defining days of his Arsenal reign before the transfer window closes on Wednesday. For Wenger it was a performance, or lack of one, that proved the folly of his summer of transfer inaction Read more of the blog This result underscores the gulf that has opened up between United and Arsenal and Wenger will now seek to address the weaknesses in his squad and replace the departed Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. Ferguson's faith in the team that won so convincingly against Tottenham was rewarded with another thrilling attack-minded performance. Arsenal's uncertainty was partly explained by the unfamiliar make-up of their team, but the flaws were swiftly exposed by the manner in which United took the lead. Anderson's lofted pass was inventive but Arsenal's failure to react was ominous for what lay ahead, allowing Welbeck to head past Wojciech Szczesny. Van Persie then squandered an instant opportunity to equalise after referee Howard Webb awarded a penalty when Walcott tangled with Jonny Evans in the area. De Gea has had a mixed start to his Old Trafford career but he was engulfed by his team-mates as he dived to his right to make a fine save. And United ensured Arsenal were punished heavily as Young added the second after 28 minutes. Young found space just outside the area and curled a perfect finish high beyond Szczesny's grasp at the Stretford End. Welbeck's game was cut short by a hamstring injury - but there was no respite for Arsenal as Rooney worked a free-kick routine with Young to send a 20-yard free-kick into the top corner as the interval approached. Walcott halted some of United's momentum when he took advantage of slack marking to shoot beneath De Gea in first-half injury time. It made little difference amid the carnage of the second half as Arsenal were torn apart amid a torrent of goals, near misses and saves from the desperately exposed Szczesny. Arsenal survived until the 64th minute when they were undone by another piece of Rooney creation at a set-piece, again linking with Young before dispatching the finish past the motionless Arsenal keeper. It was the breaking point for Arsenal and they spent the remainder of game in a constant state of siege. Rooney was the creator for Nani with the pass that gave the Portuguese the opportunity to send a flamboyant chipped finish over Szczesny for United's fifth. Media playback is not supported on this device With the Gunners in disarray, Park marked his arrival as substitute by lashing home an unstoppable finish before Van Persie briefly interrupted the one-way flow towards Arsenal's goal by beating De Gea. It barely seemed possible for matters to get worse for Arsenal, but the agony increased when Jenkinson was sent off after receiving his second yellow card for fouling Javier Hernandez as he raced clear. Rooney completed his thrilling treble with a penalty eight minutes from time after Walcott fouled Patrice Evra. And United completed the scoring with their eighth in injury time, Young once again showing his eye for the spectacular with another curling shot. Wenger cut a despairing figure as he walked back to the dressing room at the final whistle after one of the darkest days of his career. Full Time The referee blows for the end of the match. Chris Smalling gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Marouane Chamakh. Free kick taken by Andrey Arshavin. Effort on goal by Ji-Sung Park from just inside the penalty box goes harmlessly over the target. Ryan Giggs provided the assist for the goal. Goal! - Ashley Young - Man Utd 8 - 2 Arsenal Goal scored by Ashley Young from the edge of the area to the top right corner of the goal. Man Utd 8-2 Arsenal. Andrey Arshavin produces a left-footed shot from the edge of the area and misses to the left of the goal. The referee blows for offside. Free kick taken by Johan Djourou. Chris Smalling sends in a cross, save by Wojciech Szczesny. Foul by Patrice Evra on Aaron Ramsey, free kick awarded. Johan Djourou restarts play with the free kick. The assistant referee signals for offside against Javier Hernandez. Free kick taken by Wojciech Szczesny. Shot from just outside the penalty box by Aaron Ramsey misses to the left of the target. The referee blows for offside against Ashley Young. Wojciech Szczesny takes the free kick. Wojciech Szczesny restarts play with the free kick. Substitution (Arsenal) makes a substitution, with Henri Lansbury coming on for Theo Walcott. Substitution Robin van Persie leaves the field to be replaced by Marouane Chamakh. The official flags Ashley Young offside. Assist on the goal came from Patrice Evra. Goal! - Wayne Rooney - Man Utd 7 - 2 Arsenal Wayne Rooney scores a placed penalty. Man Utd 7-2 Arsenal. Penalty awarded for a foul by Theo Walcott on Patrice Evra. Wayne Rooney shoots direct from the free kick. Dismissal The referee sends off Carl Jenkinson for second bookable offence. Javier Hernandez fouled by Carl Jenkinson, the ref awards a free kick. Theo Walcott takes a shot. Save by David De Gea. Assist on the goal came from Carl Jenkinson. Goal! - Robin van Persie - Man Utd 6 - 2 Arsenal Robin van Persie grabs a goal from close in to the top left corner of the goal. Man Utd 6-2 Arsenal. Corner taken left-footed by Robin van Persie from the right by-line, Laurent Koscielny has a headed effort at goal from close range which goes wide of the left-hand post. Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Ryan Giggs gets a block in. Assist on the goal came from Ashley Young. Goal! - Ji-Sung Park - Man Utd 6 - 1 Arsenal Ji-Sung Park fires in a goal from the edge of the penalty box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Man Utd 6-1 Arsenal. Wayne Rooney has an effort at goal from outside the penalty area striking the post. Substitution Ji-Sung Park joins the action as a substitute, replacing Luis Nani. Substitution Ryan Giggs on for Oliveira Anderson. The assist for the goal came from Wayne Rooney. Goal! - Luis Nani - Man Utd 5 - 1 Arsenal Luis Nani gets on the score sheet with a goal from inside the area low into the middle of the goal. Man Utd 5-1 Arsenal. Corner taken left-footed by Robin van Persie from the right by-line, clearance made by Chris Smalling. Assist by Ashley Young. Goal! - Wayne Rooney - Man Utd 4 - 1 Arsenal Wayne Rooney fires in a goal from outside the penalty area to the bottom left corner of the goal. Man Utd 4-1 Arsenal. Free kick taken by Wayne Rooney. Booking Johan Djourou receives a yellow card for unsporting behaviour. Johan Djourou challenges Wayne Rooney unfairly and gives away a free kick. Substitution Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is brought on as a substitute for Francis Coquelin. Luis Nani takes a shot. Johan Djourou manages to make a clearance. Ashley Young takes a shot. Save made by Wojciech Szczesny. Javier Hernandez takes a shot. Save made by Wojciech Szczesny. The ball is delivered by Luis Nani, clearance made by Johan Djourou. Andrey Arshavin takes a shot. Save made by David De Gea. Tom Cleverley takes a shot. Wojciech Szczesny makes a comfortable save. Short corner taken by Robin van Persie. The assistant referee signals for offside against Javier Hernandez. Laurent Koscielny restarts play with the free kick. Andrey Arshavin takes a shot. Jonathan Evans gets a block in. Ashley Young delivers the ball. Andrey Arshavin takes a shot. Blocked by Oliveira Anderson. Robin van Persie takes a shot. Save by David De Gea. Oliveira Anderson takes a inswinging corner. Wayne Rooney delivers the ball, Johan Djourou makes a clearance. Patrice Evra challenges Theo Walcott unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Johan Djourou. Effort on goal by Luis Nani from inside the area goes harmlessly over the bar. Ashley Young sends in a cross. Ashley Young takes a shot. Save made by Wojciech Szczesny. Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Johan Djourou by Wayne Rooney. Johan Djourou takes the free kick. The second half begins. Half Time The first half comes to an end. The assist for the goal came from Tomas Rosicky. Goal! - Theo Walcott - Man Utd 3 - 1 Arsenal Theo Walcott finds the back of the net with a goal from inside the penalty area low into the middle of the goal. Man Utd 3-1 Arsenal. Wayne Rooney takes a shot. Save made by Wojciech Szczesny. The referee blows for offside. Indirect free kick taken by Laurent Koscielny. Inswinging corner taken by Oliveira Anderson from the right by-line, Wojciech Szczesny makes a save. Carl Jenkinson crosses the ball. Aaron Ramsey takes a shot. Jonathan Evans gets a block in. The assist for the goal came from Ashley Young. Goal! - Wayne Rooney - Man Utd 3 - 0 Arsenal Wayne Rooney grabs a goal from just outside the area to the top left corner of the goal. Man Utd 3-0 Arsenal. Free kick taken by Wayne Rooney. Booking The referee cautions Carl Jenkinson for unsporting behaviour. Foul by Carl Jenkinson on Ashley Young, free kick awarded. Johan Djourou challenges Ashley Young unfairly and gives away a free kick. Luis Nani produces a strike on goal direct from the free kick. Shot from outside the box by Andrey Arshavin goes wide right of the target. Substitution Javier Hernandez on for Danny Welbeck. Free kick awarded for a foul by Oliveira Anderson on Francis Coquelin. Free kick taken by Johan Djourou. Tom Cleverley crosses the ball, Johan Djourou makes a clearance. The ball is sent over by Wayne Rooney, Headed effort from close range by Danny Welbeck goes wide left of the target. Andrey Arshavin takes a shot. Save by David De Gea. Robin van Persie takes a shot. Save by David De Gea. Goal! - Ashley Young - Man Utd 2 - 0 Arsenal A goal is scored by Ashley Young from outside the area to the top right corner of the goal. Man Utd 2-0 Arsenal. Corner taken by Tomas Rosicky from the left by-line. Placed penalty taken by Robin van Persie saved by David De Gea. Man Utd 1-0 Arsenal. Booking The referee cautions Jonathan Evans for unsporting behaviour. Booking Ashley Young is cautioned by the ref for dissent. Penalty awarded for a foul by Jonathan Evans on Theo Walcott. Effort from inside the area by Chris Smalling misses to the left of the target. Oliveira Anderson provided the assist for the goal. Goal! - Danny Welbeck - Man Utd 1 - 0 Arsenal Danny Welbeck scores a headed goal from inside the six-yard box. Man Utd 1-0 Arsenal. The ball is delivered by Patrice Evra, clearance made by Armand Traore. Handball decision goes against Andrey Arshavin. Direct free kick taken by Phil Jones. The ball is sent over by Theo Walcott. Corner from the right by-line taken by Robin van Persie, Headed effort from close range by Laurent Koscielny goes wide left of the goal. Tomas Rosicky takes a shot. Blocked by Oliveira Anderson. The ball is swung over by Carl Jenkinson, clearance made by Phil Jones. Robin van Persie crosses the ball. Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Oliveira Anderson from the right by-line, save made by Wojciech Szczesny. Chris Smalling takes the direct free kick. Booking Andrey Arshavin goes into the referee's book for unsporting behaviour. Phil Jones fouled by Andrey Arshavin, the ref awards a free kick. Tom Cleverley takes a shot. Blocked by Laurent Koscielny. Luis Nani crosses the ball, Headed effort on goal by Danny Welbeck from inside the penalty box misses to the right of the goal. Theo Walcott produces a right-footed shot from outside the penalty box and misses wide left of the target. Tom Cleverley gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Aaron Ramsey. Aaron Ramsey takes the free kick. Foul by Wayne Rooney on Laurent Koscielny, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Johan Djourou. Aaron Ramsey gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Danny Welbeck. Free kick taken by Oliveira Anderson. Effort from the edge of the area by Danny Welbeck goes wide of the right-hand post. The ball is sent over by Luis Nani. Carl Jenkinson takes a shot. Jonathan Evans gets a block in. Tom Cleverley concedes a free kick for a foul on Aaron Ramsey. Aaron Ramsey restarts play with the free kick. Wayne Rooney takes a shot. Wojciech Szczesny makes a comfortable save. Tom Cleverley has shot on goal from just outside the penalty box which goes wide of the right-hand upright. The match begins. Live data and text provided by our data suppliers Live text commentary

Manchester United inflicted total humiliation on Arsenal and their embattled manager Arsene Wenger with a brutal victory at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old, who has two senior international caps for Sweden, is unattached after leaving the Premier League club in July. The former Udinese man initially joined the Hornets on loan in 2012, before signing on a free transfer in July 2013, making 100 appearances in total. "We are in the market for a centre-half," Johnson told BBC Radio Bristol. "It's the one area we are probably a bit light. We invited him in. "There is no pressure from either side at the moment. We are just assessing the situation but also the options in the market."

Former Watford defender Joel Ekstrand is currently training with Bristol City, head coach Lee Johnson has said.

Argentine journalists have become accustomed, after eight years under Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's presidency, to getting little or no access to the person at the top. For all her appearances at inaugurations of public works or rousing speeches before the Peronist party faithful, President Fernandez de Kirchner rarely exposes herself to scrutiny and even less so to the kind of open press forum that enables journalists to question and probe the work of her government. Not that Mr Macri was particularly illuminating or generous with detail, particularly when asked about the specifics of his plans to turn around Argentina's precarious economy. But at least he made the effort to engage and respond to questions. So what have we learned in the first few days about the man who defeated a political movement that has dominated Argentine politics for decades? The outgoing mayor of Buenos Aires and soon to be president of Argentina repeated on more than one occasion that he could not yet expand on the detail of his economic plans until he was able to ascertain exactly how critical the situation was. The current administration has been repeatedly accused of being less than transparent about key statistics like the real rate of inflation or exactly how much liquid reserves remain in the Central Bank coffers. Correcting those anomalies and introducing measures to restore international confidence in the Argentine economy are likely to be some of Mauricio Macri's first big policy initiatives when he assumes the presidency on 10 December. To that end we learned that, rather than appointing a single minister for the economy, there will be a team of no less than six ministers responsible for the economy brief. This historic election reflected the deep divisions in Argentine society, with barely three percentage points ultimately separating Mauricio Macri and the defeated Peronist candidate, Daniel Scioli. While the victor's well-heeled and middle-class will be expecting a more liberal economic climate, those less well-off working class Argentines who voted for Mr Scioli will also be hoping the new administration protects the welfare programmes introduced by the Fernandez de Kirchner government. Mr Macri indeed promised to be a "president for all Argentines", knowing the powerful labour unions and sometimes volatile Peronist youth movements will become restless if economic "reform" turns out to mean across-the-board "cuts". There is clearly not much love lost between the man heading into the hot seat and the woman who has governed Argentina in her own unique style for the past eight years, her reputation and legacy damaged by an election result few would have predicted only a couple of months ago. Without saying so directly, Mr Macri made it abundantly clear that Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's combative and sometimes bellicose style had damaged Argentina's image abroad. Rebuilding relations with neighbours in Latin America and allies further afield, would be another job at the top of his "to do" list. The most interesting of those relationships is with Venezuela. Its leftist, revolutionary president, Nicolas Maduro has been one of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's closest allies in the region - part of a populist alliance that included Bolivia and Ecuador, (but less so Chile and Brazil with whom the outgoing president has not always been on the closest terms) Mr Macri is preparing to realign those alliances, hinting that he might seek to suspend Venezuela from the regional trade bloc Mercosur, over its "lack of democratic transparency". Observers noted with some interest that one of the most prominent figures at Sunday night's victory rally was the wife of the jailed Venezuelan opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez. With legislative elections in Venezuela looming, the result in Argentina could have wider repercussions. Back on the domestic front, those of us who have spent many hours covering the case of the death of the special prosecutor, Alberto Nisman, have been intrigued by Mr Macri's vow to keep the case alive. Mr Macri again indirectly accused the outgoing administration of trying to wrap up the investigation and conclude that Mr Nisman killed himself - rather than the widespread view in Argentina that he was murdered. Less clear yet is what will be Mr Macri's stance on social and moral issues, including gay marriage, abortion and the continued pursuit of human rights abuses committed under Argentina's military rule from 1976 to 1983. At his victory rally, Mauricio Macri danced like a teenager on stage without, apparently, a care in the world. With such a full and complicated in-tray, Mr Macri is unlikely to be impersonating his beloved Freddie Mercury, the former lead singer of Queen, again for quite some time.

The most striking thing about Mauricio Macri's first news conference as president-elect of Argentina was, well, that there was a press conference at all.

It happened early on Sunday morning at a private party in San Jose's Fiesta nightclub, near San Francisco. Police have confirmed the Grammy winner was unhurt. Mobile phone footage said to be of the gig has been posted online and shots can be heard in the middle of one of Brown's songs. In a video, posted on his own Vine profile, he can be seen looking at something going on in the crowd before shots ring out. He appears to be wincing, before security guards escort him away. Other footage posted online shows the aftermath of the shooting. There appear to be a few hundred people in the crowd, and most of them run for the exits or drop to the ground. Many are crying or screaming. The San Jose Police Department says all five people injured in the shootings are expected to survive. It says it is still investigating the "motive surrounding the shootings" and "several people have been detained by officers". The singer has made no public comment on the shooting. According to the newspaper the San Jose Mercury News, shortly afterwards he tweeted "I'm 100" to tell fans he was uninjured, but that tweet was later deleted. It's not the first shooting incident Chris Brown has experienced. In August last year the singer was hosting a party in Los Angeles when Death Row Records executive Suge Knight was shot. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Five people have been shot at a California nightclub while Chris Brown was performing.

The approval depends on Shell getting a nod from other US regulators, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said. Shell stopped Arctic exploration more than two years ago after problems including an oil rig fire and safety failures. Environmental campaigners oppose the move. Shell has spent about $6bn (£3.85bn) on exploration in the Arctic - a region estimated to have about 20% of the world's undiscovered oil and gas. The Anglo-Dutch company wants to drill up to six wells in water about 40 metres deep, using two vessels that can serve as backups in the event of an emergency. "We have taken a thoughtful approach to carefully considering potential exploration in the Chukchi Sea," said Abigail Ross Harper, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, in a statement. This conditional approval means Shell must obtain permits from the federal government and the state of Alaska to begin drilling this summer. Susan Murray, an official at Oceana, a group against Arctic drilling, said: "Our government has rushed to approve risky and ill-conceived exploration in one of the most remote and important places on Earth." Among Shell's woes the last time it tried to drill in the area were its failure to have a spill-response barge on site before the drills reached oil-bearing zones, as it had promised, and the outbreak of fire on the Noble Discoverer rig that Shell had hired. The Kulluk, a circular drilling barge, broke away from its towing vessel and ran aground on its way to a shipyard in Washington state. "The approval of our Revised Chukchi Sea Exploration Plan is an important milestone and signals the confidence regulators have in our plan," said Shell spokesman Curtis Smith.

Oil firm Royal Dutch Shell has won approval from the US Department of Interior to explore for oil in the Arctic.

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.

Finney, who earned 76 caps for his country, is considered one of the greatest players England ever produced. "The likes of Bill Shankly and Tommy Docherty idolised him," said former England defender Jimmy Armfield. Docherty, who played with Finney, said: "He was the best player I've ever seen, alongside Lionel Messi." "I watch a lot of Barcelona and when I watch Messi, I close my eyes and can see Tom. I'm serious when I say that Messi is the Tom Finney of today. "Just like Finney, Messi is always getting fouled, but doesn't complain and just gets up and gets on with the game." Finney played in three World Cups between 1950 and 1958, and is joint sixth on England's all-time scoring list with 30 goals, alongside Nat Lofthouse and Alan Shearer. "I was lucky enough to have met him when I was on loan at Preston and he was not just an England great but a true gentleman," said former England captain David Beckham. Away from the international spotlight, Finney's humble nature and reputation as one-club man endeared him to supporters everywhere. Preston born, he spent his entire 14-year career with his home-town club and wore their famous white strip over 400 times. "The two words always went together - Preston and Finney," added BBC Radio 5 live pundit Armfield. "I remember taking the FA team out to the Far East. We were out in Hong Kong and somebody asked me where I lived. I said Blackpool and they asked how do you get to Blackpool? I said, you get a train and change at Preston. As soon as I said Preston, he said 'ah, Tom Finney'. "When he finished playing, he did some reporting for a Sunday newspaper and he used to cover matches. I was playing for England at Cardiff against Wales and I got injured. "I remember [former England manager] Walter Winterbottom asking me, 'how are you going to get home?' I was hobbling and, just at that moment, Tom knocked on the door of the dressing room, came in and asked me if I'd like him to drop me off. "It hit me then. He didn't have to do that but he'd been a player and I'd played against him. No more than that." "Preston has lost its favourite son, a man who gave Prestonians pride in the place they come from. It was as though a little of the esteem and respect in which Finney was held rubbed off on all of them. "My dad always insisted that he knew him. Everyone of his generation did and so I took his words lightly. One day I was walking through the centre of town with my old man when I noticed Finney walking towards us. He looked up as our paths crossed and, with what I am sure to this day was a hint of recognition, looked my dad square in the face and wished him good morning. "Sir Tom, you will be missed." Read Paul Fletcher's tribute Finney scored 187 league goals for North End and was comfortable occupying any position across the forward line. Although team silverware eluded him as he finished as a league runner-up in 1953 and 1958, as well as a losing FA Cup finalist in 1954, he was twice named Football Writers' Player of the Year. "If Tom was injured and couldn't play, Preston would delay naming the team until after 2pm on a Saturday because the gates would halve if he wasn't on the teamsheet," added Docherty, who himself played over 300 times for the club. "If Gareth Bale is worth £100m, then Sir Tom would be worth far in excess of that in today's market. In fact, there is not enough money in football to buy him." To mark his passing, Preston's players wore black armbands and shirts with the name 'Finney' on the back - as well as their respective squad numbers - for their home draw with Leyton Orient on Saturday. "In my time as Preston manager, he used to come in on a Friday morning and he would sit there and spend the whole morning signing autographs and books," said Craig Brown, who managed the club between 2002 and 2004. "I know he cared for his late wife Elsie when she was ill and he diligently wouldn't bring in help - he wanted to do it all himself. This was a man of the utmost calibre and dignity." Howard Kendall, who would later manage Everton, joined Preston as a schoolboy shortly after Finney's retirement in 1960 and recalls guidance offered to him by the club legend. "He was so important to the Preston team that he played despite carrying injuries," said Kendall, who in 1964 became the youngest player to play in a Wembley FA Cup final at the age of 17. "One very important piece of advice he gave me was to never to do the same. He said 'it is not the number of games you play in a season that counts, it is the number of seasons you play'. "Bill Shankly once said that when it came to comparing Sir Tom with Sir Stanley Matthews, he would choose Sir Tom. When 'Shanks' said that, you had to listen." Finney was knighted in 1998 and, according to Armfield, continued to love the game. Sir Bobby Charlton, England's record goalscorer, describes Finney's contribution to English football as "immeasurable", but many former players reflect on his demeanour off the pitch as a defining characteristic. Former England midfielder Rodney Marsh, who played for Fulham, QPR and Manchester City during the 1960s and 70s, said Finney represented a different era. "He came from a time of gentleman footballers where they were always properly dressed, wore a jacket and tie and acted accordingly," he said. "They would go to the games with the fans, and we'll never see the like of that again. "I've always had the highest possible respect and esteem for Tom Finney. It was like being in the company of greatness."

Tributes have been paid to former Preston North End and England winger Tom Finney, following his death at the age of 91.