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Media playback is not supported on this device City were leading 2-1 when Sterling went through on goal, but an apparent push by Spurs defender Kyle Walker was not spotted by referee Andre Marriner. After the match, Walker admitted: "I wasn't going to get the ball." And midfielder Toure said: "If you have a bit of experience like me, you'd maybe dive." Media playback is not supported on this device Shortly after the collision between Walker and Sterling, Tottenham equalised through Son Heung-min and the draw meant City - who had led 2-0 - remained fifth in the Premier League table. "It is two points going away," Ivory Coast international Toure added. "Tottenham are fantastic. They play well, they are strong, they fight for every ball - but we deserved three points." Asked about the Sterling incident, Toure said: "He's too honest, he wants to be proper in these sort of games. If the lad's like that, you can't tell him he's wrong. "When you see it, he couldn't miss the goal - but Walker pushes him in the back. "If the ref looks at the highlights as well he is going to feel something is unfair. We all do wrongs in life but this is difficult to take." Media playback is not supported on this device

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling should have gone to ground to win a penalty during Saturday's 2-2 draw with Tottenham, says team-mate Yaya Toure.

Hamdi Alqudsi, 42, was found guilty of violating Australia's foreign incursion laws for making travel arrangements for a group of would-be jihadists in 2013. Giving evidence for the first time at a sentence hearing, he expressed regret and said that he loved Australia. Alqudsi also claimed he thought that IS would help civilians. He faces a maximum 10 years in jail for seven counts of providing services with the intention of supporting hostile acts. "As an Australian I should have minded my own business," Alqudsi told the New South Wales Supreme Court. "I love Australia, I always have." On Wednesday, Alqudsi admitted for the first time that he knew the seven men he assisted in 2013 planned to take up arms against Syrian government forces. He said he should have limited his involvement to taking donations for Syrian civilians trough registered charity groups. Alqudsi broke down in tears while giving evidence, saying he now realises he was breaking the law. "At the time, I felt it was the right thing to do," he said. "I am really, really sorry for what I have done." Two of the seven men Alqudsi helped were killed in Syria. Two others have returned to Australia, another was arrested before he could leave the country, and the fate of two other men is unknown. Alqudsi said his first impression of the Islamic State group was that they were a force for good. The prosecutor put it to him that it was obvious the men intended to travel to Syria to fight. "You knew these men were going to be out in the fields of Syria engaging in warfare," David Staehli SC said. "Yes, I did," Alqudsi replied.

A Sydney man who helped seven young men travel from Australia to Syria to join the Islamic State conflict has told a court he is "not a terrorist".

The incident occurred on Great Northern Road near to its junction with Clifton Road at about 12:00 on Saturday. Police Scotland has appealed for witnesses to the crash. Police said the collision involved a black Yamaha motorcycle, a black Vauxhall Adam and a silver Volkswagen Caravelle. Sgt Malcolm Kinross, of Police Scotland's divisional road policing unit, said: "Our thoughts at this difficult time are with the family and friends of Damian Piotrowski. "We continue to investigate the circumstances of this collision and we are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward. "In particular, we are keen to speak to passing motorists in a white Vauxhall Insignia and a dark coloured Nissan Qashqai who may have witnessed the collision."

A 27-year-old motorcyclist who died following a three-vehicle crash in Aberdeen has been named by police as Damian Piotrowski.

However, she said there were "many, many other questions" about Brexit and there was "still a lot to do". The UK proposal was unveiled by Prime Minister Theresa May at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. It would grant EU migrants who had lived in the UK for five years a new "UK settled status". That would allow them to stay in the country and access health, education and other benefits. The plan would affect 3.2 million EU citizens now living in the UK. Their rights - and the rights of UK citizens living in the rest of the EU - are among the thorny issues that have to be resolved early on in Brexit talks, along with the UK's divorce bill and the Northern Ireland border. "Theresa May made clear today that EU citizens who have been in Great Britain for five years can keep their full rights. That's a good start," said Mrs Merkel at the end of Thursday's talks. "But of course there are many, many other questions about Brexit - about finances, about the relationship with Ireland - which means we still have a lot to do until October." She insisted that Brexit was not the focus of the summit - the UK's split from the EU is being negotiated separately. "For me the shaping of the future of the 27 is a priority coming before the issue of the negotiations with Britain on the exit," she added. Before Mrs May's offer, the EU proposed that EU citizens in the UK and the estimated 1.2 million Britons living in EU countries should continue enjoying the same rights, enforceable by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). At the summit, the PM sought to reassure the 27 other EU states, saying the UK "does not want anyone here to have to leave, nor does it want families to be split up". "No-one will face a cliff edge," she said. The UK stunned the EU when it voted to end its membership in a referendum a year ago on Friday. The exit deadline is 30 March 2019. The summit's final day is to focus on migration, security and economic issues. Counter-terrorism has been a key issue at the summit which comes in the wake of an attack in Brussels on Tuesday. Several EU states have been attacked in recent weeks, including the UK, France and Sweden, and Mrs May said that an attack against any member state was an attack on all. Both sides would like to get the issue of citizens' rights wrapped up as soon as possible - it would be good for morale to get an early win, and they have more difficult issues to tackle. But while there is a sense that progress can be made, there are still some tricky technical questions to deal with. Which rights will be extended to immediate family members living elsewhere - to children in particular? And who will guarantee citizens' rights in the event of any legal dispute? The EU has already insisted that the European Court of Justice should be involved; the UK insists that British courts should uphold the deal. It is also not clear what the cut-off date should be for citizens to qualify for any offer that is agreed. The UK proposal suggests a date between March 2017 and March 2019 - although it is highly unlikely that the EU would be willing to accept a date that has already passed. From an EU perspective, what we've heard so far from the UK side remains rather vague. EU negotiators will want to see the details of this proposal which are only due to be made public next Monday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has described UK plans to ensure the rights of EU citizens in Britain after Brexit as "a good start".

Dr Helen Nicoll, 53, was found dead at home in Frog End, Great Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire, on Friday. Her husband and partner in their dental practice, Stephen Nicoll, 53, was arrested on suspicion of murder before being released on Tuesday. A post-mortem examination revealed Mrs Nicoll died from asphyxiation. Mr Nicoll was released by police with no further action and his bail cancelled. The couple had three children and worked together in their clinic in Hurst Park, Cambridge while Mr Nicoll also practises in London's Harley Street. Mr Nicoll said in a statement: "These last few days have been the worst of my life. "Nobody can understand the true loss that my children and I have experienced following the discovery that my wife Helen has taken her own life. "I would ask everybody, particularly the media, to respect our privacy and allow us to come to terms with our devastating loss and to begin the grieving process as a family following this tragedy." He added his family had "fully co-operated" with police and his wife's death had been referred to the coroner. Mr Nicoll's solicitor Paul Oliver said: "The arrest of Mr Nicoll in the immediate aftermath of the death of his beloved wife and the consequential media interest in this tragic case compounded the distress caused to him and his family. "The police have confirmed Mr Nicoll is not a suspect and he and his family now ask that their right to grieve in private be respected."

The husband of a dentist who was arrested over her death has said she "took her own life" as he told of his family's "devastating loss".

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics while many clinics provide a good service, some give too little advice and support. It says some fail to make it clear that non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) can offer only an estimate of Down's risk and is not diagnostic. One private clinic said counselling was a vital part of the test. NIPT involves taking a blood sample from the woman to look for DNA from the baby circulating in her blood. This is how doctors can gauge the risk of possible genetic conditions affecting the baby, such as Down's. Doctors can also use NIPT to determine a baby's sex. This isn't something NHS England will be advocating when it rolls out the test to high-risk women next year, but it is already big business for some private clinics in the UK. Most private NIPT providers offer their tests to women through hospitals and healthcare clinics, although some clinics are located in retail chains on High Streets. NIPT is also available on some websites for women to order directly. The Nuffield Council, which advises on ethical issues, says the information currently offered to women and couples accessing NIPT outside the NHS can sometimes be poor and incomplete. It says some providers are not telling women enough about the limits of the test. Advertising by clinics can fail to point out that NIPT can vary in its accuracy, and that it may give a reading that turns out to be false. This is important because women use the test result to decide whether to have more risky, invasive diagnostic tests that pose a chance of miscarriage. The report says there have been instances where the NHS was "left to pick up the pieces" after women had been told that they had a high chance of carrying a baby with a genetic disease based on their NIPT result but had not been given sufficient follow-up. One woman who used a private testing service told the Nuffield Council: "My results were delivered via a telephone call on a Friday teatime. I was then told if I needed to know more to phone back on Monday. In the meantime arrangements would be made to facilitate a termination." Dr Louise Bryant, who helped write the Nuffield Council report, said: "We are concerned that some women are not being supported well enough to make informed decisions." Judith Pilling, from the private provider This is my: Health Screening & Ultrasound Centres, said trained genetic counsellors should be accessible for patients when queries or concerns arise - something her company offers. Many groups have welcomed the Nuffield Council report, but some have criticised parts of its content, including a call for a ban on the use of NIPT for determining the sex of an unborn child. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said: "We should be absolutely clear that there is no peer-reviewed evidence of sex-selective abortion taking place in the UK. "Where any woman is under pressure to produce a male child, the ethical answer is not to deny every pregnant woman the right to find out information about her own pregnancy, but to do our utmost to ensure gender equality and access to comprehensive women's support services so that women can make their own choice about their pregnancy free from coercion."

Pregnant women are being urged to ask questions of private providers offering a new test for Down's syndrome.

Chelmsford Prison told residents there had recently been "numerous incidents" of packages being hurled over the wall. One former inmate said the jail was "notorious" for being "flooded" with mobile phones and synthetic cannabis. The Ministry of Justice said staff worked "extremely hard" to stop contraband from getting into prisons. "However more must be done, which is why the Justice Secretary has asked us to look at how we can ensure prisons have the tools in place to tackle this kind of problem," the spokeswoman added. Follow updates on this story and other news from Essex A woman who lives near the prison, who did not want to be named, said she had witnessed packages being thrown over the wall "four times in two weeks." "It's getting quite bad at the minute. The prison wants us to come to an evening to talk about what to do if anything does get thrown over," she said. "I don't feel frightened, but obviously it's not nice - I always lock the doors and everything." The former inmate claimed drones were used to fly contraband goods "straight up to prison windows", but the Ministry of Justice said there was no evidence of drones coming into the Chelmsford site. The spokeswoman said laws had been introduced which mean people who smuggle packages over prison walls could be jailed for up to two years.

A prison has written to people who live nearby asking them to help stop packets of "illicit articles" being thrown over the jail walls.

Vicente del Bosque's European champions had 64% possession in Alicante, as full-back Mario Gaspar scored a stunning acrobatic goal. "I thought the result flattered them, even though they had a lot of the ball," said centre-back Cahill. England's friendly against France on Tuesday goes ahead after the terrorist attacks which took place in Paris. Read more: Cahill continued: "For 70 minutes, I thought we were well in the game but goals change games. It was a special goal and it opened it up. We knew it was going to be tough and knew the ability they had." It was a first defeat since the 2014 World Cup for England, who went through Euro 2016 qualifying with a 100% record. "People need to stay patient," said Tottenham striker Harry Kane. "We're not going to win every game. We're playing these teams for a reason, to get experience. "We've got to stay confident. We know what we want to do and what we want to achieve."

Defender Gary Cahill believes England were not outclassed in their 2-0 friendly defeat by Spain on Friday.

Mark Piper is jointly charged with murdering Levi Blu. Levi died in 2013 of internal bleeding. His mother Danielle Cassin is also accused of murder. A woman told a jury at Birmingham Crown Court she saw Mr Piper being violent with his other child, who was five at the time, in 2012. The incident happened in the living room of Mr Piper's Chelmsley Wood home after he banned the youngster from playing on a games console, she said. The witness said Mr Piper swore at his son and dragged him out the room before poking and prodding him in the face by the stairs. "He (the child) was crying," said the woman, who met 31-year-old Mr Piper through a mutual friend. "He punched him in his stomach at the same time on the stairs. It was hard, enough to hurt him. "I have never seen anyone hitting a kid like that. It was rough. It was how you would hit your friends messing about. The little boy was crying. He was really upset." But Paul Lewis QC, defending Mr Piper, wanted to know why the punch was not mentioned in her original police statement. "I was lying (to the police)," she said. "I didn't want to seem like a grass." Mr Lewis questioned how she could be sure about the words Mr Piper had used when she made her police statement months after the incident. He highlighted a message sent by the witness about Piper which said: "He loves all his kids and looks after them well. I just don't understand all this." Levi was found at the flat his parents shared in Nightingale Avenue, Chelmsley Wood, on 20 February 2013. Both Ms Cassin, 27, of Frensham Close, Chelmsley Wood, and Mr Piper, of no fixed abode, deny murder. They also deny causing or allowing the death of Levi and causing him suffering. The trial continues.

A man accused of murdering his 22-month-old son in Birmingham had previously punched his other son in the stomach, a court heard.

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

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

Andrew Shinnie, James Keatings and Chris Humphrey banged in three goals inside 13 first-half minutes. The Midlothian junior side had a moment to celebrate when Dean Hoskins converted a penalty. The one-way traffic continued in the second half with Jason Cummings scoring twice, while Lewis Stevenson, Keatings and Jordon Forster were also on target. The opening 10 minutes were evenly matched but a goalkeeping error gifted Hibs their opener and it encouraged the Leith side to go on a three-goal blitz at the home of their arch-rivals Hearts. Shinnie's 22-yard shot looked like it would be dealt with comfortably by Michael Andrews, but the low effort squirmed through his grasp and into the bottom right corner. Bonnyrigg's 5000-strong support remained noisy before Keatings' delightful strike into the top left corner punctured their enthusiasm. Goalkeeper Andrews could do nothing about that one and all of a sudden the pressure was on the underdogs not to fold, but a third Hibs goal followed soon after. Andrews palmed Stevenson's low shot into the path of Humphrey for the winger to stroke home an easy first goal of his Hibs career. Manager Robbie Horn signalled to his players to be big and to stand up to Hibs' dominance, and left-back Ruaridh Donaldson impressed under pressure on more than one occasion before playing a useful ball to Kieran McGachie. Forster fouled the ambling blonde forward and referee Alan Muir pointed to the spot. Dean Hoskins sent Hibs' substitute goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw the wrong way and all of a sudden the Rosey Posey's support rediscovered their fervour, flags and volume. Another shout for a penalty from a Forster handball, as well as Wayne McIntosh's header wide gave the New Dundas Park side some hope of scoring a second, but Neil Lennon's side also remained a threat and Hoskins had to be smart to clear off the line before the break. Media playback is not supported on this device Hibernian quickly killed off any thoughts of an unlikely comeback with Cummings' scissor-kick and Stevenson's back post tap-in well and truly wrapping the result up by the hour mark. Bonnyrigg were broken further by Cummings' second strike of the game - an easy finish when Andrews could only parry an effort from Grant Holt. Then Keatings completed his brace by converting into the far corner from a tight angle following Martin Boyle's through ball. The rout was complete when Forster got in the scoring act by heading home Keatings' free-kick after a reckless foul by Hoskins on Humphrey. A chastening experience on the day for Bonnyrigg but one they only experienced because of a terrific run in the competition. Hibernian's Neil Lennon: "The attitude was great and that will give the players a lift. Overall, I'm very pleased and the most important thing is that we are in the next round. "It was a good day. Unfortunately, we lost our goalkeeper early [Ofir Marciano after a collision], so we are waiting to hear the results of that and we're hoping it's not too bad." Bonnyrigg's Robbie Horn: "We just didn't start the game and we gave away some poor goals. I know we are better than that. "We showed in spells what we are capable of at 3-0 and I thought there was a good shout for another penalty to go 3-2. "The way Hibs moved the ball was different class." Match ends, Bonnyrigg Rose 1, Hibernian 8. Second Half ends, Bonnyrigg Rose 1, Hibernian 8. Foul by Darren McGregor (Hibernian). Kieran McGachie (Bonnyrigg Rose) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian). Jonny Brown (Bonnyrigg Rose) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Bonnyrigg Rose. Conceded by Andrew Shinnie. Foul by Jordan Forster (Hibernian). Andrew Kidd (Bonnyrigg Rose) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian). Alan Horne (Bonnyrigg Rose) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Goal! Bonnyrigg Rose 1, Hibernian 8. Jordan Forster (Hibernian) header from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by James Keatings with a cross. Dean Hoskins (Bonnyrigg Rose) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Chris Humphrey (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Dean Hoskins (Bonnyrigg Rose). Substitution, Bonnyrigg Rose. Jonny Brown replaces Jonathan Stewart. Goal! Bonnyrigg Rose 1, Hibernian 7. James Keatings (Hibernian) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Martin Boyle. Substitution, Hibernian. Martin Boyle replaces Jason Cummings. Goal! Bonnyrigg Rose 1, Hibernian 6. Jason Cummings (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. Grant Holt (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Jason Cummings (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jonathan Stewart (Bonnyrigg Rose). Jordan Forster (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kieran McGachie (Bonnyrigg Rose). Foul by Lewis Stevenson (Hibernian). Andrew Kidd (Bonnyrigg Rose) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by James Keatings (Hibernian). Jonathan Stewart (Bonnyrigg Rose) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Hibernian. Fraser Fyvie replaces John McGinn. Substitution, Bonnyrigg Rose. Fraser McLaren replaces Wayne McIntosh. Grant Holt (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Scott Gray (Bonnyrigg Rose). Goal! Bonnyrigg Rose 1, Hibernian 5. Lewis Stevenson (Hibernian) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Grant Holt. Chris Humphrey (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Wayne McIntosh (Bonnyrigg Rose). Substitution, Bonnyrigg Rose. Scott Gray replaces Lewis Turner. Jordan Forster (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Andrew Kidd (Bonnyrigg Rose). James Keatings (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jonathan Stewart (Bonnyrigg Rose).

Scottish Cup holders Hibernian demolished Bonnyrigg Rose at Tynecastle to ease into the fifth round.

Officials earlier identified the remains as belonging to a female passenger called Hayati Lutfiah Hamid. Ms Hamid, 49, was buried at a ceremony attended by family and friends in the Indonesian city of Surabaya. The discovery of two bodies on Thursday brings the number recovered to nine. Bad weather has continued to hamper the search for the plane and other victims. The Airbus A320-200 came down four days ago en route from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board. No survivors have been found and the cause of the crash remains unknown. The identity of Ms Hamid was confirmed using fingerprints "and other means," East Java disaster official Col Budiyono said. Her body was handed over to family members in a brief ceremony at a police hospital in Surabaya. The coffin was then transported to a village, before being buried according to Islamic burial customs. One of Ms Hamid's relatives told AP news agency: "We have been fraught with worry because at this point, three of our family members are still missing... we pray together every night that they will be found soon." Previous media reports had incorrectly identified Ms Hamid as a flight attendant. The nine recovered bodies were flown to an airbase in Borneo but some have since been sent onto Surabaya where relatives, providing DNA samples, are waiting for them to be identified. For a second day in a row, search efforts have been hampered by heavy rain and rough seas. Some 50 divers from Indonesia were on standby to investigate a large shadow in the sea, thought to be part of the airliner, but they were unable to gain access due to the bad weather. AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes said on Thursday he believed the search was closing in on its final location, tweeting: "I am hoping that the latest information is correct and aircraft has been found." Ships and planes have been scouring the Java Sea off Borneo since the plane disappeared on Sunday. Malaysia, Australia and Thailand are helping Indonesia with the search, while the US destroyer USS Sampson has been sent to the zone. They are hoping to locate the fuselage of the plane on the seabed and find the plane's "black box" recorders, which could provide clues about the cause of the crash. "It's possible the bodies are in the fuselage," said search and rescue co-ordinator Sunarbowo Sand. "It's a race now against time and weather." Flight QZ8501, from Surabaya in Java to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday. Debris from the plane was located in the sea on Tuesday. There were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew, on the plane. The majority of those on board were Indonesians. Some investigators are reported to believe that the plane may have gone into an aerodynamic stall as the pilot climbed steeply to avoid a storm. Officials quoted by the Reuters news agency say that the plane was travelling at 32,000ft (9,750m) when it requested to climb to 38,000ft to avoid bad weather. When air traffic controllers consented to allow it to climb to 34,000ft a few minutes later, they got no reply. A source quoted by Reuters said that radar data appeared to show that the aircraft's "unbelievably" steep climb may have been beyond the Airbus A320's limits. However, the unnamed source emphasised that more information was needed before a definitive conclusion could be reached. AirAsia previously had an excellent safety record and there were no fatal accidents involving its aircraft.

The first victim of AirAsia Flight QZ8501, found in the Java Sea after the crash on Sunday, has been laid to rest.

The company says the new overhead compartments will allow passengers to store more hand luggage on its side. The bins will be fitted to some 737 aircraft from the end of this year, the company said. The new design will mean a 2in (5cm) reduction in headspace for passengers, it said, but air vent and light controls will be easier to reach. The loss of headroom may be of some concern to taller passengers, some of whom already struggle with the amount of legroom in economy seating. The new bins can be retrofitted to any of the "Next-Generation" 737s, of which 5,000 are currently in service. Boeing says the balance of the bins has been shifted so they close without the need for a catch or the "bin assist mechanism" currently in use. Travel writer Simon Calder told the BBC: "For the long-suffering passenger, this is mostly good news. By charging for luggage, the low-cost airlines have incentivised us to take everything on board. "And guess what? There isn't enough room, so we've had to check in stuff at the gate. "So this should help with that problem." Boeing said the bins should speed up boarding and that "passengers will benefit from decreased anxiety about finding space for their carry-on bag when boarding a flight". Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Airlines are the first two operators to place orders for the bins for their 737 fleets.

Boeing has shown off its "space bins" that can hold 50% more luggage than existing designs.

2 October 2015 Last updated at 18:13 BST Speaking in an interview with BBC Newsnight's diplomatic and defence editor Mark Urban, he said UK policy in Syria had been hampered by "wishful thinking" - and officials underestimated the staying power of President Bashar al-Assad. More on this story from Mark Urban on BBC Newsnight at 22:30 BST BBC Two on Friday 2 October, and afterwards on iPlayer

Russian's intervention in Syria is "hugely significant" says the UK's former senior military adviser in the Middle East Lt Gen Sir Simon Mayall.

However, it said the girls abducted from a school in Chibok in April 2014 were not among them. The military said the girls and women were freed during major operations ending in the seizure of four Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa Forest. A military spokesman said they were now being interviewed. Weapons were also seized at the camps taken in the latest operation, the military said. In recent months Nigerian security forces have taken back most of the territory previously under the control of Boko Haram, the BBC's Tomi Oladipo reports from Lagos. Gen Chris Olukolade said the hostages were freed as part of a major, ongoing operation. He said accurate intelligence had helped the military locate the camps, which had been attacked from all directions by ground and air forces. Last October, the government said it had secured an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of the girls taken from Chibok, but Boko Haram subsequently denied this. The abduction of the girls in Chibok sparked global outrage with many joining a campaign online to free them using the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Several nations including the US and China vowed to help find them and there have been reported sightings of the girls, but none has been found to date. Meanwhile, the government of neighbouring Niger gave more details about fighting between its troops and Boko Haram on an island in Lake Chad over the weekend. It says 28 civilians died when Boko Haram attacked Karamga island and that 46 of its troops died in the battle for the island, along with more than 150 militants. Reports in local media have given a much higher death toll for government forces. Boko Haram's insurgency, and the army campaign against it, have killed more than 15,500 people since 2012. The violence has recently spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The Nigerian military says it has rescued 200 girls and 93 women from an area where the Islamist militant group Boko Haram is active.

Moussa Dembele missed training on Tuesday with a hamstring complaint and will be assessed. Leigh Griffiths is serving a one-game ban for "provoking supporters" in the previous round against Linfield. Erik Sviatchenko is carrying a knock, while fellow central defender Dedryck Boyata is a long-term absentee. Norway winger Pal Andre Helland is Rosenborg's only injury absentee. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said Sviatchenko "could well miss this game" and suggested that 19-year-old Kristoffer Ajer, who spent last season on loan to Kilmarnock, "could potentially" come into contention. Revealing that Dembele could also be a doubtful starter, he said: "We are looking at a possible injury he may have. "We could be without him and Leigh, so we need to find a way. "We do what we always do - we will try to find a solution within the team to make it work." Even if Celtic have to face Rosenborg without their two leading forwards, history is in their favour. The Glasgow club have played 25 Champions League qualifying matches at home and lost only four, winning 19 of them. Celtic have met Rosenborg twice before in European competition, winning three of the four legs against the Norwegians. Rosenborg progressed to the third round of qualifying thanks to an extra-time win over Dundalk. The team from Trondheim are top of the Norwegian Eliteserien, 17 games into the campaign, having won the last two championships following five years without winning the trophy. It is 10 years, though, since they last featured in the group stage of the Champions League. "We expect a tough game," added Rodgers. "They are well into their season, so they will be at a good level of fitness. "Rosenborg are very set on how they play. They like to build from behind in a 4-3-3. "They have good players but are very much based around the strength of the team." Matthias Vilhjalmsson is pushing for a starting place after scoring the extra-time winner in their 3-2 aggregate win over Dundalk. However, Rosenborg coach Kare Ingebrigtsen preferred former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner up front for both legs, which meant the Iceland international was in midfield for the first leg in Ireland and on the bench for the return. Rosenborg captain Mike Jensen is expecting an early onslaught at Celtic Park by a side he rates as favourites to progress to the play-off stage. "It's a big challenge for us," said Bendtner's fellow Dane. "They are maybe the best team we have played for a long time, but we need to focus on ourselves. "Everyone will agree that they are the favourites to go through, but the best version of Rosenborg will beat the second best version of Celtic. "We will have chances and I hope we have the courage to take them. We will have a go. It's not in our style to defend deep for 90 minutes. "They will come out with a lot of energy and we need to handle that early pressure."

Celtic may be without their two main strikers for the Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg in Glasgow on Wednesday.

From Friday, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is making its video streaming service available in the mainland. The part-sport, part soap-opera joins a long list of sports eager to tap into a new customer base. Industry-watchers say finding local stars will be key to its success. WWE's service will be available through its Chinese partner PPTV, with subscribers required to download an app to access the content. Past events have "received a great response from WWE fans in China," according to Godfrey Zeng, executive vice president of Suning Sports Media, parent company of PPTV. China has held a number of WWE events over the years, and there's even a local WWE-style wrestling organisation, but this is the first time an entire channel devoted to WWE will be available. The network will feature WWE's major live events and original series, as well as reality shows and classic matches. The organisation is kicking things off by making one of its marquee events SummerSlam, which takes place on Monday, available live in Mandarin. Sports ranging from mixed martial arts to Australian rules football have all been trying their luck in China. Other sports have managed to capitalise on the success of Chinese stars. The country's huge population means that most organisations would only need a small share of the market to see a return on their investment, but some industry watchers caution that it's not as easy it might seem. "Everyone's trying to break into China, and you've all got those much more established sports. Then you've got things like rugby, and combat sports and they're all trying to compete for the same demographic," said Mark Dreyer, who runs the China Sports Insider website. Two-time grand slam champion Li Na helped to make tennis more popular, while Chinese NBA star Yao Ming made a huge difference to basketball's popularity.

US-style professional wrestling is leaping off the top ropes and into the Chinese market.

Monday's bond sale was Apple's third such sale in as many years and was just over half the $12bn the company raised in April 2014. The California-based firm plans to return more than $130bn to shareholders by the end of this year. The move comes despite the company sitting on a cash pile of $178bn. Some of the bonds are set to mature in five years, while others will not do so for another three decades. Analysts have said that Apple could increase the amount it returns to its investors to as much as $200bn over the next three years. Even when Apple's $35bn of debt is taken into account, it still has $142bn in cash. Almost 90% of the cash is held outside the US, and it would have to pay the top corporate tax rate of 35% if it returned the money from abroad, which is why it is borrowing the money instead. Apple is rated by Moody's as Aa1, the second-highest available, and bonds from companies with high credit ratings are popular with investors. Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs are the banks managing the capital-raising. Last week, Apple reported a record quarterly profit for a public company of $18bn for the three months to 31 December, with revenue up almost 30% to $74.6bn after the new iPhone 6 proved a huge hit with consumers globally. Shares in Apple closed up 1.25% to $118.63 in New York on Monday, valuing the company at about $684bn.

US technology giant Apple raised a better than expected $6.5bn (£4.3bn) through a corporate bond sale, as part of a plan to return cash to investors.

Under the Affordable Care Act, employers are required to cover the cost of contraception with insurance. Religious groups argue that they should be exempt from the requirement because it violates religious liberty. A tie would uphold lower court rulings in support of the administration but not set a national precedent. The court now has eight justices after conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died in February. Senate Republicans are blocking efforts by President Barack Obama to fill the vacancy, making split decisions more likely. The Obama administration has already agreed to a compromise for non-profit groups with religious ties that allows them to avoid directly providing birth control in health plans for employees. Opposing groups argue this is not enough and do not want any link to providing contraception. The groups view some forms of contraception as equivalent to abortion. The Little Sisters of the Poor, a charity that cares for the elderly, and other Roman Catholic groups were among plaintiffs. In oral arguments on Wednesday, Justice Anthony Kennedy, who usually is the deciding vote in divisive cases, expressed doubts about the government's case. Justice Kennedy's questions signalled that he would join with the three conservative justices in favouring the Christian groups. "They think that complicity is sinful," Chief Justice John Roberts said of plaintiffs. The four justices who make up the court's left wing appeared to side with the Obama administration. Justice Elena Kagan said the religious groups "were objecting to objecting." For 90 minutes, the court heard arguments on whether non-profit groups opposed to the contraception requirement can use a 1993 law, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to object to the administration's compromise. The hashtag #HandsOffMyBC was trending in Washington on Wednesday, mostly being tweeted by those who side with the Affordable Care Act requirement. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders used the hashtag, tweeting: "No matter where you work or what you do, your birth control decisions should be up to you." House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan tweeted his support for the religious groups, saying that "We should do everything we can to let people live out their faith". A final ruling, if reached, will be announced in June.

The US Supreme Court appeared to be evenly divided over a case about faith-based groups indirectly providing contraception in employee health plans.

John Johnston, 27, admitted taking the vehicle without consent and driving while over the legal alcohol limit. He was spotted by a CCTV operator committing the offence and stopped by police in Buccleuch Street. At Dumfries Sheriff Court he was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and given the driving ban. Johnston, who had moved from Belfast to Dumfries, committed the offence in September this year. He had been staying in homeless accommodation in the town and took the roller from Brooms Road. He then drove it across town in a bid to get home from a night out drinking with a friend. "I was just trying to find my way home," he told the court at an earlier appearance.

A man who tried to get home on a 2.5 tonne road roller after a night out drinking in Dumfries has received a 15-month driving ban.

Mr Obama asked Congress for the funds after a week of nationwide protests over perceived policing injustices. Ferguson in Missouri was rocked by riots after a grand jury decided not to charge a white police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man. Protests spread across the US and a mass walkout was held on Monday. Students and workers held a lunchtime protest in several cities to highlight the issue. "This is not a problem just of Ferguson, Missouri. This is a national problem, Mr Obama said. "But it's a solvable problem." The president spoke after a day of meetings with mayors, civil rights leaders and law enforcement officials at the White House. They discussed a programme that currently provides redundant US military tactical gear to local police departments, free of charge. Mr Obama said he has asked federal agencies for recommendations to ensure the programme is not building a "militarised culture" in domestic police forces. Police in Ferguson, Missouri, were criticised for being heavy-handed in dealing with protests sparked by the shooting of Michael Brown in August. The funds requested by Mr Obama would be spread over three years and some of the money will go towards purchasing 50,000 body cameras for police officers as well as resources to reform law enforcement departments. Body cameras can provide evidence of encounters between police and civilians, particularly in disputed cases such as the Ferguson shooting. The president said the stories of discrimination that young people had told him at the White House on Monday "violate my belief about what America can do". He also unveiled a taskforce on modern policing, to be chaired by Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey. Also on Monday, a commission tasked with making recommendations on issues stemming from the fatal shooting has convened in Ferguson. The 16-member panel, stood up by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, will consider changes in areas including public interaction with law enforcement and community stability. The officer who shot Brown in Ferguson, Darren Wilson, resigned from the force over the weekend. The decision not to charge Mr Wilson days earlier triggered a nationwide debate over relations between black communities and law enforcement. The policeman said he had feared for his life. Brown's supporters said the teenager was attempting to surrender when he was shot. Some witnesses said the 18-year-old, who was unarmed, had his hands up.

US President Barack Obama has requested $263m (£167m) to improve police training, pay for body cameras and restore trust in policing.

The Islamic State (IS) group captured Qaraqosh overnight after the withdrawal of Kurdish forces. IS has been gaining ground in northern Iraq since June, and also controls some of Syria. The US has warned that the situation for Iraq's minority groups threatens to become a "humanitarian catastrophe". ``We are gravely concerned for their health and safety," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. But he refused to confirm a New York Times report that the US is considering air strikes to help the Yazidi community, another minority group in northern Iraq that has been targeted by IS. About 50,000 Yazidis are thought to have been trapped in the mountains after fleeing the town of Sinjar - although the UN says some of them have now been rescued. The United Nations Security Council is due to meet in emergency session later on Thursday to discuss the situation. Tens of thousands of religious minorities have been forced to flee since IS, a Sunni Muslim group formerly known as Isis, launched its onslaught. IS says it has created an Islamic state in the territory it controls. In other developments: A majority of Nineveh inhabitants left their homes overnight, according to Fraternite en Irak, an international Christian organisation based in Paris. As many as 100,000 people are believed to be fleeing toward the autonomous Kurdistan Region. Pope Francis has made an impassioned appeal to the international community to do much more to address the crisis. A Vatican statement said the Pope had appealed for "all necessary help" to be given to those forced to flee their homes, "whose fate depends entirely on the solidarity of others". And Minority Rights Group International has warned that Iraq's multi-ethnic future is now at grave risk. Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, have been fighting the IS militants' advance for weeks. The Peshmerga's commander in Qaraqosh reportedly told the town's archbishop late on Wednesday that the forces were abandoning their posts. Several senior clergymen in Nineveh confirmed the town had fallen. "It's a catastrophe, a tragic situation: tens of thousands of terrified people are being displaced as we speak," said Joseph Thomas, the Chaldean archbishop of the northern city of Kirkuk. Eyewitnesses in Qaraqosh said IS militants were taking down crosses in churches and burning religious manuscripts. The town - referred to as Iraq's Christian capital - is located 30km (19 miles) south-east of the city of Mosul, which was captured by IS in June. Last month, hundreds of Christian families fled Mosul after the Islamist rebels gave them an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a special tax or be executed. Iraq is home to one of the world's most ancient Christian communities, but numbers have dwindled amid growing sectarian violence since the US-led invasion in 2003. Christians Yazidis Iraq: The minorities of Nineveh Yazidi eyewitness: 'They want to slaughter us' Meanwhile, the UN said it was mobilising resources to assist Yazidis rescued from Mount Sinjar over the past 24 hours. Members of the ancient Kurdish ethno-religious community sought refuge there at the weekend. Almost 200,000 civilians have been displaced from Sinjar town, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned. Those trapped on the mountain are facing dehydration, and 40 children are reported to have died already. "This is a tragedy of immense proportions, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people," said UN spokesman David Swanson. "Many of the displaced are in immediate need of essential life-saving humanitarian items, including water, food, shelter and medicine."

Up to a quarter of Iraq's Christians are reported to be fleeing after Islamic militants seized the minority group's biggest town.

A long, slow sigh sounded in the room. Then a consolatory hand on her shoulder. Shortly after, the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Canon Enid Morgan remembers the moment a bill to enable women to become bishops failed by three votes in 2008. She was sat among the church's governing body in Lampeter, Ceredigion, when the result was announced. "There was this feeling of 'we're going to carry on discussing this yet again'," she recalled. Ever since the first woman was made an Anglican deaconess in Usk, Monmouthshire, in 1884, women have been campaigning for greater equality in the church, fighting to prove they were capable of holding the same positions as men. Just 11 years before the failed vote for bishops, the Church in Wales governing body had accepted women becoming priests by one vote in 1997. Canon Morgan, of Aberystwyth, who was among the first 61 women to be ordained, said: "There were women there who had been deacons for many years, I had been one for 12 years, so there was a lot of frustration. "So much energy had gone into arguing the case which would have been better going into our work. "Yet there was also the realisation this had not happened before and will not happen again. It was hugely important." Canon Morgan, now 76, has been among the "lucky ones" who has received much support over the years. She was a lay reader for a decade and studied at the Theological College, Aberystwyth, before being ordained deacon in 1984. She saw her ordination as a priest "as a sign that times were changing" and would later become director of the Board of Mission of the Church in Wales. "I didn't have much in the way of humiliation or rudeness but some women got a rough ride," she said. "Some bishops were very suspicious of us, some thought we might plot. "If men and women can't get along in the church, then how are they expected to do so anywhere else?" The move for women bishops would go on to be passed five years later, in 2013. But the barriers women faced in the past still remain today. As Revd Mary Stallard, of Llangollen, Denbighshire, said: "The whole gender debate has a long way to go. Having women bishops is fabulous but it's not the end of the road in terms of how the church looks at gender. "The decision-making committee for the finances of the church, for example, has 26 places on the representative body but only two are women. "Yet if you look across Wales at who balances the books of households, I'm betting women are doing the lion's share." She and her husband Andrew were the first paid ordained couple in the Church in Wales before both becoming priests - she was among the first women in 1997 - and have gone on to achieve similar qualifications and experiences. Yet Revd Stallard, a chaplain at an Anglican school, said jobs have been more readily offered to her husband while she has often been asked to work part-time or even without a salary. When she found herself in a higher position than her husband, she said she had to "argue that bit harder for it". "I hope we continue on a trajectory of change and if we are going slower in the church, it doesn't mean we won't catch up," she said. "The future for the church is a struggle, but it would be less of a struggle if we stop fighting internally about matters like this. "We are so much more empowered if we harness the powers of everyone." Both Canon Morgan and Revd Stallard hope the appointment of Canon Joanna Penberthy as Wales' first female bishop will inspire other women and open further opportunities in the church. "It matters a great deal for the church, for women and for the women who died before their hopes were realised," Canon Morgan said. "It's a wonderful feeling of completion but in fact it's only really the start."

History will be made this weekend when Wales' first female bishop is consecrated - but women in the church have had to overcome many challenges over the years in order to reach this significant moment.

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

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

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy this week defended a lack of signings and railed against "unsustainable" spending. They were runners up to Chelsea in the Premier League last term, faltered in the Champions League group stages, and again in the Europa League last 32. "If [Spurs] don't win the title, it's not a tragedy," said Conte. "If they don't arrive in the Champions League, it's not a tragedy. If they go out in the first round of the Champions League, it's not a tragedy. If they go out after the first game that they play in the Europa League, it's not a tragedy. "Maybe for Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and - I don't know - Liverpool, it is a tragedy. You must understand the status of the team. "Every team has to understand what their ambitions are. If their ambitions are to fight for the title or win the Champions League, you must buy expensive players. Otherwise you continue to stay in your level. It's simple." "My question is this: What are Tottenham's expectations?" After finishing second in the Premier League last season, Spurs have not added to their squad over the summer. Their only transfer activity has been selling England right-back Kyle Walker to rivals Manchester City for £45m. "We have a duty to manage the club appropriately," Levy said. Recent history suggests it may be a while before Levy makes his move, with the majority of Spurs' incoming deals finalised in August in the past few seasons. Last August, they paid Newcastle £30m for midfielder Moussa Sissoko in the final few hours of the window, having signed £9m winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and loan goalkeeper Pau Lopez earlier in the day. In previous seasons, forward Son Heung-min (£22m), midfielder Erik Lamela (£25.7m), goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (£11.8m) and forward Clint Dempsey (£6m) all joined the club in the closing days and hours of transfer windows. More than £850m has been spent by Premier League sides so far in the summer transfer window, which closes on 31 August, with accountancy firm Deloitte predicting top-flight clubs will surpass the record £1.165bn they spent last summer. Chelsea have parted with about £130m for three players - forward Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid, midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco and defender Antonio Rudiger from Roma. Conte revealed Chelsea "tried to buy" Walker and acknowledged that the market is currently "very difficult", adding: "I think now every single player is expensive." Conte also said Spurs and England striker Harry Kane would be his first pick if he could sign any forward. Kane has finished as the Premier League's top goalscorer for the past two seasons. "Tottenham is a really good squad if they are able to keep all the players," Conte said. "For me, Kane, now, is one of the best strikers in the world. "If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane. He is a complete striker. He is strong physically, with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he's strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left. "If you go to buy Kane now it would be at least £100m."

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has questioned Tottenham's ambition, suggesting they have lower expectations than their Premier League title rivals.

It is the first time an unsigned artist has won the honour - which has previously gone to Adele and Sam Smith. "I can't believe this is happening," said the 23-year-old, from south London. "It's all just so ridiculous!" Four of the top five Sound of 2017 acts are black British women, reflecting a rise of female talent in grime and R&B. Ray said she wanted her music to "empower women to live life as they want". "There are so many societal pressures on women, on how we should behave, and they're all based on male privilege." The Sound of 2017 list was chosen by a panel of 170 DJs, critics and festival bookers. Among them was Jamal Edwards, whose SB:TV YouTube channel has helped launch the careers of Dizzee Rascal, Stormzy and Ed Sheeran. He said he was "blown away" when he saw Ray BLK perform at one of his club nights last year. "She is the whole package," he said. "I know she's going to have an amazing year." "Some artists have that magic about them," said Radio 1's Huw Stephens. "She has a real, raw talent that cuts through so strongly. She is the real deal." Born in Nigeria and raised in London, Ray released her first recordings while studying for an English degree. She worked in an advertising agency to sustain her career in its early days. Combining her love of hip-hop and R&B, she delivers streetwise, literate lyrics with a velvety soul voice. Her standout track, My Hood, is a bittersweet love letter to her home town, Catford. "The south east is one of the roughest places in London but it rears the strongest people, and that's what makes us special," she said. The singer has avoided signing a record deal in order to retain the rights to her music, which she releases on her own label. Like an increasing number of artists, from Paul McCartney to the Pet Shop Boys, she works with a company called Kobalt Music Services - who provide "back-room" support like publishing and distribution, without tying musicians to restrictive contracts. "I feel as though I need to have my autonomy for now," Ray told the BBC. "There've been so many artists in 2016 that came out, who did so independently and experienced a lot of success. I think there's a new wave of people doing that. The industry is changing." The winning soul singer, whose real name is Rita Ekwere, beat blues singer Rag N Bone Man to top the Sound of 2017 list, while third place went to pop star-in-waiting Raye. Ray said: "I'm particularly proud to be a part of this year's list as it's full of so much talent, some of whom are independent artists like myself which I really hope inspires the next generation." The Sound of... list launched in 2003 and has a track record in championing new and innovative acts, including 50 Cent, Haim, Frank Ocean, Ellie Goulding and Florence + The Machine. According to the rules, acts on the longlist should not be well known - so talent show contestants and members of famous bands launching a solo career are excluded. Artists must not have had a UK top 20 single or album before 30 October 2016 - although guest vocalists remain eligible. Last year's victor was Jack Garratt, whose debut album Phase entered the charts at number three. He praised the "very diverse" range of acts on 2017 longlist, which also included agitprop rock band Cabbage and folk-pop ingenue Maggie Rogers. "This list shows it is possible to have a great ear for melody and not just write the same four chords in different keys. "2017 is going to be such an incredible year for art, especially given how terrible 2016 was for politics. "We've all got a lot to write about and I think we're going to write some incredible stuff." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Soul singer Ray BLK has topped the BBC's Sound Of 2017 list, which aims to predict the most exciting new music for the year ahead.

St Davids in Pembrokeshire and Swansea both hope to inherit the title from Hull in 2021. The Swansea bid team said it wanted to match the £33m spent by Hull, while St Davids has a £20m programme in place. City of Culture is awarded by the UK government every four years - providing the winner with an opportunity to raise its profile and draw investment. In Hull's case, the council put in about £3.5m with the rest coming from local and central government, the Arts Council, Lottery funding and businesses in the city. The winning city also gets to host high-profile national events such as the Turner Prize for contemporary art and Radio 1's Big Weekend. The Department of Culture Media and Sport is considering 11 bids for 2021 and the shortlist of four is due to be announced in July. An independent panel, chaired by Brookside creator Phil Redmond, will then assess the final bids before a winner is chosen at the end of the year. St Davids' bid is being led by Pembrokeshire council. Chief executive Tegryn Jones told the Eye on Wales programme: "I think we've got a number of themes. The background of pilgrimage is very strong amongst those. Another obvious aspect is the coastline and the natural environment. "There are fantastic opportunities to put art in the landscape. One of the ideas is to have a cycling cinema, where people turn up on their bikes and power the film by using their bicycles." Swansea made the final shortlist before losing out to Hull in the 2017 competition. The council's head of cultural services, Tracey McNulty, said: "We have a bit of a history of people who took risks and lead to world-first innovation. Also we have this stunning landscape but we've also got areas which are facing deprivation. "We're really playing with that 'lovely, ugly' Swansea that Dylan Thomas describes." Hull estimates being UK Capital of Culture helped unlock £3bn of capital investment in the city. The £33m was spent on such things as education, volunteering and legacy as well as a 365-day programme of events. Martin Green, director of Hull City of Culture 2017, said: "One of the things that we've clearly seen in this city is that pride has hit the roof. "Proud cities are confident cities. And confident cities can do anything they like."

Two Welsh cities hoping to become the UK City of Culture are planning multi-million pound improvements if they win.

Dyddgu Hywel, Mel Clay and Sioned Harries all crossed in the first eight minutes with Alisha Butchers' try making it 24-0 at the break. Clay again. Jess Kavanagh-Williams and Elen Evans added second-half tries with Elinor Snowsill converting four. RAF and Wales full-back Charlie Murray scored a late Forces consolation. Clay's second after 51 minutes was the pick of the bunch as the rangy lock ran in from a Keira Bevan break out of defence. It was a second Wales victory of the month after beating Scotland 15-0, as they prepare for the Six Nations and 2017 World Cup. Woman of the match Elinor Snowsill told BBC Wales Sport: "I'm chuffed with the performance of the whole squad, we scored tries early on, then we had a 20-minute period where we switched off, but we came back out, finished the game off and scored some nice tries. "It's a massive positive that we threw on a lot of subs, we made a lot of positional changes, and still kept our structure. "We're really thankful for the chance (to play autumn internationals), it gives us time to work on different combinations, and you blow out the cobwebs to keep moving forward into the Six Nations and World Cup. "I only switched to left-foot (goal) kicking two weeks ago, I'd always struggled with my right foot kicking for the posts, so I gave the left a go and it worked." Wales: Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets); Jess Kavanagh-Williams (Scarlets), Kerin Lake (Ospreys), Rebecca De Filippo (Dragons), Adi Taviner (Ospreys); Elinor Snowsill (Dragons), Keira Bevan (Ospreys); Cerys Hale (Dragons), Carys Phillips (Ospreys, capt), Amy Evans (Ospreys), Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys), Mel Clay (Ospreys), Alisha Butchers (Scarlets), Sioned Harries (Scarlets), Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys). Replacements: Lowri Harries (Scarlets), Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets), Catrin Edwards (Scarlets), Charlie Mundy (Ospreys), Rachel Taylor (Scarlets), Sian Moore (Dragons), Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys), Elen Evans (Scarlets), Jodie Evans (Scarlets), Nia Elen Davies (Scarlets).. UK Armed Forces: Charlie Murray (RAF); Jade Mullen, Gemma Rowland, Sarah Mitchelson (capt), Bethan Dainton; Katie Hancock, Gemma Stonebridge-Smith; Sarah Batley, Rae Metters, Bianca Dawson, Ellie Gattlin, Heidi Silcox, Erica Mills (all Army), Sian Williams (RAF), Alexandra Hardy (Army). Replacements: Paula Robinson (Army), Maria Waghorn (RAF), Fran Athawes (Army), Kat Dale, Kate Edwards (RAF), Charlotte Fredrickson (Navy), Mariette Claasens (Army), Chrissy Siczowa (RAF), Carrie Roberts, Jessica McAuley-Roberts (Army).

Wales made the most of a flying start to beat the UK Armed Forces 43-5 in a special Armistice Day match at the Arms Park.

The cameras will go live on the northbound and southbound carriages of the M74 between Hamilton and the east of Glasgow from Monday. They will remain operational until spring 2017. Similar measures will follow later on the M8, A8 and M73. It is hoped they will help safeguard driver and worker safety. The work will widen key parts of the motorways, upgrade a stretch of the A8 and improve the Raith Interchange. Graeme Reid, project sponsor for Transport Scotland, said: "We know from our experience of major road infrastructure projects that safety cameras are a tried and tested approach that improves safety for both road users and the adjacent construction workforce during what will be an extremely busy period in terms of construction. "Not only do the cameras create a safer environment for all concerned, they can also help improve the flow of traffic through the works." The motorway improvements project began in February 2014 and is scheduled for completion in spring 2017. 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. WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said serious consideration should be given to making the cameras permanent after the road works are completed. He said: "We've already seen the very clear safety benefits that average speed cameras have had by helping to enforce speed limits on the A9. However, alongside other tools, average speed cameras are also a cost effective way to reduce climate emissions as well as fuel costs for motorists. "To reduce health-threatening levels of air pollution and our meet our climate targets, the use of average speed cameras and other approaches to help reduce excessive speeds should be seriously considered on other major roads across Scotland."

Average speed cameras are due to be activated on one of Scotland's busiest motorways while work continues on a £500m upgrade project.

A team from Cardiff University has spent the last month excavating Caerau hill fort near Ely. It is smaller than its contemporaries at Pentyrch and Pontprennau and had been thought to be inferior in status. But structures and artefacts so far unearthed suggest the fort remained important well into the Roman era. Until now it has been thought that the fort was purely a stronghold of the Silurian tribe who inhabited this part of Wales from around the 5th Century BC, falling into disuse once they were finally defeated by the Romans, circa 75 AD. However the initial dig this summer has uncovered a considerable amount of new information, including three Iron Age roundhouses and a stone-built pathway that runs around the edge of the hill fort, suggesting to the experts a possible domestic and/or political dimension. Also, the mix of Silurian and Roman artefacts may indicate that the fort was occupied much later than had been thought, and that the two groups might have mingled there. Dr Oliver Davis, from the university's School of History, Archaeology and Religion, said: "People think of these sites as defensive structures, but our attention is turning to whether the people who lived there were actually developing a community or collective identity for themselves. "Our community excavations show that occupation at the site continued until at least the third century AD, well into the Roman period. "Domestic life is indicated by the discovery of simple tools and ceramics from all periods. "A glimpse of the personality of the inhabitants is provided by the discovery of a glass bead of Iron Age date and an enamelled disc brooch of Roman date. "Both these objects indicate that individuals were concerned with their appearance, and that life in the past was a little more colourful than we sometimes think. "Over the past month the team has also examined the inner of the three ramparts that surround the hill fort. These ramparts and their associated ditches were unlikely to have been built just for defence." But as well as colour from the past, Dave Horton, of the community organisation Action in Caerau and Ely, said the way local residents have had a hand in the discoveries has also lent a little colour to the present. "The last few weeks have seen a whirlwind of activity in Ely and Caerau focused around our beautiful iron-age hill fort," he said. "Literally hundreds of local people have visited the site and have dug together, learned new skills, shared local knowledge, and have celebrated together with a fantastic Iron Age hog roast." "We have all walked down the hill to our homes with a different perspective. We have found new pride in the history of our community."

Early results from an archaeological dig at an Iron Age fort in Cardiff suggest it may have been the region's centre of power, experts have said.

John Lamont quit the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency seat to fight for a place at Westminster, hoping to unseat the SNP's Calum Kerr. The Conservative MSP formally resigned from the seat as of 13:00 on Thursday. The by-election means residents in the area will vote on their local council, their Holyrood representative and their MP all inside five weeks. Selection procedures for the Holyrood by-election have yet to get under way. Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh has written to Tracey Logan, chief executive of Scottish Borders Council and returning officer for the elections, to confirm his choice of date and to ask for arrangements for the by-election to be put in place. Mr Lamont is seeking to unseat the SNP's Calum Kerr in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, Scotland's most marginal Westminster constituency. Mr Kerr gained the seat from Lib Dem former Scottish Secretary Michael Moore in 2015 by a margin of 328 votes. The Lib Dems have put forward Catriona Bhatia, currently deputy leader of the council, as their candidate for the Westminster poll.

A Holyrood by-election is to be held on the same day as the UK's snap general election on 8 June.

The Briton finished more than two minutes ahead of Poland's Anna Harkowska in Nottwil, Switzerland. Storey can win a 17th title when she rides in Saturday's road race. "It's a massive relief to win," said the 37-year-old, who is targeting further Paralympic success at next year's Games in Rio de Janeiro. Storey is Britain's most decorated female Paralympian with 22 medals. She has won 11 gold, eight silver and three bronze medals in both cycling and swimming across six Paralympics. She won four golds at the 2012 Games in London and has now won 21 world titles across both sports. Storey began her sporting career in the pool, winning six medals at the 1992 Paralympics before switching to cycling in 2005.

Dame Sarah Storey claimed the 16th world title of her cycling career with gold in the time trial at the Para-cycling Road World Championships.

The 53-year-old German was last seen on Saturday afternoon, when he went to cycle part of the South West coastal path between Newquay and Sennen. The search involved the coastguard helicopter, cliff teams, lifeboat crews and police. Devon and Cornwall Police said a body was recovered by the Sennen lifeboat near Land's End. A police spokesman said he was unable to confirm the identity of the dead man.

A search team looking for a missing tourist have found a man's body at the foot of cliffs in Cornwall.

Lt Cdr Malcolm Wanklyn spent part of his childhood at Knockinaam Lodge in Portpatrick. A commemorative blue plaque is being put on the property as part of a wider project by the Submariners Association. The latest one will honour the man who is considered to be "the most successful submarine commander of World War Two". Malcolm David Wanklyn was born on 28 June 1911 in India. His father William was a successful businessman and engineer who served in the army during the World War One and who had grown up in Ayrshire. At the end of the war the family moved to Knockinaam which was prompted by his father's new posting to Scotland as Inspector of Munitions. The family stayed there for five years in which time the young Malcolm became a keen and proficient angler and was fond of shooting and boating. The Submariners Association said he came to consider himself to be Scottish and developed "a close affinity for the country and people". Determined to join the Royal Navy, he overcame colour-blindness to pass the selection board at the age of 14. He rapidly rose through the ranks and eventually took command of the HMS Upholder in August 1940 while the submarine was being built. Once it was complete he sailed via Gibraltar to join the 10th Submarine Flotilla based in Malta. HMS Upholder was described as having a "short but very successful wartime career" which established Lt Cdr Wanklyn's "fearsome reputation". Things started slowly, with his first patrols being "largely unsuccessful", but they soon picked up. "Using a combination of innate skill and inspired tactical awareness, he went on to success after success," said the Submariners Association. "Not only was he a renowned attacker but was also cool and calm in defence." HMS Upholder survived numerous depth charges and of 36 attacks made under Lt Cdr Wanklyn's command, 23 were successful. The one described as the most daring was the sinking of the large liner-troopship Conte Rosso on 24 May 1941 which earned him the Victoria Cross. His citation, published in the London Gazette later that year, recognised his "valour and resolution in command of HMS Upholder". Despite failing light and -enemy Destroyers providing a strong escort, he attacked the troop convoy off the coast of Sicily. Not only did he sink the large troop ship, he was also praised for the "greatest courage, coolness and skill" in bringing his submarine safely back to harbour. "He has continued to show the utmost bravery in the presence of the enemy," the citation added. "He has carried out his attacks on enemy vessels with skill and relentless determination, and has also sunk one Destroyer, one U-boat, two troop-transports of 19,500 tons each, one tanker and three supply ships. "He has besides probably destroyed by torpedoes one Cruiser and one Destroyer, and possibly hit another Cruiser." However, the dangers of patrolling such waters eventually saw him pay the ultimate price. Lt Cdr Wanklyn was killed along with his crew when HMS Upholder was lost on patrol on 14 April 1942. By that time he had become the Allies' most successful submariner in terms of tonnage sunk. After his death, his squadron commander, Cdr George Simpson, said: "I have lost a friend and adviser who I believe I knew better than my brother. "His record of brilliant leadership will never be equalled. He was by his very qualities of modesty, ability, determination, courage and character a giant among us. "The island of Malta worshipped him. This tribute is no overstatement." He will be honoured again this weekend at the home where he grew up on the western edge of Dumfries and Galloway. A range of dignitaries and family members will be present at the unveiling of the plaque in his memory.

The exploits of a Victoria Cross recipient are being recognised at his former home in south west Scotland.

Murray, 27, outsmarted the 19-year-old to win 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 and set up a clash with Tomas Berdych on Thursday. Kyrgios threatened a comeback in the second set tie-break but two superb lobs helped the Scot to a crucial lead. The sixth seed is through to his fifth Australian Open and 15th Grand Slam semi-final. In the last four he will take on seventh seed Berdych, now working with Murray's former coach Dani Vallverdu who left the Briton's team in November. While Berdych enjoyed a landmark win over Rafael Nadal in his quarter-final, Murray overcame the great new hope of Australian tennis - and a packed and expectant crowd on Rod Laver Arena. "I didn't go into it obviously thinking like that," said Murray about facing the home favourite. "I was just trying to win against Nick, which was tough because he has an exceptional serve and makes it very difficult for you when he's serving. "And it was very tricky conditions as well, so I was quite happy with the way I handled everything tonight." The dominant force from the outset, particularly on serve, Murray used a variety of spins and angles to keep Kyrgios off balance. When Kyrgios did suggest a fightback, the Briton was able to find a big serve or a winner to halt the momentum. Two terrific lunging returns set up a break point in game six and a sliced backhand drew the error when Kyrgios went for too much. On a cold and breezy evening, the home crowd needed their man to bring a bit of heat to the contest and, after saving an early break point in the second, he worked his way into the match. A tie-break was required and Kyrgios looked likely to take it when he turned around a 2-0 deficit to lead 4-3 with a break, but Murray played a magical forehand lob to wrestle back the initiative. The Australian had a half-chance facing a second serve at 5-5 but could not make the return, and Murray produced another winning lob off the backhand to clinch the set. A furious Kyrgios risked a point penalty when he smashed his racquet, having earlier been warned for an audible obscenity, but at least escaped that punishment as he faced the prospect of recovering from two sets down for the second time in three days. Murray further tightened his grip when he made it a hat-trick of unplayable lobs on the way to breaking for 4-2 in the third, only to slip up with the finish line in sight. It took nearly two hours for Kyrgios to earn a break point but he converted his second when a distracted Murray netted a backhand, and the crowd came to life. Murray needed to snuff out the danger quickly and he did just that, thanks in part to a poor line call at 30-0 down which he capitalised on with two thumping cross-court forehand winners. It left the British number one serving for the match, and there were no alarms this time as he sealed it with a smooth forehand winner down the line. "It was a really good experience," said Kyrgios, who was aiming to become the first Australian man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005. "That was my first Aussie Open Grand Slam match playing on Rod Laver, so that was really cool. But he was way too good for me tonight. "I thought he served really well. A lot of variety. I thought if I could get that second set it's a totally different match, but he won the second set and he was too good."

Britain's Andy Murray ended the run of home favourite Nick Kyrgios with a brilliant display to reach the Australian Open semi-finals.

Vithiya Alphons, 24, has acute myeloid leukaemia but her Sri Lankan background makes the search hard as not many South Asian people are on donor registers. She launched a social media campaign to help find a match. Charity Anthony Nolan said 5,600 have signed up in the last week. "The impact of Vithiya's appeal has been nothing short of incredible," said Ann O'Leary, head of register development, at the charity. "But Vithiya still needs to find her stem cell match and there are people just like her all across the world who are still waiting. "We need to continue to diversify the register so we can find a match for all." Miss Alphons was diagnosed with the aggressive form of blood cancer after falling ill just days after returning for her final year as an optometry student at Cardiff University. She started feeling unwell with severe sickness and a fever, while she had a pain in her leg, so she went to her doctor for tests. She underwent chemotherapy in Cardiff before being well enough to be transferred to a hospital in London, where she is from. After her third course of chemotherapy, Miss Alphons felt better and thought she had beaten her illness. But further tests showed the leukaemia was still in her blood and doctors told her the best option was a stem cell transplant from a donor, which is needed in the next two months. Speaking to BBC's Asian Network Miss Alphons said she is grateful for all the support. "I would just like to say thank you so much to everyone who has registered so far and please, please do carry on registering because you can save my life and you can also save so many other's lives. "Please spread the word and help me to save my life."

Thousands of people have come forward following a worldwide appeal to find a stem cell donor for a Cardiff University student who needs a match in the next two months.

The assessments should indicate whether chemical weapons were used and if so the agent involved. The work could also reveal whether the weapons systems were improvised or designed for military use. The analysis being carried out by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons under the auspices of the United Nations. Neither the UN nor the OPCW will comment on details of the investigation. But BBC News has spoken to a former senior employee of the OPCW, who has given his assessment of the likely details and timetable of the testing process. Dr Ralf Trapp said that samples from Syria gathered by inspectors had arrived at the OPCW central laboratory on Saturday and would be arriving at "designated laboratories" across the world around now for analysis. The results will form part of a report by the OPCW due to be published by the UN on the alleged attack. He told BBC News that the report would take between seven to 10 days to complete at the earliest. The report should contain strong scientific evidence to help establish whether chemical weapons were involved in the alleged attack last in the agricultural belt Ghouta around the Syrian capital Damascus. It could also possibly indicate the type of delivery systems to have been used, according to Dr Trapp. "There may be details of the concentrations of the agent used and whether these weapons were improvised or designed for a military context," he said. The purpose of the UN/OPCW report is to establish the facts of what happened rather than find the culprit. However, according to Dr Trapp, these facts should give an indication of the source. It will also help answer why, in his opinion, many of the victims did not display the typical symptoms of sarin exposure, such as the narrowing of pupils (known as pinball eyes) and shaking, in video clips uploaded shortly after the alleged attack. "I'm pretty sure it was a chemical attack, but I'm not 100% sure it was sarin, or sarin of bad quality, another agent, or a mixture of things. All these things make sense in the context of what we have seen (in the videos)," he explained. Last week OPCW and UN investigators were gathering soil, blood, urine and hair from the alleged victims of the attack and tissue samples from corpses. They have also been wiping possible chemical residues from the inside of shell fragments. There had been concern that few, if any, traces of nerve agent would be detected following the two days it took for UN inspectors to arrive at the site of the alleged attack. But according to Dr Trapp, evidence of these agents would remain for many weeks. The samples have been tagged, photographed and transported to OPCW's central laboratory in sealed containers. The testing procedures involve numerous checks and cross checks to ensure that there is no mix up in the samples and the results are accurate. Each sample is sent to three separate laboratories that the organisation has inspected and deemed competent to carry out the testing on its behalf. If there are many samples to analyse, they are sent to other laboratories. Individual labs conduct their own independent tests of the material. For each sample from the site of the alleged attack, a given laboratory receives two dummy samples; one containing no nerve agent and another containing a specified amount of a nerve agent or its breakdown product. The lab is not told which sample is which, enabling the OPCW to ensure that each lab does its job properly. In addition, a lab has to test each sample using two completely different methods - and then, as a triple check to verify the accuracy of the instruments they are using, manufacture the agent it thinks it has detected and run the test again to see if they obtain the same result. This painstaking process will take the scientists several days to complete, after which the lead investigator will have to write up a report which is then sent back to the OPCW. These results are combined with interviews, assessments of medical reports by inspectors. The time all this will take depends on the number of samples that have to be analysed and the number of labs involved in the testing. Dr Trapp believes that mid to late next week will be the very earliest that the UN could receive the completed report although Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be receiving regular updates in the interim. One of the testing sites on the OPCW's list of "designated laboratories" is the UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down in Wiltshire, which is internationally respected for its research capability in this area. The network of more than 20 laboratories also includes facilities in China, the US and France. The laboratories undertaking the work will have been selected by the OPCW's director-general Mr Ahmet Uzumcu, no doubt in consultation with Mr Ban. The list of institutions has not been revealed but there is speculation that laboratories in countries on the UN's Security Council are not involved. Follow Pallab on Twitter

Samples from the sites of alleged chemical attacks in Syria are arriving at laboratories for analysis.

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.

When we arrived at the engineer's home, the dilapidated machine was an eyesore at the bottom of his garden. "Nobody pays, nobody pays," the wealthy German-Afghan businessman told us. He offered us tea and biscuits and explained how, a few years ago, all his large hospital and road building projects were suddenly given to politicians' cronies. To add to the misfortune, around that time a roadside bomb in this war-torn country killed 15 of his workers. Later we visited a part of his armoury of German-made trucks, trailers, loaders and diggers that sat at the top of a hill, consigned, like his ambitions, to the scrapheap of history. Mr Popal told us, perhaps unsurprisingly, that he would leave Afghanistan soon unless things changed. The World Bank has said that it's harder to do business in Afghanistan than Iran, Iraq, Syria and Zimbabwe. Yet Afghanistan's new president says he wants the country "truly open for business". As a former World Bank executive himself, President Ashraf Ghani is all too familiar with the scale of the challenge. He inherited an economy in tatters after three decades of war, despite more than $100bn (??64bn) of mainly US money spent on reconstruction, which was more than the US paid to rebuild Europe after the Second World War. There's massive corruption, a lack of credit, contracts are difficult to enforce and electricity is scarce. The speed with which President Ghani dealt with the $1bn Kabul Bank scandal, one of the world's largest bank frauds, demonstrated a new political will. But the president recently missed his own deadline to form a cabinet, suggesting that deeper reforms are likely to take some time to achieve, such as simplifying Afghanistan's business environment, which has been plagued by needless red tape. Keen entrepreneurs have had to be creative to thrive. Helped by British aid money, pharmacy owner Zabi Ullah opened the country's first counterfeit-free, 24-hour chain of chemists, where customers can check if goods are real using a text message service. Old rules made it illegal to open more than one store under the same name and within 200m of each other. But Mr Ullah registered each shop under a different family member's name. It was far from ideal but was workable, based on trust. Speaking in one of his pharmacies in the capital Kabul, Mr Ullah says: "The family has been co-operative that they give me their names. They will be co-operating with me when the regulation changes and all the ownership of the licences will transfer back to [my] pharmacies." Working within antiquated rules cost the country dearly. Naseem Akbar is chief executive of the non-profit, Afghan-business focused organisation Harakat. His job is to reduce regulation in Afghanistan. He believes politicians are to blame for the weak economic growth over the past decade. He says good policies were created but never implemented, which stifled private sector development. Mr Akbar welcomes Mr Ghani's new anti-corruption approach, which he describes as "a shock to the system". He says the government must define a clear economic development strategy to bolster the investment climate in the country. Mr Akbar also wants a single organisation to run all public services to deter corruption. "Part of [what's behind] the insurgency is the disappointment that the public service offers for its people," he says. President Ghani needs to rebuild Afghanistan's financial reputation ahead of a crucial donor conference in London next month. On a recent fundraising trip to China, the president accepted Afghanistan needed foreign funds for nation building but insisted he has not asked the international community for charity. "We truly need to learn to fish, not to be given fish," he said.

The only thing Asadullah Popal's digger had gathered was dust.

The deal to stop fighting was agreed between the Syrian government and some rebel groups fighting against them. There has been a war in Syria since 2011 and since then, it's thought 300,000 people have lost their lives. Four million people, including children, have been forced to leave the country and seek safety in nearby countries and Europe. So far, the new ceasefire, which started at midnight on Thursday, seems to be holding, although there have been reports of isolated fighting in some areas. Read our guide to find out more about why there is a war in Syria and why the city of Aleppo is so important. A ceasefire is an agreement by opposing sides to stop fighting in a war. This can be for a certain amount of time as a short break or it can be agreed for a longer period of time. In this ceasefire in Syria, there are many groups involved. Syrian government forces, the Free Syrian Army and many rebel groups have all agreed to the ceasefire. But not all groups operating in the country are part of the deal. The group that calls itself Islamic State and other extremist Islamist groups, are not part of the ceasefire. Islamic State have taken over large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq and fighting against them is continuing, whilst the ceasefire is underway. If the ceasefire does continue to hold, then peace talks aimed at ending the war in Syria could be held within a month.

A new ceasefire is underway in the war torn country of Syria in the Middle East.

Edward Maher was questioning the soldier in charge of risk assessment during the exercise in July 2013. He said instructors did not notice for nearly an hour that his son, L/Cpl Edward Maher, was "overdue, over time, and off track" on the march. Fellow reservists L/Cpl Craig Roberts and Cpl James Dunsby also died. L/Cpl Maher's father questioned why a soldier, known as 1B to protect his identity, did not did not realise his son had gone "off track" until 16:10 BST when he had been expected at the next checkpoint at 15:34 BST. Soldier 1B explained he had only noticed L/Cpl Maher's tracking device on the screen at that time. Mr Maher said: "They were overdue, overtime, off track… do you think that your process had failed?" "At that time sir, no I [didn't]," the soldier replied. Earlier on Tuesday, soldier 1B told the inquest it was not in his thought process to stop the test because most soldiers were doing well during the 16-mile (26km) test on one of the hottest days of that year. He told the hearing in Solihull that of the 78 reservists taking part that day, six had withdrawn by early afternoon - two for medical reasons. But he said he was not concerned because the course was "tough". "They were all completing the march on time.... at that time the two casualties had recovered within 10 minutes… none of the qualified medics there told me they needed qualified assistance," he said. "All of the other runners were all within time… that includes Craig, that includes Ed, that includes James. "Were there alarm bells ringing in my head at that time? No there was not." David Turner QC, representing Cpl Dunsby's widow Bryher, asked 1B if he would have continued the march if commanding officer 1A had told him about the heat illness casualties. "I would have looked at what was going on… everyone is pushing themselves… it takes a different type of person to operate within that theatre, at that time I would have said it would not have been within my thought process to stop that march," he said. Soldier 1B said he told candidates to be aware of the hot weather and rising temperatures, but he did not consider heat exhaustion to be a greater risk than normal. He also said he was not made aware of new guidance on heat injuries and when an exercise should be stopped, following the death of a marine in similar circumstances in 2008. The inquest is continuing.

The father of a reservist who died after attempting an SAS selection exercise in the Brecon Beacons has told an inquest processes "failed" that day.

The meeting, at Mr Putin's summer residence in Sochi, comes at a low point in bilateral relations over the war in Syria and Russia's annexation of Crimea. They are expected to discuss both issues during their meeting - but no breakthroughs are expected. Mr Putin will then meet Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday. Ties between Russia and Germany have worsened since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea in Ukraine, with Germany being a driving force behind the EU sanctions imposed in response. The pair, who are among the most powerful world leaders, have crossed paths at international summits recently. But this meeting - with the official purpose of discussing the G20 summit of world leaders to be held in Hamburg in July - is the first trip Mrs Merkel has made to Russia in two years. Mrs Merkel wants Russia to seek an end to the conflict in Ukraine by using its influence on pro-Russian separatists, and also needs Moscow's co-operation to bring peace to Syria, the BBC correspondent in Berlin, Damien McGuinness, says. But President Putin equally needs Mrs Merkel's support in to lift the EU's sanctions, our correspondent adds. Mr Putin is also keen to hear her opinion of US President Donald Trump, whom she recently met. The pair spoke frequently before the breakdown in communications since 2014, and were said to have a grudging respect for one another. She speaks Russian, having grown up in communist East Germany, and he speaks German, from his years working for the KGB in Dresden in the 1980s. Russian news outlet Tass said the pair would discuss terrorism, the Middle East, and the Minsk agreements on the Ukraine crisis, quoting a Kremlin press source. But both sides have downplayed the prospect of major breakthroughs during their meeting in Sochi. Germany remains critical of Russia's actions in Crimea in 2014, and the two leaders stand opposed on the war in Syria. The German domestic intelligence agency has also accused Russia of being behind a series of cyber attacks on state computer systems. In contrast, Mr Putin's scheduled meeting with the Turkish president the following day comes at a time of increased co-operation between the two nations. While they back opposing sides in Syria's civil war - with Moscow supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Ankara his opponents - the two countries began carrying out joint air strikes against the so-called Islamic State in January. The joint operation came a little over a year after Turkey shot down a Russian military jet, resulting in a crisis in bilateral relations. US President Donald Trump is also scheduled to speak to President Putin by phone on Tuesday, the White House announced Monday night. They are expected to discuss the war in Syria.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet Vladimir Putin in Russia for the first time since 2015.

Although such an event should have been predicted and planned for, the panel said, it found gaping holes in safety standards and emergency procedures. Here is an outline of key quotes, findings and recommendations from the 88-page executive summary of the Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission's report. The earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011 were natural disasters of a magnitude that shocked the entire world. Although triggered by these cataclysmic events, the subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant cannot be regarded as a natural disaster. It was a profoundly manmade disaster - that could and should have been foreseen and prevented... Our report catalogues a multitude of errors and wilful negligence that left the Fukushima plant unprepared for the events of March 11. And it examines serious deficiencies in the response to the accident by Tepco, regulators and the government. For all the extensive detail it provides, what this report cannot fully convey - especially to a global audience - is the mindset that supported the negligence behind this disaster. What must be admitted - very painfully - is that this was a disaster "Made in Japan." Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to 'sticking with the program'; our groupism; and our insularity. (Chairman Kiyoshi Kurokawa) Collusion and lack of governance The Tepco Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and [private plant operator] Tepco, and the lack of governance by said parties. They effectively betrayed the nation's right to be safe from nuclear accidents. Therefore, we conclude that the accident was clearly "manmade"... We believe that the root causes were the organizational and regulatory systems... rather than issues relating to the competency of any specific individual. [All parties] failed to correctly develop the most basic safety requirements - such as assessing the probability of damage, preparing for containing collateral damage from such a disaster, and developing evacuation plans for the public in the case of a serious radiation release. Organisational problems within Tepco Had there been a higher level of knowledge, training, and equipment inspection related to severe accidents, and had there been specific instructions given to the on-site workers concerning the state of emergency within the necessary time frame, a more effective accident response would have been possible... Sections in the diagrams of the severe accident instruction manual were missing. Emergency response issues The government, the regulators, Tepco management, and the Kantei [prime minister's office] lacked the preparation and the mindset to efficiently operate an emergency response to an accident of this scope. None, therefore, were effective in preventing or limiting the consequential damage. In the critical period just after the accident, the Kantei did not promptly declare a state of emergency. The regional nuclear emergency response team was meant to be the contact between the Kantei and the operator, responsible for keeping the Kantei informed about the situation on the ground. Instead, the Kantei contacted Tepco headquarters and the Fukushima site directly, and disrupted the planned chain of command. Evacuation issues The Commission concludes that the residents' confusion over the evacuation stemmed from the regulators' negligence and failure over the years to implement adequate measures against a nuclear disaster, as well as a lack of action by previous governments and regulators focused on crisis management. The crisis management system that existed for the Kantei and the regulators should protect the health and safety of the public, but it failed in this function. The central government... failed to convey the severity of the accident... [O]nly 20% of the residents of the town hosting the plant knew about the accident when evacuation from the 3km zone was ordered at 21:23 on the evening of March 11. There was great confusion over the evacuation, caused by prolonged shelter-in-place orders and voluntary evacuation orders. Some residents were evacuated to high dosage areas because radiation monitoring information was not provided. Continuing public health and welfare issues [R]esidents in the affected area are still struggling from the effects of the accident. They continue to face grave concerns, including the health effects of radiation exposure, displacement, the dissolution of families, disruption of their lives and lifestyles and the contamination of vast areas of the environment. ... The Commission concludes that the government and the regulators are not fully committed to protecting public health and safety; that they have not acted to protect the health of the residents and to restore their welfare. Approximately 150,000 people were evacuated in response to the accident... Insufficient evacuation planning led to many residents receiving unnecessary radiation exposure. Others were forced to move multiple times, resulting in increased stress and health risks - including deaths among seriously ill patients. "If there had been even a word about a nuclear power plant when the evacuation was ordered, we could have reacted reasonably, taken our valuables with us or locked up the house before we had left. We had to run with nothing but the clothes we were wearing. It is such a disappointment every time we are briefly allowed to return home only to find out that we have been robbed again." (Comment by a resident of Okuma, from report appendices) Regulator failures The regulators did not monitor or supervise nuclear safety... They avoided their direct responsibilities by letting operators apply regulations on a voluntary basis. Their independence from the political arena, the ministries promoting nuclear energy, and the operators was a mockery. They were incapable, and lacked the expertise and the commitment to assure the safety of nuclear power. Operator failures Tepco did not fulfil its responsibilities as a private corporation, instead obeying and relying upon the government bureaucracy of Meti, the government agency driving nuclear policy. At the same time... it manipulated the cosy relationship with the regulators to take the teeth out of regulations. Shortcomings in laws and regulations Laws and regulations related to nuclear energy have only been revised as stopgap measures, based on actual accidents. They have not been seriously and comprehensively reviewed in line with the accident response and safeguarding measures of an international standard. As a result, predictable risks have not been addressed. The existing regulations primarily are biased toward the promotion of a nuclear energy policy, and not to public safety, health and welfare. The unambiguous responsibility that operators should bear for a nuclear disaster was not specified. There was also no clear guidance about the responsibilities of the related parties in the case of an emergency. No 'cosmetic solutions' Replacing people or changing the names of institutions will not solve the problems. Unless these root causes are resolved, preventive measures against future similar accidents will never be complete... The underlying issue is the social structure that results in "regulatory capture," and the organisational, institutional, and legal framework that allows individuals to justify their own actions, hide them when inconvenient, and leave no records in order to avoid responsibility.

A Japanese parliamentary panel has delivered a damning verdict after investigating the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant which followed an earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011.

Silverwood's side head the Division One table by 41 points with five games remaining, the first of them at home to Somerset starting on Monday. Only Notts, in 2005, have won the title following promotion the previous year. "In our first year back up in Division One, to bring it home would be pretty special." Silverwood told BBC Essex. Essex lifted the trophy six times in the days of a single-division Championship, most recently in 1992 when Graham Gooch was captain. Now, current skipper Ryan ten Doeschate has the task to leading the team to their first silverware of any kind for seven years following the end of their involvement in this summer's T20 Blast. Only two of Essex's last five matches are at home, and they will have to manage without England batsmen Alastair Cook and Tom Westley, their two leading run-scorers in the Championship, because of the current Test series against West Indies. "We are in a great position, but there's still a lot of work to be done and we won't take anything for granted," said Silverwood. "We have got five games of Championship cricket left and we can look at them with a lot of excitement. We'll go out there and give every ounce of energy, blood sweat and tears. "It's the holy grail, and certainly in our dressing room and among the members, although it's great to win (other) competitions, we want to bring that one home."

Essex head coach Chris Silverwood has set his sights on "the holy grail" of winning the County Championship before their return to red-ball action.

Third seed Murray plays Italian 25th seed Andreas Seppi in the third match on Centre Court at around 17:00 BST. Ward, ranked 110th, takes on Canada's Vasek Pospisil in the second match on court one at around 15:00. "It's great for British tennis and it's great for everyone involved that more people are winning matches and doing well," said Ward. "I've got to worry about my match. Andy worries about his." Media playback is not supported on this device Murray, 28, practised with Ward on Friday and the pair have become good friends over the past two years. "We've done a few training blocks together," said the Scot. "He stayed with me in Miami a few times. "I watch a lot of his matches online when he's playing challengers and stuff. I kind of say, 'Well done,' or let him know what I thought about the match, anything like that. See if I can help in any way." Ward is through to the last 32 of a Grand Slam for the first time and the 28-year-old Londoner has ensured he will break into the world's top 100 for the first time in the next rankings. He will face 25-year-old Pospisil, the reigning Wimbledon doubles champion, for the first time at the top level. "I know him pretty well," said Ward, who will collect at least £77,000 in prize money. "He's a good friend of mine actually. We spend a lot of time together. In the last few years, we've played a couple of times as well in the Challenger tour, a couple bigger matches in the semis and finals in the past. "We both know each other's games, so there's not too many secrets. As I say, it's a great chance for both of us." Murray has won six of his seven matches against Seppi, the only defeat coming on grass in Nottingham eight years ago. The 31-year-old Italian has reached two finals this year and beat Roger Federer at the Australian Open in January. "He has had such good results this year," said Murray. "He made the final a couple of weeks ago in Halle, plays well on the grass. "He won against Roger at the Australian Open this year. He's capable of playing some top tennis."

Andy Murray will have friend and fellow Briton James Ward for company in the third round of Wimbledon on Saturday.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) applied them in 1989, after fears two firms, taken over by FirstGroup in 1996, could have too strong a bargaining position with the council. The CMA said it was seeking views from a number of groups. First Bristol said it "welcomed the decision to review these undertakings". The company added it had "already assisted" the CMA as part of the review process. The restrictions were implemented following the 1989 merger of two local bus companies Badgerline and Midland Red West. The Monopolies and Mergers Commission, at the time, ruled the merger would remove competition for bus services contracted by the former Avon County Council. The CMA said the merged company was "therefore required to sign up to a number of restrictions". These included a cap on the amount they could receive from the local authority for running a tendered service - and a requirement to return any excess profit from such services. The CMA said it was carrying out the review "to see if there has been a change in circumstances which justifies their removal or variation" and was "seeking views" from local authorities, bus operators and bodies representing bus passengers in Bristol and the surrounding area. It said it aimed to publish the results of the review in the summer.

Restrictions on bus operator First Bristol, put in place almost 20 years ago, are to be reviewed to "see if they are still appropriate".

Mr Blair, who had strained relations with the unions when he was prime minister, said he trusted Mr Miliband would handle it in the "right way". The Labour leader is expected to set out changes to limit union influence in candidate selection on Tuesday. He says he wants to "mend", not end, links but insists he runs the party. Labour has referred allegations of union malpractice in the process to select a 2015 election candidate in Falkirk to the police. An internal party inquiry found evidence union officials signed up new members without their knowledge, breaching party rules, to try and get their favoured candidate elected. Unite leader Len McCluskey has said he has "no trust" in the probe. Labour has insisted the episode is a one-off but said it showed the need for wider reforms to candidate selection, including a cap on how much any candidate can spend to limit the influence of wealthy backers - whether unions or big business. There has also been talk of greater use of open primaries to select election candidates - where everyone living in a constituency is eligible to vote whether they are a party member or not. And some have called for a more fundamental review of Labour's historic financial links with Unite, its biggest backer, and other unions. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Blair - who clashed with the unions over a range of issues during his 13 years as leader - said it would be wrong for him to be drawn into the dispute. "I think he (Mr Miliband) is going to make a speech on this and the last thing he needs is advice from me. "One of my experiences is, when you are about to make a major initiative as leader of the party, the last thing you need are voices off... if you forgive me I am not going to queer his pitch." Asked whether he was worried the dispute would re-open old divisions in the party and undermine Mr Miliband's leadership, Mr Blair said he was "sure he will deal with it in the right way". Speaking on Sunday, former home secretary Lord Reid - a close ally of Mr Blair - said the dispute was a battle for the direction of the party, suggesting Mr McCluskey and other union leaders wanted to take Labour back to the 1970s and 1980s. "I am in no doubt that the leader of Unite wants to impose an ideological direction on the Labour Party that would lead us into political oblivion, as it did in the 1970s and 1980s, and that's why this is a political struggle," he told the BBC. "Ed Miliband didn't particularly go looking for this fight. This fight came to him," he added. "But I think he understands, as everyone else in the Labour Party does that a struggle of this nature, which is in essence political, is a determining struggle about the direction of the Labour Party. "And I have no doubt in my mind that the direction in which Ed Miliband wants to move, which is as I said an open, modern, relevant party." The Conservatives have said Labour must publish the Falkirk report and refuse to take any more money from the unions until an entirely new system of funding is agreed. The Conservatives have also asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate claims of criminal wrongdoing in the selection of candidates at two more Labour Party branches. Party vice chair Bob Neill has written to Met commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe claiming there is evidence that "merits investigation". But Unite said the Conservatives were wasting police time and in a "disgraceful political witch-hunt". "We strenuously reject any suggestion of criminality or that we have broken Labour party rules. Using the police to score political points and diverting their attentions away from making our communities safer is obscene." And Billy Hayes, the general secretary of the CWU union, said the Conservatives and a "gang of uber-Blairites" were using the dispute to have a go at the unions. "There's a problem in one contest that needs to be sorted out," he said. "But I'm getting fed up learning through the papers that this or that aspect of the Labour Party's constitution is going to be reformed."

Tony Blair refused to comment on Ed Miliband's dispute with the Unite union, saying he did not want to "queer his pitch" or be part of "voices off".

The airlines announced that they would no longer transport lion, rhinoceros, leopard, elephant or buffalo remains. They have not, however, given official reasons for their announcements. Delta flies direct to a number of African cities and was subjected to an online petition to ban such shipments. American Airlines and United fly to fewer sub-Saharan cities than Delta, but United said in a tweet its decision to stop carrying trophies was "effective immediately". United spokesman Charles Hobart said: "We felt it made sense to do so." Cecil was shot illegally in July by US dentist Walter Palmer of Minnesota. Zimbabwe is seeking his extradition and that of a doctor from Pennsylvania, named as Jan Casimir Seski, who is suspected of killing a lion in April. Mr Palmer is believed to have paid about $50,000 (£32,000) to hunt Cecil, a major tourist attraction in the Hwange National Park. He says he thought the hunt was legal and was unaware Cecil was protected, but the killing triggered a huge online backlash. Delta would not answer questions from journalists as to why it made its decision on Monday, nor would it detail how many hunting trophies it has transported in recent years. "Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight," the company said in a brief statement. Its announcement came as several other airlines indicated that they are - or soon will be - stopping the transport of all trophy-hunting kills. As recently as May, Delta said it would continue to allow such shipments.

Delta, United and American Airlines have banned the shipment of big-game trophies on flights after the illegal killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.

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

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

Michael Pepper, 67, from Glasgow, raped the woman on various occasions between 1986 and 2001. He also hit her with a baseball bat and bottle, cut off her clothes, struck her with a knife, kicked her on the body and caused her to fall downstairs. Pepper was also placed on the sex offenders register. Jailing him at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Johanna Johnston QC told Pepper: "Your actions blighted this woman's life. You now accept your guilty, albeit at a late stage. "However, this woman had to come to court and give evidence of a very private nature. "This was a horrendous catalogue of offending."

A man has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after being convicted of "a horrendous catalogue" of abuse against a woman for more than a decade.

It follows the first formal talks since Carwyn Jones and Leanne Wood were tied 29-29 in a Senedd vote on Wednesday. The aim was to form a minority Labour administration rather than a coalition, a joint statement on Friday said. "We are confident that we can find a way forward that will result in the successful nomination of a First Minister next week," it said. "We will continue to work over the weekend, and look to resume formal talks on Monday." The Conservatives and UKIP, had joined Plaid Cymru in backing Ms Wood in the vote for first minister, with Labour and the sole Liberal Democrat, Kirsty Williams, backing Mr Jones. Jane Hutt represented Labour and Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru in Friday's talks, which took place at Welsh Government offices in Cardiff Bay, with neither party leader attending. Labour fell short of a majority at the 5 May election and needs opposition support to govern. Plaid Cymru AMs insist they did not do a deal with other parties before the tied vote on Wednesday. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies told BBC Radio Wales on Friday there had been three sets of "substantial" talks involving two AMs from his party and two AMs from Plaid. But he later released a statement suggesting the Tories would drop their backing for Ms Wood if a deal with Plaid was not forthcoming. "We have an historic opportunity to break the mould in Wales... but this will only be possible with clear enthusiasm from others," he said. "Should such ambition not be shown... Welsh Conservatives will not be minded to repeat our action from Wednesday's vote." UKIP assembly group leader Neil Hamilton said the average Plaid voter did not back the party to see it "effectively" go into coalition with Labour. "We are all in favour of talks, but minority parties should stick together against Labour arrogance," he said. On Thursday, some UKIP AMs suggested they could switch their votes if parts of their manifesto were made law, although Mr Gething said for Labour: "That is not something we would consider." Meanwhile, Labour and the Lib Dems confirmed talks were continuing between their parties. BBC Wales understands Mr Jones has discussed appointing Ms Williams as a cabinet minister, but neither party would confirm any details of the talks. Even with Ms Williams on board, Labour would still need an arrangement with another party to secure Mr Jones's re-election as first minister. At the assembly election Labour won 29 seats, Plaid Cymru 12, the Conservatives 11, UKIP seven and the Liberal Democrats one. AMs have until 1 June to nominate a first minister or face another election. Former first minister Rhodri Morgan has suggested Welsh Labour could learn lessons from the SNP in the way the two parties reacted to last week's elections. Nicola Sturgeon's SNP was two seats short of a majority in the Scottish Parliament, with Welsh Labour winning 29 of the 60 seats in the Senedd. Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru's O'r Bae programme Mr Morgan said: "Nicola Sturgeon was saying this is the third victory in a row that we've had in Scotland. "So you create a psychology, so that everyone expects that you will master, you will govern, and that nobody can ask a question about what the way forward is. "Now Labour was saying, no, don't rejoice, don't claim that we've won, because we haven't. "Technically Nicola Sturgeon hadn't either, but she had created the psychology of expectation."

Labour and Plaid Cymru say they are "confident" of breaking the deadlock over the election of a first minister.

At least 21 people were killed by the storm, the Red Cross said, with the eastern island of Samar worst hit, but it caused far less damage than feared. Thousands of people are heading home after about a million people were evacuated from vulnerable areas. The city of Tacloban, which bore the brunt of Super Typhoon Haiyan last year, has emerged relatively unscathed. Albay province, which evacuated more than half its population, has called for those people to go home. After spending three days at a school in Polangi, families are packing into small military trucks, holding one or two plastic bags with the essentials they brought with them. They worry about the state in which they'll find their homes but many are most worried about their rice fields, their only source of income. One woman reached her house and found it flooded and uninhabitable. For her that means at least one more night in the evacuation centre. Hagupit: What did the Philippines do differently? Hagupit - pictures, tweets and videos from the Philippines In the capital, residents are preparing for heavy rain and strong winds. The typhoon is still travelling westwards across the Philippines, and has weakened into a tropical storm, according to the Philippine meteorological authorities. A government alert on Monday morning stated that residents of the capital and surrounding regions should expect winds of up to 100km/h (62mph) in the next 24 hours, and to prepare for possible flash floods, landslides, and storm surges of up to 2m. Thousands who live along the coast and riverbanks were evacuated on Monday, reports said. A total of 11.8 million people live in the national capital region. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said the city was "prepared and trained for this", but added: "It's the flooding that we are worried about." Financial markets closed their doors on Monday along with schools and government offices. Flights and other public transport were halted. Hagupit has been nowhere near as powerful as Typhoon Haiyan - known as Yolanda in the Philippines - which tore through the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving more than 7,000 dead or missing. In Tacloban, Hagupit blew away roofs and flooded streets, but the area has escaped the wider devastation of last year. "There were no bodies scattered on the road, no big mounds of debris," local woman Rhea Estuna told the Associated Press by phone from Tacloban. "Thanks to God this typhoon wasn't as violent." Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez told the BBC that the immediate task was assessing damage to the temporary shelters in which some people have been living. He said that the weather was good now but that high tides were making it harder for waterways to drain, despite work to clear debris. UN official Orla Fagan told Reuters that a lot of people have begun returning to their homes. "In Tacloban this morning, the sun is shining, people just started going back," she said. The storm made its fourth landfall on Monday night, hitting Batangas province some 100km (60 miles) south of Manila with winds of roughly 100km/h. At its height, as it approached land on Saturday, gusts of up to 250km/h were recorded. The authorities said they were better prepared than when Haiyan struck, and organised the largest peacetime evacuation in the history of the Philippines. Justin Morgan, Oxfam country director for the Philippines, told the BBC that a key factor was a greater focus on the dangers of storm surges, meaning people were moved away from coastal areas. Joey Salceda, governor of Albay province, told the BBC no casualties and only "negligible damage" had been reported in his province. He said the storm had been identified as a threat in late November, giving officials time to identify population at risk, evacuate them two days ahead of the storm and prepare food supplies. Known locally as Typhoon Ruby, Hagupit has nonetheless caused major damage in several towns in the east. The Philippine Red Cross said at least 21 people had died over the weekend, with 18 of those on the eastern island of Samar, where Hagupit made landfall on Saturday. The mayor of Dolores, a town on Samar, said that 80% of homes there had been destroyed. One resident reportedly died after a tree fell on him. Two more people - a one-year-old girl and a 65-year-old man - died from hypothermia in the central province of Iloilo, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. A total of 183 flights had been cancelled and five airports closed, the agency said, and there were power outages in 16 provinces.

Tropical storm Hagupit is heading to Manila, but has been downgraded from a typhoon after crossing the country.

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

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

Gurpal Virdi, 56, of Hounslow, west London, was acquitted by the jury at Southwark Crown Court. Mr Virdi had denied indecently assaulting a male prisoner and misconduct in public office. The charges dated back to on or before 7 November 1986. During the trial Mr Virdi accused the Metropolitan Police of bringing the criminal case against him as part of a 17-year campaign to "hound" him out of the force. The retired detective claimed the police had tried to discredit him after he gave evidence to the Stephen Lawrence inquiry about racism within the police force. He told jurors: "This is a typical reaction from a department that has hounded me since 1998, investigating me and following me around and bugging my phone. Mr Virdi retired from the Metropolitan Police in 2012 after 30 years of service.

A former Metropolitan Police officer has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage boy in the back of a police van nearly 30 years ago.

Simone Sorensen scored the crucial spot-kick after Austria missed their first three penalties. The Austrians will rue wasting the best chance of the match when Sarah Puntigam fired over a first-half penalty. Denmark also went close in normal time through Sanne Troelsgaard, whose strike came off the crossbar. The Danes will face the hosts in the final after their 3-0 win over England in the second semi-final. It was a tight and tense semi-final between Denmark, the two-time semi-finalists, and tournament debutants Austria. Denmark, beaten at the last-four stage four years ago, were second best to the unfancied Austrian side during the first 45 minutes. Dominik Thalhammer's side should have taken the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 13th minute. Maja Kildemoes was the unlucky Dane when she was judged to have intentionally moved her arm to block Verena Aschauer's effort. Freiburg midfielder Puntigam stepped up, but blazed her penalty over the bar. Denmark's best effort of the opening half fell to Rosengard's Troelsgaard, whose angled left-foot strike struck the bar. It was not until extra-time that either goal was seriously threatened again. First, Katrine Veje's effort cleared the Austria bar with a strike from eight yards. And then Pernille Harder, arguably the player of the match, headed over in the final few seconds before the spot-kicks. Media playback is not supported on this device Match ends, Denmark Women 0(3), Austria Women 0. Penalty Shootout ends, Denmark Women 0(3), Austria Women 0. Goal! Denmark Women 0(3), Austria Women 0. Simone Sørensen (Denmark Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner. Penalty saved! Verena Aschauer (Austria Women) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the top left corner. Penalty saved! Sofie Pedersen (Denmark Women) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the bottom left corner. Penalty saved! Viktoria Pinther (Austria Women) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner. Goal! Denmark Women 0(2), Austria Women 0. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner. Penalty missed! Bad penalty by Laura Feiersinger (Austria Women) right footed shot is just a bit too high. Laura Feiersinger should be disappointed. Goal! Denmark Women 0(1), Austria Women 0. Nadia Nadim (Denmark Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner. Penalty Shootout begins Denmark Women 0, Austria Women 0. Second Half Extra Time ends, Denmark Women 0, Austria Women 0. Substitution, Denmark Women. Nicoline Sørensen replaces Katrine Veje. Attempt missed. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) header from very close range is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Katrine Veje with a cross. Corner, Denmark Women. Conceded by Virginia Kirchberger. Attempt missed. Katharina Schiechtl (Austria Women) header from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Carina Wenninger following a set piece situation. Foul by Sanne Troelsgaard (Denmark Women). Viktoria Pinther (Austria Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Frederikke Thøgersen. Sanne Troelsgaard (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Viktoria Pinther (Austria Women). Attempt missed. Katrine Veje (Denmark Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Pernille Harder with a through ball. Sanne Troelsgaard (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Nina Burger (Austria Women). Foul by Pernille Harder (Denmark Women). Verena Aschauer (Austria Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Nadine Prohaska (Austria Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high following a set piece situation. Foul by Nadia Nadim (Denmark Women). Nadine Prohaska (Austria Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Katrine Veje (Denmark Women) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Katharina Schiechtl (Austria Women) because of an injury. Attempt missed. Sanne Troelsgaard (Denmark Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Pernille Harder with a headed pass. Attempt blocked. Sanne Troelsgaard (Denmark Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Nadia Nadim. Frederikke Thøgersen (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Nadine Prohaska (Austria Women). Second Half Extra Time begins Denmark Women 0, Austria Women 0. First Half Extra Time ends, Denmark Women 0, Austria Women 0. Attempt missed. Viktoria Schnaderbeck (Austria Women) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Nina Burger. Nadia Nadim (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Virginia Kirchberger (Austria Women).

Denmark will face the Netherlands in the final of Women's Euro 2017 after defeating Austria in a penalty shootout.

Lyndon Gooch's long-range dipping effort caused Fleetwood keeper Chris Maxwell to make a fingertip save. Amari'i Bell fired into the side-netting for the hosts, while Richard Chaplow scuffed a chance for Rovers. Jimmy Ryan's 25-yard effort almost won the game for the hosts but the ball struck the crossbar.

Fleetwood Town dropped into the League One relegation places as they had to settle for a point after a stalemate with Doncaster.

It follows last month's announcement that Birmingham Prison is to become the first jail in the UK to be privatised. Prison officers are banned from going on strike, but the ballot will seek the members' views about "industrial action up to and including strike action". The government says contingency plans involve the police and military. About 30,000 members of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) in England and Wales will take part in an indicative ballot, which will be considered by union leaders before they decide their next move. POA general secretary Steve Gillan said prison officers were "angry" at the government's privatisation plans. National chairman Colin Moses said: "It is vital members have their say through the ballot box and decide what course of action they are prepared to take to support their colleagues, who have been sold off to the private sector." "Prisons should not be run for profit and whilst Ken Clarke took great pride in announcing the privatisation of these prisons, the POA remains of the view that it is the state's responsibility to imprison its citizens and not profiteers". A Ministry of Justice spokesman said its aim was to avoid "any form of industrial action" and it would continue to talk to unions. "However, given the risks and complexities involved in running prisons, it is sensible and appropriate to review our contingency plans for dealing with widespread industrial action," he said. "There was a previous trilateral agreement with the police and the military for the provision of support to prisons and we are currently reviewing those arrangements and working with the MoD and police to ensure that our contingency arrangements are as strong as possible." Source: Prison Reform Trust In March, security firm G4S was awarded the contract to run Birmingham's 1,400-inmate jail and Featherstone 2 prison, a new jail opening near Wolverhampton. At the time, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said the move would save money and improve performance on issues such as cutting reoffending rates. Birmingham and Featherstone 2 were among four prisons whose management had been put out to tender. Mr Clarke also announced Serco would continue to run Doncaster Prison, which was built by a private company, and it would become the first prison to be run on a "payment by results" basis, with the firm getting its full payment only if reoffending rates were reduced. The other prison - Buckley Hall, in Rochdale - will continue to be run by HM Prison Service. Thirteen private prisons already exist in the UK - 11 in England in Wales, and two in Scotland - but Birmingham is the first existing public sector prison to be contracted out. The 13 prisons are each managed by one of three firms - Kalyx (previously UKDS), Serco or G4S Justice Services.

Prison officers in England and Wales are to be balloted on industrial action over the privatisation of jails, the Prison Officers' Association has said.

It will add an extra 600 seats a day for commuters into the Welsh capital after being criticised for having too many overcrowded trains. Arriva Trains Wales, whose Wales and Borders franchise expires in 2018, is adding morning weekday services into Cardiff Central from Barry and Radyr. Economy minister Ken Skates had said Arriva's profits were "too high." The Wales and Borders franchise - which is one of the UK's most heavily subsidised, receiving between £110m-£160m a year - has seen passenger numbers rise from 18 million in 2003 to 30 million. About 265,000 people use Cardiff Central station weekly and a BBC investigation found overcrowding in Cardiff stations during the morning commute was rising at a faster rate than anywhere else outside London, according to figures from the Department for Transport. Arriva Trains Wales now plans to add extra capacity and extra trains from 22 May on the following routes Arriva Trains Wales said the additional trains were "subject to railway approval processes" but the announcement is "one of the most significant improvements to valleys commuters in a decade". It said to implement the changes, the operator "needed to remove one midday Penarth service and one midday Barry service". The firm has a zero growth contract - which means it has the same number of trains it had when it began operations in 2003. It said the additions "would not have been possible" without Network Rail's recent £300m signalling upgrade works and new platform eight at Cardiff Central. "This is one of the most significant improvements to valleys commuters in a decade, since the opening of the Ebbw Vale line," said Arriva Trains Wales customer services director, Lynne Milligan. "With only a limited number of trains in our fleet and the lack of availability in the UK we have had to work hard to get the most from what we've got." Network Rail Wales said "more trains are travelling through Cardiff than ever before".

Capacity on the "busiest trains" into Cardiff will double from May, Arriva Trains Wales has said.

I've previously blogged about the strategy's controversial plans to create banning orders for extremist groups. Prime Minister David Cameron wants to go further than create new punitive powers and, like his predecessor Tony Blair, reset the public debate on community cohesion and society's duty in combating all extremism. The government has already introduced two fundamental changes to how it wants to prevent violent extremism. Ministers have already cut funding to Muslim groups whom they suspect of harbouring views that are anathema to a liberal open democracy. Secondly, public bodies including schools and universities are now under a duty to prevent people being drawn into extremism. Mr Cameron now argues that fighting extremism demands a greater response from society by finding ways to intervene before someone has gone down the road that leads to violence - and his plans were first set out in July. He argued that his starting point was that the UK was "a successful, multi-racial, multi-faith democracy" to which Muslims had made a "profound contribution". They and wider society, he said, now need to dismantle the component parts of extremist ideology. This is easier said than done. For instance, the prime minister said he wants the government to work with and use people who understand the true nature of so-called Islamic State to prevent younger people listening to its recruitment sergeants. The government is talking about new specific deradicalisation programmes and "empowering" the UK's Syrians, Iraqis and Kurds to take a lead role in speaking out. How exactly they plan to do this remains unclear - not least because there are very few people who are qualified to carry out deradicalisation work. The recent case of a Blackburn teenager who plotted terrorism on the other side of the world shows how such work can ultimately be in vain. The elephant in the room is, of course, the internet. Ministers are trying to persuade social media companies to spend more of their dotcom millions on crushing extremism. Many of these firms think there is only so much they can do when ISIS recruits continually relaunch themselves online under a new guise. Ministers are talking about social media bans for extremist preachers - but research shows that militants spread the message through innovative ways that are harder to stop. The government wants to create powers to curtail the activity of "extremists", even if they don't break hate laws or incite violence. Ministers argue that these people provide succour to those who want to use violence. One of the plans is to create powers to close "mosques" where extremists meet. Just putting aside the anecdotal evidence that recruitment regularly happens anywhere but the mosque, this idea was in fact first proposed 10 years ago by Tony Blair. And what that tells us is some of these proposals will ultimately come down to a fight over how to define extremism in an open society - and whether a policy aspiration can become clear and workable law. Expect serious legal fireworks in Parliament and in the courts for years to come. Minister say extremists are overpowering normal Muslim voices. The strategy is full of pitfalls. Back in January two ministers, the Muslim peer Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and the then communities secretary Eric Pickles, wrote to imams in the wake of the Paris attacks. Critics within the community said the letter amounted to an accusation that Muslims were "inherently apart" from British society. The ministers believe the letter was taken the wrong way - not least because it said quite explicitly that Muslim and British values were the same. Today's plan to throw £5m over the next six months at groups prepared to join government in combating militants is likely to face some of the same critics - but it will also be welcomed by many community organisations who are crying out for funding and support to challenge extremism where they find it. David Cameron says he wants a more cohesive society - but that's terribly difficult to define and back-up in policy. For instance, in July he said there would be a review of how immigrants learn English. On the very same day, the Times Education Supplement reported the government's skills agency was cutting funding for language courses that were specifically targeted at integration into the workplace. This government isn't the first to talk about improving community cohesion. Labour began debating this after the 2001 northern riots and the official report that warned that people were living "parallel lives". So the challenge, ultimately, is whether the latest lot of ministers can do any better.

What does the government's counter-extremism strategy really amount to?

The Yomper statue is currently located in front of the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney. The National Museum of the Royal Navy has started consulting over a proposed move to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Campaigners insist it is a local memorial to the conflict and "belongs" at Eastney. The Yomper statue was created by Philip Jackson, depicting a royal marine marching across the islands during the 1982 conflict and was unveiled by former prime minister, Lady Thatcher, in 1992. The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) is planning to relocate the Royal Marines Museum from Eastney to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as part of a £13m lottery funded project and wants to take the statue with it. An online petition against moving the statue has attracted more than 1,800 signatories, saying it was "now considered as our local Falklands War Memorial". Sheila Mackie who set it up said: "The imposing scale of The Yomper needs space and adequate distance to be fully appreciated, and the visualization of the part in the major campaign that the statue represents couldn't be achieved in an interior space." Conservative-led Portsmouth City Council also voted to express a "clear preference" that the statue remain where it it is. Its motion stated: "The Yomper statue has graced the seafront for many years, serving as a reminder of both the Falklands War and of the Marines' historical association with Eastney." NMRN director Jon Rawlinson said the new museum site would potentially have 750,000 visitors a year, compared to 40,000 at the current museum. "He would be seen by far more people at the historic dockyard, but of course he was built for here [Eastney] and is part of here. " He said no decision had been made and it would consider all comments submitted to its public consultation.

Plans to move a statue depicting a Royal Marine in the Falklands conflict away from Portsmouth seafront have been criticised.

Damage to to overhead wires meant the line is blocked north of Morpeth. Virgin East Coast, Northern Rail, and Cross Country services were affected, with reports of large queues at Newcastle Central Station. Buses were organised to take passengers between Newcastle and Edinburgh, with people advised to avoid travelling if possible. Services resumed late on Friday.

Rail passengers travelling between Newcastle and Scotland faced severe disruption on Friday.

They cited an unnamed government spokesman saying Friday's strike was an "intolerable act of aggression against a sovereign state". The strikes followed Wednesday's suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held Syrian town which killed 89. North Korea has carried out tests to develop a nuclear missile. The UN has banned it from missile or nuclear tests. But it has repeatedly broken those sanctions. It has successfully tested nuclear bombs of increasing power and claims to have been able to make warheads small enough to fit on a missile, but some experts have cast doubt on those claims. On Friday, US missiles struck a Syrian airbase, killing at least six people. It was the first US attack on a Syrian government facility, although the country had previously targeted the Islamic State group in the region. "The US missile attack against Syria is a clear and intolerable act of aggression against a sovereign state and we strongly condemn it," a government official in North Korea said, as quoted by the KCNA news agency. "The reality of today shows that we must stand against power with power and it proves a million times over that our decision to strengthen our nuclear deterrence has been the right choice. "Only military power of our own will protect us from imperialistic aggression. "We will keep bolstering our self-defensive military might in various ways in order to cope with the ever-intensifying US acts of aggression."

North Korea says a US missile strike on Syria "proves a million times over" that it was right to strengthen its nuclear programme, state media report.

The alleged spying by the National Security Agency (NSA) "must be explained and more importantly new trust must be built up for the future", she told German MPs. The allegations dominated the news during an EU summit last month. Ms Merkel said the NSA affair was putting EU-US trade talks to the test. She also said Germany's relations with the US "are of paramount importance". The German government has said it is keen to hear directly from the fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden about the agency's collection of phone and internet data. But Germany says it cannot offer him asylum because he would have to make his application on German soil. According to his leaks, the NSA targeted communications among Washington's Western allies, including Ms Merkel's mobile phone and EU offices. "The accusations are grave," Ms Merkel said in her statement on Monday. She did not comment specifically on the alleged bugging of her phone. The Bundestag - Germany's lower house - is holding a special debate on the NSA spying allegations. The scale of NSA surveillance in Germany is not clear, and last month Germany sent some senior officials to Washington to find out more. German media report that the German secret services exchange intelligence with their US counterparts. But recently the British newspaper the Independent, citing leaks from Mr Snowden, said the UK spy agency GCHQ had tapped into communications using a listening post on the roof of the British embassy in Berlin. Mr Snowden, 30, fled to Russia in June after leaking details of far-reaching US espionage. He has temporary asylum, allowing him to live in Russia, until July 2014.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that reports of US spying in Germany - including bugging her mobile phone - are straining transatlantic ties.

Byron Davies asked if a message from William Graham supporting the so-called "black route" for a £1bn Newport relief road came from a "spoof" account, as party policy was to review the options. Antoinette Sandbach accused Mr Graham of "not willing to put his vote where his principles allegedly are". Group leader Andrew RT Davies said the online row would "not be repeated". Mr Graham backed a Conservative motion in the Senedd in January calling for a review of the possible routes for an M4 relief road. But following the debate he tweeted: "I am confident that when the public inquiry is held the 'black route' will be chosen", referring to the Welsh government's preferred option. Some critics have claimed other routes would cause less environmental damage. It prompted responses from two of Mr Graham's colleagues asking whether he supported or disagreed with Conservative policy to review the alternatives. Group leader Andrew RT Davies told journalists on Tuesday he had "spoken to" each of the members who were "all signed up to the group position". "If people want to go on to Twitter to have a tittle-tattle that's neither here nor there," he said. "The people involved know my views on it and I'm confident it won't be repeated."

Three Welsh Conservative AMs have been "spoken to" by their leader for arguing about the party's M4 policy on Twitter.

The city also ranks second in a list of Britain's most congested cities, while Glasgow is third. Only London ranked worse than Scotland's largest cities in the survey of the UK's roads by Inrix Roadway Analytics. It found that the jams could cost drivers in Scotland £5.1bn in wasted time over the next decade. The firm studied traffic hotspots in 21 UK cities in September 2016. It assessed the impact of the congestion by looking at the average duration of traffic jams, their average length and the number of times they occurred. The research found that the impact of Edinburgh's 455 traffic hotspots was second only to London and was likely to cost drivers £2.8bn by 2025. Glasgow was ranked third in the same list - worse than Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol. It's 357 hotspots could cost £2.3bn over the next 10 years, Inrix said. Researchers calculated the time wasted by drivers in traffic jams across the UK could cost £61.8bn by 2025 if congestion levels are not reduced. And in their survey of 123 cities across Europe, London was found to have more traffic "pinch points" than any other city. It also ranked worst in an assessment of the impact of its traffic jams. Rome was second and Paris was third. Inrix chief economist Graham Cookson said: "Only by identifying traffic hotspots and analysing their root causes can we effectively combat congestion."

Four of the UK's worst traffic bottlenecks occur on the Edinburgh bypass, according to new research.

Thistle got in front from the penalty spot, Sean Welsh netting after Ryan Dow had fouled Kris Doolan. County threatened when Craig Curran fired against the post. The hosts lost Liam Lindsay to a neck injury in the second half and Welsh threatened again before Chris Burke fired County level. It had appeared Thistle, who were the better side for much of the game, were about to record their first victory since the opening day of the season. But, just as they have done recently against Hamilton Academical and Hearts, they conceded a late goal to drop points. In fact, they could have lost all three points as Ryan Scully saved instinctively from Ryan Dow moments after Burke's equaliser. Alan Archibald will once again rue missed opportunities and a failure to capitalise on their overall dominance of the match. Lindsay's serious-looking injury after coming into collision with Scully and Andrew Davies caused disruption to the Thistle backline but the points should already have been safe. Archibald's managerial acumen - despite Thistle's lowly league position - was recognised by Shrewsbury Town's enquiry this week. As he sought to put an end to his side's eight-game winless run, he shuffled his pack, dropping Adam Barton into a back three and using Callum Booth and Christie Elliott as wing-backs. Not only did that provide Thistle with energy and width, but it allowed their central midfield trio of Welsh, Abdul Osman and Ryan Edwards to dominate the County duo of Ian McShane and Martin Woods. It meant they bossed the game and though Lindsay had to be replaced by Ziggy Gordon, it appeared Thistle had found the means to finally win again. Media playback is not supported on this device Just as Thistle's winless run continues, so does County's, though Jim McIntyre will be a lot happier that it does so with a draw rather than another defeat. They are now without a victory in seven matches, but Burke's injury-time strike at least put an end to their goalless streak. County scarcely threatened Scully's goal before that but did come within a couple of inches of an equaliser when Craig Curran steered a shot against the post. But the continuing absence of striker Liam Boyce through injury is hurting the Staggies and McIntyre will hope his return comes sooner rather than later. Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald: "We were very good, dominant for most of the match, but County nearly stole it. We need to turn those into victories. That's too many points that have been dropped at home." Burke was bundled over in the box as County began to press in injury time before eventually grabbing the equaliser through the former Rangers and Scotland winger. Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: "It's a stonewall penalty. I've watched it back. If the ref deems the first one a penalty, that's every bit as much a penalty. He's got one right and one wrong. He's made a mistake so that's disappointing." Match ends, Partick Thistle 1, Ross County 1. Second Half ends, Partick Thistle 1, Ross County 1. Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Danny Devine. Attempt missed. Michael Gardyne (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Attempt saved. Ryan Dow (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Goal! Partick Thistle 1, Ross County 1. Chris Burke (Ross County) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Attempt missed. Callum Booth (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner from a direct free kick. Ryan Dow (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. David Amoo (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ryan Dow (Ross County). Attempt blocked. Chris Burke (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle). Tony Dingwall (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Tony Dingwall (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Callum Booth (Partick Thistle). Attempt missed. Chris Burke (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Substitution, Partick Thistle. David Amoo replaces Kris Doolan. Substitution, Ross County. Tony Dingwall replaces Craig Curran. Attempt missed. Sean Welsh (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Foul by Christie Elliott (Partick Thistle). Greg Morrison (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Partick Thistle. Ziggy Gordon replaces Liam Lindsay because of an injury. (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County). Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle). Chris Burke (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Paul Quinn. Substitution, Ross County. Chris Burke replaces Marcus Fraser. Substitution, Ross County. Greg Morrison replaces Alex Schalk. Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle). Ian McShane (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Andrew Davies. Attempt missed. Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Paul Quinn. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) has gone down, but that's a dive. Abdul Osman (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ryan Dow (Ross County). Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Marcus Fraser. Attempt blocked. Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Partick Thistle were pegged back late on by Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

Lennon, who managed Brown, now 31, in his four years as Celtic boss, says the midfielder's decision would boost Gordon Strachan's Scotland squad. "It is not a surprise because I thought he retired too early," said Lennon. "Sometimes you can make these decisions and then think you have still got plenty to offer." Brown's return to the fold means that on Wednesday he is almost certain to be included in Strachan's squad for the World Cup qualifier against England at Wembley on 11 November. Lennon told BBC Scotland: "I think last season his injuries took a toll on him and we didn't see the best of him but certainly this season he is looking far more like himself again and playing very well, which will be an asset to Scotland. "I think his presence around the dressing room and training ground and certainly on the pitch will be felt if he is not there. "He is only 31 and there is plenty more to come from him. I thought his decision was premature anyway." Lennon does not envisage any issues with Brown returning to the squad for a game he believes Scotland can win. "I don't know how it would affect the dynamic of the group but certainly I think it would pep it up," he added. "It was a poor performance and result in Slovakia and it might just give them the wee jag they need, having a player of that quality back. "The England game is one I think they can win. It will be a British style of game and there won't be anything the Scottish players will be surprised about." Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee, meanwhile, looked forward to the team benefiting from Brown's leadership, saying "by example and his voice and influence, (he) makes other people better". McGhee added: "Scott Brown is someone who I would imagine, when England are looking at our squad and our team, would prefer him not to be playing. "He looks as if he has coped better with combining the European and league campaigns. He feels good about himself and he can do both at this stage. "I would imagine he has been revitalised by Brendan (Rodgers, the Celtic manager). I think the manager has given him a new lease of life. "He would have made his [original] decision in an honest way. But now he has looked at it and decided it was clearly the wrong decision. "If the other players feel that Scott Brown gives us a better chance of winning the game, they will be delighted to have him back."

Hibernian's Neil Lennon believes Scott Brown retired too soon from Scotland duty and still has plenty to offer now he has decided to return.

The 28-year-old Croatia international will sign the deal, which has a £109m (125m euros) buyout clause, on Friday. Rakitic - whose current contract runs until 2019 - has made 145 appearances for Barca since his 2014 move from Sevilla, scoring 23 goals. He played in Barca's famous 6-1 comeback win against Paris St-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has agreed a new contract, tying him to the Spanish champions until 2021.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NAC) confirmed a one-off rule change to drop the glove size from 10oz. "I don't believe with the new gloves he makes it out of the second round," said UFC champion McGregor, 29. "Part of me kind of wants to show some skill and dismantle him but I do not see him absorbing the blows." "I am ready to go to war for 12 rounds and I am also ready to put him away in seconds," he added. "There is no way in hell I am not prepared to fight in the deepest of trenches." The move to allow lighter gloves came as a surprise as the 154lbs bout is considerably over the 147lbs limit at which 8oz gloves can be used. The lighter gloves have less padding over the knuckles and are believed to favour the heavier puncher. Earlier in August, the NAC, who sanctioned the contest, told BBC Sport they could not recall a fight at 154lbs ever being given dispensation to make such a move. McGregor typically uses 4oz fingerless gloves in MMA, while undefeated boxer Mayweather has used 8oz gloves in 46 of his 49 bouts. In a lengthy conference call, McGregor took questions from journalists around the world just 10 days before he makes his boxing debut in Las Vegas against former five-weight world champion Mayweather, 40. He revealed he has been conducting "scary" training sessions at 13,000ft in an altitude chamber and stated he feels in "absolutely amazing" condition for the T-Mobile Arena bout. But the UFC lightweight champion believes he has been "discarded" by boxing analysts and made to feel "not welcome" in the build-up to what could be the richest fight in history. "It's certainly motivating - the disrespect and disregard for my skillset," added McGregor. "I look at people sometimes and their mind is closed. "Fighting is a complex game. I use it as motivation and I look forward to going in and educating the world on what martial arts is." McGregor's future beyond his boxing debut has been queried by MMA fans who fear he may not be motivated to return to UFC after earning a reported $100m in facing Mayweather. He addressed several potential career avenues during the conference call and contests he is still a current multiple-weight UFC champion despite vacating his featherweight belt in November. "The current featherweight champion is Max Holloway, a man I dismantled," added McGregor. "Everyone knows, I am the multiple world champion. I look forward to going back and continuing where I left off." McGregor said Mayweather would get his "respect" if he followed through on comments made on a US talk show this week in which he said the pair could rematch under MMA rules. Paulie Malignaggi - who quit as McGregor's sparring partner after reacting angrily to images appearing to show him knocked down in a session - has also raised the prospect of coming out of retirement to box the Irishman. "Tell him to shut his mouth and join the queue," McGregor said when asked about facing the former two-weight world champion. "He got whooped and went sprinting. There's a big list of people who want to fight me."

Conor McGregor says he will beat Floyd Mayweather Jr in two rounds after the use of 8oz gloves was approved for the contest in Las Vegas on 26 August.

The Westgate development in the city centre will eventually have more than 100 shops, 25 restaurants and cafes, a cinema and 61 flats. The multi-storey car park on the site was demolished last year. It will be replaced with a 1,000-space underground car park. The development is due for completion in autumn next year. It will include rooftop terrace dining and new public spaces. Site owner Westgate Oxford Alliance, a joint venture between commercial property company Land Securities and The Crown Estate, said the development would cover 800,000 sq ft (74,322 sq m) when complete. Preparatory work began in February 2015 following planning approval by Oxford City Council.

Work has begun to demolish a 1970s shopping centre in the centre of Oxford as part of a £440m redevelopment.

West Berkshire Council is setting up an emotional health academy to train psychology graduates and health professionals. The local authority said, once trained, its staff will work with children, families and schools. It wants to greatly reduce the wait mental health patients face from 12 months to less than a week. The council also hopes the new academy will stop problems escalating to the stage where they require attention from more highly trained mental health specialists. Director of Children's Services Rachael Wardell said: "It works better if you get in there sooner, when people are waiting for help their condition gets worse. "There are lots more things you can do early on without needing to go to a very high-level with a psychologist or psychiatrist. "It is a way of bridging the gap." Plans were submitted to the Department of Health in October and the council hopes to launch the academy in April while contributing about £120,000 a year, with local schools matching its total. Local NHS commissioning groups could also contribute £100,000 a year and local businesses are being asked to help out financially as well.

A council plans to employ its own staff to help young people with mental health problems.

Credit rating agencies, in essence, rate a country on the strength of its economy. More specifically, they score governments (or large companies) on how likely they are to pay back their debt. A rating affects how much it costs governments to borrow money in the international financial markets. In theory, a high credit rating means a lower interest rate (and vice versa). This is because of concerns at the impact that leaving the European Union may have on the UK economy. Moody's warned that the referendum result may have "negative implications for the country's medium-term growth outlook". In addition to Moody's, the other two main credit rating agencies are Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings. All three are private companies, not government agencies. Moody's and Standard & Poor's both have their headquarters in New York, while Fitch has two official HQs, one in New York and the other in London. Each agency gives countries around the world a specific credit rating score. These range from a top mark of "AAA", which stands for "prime", down to the lowest reading of "D", which stands for "in default". In between there are scores such as "BBB" or "CC". Moody's has at total of 21 ratings. The agencies also give outlook-assessments. These are either "positive", "stable", or "negative". They indicate whether the agency in question thinks it may soon raise its rating (positive), downgrade it (negative), or leave it the same (stable) for the country in question. In the case of Moody's and the UK, the agency currently scores the UK at "Aa1", the second highest rating on its scale, which stands for "high grade". Yet, while Moody's previously saw no change to that Aa1 rating, it has now warned that it may lower it. A country's credit rating can affect how much it costs a governments to borrow money on the global markets. More specifically, the worse a nation's credit rating, the more likely it is that the country in question has to offer a higher rate of return on its bonds in other to persuade people and financial institutions to buy them. This is because the lower a country's credit rating, the more the agencies are concerned about its economy, and in turn the taxes that the government in question can raise. Ratings can be a warning system for potential investors, and make it more expensive for poorly-rated nations to borrow money. Although Moody's is the first of the big three ratings agencies to make an official change to its position on the UK post-referendum, the Financial Times reported on Friday that Standard & Poor's considers its current top rating for the UK as "no longer tenable". Currently S&P rates the UK as AAA (negative), while Fitch Ratings' score is AA+ (stable). For Fitch, AA+ is its second-highest score. They have committees of experts who determine the actually rating for each country or large company. S&P says its committees typically consist of between five and eight people. They base their assessment on a range of financial and business factors that may influence a government or company's ability to repay its debt, such as the UK voting to leave the European Union, or a business announcing a huge loss. Standard & Poor's is the oldest. It traces its history back to 1860 when financial analyst Henry Poor wrote a history of the finances of railroads and canals in the US as a guide for investors. He then formed a business called HV and HW Poor. Meanwhile, the Standard Statistics Bureau was set up in 1906 to examine the finances of non-railroad companies. The two businesses joined forces in 1940 when S&P was formed. Moody's was started in 1909 by John Moody, who published an analysis of the tangled and uncertain world of railway finances, grading the value of its stocks and bonds. Fitch, with another eponymous founder, John Fitch, was set up in 1913. There are hosts of other ratings agencies, but S&P, Moody's and Fitch have about 95% of the global market. S&P and Moody's have about 40% each, while Fitch has around 15%. They are so dominant because they were the first to be officially endorsed by the US financial watchdog, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In 1975, the SEC acknowledged the three as "Nationally Recognised Statistical Organisations". So a rating from any of the three is considered to be the gold standard. They charge companies for their ratings - it's as simple as that. This has led to critics suggesting that the agencies are tempted to give firms over-generous scores in order to win repeat business, something they all strenuously deny. They were indeed, for giving top AAA ratings to debt packages that turned out to include billions of dollars of bad US mortgages. When the US homeowners in question started to default on their repayments it sparked the financial crisis. The credit rating agencies were heavily criticised by politicians, and had to settle a number of lawsuits.

Moody's, one of the big three credit ratings agencies, has cut its outlook for the UK economy from "stable" to "negative".

The columnist told the newspaper last month that he had been diagnosed with the "full English" of cancers. Gill, who had been having chemotherapy, said that he did not "feel cheated" and had been "very lucky" in his life. Sunday Times editor Martin Ivens said Gill had been "a giant among journalists" and the "heart and soul" of the paper he joined in 1993. The final column by Gill, about coming to terms with his diagnosis, will be featured in tomorrow's Sunday Times. In a statement sent to staff on Saturday, Mr Ivens said: "It is with profound sadness that I must tell you that our much-loved colleague Adrian Gill died this morning. "Adrian was stoical about his illness, but the suddenness of his death has shocked us all." He added: "He was the heart and soul of the paper. His wit was incomparable, his writing was dazzling and fearless, his intelligence was matched by compassion. "Adrian was a giant among journalists. He was also our friend. We will miss him." Writing about his illness in November, Gill had said he had "an embarrassment of cancer, the full English. "There is barely a morsel of offal not included. I have a trucker's gut-buster, gimpy, malevolent, meaty malignancy." Writers, broadcasters and journalists have paid tribute to the published author, who was known for dictating his copy over the telephone due to his dyslexia. Jay Rayner, the broadcaster and writer, tweeted that Gill had been a "controversialist" but also "a kind man and a brilliant writer". Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman described Gill as "the writer who first made me buy the Sunday Times". "The best of us for 30 years has died. Very sombre mood in the office," he added. Times Literary Supplement editor Stig Abell tweeted that Gill had been "the first journalist I learned to recognise purely from his style". John Witherow, editor of the Sunday Times from 1994 to 2012, said Gill had been extraordinary and unique. "In all the years I was editor of The Sunday Times, he never once produced a boring sentence or a phrase that did not shine." Another former editor, Andrew Neil, added: "Hired AA for Sunday Times in 1993. He never forgot what he saw as huge favour. As one of finest writers of our time, he was doing the favour." Former Daily Mirror editor and TV presenter Piers Morgan tweeted that Gill had "trashed" him for 20 years, but always did so "with magnificently eloquent savagery" as well as "an irritating kernel of truth". While his writing remained popular, Gill's articles often caused controversy. In October 2009, he described how he had shot a baboon while in Tanzania, prompting outrage from animal rights groups. In 1998, he described the Welsh as "dark, ugly little trolls" - a comment that was referred to the Commission for Racial Equality - while he once described Rhyl as "a town only a man driving a crane with a demolition ball would visit with a smile". In a critical review of a Norfolk pub, he referred to the county as the "hernia on the end of England", while in 2006 he upset residents of the Isle of Man by saying it "smelled of boiled washing". In 2010, he was censured by the former press watchdog having written a review of Clare Balding's 2010 Britain by Bike TV programme, in which he described her as a "dyke on a bike". He was also once thrown out of one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, along with his dining partner, actress Joan Collins. Born in Edinburgh in 1954, Gill had overcome dyslexia to forge a career as a writer. He went to the independent St Christopher School in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, and studied at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and the Slade School of Fine Art, in London. He began his writing career in the 1980s with art reviews for magazines, before writing for Tatler and then the Sunday Times. His first marriage was to author Cressida Connolly in 1983. He married current Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who was then a venture capitalist, in 1991. They had two children together - Flora and Alistair - but later divorced. Gill's illness had prompted his engagement to his partner of 23 years, Nicola Formby, with whom he also had two children - twins Edith and Isaac. He said he had been "surprisingly excited" to be getting married to Ms Formby, who he often referred as "The Blonde" in his restaurant reviews.

Sunday Times restaurant critic AA Gill has died, aged 62, three weeks after revealing he had cancer.

The interior ministry confirmed his replacement as Abdul Rahman Rahimi, former police chief in Balkh province. Gen Zahir resigned last week after presiding over a dramatic rise in militant attacks in recent months. His spokesman sparked confusion days later by claiming his resignation had been rejected. Interior ministry spokesman Sidiq Sidiqi said: "Abdul Rahman Rahimi, the former police chief of Balkh, is appointed as Kabul police chief and General Zahir is appointed as the head of the counter crime department. "So far no-one is appointed as Balkh police chief and soon another general will be appointed there." Gen Zahir gave no reason for his resignation, but he had faced increasing pressure, with insurgents carrying out nine deadly attacks in Kabul in the past two weeks. The latest in a string of attacks targeted a compound used by a US-based charity on Saturday, killing three South Africans. Last week, two American soldiers and two British embassy workers were killed in separate attacks, with dozens of Afghans also killed and injured. Gen Zahir was himself the target of an attack in early November, when a suicide bomber infiltrated his offices and killed his deputy. Afghan troops are preparing to take over national security before the withdrawal of foreign combat troops at the end of the month. The Taliban stepped up attacks against foreign nationals, civilians and Afghan soldiers in recent months, raising concerns over the Afghan army's ability to protect the country from insurgents. President Ashraf Ghani, who took power in September, has vowed to bring peace after decades of conflict. On Sunday, he ratified security deals allowing some 12,000 Nato soldiers to remain for training and advisory purposes, after the withdrawal of foreign combat troops on 31 December. A separate US-led force will assist Afghan troops in some operations against the Taliban.

A new police chief has been installed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, ending days of confusion over the fate of incumbent Gen Zahir Zahir.

He set up a security agency, bringing together counter-terrorism and domestic intelligence under the authority of a single body. The king also replaced the head of the royal guard, and made several appointments to the team of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In June, the 31-year-old prince became the first in line to the Saudi throne. He replaced the king's nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, 57, who pledged allegiance to the younger cousin. The latest changes were announced in Thursday's decrees, published by the state-run SPA news agency. It said the decisions were made in order to maintain "the highest readiness levels to keep up with the latest developments". The new security agency is now headed by Abdulaziz bin Mohammed al-Howairini, a general who will be reporting directly to the 81-year-old king. Previously, the interior ministry was in charge of counter-terrorism and domestic intelligence. The new boss of the royal guard is Gen Suheil al-Mutiri, replacing Gen Hamad al-Awhaly. As part of the overhaul, King Salman also named Mohammed el-Kuwaiz as head of the agency that regulates investments in the oil-rich country.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has issued a series of royal decrees, marking a new shake-up of top officials.

Iain Duncan Smith, in what he said was his first interview on Europe in 10 years, has just told me that staying in the EU puts us at increased risk of an appalling attack like the terrorist killings in Paris, while the prime minister was on the TV sofa this morning saying that we are safer in the union. This is the new, if temporary reality: cabinet ministers disagreeing totally with each other on the record, and in public. Traditionally unthinkable, certainly risky, and difficult to control. Plenty of disagreements are spilling out into the public domain now. After lots of speculation, Boris Johnson has just declared he'll be campaigning for Britain to leave the EU. But many are still wondering about the motivations that lie behind his decision. Unless Machiavellian machinations deep in the Conservative party interest you, you probably shouldn't read much further. But believe me, on long days in Westminster, this is the kind of hypothesising that concerns politicians and their teams. Ready? Conspiracy One - Michael Gove's decision to go with the Vote Leave campaign was taken to make sure that Chancellor George Osborne will be challenged in the eventual Tory leadership by someone who is a chum, who looks on him favourably, but who would get onto the final ballot (which crucially only has two contenders) as someone who can claim to the party membership which is broadly Eurosceptic, that they fought to leave the EU, even though they were then sadly defeated. This, so Conspiracy One goes, is why Mr Gove's decision to join Vote Leave has not impressed some true believers in the cause and, in any case, his public image may well not be a benefit to them. Conspiracy Two - Doing the rounds inside Number 10 and Number 11 (the chancellor's abode) so the theory goes, is that Boris is intent on becoming 'The Man Who Tried'. What? Well, Downing Street has concluded that Mr Johnson is going for Leave precisely because he is confident that they will lose. This allows him to create the perfect platform for his leadership ambition - campaign for Leave, Remain wins, but Boris manages to then glide onto the leadership ballot as the man who gave it his damnedest, didn't quite pull it off, but can scoop up oodles of votes from the broken-hearted Tory membership, despairing in defeat, but ready to go over the top for their hero. This kills Mr Gove, or anyone else's chances of opposing Mr Osborne in the final round of the leadership contest. If you got this far, and feel enlightened by it all, then marvellous. If it seems fanciful, then don't say I didn't warn you! But with the prime minister having already announced that he's leaving his job before the next election, there is no escaping the fact that the future of the Tory leadership is a factor in both sides' campaigns.

Forgive me if you are not a fan of political conspiracy, and on a day like today you don't have to look very far for huge ideological disputes, even if they're not quite yet punch-ups.

They join rugby star Mike Tindall, who's married to the Queen's granddaughter, Zara Tindall. The first series - in which stars compete in winter sports - saw injuries. Two finalists, Sir Steve Redgrave and comic Marcus Brigstocke, retired hurt. Sally Bercow, married to MP John Bercow, has been on Celebrity Big Brother, as well as appearing in a Channel 5 series with Paddy Doherty. Ola Jordan partnered TV wildlife expert Steve Backshall in the latest series of Strictly, but was voted off the show in November. Also in the line-up are Jackass star Steve-O, ex-JLS star JB Gill, Sir Paul McCartney's ex-wife Heather Mills and choreographer and ex-Dancing On Ice judge Louie Spence. Former I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! contestants Phil Tufnell, Ashley Roberts, Joey Essex and Stacey Solomon will all be on the show. Completing the line-up are Paralympian Jon-Allan Butterworth, socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, heptathlete Louise Hazel and Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson. Steve-O and Lady Victoria Hervey both appeared on ITV reality show Love Island in 2006. The 16 contestants have already begun training for events including bobsleigh, slalom and ski cross. The fastest racers in a skeleton bobsleigh will directly qualifying for the final stages, while others will have to perform a live ski jump to progress. Those who jump the shortest distances will be put on a subs' bench to replace any casualties. Last year's winner, Joe McElderry, was drafted in after too many competitors were injured. Socialite Henry Conway broke a bone in his hand and Melinda Messenger withdrew with concussion suffered on the bobsleigh track. Past British Winter Olympic stars Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, Graham Bell, Amy Williams and Jenny Jones will be among the experts on hand for the show, which will be shown on TV early next year. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Sally Bercow, wife of the House of Commons Speaker, Strictly Come Dancing star Ola Jordan and Gogglebox regular Dom Parker are among the contestants on Channel 4's show The Jump.

Anna Swabey, 25, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was initially given three months to live in 2015 when she met Andy Bell, 26, on a dating app. The pair were due to marry on Saturday in the Yorkshire Dales, but Miss Swabey passed away earlier. She raised almost £80,000 for Brain Tumour Research and posted frank videos about her chemotherapy sessions. Her sister Victoria described Miss Swabey as "one of life's truly inspiring and incredible human beings." Charity spokeswoman Wendy Fulcher added that a "light had gone out." Months after her diagnosis Miss Swabey started a blog, Inside my Head, in which she openly chronicled her treatment. However, the latest blog post was from her sister Victoria, who described the moment doctors revealed the cancer had worsened and that surgeons had removed an "apple-sized" mass. "Anna's call was matter of fact and to the point. Her biopsy results showed that the tumour had now progressed to a Grade 4. In all honesty, and in typical Anna style, she was more bothered about how we all felt than what it meant for her." Ms Fulcher described Miss Swabey as "bright, vivacious, kind, and beautiful." She added: "Anna was one of those to whom others are naturally drawn. "She had a great sense of fun and a marvellous joie de vivre. "Anna was just 23 when she was told she had a brain tumour. Understandably devastated and angry, she nevertheless held her head up high and decided she would live her life, however long it might be, to the full." In her last blog post on 8 July, Miss Swabey spoke of how unwell chemotherapy had left her, but how she had been lifted by her hen party in York. She said: "I'm getting pretty fed up of feeling poorly all the time now. But I don't think it was really helped because I had my hen party two weekends ago, which was amazing." Ms Fulcher said Miss Swabey was given hope by neurosurgeon Kevin O'Neill, who leads the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Imperial College. "She left her first consultation with him in "tears of happiness" not because he had changed her diagnosis but because they would fight "Trev", as she dubbed the growth in her brain, together," Ms Fulcher said. But after her condition worsened she and Mr Bell were forced to postpone their wedding. Ms Fulcher said brain cancer was particularly cruel because it killed more children and people under 40 than any other form of the disease, but received just 1% of national, research funding. Concluding her blog post Miss Swabey's sister said: "She [Anna] has faced her illness with positivity, dignity and absolute defiance, and we couldn't be more proud of our beautiful girl and the way she has touched so many people with her amazing attitude to life, love and the whole heap of crap she has had to contend with since the arrival of Trev!! "We have all taken our cue from Anna throughout her illness and we will continue to do so through the most heart-breaking and difficult time of our lives."

A woman who blogged about her battle with terminal brain cancer has died a day before she was due to get married.

The Scottish and UK governments have been locked in talks about a financial deal, with deadlines pushed back due to disagreements over key terms. Prime Minister David Cameron has said the deal needs to be fair to taxpayers in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Mr Swinney said UK taxpayers would "not lose a single penny" under his plans. The fiscal framework is the financial structure which will underpin new powers being devolved north of the border as part of the Scotland Bill. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon dismissed the Treasury's previous offer on the matter as resulting in an "almost £3bn cut" for the Scottish budget. The two parties disagree on a principle called for by the Smith Commission on new powers for Scotland known as "no detriment", which underlines that neither the Scottish or UK budgets should suffer from the terms agreed upon. However, they disagree on what form this should take, particularly over the matter of population growth. Scotland's population is expected to grow more slowly than that of the UK in the coming years, which could impact on the economy north of the border. Ms Sturgeon said the Treasury seemed to be trying to argue in terms of what detriment should be imposed on Scotland, and her spokesman later described the UK government's position on the matter as "increasingly isolated". Outlining his latest proposal to his Treasury counterpart Greg Hands, Mr Swinney said taxpayers in the rest of the UK "are no better or worse off" under his terms. He said: "Under the Scottish government's method, taxpayers in the rest of the UK will see no detriment. They do not lose a single penny under these plans. "And it will ensure that the Scottish budget bears the risk of population changes relative to the rest of the UK via the Barnett formula. "In line with the Smith agreement, the Scottish budget will bear the full financial costs or reap the full rewards of decisions taken here in Scotland. And our proposals will see Scotland bear the economic risk of delivering growth, via tax receipts. "This proposal addresses each of the specific technical concerns the UK government has raised publicly and privately. Agreement on indexation would allow us to focus on agreeing the remaining outstanding matters under the Fiscal Framework. "I hope we now have the basis of a deal." Mr Cameron told MPs at his weekly questions session that no-one was "keener" than he was to reach an agreement on the deal, adding that "there has to be fairness across the rest of the UK too". However, in a letter to Ms Sturgeon he warned that the Scottish government must "be prepared to move towards us" to reach a compromise agreement. The prime minister said it would be "very difficult" for him to "explain to taxpayers in the rest of the UK that Scotland will stop paying income tax into the central pot yet somehow still receive a share of it". Holyrood's devolution committee has called for both sides to give a "full explanation of their position on a fiscal framework" by 23 February, when they will be called to give evidence before MSPs. Convener Bruce Crawford said there would be "very substantial impacts" on the Scottish Parliament's ability to scrutinise the deal before dissolution on 23 March if a deal is not struck soon.

Scotland's finance secretary John Swinney has submitted a fresh proposal in talks to establish a "fiscal framework" for new devolved powers.

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

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

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust took legal action after Derby City Council approved the track, to be built on part of the Sanctuary nature reserve. The trust said the development would damage the habitat of rare birds. An interim order to stop work was issued last week and will remain in place until the judicial review. Mrs Justice Lang said all equipment had to be moved from the site and the judicial review must take place within the next three months. Tim Birch, conservation manager at the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: "We are relieved to have got through this latest step in our fight to save the Sanctuary Local Nature Reserve. "We believe that the development of this local nature reserve sets a very dangerous precedent both locally and nationally which is why we are challenging the decision of Derby City Council to destroy it." The judicial review will look into the legality of Derby City Council's decision to approve the cycle track. No-one from the authority was available for comment. The Sanctuary, which lies close to the Pride Park football stadium, was given the go-ahead by the council in 2003. Threatened bird species including skylarks and lapwings are visitors to the site, according to conservation managers.

Work to build a cycle track in Derby cannot resume until a judicial review is carried out, a judge at the High Court in London has ruled.

Plans were approved for Coastal Oil and Gas Limited to drill in a field at St Nicholas. The permit does not allow the company to carry out fracking - hydraulic fracturing of the land - to extract any oil or gas. Fracking is subject to a temporary ban in Wales until decision-making powers on the practice are devolved. Natural Resources Wales said it had carried out a "thorough assessment" of the company's plans before approving them, with all work including reinstatement of the land to be completed within 12 months. "It's important that any activity of this kind doesn't harm the environment, and this permit makes it clear what Coastal Oil and Gas Limited will need to do to comply with this," a spokesman said. "Once the work begins, our officers will regulate and monitor the site to ensure it complies with the conditions of the permit, to protect people and the environment." The permit for exploratory drilling comes despite a moratorium on fracking in Wales pending devolution of responsibility for such decisions. In August, the UK government urged councils in England to speed up the process of approval for fracking projects. However, Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said fracking technology was "unproven", and that Welsh Labour ministers preferred to look at renewable energy.

Permission has been given for exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Tom Dryden, from Earls Barton in Northamptonshire, described the news as "absolutely outstanding". Lorna Clarke, from Oxford, took the the women's title. It's the second time she has entered the games. Organisers said 190 competitors from countries including Russia, the USA and Japan took part in the event in Southwick, Northamptonshire. Read more about England's events on Pinterest Since it began in 1965, the event has raised about £400,000 for blind and visually impaired charities. Ms Clarke, a digital marketing manager said: "Its amazing. The trick was skill, accuracy and a little bit of luck. My colleagues will laugh but will be very impressed." Mr Dryden, who is a Cub Scout assistant, said: "I never thought I'd win the first time I entered. The cubs will be over the moon." A new conker is used for every round. StJohn Burkett said preparations had been tough this year because of a shortage of decent conkers. He said: "We collect a couple of thousand and we have to get the proper Championship-sized conkers. They're quite rare. "We usually rely on two secret trees but even they haven't produced this year so we've had the whole committee out collecting."

A new king has been crowned World Conker Champion after taking part in the annual games for the first time.

Media playback is not supported on this device The Sweden striker, who is out of contract after four years at Paris St-Germain, could follow former manager Jose Mourinho to Old Trafford. Football finance expert Rob Wilson says the 34-year-old would be United's most marketable player since Cristiano Ronaldo, and linking up with the three-time European champions would be a "match made in heaven". Wilson says Ibrahimovic's shirt sales alone would help cover the cost of finishing fifth in the Premier League this season and missing out on the riches of playing in Europe's elite competition, worth up to £50m. "It would not surprise me if Zlatan sold more shirts than Ronaldo or Lionel Messi," Wilson, a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, told BBC Sport. "The cost of missing out on the Champions League is £30-50m. Zlatan will help plug that gap significantly with the number of shirts shifted by United. "It is a match made in heaven. The football club is commercially so aware who will exploit every commercial opportunity. "To them, they are signing a player who understands commercial endorsements and behaves in a way that allows him to maximise them. "Put that together and you get the holy grail stakes of shirt sales, and stacks of corporate sponsorship. "Zlatan is also the sort of player who brings ad hoc ticket buyers to a match, even if it is the Europa League or League Cup. "It is matching the world's biggest sporting brands with one of the most marketable players, who has cult following, plus it is his career swansong. "If you marry that with Manchester United, he will probably shift more shirts in the next year than any player in the squad because of the superstar status that he has." Wilson claimed that Ibrahimovic could become the face of Manchester United. "Zlatan has a global profile, and global appeal," he said. "Fans will buy shirts with Ibrahimovic on the back in Africa, South East Asia - markets United had a foothold in but not the leverage. "Only a few select few players can do that: Gareth Bale, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Ronaldo." If they are the off-pitch benefits of signing Ibrahimovic, what else will the enigmatic Swede bring to Old Trafford and the Premier League? Since making his debut for his hometown club of Malmo in 1999, Ibrahimovic has played for some of Europe's biggest clubs: Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and PSG, commanding transfer fees of more than £120m. He has scored 392 goals in 677 games and last season was his most prolific, with 50 goals in 51 matches - a record for PSG - while his 38 league goals is also a club record. Media playback is not supported on this device Ibrahimovic does not do ordinary goals. He scored four against England in a friendly in 2012, including an amazing overhead kick and then there are the free-kicks, long-range goals, back-heels, flicks and scorpion goals. Manchester United's FA Cup victory on Saturday was their first trophy since the Premier League title in 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson retired. But Ibrahimovic is used to regular success and has won 12 trophies in four seasons at PSG, including the domestic quadruple twice. While he may not have the same Ballon d'Or collection as Messi or Ronaldo, at least Ibrahimovic can console himself with being - beyond doubt - the best player in Sweden. The striker has won a record 10 Guldbollen (Golden Ball), the award given to the best male footballer in his home country. Ibrahimovic is one of the most quotable figures in world football. Here are just a few examples: Johanna Franden, international football correspondent for Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, has spent four years in Paris reporting on Ibrahimovic. "He will play up to that image that people had of him," Franden told BBC Sport. "When he says these things there is still a smile behind it, but for the last 15 years he has had so many people telling him how good he is that I think he does believe all of it." Ibrahimovic has always enjoyed a spiky relationship with the media and his critics. In 2015, after the semi-final of the French League Cup, he ordered his team-mates not to talk to journalists. When questioned why, he said: "Because I am the boss." "Only God knows" was Ibrahimovic's answer when quizzed by a journalist about Sweden's chances against Portugal in the 2014 World Cup play-offs. "Well, it's a bit hard to ask him", the reporter said, to which the player replied: "You're talking to him now." On another occasion, he was forced to apologise for describing France in not so endearing terms. "There will be a clash [with the media]," said Franden. "He will not hold back. He is not scared by the media; he will tell the journalists what he thinks. "You expect if there is any discontent it will leak out. "He can handle the pressure, but he keeps his private life private, he does not invite the press in and his partner Helena Seger will be in the limelight more than she has been so far." Ibrahimovic could soon be linking up with England captain Wayne Rooney. In a BBC documentary, he said of Rooney: "I'd prefer to have him in my team than play against him. I've not been lucky enough to play with him but I enjoy seeing him on the pitch. If I cannot play with him, I will watch him." But it is fair to say Ibrahimovic has not always enjoyed the best relationship with team-mates and it is safer to stay on his good side. He once put AC Milan team-mate Gennaro Gattuso in a bin after a training session, in retaliation for being teased by the Italian. A fight with AC Milan team-mate and 6ft 5in American Oguchi Onyewu ended with a broken rib for Ibrahimovic, he once threatened to break Ajax team-mate Rafael van der Vaart's legs and another time he hit Mido after the Egyptian threw a pair of scissors at him. Earlier this year, Ibrahimovic told his PSG team-mates at half-time to "play as I tell you and everything will be fine". "It is a good time for him to go to United, as there is not such a clear leader in the squad," said Franden. "If he goes to United it is because Mourinho has told him he will be the number one, the most important voice in the locker room. "Zlatan wants to be the most important player on the pitch. He is not a leader in the way he talks, but he expects team-mates to listen to him especially when he is not happy. He is also extremely demanding of himself. "He will be a good example to the young players in how disciplined he is and how hard he works. He is always early for training and one of the last to leave. He eats healthy and does not drink or smoke." Former United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen told BBC Radio 5 live: "In some ways Ibrahimovic is the perfect fit for Manchester United at this moment in time. They have young players in the dressing room and he is a leader, a winner. "He would bring a lot to the club and really put United back to winning ways" Ibrahimovic is joining United to link back up with Mourinho, who coached him at Inter Milan for a season from 2008-09. "From being a cat, I felt like a lion," was how Ibrahimovic described the impact of Mourinho in an interview with Radio 5 live. "He was amazing. He dragged out of me things that no other coach has done before. When I played I felt like a Terminator, I felt so confident under him." In his book I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he described Mourinho as a manager he was "willing to die for". "The first time he met my partner Helena, he whispered to her: 'Helena, you have only one mission: feed Zlatan, let him sleep, keep him happy'." "Mourinho knows what he is bringing. Zlatan has always wanted to work with him again," said Franden. "He had been very eager and was disappointed Mourinho had not got him in before. "He said at Inter that Mourinho was the best he had worked with and was disappointed Mourinho has, until now, not picked up the phone to ask him to come. Mourinho has always praised Zlatan. "When Zlatan left Inter some players said they were two seconds away from getting physical with each other. There was not enough air to breathe but Zlatan is willing to work with him. They are two big egos and they do clash." "If Mourinho lights up a room, Guardiola draws the curtains," wrote Ibahimovic about former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, who takes over at Manchester City next season. He referred to the Spaniard as a "spineless coward" in his autobiography, and Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed Ibrahimovic said he "might punch Pep" during his time at Barcelona. Barcelona bought Ibrahimovic for £57m and he scored 21 goals in 51 matches, but he felt he was used incorrectly by Guardiola and once confronted him on the training ground over lack of playing time. "I said I was being used in the wrong way and that they shouldn't have bought me if they wanted another type of player," he wrote about a meeting with Guardiola. "I told him what a friend had said to me: 'You bought a Ferrari but drive it like a Fiat.'" Expect fireworks at the Manchester derby next season. Former team-mate Peter Schmeichel said Ibrahimovic could have the same affect at Old Trafford as Eric Cantona, the iconic French striker. "United need inspirational players, players that stand alone," said the former Denmark keeper. "We had Cantona in the mid-90s. A lot of what happened in the 1990s would not have happened without him. Now it is time to have someone like that again. Zlatan fits that bill. "In the last five years Zlatan has only improved his fitness, his abilities and output . His stats are unbelievable. Not just say in the French league, because he does it in Europe and for Sweden. He finds the goals, he finds the tricks, he finds what the crowd needs. I said this before, he was born to play for United." Ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes added: "Zlatan joining United does excite me. I know it might only be one or two years at the most, but he is a fit lad, looks after himself and is a great character, he could pull it off without a shadow of a doubt." Brazil left-back Maxwell and Ibrahimovic first met at Ajax in 2001 and have followed each other to Inter Milan, Barcelona and Paris St-Germain. They are close friends. The pair have won 10 league titles together, so could we see Maxwell join his friend across the English Channel? 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Zlatan Ibrahimovic could "plug the financial gap" of Manchester United's failure to reach the Champions League - should he join the club.

The 42-year-old man was discovered in wetland at the Medmerry Nature Reserve, in Earnley, on Tuesday by Coastguards. Sussex Police said the incident, which took place in the Selsey area at about 17:00 GMT, was being treated as a "tragic accident". The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and British Hang Gliding Association have been informed. A spokesman for Sussex Police said they believed the AAIB would be "leading on the investigation into the cause of the crash".

A hang gliding pilot has died in an accident at a nature reserve near Chichester in West Sussex.

That was the promise made by the Prime Minister at the weekend. But it left open a number of questions - did he mean everyone, no matter how remote, what technology will be used, and who is going to pay for it? Here is what David Cameron said: "Just as our forebears effectively brought gas, electricity and water to all, we're going to bring fast broadband to every home and business that wants it." As the government has already promised to bring fast broadband to 95% of homes via the BDUK programme, this is all about reaching the final 5%. The digital minister Ed Vaizey gave further detail, explaining that the plan was to bring in a universal service obligation of 10Mbps for "the very hardest to reach homes and businesses." But does that mean every home - even those up Welsh mountains or on remote Scottish islands? Let's presume it does, though just as with the obligation on BT to provide a phone line, there may be some upper limit on the costs involved in hooking up a home. Broadband campaigners have not greeted the government's pledge with huge enthusiasm. In particular, they have derided that 10Mbps minimum as woefully inadequate. I contacted a number of them to ask what the minimum speed should be and got answers ranging from 15Mbps to 100Mbps. There was also general agreement that fibre to the home was the technology which should be employed, though a few pointed out that 4G was now providing better speeds in some areas than fixed line broadband. The problem is that, even at a minimum 10Mbps, a universal service may prove an expensive undertaking and the cost of putting a 100Mbps fibre connection in every corner of the UK could be prohibitive. When the debate about fast broadband got going, it was calculated that universal coverage might cost at least £15 billion. A government which is implementing severe cuts in public spending will not be keen to put more money into broadband - although of course it is worth remembering that most of the cash spent so far on the BDUK programme has come from the TV licence fee. And just about all of that spending has been channelled through BT, which was the only company to apply for the money in most regions. Now the former monopoly telephone supplier looks likely to be a the centre of the effort to hook up the last 5%. But even if the government wanted to spend taxpayer funds to make that happen, there will be resistance from BT's rivals. Virgin Media has already called for an end to subsidies for rural broadband, claiming the market can now do the job - although it isn't clear that it will be moving to offer cable to every remote home. Meanwhile, there are signs of a split opening up between town and country over the subsidy issue. The director of the free market Institute of Economic Affairs Mark Littlewood told Radio 4's PM that people living in remote rural areas had made that choice, and fast broadband should not be a right. Rural broadband campaigners hit back. John Popham, who advises rural communities wanting to get connected, told me there was already a widening gap between town and country: "For me the issue is that urban connections are getting faster. Stuff is then developed to take advantage of those fast connections which is then inaccessible to rural users." Many of those campaigners have been deeply sceptical about BT's strategy for rolling out fast broadband, and some have joined calls for its Openreach division, which operates the fibre and copper networks, to be sold off. But here's the paradox - the move to make fast broadband a right for everyone could end up strengthening BT's hand. If it is asked to meet a Universal Service Obligation, without being offered subsidies to make that feasible, then the company will want something in return. It is Ofcom, not ministers, which is currently pondering whether Openreach should be sold off. But the regulator will be hearing strong arguments that a divided BT will not be in good shape to help the Prime Minister fulfil his promises on fast broadband.

So, every home and business across the UK can now have fast broadband if they want it.

Trained by Colin Tizzard, the 2-1 favourite took control at the penultimate hurdle and pulled away to win by eight lengths. Jockey Tom Scuadmore said: "He gave me a lot of pleasure. It's a special day." Reve De Sivola held on for second and Deputy Dan trailed in third, another 12 lengths further back.

Thistlecrack ended the three-year reign of Reve De Sivola to cruise to an impressive victory in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.

The three children were placed in foster care after the couple's arrest by counter-terrorism officers in 2015. Mr Justice Cobb said he was suspicious the parents were going to areas controlled by so-called Islamic State. But he said their "attitude" had "genuinely changed" and he concluded that the children should return home. The judge, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court, said he was also satisfied that the couple will meet their children's needs. He said evidence showed that being in the family home will be in their best interests. Details of the case have emerged in rulings published by Mr Justice Cobb following private family court hearings in Leeds. The judge did not identify the couple. He said they were from London but lived in the north-east of England. Council social workers had asked him to make decisions about where the children should live. The couple were arrested while in a car with their children at the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone, Kent, during the summer of 2015. They had not been accused of any terrorism-related offences as a result of their arrest, but had faced fraud charges. The couple had told police that they were travelling to Germany to visit relatives, although the man admitted that he had been "drawn into radical extreme thinking". Mr Justice Cobb said evidence caused him "very considerable concern" and he said he was "suspicious" that the couple had been heading for areas of the Middle East controlled by IS. But he said suspicion was not enough. Mr Justice Cobb said he had been told how the couple had co-operated with social services after the children were taken into foster care. The father said he accepted that things he had said before were "not appropriate" and "not a true expression of Islam", and the mother had accepted that views she expressed "were wrong". "I am sufficiently satisfied... that the attitudes of these parents have genuinely changed," said Mr Justice Cobb. "I am satisfied from the information placed before me that these parents [will meet] the needs of these... children in all material respects." He added: "All relevant considerations point to the conclusion that it is indeed in the best interests of the children that they should [be] at home in the care of their parents."

A Muslim couple arrested over fears that they were heading to Syria for "extremist activities" have won a court fight for the care of their children.

Both sides had chances before the Pars' Ryan Wallace drilled a low shot into the bottom corner with 15 minutes left. The lead last just two minutes as Ross Davidson got the last touch on a free-kick into the area. The home side dominated the closing stages but could could not deny Rovers, who remain in fifth place. Rovers remain level with Airdrieonians, who drew at home with Forfar Athletic.

Scottish League One leaders Dunfermline Athletic were held at home by Albion Rovers but still moved 11 points clear at the top of the table.

Nether Edge Green Party councillor, Alison Teal, was served with a legal notice for her involvement in protests against Sheffield City Council's tree felling programme. Ms Teal was previously arrested for protesting against the tree removals. Charges against her and 13 others were dropped earlier this year. More stories from across Yorkshire Sheffield City Council maintain that the removal of street trees in the city is lawful and necessary. A "pre-action protocol letter" from the council's legal department to Ms Teal warned the authority will seek a High Court injunction to stop her, and others involved in "direct action", from taking part in future protests. The council said the process would give protesters "a chance to further and finally consider their position" before it begins legal proceedings on 12 July. Councillor Bryan Lodge, cabinet member for Environment and Street Scene, said there had been months of "unlawful and costly disruption" to tree replacement works in Sheffield by a small number of protesters. "We continue to support the right to peacefully protest, and the majority of protesters who are doing so peacefully will not be affected," he added. "But there is a big difference between this and direct action which deliberately and unlawfully stops works from being carried out." Mr Lodge said protesters had been sent a letter several weeks ago confirming their actions were unlawful. "Streets Ahead is not just about street trees, it's about ensuring we have roads, pavements and a street scene to be proud of for many years to come," he added. "In addition, it presents us with a unique opportunity to sustainably manage, increase and maintain our diverse street tree stock over a 25 year period." The council said, despite the letter, works were still being disrupted "causing city-wide delays".

A council is to seek a civil injunction and damages against one of its own councillors and other members of the public.

Mary Burrows, who was chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, moved from Colwyn Bay, Conwy county, to London two months ago. She is staying with her son while she receives treatment for breast cancer. "Treatments that have not been approved by Nice are not routinely available in Wales," a health board statement said. A £200m-a-year cancer drug fund was set up in England in 2011. There is no similar fund in Wales. Mrs Burrows said her consultant in Wales advised her to go to the Royal Marsden Hospital, Surrey, for the next stage of her treatment because the drug she needed was not available in Wales. She called the situation "distressing," adding: "A lot of people can't just move their family to another UK nation. There needs to be a debate across all of the UK about how we fund these treatments. "Not just cancer treatments; advanced technologies and surgeries coming through that people will want to access." Mrs Burrows left her role with the health board last January. She said she had "arguments with myself" about the fairness of the Welsh government policy and if having a cancer drug fund takes resources from people with other illnesses. Mrs Burrows' husband died two years ago of advanced melanoma after he was also unable to get treatment in Wales, she said. Now she is calling for more investment in the NHS "across the board". A Betsi Cadwaladr spokeswoman said: "Where a clinician wishes to use a treatment that has not received Nice approval, they can make an application to the health board under the all-Wales individual patient funding request process. "These requests are con­sidered by an expert panel. Because each patient is different, each case has to be individu­ally assessed."

A former head of a Welsh health board has moved to England in order to get a cancer drug.

Drivers face being given six penalty points on their licence rather than three, and a £200 fine instead of £100. But figures obtained by BBC Radio Wales showed 166 motorists were stopped by police for using their phones in March - up from 137 in February. The Handsoff campaign said driving and using a phone is a "lethal cocktail". The changes to the law, introduced on 1 March, mean new drivers caught using a mobile phone face losing their licence, and more experienced drivers can be banned if they get 12 points in three years. Lucy Amos, from road safety charity Brake, said: "Mobile phone use behind the wheel is a growing menace and it's time we got tough with those who break the law. "These drivers are putting their own and other people's lives in grave danger. "As a charity that supports bereaved and seriously injured road crash victims we know only too well the devastation and heartbreak caused by distracted drivers and have been campaigning on this issue for a number of years. "We would also like to see a total ban on phone use as even using hands-free increases your likelihood of being involved in a crash. It's the distraction of the conversation that's the main danger." She added mobile phone use should be as big a taboo as drink driving. A spokesman for Mobile UK, the trade association for the UK's mobile operators, told the Jason Mohammad programme the UK government had been taking the lead on action to tackle the issue. "Mobile UK and mobile operators have been supportive of the measures that respective governments have been doing to reduce hand-held mobile phone use in vehicles but government have very much been taking the lead," he said. BBC Wales also contacted mobile phone networks EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three. A spokesman for Vodafone said: "Mobiles and driving don't go together... texting while driving is never acceptable."

The number of Welsh motorists caught using their mobile phones went up in March, despite the introduction of harsher penalties.

The group had been sailing around the County Down lough on Wednesday when three crew members went ashore on Green Island. The cabin cruiser then developed electrical problems as it made its way to Salt Island, where it was beached. A Portaferry lifeboat crew was launched at about 11:15 BST and everyone was safely taken to shore at Killyleagh. Brian Bailie, lifeboat operations manager with Portaferry RNLI, said: "Once again all the hard work and hours invested in training has paid off with a happy ending. "With the start of the good weather and more and more craft taking to the water, it is increasingly important that everyone respects the water and makes all the necessary checks before going on the water".

Five men and two women were rescued by the RNLI after becoming stranded on two islands in Strangford Lough.

The chain says it will commit to paying 28p per litre for 100% of its liquid milk throughout its entire range. It is less than the 30-32p farmers estimate it costs to produce each litre but the farming union welcomed it. Asda's announcement comes after protests by dairy farmers at branches of Asda, Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi over the price they are paid for their milk. The National Farmers' Union (NFU) said it was pleased Asda had recognised the "plight of the dairy industry" in its "hour of need". The industry says a reduction in global demand for milk has led to an over-supply in the UK, creating difficult conditions for many dairy farmers. Asda said it would increase the price it paid per litre to its milk supplier Arla from Monday, with the intention that it be passed directly on to farmers. "Asda's origins are in dairy farming which is why we are acting in the best interests of our farmers and our customers by increasing the price we pay, introducing the Farmer's Marque label and not passing on any of the costs to customers - our retail price stays the same," he said. It is not yet clear whether Arla, Britain's biggest milk co-operative, will pass on the increase in price to farmers. Meurig Raymond, NFU president, urged Arla to ensure it passed the extra payment on "with immediate effect". Asda previously announced a price cut of 0.8p per litre - taking the standard litre price to 23.01p for its UK members. On Tuesday, Morrisons said it was launching a new milk brand which will see 10p per litre extra paid to farmers. The Milk for Farmers brand, to be launched in October, means a four pint bottle (2.27 litres), which now sells for 89p, will cost an extra 23p. The four main farming unions - the NFU, the NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers Union - held an emergency summit on Monday to develop an action plan to tackle falling milk, lamb and arable prices. There have been days of protests by farmers including milk trolley challenges, blockades at distribution centres and even bringing cattle into supermarkets. The average price paid to dairy farmers for milk across the UK is 23.66p - following a drop of 25% in a year. The NFU said that currently Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury's and the Co-op have arrangements where a farmer is paid a price above the cost of production for milk. Asda, Lidl and Aldi currently do not offer such deals to farmers. Why is the milk row happening? NI agriculture minister seeks EU lobby support Welsh farming leader suggests cow cull

Asda is to increase the price it pays its milk supplier to "a level that will assist" farmers, the supermarket says.

Media playback is not supported on this device The world number one, 30, was scheduled to play an exhibition match at Hurlingham Club in London on Friday. "Sadly I won't be ready to play at the Hurlingham, my hip is still sore and I need to rest it," he said. The Briton is still expected to begin the defence of his Wimbledon title on Monday, but will be short of practice heading into the Championships. Murray has only played one grass-court match this year, suffering a shock first-round defeat by world number 90 Jordan Thompson at Queen's. As defending champion, the Scot is set to open on Centre Court at 13:00 BST on Monday. Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent: Aches and pains are nothing new for Murray, or for any professional tennis player, but the timing is inopportune. Murray's last practice session was a light one at the All England Club on Tuesday, and although it is possible he might still have one on Friday, he may need to spend another day on the sidelines. My understanding is that his participation at Wimbledon is not currently in doubt, but his preparation has once again been hindered. This is a season in which injury and illness have caused much frustration. Media playback is not supported on this device

Defending champion Andy Murray has pulled out of his final warm-up match before Wimbledon because of a sore hip.

Sarries beat Clermont Auvergne 28-17 at Murrayfield on Saturday to remain on course for an historic 'double-double' of continental and English crowns. Their quest continues with a trip to Exeter in the first of next Saturday's Premiership semi-finals. "If we're hungry enough and humble enough, then there's no reason why we can't get better," McCall said. "The age profile of the group is good and the manner in which we won was encouraging." If they overcome Exeter next Saturday, Saracens will face either Wasps or Leicester in the Premiership final at Twickenham on Saturday 27 May. Saracens winger Chris Ashton opened the scoring in the 13th minute with his 37th try in the competition, setting a new European cup try-scoring record in the process. He raced on to Alex Goode's precise grubber kick for his historic try, and was quick to praise his team-mates when asked about the record. "I won't lie, I'm pretty happy about it," he said. "But I think a lot of it is down to the group I've been playing with the last five years. "It's nice for my name to be up there but a lot of the credit belongs to this club." The former England winger ends his five years at Saracens in the summer to join French Top 14 side Toulon, and he confessed to feeling sad about his departure. "I am going to miss it. I've had five amazing years here," he said. "I've had unbelievable highs and definitely some lows along there. "The support I've had from the players and the coaching staff has been phenomenal, so it will be a sad day when I do leave." Goode scored the try which all but secured Saracens' second European crown and has shone again on the European stage this season. The 28-year-old - like Ashton - has been overlooked by England, with the last of his 21 caps coming in a rare start as full-back against Fiji in 2016. But last season's Premiership player of the season is enjoying club rugby. "We have a young squad and one that is very hungry to keep improving," he said. "It was a joy to be on the field with the rest of the team. "The strength of the group is that we are constantly looking to improve and get better and we never feel like we are the finished article."

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall says his side can still improve despite securing back-to-back European titles.

The 30 new military advisers will raise Australia's total deployment to 300, Defence Minister Marise Payne said. Earlier this month, US authorities recommended sending at least 3,000 more soldiers to fight the Taliban. In February, the commander of US troops in Afghanistan said he needed more troops to break a "stalemate". Ms Payne told a Senate estimates hearing that the troops would help train Afghan security forces. "Given the centrality of Afghanistan in the global fight against terrorism, an enhanced Australian contribution to the resolute support mission is both timely and appropriate," she said on Monday. Ms Payne said she expected other nations in the military coalition to also commit additional forces. US combat operations against the Taliban officially ended in 2014, but special forces have continued to provide support to Afghan troops. There are about 13,000 Nato troops currently in the country.

Australia will increase its troop presence in Afghanistan following a formal request from the US, Canberra has said.

Out Among the Stars comes out in March and features 12 tracks by the American singer, recorded for Columbia Records in 1981 and 1984. It includes duets with Cash's wife June Carter and friend Waylon Jennings. The tracks have never been made public before. They were not released at the time and the singer, who had fallen out of fashion, was later dropped by his record label. The recordings came to light only when John Carter Cash found them, gathering dust in a vault, while he was cataloguing the singer's private archive in 2012. He found hundreds of reels of unreleased live and studio recordings in the vault, including duets with Bob Dylan. It is the fourth posthumous album released since Johnny Cash died in 2003, aged 71. Speaking to the BBC, Carter Cash said: "There is more music to be released that is unheard, there are some great recordings. "But we don't want to release something unless it means something. "It has to be in line with what we believe my father would have wanted released". The unreleased recordings will bolster what is already a lucrative business for the Cash estate. In 2009, he sold more than three million records, reportedly earning more than $8m (£4.9m). But Carter Cash maintained "the world would be a darker place" if the music was not released and it was "worth doing" if fans around the world wanted to hear it. "Do you want to see another Picasso if there's one that nobody has ever seen before?" he asked. "I would say that probably the world would want to see another Picasso. And it's really the same thing. This is a work of art." To date, Johnny Cash sold more than 90 million records. He is best known for songs including Ring of Fire and I Walk the Line and famously performed for inmates in American prisons. "He would sing the songs for the underdogs," said Carter Cash. "He would reach out to people that no one else would reach out to."

Johnny Cash's son, John Carter Cash, has described a new album by his late father as "a great treasure", saying there will be more records released in the future.

McKee netted the opener and Eugene Magee slotted home before O'Donoghue's drag-flick made it 3-0 at half-time. O'Donoghue added the fourth and, after Patryk Bulka pulled one back, McKee netted to seal victory. Ireland face Wales in Saturday's semi-final with the winners guaranteed a spot in the final and World League 3. France and Scotland will contest the other semi-final at the east Belfast venue. "In a must-win game, there will always be tension. These are difficult games - it's a quarter-final and must-win," said Ireland coach Craig Fulton. Media playback is not supported on this device "Whether you play beautifully or it's pretty, it doesn't matter. The result is everything. "We did well in the first quarter but couldn't put a final pass on it. They are a difficult team to play against and Mateusz Poltaszewski is a good player and controlled things for a while. "But once we got one, two and three that put them under a lot of pressure. We pressed well. The stepping forward from us was really good. All respect to Poland, we maybe left three or four more goals out there. "Where we are getting the ball are really good areas. It is building." Ireland: D Harte, J Bell, M Bell, R Gormley, M Nelson, E Magee, N Glassey, S O'Donoghue, J McKee, P Gleghorne, C Harte. Subs: B Walker, C Cargo, S Murray, J Duncan, L Cole, J Wright, J Carr. Poland: R Banaszak, M Raciniewski, M Gumny, D Kotulski, S Sellner, M Hulboj, J Janicki, R Wisniewski, A Krokosz, P Bratkowski, M Poltaszewski. Subs: P Bulka, B Zywiczka, R Gruszczynski, P Pawlak, J Kurowski, K Sudol, M Popiolkowskia. Umpires: V Ilgrande, I Diamond

Johnny McKee and Shane O'Donoghue both scored twice as Ireland hammered Poland 5-1 in the World League 2 quarter-final at Stormont on Thursday.

For most of US history, party nominees have been decided by political power brokers and deal-makers behind closed doors. Parties operate like private clubs - they make their own rules and are suspicious of outsiders. Only in recent history has a more open system of primaries and caucuses been grafted onto the process to give the average American a say in who appears on the general election ballot. In a close, contentious primary season, however, the veneer of accountability can rub off, exposing the sometimes unsightly gears that still power the US political system. This has prompted objection from the supporters of two candidates in particular - Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders - who feel that the party establishments are arrayed against their presidential quests. But are their concerns valid? Here are answers to four pertinent questions as the nomination battles approach its final months. 34 Number of delegates Ted Cruz received in Colorado, which held conventions to pick delegates 759 Trump total delegate count 529 Cruz total delegate count Mr Trump is leading the race for the Republican nomination, but it's starting to feel like he's not winning. While he's comfortably ahead, with 757 delegates to 529 for second-place Ted Cruz, there's mounting evidence that he's being outmanoeuvred in the behind-the-scenes political process that could come into play if he doesn't reach the magic 1,237 delegate number necessary to secure the nomination outright. In Colorado - which selected its delegates at party gatherings last week and not through primaries or caucuses - Mr Cruz walked away with all 34 delegates. Even in states that have held contests won by Mr Trump, Mr Cruz's team has been working doggedly to ensure that their people become delegates. While Mr Trump swept South Carolina's 50 delegates, for instance, the state's convention delegation will be riddled with Cruz supporters who, while bound to Mr Trump on the first few ballots, can switch to the Texas senator if there is a protracted convention battle. It has Mr Trump and his people crying foul. "This is happening all over our country - great people being disenfranchised by politicians," Mr Trump tweeted on Monday. "Repub party is in trouble!" Paul Manafort, Mr Trump's new aide in charge of managing the delegate-selection process, accused the Cruz campaign of using "Gestapo tactics, scorched-earth tactics" in Colorado. If, as Mr Trump asserted on Monday, the system is "rigged" and "crooked", however, it isn't always tilted in favour of Mr Trump's opponents. Thanks to the Republican Party's delegate-apportioning system, including Florida's winner-take-all primary, Mr Trump has secured a larger share of the delegates so far (45%) than he has of the raw primary vote (37%). If Mr Cruz manages to win the nomination at the Republican convention despite trailing Mr Trump in total delegates and share of the popular vote, Mr Trump may have reason to feel aggrieved. But before he complains too loudly, he might want to heed some sage advice attributed (incorrectly) to Albert Einstein: "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Mr Trump should be familiar with the quote, since he tweeted it in October 2014. 17 States Bernie Sanders has won 18 States Hillary Clinton has won Mr Sanders has won five state contests in a row and seven of the last eight. If he were an American football team he'd be poised for the playoffs. If he were prize fighter, he'd be tuning up for a title bout. Instead his pledged-delegate deficit to Mrs Clinton has gone from daunting to only fractionally less daunting. Over the course of his recent run, the Vermont Senator has picked up a net of just 91 delegates, despite winning Wisconsin 56% to 43%, Utah 79% to 20% and Washington 72% to 27%. According to a New York Times calculation, the former secretary of state currently has 1,305 pledged delegates, while Sanders stands at 1,086. Add in the non-binding support of "super-delegates" - Democratic officeholders and party functionaries who also cast ballots for the nominee at the convention - and Mrs Clinton's lead balloons to 1,774 to 1,117. To secure the Democratic nomination without drama at the convention a candidate needs the backing of 2,383 delegates The problem for Mr Sanders is that while he's been posting sizeable wins over the past month, they've largely been in delegate-poor states, like Wyoming (14 delegates), Idaho (23) and Alaska (16). His successes pale when compared to Mrs Clinton's massive earlier wins in populous southern states like Texas, Florida and Georgia, which alone netted her 184 delegates over Mr Sanders. If Mrs Clinton performs as expected in the coming contests in New York (291 delegates), Maryland (118) and Pennsylvania (210), she'll largely erase all the modest ground Mr Sanders made up over the past three weeks. 9,412,426 Votes for Hillary Clinton during primary season so far 7,034,997 Votes for Bernie Sanders during primary season so far If delegate maths and selection rules make your head hurt, at least we can rely on the raw vote totals to get a feel for how popular the remaining candidates are, right? Wrong. According to current tabulations Hillary Clinton has received 9,412,426 votes during the primary season so far. Bernie Sanders has received 7,034,997. That 2.4m vote lead has been relentlessly touted by the former secretary of state and her supporters to counter the claims of Sanders faithful that their man is more popular than the delegate tallies indicate. Some states that hold caucuses - like Iowa and Washington - aren't included in that number, however, because they don't report vote totals. The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler tried to extrapolate numbers for the remaining states based on their total voter turnout and concluded that Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders by 2.3m votes - still a significant margin. Among the Republicans, who are better about providing full vote totals, Mr Trump leads with 8,256,309 votes. Mr Cruz is second (6,319,244), former candidate Marco Rubio is third (3,482,129), followed by Mr Kasich (2,979,379). In the end the popular vote may give the leading candidates a claim of legitimacy as the people's choice - but appearances can be deceiving. "The media has created the perception that the voters choose the nomination. That's the conflict here," North Dakota delegate Curly Haugland told a television interviewer. "The rules are still designed to have a political party choose its nominee at a convention. That's just the way it is." "Well, there's the law, and then there's ethics, and then there's getting votes. I'm not going to get into what tactics are used." If, as appears to be increasingly likely, the Republican primary season ends without Donald Trump securing the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination, the Republican National Convention could turn into a political free-for-all unrivalled in modern US political history. After several rounds of deadlocked balloting, most convention delegates would be free to vote their conscience. But could that conscience be nudged by, say, a free weekend at a Donald Trump golf resort, a nice dinner with the Cruz family or even a choice spot in a John Kasich administration? Maybe! While there are detailed anti-corruption laws governing the behaviour of public officeholders, convention delegates are private citizens. While government regulations prohibit them from taking money from corporations, labour unions, government contractors or foreign nationals, the law beyond that is much murkier. Campaigns and their wealth donors could likely cover delegate travel expenses, no matter how lavish. Gold watches? Bags of small, unmarked bills? Who knows? State anti-bribery laws may apply, but there's scant legal precedent. Perhaps the greatest deterrent to untoward action by campaigns is the negative publicity such naked attempts at influence could have if they're documented. But public perceptions and attitudes this political season has been difficult to predict, to say the least. Although the national convention is still months away, accusations of dirty tricks have already started flying. On Sunday Mr Trump took to Twitter to accuse the Cruz campaign of misdeeds during the South Carolina state party convention - a charge Mr Cruz vehemently denied. "I win a state in votes and then get non-representative delegates because they are offered all sorts of goodies by Cruz campaign," Mr Trump wrote. "Bad system!" During a television interview that same morning, however, Trump adviser Paul Manafort appeared to acknowledge that his campaign won't be shy in wooing delegates at the national convention, however. "Well, there's the law, and then there's ethics, and then there's getting votes," he said. "I'm not going to get into what tactics are used. I happen to think the best way we're going to get delegates is to have Donald Trump be exposed to delegates, let the delegates hear what he says." Another Trump adviser, Barry Bennett, said they wouldn't be offering "seats on the Trump airplane or anything like that". "There's obviously a big line - we're not going to do anything immoral, illegal or unethical," he said. But when a presidential nomination is at stake, and it comes down to just a handful of delegates, that "big line" may end up looking awfully fuzzy.

The United States may be a democracy, but the party presidential nomination process - upon closer inspection - is hardly a shining beacon of democratic light.