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The panther chameleon was found on Monday by a dog walker in the wooded area at Marl Park. It had to be put down after X-rays showed all of its legs were broken and it had a deformed spine. RSPCA Cymru said it was an "extremely sad example of an abandoned and neglected exotic pet". Inspector Selina Chan said: "It is a possibility that the owners took on this animal but were unable to provide the care he needs and decided to release him to the wild. "We are urging potential owners of exotic animals to thoroughly research what is required in the care of the particular species before taking one on. "Potential owners need to make sure they can give their animal the environment it needs and they have the facilities, time, financial means and long-term commitment to maintain a good standard of care, as required under the Animal Welfare Act 2006." She added it was illegal to release non-native species into the wild.

Owners of exotic animals have been urged to do research before having them as pets after a seriously neglected chameleon was found in Cardiff Bay.

The 23-year-old batsman has set himself two goals; scoring 1,000 first-class runs for the first time in his career and breaking into the county's one-day team. Wells came close to his first target last season, when he scored 982 Championship runs at an average of 37.76, but he is eager to keep improving. "I expect a lot from myself because I believe I am a good enough player to deliver bigger and better results," he told BBC Sport. "Although I have done reasonably well over the last three years I don't feel I have done as well as I could have or should have done. Statistics correct at 31 May "I feel my average isn't as high as it should be and that I should have hit 1,000 runs by now. "You'd rather be expecting more than be satisfied with average results. Moving forward you always have to have the will to improve and exceed expectations. "I don't put pressure on myself. I just see it as a challenge." The left-hander believes he should have reached the 1,000-run milestone in 2013. "If I didn't give away a couple of innings I would have got there," he said. "I spent my winter in Sydney and definitely improved. I feel I've opened up a few areas through the offside I may not have had previously and am targeting about 1,100 or 1,200 runs. "The only difference is when you are in and on 40, that you give it away. If you convert those into slightly higher scores, when then there is no reason why you should get out, then I will be at 1,200 runs. "I feel I am a better player now and I have the mental concentration and the defensive technique to do it." Ahead of the current match against Nottinghamshire at Hove, Wells had scored 221 runs in his five Championship appearances this season - with his high score of 79 not out coming against Somerset in April. He admits he is "a fair way" off his target but is keen to contribute to Sussex's title challenge, with the Hove side currently fifth in the Division One table. I am targeting about 1,100 or 1,200 runs. I feel I am a better player now and I have the mental concentration and the defensive technique to do it "I feel in really good nick at the moment and that there's a big three-figure score just around the corner," he said. "I know if I keep doing the same things and backing myself I'll score a good amount of runs. "It may sound cliched but if I get a thousand runs and we win the title then brilliant. If I get 900 and we win the title I'll take that. As long as the runs I'm scoring are contributing to winning efforts that is most important. "We have got a strong squad and one hallmark of this season so far is competition for batting spaces. Everyone is under pressure as you know you need to get your runs. "That is the way it should be in any squad. You shouldn't be able to rest on your laurels as people around you want to take your spot." The former England Under-19 international, who is the son of former Sussex captain and one-time England Test player Alan, believes his time in Australia has improved his all-round game. "I had a clear basic goal which was to work on a couple of technical areas to do with my trigger and my stance to be in a better position so that I can move more freely and make me more dynamic at the crease," he said. "I feel I am a lot quicker on my feet, which will help in all formats of my game. I've worked on shots through the off-side, my one-day skills in general and my fitness." Wells, meanwhile, describes his efforts to break into Sussex's one-day side as "difficult and frustrating". The Eastbourne-born player has only made one competitive Twenty20 appearance for the club, coming against Glamorgan in 2011, and has made just a handful of appearances in List A competition. Sussex have performed strongly in both Twenty20 and 40-over competition in recent years, but made group-stage exits in both formats in 2013. Wells says the county calendar has not helped his cause but hopes the new schedule, which sees the T20 Blast played throughout the season and the new 50-over One Day Cup played in July and August, could benefit him. "So far in my career I've started well in four-day competition then T20 comes along, I have a big break in the middle of my season and I try to find a way to keep the momentum going," he said. "It has been quite hard work. I think this year with the Friday nights will help. "I've been pushing as hard as I can and have been working a lot on my one-day skills. I can strike a ball as far as anyone in the squad. "It is just about putting it all together into performances in the middle. "It is hard with the schedule in and around four-day cricket to find time to play second XI T20 games. "You need your currency, as it were, to show the coaches that you can do it." Wells did play five CB40 matches for Sussex last season but only managed to make seven runs in four innings. "Unfortunately last year I did get a run at the top of the order but I got out," he said. "They were classic dismissals - a caught behind and a couple of lbws - but that's the way it goes. That is suddenly four games and you haven't scored a run. "I feel I am in a good place with my game and am offering other skills, not just with my batting. I am determined to get in the side. "Every year we always push quite hard in one-day competitions and have had quite a lot of success. Last year we didn't have that and I was disappointed to not get a go in a T20 game come the end of the campaign. "Having said that the team needed its momentum and wanted to go with the same guys, which is absolutely understandable. "All I can do is put myself in the best possible position that when I do get a chance, to take it."

Luke Wells has established himself in Sussex's County Championship side but is hungry for more.

It happened at about 00:30 on Sunday and both men were taken to hospital for treatment. Officers are now asking anyone who saw what happened or who has information to get in touch. They want to talk to people who were in the club or in the immediate area on Saturday night or early Sunday morning and witnessed the disturbance.

Two men were seriously hurt during a disturbance at the Woodburn Miners Club in Dalkeith.

Matthew Cherrington, 32, from West Bromwich, murdered 26-year-old sex worker Lidia Pascale, who was last seen on 19 November 2014. Her body was discovered more than two weeks later in Hope Street, West Bromwich. Cherrington must serve a minimum of 19 years, Birmingham Crown Court was told. The electrician arranged for Ms Pascale, who had been working as an escort, to visit his flat where he attacked and killed her, West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. Ms Pascale, who had been staying in Smethwick, West Midlands, and Coventry, had suffered at least 11 blows to the head. Judge Melbourne Inman told Cherrington he was "a very dangerous man capable of extreme unprovoked violence" who had "never shown any remorse or regret." The CPS said Cherrington, of High Street, tried to "evade detection" and had blamed an associate for Ms Pascale's disappearance. Mobile phone analysis showed he had contacted several escorts including Ms Pascale on the day of the murder, the CPS said. Emily Lenham, from the CPS, said: "A very dangerous man has been convicted of a brutal and senseless crime." A West Midlands Police spokesperson said the force was supporting Ms Pascale's family, who are from Tulcea in Romania.

A man convicted of bludgeoning to death a Romanian woman whose body was found in a wheelie bin has been jailed for life.

Nineteen sailors were killed and a further 30 injured when the Type 42 destroyer took a direct hit during the Falklands War on 25 May 1982. As the ship sank in just 20 minutes, it took with it many documents and equipment which were of "importance to the security of the United Kingdom", said Clive Gale. He was part of a 39-strong Royal Navy team which carried out a number of dives on sunken ships, including HMS Coventry, over a four-month period beginning in the autumn of 1982. Recalling the HMS Coventry search, he said: "We were very conscious that we were diving on a war grave and the casualties that went down with the ship. "We actually visited their grave and that stays with you." Carrying out Operation Blackleg was a physically demanding and dangerous mission for those involved, with some dives lasting for up to eight hours. "We were 8,000 miles from any kind of rescue facility," Mr Gale added. "There was still hostilities with Argentina and to cap it all there was a 500lb (227kg) unexploded bomb in the wreck somewhere. "The whole mission was fraught with near misses. "Cutting into a steel structure underwater traps oxygen and if you hit it with a spark it explodes quite violently. "One chap lost the front plate out of his helmet and nearly drowned. "I was knocked unconscious and had to be pulled back into the bell by a colleague of mine." Mr Gale admits the mission, 300ft (91m) under the ocean's surface, was to "recover or destroy certain items". But some things brought back from HMS Coventry, like the cross of nails, were not on the official list. "I took off the big brass plaque while somebody else recovered the bell and the cross of nails was found," he continued. "All these things that were really personal to the ship's company were then presented to Coventry Cathedral after we'd finished the job."

A naval diver who searched the wreck of HMS Coventry after it was sunk during the Falklands has described how he was told to ensure secret information from the ship did not get into the wrong hands.

Toulon's Halfpenny, 26, ruptured anterior cruciate knee ligaments during Wales' 23-19 win over Italy at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. Scrum-half Rhys Webb, also 26, suffered an ankle injury in the match, but there is no news yet on the extent of the damage. Halfpenny's likely replacement at full-back, Liam Williams, has not played since having foot surgery in June. The other two full-backs in Wales' 31-man squad - Bristol's Matthew Morgan and Dragons' Hallam Amos - have six caps between them. Halfpenny has scored 508 points in 62 appearances for Wales. The Welsh Rugby Union has not said who will replace Halfpenny. Wales start their World Cup campaign against Uruguay in Cardiff on 20 September, before playing co-hosts England, Fiji and Australia their remaining Pool A matches. Former Wales Shane Williams has questioned coach Warren Gatland's decision to select Halfpenny against Italy. Halfpenny started the game with strapping on his right leg, suggesting he was already carrying an injury. Record Wales try-scorer Williams said the victory over Italy was "just horrendous for Wales". "Webb has been the form player for Wales and to lose Halfpenny as well, it's just a massive blow," he said. "You kind of thought 'do we need Halfpenny on the field? Let's wrap him up in cotton wool and roll him out when we really need him'. "Wales is in mourning already. Especially with Halfpenny, he was strapped up on his leg anyway." Props: Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Paul James (Ospreys), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Samson Lee (Scarlets). Hookers: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets). Locks: Jake Ball (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Racing 92), Dominic Day (Bath), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys). Back-rows: Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Ospreys), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt). Scrum-halves: Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues). Fly-halves: Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Matthew Morgan (Bristol), Rhys Priestland (Bath). Centres: Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins), Scott Williams (Scarlets). Wings: Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints). Full-back: Liam Williams (Scarlets).

Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny is out of the Rugby World Cup.

Deborah Steel, who was 37 and ran the Royal Standard in Ely, was last seen in the early hours of 28 December. Her body has not been found. No further action will be taken against a 50-year-old and a 70-year-old, both from Ely, Cambridgeshire Police said. A 72-year-old man from Ely has been re-bailed until 17 February. Ms Steel's disappearance was recently reclassified from a long-term missing person inquiry to a murder inquiry by officers.

Two of the three men arrested by detectives investigating the disappearance of a Cambridgeshire pub landlady in 1997 have been released.

The pastor and his family eventually fled Chibok in September after repeated attacks by the militants. They moved to the nearby town of Mubi until it also came under attack the next month and now live in Minna in the north-west. The family now scrapes a living by selling firewood and as Rev Mark tells the BBC's Chris Ewokor, the 12 months since the abductions have felt like "like 10 years". Since the abduction of Monica and Sarah we've been in some kind of condition but I cannot describe it. We are not able to sleep. My wife [has been having] this problem with her blood pressure, we have been struggling, at times when I come and see her alone I meet her crying, at times she cannot eat especially when it was in the early days just after these girls were abducted. We set a day that we fast and pray so that the Lord will strengthen our daughters and all the abducted Chibok girls, if they are still alive. My biological daughter Monica, she was 20 at that time she was abducted, and Sarah Samuel [my adopted daughter] was 18. That day, 14 April, was a very dangerous day. I remember hearing gunshots - all the buildings in Chibok were shaking. We have little mountains there and they were was echoing the shooting sound. When we went to the bush, I asked them [my wife and small children] to continue walking but I watched what was going and and saw how they were setting fire on some buildings until the morning. I managed to get back to my house and took my machine [motorbike]. I went to the school, no pupils were there. I asked about them and was told that they have taken our daughters, and they showed me the direction they went. We saw that the girls had dropped their head scarves and dropped shoes along the way. So I used that as a guide to follow where they went. Somebody told me that my daughter jumped out of the vehicle and she was wounded and she could not walk. It encouraged me to continue to pursue them. I went to a village which the kidnappers had set fire to and passed through it. I went to the next village and was told that the kidnappers had somebody and that should go back. I just went into the bush to keep on looking and I met two girls - Sarah Lawan and a daughter of my watchman. I took them on my machine to the house. They [had] jumped out of the big lorry that was carrying them - if you would have seen the dust on them, you would have pitied them. So it was those girls who gave me the information that they were kidnapped. When I was in Chibok, there were some members of Boko Haram who mixed with us, so we did get some information though it was not first hand and we did not know if it was true or not. I was told that my daughter was stoned to death soon after being kidnapped and I was told that my daughter had been asked her to receive the Prophet Muhammad as her saviour. She refused [and] I was told that they dug a hole and buried her leaving her head outside and stoned her to death. But [an envoy of the government who has been negotiating with the Boko Haram] just some three weeks ago he called me and told me that my daughters' names are among the names of the girls they are expecting [to be freed] which shows she is still alive, according to what he told me. I have hope. Even if my daughter has been stoned to death, I am the happiest man as a man of God who has brought up my daughter with that kind of faith. I always think that had it been President Goodluck [Jonathan], or the defence minister or the chief defence minister or the governor of Borno state or those senators, who had lost a daughter, how would they feel? At the time these girls were kidnapped, had the federal government paid careful attention they would have rescued these girls. I'm not blaming the federal government but it's their responsibility to bring the girls back. When I remember the future of my [other] children it makes me to shed tears, I don't know how we will end up. Since the kidnapping none of my children has been to school. Monica, she's very neat in everything and she's prayerful all the time. And one thing that makes me to remember her all the time, [she said] "Daddy I'm praying for you that you will be able to sponsor me, I want to be a doctor I want to help the nation." That's all these things that I remember - and her determination.

The daughter and adopted daughter of Reverend Enoch Mark were amongst the more than 200 girls kidnapped in the early hours of the morning from their boarding school by Boko Haram militants in northern-eastern Nigeria a year ago.

Duminda Silva was found guilty with four others of shooting dead Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and three of his supporters during local elections in Colombo in 2011. The two men were both members of the then governing party. The defendants are likely to serve long jail terms because of Sri Lanka's moratorium on executions. Their lawyers said they would appeal against the sentences. Silva sustained gunshot wounds and was flown out of the country, apparently for treatment, after the shooting. He was a close ally of the powerful Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose brother Mahinda was president until losing elections in 2015. Many hailed the verdict as proof that judicial independence had been restored in Sri Lanka. "This verdict was only possible because we have a new president," Hirunika Premachandra, the murdered man's daughter who is now an MP herself, told reporters. "I hope there will be justice for all the murders that happened during the previous era, including the killing of former editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, disappeared journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda and rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, so their families can get justice."

A Sri Lankan court has sentenced a former MP to death for the murder of a rival politician five years ago.

Staff at the hospital, run by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NTW) ordered a pizza on 10 December, but were dismayed when the phrase appeared on the delivery instructions. The NTW said staff were "greatly distressed". Neither the hospital or the pizza shop have been identified. The trust, which runs sites in Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland, said it had written to the shop and removed the takeaway from its list of approved suppliers until the matter is resolved. Will Green, head of communications at NTW, said: "Despite great efforts over recent years, mental ill health is still surrounded by prejudice, ignorance and fear. "With one in four people experiencing some form of mental health issue in their lifetime, it is important that organisations such as ours support efforts to reduce stigma and challenge examples of stigma wherever we find them."

A pizza company labelled a hospital a "looney bin", leaving mental health workers "horrified and distressed".

Elizabeth Bowe, 50, was found badly injured in Bobby Jones Place in St Andrews at about 21:00 on Saturday 17 September. She was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee but she died three days later. Her brother Charles Gordon, 51, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Tuesday facing a single charge of murder. He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody. The police were called out to Ms Bowe's home before the incident. The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner's (PIRC) investigation was ordered by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). A spokesman for the PIRC said: "The investigation will focus on the initial police response leading up to the incident. "A report on the Commissioner's findings will be submitted to the COPFS in due course."

The police watchdog has launched an investigation following the death of a 50-year-old woman.

The proposals mean charges would be placed on 625 spaces in the area and restrictions placed on a further 741. Reading Borough Council has spent four years designing the scheme "to relieve parking pressures at the hospital" and to make parking easier for residents. The petition, set up by hospital staff, describes the scheme as "problematic". The online petition opposes the introduction of pay and display meters for Addington Road, Erleigh Road and other roads around the hospital in Reading. Clare Goulbourn-Lay, a Royal Berkshire Hospital midwife, set up the petition to express her concerns about the potential consequences of the scheme. "By making changes to this road, you're not just making it difficult for the staff, you're making it difficult for the patients and pushing the problem further out," she said. "With the university so close as well, there simply isn't enough parking space as it is. To add another restriction is just silly." She has called for the scheme to be cancelled or redesigned to "help make spending time with loved ones easier" and to limit the "stress and anxiety" of staff and patients. John Sharpe, who lives on Erleigh Road, has called the plans "divisive" and said he is concerned the restrictions will make parking pressures worse. "I'm scared it will become impossible to live in the area," he added. Reading Borough Council said "up to five years of public consultation had taken place on the principle of prioritising parking for residents in the area" and that further public input on the plans are being sought. Residents have until 13 June to submit their views to the council.

Plans to cut free parking on roads around the Royal Berkshire Hospital have been opposed by a petition of more than 2,300 signatures.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) said 45 people had been infected with a strain of E. coli, 43 of whom reported eating at a Chipotle restaurant. The cases were in California, Minnesota, New York and Ohio. Earlier this month, the chain temporarily closed 43 outlets in and around Washington and Oregon states. This was after health officials investigated an E. coli outbreak that made at least 22 people ill. "The epidemiologic evidence available at this time suggests that a common meal item or ingredient served at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants in several states is a likely source of this outbreak," the CDC said. "The investigation is still ongoing to determine what specific food is linked to illness." Chipotle shares are now down by more than a fifth this year, valuing the company at $16.7bn (£11bn). E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. It is a type of bacterium present in the gut of humans and other animals. Most strains are harmless but some can produce toxins that cause illness in humans.

Shares in Chipotle have slumped more than 12% after US health authorities reported more cases of E. coli linked to the Mexican restaurant chain.

Nottingham-born Fletcher, 41, began his broadcasting career in the city. Sports PR firm founder Paul Mace, a lifelong Magpies fan, and property consultancy director Jon Enever have also joined the club. Chief executive Jason Turner becomes football operations director, with Corrine Rigby as finance director and Amanda Fletcher as commercial director. Chairman Alan Hardy said: "I am delighted to have put together such a strong team of people who have a diverse and complementary range of football and business skill sets. "Football is a team game and it is important that we have a committed, enthusiastic and experienced senior group in place dedicated to getting Notts County back to where they belong in the English footballing pyramid." Enever is a board member of Nottingham Means Business and chairman of Talented Enterprising Nottingham, while Mace wrote the 250,000-word Notts book One Flew Over The Magpies Nest. Turner arrived at Meadow Lane in April 2016 after previously holding similar positions with Newport County, Plymouth and Cardiff City, while Rigby and Fletcher were both executive appointments by Hardy when he took over the club in January.

BBC Radio 5 live presenter Darren Fletcher is one of six appointments to Notts County's new board of directors.

The committee is intending to investigate the £1bn sale of Nama's Northern Ireland loan portfolio. Its chairman Daithí McKay said they had written to Michael Noonan asking him to ensure Nama appeared at the inquiry. However, they said Mr Noonan has so far not responded. Mr McKay said: "Nama have a responsibility to come before the committee to answer questions and it is disappointing that Michael Noonan has so far not responded. "Officials from the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) will attend the committee inquiry tomorrow [Thursday] and I look forward to their contribution. "The finance committee and the wider public are entitled to access the truth about the sale of the Nama assets." The committee postponed its first hearing of the inquiry last week, but is due to meet again on Thursday. Mr McKay had said they wanted to ensure they did not prejudice a police investigation or any potential criminal trial. The National Crime Agency is leading the criminal inquiry into the Nama loan sale controversy and is concerned its investigation could be undermined. The National Assets Management Agency (Nama) is the Republic of Ireland's "bad bank", set up to deal with toxic loans during the Irish banking crisis. Nama's Northern Ireland portfolio, known as Project Eagle, was sold to the US investment fund Cerberus for more than £1bn last year. An Irish politician, Mick Wallace, has alleged that a payment of £7m was due to be made to a Northern Ireland politician in the wake of the deal. Mr Wallace told the Irish parliament the money had been moved for that purpose to an Isle of Man bank account controlled by the Belfast solicitor Ian Coulter. Mr Coulter is the former managing partner of Tughans solicitors in Belfast and worked on behalf of the buyers in the Nama deal. He said he had directed that money be transferred to the Isle of Man account for "a complex, commercially and legally-sensitive" reason. He said that no politician, nor any relative of any politician, was ever to receive any money. The money moved to the Isle of Man was later retrieved, though Mr Coulter and and his former partners at Tughans remain at odds on the circumstances of that transaction. BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight programme has established the Isle of Man account was intended to facilitate payments to non-lawyers or deal fixers. All those involved in the deal deny any wrongdoing.

Stormont's finance committee has said it is "disappointed" that the Irish finance minister has not replied to its request for Nama officials to appear before its inquiry.

The vehicle was dragged for several hundred metres after being struck by a Paris-bound train at Conde-sur-Huisne in the Orne region on Friday evening. Deputy prefect Pascal Vion said the car "seemed to have stopped in the middle of the tracks" before the crash at 20:20 local time (18:20 GMT). A woman managed to escape from the car prior to the collision. None of the 34 passengers on the train, which was travelling from Le Mans to the French capital, were hurt, AFP news agency reports.

Three people have died after a train hit a car on a level crossing in the north-west of France, officials say.

Police said the 33-year-old victim was playing on a fruit machine in the Rosevale Tavern in Partick at about 18:00 on Saturday when a stranger assaulted him. The attacker fled via a side entrance and CCTV showed him heading down Dumbarton Road towards the city centre. The victim was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment to a serious facial injury. Det Con Jen Adams, of Police Scotland, said: "This was a completely unprovoked attack which will leave the victim scarred for life. "Officers have been conducting extensive enquiries including examining CCTV and speaking to people who were within the pub at the time of the incident." The attacker is described as being aged in his mid 20s with brown hair which was longer at the top and shaved at the bottom. He was wearing a black quilted waist-length jacket, dark blue jeans and dark trainers.

A man has been left scarred for life in an unprovoked attack in a Glasgow pub.

Radical preachers will be banned from posting material online and anyone with convictions for extremist activity will be barred from working with children. Deradicalisation classes will be made mandatory for others deemed a threat. But Muslim leaders warned the strategy "continues down a flawed path" and risks "alienating" Muslims in the UK. Also among the measures within the counter-extremism strategy are: Prime Minister David Cameron said the plan would work because it was "comprehensive" . "It's no good leaving this simply to the police or the intelligence services. It's no good simply talking about violent extremism. We need to confront all extremism," he said. He said its effectiveness would be measured by whether people were being turned away from extremism, stopped from travelling to fight for IS, and by having "more cohesive and integrated communities". Home Secretary Theresa May said non-violent extremism could not go "uncontested" as it led to the erosion of women's rights, the spread of intolerance and bigotry and the separation of some communities "from the mainstream". She said that applied to neo-Nazi extremism just as much as Islamist doctrine. The Muslim Council of Britain has released a highly-critical statement in response to the plans. Secretary general Dr Shuja Shafi said the strategy would "reinforce perceptions that all aspects of Muslim life must undergo a 'compliance' test to prove our loyalty to this country". "These measures could be seen more as a means to address the anxieties a minority of people may have against Muslims and their religious life, rather than the scourge of terrorism itself," he said. Dr Shafi also said he detected "McCarthyist undertones" in the plans to create blacklists and exclude and ban people those deemed to be extremists. Mr Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said the announcement was a "missed opportunity to really engage the Muslim community". But Fiyaz Mughal, director of the interfaith Faith Matters organisation, said there was much in the plans that could "help in the battle against those who promote extremism". Robin Brant, BBC political correspondent At the heart of this considerable strategy on counter extremism are two significant challenges for the prime minister: the internet and the law. Getting inciteful content off the web and getting "counter narrative" content up there is key to harnessing the full potential of a medium that IS has already mastered. There has been much focus on the mosques but bedroom radicalisation is something the prime minister and MI5 worry intensely about. The process of trying to persuade Facebook, Twitter and other social media giants to help is ongoing. On the second point, the plans to introduce new powers to restrict what extremists can do and where they can go are still in their legal infancy. The government concedes they will need to be properly targeted. It is still consulting with lawyers and community groups to try to get the balance right. Police estimate at least 700 people from the UK have travelled to support or fight for jihadist organisations in Syria and Iraq, such as the so-called Islamic State, and the government believes tackling non-violent extremism is key to stemming the flow of people. Parents of children aged under 16 have had the power to request the cancellation of passports - even where a child has taken or hidden the actual document - since July. That power is being extended to parents of 16 and 17-year-olds, allowing families to contact a passport office where officials will investigate their concerns before a final decision is taken by the home secretary. Mrs May said the measure had only been used by "a small number" of parents since July, but it was part of a package of new powers that would help tackle extremism. Shadow policing minister Jack Dromey said it was "crucial we get the balance right" and that Mr Cameron must "be very careful not to use the language he used earlier in the summer that somehow the Muslim community is not standing up to terrorism". Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the announcements amounted to "rhetoric that may well divide communities and make our job of working with those communities to find and isolate terrorists and potential terrorists that much harder".

The home secretary has vowed to "systematically confront and challenge extremist ideology" as she detailed new curbs on those who "spread hate".

In recent months, state media have been stressing the waters have been China's "since ancient times". Now, state media are rolling out masses of fresh material aimed at discrediting The Hague tribunal's ruling. State media anticipated the Permanent Court of Arbitration's findings. Almost immediately, outlets including Xinhua news agency released a prepared statement describing the decision as "illegal and invalid". "China has repeatedly declared that the arbitration tribunal does not have jurisdiction; China neither accepts nor recognises it," Xinhua said. It then released a government statement saying China "has territorial sovereignty and maritime rights over the South China Sea islands" and "resolutely opposes a few countries' illegal violations" - a reference to the US and its allies in the region. But it hinted at a way forward, saying there is potential for China to enter into "joint developments" in order to "achieve win-win results" and peace and stability in the South China Sea. State-run CCTV cited the foreign ministry's view that the tribunal proceedings were "null and void". It featured British, Iranian, Pakistani and Lebanese experts who questioned the verdict. Oxford academic Antonios Tzanakopoulos told the TV that he did not find the tribunal's points "fully convincing". CCTV also hinted at possible negotiations with the Philippines. It showed former Filipino ambassador Alberto Encomienda saying American interference had triggered the case. He added: "There's a lot we can do, not in terms of what China can do for us, but what we can do together for the region." There was an immediate attempt to control online discussion in China. In the minutes before the announcement, Sina Weibo's hashtag #SouthChinaSeaArbitration was number one in its top 10. Its landing page carried more than 170,000 posts. Once the result was out, the hashtag disappeared from Sina's ranking. State media and its millions of followers - including Xinhua, People's Daily and CCTV - adopted a similarly-named hashtag, #SouthChinaSeaArbitrationCase. It quickly rose to number one in the ranking, with posts overwhelmingly dismissing the Hague ruling. Meanwhile, over at censorship-monitoring website Free Weibo, "South China Sea" became the most-censored term. The press room was packed but the statement from Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay lasted just two minutes. In four short paragraphs, he explained that experts were now analysing the ruling and called on all concerned to exercise "constraint and sobriety" at what he described as a "milestone decision". There were no celebrations, hardly even a smile. And there's a reason for that. This is not the same government that first brought this case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration three and a half years ago, in the aftermath of a standoff at Scarborough Shoal. Two weeks ago, Rodrigo Duterte was sworn in as Philippine president. All the indications are that he is more willing to seek accommodation with the Chinese than his predecessor, Benigno Aquino. Here in Manila, many believe that the new president may have sought promises of Chinese investment, in return for a quiet, dignified response. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

Chinese media have not lost time in reinforcing Beijing's insistence that it does not recognise an international tribunal's ruling against its claims to rights in the South China Sea.

They include strong, stiff plastics and flexible gels that can mend themselves if torn. The findings, reported in the journal Science, could lead to cheaper and greener cars, planes and electronics. It is the first time that durable "thermoset" plastic has been produced in a recyclable form. Dr Jeanette Garcia, from IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, stumbled upon the first new class of thermosets in many years when she accidentally left one of three components out of a reaction. "I had this chunk of plastic, and I had to figure out what it was," Dr Garcia told the BBC. "I had to smash my round-bottomed flask with a hammer." That chunk of plastic, produced from unexpectedly simple ingredients, proved to be tremendously hard and stable. Crucially, it could be digested in acid, reverting to its original components. This digestion reaction allows the chemical building blocks, or monomers, to be reused. "It was definitely fortuitous," Dr Garcia said. "The first thing I did, of course, was to hit the literature, to try and see if it'd been done before. I just assumed that it had been - it's such a simple reaction." But her search turned up nothing. This was new. Once she understood what she had created, Dr Garcia set about repeating her finding. "We wasted a lot of flasks," she said. Because they are strong and light-weight, thermosets are used throughout modern cars and aircraft, often mixed with carbon fibres to form composites. Some 50% of the new Airbus A350 jet, for example, will be made from composites. Yet until now, none of this thermoset plastic could be recycled. "The potential impact here is phenomenal," said Dr Charl Faul, a materials chemist at the University of Bristol. He says the study offers a "very simple, elegant answer to a very old problem". Dr James Hedrick, who was in charge of the research at IBM, is excited by the possiblities. When a large or expensive component is damaged or reaches the end of its useful life, he explained, it could be repaired or recycled instead of thrown away. "The ability to rework saves a tremendous amount of money and mitigates waste." Beyond replacing thermoset-based composites in current technology, Dr Hedrick sees the potential for many more innovative applications. "We're at the discovery phase," he said. "Every time you discover a new polymer-forming reaction it leads to all sorts of new materials." As well as very hard and durable plastics, the researchers adapted their procedure to a different monomer and produced flexible, self-healing gels. These could be useful in anything from cosmetics, to paint, to the design of drug capsules, because of their particular solubility properties. "Applications are running like water," Dr Hedrick said. "We don't even know where to go with this yet."

Researchers have developed a collection of new plastics that are recyclable and adaptable - and the discovery began with a laboratory mistake.

Those selling the illicit weapons often disassembled and sent them in different packages or embedded them in old stereos or printers, the report found. Researchers found that firearms and related goods generated 136 sales per month and a monthly revenue of $80,000 (£62,000). The firearms trade has gained attention following recent terrorist attacks. The dark net is a part of the internet that requires specific software to access, in order for users to remain anonymous. While the trade was unlikely to fuel large-scale terrorist operations, it had the potential to become the platform of choice for "lone-wolf" terrorists to obtain weapons and ammunition, the report said. Non-profit organisation Rand Corporation Europe, working with Manchester University, found 52 unique vendors selling weapons or similar items such as ammunition, explosives, or components such as silencers across 811 listings and 18 markets. Police believe the 2016 Munich shooting, which left nine people dead, used weapons purchased on the dark net. Lead author of the research, Giacomo Persi Paoli, said: "Recent high-profile cases have shown that the threat posed by individuals or small groups obtaining weapons illegally from the dark web is real. "The ability to not only arm criminals and terrorists, who can make virtually anonymous purchases, but also vulnerable and fixated individuals is perhaps the most dangerous aspect." Guns account for less than 1% of items sold on the platform, with its main trade being in narcotics. Nevertheless, the volume being sold "can be considered sufficiently high to be a cause of concern for policy makers and law enforcement agencies", said the report. The study involved collecting data from 12 dark net marketplaces during a week in September 2016. Most of those selling guns were based in the US, but Europe was the most popular destination for the weapons they sold. Judith Aldridge, co-investigator on the study, said: "In very simple terms, anyone can connect to the dark web and within minutes have access to a variety of vendors offering their products, which are most often illegal. "The dark web enables illegal trade at a global level, removing some of the geographical barriers between vendors and buyers, while increasing the personal safety of both buyers and sellers through a series of anonymising features that obscure their identities."

Criminals and terrorists are using the so-called dark net to buy weapons, a new study has suggested.

The boat is understood to have capsized in the Durris area, at Craiglug. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service initially said one of the three - believed to be teenagers - made it ashore, and efforts were being made to reach the other two who were stranded on an island in the river. They were later rescued by boat. The alert was raised shortly after 13:45.

Three girls who sparked a rescue effort in the River Dee in Aberdeenshire after reports of a boat getting into difficulties are all safe and well.

That question is even more pertinent as Labour and Plaid Cymru talk about what they can and cannot agree on. Much of the so called "economic" debate has been about its cost - whether we can afford £1bn, and whether the cheaper Blue Route would be a better option . That is a very different question from whether the Welsh economy would be stronger with it, and weaker without. There is little disagreement that the M4 between Cardiff West services and Magor, east of Newport, is regularly congested. And that slows down the A48M and the A470. There's also little disagreement that the M4 is busiest around Newport, partly because of the unusually large number of junctions which encourages local people use the motorway as a route between the various suburbs of the city. To really understand the problems we need to look at where employment in south east Wales has grown up over the last twenty years. Much of it has been developed on new sites along the motorway. It was part of the old Welsh Development Agency's policy in the late 1980s and early 90s to build big business parks, easily accessible by car. Imperial Park, Celtic Springs, Cleppa Park and Cardiff Gate are all examples of that. Many thousands of commuters travel between the Severn Bridge and at least as far west as Swansea to work for companies on those parks. These developments, and the work they offer, have also been a magnet to people living in the Gwent and Rhymney valleys who may have found it a challenge getting work closer to home. Significantly, the Welsh Government's document arguing for the Black Route clearly shows that the highest concentration of traffic is not at Brynglas but at Tredegar Park, where the main road from the Gwent valleys, the M4, the A48 and a host of industrial parks all meet. The cheaper Blue Route would take westbound traffic off the M4 east of Newport but it is hard to see how it would affect the many thousands who travel south towards the motorway. The big question in terms of easing congestion is how much the Metro integrated road-and-rail transport network will change commuters' patterns. It partly depends on whether the full Metro plans are implemented, how well and how quickly. Importantly, the proposed network does include a station at Cleppa Park - the centre of the family of business parks to the west of Newport - and other stops that may tempt people out of their cars. There is also a station planned for the Royal Gwent Hospital. If we had a public transport system that carried people from where they tend to live to where the work is - and where they want to go for shopping and hospital visits - then would we need a whole new motorway? The economic argument for the M4 Black Route centres on time and money lost due to congestion, the poor image that gives of Wales as a modern place to do businesses, and the theory that concentrations of economic activity tend to multiply more quickly than if businesses are more isolated. Wales' economic weakness centres around having too high a proportion of low-skilled low-value jobs, not enough headquarters, and not enough innovation . Perhaps the biggest question is not about the price of an upgrade of the M4, but what Wales will get from it. It's not really about £1bn or £380m - it's about what we get from that. How much would either route answer the really big challenges of the Welsh economy? Would Wales become home to more research and development, for instance, with speedier travel along the M4? And would that be the magic factor for encouraging new or growing tech firms to be headquartered here? That's what Wales really needs.

So would the Welsh economy be weaker without the M4 Black Route - or for that matter without any M4 upgrade?

GB were beaten 24-18 by Israel, 37-14 by Hungary and 46-14 by Netherlands. The men's and women's teams had their £2.92m funding to support elite athletes removed after London 2012. "Although we did not make the finals, there are some great young handball players in this country," said British Handball director David Meli. "Our aim now is to find a way of bringing additional funding into the association to allow us to run other teams in both male and female competitions." Netherlands won all three games to secure their place at the finals in Rio, which take place from 19 July to 2 August.

Great Britain failed to qualify for the men's Under-21 World Handball Championship after losing all three qualifying games at Kent's Medway Park.

Ponds on the surface of the Khumbu glacier in the Himalayas have expanded and joined together to form larger bodies of water. Climbers need to cross the glacier, including the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, to climb the mighty peak. The accelerated meltdown of glaciers in the region is causing concern against a backdrop of rising global temperatures. Scientists say the warning is the first of its kind for Khumbu, although other glaciers in the Himalayas have seen an increase in the number of lakes formed. Such newly formed glacial lakes can overflow causing flooding, and with it loss of life and damage downstream. This is the first scientific team to visit the region after the devastating earthquake last April. "A decade or so ago, there were individual ponds on the Khumbu glacier but in the past five years or so they have begun to get larger and join up," said Ann Rowan, who led the field study team from the universities of Sheffield and Leeds. Dr Rowan's team has been studying the behaviour of debris-covered glaciers, focusing on Khumbu. "Particularly, on the left hand side of the lower reaches of the glacier, there is a series of about seven or eight large ponds that are now starting to link and form a big chain," she told the BBC. "There is water flowing from the upper part of the glacier through the series of these ponds and that is going to encourage them to join up. "At present, the glacier appears to be disintegrating, and may form a few large and potentially hazardous lakes on the glacier surface." Dr Rowan's team has studied satellite images of the Khumbu glacier dating back 15 years and has also conducted three ground surveys since 2009. The scientists found that parts of the lower region of the debris-covered glacier have been shrinking because of loss of ice underneath. This has allowed the formation and expansion of water bodies. The study says measurements for the past 15 years show that the surface of the debris-covered glacier has been declining at the rate of two metres per year. Unlike the usually smooth-iced glaciers elsewhere, many in the Himalayan region are debris covered, meaning they are coated by a layer of sand, gravel and rock. Scientists say since the upper parts of many Himalayan glaciers are losing ice mass due to rising temperatures. The supply of ice to the lower part of the glacier is therefore decreasing, causing the shrinkage. Other experts on debris-covered glaciers in the region say they too have also noticed similar developments "The surface lowering makes it difficult for the glacier to evacuate water from the surface past the large bounding moraines," said Lindsey Nicholson, from the University of Innsbruck. "The level of the runoff stream that cuts across the terminal moraines sets a 'base level' for the glacier's internal water table and it seems that rapidly coalescing lakes are usually associated with this water table." Hydrologist Jeffrey Kargel from the University of Arizona has been studying glacial lakes in the Himalayas for several years and said a pattern was developing. "The worrisome thing is that if the process continues, then there will be a new glacial lake to worry about in a populated and heavily used valley," he said. The Dig Tsho glacial lake in the Khumbu valley burst in 1985, destroying a hydropower plant and other infrastructure downstream. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), there have been at least 35 events of glacial lake outbursts in Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and China over the past century. Records show ponds developed and drained on the Khumbu glacier in the past too but scientists say the rising temperatures and accelerated meltdown of glaciers in recent years is causing concern. "As the glacier continues to lower down, it gets more and more disconnected with the Khumbu Icefall, which means mountaineers could find it increasingly hard to climb," said Cameron Watson, a researcher with the Leeds University. While some members of the Sherpa community that inhabits the Khumbu valley are concerned, others say they are not worried. "We hear such alarmist reports every now and then," said Ang Kami Sherpa, the head of a Sherpa team known as ice fall doctors who fix the route on the Khumbu Icefall for climbers every year. "The ponds will come and go but as long as we keep our gods on the mountains happy, we have nothing to fear."

Lakes that have been forming near Mount Everest could threaten settlements downstream if they overflow.

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

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

The search giant's all-important advertising revenue was also up 11%, to $16bn. In a statement Google's finance chief Ruth Porat highlighted ad growth on mobile and YouTube. Google's shares jumped 7.5% in after-market trading as traders welcomed the better-than-expected results. The share price had already risen 3.5% during normal trading hours. Advertisers pay Google only if a user clicks on one of their ads. "Cost per click", or the average price of online ads, fell in the quarter, but was more than offset by the increase in ad volumes. Google's ad revenue has been under pressure as consumers access its services on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, whose advertising rates tend to be lower. Google's share price rise "is reflecting the fact that they've effectively just beat earnings for the first time in several quarters," said Victor Anthony, an analyst at Axiom Capital.

Google's net income rose 17% to $3.93bn in the three months to June from the quarter last year, boosted by an 11% rise in revenues to $17.7bn.

Science Central, built on the site of the former Scottish and Newcastle Brewery, has been hailed as one of the UK's biggest regeneration projects. Up to 2,000 jobs are expected to be based at the 24-acre site by 2020. The development - a partnership between Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University - was opened by Universities Minister Greg Clark. The complex will include a £58m "urban sciences" facility, which will house Newcastle University's School of Computing Science, along with 1,500 staff and students. Mr Clark said: "Science Central is a unique city centre development that will not only drive scientific advances and innovation in the region, it will create jobs and a thriving community to grow the North East economy." Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle City Council said: "This is all part of our vision for putting Newcastle on the map for new and emerging science and technology-based industries." Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University, Prof Chris Brink added: "Over the next four years, we hope to see Science Central grow to become an exemplar of urban sustainability research, bringing together academia, organisations, industry, democracy and communities to develop solutions that will make a difference to people's lives across the globe." Science Central has also received funding from the European Union Regional Development Fund and the Regional Growth Fund.

A pioneering £250m science and engineering hub has been officially opened in Newcastle.

Whatever your perspective or personal views of what Mr Aamer is, was, or represents, his return to the UK was greeted with a collective sigh of relief across Whitehall. The 5,017 days of detention were not only a real point of tension in the critical transatlantic relationship; they also soured and compromised attempts by the government to reach out to some of the hardest-to-reach Muslim communities. In the short term, he will begin to receive expert medical help, including a psychiatric assessment. He will finally get to meet the son who was born on the day he arrived at Guantanamo Bay. But for some, Mr Aamer's return represents a risk. Davis Lewin, of the Henry Jackson Society, a security and foreign relations think tank, has urged the UK to think very carefully about how it manages and monitors him now he is back. Mr Aamer's legal team have said he will submit to whatever monitoring is required - although they also argue it is unnecessary because the case against him comes from unreliable allegations extracted during torture. If MI5 decides to monitor him, he may never know for sure that it is happening - such is the nature of that kind of work. There are bigger questions for the UK, questions of legacy and lessons to be learnt. Critics argue that in the wake of 9/11 the US was not the only country to lose its legal map and moral compass. London didn't seem to want to tell Washington that Guantanamo was a bad idea - and it didn't insist that any British men detained in Afghanistan be brought back to the UK. That, say critics, was a dereliction of long-standing British principles of justice. "Human rights and justice and the rule of law are for everybody," says former Conservative cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell, a member of the cross-party group that lobbied Washington to release Mr Aamer. "He has been denied that. Not only is that terrible for him, but we have to be better than that if we're going to defeat the scourge of terror and terrorism. "We're going to have to rise above these things and stick to the rule of law, and accept that human rights belong to everyone." Some American interrogations involved intelligence material provided by Britain - and that could amount to complicity in torture. And so, many MPs are now pushing for real answers to questions about Britain's role in the weeks and months after 9/11. "One of the things that it is absolutely essential that happens in due course is that [Shaker Aamer] looks the camera in the eye in Britain and says what happened to him," says Mr Mitchell. "If as is alleged he was tortured, and if there was any UK involvement in that, we need to get to the bottom of that not only because it's utterly wrong if it was done in our name, but also because we need to ensure that these sort of circumstances don't happen to anyone else." But why haven't those answers come out yet? The government fought a mammoth legal battle to prevent courts disclosing the full extent of what ministers and officials knew about the transfer of men to Guantanamo. But the claimants ultimately accepted a multi-million pound settlement - meaning the government never had to disclose what happened. Parliament then passed the Justice and Security Act which allows ministers to apply to hear cases in secret - closing that door for good. Campaigners still hoped the facts would emerge in a full judge-led inquiry into complicity in rendition. The promised inquiry was shelved because there is still the possibility of criminal charges in relation to alleged rendition to Libya. So it is now down to the Intelligence and Security Committee to investigate. Earlier this week, the committee's new chair, Dominic Grieve QC, said he wanted to get started. The last detainee with a UK connection now has a long and complicated road ahead of him. He has to learn how to stop being Detainee 239 of Guantanamo Bay and become Shaker Aamer, father of four, of south-west London. His legal team say he does not want to persecute those who abused him - and in a recent letter to the BBC he talked about the "contract" he believes he must honour with the British people for their support.

As the jet carrying Shaker Aamer landed at Biggin Hill airport, the questions over his future were only just beginning.

The study by Napier University found those on benefits were anxious that changes to their circumstances would push them into "crisis situations". Scottish Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil urged the UK government to rethink its reforms. But the Department for Work and Pensions said the changes were designed to help people into work. The Welfare Reform Tracking Study, which was carried out by Edinburgh Napier University on behalf of the Scottish government, also highlighted criticism of how the details of reforms were communicated to recipients of benefits. Some disabled people who took part in the study said they felt they had to present themselves in a "negative light and focus on their limitations" when claiming. Other participants spoke of stress, anxiety and depression brought on by assessments, and a fear of further changes. Mr Neil accused the UK government's "austerity agenda and benefit cuts" of having a "damaging effect" on people in Scotland. He added: "Their approach is slashing the incomes of some of our poorest households and pushing 100,000 children into poverty. "The study is further evidence that people are living in constant anxiety about changes to their entitlements and are already suffering from the effects of around £6bn of cuts taken from Scottish welfare expenditure over the last five years. "Despite these frustrations we will do all we can to use our new powers to make our system fairer and simpler and work to improve the experience for people." However, a spokesman for the Department of Work and pensions said the reforms were about giving people peace of mind. He added: "Reforms to welfare are designed to help people into work, giving more people the peace of mind and security that comes with a steady income - there are now near record numbers of people in Scotland in a job. "The government provides a safety net to support millions of people who are unemployed or on low incomes, spending £94bn a year across the UK on working age benefits."

Welfare reforms are making people live in "constant fear" of cuts to their benefits, according to a report.

Kate McCann set off from Edinburgh on Saturday morning with about 20 other cyclists. The five-day challenge is in aid of the Missing People charity. It will pass through Newcastle, York, Nottingham and Northampton before crossing the finish line in London on Wednesday. Mrs McCann is an ambassador for Missing People and last year launched Child Rescue Alert, which has seen more than 250,000 people sign up to receive alerts when a child is feared to have been abducted. Her daughter Madeleine was three when she went missing from the family's holiday apartment in Portugal's Algarve on 3 May 2007. The case has become one of the most famous missing persons cases of all time. Mrs McCann said: "The night that our little girl was taken from her bed, we mistakenly presumed that an alert would have gone out immediately to the public to get as many eyes and ears involved in the search as possible. "But no such system existed to get a message out into the public domain quickly and recruit help. "Although a simple idea, Child Rescue Alert is a potentially life-saving system, the success of which is reliant on us, as members of the public, to sign up to receive free alerts when a child goes missing. Mrs McCann launched the child rescue alert scheme with the mother of murdered schoolgirl April Jones last year. The scheme is designed to use social media, text messages, email and digital billboards across the UK in addition to traditional broadcast media to issue alerts.

The mother of Madeleine McCann has embarked on a 500-mile (800km) charity bike ride to raise funds to support families with a missing loved one.

The 22-year-old played for Yeovil in the 2012-13 season and briefly last term, but has been studying at Rider University for the past four years. "I'm incredibly excited to be back playing for my hometown club who I have supported my whole life," she said. "To have the opportunity to play for them in the top division is amazing." Howard graduated two weeks ago with a major in history and a minor in French.

Women's Super League One side Yeovil Town Ladies have re-signed goalkeeper Beth Howard after she graduated from university in the United States.

Foredowne Boarding Kennel is facing allegations about how dogs, seized by Devon and Cornwall Police and placed there, were kept without exercise. The licensing authority, Teignbridge Council, said it was investigating. The kennel said it was staffed by "animal lovers who work tirelessly to care and rehabilitate the dogs". The RSPCA announced on Friday it had agreed with the Devon and Cornwall Police force's request to review the way in which dogs seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 were cared for in kennels. Whistleblowers have made a series of allegations about dogs being put in 3ft by 9ft cages and then, due to safety concerns, not exercised. These include Stella, who had been caged for nearly two years, and Vinnie, a Rottweiler who whistleblowers said had also not been exercised. The BBC has also been told that three puppies, brought in at 11-weeks old, were briefly walked before being denied exercise. Further claims have been made that stray dogs brought in by local councils were also denied exercise. Devon and Cornwall Police are understood to have used the kennels to place a number of seized dogs but said since 2012 they had only instructed staff not to exercise four of these. However, current and former members of staff have said as many as 20 dogs had 'Do Not Enter' signs on their cages. Former kennel manager David Clark said in the three years he worked there he did not see those dogs exercised. A spokesman for the kennels said: "The puppies were walked regularly, as part of their kennel enrichment activities. However, we carry out regular risk assessments, and for these particular dogs, as they came into maturity they started to show signs of aggression. "We did have to stop the walks during the final few weeks of their stay with us. "One member of staff was bitten and, of course, we do have to take into account the breed characteristics of their parents, both very dangerous dogs." The spokesman said the kennels had cared for many dogs over the years, and had "an excellent working relationship with Devon and Cornwall Police". The spokesman said: "We are animal lovers and work tirelessly to care and rehabilitate the dogs that come to us from the police, but unfortunately sometimes the risks are too great. "We would of course welcome and fully support any investigation by the council or RSPCA. We are confident that we have abided by all the relevant rules and regulations." A spokeswoman for Teignbridge District Council said: "We take all complaints of animal welfare seriously and will be carrying out an investigation into the specific allegations that have been made." Pit bulls Smokey and Lola were seized by police from the same owner over suspicions that the dogs were trained to attack. Their three puppies were seized at the same time. Mr Clark said: "The three pit bull terrier pups came in at 11 weeks. They were initially exercised before deteriorating so much they were deemed unsafe. "The police were informed and they went on to do at least six months with no exercise." In a statement, Ch Supt Jim Nye said: "Since 2012, we have seized and placed into kennels in the region of 200 dogs, of which only four were given a strict order not to exercise by Devon and Cornwall Police due to the dog's unpredictable and dangerous nature." He said they included Stella, Gnasha - another pit bull, Smokey and Lola. A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police added: "As regards any other dogs the kennel has chosen not to walk during this time - there may be some - that is a decision made by the kennel as part of their duty of care for the animals they have. "While we have individual care plans for all dogs which we have seized, ultimately the kennel maintains this duty of care."

A kennel used by police and local councils to house stray and seized dogs is facing two reviews into its treatment of animals.

Researchers said field experiments showed that severe droughts could trigger dieback of forests in the near-term. Efforts to curb deforestation needed to be accompanied by initiatives to stop land management fires spreading into adjoining forest reserves, they added. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-author Paulo Brando, a researcher from Brazil's Amazon Environmental Research Institute and the Woods Hole Research Center, US, explained that the findings were based on data gathered from a long-running field experiment, described as the first of its kind. In 2004, the team established three plots in the south-east Amazon - one of which was burned annually, another was burned every three years, while the remaining one was left untouched as a control plot. "If we burned every year, we did not have enough fuel (leaves and trees) to drive a high intensity fire - fires that will kill a lot of trees - so we published a few papers saying that this kind of forest was quite fire resistant," explained Dr Brando. But he told BBC News that the team was surprised in 2007: "We burned both plots (fourth burn for the annual plot and second burn for three-year plot) and both plots responded really strongly to the fires. "There was a shift in the system from a forest to a savannah-like environment… grasses were invading the forest and there were fundamental changes within the ecosystem. He added that drought conditions during that year triggered the change: "There were more leaves and twigs on the ground, they were drier so the fires were quite intense. "To our surprise, the major effects were not observed in the plot we burned every year but rather in the one we burned every three years. "This was because there was more time for fuel accumulation, and also it was because the productivity of that plot was still quite high, whereas in the [annual burn] plot, the fuel was being removed every year and the productivity of the system was reduced." Changing landscape Dr Brando said the abrupt high tree-mortality rates had a lasting impact on the landscape as grasses invaded the space once occupied by trees. "You do not need drought anymore to observe high density fires because grasses can accumulate way more fuel than the native, wood vegetation," he explains. As well as observing the loss of a number of tree species, Dr Brando said there were wider ecological consequences as a result of losing tree cover. "Burned plots were four degrees warmer because they had fewer leaves and less capacity to cool down the system through photosynthesis," he observed. "So we have seen major changes, not only in species composition but in the functionality of the forest as well; it cycles less water because it is warmer and stores less carbon." Climate models suggest that the probability of severe droughts in the region are likely to be much more common by the end of the century. At an international conference held at the University of Oxford in 2012, researchers presented findings that suggested tropical forests in Africa could be more resilient to future climate change than the Amazon and other forested regions. Scientists at the gathering concluded that tree species in Africa's tropical forests had endured a number of climatic catastrophes over the past 4,000 years. During that period, the African forests had lost species that would have been potentially vulnerable, while the remaining species were "relatively adaptable... to quite rapid changes in rainfall," explained conference organiser Yadvinder Malhi, from the university's Environmental Change Institute. Responding to Dr Brando's findings, Prof Malhi said: "Much of current scientific opinion suggests that intact tropical forests may be quite resilient to climate change, but the combination of climate change, land-use change and fire may be much more destructive. Prof Malhi, who was not involved in the study, added that these ideas have rarely been demonstrated in practice. "What is unique about this study - a long-term experiment that took a lot of stamina and persistence to implement - is that it directly demonstrates the effects of this deadly combination of factors, and enables exploration of the details of the ecological processes and interactions involved," he told BBC News.

The combination of fire and extreme weather could accelerate tree mortality in the Amazon, a study has suggested.

Today, China has between 26 and 28 Hainan gibbons left, but government records that date back to the 17th Century show that gibbons were once widespread across half of the country. The apes began to disappear from the documents about 150 years ago, corresponding with population growth. The study is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Hainan gibbons are now limited to a few isolated patches of forest in the south west of China. They live in just four social groups, one of which was only discovered a few weeks ago. Understanding this population crash has been difficult, but the old government documents have helped to reveal when and how the numbers fell. Dr Sam Turvey, from the Zoological Society of London, said: "China is one of the few places in the world that has a very very rich, long historical record. "Because it has had such a complex bureaucracy for so long, there has been a lot of need for reporting - not just numbers of households for tax purposes and things like that, but also in terms of the kinds of natural resources that were available in the immediate environment." These included records of animals, including gibbons, he said. "We looked at the pattern of disappearance of gibbons through time and how that varied from place to place and the different environmental conditions and human pressures that were also present in these places." The archives show that gibbons were a common sight in about 20 provinces in China well into the 17th and 18th Century. However, Dr Turvey said it was "a stark contrast to their very imperilled position today". "We see a really steep increase in population decline and real population collapse across China about 100-150 years ago," he added. "And this correlates with demographic expansion in China towards the end of the Imperial era and through the 20th Century, and the massive increase in deforestation and human population growth through the time of the Chinese Republic and the establishment of the communist party." The researchers said a better understanding of the animals' decline would help them to establish a conservation plan for the country's last few Hainan gibbons. Dr Turvey said: "It is an incredible privilege to be able to see gibbons in China in the wild. "The Hainan gibbon is such as rare species, but knowing that this species is still hanging on there gives you hope that conservation will be able to bring that population back from the brink." Follow Rebecca on Twitter

Historical Chinese documents have helped scientists to track the decline of the world's rarest primates.

At the top, but not in the inner circle. As the first Muslim woman to sit in the cabinet she was a crucial symbol of David Cameron's efforts to modernise the Tories. But now she has left the government - and in a way designed to inflict damage. The prime minister was only told shortly about her decision to quit before she announced it on her Twitter feed. She'd also done an interview, explaining her decision, which was published on the Huffington Post website within the hour. David Cameron's response to her resignation contained a jibe - he had "much regret" she hadn't talked to him about her concerns before she quit. But there was also a warm tribute. "I would like you to know how much I have personally appreciated your support and friendship over the years' he wrote. There is no evidence though that Mr Cameron is changing his mind or re-assessing the government's stance on Israel's conduct during this war. The prime minister has faced criticism from some in his own party for not condemning Israel for what they believe is its disproportionate use of force against Hamas and civilians in Gaza. He described an attack on Monday as a "slaughter" and he said the situation was "intolerable". Other senior ministers have called it a "catastrophe". But neither Mr Cameron nor any Conservative minister has said that Israel has gone beyond what is proportionate. The response on Tuesday afternoon from the new foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, was telling. What Lady Warsi has labelled a "morally indefensible" position he has dismissed as a call for "megaphone diplomacy". He emphasised that he felt he had to be "balanced". That reveals how deep the divide was between two people who were supposed to be working together.

Sayeeda Warsi has been a permanent feature at the top of the Conservative Party since David Cameron became leader almost a decade ago.

Pennock, 46, was placed in charge until the end of 2016-17 following Justin Edinburgh's departure on 3 January. The ex-Forest Green manager guided the Gills to 20th in League One, one place and one point above the drop zone. Taylor, 64, returns to "oversee recruitment and all footballing policy" after two spells managing the club. During his first stint in charge, Taylor led Gillingham to promotion to the second tier via the old Division Two play-offs. He was reappointed as boss in November 2013, but was sacked after 14 months in charge.

Gillingham have confirmed Ady Pennock will stay on as head coach next season, with former boss Peter Taylor returning to the club as director of football.

Chuck Feeney is an Irish American philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years losing a fortune - but all in the name of charity. The 83-year-old businessman made his money selling luxury duty free goods to travellers across the world, but he rejects the trappings of wealth himself. He does not own a home or a car, and famously wears a watch that was bought for just $15 (£9). Mr Feeney is the founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, an international organisation set up to distribute his fortune to good causes and projects that he supports around the world. Since he set it up in 1982, his foundation has made grants totalling $6.5bn (£3.9bn). His money has supported projects in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, United States, Australia, Bermuda, South Africa and Vietnam. The foundation's main areas of interest are health, education, reconciliation and human rights. Mr Feeney traces his family history back to County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, where his grandmother was brought up close to the village of Kinawley. The entrepreneur has a particular interest in supporting universities on both sides of the Irish border. In 2012, Forbes magazine described him as "the man who arguably has done more for Ireland than anyone since Saint Patrick". His philosophy of 'giving while living' has inspired other billionaire businessmen, such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffett. However, Mr Feeney is not as well known as some of his biggest and richest fans, possibly because for the first 15 years of his philanthropic mission, he donated money in secret. He emerged from anonymity in 1997, and since then he has promoted the idea that people who have amassed great wealth should use their money for "a greater good". Known for his frugal lifestyle, the billionaire is a self-made man who sprang from humble beginnings. Charles F Feeney was born to Irish-American parents in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1931 - during the Great Depression. His mother worked as a hospital nurse and his father was an insurance underwriter. He showed entrepreneurial skills from an early age, selling Christmas cards door-to-door when he was just 10 years old. As a teenager, he enlisted in the US air force and served with Signals Intelligence during the Korean War. He took advantage of a US government education programme for veterans and became the first member of his family to go to college. After his graduation from Cornell University in New York, he started his own business selling goods to US troops stationed in Europe. That business model evolved into Duty Free Shoppers (DFS), the company he co-founded with Robert Miller in 1960. DFS Group now employs more than 9,000 people and describes itself as "the world's leading luxury travel retailer" with billions in sales. However, the man whose life's mission has been to die broke and live trying has turned duty free profits into a duty to give all his profits away. "I had one idea that never changed in my mind - that you should use your wealth to help people," he said in a 2007 biography. The Atlantic Philanthropies is continuing to distribute Mr Feeney's "entire endowment", with the aim of "bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people". The organisation is due to be wound up in 2020, when he will be 89.

He is the billionaire who wants to go broke within his own lifetime, by giving his all his money away.

The track broke streaming records, earning the highest first-week streams for a single in the UK with more than 2.03 million plays. Drag Me Down is One Direction's first single as a foursome since band mate Zayn Malik left and has had more than 17.7 million streams to date globally. The band shot the video for 'Drag Me Down' at NASA's headquarters in Houston yesterday. According to the Official Charts Company, Calvin Harris and Disciples' How Deep Is Your Love climbed from six to two and last week's number one, Black Magic by Little Mix, fell to three. The top five was rounded off with Lost Frequencies' Are You With Me at four, and Years & Years' Shine at five.

One Direction have topped the UK singles chart with their new single Drag Me Down.

The 20-year-old centre-back made 12 appearances this season as Pompey won the League Two title, and has played 50 games in total for the club. Whatmough said: "In the past few years I've seen a lot of hard times as the club struggled and slid downwards through the leagues. "But now we are on the way back up again and it's great to be involved and play a part in that." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Portsmouth defender Jack Whatmough has signed a new two-year contract.

The charity says people commonly associate Remembrance and the poppy with older, World War Two veterans. The "rethink Remembrance" campaign will launch with a video installation in London, featuring four videos of young veterans' experiences. It comes as some charities have said younger veterans are being forgotten. The Royal British Legion said the aim of the campaign was to challenge common perceptions. Its survey of 1,000 adults found most only associate the poppy, Remembrance and the charity's work with the two World Wars and elderly veterans. Only just over a third of those surveyed identified Remembrance with thinking about those who are currently serving. In the charity's videos, World War Two veterans aged between 88 and 97 tell a story of conflict or injury. But it is later revealed in the videos that the stories are not their own, and actually belong to the younger veterans or service personnel. The younger people featured in the videos are: Stewart Harris, from Rhyl, served in the 1st Battalion Welsh for 13 years and has post-traumatic stress disorder. He suffered brain damage and was left blind in his right eye and partially deaf after the Mastiff vehicle he was travelling in was hit by an IED in Afghanistan in 2012. His story is read in the video by 92-year-old World War Two Royal Naval veteran Roy Miller. Mr Miller tells the camera: "I was so low, I was shouting at the kids, getting angry at my wife - I begged her to leave me. "I felt alone, helpless. I was taught that soldiers don't discuss feelings. "So I walked into the waves. I can still feel the water around my feet. And suddenly, I had this vision of my girls - they saved me. "I stopped, walked home, and got help." This year's fundraising target for the Poppy Appeal has been set at a record amount of £43m, and 150,000 collectors will aim to hand out more than 45 million poppies across the country. Claire Rowcliffe, director of fundraising at the Royal British Legion, said: "Individuals and families from across the generations of our Armed Forces community need the Legion's support, as well as our older veterans. "When you pin on your poppy, or pause to remember, we're inviting you to rethink Remembrance and who it is you picture when you think of a veteran. "We hope through our campaign this year we will help people understand who they are supporting when they donate." The video installation in Paternoster Square, near St Paul's Cathedral, will be open to the public from 27 to 29 October.

This year's Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal is calling on members of the public to recognise younger veterans and serving soldiers.

The pensioner, who is in her 70s, had gone into a church on William St on Friday and disturbed a man as he was trying to prise open a donation box. He left the church when he saw her, but returned and demanded money from her. "At first, the lady refused to hand over her purse but when this man hit her with the crowbar, she did give him a sum of money," police said. Det Sgt Stephen Wilson said the pensioner was "left shaken and has some bruising to her left shoulder". Officers investigating the robbery have arrested a 45-year-old man. He was detained on suspicion of attempted theft and robbery; going equipped for theft; and possession of an offensive weapon with intent.

An elderly woman has been hit with a crowbar during a robbery at a church in Portadown, County Armagh.

Slade's side are one point off the top six in seventh with nine games to play. The 55-year-old has previously taken Grimsby, Yeovil and Leyton Orient to play-off finals in lower divisions, without going on to win promotion. "Of course it would be bigger than those," he told BBC Wales Sport. "Because you have the opportunity then of playing for the biggest prize in football, Premier League football. "I know this, I'd be confident of getting them to the final as I've done that three times. "Maybe Ken Choo [Cardiff chief executive] will have to manage the final because I have lost all three finals!" Slade started his managerial career as caretaker boss at Notts County in 1994 and reached the landmark of 750 games with last Saturday's win over Ipswich. "It has been a long journey and it's never a straight road, there are always bends in the road that you have to navigate and it's been tough. "The job has become harder. There is more scrutiny, there is less time to turn things around and be successful. "I've always wanted to get to that 1,000 mark. I think there's about 23 or 24 (managers) in that club, but those next 250 games seem a long time off but we'll take each one as they come and try and embrace them and look forward to them." While he admits taking Cardiff to a top-six finish this season would top any achievement in his career so far, he still considers his previous play-off campaigns to be the highlights of his career so far. "Getting to Wembley with a couple of the clubs that haven't had much budget at all really, in Yeovil and Grimsby Town, initially were big achievements just to be in the final really. "And certainly the semi-final against where I was born Nottingham Forest for Yeovil was a big memory because we were 2-0 down. "On that day they were selling flags 'Forest at Wembley' and they had all the tickets. "My Chairman at Yeovil had to take the tickets back in the boot of his car. "That was a big memory for me. We were 2-0 down and won the game 5-4 after extra time so that was a special game." On Saturday Cardiff head to Reading looking to maintain their momentum. Goalkeeper David Marshall is doubtful because of a virus and is not expected to train on Friday, but defender Fabio and midfielder Peter Whittingham have trained after recovering from knocks.

Cardiff City manager Russell Slade says qualifying for a Championship play-off spot this season would be "bigger than anything" he has achieved in his career after passing 750 games in management.

Carlos Ghosn said there was a need to build a "much higher awareness" of the company's products in Brazil. When Nissan took the decision to back the Games, the Brazilian market was booming with sales of 3.8 million vehicles a year. But a recession has seen that sales figure tumble to 2 million a year. "Without any doubt it's the right decision, the idea was to give more awareness to the Nissan brand," he told the BBC. The company's goal with the Olympics sponsorship is to help increase its market-share in Brazil from 3% to 5%, he said. The 31st Olympic Games officially start in Rio on Friday with the opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium. As part of its sponsorship, Nissan is supplying 5,000 cars for the Games and the Brazilian Olympic team to use. The company has used Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt in its adverts since 2012. Mr Ghosn says the global car market will continue to be sluggish until 2019, with growth of just 1% next year. He expects the US car market to be strong, and sees Europe continuing to recover "even though it will be impacted by Brexit". The UK economy will see some contraction due to Brexit, "not because there is anything wrong with the UK, but because markets hate uncertainty," Mr Ghosn said. The company will be keeping a close eye on future negotiations over the UK's exit from the European Union. Nissan employs 6,700 staff at its plant in Sunderland in northern England. "We are reasonably optimistic at the end of the day common sense will prevail from both sides," Mr Ghosn said. The Nissan boss thinks that the UK will continue to be a "big partner" for the European Union, but he said: "The question is what will happen to customs, trade and circulation of products. "That will determine how, and how much we will invest in the UK," he said. Mr Ghosn said there was "no doubt" that prices for Renaults, and other cars made in Europe and sold in the UK, will rise due to the falling value of the British pound. However, he thinks final prices will only be determined once the currency stabilises.

The chief executive of Nissan says it was "the right decision" to sponsor the Rio Olympics, despite a slump in Brazilian car sales.

The incident happened on EnQuests's Thistle platform, off Shetland, last December. Rigging supervisor Steve Innes, from Sunderland, told the BBC he and fellow Wood Group contractors discovered they had been exposed to alpha radiation. EnQuest said "additional precautionary steps" had since been taken. Wood Group said it was committed to employee safety. Mr Innes - who said he has struggled to find more work since raising concerns - said the workers now faced cancer fears, and blood tests were ongoing. He said EnQuest had failed in its duty of care. The men were working at Thistle, 125 miles (201 km) north east of Shetland, doing shutdown work with pipe equipment. Mr Innes claimed they were told there was a problem two thirds of the way through the trip. He claimed a health and safety manager told them a reading had been taken the night before and all the work was stopped. He said: "We had all been working on it without the proper PPE (personal protective equipment), because they had assumed it was clear. "At first we were all in shock. "We have been exposed to radioactive material for hours at a time." He said they had been told the levels of radiation may not cause them long-term harm, but he was continuing to undergo tests. Mr Innes said of EnQuest: "They have a duty of care. Their procedures have broken down. "You can't say 'you've been contaminated but we think you'll be OK'. "I would like somebody to take the case on who's not frightened of the companies." An EnQuest spokesperson said: "EnQuest can confirm that, in December 2016, during planned shutdown activities on its Thistle platform, six personnel employed by Wood Group under a contract with EnQuest were removing a piece of pipework when they were exposed to low levels of NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material). "The level of exposure was less than 1% of the level at which it is reportable to the Health and Safety Executive however EnQuest advised the HSE of the matter at the time. "EnQuest has appropriate control measures in place which are designed to prevent exposure to NORM. "Following an investigation, additional precautionary steps have been taken to further ensure that personnel avoid any such exposure." A Wood Group spokeswoman said: "The health and safety of our people is always our top priority. "As a precaution following the incident, we downmanned our employees from the platform in order to conduct medical assessments. "We fully supported EnQuest in a detailed joint investigation and continue to reinforce the application of our health and safety procedures, to ensure the safety of our employees. "Our commitment and priority following the incident and throughout the investigation has been to the health and wellbeing of our employees." John Boland, regional officer for the Unite union, said: "Unite believes that the way these workers has been treated is terrible. "It's vital for workers' safety that there is openness and transparency about serious safety incidents, so that we can learn lessons and create a safer working environment for everyone offshore." A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said: "HSE has been made aware of this incident. "However, it was not reportable under the present RIDDOR system (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) and no staff raised the issue with HSE separately so no investigation has been carried out."

An offshore worker has called for action after he and colleagues were exposed to radiation, BBC Scotland can reveal.

But, if the venerable founding father had lived in Northern Ireland over the last few months he could have changed it to "death, taxes and another RHI story every day". The News Letter continues firing journalistic wood pellets on the ever-burning fire. Its political editor Sam McBride reports on two leaked documents that reveal the names of two civil servants who told figures in the renewable heat industry in July 2015 the scheme was soon to end. The paper has received business emails appearing to indicate that information was circulating about the scheme's imminent end. It's been claimed that a spike in RHI applications in the two months before the scheme's October 2015 closure was due to details of its ending being widely known. However, the News Letter points out that the department have not confirmed or commented on the latest revelation, and adds that there is no suggestion that the civil servants named acted improperly. Sam McBride also sets out, across eight lengthy bullet points, the newspaper's justification for publishing the names of the civil servants and stresses that it is "not alleging corruption". Watch this space. Elsewhere on Planet RHI, the Irish News reports that a charity watchdog is investigating after a green energy group said it would be "ethically improper" to warn Stormont about flaws in the scheme. The managing director of Action Renewables, a group paid to process RHI applications, made the comments to the Irish News last week. Now the Charities Commissions says it has "opened a concern" on Action Renewables. Meanwhile, the Irish News' front page is dedicated to the naming of a soldier who shot dead a man in Belfast 45 years ago, a move welcomed by the man's widow. Mary Thornton, speaking outside court on Wednesday, said: "The way I look at it is, he shot him, so why not?" She added that the inquest had helped her family answer questions about the death of an "ordinary father who lived for myself and the children". Elsewhere, Thursday's papers firmly put Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the firing line after he wrongly told Westminster that a PSNI officer shot on Sunday had died. "Apologise!" says the News Letter's front page, reflecting a call by Police Federation chairman Mark Lindsay who called it a "jaw-dropping gaffe". It's understood Mr Corbyn has written to the PSNI's chief constable to say sorry, but the Belfast Telegraph says it's only the latest in a line of "blunders from the Labour leader". If the Labour leader is feeling sheepish today, spare a thought for the chap caught taking a naked jog over Londonderry's Craigavon Bridge. The Daily Mirror reports that the man pleaded guilty at Derry Magistrates' Court on Wednesday after his Tuesday night run was caught on CCTV. A defence lawyer said he had "given no reason for the jogging naked across the Craigavon Bridge, but he is not in the habit of doing this type of thing". The man received a conditional discharge for a year. January is nearly at a close so that means it's nearly February - aka Six Nations mania time. After beating New Zealand last November, and confirming their rightful place as rugby's greatest team, Ireland are seen as the dark horses. So the mind games have started, reports the Daily Mirror. Joe Schmidt's side take on Scotland in the opening fixture on Saturday week, and Scotland coach Vern Cotter says Ireland and England will win the title. The paper reports that Schmidt is having none of it: "I'm sure VC said that. A little more expectation on my shoulders and a little off his shoulders maybe. He has got bigger shoulders than me." And finally from shoulders to Leo Santa Cruz, Carl Frampton's opponent for this weekend's highly anticipated WBA World Featherweight Championship rematch. Santa Cruz lost to Frampton last summer but, the Belfast Telegraph reports, he's more focused this time after his father's all-clear from cancer. "Frampton is going to face the real Leo Santa Cruz this time. In that first fight, I didn't come in as ready as I've been for past fights." Boxing clever or needless antagonism of The Jackal? We'll find out early on Sunday.

It was Benjamin Franklin who said we can be certain of nothing in life except death and taxes.

Monarchs are the only insects to migrate such a vast distance. So, by teaming up with biologists, mathematicians set out to recreate the internal compass they use to navigate on that journey. The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports. Lead researcher Prof Eli Shlizerman, from the University of Washington, explained that, as a mathematician, he wants to know how neurobiological systems are wired and what rules we can learn from them. "Monarch butterflies [complete their journey] in such an optimal, predetermined way," he told BBC News. "They end up in a particular location in Central Mexico after two months of flight, saving energy and only using a few cues." Prof Shlizerman worked with biologist colleagues, including Steven Reppert at the University of Massachusetts, to record directly from neurons in the butterflies' antennae and eyes. "We identified that the input cues depend entirely on the Sun," explained Prof Shlizerman. "One is the horizontal position of the Sun and the other is keeping the time of day. "This gives [the insects] an internal Sun compass for travelling southerly throughout the day." Having worked out the inputs for this internal compass, Prof Shlizerman then created a model system to simulate it. This consisted of two control mechanisms - one based on the timekeeping "clock" neurons in the butterflies' antennae and the other from what are called azimuth neurons in their eyes. These monitor the position of the Sun. "The circuit gets those two signals then matches them, according to how it's wired, to control signals that tell the system if a correction is needed to stay on the correct course," explained Prof Shlizerman. "For me this is very exciting - it shows how a behaviour is produced by the integration of signals," he added. "We can take these concepts to produce robotic versions of these systems - something [that is] powered by and that navigates by the Sun." Prof Shlizerman said that one of his team's goals was to build a robotic monarch butterfly that could follow the insects and track their entire migration. "It's a very interesting application that could follow the butterflies and even help maintain them. "Their numbers are decreasing, so we want to keep this insect - the only one that migrates these huge distances - with us for many years." Prof Matthew Cobb from the University of Manchester told BBC News that the study showed that "something as astounding as the monarch migration can be understood in terms of cellular circuitry". "Our current robots are far cruder than even the simplest nervous system," he added. Follow Victoria F on Twitter

Scientists have built a model circuit that solves the mystery of one of nature's most famous journeys - the great migration of monarch butterflies from Canada to Mexico.

Mohammed Ali Abboud is on trial for murdering Agnieszka Szefler at the home they used to share in Bridge of Earn, Perthshire, in January. The jury were shown video footage of Mr Abboud telling detectives Ms Szefler "fell" with the knife in her hand. The 57-year-old denies all the charges against him. The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Abboud told officers that Ms Szefler's temper changed just before she had her period and that she often threw household items at him during this time. He said the 27-year-old teacher sustained serious injuries during the struggle on 23 January. He said: "She fell. She had the knife in her hand." The video footage of the police interview was shown on the fourth day of proceedings against Mr Abboud, who also denies a charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by covering up his role in his former partner's death. In the footage, a detective told Mr Abboud that he did not believe his claims that he did not murder Ms Szefler. The policeman then asked the accused to admit that he murdered her. But Mr Abboud said the pair got into a struggle and he was trying to stop her from causing any of them serious injury. He said: "I was trying to stop her. It got out of hand." Mr Abboud's lawyers have lodged a special defence of self defence. The trial, before judge Lord Uist, continues.

A man accused of stabbing his ex-partner to death told police she came at him with a knife and they started to struggle, a court has heard.

An Amsterdam judge told the tech firm to release internet and email addresses, phone numbers and names related to four reviewers, one of whom assumed the identity of a dead woman. Google deleted the reviews but the nursery's lawyer said it has not yet handed over the information. Google is reviewing the decision. The nursery, which was not named in the judge's ruling, complained that the reviews were making serious and unfounded claims that it was neglecting children, and that this was harming its business. Three of the reviews were removed by Google for breaching its anti-spam rules after the nursery complained, including one written in the name of a woman who died in the US in November 2006. Others were found to have been copied and pasted from other websites. In a ruling handed down last week, the judge CM Berkhout ordered the fourth to be removed because it too was in breach of the rules. Google was given two weeks to hand over the information related to the four accounts - all of which remain active on Google+ - as well as the exact dates and times the reviews were posted. It was also told to pay more than €1,500 (£1,100, $1,600) to the nursery by the same date. Paul Tjiam of Simmons and Simmons, who represented the nursery, said he believed the case would make it more difficult for fake reviewers to "hide themselves behind their computers." He added that the nursery would contact the people behind the fake reviews before deciding whether or not to pursue civil action against them. He told the BBC that fake reviews online were not just an issue in the Netherlands, but a "worldwide problem." He said the courts' decision "shows that Google has a long way before its notice-and-take-down policy functions properly." Mr Tjiam said it was "stunning" that Google allowed the reviews to remain online. "Hopefully, another consequence of this decision is that it will make Google rethink their own policies and the way they enforce their policies." He added: "Google's attorneys informed me that Google is still considering an appeal, but as far as I know they have not made a decision." A Google spokesman declined to confirm that and said: "We've received the ruling and are currently reviewing it." The BBC understands that this is not the first time Google has removed reviews in the Netherlands, nor is it understood to be the first time it has been ordered to hand over internet protocol information, which identifies computers online.

Google has been ordered to hand over all contact details linked to accounts behind a series of damaging fake online reviews of a nursery.

The winning proposal will be "connected to" the University of Chicago, although the site has not been decided on yet, NBC in Chicago reports. The president was a law professor at the university and still has a home on the city's South Side. The library will store his papers and help frame his legacy as president. A formal announcement will be made the week after next, reports CBS. It says the president indicated he was leaning towards choosing his hometown in a recent phone call with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, once his closest adviser at the White House. Mr Obama met his wife, First Lady Michelle, when working at a law firm in the city in 1989. The losing cities also have strong connections to the Obama story - he grew up in Hawaii and attended Columbia University in New York. The other Chicago bid that completed the shortlist of four was from the University of Illinois. The 13 presidential libraries - spanning from Herbert Hoover to George W Bush - are administered by the US National Archives. Former President Bill Clinton's presidential library is in Little Rock and George W Bush has one at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. All five living presidents gathered for the dedication of the Bush library in 2013, a ceremony that moved Mr Bush to tears.

Chicago has beaten New York City and Hawaii as the chosen location for President Barack Obama's library, according to US media.

As government colleagues speak boldly of the economic opportunities Brexit might offer and point to the better than expected economic news since the referendum, the Treasury is quietly warning there may still be pain ahead. Eeyore to the rest of the government's Tiggers, Number 11 is hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. Yes, the chancellor has said to colleagues, the mood has changed since the Autumn Statement. There will certainly be some "pats on the back" when it comes to the Budget on Wednesday. The economy is more resilient as consumers - buoyed by ultra-low interest rates, cheap borrowing and high employment - keep spending. And among the members of the European Union there is less talk of economic "punishment" as Brexit approaches - and more of "co-operation". I am told that one banking chief executive was even bold enough to tell the Prime Minister at a recent private meeting that in three years' time the UK's financial services sector and the economy could be in a better position than they are now. How to follow the Budget on the BBC Better growth also means the government's borrowing position is more positive than predicted just three months ago. Tax receipts are higher as stronger consumer spending and higher levels of business activity feed through to the Exchequer. The Office for Budget Responsibility - the official economic watchdog - is set to upgrade its growth forecast for 2017. And borrowing, it is likely to say, will come in at least £10bn lower than the official target. It should be remembered, however, that that target was significantly loosened last year. So, with a better economic outlook, will the Budget be a time for a few politically targeted giveaways? There will be some limited action. The Treasury was certainly stung by accusations following the Autumn Statement that Philip Hammond did not mention the NHS or social care funding despite predictions of a looming crisis. Expect more money for social care, more money for business rate relief and more money for schools. Individual tax thresholds - the point at which people start paying tax on their income - will also be increased, getting ever closer to the target of £12,500 of tax-free income promised in the Conservatives' 2015 manifesto. But each move will be limited. Yes, the Treasury will have a modicum of borrowing headroom, but officials have created a long list of headwinds that could knock the economy off course. Eeyore still wonders if an earthquake might strike. First, the tax base is eroding as more people join the "gig" economy - the self-employed who work for companies such as Uber and Deliveroo and pay less tax. Gig employers also pay less in national insurance and pension contributions. Mr Hammond wants a review of the tax status of the self-employed, ready for major announcements in the autumn, when the new cycle of November Budgets begins. Treasury officials are also convinced that some of thegood news on increased tax receipts are "one-offs" - changes to self-assessment rules and corporation tax payments that will not be repeated. Then there are the fears about the Brexit process, when officials worry that "good days and bad days" news coverage will affect economic confidence. Inflation is also on the march, government borrowing costs on its £1.7 trillion debt load are rising and the UK's age-old productivity problem refuses to go away. Mr Hammond and Theresa May are both fiscal conservatives - cleaving strongly to the idea that "balancing the books" between what a government receives in taxes and spends on public services is the only way to maintain economic stability and growth. The Prime Minister apparently often interjects in policy committee meetings with the question: "Where is the money coming from?" Given that background, better economic news and better borrowing figures are not about to lead to big Budget giveaways. Eeyore just wouldn't countenance it.

"We haven't had an earthquake lately," was Eeyore's tart response when asked about forecasts that the weather can only improve in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Raworth and Michelle Ackerley, formerly a reporter on the BBC One consumer show, will join Matt Allwright and Chris Hollins when its new series begins next month. Anne Robinson's departure from Watchdog after 12 years on the programme was announced earlier this month. Raworth's addition to the line-up comes more than 30 years after her completing work experience on the show. "Watchdog is the reason I got into television," she said. "After doing two weeks work experience on the programme when I was 16, I was determined to become a journalist. "I've presented Watchdog Daily and Test House for the past three years. I'm delighted to have been asked to join Matt, Chris and Michelle for the new series. It feels like I've come full circle." Ackerley joined the BBC in 2005 and has previously reported for Watchdog and the Crimewatch Roadshow. "I'm passionate about uncovering and investigating new stories and excited to work with Matt, Chris and Sophie," she said. "I'm genuinely excited to be part of such a fantastic team." The new series of Watchdog starts on 8 October.

BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth is to be part of Watchdog's new presenting team.

Some people, including Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, questioned how this transfer could be allowed under European football's governing body Uefa's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules. Remember, the £198m is only the initial outlay - PSG will also have to pay the Brazilian star that amount in wages over a five-year contract, as well as hefty fees to his father who is his agent and insurance premiums to protect their investment. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu had threatened to report PSG to Uefa for breaching FFP rules. But Uefa does not have the power to block the deal. In a statement, it told the BBC: "We are not in a position to stop clubs from buying players, but the clubs will face sanctions if they fail to abide by Financial Fair Play rules." Uefa introduced break-even FFP rules in 2013 to stop clubs accumulating too much debt and to prevent wealthy owners from injecting too much cash into their clubs. The rules state that over a three-year period a club like PSG, which is owned by the Gulf state of Qatar via its Oryx Qatar Sports Investments fund, can spend 30m euros more than it earns. It is possible that PSG has accumulated lots of profits over the past two years to make it easier for them to make such a big outlay in the current year. Uefa allows spending on things like stadiums, youth development and women's teams to be excluded from the calculations. Barcelona was given the whole transfer fee up front, but that does not mean it has to all be accounted for in the current year. "For FFP accounting purposes, the transfer fee will be divided over the length of the player's contract," says Daniel Geey, a sports lawyer at Sheridans. "So if it's a five-year deal, that will count as around £40m of transfer spending per year." But £40m a year plus wages is still a hefty outlay, so how might PSG balance the books? There has been much talk of the club recouping the outlay by selling lots of Neymar shirts, but Mr Geey is not optimistic. "It's a complete misnomer that clubs make a fortune from shirt sales increasing after big transfers," he says. Kit deals tend to involve a big outlay up front with only limited profit-sharing of 10% to 15% after a certain number of shirts have been sold, he explains, so many millions of extra shirts would have to be sold to make serious inroads into the extra spending. Of course, it may mean the club receives more money from Nike when it comes to renegotiate, but its current deal runs until 2022. PSG is presumably confident that such a high-profile player will help it to sign other commercial deals and there is no limit to the number of official products they could have. We do not know what deal has been struck over Neymar's image rights, but if PSG can get a proportion of those it will help with meeting the FFP rules. Then there is money to be earned on the pitch. PSG is already making a considerable amount of money in the Champions League - in the last five years it has reached the quarter-finals four times and been knocked out in the round of 16 once. Last year, a team getting to the semi-final was paid an extra 7.5m euros (£6.7m), the losing finalists earned 11m euros (£9.9m) and the winner 15.5m euros (£14m). And that's just prize money, there are other pots of cash distributed to successful teams. The club came second in the French league last year but had won the title for the previous four years so there is not much scope for extra prize money there. They may argue that their huge acquisition will make French football more popular and lead to more lucrative television deals from around the world, but that would be a big impact for a single player, although it might help them sell expensive hospitality packages at their stadium the Parc des Princes. Of course, PSG could always balance the books by selling a few of their existing players, but losing them would not help their Champions' League ambitions. PSG fell foul of the FFP rules in 2014 when Uefa ruled that a £167m commercial contract with the Qatar Tourism Authority was unfairly generous - effectively, the governing body ruled that Qatar had been using the contract to bypass the FFP rules. They were given a £20m fine, their spending was capped at £49m and they competed in the 2014-15 Champions League with 21 players in their squad instead of the usual 25. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter

Paris-St Germain have completed their deal to sign Neymar from Barcelona for 222m euros (£198m).

Police have been searching the site in Milton, Cambridgeshire, for five weeks. Despite a high-profile missing persons campaign, it is thought by police he ended up in a bin lorry. Mr Mckeague's father Martin said it was "breathtaking" to see how much waste officers have combed through. LIVE: Updates on this story and other Suffolk news He has been to the site five times and is staying in a nearby campsite with his wife Trish. "It's heartbreaking to think when you are there Corrie could be under foot," he said. "Everything leads to Corrie being there and when I'm looking at and watching these guys rake through, I know the police wouldn't be here going through all these tonnes of rubbish if they didn't expect Corrie to be there." Mr Mckeague, from Dunfermline in Fife, vanished while on a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 24 September. He was last seen on CCTV at about 03:25 BST. A bin lorry collected refuse a short time later from the area the RAF Honington gunner was last seen. Suffolk Police said officers were trawling through 60 tonnes a day at the site in Milton, near Cambridge. The search is now in its fifth week and is expected to take up to 10.

The father of missing airman Corrie Mckeague, who is camping near a landfill site as police search for a body, said it is "heartbreaking" to think his son is buried there.

Overturning a 2013 ruling, the judges did not, however, halt the programme but urged Congress to take action. The NSA's spying was leaked by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who has since fled to Russia. The NSA has collected data about numbers called and times, but not the content of conversations. It also allegedly spied on European firms. Among individuals targeted was German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany has "drastically reduced" internet surveillance for the NSA, reports say, after the US agency failed to provide "clear justification" for each search. Members of Congress could "help reinforce the court's decision" next week, American University's Gordon Adams tells me. That's when House members are expected to vote on a bill, the USA Freedom Act, that would end the NSA's collection of bulk data. Some senators, however, want things to remain the same. They've pushed for an extension of a provision, Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act that allows the NSA to collect the data. Section 215 expires in June, and an extension would allow the NSA to carry on with its work. US spy leaks: How intelligence is gathered How vulnerable is the internet? US states take aim at NSA facilities The latest verdict, by the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, came after New York District Judge William Pauley had dismissed a legal challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which argued that the way the NSA tracked million of calls contravened the US constitution. The 97-page ruling says that "a provision of the USA Patriot Act permitting the Federal Bureau of Investigation to collect business records deemed relevant to a counterterrorism investigation cannot be legitimately interpreted to permit the systematic bulk collection of domestic calling records". However, the appeals court stopped short of ruling on the constitutionality of the programme, launched after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US. The Snowden revelations in June 2013 caused an international outcry, despite US administrations insisting the programme has been fully authorised. The measures - repeatedly approved in secret by a national security court since 2006 - are set to expire on 1 June. Leaders of the lower US House of Representatives would prefer to pass a bill to end the government's bulk collection of phone records and replace it with legislation that supporters say protects civil liberties. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he wants to extend the Patriot Act and retain the bulk collection programme. The White House supports "an alternative mechanism to preserve the program's essential capabilities without the government holding the bulk data", said Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. But the ACLU's deputy legal director Jameel Jaffer said: "The appeals court's careful ruling should end any debate about whether the NSA's phone-records program is lawful."

A US appeals court has ruled that bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency is illegal.

Lagmar Barking, a joint venture between MAR Properties and the Lagan Developments (Holdings), owned the Vicarage Field shopping centre in Barking. It has been bought by Benson Elliot, a UK-based private equity property fund manager. The last accounts for Lagmar Barking showed it owed its lenders £70m. The loan secured on the centre was bought by the US investment fund Cerberus as part of its purchase of the National Asset Management Agency's (Nama) Northern Ireland loan book in 2014. Peter Cornforth, director of retail at Benson Elliot, said the deal was "an exciting purchase for Benson Elliot". He added that it provided the firm with "a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the regeneration of a key east London metropolitan centre". Cerberus is continuing to rapidly work through the former Nama portfolio with a combination of asset sales, refinancings and enforcements.

A shopping centre in east London that had been owned by two Northern Ireland property groups has been sold for £35m.

"It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one-of-a-kind mother," the statement said. The British-born writer, sister of actress Joan Collins, died in Los Angeles, her spokeswoman said. Collins's raunchy novels of the rich and famous sold more than 500 million copies in 40 countries. In a career spanning four decades, all 32 of her novels appeared in the New York Times bestseller list. The family statement said the writer lived "a wonderfully full life", adored by family, friends and readers. "She was a true inspiration, a trailblazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words," it added. Collins was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer six-and-a-half years ago, according to US celebrity magazine People. She told the magazine in her last interview on 14 September that she had told few people about her diagnosis other than her three daughters, and did not regret her decision. "I did it my way, as Frank Sinatra would say," she said. "I've written five books since the diagnosis, I've lived my life, I've travelled all over the world, I have not turned down book tours and no-one has ever known until now when I feel as though I should come out with it." She was in the UK less than a fortnight ago on a promotional tour for her latest book. Her sister Joan, 82, who only learned the news herself in the last fortnight, told People magazine she was "completely devastated". "She was my best friend. I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and a beautiful person and I love her," she said. Jackie Collins, who was born in London, began writing as a teenager, making up racy stories for her schoolfriends, according to a biography on her website. Her first novel, The World is Full of Married Men, was published in 1968 and became a scandalous bestseller. It was banned in Australia and branded "disgusting" by romance writer Barbara Cartland. In 1985, her novel Hollywood Wives was made into a mini-series by ABC, starring Anthony Hopkins and Candice Bergen. Collins said that she "never felt bashful writing about sex". "I think I've helped people's sex lives," she said. "Sex is a driving force in the world so I don't think it's unusual that I write about sex. I try to make it erotic, too." Collins had lost her mother, second husband and fiance to cancer. She told the Press Association earlier this month that she had chosen to celebrate life rather than mourn those she had lost. "I refuse to mourn people, because everybody dies," she said. "Death and taxes, you can't avoid either". Private memorial services are due to be held for her family in both the UK and in the US.

The novelist Jackie Collins has died of breast cancer at the age of 77, her family said in a statement.

All is not lost, however, for the team that just over three years ago were celebrating their fourth consecutive world title double. Red Bull were the only team to beat Mercedes last year and finished second in the championship. But although Red Bull were clearly the third best team in Melbourne, there is good reason to believe they will make it a three-way fight at the front in 2017. Red Bull admit they have work to do with both their chassis and the Renault engine, but improvements to obvious faults are on the way. Red Bull qualified 1.3 seconds off pole position in Australia. Which sounds a lot - indeed, it is a lot. But it is worth bearing in mind that last year, which they ended with two victories and could have had three, they were 1.6 seconds off the pace at Albert Park. In the race, their pace was hard to judge - Daniel Ricciardo was never really in it after what team boss Christian Horner said was a "weekend from hell". And Max Verstappen spent much of the afternoon bottled up behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. There were only a handful of laps in the first stint in which Verstappen was more than two seconds behind Raikkonen - the gap at which drivers say their car starts to be affected by aerodynamic turbulence from following another car. On average, on those 'clean-air' laps, Verstappen was about 0.7secs off the pace of leaders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. After his pit stop, the Dutchman was pretty much on the leaders' pace - sometimes quicker, sometimes slower, sometimes about the same - but then the picture was skewed by the fact that he was on a softer, faster tyre. In all, Horner reckoned Red Bull needed to find "a good half a second to get into that fight with the cars ahead". Coincidentally, 0.5secs is about the margin Red Bull believe they are losing as a result of the Renault engine in race pace - and as much as 0.6-0.7secs in qualifying. The Renault, which has been redesigned for this season, has had reliability problems this year and fixes for these had a direct impact on performance in Australia. Primarily, Renault were suffering in pre-season testing with overheating of the MGU-K - the part of the hybrid system that recovers energy from the rear axle. The temporary fix for this was to use last year's MGU-K, which is 5kg heavier than the 2017-spec design and also requires an extra air bottle, which is at least another 1kg. That weight accounts for about 0.2secs in lap time itself, and a revised version of the new MGU-K is set to be introduced for the fourth race of the season in Russia. Renault will then introduce a major upgrade for either Monaco - the sixth race - or, more likely, the subsequent event in Canada. This is referred to by Red Bull as "significant" - which is code for about 0.3-0.4secs in lap time. Horner said the lap-time deficit of the Red Bull-Renault to Mercedes and Ferrari was "probably an equal share" between car and engine. And it was clear the Red Bull was far from its best in Australia. Both drivers struggled to find the right set-up - complaining of the balance switching too easily between extremes. The car, in its current form, has what is known in F1 as "a narrow set-up window" - it is hard to home in on the correct balance - as well as a performance shortfall to the Ferrari and the Mercedes. But Horner says: "It's still early days. The regulations are still very immature. We've chosen a different concept. I believe there's really good development potential in the concept that we have." What does he mean by "different concept"? The key is in the aerodynamics - and particularly in the design of the front wing. In all F1 cars, the front wing is crucial in setting up the airflow around the rest of the car. It creates what are known as vortices that sweep around the sides of the car and then under the floor in front of the rear wheels. The faster these vortices can be made to travel, the more aerodynamic downforce will be created by the floor between the rear wheels. These vortices start at the inner tips of the flaps on either side of the front wing. Most teams send them between the front wheels and over the various fins and curved plates that can be seen in front of the side pods - the bodywork either side of the cockpit. But because it is so crucial that the airflow hits all these pieces of bodywork, that means that overall downforce of the car can be badly affected in less than perfect conditions - such as in a cross-wind, or in traffic. The Red Bull has far fewer of these additional pieces of bodywork than the other front-running teams, and that's a conscious choice by Red Bull's aerodynamic team under chief technical officer Adrian Newey. They wanted a car that was more consistent in changing conditions. The key to the way it differs from other cars can be seen in the front wing. On the Mercedes and Ferrari, the inboard ends of the series of flaps on either side of the wing point downwards towards the wing mainplane. Red Bull's inner flaps point upwards - because they are directing the airflow higher up around the car. That means there is reduced need for the intricate cascading flaps downstream. It's a classic example of the philosophy long-espoused by Red Bull design chief Newey, whose genius resides in not only producing great performance, but also in doing it in a manner which means the driver can access more of it more of the time. The performance is not there at the moment, but as Horner put it: "I think development is going to be incremental at every event. Looking at the amount of notes Adrian has taken away from this weekend, for sure it's going to keep our design office pretty busy." Last year, after Red Bull were 1.6 seconds off the pace at the first race, Max Verstappen won the fifth race in Spain. That win was only possible because Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out on the first lap. But two weeks later, Daniel Ricciardo took a brilliant pole in Monaco and would have won but for a delay caused by a pit-stop mix-up. From then on, Red Bull were usually Mercedes' main challenger - Ricciardo again came close in Singapore and then did finally win a week later in Malaysia, albeit this time after a Hamilton engine failure. At this early stage, the pattern looks very similar - a deficit in Australia, a major engine upgrade at the sixth or seventh race, consistent chassis improvements. On that basis, it is easy to believe Horner when he says: "There's a lot of positives to take out of Australia, at a track where we have not been competitive for the last couple of years. I'm sure that we can build on this over the coming races. "We have a good basis and a good direction and as the regulations are quite immature, I think things will move quite quickly. So I honestly believe we will get ourselves into a competitive situation this year."

Red Bull were one of the prime movers behind the push for faster, more demanding Formula 1 cars this season, so it is somewhat ironic that they started the season off the pace of Ferrari and Mercedes.

The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show will use specialist technology to ensure the winning fruit is of the Gigantomo variety. The giant entries must be from that strain of plant to win the £1,000 prize. It comes after competitors raised concerns unscrupulous growers might sneak in a rogue type of tomato. Show director Nick Smith said they wanted to be certain the winner "had the right pedigree." "Giant veg growing is great fun and tremendously popular with our visitors, but it also has a serious side, especially with such a big prize at stake," he added. The Gigantomo class, developed for its huge red fruits, was launched in January, with the final weigh-in on Friday. Plant specialist and prize sponsors Van Meuwen said it is the product of almost two decades work by breeders in the UK and United States. Dutch specialists will test the plants to make sure the entries are what they claim to be and the winner could scoop a further £5,000 if the heaviest fruit sets a new world record. The Guinness record for the heaviest tomato stands at 7lb 12oz (3.5kg).

Gardeners trying to cheat their way to the top tomato prize at a horticultural show will be weeded out with DNA tests.

Faull was part of the famous British and Irish Lions side who beat New Zealand in Auckland in 1959. He made 12 appearances for Wales and played in four of the six Tests in the 1959 Lions tour. He also played three times for the Barbarians. John was also the son of former international referee and former president of the Welsh Rugby Union, Wilf Faull.

Former Wales and British and Irish Lion John Faull has died aged 83.

The influential EY Item Club said higher inflation caused by a weaker pound would result in GDP growth of 1.3% in 2017 and just 1% next year. But it said rising demand for exports would offset this somewhat. A separate survey has found optimism in the financial services sector hit its lowest level since the 2008 crash. Sterling has fallen by 17% against the dollar since the UK voted to quit the European Union last June, increasing import costs and pushing up shop prices. In its latest forecast, the EY Item Club said it expected inflation to rise to 3.1% by the final quarter of 2017 before easing back to 2% by the end of 2018. On top of this, it said unemployment was likely to climb from 4.8% in the final quarter of last year to more than 6% by the end of 2018. "[These factors are] expected to have a knock-on impact on consumer spending, as growth in disposable incomes is eroded," the think tank said. But the agency also said that a "weaker pound and a softer domestic market" were likely to encourage higher levels of UK exports, as businesses seek income opportunities overseas. It expects exports to increase by 3.3% this year and 5.2% in 2018. Peter Spencer, chief economic advisor to the EY Item Club, said that the fall in sterling after the Brexit vote signalled "a permanent shift" in the fundamental value of the currency. "We know that it will crush consumer spending, we'll see a progressive slowdown in retail sales and indicators like that this year," he told the BBC. However, he also said it would offer a "permanent incentive to investors to go out, win new customers [overseas], and build capacity and expertise". "The hard bit comes from getting exports up to pick up the slack left by the fall in consumer spending," he said. He said that a weak pound should boost experts in the near term, but that "trade and growth in 2019 and beyond" would largely be determined by the terms of Britain's exit deal with the EU. If exports did not pick up, the UK could be "stuck in a slow growth economy", he added. Financial services It comes as a PwC survey found optimism among Britain's financial services firms fell for a fourth consecutive quarter in December. The consultancy, which surveyed 103 financial services firms on behalf of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), found 2016 to be the "gloomiest" year for the sector since 2008. Banks were especially pessimistic, with 90% saying that preparing for the impact of Brexit was their biggest challenge. Many have signalled they are working on plans to deal with a so-called "hard" exit from the EU, after Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain will leave the single market. Two of the largest banks with operations in London - HSBC and UBS - said last week they were considering moving thousands of jobs abroad.

The UK economy will see three years of "relatively slow growth" as it comes to rely more on trade and less on consumer spending, a think tank says.

Ryan Thomas McManus, 31, from Ava Street in Belfast and Ryan Milligan, 29, from Manse Road in Dundrum were given seven-year terms for over 40 drugs offences. They will serve half their terms in prison and half on licence. A third man on charges died on Tuesday. Connor Devenney, 36, from Dunwellan Park in Newcastle, County Down, appeared in court last week, when the Crown set out its case against the three men. However, a judge was told that Devenney, who faced two charges linked to the operation, died on Tuesday night. Passing sentence on McManus and Milligan, the judge said the pair were involved in a "widespread supply of a quantity of illicit drugs" that they distributed "both in the UK and elsewhere". He said that on one level there was a degree of sophistication, due to the use of the internet and Bitcoin currency, but on another there was a lack of sophistication as they left a "forensic trail". He said this trail allowed both the police and other authorities to "become aware of the criminal activity" that ultimately led to their arrest. Last week, the court heard that Milligan and McManus were arrested on 5 August, 2013, when several properties they were linked to were searched and drugs were seized. A crown prosecutor said that during the period of offending - which spanned from January 2012 to August 2013 - the pair received consignments of drugs that were delivered to addresses either occupied or controlled by them. They also used a virtual mailbox facility in the centre of Belfast. The court heard some of the drugs were purchased online using Bitcoin currency. Drugs seized included more than 4,000 Class A tablets, and over 2,700 doses of DPP, as well as cocaine and over 100 grams of herbals.

Two men involved in an international drugs operation that included buying illegal substances on the 'dark web' using Bitcoin currency have been jailed.

Executive producer Al Jean said in a statement to the New York Times that Shearer had turned down a new pay deal. The show "will go on" and the actor's characters will be recast, Jean added. Shearer took to Twitter to say the decision "wasn't about money" and that signing up to a new series would have stopped him from doing other work. The 71-year-old provided the voice for addled school principal Seymour Skinner as well as rapacious millionaire Montgomery Burns and Ned Flanders, Homer Simpson's chipper neighbour. Shearer signalled his exit on Twitter by claiming that a lawyer for executive producer James L Brooks said: "Show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best." In a follow-up tweet, Shearer added: "This because I wanted what we've always had: The freedom to do other work. Of course, I wish him the very best." In response, Al Jean wrote: "Harry Shearer was offered the same deal the rest of the cast accepted, and passed. "The show will go on and we wish him well. Maggie took it hard. "We do not plan to kill off characters like Burns and Flanders but will recast with the finest voiceover talent available." Last week, the Fox network confirmed it had commissioned two more series of the long-running animated sitcom. According to reports at the time, Shearer had yet to sign a new contract. On Thursday, the actor stressed that he had no plans to retire, adding: "On to new stuff..." His other roles have included bass player Derek Smalls in rock "mockumentary" This is Spinal Tap. The Simpsons has been on air since 1989, and the new series will take the total number of episodes to 625.

Harry Shearer, who voices Ned Flanders and Mr Burns in The Simpsons, is to leave the show after more than 25 years following a dispute with producers.

It passed a resolution following an "overwhelming" vote in favour of staying in the EU, which it said was based on the "balance of existing evidence". The union - which has 55,000 members in England and Wales - announced its position after a vote by its council. However, the NFU said it would not be actively campaigning in the referendum. It said its council members looked at a number of issues, including the impact leaving the EU would have on agricultural trade and the availability of labour. It has also completed 28 roadshows to debate key farming issues in the referendum with members, and sent two reports to its members. The organisation said it was not joining any campaign groups and would not be telling its members how to vote. The union has not released how each of its 90 council members voted. However, its president, Meurig Raymond, said there had been an "overwhelming" vote in favour of staying in the EU. "We believe it's for the betterment of the future of British agriculture," he said. "On all the surveys we have done in the NFU, the majority believe that we should stay in." He added: "We have had 28 meetings across the country in the last three weeks. "We have spoken to three or four thousand people. So the delegates here today brought the views from those meetings to our council meeting." By Claire Marshall, BBC environment correspondent While the NFU doesn't represent all farmers, this decision will be influential. As an established well-funded organisation, the NFU has access to information and expert advice that the average farmer doesn't have time to seek out. The debate in the council chamber was impassioned, with members talking about what the decision could mean for the future of their children. The judgement will also play an important part in the wider European debate. Over the last few weeks key figures from both sides of the referendum campaign have been on the phone to the NFU asking for updates, keen to know what side they will come down on. Now, everyone knows what the council thinks - it's now down to the farmers to decide. The NFU says more than 70% of full-time farmers in England and Wales are members. The resolution comes after the NFU in Scotland and the Tenant Farmers' Association both expressed support for remaining in the EU. However, farming minister George Eustice, who wants to leave the EU, said "virtually every problem that the NFU complain to me about is a direct consequence of dysfunctional EU law". He said farmers who "want to see change and a better future" should vote to leave. Last month, Prime Minister David Cameron, who is campaigning to remain in the EU, warned British agriculture would suffer if the UK votes to leave the union. He said farmers could lose as much as £330m on lamb and beef exports if Britain were to leave. However, former environment secretary Owen Paterson has said Britain's farmers would be better off outside the EU. The Conservative MP said Britain would then be free to set its own subsidies and its own environment policies.

Farmers' interests are best served by remaining in the European Union, the National Farmers' Union has said.

The Dundee-based company said shareholders had wanted changes to be made to improve performance. Chief financial officer Alan Trotter is to leave Alliance Trust, while chief executive Katherine Garrett-Cox is to step down from the board. The financial services company's share price rose when trading opened following the announcement. Alliance Trust had been facing demands for a change in governance from US-based activist investor Elliott Advisers. The firm aims to simplify its structures and reduce costs by £6m per year by the end of 2016, although details of staff cuts or other efficiency measures have not been announced. Ms Garrett-Cox leaving the board means it now consists solely of non-executive directors, making it fully independent. In a letter to shareholders, chairman Karin Forseke said the changes would take effect "as soon as practicable", and no later than March 2016. She said: "The actions we have announced represent some of the biggest changes in our history, and are designed to further improve shareholder value. "Implementation will require considerable further work by the team, but we believe that as a result Alliance Trust will be significantly better positioned for the future." Managers at Alliance Trust, the venerable Dundee finance house, have been under siege for years. Having had to sue for peace earlier this year, the terms are now clearer, and they mean a radical change of direction. A cut in costs of 20% will feel painful at the Tayside headquarters. Non-core assets are being sold, and new benchmarks are being set, with regular overviews to check how management of the fund performs against the market. They've been ahead of their benchmark since last year, but if they don't perform adequately in future, the board members brought on by activist investors will re-consider the decision not to contract out fund management to another company. The scale of the change to the Trust's strategy, and the clipping of senior executives' influence, by removing them from the board, is such that you might expect the resignations of chief executive Katherine Garrett-Cox and/or chairwoman Karin Forseke. However, this follows consultation with the full range of shareholders, and the long-term smaller ones may see the current bosses as their best protection against short-term profit-taking. With lead activist investor Elliot Advisers upping its stake recently, this is an uneasy-looking settlement.

Investment firm Alliance Trust is to cut costs by £6m while restructuring its board to become fully independent.

Bedene, 27, became a British citizen in 2015 but has been unable to overturn a ban preventing him from representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup. To go to the Olympics, a player must have been available for the Davis Cup. "That's a dream for every athlete," said Bedene after beating Ryan Harrison to reach the French Open second round. Bedene represented Slovenia in three Davis Cup ties before becoming a British citizen - and rules were introduced shortly after his switch barring players from representing more than one nation. "I'll have to see what can be done," he added. "At the moment I'm representing Great Britain, but I do want to play Olympic Games." Bedene moved to Britain in 2008 but Dan Evans said earlier this month he still considered himself to be the British number three despite being overtaken by Bedene in the rankings. "At the moment, for the clay season, I spent quite a lot of time in Slovenia," Bedene said on Monday. "My fiancee said she wants to move back. She wants to have her career there. "I'm travelling a lot, so it's not easy - but I do want to spend as much time as I can with her. "I've still got a house in England. My home is still there. I have always been known as Slovenia-born - but I love Britain. "I feel Slovenian and British." BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller Bedene would need to play three Davis Cup ties for Slovenia between now and the Tokyo Olympics to be eligible for the 2020 Games, and so realistically would need to switch back in time for the 2019 competition. He has a Slovenian passport, but also needs to be in "good standing" with the country's Olympic Committee and would have to rebuild relationships broken when he started playing under the British flag. In March, an arbitration hearing upheld the International Tennis Federation's ruling that players can no longer represent more than one country, but expressed the hope the governing body could one day be persuaded that Bedene is worthy of an exemption. That appears a long shot in the time available, and any switch back to Slovenia is likely to go down very badly with those at the Lawn Tennis Association who have spent so much time and resources on his case. Media playback is not supported on this device Earlier on Monday, Bedene won 6-4 6-0 3-6 6-1 against American Harrison - a player ranked 10 places higher at 42 in the world. Afterwards, he accused his opponent of "tanking", saying the American effectively gave up the second set to help him win the third "That is in a way a tactic, and it worked," Bedene told BBC Sport. "That was his decision. I'm not doing that. "It's never easy to start off the third set after someone's tanking." Bedene has now won 21 of 24 matches on clay this year, winning two titles on the second-tier Challenger circuit and reaching an ATP Tour final in Hungary. He will face Czech player Jiri Vesely in the second round, with Rafael Nadal of Spain a potential fourth-round opponent. Fellow Britons Andy Murray, Kyle Edmund and Johanna Konta start their challenge on Tuesday, but Dan Evans lost on Sunday.

British number three Aljaz Bedene is considering switching his allegiance back to Slovenia in order to compete at the Olympics.

Police said the elderly man was spotted in the water at Leith at about 22:00 on Wednesday. He was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary by ambulance for treatment, but later died. A Police Scotland spokesman said inquiries into the circumstances surrounding this incident were ongoing.

A man has died after being pulled from the water near the Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh.

Yn ffodus, roedd camera Cymru Fyw yna i ddal y broses hir ac weithiau araf!

Unwaith eto fe wnaeth Cymru fwynhau rhaglen Cân i Gymru nos Sadwrn 5 Mawrth, ond cyn y darllediad byw roedd rhaid i lawer o bobl weithio, ac ymarfer, yn galed drwy'r dydd.

The discovery was made during work to extend the castle's main shop and ticket office. Historic Scotland said the find would help establish exactly where the defences stood. European experts are believed to have been used to apply the latest Italian military engineering techniques at the castle in the 1540s. They were brought in by Mary of Guise, widow of James V, at a time when intermittent warfare with England made it essential to have fortifications that could protect against heavy artillery in a siege. The defences are shown in a 17th Century engraving by John Slezer. Gordon Ewart, of Kirkdale Archaeology - whose team discovered the walling - said: "We knew the defences would have been in this area, but not exactly where because the Slezer engraving, and remaining military plans, are not entirely accurate. "This is what makes the discovery of physical evidence so important - it helps us identify exactly what existed - and to understand more about what the castle was like in the past." Much was changed at the castle between 1711-14 when the old defences were demolished during a programme of modernisation. Further alterations took place when the esplanade was created in the early 19th Century. Peter Yeoman, from Historic Scotland, said the discovery gave a "tantalising glimpse" of the fortifications created for Mary of Guise and paid for by the French king Henri II. Mr Yeoman said they were probably designed by the Italian engineer Signor Ubaldini, who was working on a similar defensive spur at the time at Edinburgh Castle. He added: "They are of great interest because they were early examples of a changing approach to military engineering, and among the most advanced in the whole of the British isles."

Archaeologists have found fragments of Stirling Castle's 16th Century outer defences.

The trip includes a birthday barbeque in Western Australia for the heir to the British throne, who is turning 67. The pair will also meet new Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, once the public face of the country's republican movement. Their 12-day tour will take in 12 different towns and cities across Australia and New Zealand. Charles and Camilla arrive in the New Zealand capital Wellington on 4 November. They will then travel around Australia between 10 and 15 November, visiting Adelaide and Tanunda, Canberra, Sydney, Albany and Perth. It will be the 15th time the Prince of Wales has visited Australia. His son Prince William and his wife Kate proved a hit with Australians when they visited last year to show off their baby son.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are to visit Australia and New Zealand in November, his office says.

Special Report: The Technology of Business The workplaces that build Africa's future Is teleworking driving us crazy? The tech getting disabled people into work Recruitment robots need impressing Is technology killing the lure of company heritage? If you're not at work catching up when you think the boss isn't looking, you're quite likely to be on the sofa in front of the television. If so then you're not alone. According to research by Nielsen 88% of US tablet owners use them while watching TV at least once a month, with 45% using them several times a day. In the UK, that figure is 80%, with 24% using it daily. These countries may be at the top of the list - but the figures point to a growing trend. Rather than resign themselves to audiences watching with half an eye, while posting pictures of kittens on Facebook, broadcasters are looking for ways to harness this trend to keep viewers engaged. No verifiable eyeballs on your content leads to dwindling advertising income. At IBC, the annual gathering of the broadcast industry in Amsterdam, the rise of the second screen, or companion device (that's a tablet or smartphone to you and me) was the topic of the moment. If the idea of a coming zombie apocalypse keeps you up at night, you may have found yourself watching The Walking Dead for tips. So many of us tuned in that its broadcaster, FX UK, decided to create a companion app for series two that would appeal to viewers, but that would keep those precious eyeballs glued to the screen during the important bits. "It was fascinating to tie [the app] with the idea of gamification with that particular programme, with that fanbase, which seemed to make sense," says Steve Plunkett, chief technology officer at broadcast technology and service provider Red Bee. "But we had no idea how it was going to play out with the public. So we were delighted to see the take-up rates which were great." As well as being popular with audiences, it has also won an IBC innovation award. A bit like Cluedo for the undead, the app lets you predict how many zombies will bite the dust during each episode, who will despatch them, and the most common weapon of choice. As each member of the undead hordes meets their maker, the app notes the kill, who was responsible and how they did it. At the end of the episode viewers discover how close they got, and can then share the results on Facebook and Twitter. "What's interesting is that we can now accurately tie together the two screens," says Mr Plunkett. "We knew exactly what episode you were watching, you just switched on and it figured everything out, and knew exactly where you were in the programme." It uses technology known as audio watermarking, which lets the app work whether you watch live, time-shifted or recorded on your DVR. Tiny chunks of data that are inaudible to humans are embedded in the soundtrack of the show. The device running the app then "listens" as the episode starts, works out which one you are watching and synchronises with it. For content where it's not possible or practical to embed data, audio fingerprinting can be used, where specific audio triggers the synchronisation of an app. For devices that don't have microphones, signals sent via the internet can also be used. Another show with a cult following that has its own companion app is US biker gang saga Sons of Anarchy. The app has evolved over two seasons, according to Magic Ruby's Robert Gekchyan. "[In our proof of concept app] you see a character you like, you want his hat, you want his jacket. They had all the items already on the website, but by presenting it on this app they really saw a huge uptake of sales. "This year we have a full application that has trivia that gets people really engaged in the show, exclusive on-set photos and some of the writers on the show have contributed to the content in the application." The app also synchronises with each episode, letting viewers track the conversation about episodes on social media - regardless of when they're watching. "We built something called the social timeline so you can actually follow the show through tweets that are happening as things happen specifically in the show. "This really works well in times-shifted environments - different time zones, catch-up TV situations where you still want to follow along the conversation." The next step for Magic Ruby is looking at new ways of making money from these apps. "It would probably be difficult to do the traditional or banner advertising in this space," he says. "So it's how do we get advertisers to do interactive advertising, get involved in the show, it's not just your watching the show and this car commercial that has zero context comes up." John Stoneman of mobile advertising specialists InMobi agrees. "For it to be effective, it needs to be complementary to the user's experience and not obtrusive... and that's one of the great things about the second screen. The consumer has the option to engage if they want to, but it's not forcing them to sit through something they don't want." Mr Stoneman believes broadcasters need to come to terms with second screen devices, and how they're being used. The chief executive of online video platform Brightcove, Jeremy Allaire, believes there's a more radical shift taking place. The company recently launched their app creation platform AppCloud, aimed at letting broadcasters and other content creators build companion apps. "In my mind I think that the current effort is sort of a band-aid or a hack, and the real opportunity is when the full content experience and the applications that interact with that content are all delivered over the internet to tablets or smart TVs." he says. The company is also creating full screen TV apps aimed at content far beyond regular programming. "Dual screen TV apps are about really using the TV set as the second screen. "The tablet becomes the primary screen you interact with, you make choices on, and discover on and the large display is where you have rich media and consume content and information." Perhaps unsurprisingly he has strong views on the future of television. "Linear television is not going to be saved by companion second-screen applications, that's for sure. I think you know more likely 90% of the content that's on linear television should really just be content that's published on demand." Not everyone agrees. Magic Ruby's Robert Gekchyan sees things differently. "I think people still love TV, they love the content, and now they can have the interactivity and the interactivity with their friends. "You're by yourself on the couch and you're watching with multiple people. It's perfect for live events, for sports, for reality shows, water-cooler-type TV shows." No knows what lies ahead - but maybe there's room for something in between. One of the most popular demonstrations at IBC is broadcast software experts NDS' video wall. In their conception of the future the walls of our home become a giant television screen, that integrates with the wallpaper. Content selection is done from a tablet device, and is "thrown" to the wall you want to view it on. This can be anything from movies, television, radio, social media and news to the family calendar, the view from your nannycam, or family photos and videos. It can be any size you want, with as much or as little content on display. Audio is directional, and advertising and other broadcast furniture can be arranged around the picture, leaving the image clean. At the moment screen technology means the bevels are clearly visible between panels. But it doesn't take much imagination to picture technology like Sony's new 4k ultra-high definition television, also on show at the exhibition, or NHK's 8k super hi vision, or even Dolby's glasses-free 3D making the experience even more immersive. Whatever the future holds, one thing is clear. As a species we are likely to become ever more addicted to vast amounts of content - wherever it comes from. As long as the zombies don't get us first...

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A spokesman said the new estimate was based on a review of intelligence reports from May to August. IS has seized vast swathes of Iraq and beheaded several hostages in recent months, leading to US airstrikes. US Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting Turkey, seeking more support for action against IS. US officials say retired Gen John Allen will be tasked with forming an international coalition to fight IS. On Thursday, 10 Arab countries agreed to help the US attack the group in both Iraq and Syria. The CIA had previously believed that IS had about 10,000 fighters, spokesman Ryan Trapani said. "This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity, and additional intelligence," he added. The revision comes a day after President Obama outlined a plan to "degrade and destroy" IS and to increase military support for allied forces engaged in fighting the group. For the first time, he authorised air strikes against the group in Syria. In recent months IS has expanded from its stronghold in eastern Syria and seized control of more towns, cities, army bases and weaponry in Iraq. The US has already carried out more than 150 air strikes against IS in Iraq. It has also sent hundreds of military advisers to assist Iraqi government and Kurdish forces, but has ruled out sending ground troops. Other countries, including the UK, have contributed humanitarian assistance to Iraqis displaced by the group's advance. Mr John Kerry secured the co-operation of several Arab countries during a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Nato member Turkey, however, refused to sign a communique calling for countries to join the US in the fight against IS. Analysts say this may be because the group currently holds 49 Turkish citizens, including diplomats. Mr Kerry downplayed the move, saying the important US ally was dealing with some "sensitive issues". He is due to travel to Turkey on Friday to try to secure more co-operation from the government.

The CIA says the Islamic State (IS) militant group may have up to 31,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria - three times as many as previously feared.

The crash happened at about 13:00 GMT on the A607 in Waddington. Police said the ambulance was responding to an emergency call and had its blue lights on when it was involved in a collision with the two cars. There was no patient onboard at the time. Four people, including the two ambulance crew, were taken to hospital in Lincoln. Insp Simon Heads from the Lincolnshire Police serious collision investigation unit said "the two ambulance crew are uninjured". He added that a female passenger from one of the cars who was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham was "not as seriously injured as was first feared". East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust has confirmed one of its ambulances was involved in the crash. The trust said it was "working with Lincolnshire Police to support their investigation".

Five people have been taken to hospital following a crash involving an ambulance and two cars in Lincolnshire.

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

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

Hatton made eight birdies and three bogeys in his five-under-par 67, while Fitzpatrick carded a level-par 72. They are tied with Australia's Marc Leishman (71) at Bay Hill, three shots behind American leaders Charlie Hoffman (71) and Kevin Kisner (68). Rory McIlroy moved up to a tie for eighth after a seven-under-par 65. World number three McIlroy scored the joint-lowest round of the day, along with American Rickie Fowler - who moved into a tie for 11th. The 27-year-old Northern Irishman started the round 11 shots behind overnight leader Hoffman, but five birdies on the back nine moved him up the leaderboard. "I just played better, held some putts, which was nice to see. I just had to put it all together and I did," McIlroy told the PGA Tour. "Hopefully I can be in with a shout and then if I get off to a fast start tomorrow, I can be right in there."

England's Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Fitzpatrick are both three shots off the lead going into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Reading's Danson, who has scored 89 international goals, suffered a hand injury in February and missed Test series against Australia and Germany. Great Britain play the Dutch in Amsterdam on Tuesday and Thursday. "We're looking forward to testing ourselves against the number-one-ranked team," said GB coach Danny Kerry. East Grinstead's Laura Unsworth and University of Birmingham's Lily Owsley are also fit again after injuries and included in the 20-strong squad. "It is good to have Laura, Alex and Lily back after long periods of injury and it will be good to have competitive match play to help bring them up to match speed," added Kerry. England came from 2-0 behind to beat the Dutch on penalties to win the EuroHockey Championships in August, with Danson picking up the player of the tournament award. Maddie Hinch (GK), Emily Maguire, Shona McCallin, Sam Quek, Nicola White (all Holcombe); Kirsty Mackay (GK), Sophie Bray, Laura Unsworth (East Grinstead); Giselle Ansley, Georgie Twigg, Hollie Webb (Surbiton); Alex Danson, Kate Richardson-Walsh, Helen Richardson-Walsh (Reading); Joie Leigh (Clifton); Hannah Macleod, Ellie Watton (St Albans); Lily Owsley (University of Birmingham); Susannah Townsend (Canterbury); Crista Cullen (unattached).

Striker Alex Danson has been included in the Great Britain squad for their two Test matches against world and Olympic champions Netherlands.

Released by Norwich City as a schoolboy, he entered semi-professional football, turning out for King's Lynn and Staines Town, who play in the Ryman Premier Division. It was there, in the foothills of the English game, that he looked west and decided to move to the United States. Dwyer signed up to a firm who - for a fee - help organise soccer scholarships at US colleges for young, talented British footballers. Getting a scholarship means the college pays some, or all, of the student's tuition fees and costs. The firm, Soccer Icon USA, held a trial at QPR's training ground, to see whether those who had signed up were good enough for college soccer. "I think I scored a hat-trick in the first 10 minutes," remembers Dwyer, now 25. "The coaches took me off early and said: 'So - whereabouts in America do you want to go?'" Dwyer spent two years at Tyler Junior College in Texas, before moving to the University of South Florida. While there, he was signed by Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City. He has since scored more than 30 MLS goals, was named in the 2014 All Star team alongside Thierry Henry and, in 2015, is on a guaranteed salary of more than £300,000 a year. He is also married to Sydney Leroux, who was a member of the USA's World Cup-winning women's team earlier this year. "It's pretty amazing," says Dwyer. "I'm a little kid from England, and last year I was at the White House [after winning the 2013 MLS Cup]. "I just thought: 'What are they doing, letting me in here?'" Dwyer is not the only British player who has gone from US college to the MLS. Matt Watson - who studied at the University of Maryland, after being released by Wolves as a youngster - plays for Chicago Fire. Otis Earle, son of former Wimbledon midfielder Robbie Earle, is at FC Dallas, via the University of California, Riverside. Preston-born Luke Mulholland, who studied in North Carolina, is at Real Salt Lake, while Andy Rose, once a Bristol City youth, went from the University of California in Los Angeles to Seattle Sounders. Few Britons will emulate their careers. But more and more are trying. According to the Fulbright Commission, almost 11,000 British students were at American colleges in the past academic year - an increase of 21% in the past 10 years. Although the number of soccer scholarships is not recorded (there's no American equivalent of Ucas, the organisation through which applications are processed in England and Wales) it is clear they are becoming more popular. Chris Cousins, who runs Sports Recruiting USA, went to Illinois on a soccer scholarship in 2003. "I was probably one of a dozen going to America, if that," he says. Now, he estimates that more than 600 British students - male and female - will cross the Atlantic to start soccer scholarships this year. Cousins thinks rising tuition fees in England is one factor, having increased from £1,100 in 2003 to a maximum of £9,000 a year now. He also thinks social media has played a part. "When you see your mate on Twitter or Facebook playing in California or Florida, it makes it more tempting," said Cousins. College soccer is certainly attractive: in 2013, more than 30 teams had average attendances of more than 1,000, 10 with more than a 2,000 average, with some derbies attracting over 10,000 fans. To put that in perspective, last season English League Two sides Morecambe and Accrington both averaged less than 2,000. The biggest games are shown on national television, and there is a clear route to turning pro: every year, MLS clubs take their pick of the best college players via the superdraft. But there is another reason why more Britons are heading to American colleges - the rise in companies, or middlemen, who arrange soccer scholarships. Pass4Soccer, which began in 2003, was one of the first. According to their latest annual report, they now have 40 competitors. "It seems in the past 12 years they've sprung up left, right, and centre," said Daniel Gray, a director at the company. "Five years ago, there were 10 or 15. Now there are 40. People are jumping on the bandwagon." Each firm is different but, broadly, the model is the same. Students pay a fee, and the company gets them a place at a US college - if they are good enough on the pitch and are capable of getting a degree. The companies' fees vary. Sports Recruiting USA, one of the cheapest, charges £999; Pass4Soccer is £1,295; others charge more than £2,000. The firms claim it is money well spent - they say, with contacts and experience, they are able to get better scholarships for their students. Pass4Soccer, for example, estimate that 15% of their students get full scholarships - meaning the college pays all of the student's fees and living costs. Sports Recruiting USA say their students, on average, get 90% scholarships - leaving students to pay just 10%. When a year at a US college costs the average international student more than £20,000, paying £1,000 or £2,000 to a firm could be a wise investment. But, as one QPR player knows, not everyone needs a middleman. When Tyler Blackwood was 18, he had - in his own words - "given up". As a schoolboy, Tottenham Hotspur said he was too short. Watford said the same, as did Northampton Town. After a growth spurt, Blackwood, who is now over 6ft, was invited to a trial game at lower-league Barnet. But, on the day of the game, the manager Paul Fairclough resigned and his trial never happened. Instead, he began working in his dad's bar in Oakwood, north London. "It was a horrible year," remembers Blackwood. "I had friends in the pro game, and I was watching them make their debuts. "Football had always been my plan, then suddenly I realised - it's not going to happen." When his dad encouraged him to kickstart his career at an American college, they paid for a firm to arrange a scholarship. "But the offers were from bad schools in terrible states," says Blackwood. "In the end, I got my money back and did it myself." In 2011, the family went on holiday to Florida, so Blackwood emailed the soccer coach at the University of Tampa, asking for a trial. The college accepted him, but offered only a 25% scholarship. "My dad borrowed money, took out loans, to make sure he could pay the rest," says Blackwood, now 24. "I told him he'd only have to pay for the first year, and then I'd get a full scholarship. And I did." This summer, Blackwood returned to England for a trial at QPR. It was successful, and he made his debut in August, away to Yeovil in the League Cup. He is completing his four-year degree in London, taking his laptop on the team bus to catch up with work. "I recently had an exam that started at 8pm, Florida time," says Blackwood. "That was 1am in the UK. I'm looking forward to graduating, put it that way." As Blackwood shows, the quality of British players heading to America, as well as the quantity, is increasing. Cousins says that, 10 years ago, it was "county players getting the best scholarships - now it's people getting released from Chelsea and Manchester City". But what do British players offer that Americans - or other nationalities - do not? "Work ethic sets them apart," says Steve Clements, who coached Dom Dwyer at Tyler Junior College in Texas. "I must have had 100 British players, and they've always been hard-working. For example, nobody outworked Dom. "Fantastic player, fantastic person, and a good friend. At Christmas, I came into my office and there he was, on a surprise visit. "He didn't even tell me he was coming. He's that sort of guy." And, says Clements, the British bring something else to the team, as well as hard work. "The Brits have fantastic humour. They're sarcastic, you know? And they can play." For those who do not make it professionally, the college degree is a decent consolation. Graduates from soccer scholarships move into a range of careers: one of Clements's former British students works for Bank of America, another supplies souvenirs to major league sports ("If you need a number one finger, I know who to call," he says). Joe Prince-Wright went on a soccer scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh and came back with two degrees: one in communication, and one in English writing. Those qualifications helped him become a website editor for the American network, NBC, in London. "Academically, college was an eye-opener," he says. "You only focus on your main subject in the last two years, so I was doing algebra classes, astronomy classes, everything. "We'd have classes, train for three hours a day, then have more classes. On a Friday you might fly three hours to Tampa, and have a game there. "On a Saturday, you'd fly four hours to Chicago, train, play on the Sunday, fly back, then start another week of classes. "It was like being a full-time student and a professional soccer player." One man who values a college education is Dwyer, who turned professional before finishing his degree in communications and psychology. However, despite his fame and fortune, he plans to complete his course, graduate, and finish the adventure he started six years ago.

Six years ago, Dom Dwyer's career was going nowhere.

The children's laureate - always a well-known writer or illustrator of children's books - is chosen by a panel of judges from the book world. It comes with a bursary of £15,000, not to mention a shiny, silver medal. The role has a pretty loose job description - the laureate has to "promote and encourage children's interest in books, reading and writing". Jacqueline Wilson's "obsession" while she was children's laureate was to "get everyone to read aloud to children, all children, from the age of nought to 11". Malorie Blackman revealed that she spoke to over 20,000 teenagers when she was in the role but arguably her main achievement was setting up the UK's Young Adult Literature Convention, which now takes place each year as part of the London Film and Comic Con. Chris Riddell has spent much of his two years defending school libraries and librarians, and promoting the art of illustration at live events. In his final speech before he passes on the baton, he said the lack of investment in school libraries is a "blight on the intellectual development and creative future of all our children", as well as highlighting the issues faced by child refugees in the UK. Quentin Blake, the first children's laureate and best-known for his collaborations with Roald Dahl, produced a book called A Sailing Boat in the Sky in collaboration with 1800 French-speaking schoolchildren. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Charlie and Lola creator Lauren Child has been named as the new children's laureate, taking over from Goth Girl author Chris Riddell.

Thomas Hunter, 59, of Mansfield Road, Mansfield, had admitted causing the eight-vehicle crash on the A34 at Hinksey Hill, Oxford, on 25 August. Isla Wiggin, of Fleet, Hampshire, died two days later. Her mother Collette's unborn son also died in the crash. She told a court Hunter had "completely ruined" her family's lives. Collette Wiggin also suffered a broken neck when Hunter drove his Volvo lorry into the back of a stationary queue of traffic at 43mph. At Oxford Crown Court, prosecutor Michael Roques said another driver described the lorry "ploughing through all the other vehicles in the queue, scattering them like skittles". Defence barrister Alexander Stein said his client could not remember the crash and had no idea why he had lost concentration for between eight and 10 seconds. The crash forced the closure of the northbound carriageway of the road for almost 10 hours. Mrs Wiggin read her own victim impact statement in court, asking for an example to be made of Hunter to send a message to other drivers. She said: "My perfect life was ripped away from me, as the result of the thoughtless act of another. "I am broken, all I ever wanted to be was a mother, and I absolutely loved being mummy. "He has completely ruined the lives of good people who did nothing at all to deserve it." She added: "A huge part of me died with my children." Hunter admitted causing death by dangerous driving and serious injury by dangerous driving at a hearing last month. Judge Ian Pringle told Hunter he had been "completely oblivious" to the queue of traffic, and had caused "catastrophic damage" to Mrs Wiggin's car. Sgt Beth Walton of Thames Valley Police said the crash was "entirely preventable". "If Hunter had taken care over his driving, and had been paying full attention to the road, Isla would be here today along with baby Harry. "This case shows what the catastrophic consequences can be when drivers are not concentrating when at the wheel."

A lorry driver has been jailed for six years for causing the death of a three-year-old girl in a pile-up in which her pregnant mother suffered a miscarriage.

Mayor John Hamilton said the move would "better reflect cultural sensitivity in the workplace", local media said. Bloomington is a traditionally liberal city. Its county gave Hillary Clinton 58.6% in the presidential election. But the move sparked a backlash on social media, with opponents condemning it as an act of political correctness. How Columbus became a hate figure for many A political correctness war that never really ended The change was announced on Friday by Mr Hamilton in a memo to city employees. "We are terrifically proud of our diverse workforce at the city," he wrote, according to the Herald-Times. "That diversity makes us stronger and more representative of the public we proudly serve. These updated names for two days of well-merited time off is another way we can demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity." Bloomington city employees receive paid time off for Columbus Day and Good Friday. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937 and celebrates the arrival of explorer Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. The holiday falls on the second Monday of October. However, it has drawn significant opposition from those who regard Columbus's arrival as a prelude to centuries of oppression. A movement began in 1977 to replace it with a holiday that celebrates the indigenous peoples of North America. A few states now do not mark Columbus Day, or give it another title. Good Friday is one of the most important dates of the Christian faith, marking the day Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans. It is not a federal holiday in the US but is a state holiday in some states. Bloomington, with a population estimated at 84,067 in July 2016 by the Census Bureau, has long been regarded as a liberal city. It is the home to Indiana University Bloomington and a number of other schools and institutes. It enrolled in Tree City USA, a tree planting and tree care programme in 2015. The renaming of the holidays drew strong social media responses, most of them condemning the move. They included posts such as "How is the day Jesus died insensitive?" and "I'm guessing they will next rename Christmas to winter holiday".

The US city of Bloomington in Indiana has renamed Good Friday and Columbus Day as "Spring Holiday" and "Fall Holiday" to be more "inclusive".

If you were sold PPI via your credit card then the differences can amount to thousands of pounds. This is because of the way some credit card providers interpret the regulatory guidelines. "It's becoming a bit of a lottery," personal finance expert Jonquil Lowe told BBC Radio 4's Moneybox programme. "The amount of redress you get depends on which provider you happen to have your credit card with," said Ms Lowe, who is a lecturer in personal finance at the Open University. These differences emerged last year when Martin Baker, managing director of the Swindon-based claims management company Renaissance Easy Claim, began challenging redress offers from MBNA, an American-based credit card provider whose cards are extensively marketed in the UK. Mr Baker noticed that MBNA's compensation offers to his clients appeared to be significantly lower than he would have expected from the high street banks. One client, Mark Pascoe, was offered £5,800 in compensation by MBNA. Had his card been with a high street bank, Mr Baker estimates he would have received more than £13,000. Mr Baker now has around 1,000 MBNA compensation clients on his books. "In a sample of our cases," Mr Baker told the BBC's Moneybox programme, "we found 80% were due more if MBNA paid according to the way the high street banks pay." On average, MBNA's redress offers amount to around half what high street banks would award on the same credit card history, he said. Capital One, another American credit card provider, "adopts a very similar approach to MBNA, with similar results," said Mr Baker. So how do such differences arise? When compensating for mis-sold PPI, regulators require card providers to put customers back into the financial position they would have been in if they had never had PPI at all. Each card provider is free to establish its own methodology for calculating redress, within overall regulatory guidelines. A key difference arises when a cardholder occasionally pays off their monthly card balance in full. To calculate the compensation owing, banks have to reconstruct a customer's credit card history, removing mis-sold PPI premiums, fees and charges that premiums triggered - for exceeding a card's credit limit, for example - and any interest charged on those payments. With these PPI charges removed the monthly amounts owing are lower. So when card-holders pay off what was their original monthly balance - they have overpaid according to their reconstructed card history. The differing treatment of such overpayments is a major cause of the differences in compensation offers, argues Martin Baker. While high street banks treat an overpayment as a temporary credit to be set against future spending on a customer's card - MBNA and Capital One treat it as a permanent loan from the customer to themselves lasting for the lifetime of the card, he says. It may sound a technicality, but it can have a significant impact on compensation. Because while regulators require card providers to pay customers 8% interest on such loans, that's far less than the amount MBNA and Capital One charge customers on their card borrowings. Martin Baker describes this as a "systemic flaw" in MBNA and Capital One's methodology. Earlier this year, the BBC asked regulators if they thought MBNA and Capital One's methodologies fell within the official rules and guidelines. The Financial Conduct Authority told the BBC they did not accept that there was "a systemic flaw" in the calculations. The Financial Ombudsman said in the cases they were seeing, "card providers were fairly compensating consumers, taking into account the FCA's guidance and the Ombudsman's approach". To work out how two such very different compensation methodologies could both seemingly be deemed acceptable by regulators, Moneybox commissioned an independent review of MBNA's calculations from the Open University's Jonquil Lowe. After a detailed analysis of MBNA's methodology Ms Lowe found it differed substantially from the regulatory guidance most banks follow. How much difference that makes to compensation, she says, will vary from case to case. Ms Lowe says regulatory guidelines do allow banks to make assumptions about what customers might have done had they not had PPI on their credit cards which include assumptions about how banks treat overpayments in their card reconstructions. But because these assumptions can have so big an impact on compensation over time, Ms Lowe says they need careful monitoring. "If an alternative method is used, it has to be appropriate and fair, given the individual circumstances of the case. "The onus has to be on MBNA to say why its method is fairer and more appropriate than the method set out by the regulator and used, in most cases, by the Ombudsman." Both MBNA and Capital One declined to be interviewed by the BBC, or to say why they claim the assumptions in their calculations are appropriate. In a statement, MBNA said its calculations were developed in line with the FCA's guidance, and based on how the Financial Ombudsman would expect them to look at individual cases. Of Jonquil Lowe's conclusions it said: "Jonquil Lowe's report sets out how she assumes the FOS might deal with MBNA's cases, based on her theoretical interpretation of general guidance. Our aim is to put customers back in the situation they would have been in, had they not taken a PPI product." Capital One said it assessed every case on its individual circumstances and is in frequent contact with the Financial Ombudsman Service to ensure its calculations were "fair and accurate". Meanwhile, regulators continue to stress that any customer who is unhappy with a redress offer can always appeal to the Financial Ombudsman for a ruling. Given the complexity of the calculations behind the offers, however, Jonquil Lowe doubts the practicality of that advice. "It took me 80 hours to unravel what was going on [and] I've got a lot of technical expertise. "The average consumer could not, I think, reconstruct their accounts in the way that I have done. Not least because the information they get along with their redress is usually not detailed enough for them to be able to make that kind of check. "It is extremely hard for consumers to know whether they had a fair redress, or not." With that in mind, Andrew Tyrie MP, the newly re-elected Chair of the influential House of Commons Treasury Select Committee said: "We'll actually be keeping a very close eye on this in the weeks and months ahead. "We've been working very hard to get a decent level of address on PPI for a long time and we're certainly not going to let go of the subject until we're satisfied a correct and decent amount of compensation is being paid."

People who were mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) can receive widely differing compensation, a BBC investigation has found.

The incident happened at the junction of Holburn Street and Holburn Road at about 03:00. Police Scotland said officers briefly gave chase when the vehicle failed to stop for them in Crown Street, but they gave up their pursuit for safety reasons. The car then hit an office building. Insp Megan Heathershaw said: "Thankfully, no one appears to have been injured during the incident, however some damage was caused to a building in the Holburn Street area. "I would like to take this opportunity to stress that during incidents of this nature, vehicles will only be followed when safe to do so. The safety of the public throughout remains at the forefront of our priorities. "Inquiries are ongoing and I would urge anyone with information to contact police."

A man was taken into custody after a truck which had been involved in a police pursuit crashed into a building in Aberdeen.

It has been estimated that half of the privately-owned land in Scotland is controlled by 432 people. The Land Reform Bill will end tax relief for shooting estates and force the sale of land if owners are blocking economic development. However, it has been described as a "land grab" by opponents. Landowners on sporting estates stopped paying business rates in 1994 after being given an exemption by then prime minister John Major's Conservative government. The Scottish government had previously said the tax exemption was unfair and must end. It has proposed using the additional money raised by ending the tax exemption to treble the Scottish Land Fund - which is used to help support community buyouts of land - from £3m this year to £10m a year from 2016. But landowners have claimed re-introducing the rates could make some sporting estates unprofitable and force gamekeepers out of work. Nicola Sturgeon set out the land reform proposals shortly after becoming Scotland's first minister in November of last year. She said at the time that "Scotland's land must be an asset that benefits the many, not the few". Other proposals in the bill include: The Scottish government has set a target of doubling the amount of land in community ownership from the current 500,000 acres to one million acres by 2020. It has held a 10-week consultation on its proposals. By BBC Scotland correspondent James Cook On a dusty track just outside Islay's main settlement, Bowmore, Alasdair and Rachel Whyte are standing at a metal gate. It affords a view of the bay and the hills beyond but their eyes are on the fields in the foreground. "The sun may be shining but there is a cloud over Islay," says Mrs Whyte, in a lyrical island lilt. These fields, she explains, were in her husband's family for more than a century, passed down through five generations of Whytes. They did not own the land but were tenant farmers, part of a feudal system which survives to this day. Three years ago the land here was taken off the Whyte family when Mr Whyte's sister Aileen died suddenly at the age of 47, unmarried, childless and without a will. The tenancy of the 100 acres was in her name and the law did not regard her brother as a close relative. Read more from James... David Johnstone, chairman of Scottish Land and Estates, which speaks for private landowners, had previously said that sporting estates were "too readily singled out in a negative light", when in fact "they were businesses that made a key contribution to rural tourism, local employment and the environment". And the Scottish Conservatives have also criticised the government's proposed reforms as "a Big Brother-style land grab". Land Reform Minister Aileen McLeod said: "We cannot underestimate the crucial part land reform will play in contributing to the future success of communities across Scotland. "Through the Land Reform Bill we want to ensure that future generations have access to land required to promote business and economic growth and to provide access to good quality, affordable food, energy and housing. "The introduction of the bill is a significant step forward in ensuring our land is used in the public interest and to the benefit of the people of Scotland. It will also end the stop start nature of land reform in Scotland that has limited progress." Scottish Labour's environment spokeswoman Sarah Boyack said there was still unfinished business to address since Holyrood's land reform act was passed a decade ago. She explained: "Communities in both urban and rural Scotland have much to gain from proposed new opportunities to buy and access land to further sustainable development. Crucially, this legislation will also be the opportunity to strengthen tenant farmers' rights. "I look forward to discussing with local communities, tenant farmers and land owners how we make better use of our land to create new opportunities to regenerate communities and create new homes and jobs. We need to make sure the detail in the bill is up to the challenges we face now and in the future." However, the Scottish Conservatives said the SNP's land reform plan was rooted in ideology and "will cost local jobs in rural communities". The party's Murdo Fraser said: "People living in rural Scotland want to see a strong economy, more jobs created, better broadband and local services improved. "Instead, the SNP is ignoring the evidence and pursuing an ideologically-driven agenda which will jeopardise the rural economy. "These proposals would lead to greater government interference in land ownership and an increase in the tax burden on rural businesses. "The Scottish government has been warned that this will cost jobs, but has ignored those warnings."

The Scottish government has published "radical" proposals aimed at widening the ownership of land across the country.

The flight search engine website reported revenues of £120m for 2015, up 28% on the previous year. The company saw gross bookings of $11.2bn, up 49% on 2014, with visitors to the website up 48%. On average, 50m people used the website each month. Company founder and chief executive Gareth Williams said the company had seen "excellent growth". He said: "2015 was another strong year for Skyscanner, showing solid progress in our strategy of expansion beyond our home market, into mobile and beyond flights. "Our first-half focus on investing in our product drove momentum for the business in the second half. We also saw excellent growth in travellers planning their trips on Skyscanner all around the world, especially on mobile and in the important regions of Asia Pacific and the Americas." The Edinburgh-based company saw a rise in the number of people using its mobile app, with 40m downloads and an increase of 24% in mobile bookings. Particular growth was recorded in the Asia-Pacific region, while visits in China were up 67% after Skyscanner bought a Chinese search firm in 2014. The company opened new offices in London and Sofia as well as expanding existing operations in Budapest and Miami, increasing its global staff to 770.

Scottish-based travel firm Skyscanner has reported double-digit growth for the seventh consecutive year.

He has only played twice all season, having also missed the start of the season with a back problem. The 27-year-old has now returned to light training following surgery. "Diaf is essentially at the start of his own personal pre-season training schedule," Hammers medical boss Stijn Vandenbroucke said. "When players return from their off-season, they will go through four to five weeks of pre-season work to build up their strength and fitness. "After undergoing back surgery and three months of rehab, a player needs time to reach sufficient fitness levels before we can contemplate making him available for selection in the Premier League." Senegal international Sakho, who was due to join West Brom for £15m before his summer injury, missed this season's Africa Cup of Nations.

West Ham striker Diafra Sakho is unlikely to play again this season because of the back injury he suffered in November.

Its new official forecast is for the gap between spending and taxes still to be a deficit of £7bn in 2019-20, compared with the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast made at the last budget for a surplus of £7bn. Its gloomier projection may be seen as a particular embarrassment for the Tories, given that unlike Labour and the Liberal Democrats they are committed to generating a surplus on the overall budget. However a small part of the forecasting difference between the IMF and the OBR is that the IMF assumes there will be a weakish minority government after the election and therefore spending will be a bit higher than the Tories' plan. So a senior Tory put a brave face on the IMF's disagreement with the OBR and said it showed the risks of voters not giving them a clear mandate. However that is not the whole story, in that the IMF also believes the OBR is being a bit too optimistic about growth and tax revenues in the latter years of the next parliament. In truth therefore the IMF is highlighting that whoever leads the next government may be forced to increase taxes or cut spending a bit more than currently planned. This may represent a bigger headache for the Tories than Labour or the LibDems given that in the last few days the Tories have committed themselves to £6bn of tax cuts and £8bn of increased spending on the NHS, without saying where the money for these giveaways would come from. In fact just yesterday a senior Tory pointed to the OBR's projected surplus for 2019/20 and said that would cover (almost) the NHS commitment. Well the IMF today says that £7bn surplus is a chimera. All that said, the IMF forecast is a million miles from being devastating for any party: the difference between a £7bn deficit and £7bn surplus in 2020 is just 0.6% of GDP or national income - which is a rounding error in the context of a deficit that was a humongous 10% of GDP just five years ago.

The International Monetary Fund has today highlighted the challenge to be faced by the next government in returning the public finances to balance.

BAA said the problem had been caused by a hardware fault which saw the check-in desks and boarding screens fail for almost three hours. Edinburgh Airport said there was "congestion" as passengers had to be checked in manually from 07:30. Flights were also delayed as passengers did not know which gates to go to. The problem was fixed at about 10:00. A man at the airport told the BBC Scotland news website he was delayed at the airport for about an hour. He said: "My flight didn't leave until 10am because the computers were down. There were queues at the check-in desks and people didn't know where to board their flights. "There was massive disruption." A BAA spokesman said: "We had a slight issue this morning with the network which meant that we lost some computer services. "It did not cause any cancellations or any great delays, but it did cause some queuing in the check in area between 7am and 9am. "Our team were on it and, following investigation, it was found to be a hardware fault that was sorted quickly." He added: "We saw some flights delayed by about half an hour, and congestion in the check-in area which was cleared as soon as the fault was fixed."

A "glitch" which shut down all the computer systems at Edinburgh Airport caused "massive disruption" and some flight delays.

The 80 signatories include leading figures in the Asian hospitality industry and award-winning gospel singer Rachel Kerr. The PM is expected to recommend Britain remains in a reformed EU. Remain campaigners said several Commonwealth leaders, including India's PM, had urged Britain to stay in. The 80 figures from Britain's Commonwealth community criticised Mr Cameron for a lack of ambition in his EU reform demands, which he hopes to put to the public in a referendum in June. They claimed the UK government's immigration policy discriminates against non-EU citizens. In their letter to Mr Cameron, published by the Vote Leave campaign, they say: "As patriotic Britons of Commonwealth backgrounds, we saw the EU renegotiation as an opportunity to rediscover Britain's global vocation. "As long as Britain's trade policy is controlled by the EU, we cannot sign bilateral free trade agreements with Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand or for that matter any other non-EU state. "Vested interests on the Continent sustain a relatively protectionist policy. We have to apply the EU's common external tariff to exports from Commonwealth countries - hurting consumers here as well as producers there. "At the same time, our immigration policy forces us, in effect, to turn away qualified workers from the Commonwealth so as to free up unlimited space for migrants from the EU. "The descendants of the men who volunteered to fight for Britain in two world wars must stand aside in favour of people with no connection to the United Kingdom." One of the signatories, Pasha Khandaker, president of the UK Bangladesh Caterers Association UK, said the 12,000 curry houses his organisation represents "have been struggling to recruit the talent that they need because of the difficulties associated with employing people from outside of the EU". "If the UK had a fairer immigration system it would be easier for businesses to recruit skilled workers regardless of their nationality," he added. Other signatories include Rachel Kerr, who won a Mobo award in 2012, in the gospel music category, and Moni Verma, founder of Veetee Rice, a UK-based food business with a turnover of £80m a year. A spokesman for Britain Stronger in Europe said: "Several Commonwealth leaders have been very clear that Britain is stronger, safer and better off in Europe. "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Britain is the entry point for trade right across Europe; while Australia's former deputy prime minister said the Commonwealth could never replace the trade Britain does with the EU. "We get the best of both worlds in Europe, trading freely with the world's largest market, as well as accessing free trade deals with over 50 countries around the globe. "While Leave campaigners may look back with rose-tinted spectacles, they have no plan for what Britain outside the EU would look like, and no guarantee that trade, jobs and prices wouldn't be hit." In a separate development, 63% of business people polled by the British Chambers of Commerce said David Cameron's EU negotiations would not change the way they will vote in the referendum. The internet survey of 2,133 BCC members found 60% would vote to remain, down slightly from 63% in a previous poll in September, with 30% saying they would vote to leave, a 3% increase. Those representing large firms were significantly more likely to vote 'remain' than small-business people. BCC director general John Longworth said: "Our findings suggest that for business people, this is a question of in or out - not renegotiation."

Community and business leaders with Commonwealth links have written to David Cameron to urge him to back Britain's exit from the EU.

Esteban Santiago, 26, is accused of opening fire at Fort Lauderdale airport, killing five people and injuring six others. He is charged with carrying out an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death, which carries a maximum punishment of execution. Mr Santiago also faces lesser weapons charges. The suspect, who is in custody, told agents he had planned the attack and bought a one-way ticket to Fort Lauderdale, according to court papers. Authorities said they did not know why he chose this target and that terrorism had not been ruled out. "Today's charges represent the gravity of the situation and reflect the commitment of federal, state and local law enforcement personnel to continually protect the community and prosecute those who target our residents and visitors," US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said. Mr Santiago is said to have used a semi-automatic handgun that he apparently legally checked on a flight from Alaska. Officials were also looking whether mental health problems played a role after it emerged that the suspect had been referred for a health assessment by the FBI. Last November, Mr Santiago walked into an FBI office in Alaska in an agitated and incoherent state, the FBI and Anchorage police said. He was carrying a loaded magazine but had left his handgun in his car, with his newborn child. During the later mental health evaluation, he told the FBI he was hearing voices and believed he was being controlled by a US intelligence agency. His gun was confiscated but the authorities found no wrongdoing, and it was returned in December. It is not clear if this is the same gun that he is accused of using in the attack at the airport baggage claim area. An official list of the victims has not been released but families and friends have confirmed some of the identities. Olga Woltering: A Georgia resident originally from Ipswich in eastern England. A devout Catholic in her 80s, she was named as a victim by her Atlanta church, the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration. It described her as a "joyful, loving, caring and committed" person. "This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved," it said. Ms Woltering, from Marietta near Atlanta, was in Florida on her way to join a cruise to celebrate her husband's 90th birthday. He was unharmed in the shooting. Terry Andres: The 63-year-old from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was a volunteer fireman. He and his wife had flown to Fort Lauderdale for a Caribbean cruise. He was named as a victim by friend Jessica Winbauer. She told AP news agency that the death had shocked the community. Michael Oehme: The 57-year-old Iowa man was named by his sister, Elizabeth Oehme-Miller. He was supposed to go on a cruise with his wife, she said. Mr Oehme was a land surveyor and owned his own business. His wife was in hospital with injuries from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Shirley Timmons: The 70-year old from Senecaville, Ohio, was travelling with her husband, Steve, to join the rest of the family for a cruise, according to her grandson Steve Reineccius. Wile FM reported that her husband was shot in the head and underwent emergency surgery at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, where he was in critical condition. Mr Santiago is a former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, according to the Pentagon. He served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011, and ended his service in August 2016. His aunt told a local newspaper he had "lost his mind" while serving in Iraq, and his brother said he had been receiving psychological treatment recently. US media reported that he had received a general discharge from the Alaska National Guard for unsatisfactory performance. Flying with firearms is legal in the US as long as the guns are kept in a locked, hard-sided container as checked baggage only, under rules of the Transport Security Administration (TSA). Ammunition is also allowed only in checked luggage. The attack was the latest in a series of mass shootings in the US in recent years, carried out by people who had easy access to weapons under US gun laws. Last year, in the worst shooting in recent US history, a man apparently inspired by so-called Islamic State killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

The man suspected of carrying out a deadly shooting at a Florida airport has been charged by prosecutors.

The sculpture, in his hometown of Barnsley, has become a magnet for revellers who have hung condoms and pants from it. Mr Bird, who has been spotted removing the items himself, said he did not mind his statue being treated in this way. The sculpture has been raised to make it harder to reach the statue's finger. The life-size artwork shows the legendary former umpire raising his index finger to indicate a batsman is out. Other items to have been hung from it have included pumpkins and chip boxes. Mr Bird said he did not mind people having fun hanging items from the statue but worried about people falling off the plinth. He said: "I think it's respect they have for you that the only thing they have not done is damage it. "I do not mind doing it at all. They can take as many photographs as they like but they're climbing on to it and they might fall off." Sculptor Graham Ibbeson said the plinth beneath the statue would be raised to about 5ft high (1.5m). He said: "We are not going to stop it. What we are going to do is make it a little more difficult. "We are raising him up where he belongs. "On Friday and Saturday night everybody who wobbles home from the town after a few sherberts seems to gravitate towards that finger, with knickers, brassieres, condoms, whatever. "Dickie has been seen occasionally on Saturday morning cleaning the debris off himself, so it needed to be done. "It's horrible when people are abusing it like that. It is a bit of fun... but it is a bit inappropriate." Mr Ibbeson has also designed statues of comedians including Eric Morecambe, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, as well as famous sporting figures such as Fred Trueman and William Webb Ellis. Work to raise the statue was carried out on Friday and an unveiling ceremony is due to take place on Sunday.

A statue of former Test cricket umpire Dickie Bird has been elevated to stop people hanging rude items on his outstretched finger.

The report, carried out by charity Relate and based on a survey of 20,980 people in relationships from 2013-15, suggested 2.87 million people were in "distressed" relationships. Dr David Marjoribanks, from Relate, said constant bickering could have a "far-reaching" impact on children. On average they did worse in school and could even fall into crime, he said. "It is not just the actual breakdown of the relationship itself, it's specifically the conflict that surrounds that," Dr Marjoribanks said. "It means that when relationships end, it is not deemed to inevitably harm children, far from it. "It is the conflict in intact relationships that can be just as damaging, as when relationships end," he added. "Children who grow up with parents who have highly-conflicted relationships are much more likely to have mental and physical health problems, to not do as well at school and end up in antisocial behaviour and criminality even." It may have seemed a small thing but Sophie*, 28, knew her marriage was over when she came home from work to have lunch with her out-of-work husband and he expected her to make it. Things had not been right for some time. There had been arguments about money, jobs and housework shortly after the wedding, often in front of their young son. But soon communication shut down almost entirely as both felt the arguments were always the same and nothing would ever change. Days would go by with neither of them talking to each other. They tried counselling but it came at a cost and they found themselves forced to choose between a counselling session or buying food for the week. In January last year, after three years of marriage, Sophie told her husband, 41, it was over. "As soon as we separated I immediately felt lighter. I did not have to do all this stuff for someone who did not do anything," she said. Both are now in new relationships, and Sophie, who lives in West Yorkshire, says she now tries to make time to talk about things as soon as they come up and to be more open about money. *Not her real name Researchers looked at data from the Understanding Society survey of 20,980 people which asked people how often they argued, how frequently they considered divorce and regretted the relationship, and the extent of their unhappiness. They said their findings suggested 2.87 million people, which equates to 18% of married or cohabiting couples, were living in "distressed" relationships, where the strains were deemed to be "clinically significant" by counsellors. The number of "distressed" relationships reached a high in 2011 and 2012 but have not yet returned to pre-recession levels, the data showed. "There is a pattern of relationship strain increasing during recession years - where economic strain increases, for example low income, unemployment, a build-up of debt, the strain on the relationship increases," Dr Marjoribanks said. The research also found: Dr Marjoribanks said many couples suffered in silence for years and only sought help when it was too late to salvage their relationship. Jan Artingstall from Therapy Cheshire, who is listed in the Counselling Directory, believes people today spend so much time communicating via text and social media that they have forgotten how to talk. "People have lost the art of talking about how they feel. It's like we have gone back to being children who don't have the language to communicate feelings," she said. A common problem among couples was mistrust built around text messages sent between work colleagues and partners spying on each other's online communications, she added. Her advice is for couples to sit down for 10 minutes to talk about their day and take joint responsibility for the state of the relationship, rather than pointing fingers. She also said children who saw their parents fall out and make up were learning a useful lesson but daily and embedded conflict was damaging. "Children are very perceptive to atmosphere. It doesn't have to be a shouting match - they can pick up on stonewalling and tense body language. "Children won't say 'Are you unhappy Mummy or Daddy?' They just accept and absorb the atmosphere and feel unhappy inside." There were 114,720 divorces in England and Wales in 2013, down 3% on 2012, the most recent figures available from the Office of National Statistics show. The number of divorces was highest among men and women aged between 40 and 44. In Scotland, 9,030 divorces were granted in 2014-15, 6% fewer than in the previous 12 months, Scottish government figures show. Northern Ireland saw a slight rise in divorce rates from 2,403 in 2013 to 2,455 in 2014, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Chris Sherwood, chief executive at Relate, said the report's findings were "hugely concerning", adding that "families can't go on like this". The charity was launching its first national appeal, Breaking Point, calling for donations to help make its services available to everyone, not just those who could afford them, he added.

Almost one in five (18%) couples in the UK argue regularly or consider separating, a study suggests.

Four councils have pledged £250,000 for a detailed traffic modelling plan to look at traffic on both sides of the proposed bridge in detail. The idea for a new bridge to ease congestion in Reading town centre has been circulating for about 40 years. There are three main routes over the Thames in the area, two in Caversham, Reading and one in Sonning, Wokingham. Wokingham and Reading Borough Councils, along with Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire District Council have all pledged money for the study. A spokesman for South Oxfordshire District Council said: "We are mindful of the potential negative impact that a scheme such as and additional bridge could have on the road network within South Oxfordshire. "However we are committed to working with neighbouring authorities to identify solutions which may ease the traffic problems." Wokingham council leader Keith Baker, said other ideas to ease the traffic congestion including an expanded park-and-ride route were "tinkering at the edges - we need to do something big". Mr Baker said: "We've had an extensive traffic model for our area but what we didn't have was going across the river into Oxfordshire. "That hopefully will give us the definitive evidence to start mitigating against some of the issues that Oxfordshire County Council have." The bridge and any road alterations would cost between £60m and £100m, which would require government funding.

A feasibility study into a third River Thames bridge in the Reading area has been given council backing.

Mara Salvatrucha and Mara 18 Street said they would commit to zero crime and zero violence on the streets. Honduras has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Although no formal peace deal has been signed, the apparent ceasefire is thought to be the first step towards a more lasting agreement. "Our truce is with God, with society and with the authorities," announced a spokesman for Mara Salvatrucha, identified only as Marco. "We ask society and the authorities to forgive us for the damage we have done," he said at a news conference inside a prison in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. A leader of the rival 18 Street gang - who did not want to be identified - offered the same promises, but only "if the government will listen," he added. On Monday, the Honduran President Porfirio Lobo personally offered his support for the truce. "We have to look for anything that's an alternative to violence," he told the Associated Press news agency. "On the part of the government, we are open to any process that can lower violence." The Roman Catholic Bishop Romulo Emiliani, who helped to broker the deal, said last week that the gangs needed government help to break away from their criminal activities, which included extorting money from businesses to finance their war. He said the authorities should try to turn Honduras' prisons into rehabilitation centres. His comments were echoed by gang leader Marco, who called on the government to support craft workshops so that they could work, earn a living and be reintegrated into society. "I want my son to be a doctor or a cameraman, not a gangster," he said. The BBC Central America Correspondent Will Grant says this is a significant step towards a full peace accord. He adds that, in Honduras, hopes remain high that this latest plan could help tackle gang crime in the country. The deal follows a similar pact reached more than a year ago in neighbouring El Salvador. The peace agreement there has roughly held together and, the authorities say, has contributed to a significant reduction in the murder rate and incidences of other violent crimes. The Salvadorian government says homicides have dropped about 52%. Mara Salvatrucha and Mara 18 Street have their roots in the 1980s in southern California. They were created in Los Angeles and its suburbs by poor, mostly illegal, immigrants who had escaped civil wars in Central America. When the conflicts ended there, many gang members were deported from the US, exporting LA's gang culture with them.

The two most notorious and violent street gangs in Honduras have promised to end the violence which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

It's that time when clubs scramble to strengthen their squads, to find a player who can shoot them to glory or one who can save them from relegation. Some are flops soon to be forgotten, while others go on to become club legends. But who has been the best January signing? We are not just talking goals, but their value and contribution to the club. Take a look at our shortlist below and decide for yourself. Who do you think is the best January signing? Use the selector below to pick from our shortlist. Once you are done download your image and share with your friends.

The January transfer window is about to close for another year.

The Real Madrid striker appeared before a judge in Versailles after being held in custody overnight. His lawyer says he played "no part" in an alleged attempt to extort money from fellow French international Mathieu Valbuena. The two men reportedly had an exchange during a training session. According to French media, Mr Benzema mentioned the tape to the midfielder during a national team training session at Clairefontaine in early October. A source close to inquiry, quoted by told AFP news agency, said the 27-year-old star told investigators on Thursday he had approached Mr Valbuena about the tape on behalf of "a childhood friend". France coach Didier Deschamps left both players out of his squad selected on Thursday for matches against Germany and England later in November. The prosecutor's office earlier confirmed that Mr Benzema was now under formal investigation for complicity in attempted blackmail and participation in a criminal conspiracy. When a suspect is placed under formal investigation, he or she is then examined by a judge, who determines whether there is sufficient evidence for the suspect to be charged. If formal charges do follow and he is convicted, Mr Benzema could face a minimum jail sentence of five years, the prosecutor said. Meanwhile the court has banned the striker from contacting his France team-mate, or any other people charged in the case. Speaking to reporters after the ruling, Mr Benzema's lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, said his client was adamant he was not guilty of the charges. "Karim Benzema has nothing to hide," he said. "He supports his friend, Mathieu Valbuena, with all his heart. He took no part, I state this again - no part - in the blackmail or blackmail attempts." "Karim Benzema will show he acted in good faith, and I hope this will be seen as soon as possible," Mr Cormier added. Whether or not the footballer is charged, correspondents say the formal investigation exposes him to a lengthy period of doubt ahead of the Euro 2016 tournament that France hosts next year. French coach Deschamps refused to comment on the legal case on Thursday but said Mr Benzema had been injured. He added that Lyon midfielder Mr Valbuena was not in an emotional state to play in upcoming games against Germany and England. Karim Benzema is the top scorer in the France team, so doubts about his participation at Euro 2016 represent a cloud over Les Bleus as they aim to make the most of their host status. The Real Madrid striker has scored 27 goals in 81 appearances for his country, more than double the number scored by fellow France striker Olivier Giroud, and apart from missing out at the 2010 World Cup, has been a mainstay in the team since making his debut in 2007. Benzema is regarded as one of Europe's top strikers, but despite winning honours at Real Madrid, he is yet to make a telling contribution at a major tournament for his country. Sources have told French media that a relative of Mr Benzema was contacted by the blackmailers, in an attempt to involve him in the scheme against his team-mate. There has been no confirmation from police. Three other men have been placed under formal investigation after Mr Valbuena was contacted by someone claiming to have the video. It is not the first time Mr Benzema has been involved in a police inquiry. Last year, he and fellow France international Franck Ribery were cleared of accusations they had slept with an under-age prostitute, who later went on to become a reality TV star and fashion designer.

French footballer Karim Benzema has been placed under formal investigation in connection with a sex tape blackmail plot involving another player.

Legal experts had warned that inventors and designers based in Scotland could lose out as a result of planned changes to the law. In future a unified patent court will hear patent cases. There will be up to four divisional courts in the UK - but there were originally no plans to have one in Scotland. The Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates had urged UK ministers to step in and change the law. That has now happened, with Scotland's Court of Session being appointed as a venue for these claims, provided there is enough demand. Gill Grassie, a member of the Law Society of Scotland's intellectual property law committee said: "We are delighted that the UK government has listened to our concerns. "This is an important and very welcome step towards the goal that we have been aiming to achieve for the benefit of Scotland's IP rich business community. "If we can secure the ultimate realisation of this goal sooner rather than later this will give businesses in Scotland, which rely upon patents to protect valuable technologies and innovation, assurance that they will be able to enforce and defend their rights in future in a local court. "Thus they will be enabled to secure the benefits this will give in terms of costs savings, convenience and certainty." The SNP's Pete Wishart, who had campaigned for the change, said it means inventors in Scotland will no longer have to go to a more distant court in London or Europe to enforce their rights. He said: "This is a fantastic victory for the legal establishment in Scotland. I raised these concerns through all stages of the intellectual Property Bill and am very pleased that in response to my amendments today the UK government have said that we can secure a divisional court if we can demonstrate demand. "Not only is there demand in Scotland but there is also centuries of experience, skills and expertise in dealing with patent case in Scotland. "It would have been patently absurd for Scotland to be denied a divisional patent court with our tradition of invention and creativity and this is great news for all businesses associated with developing our creative economy in Scotland." Last year, countries across Europe backed the changes to patent laws designed to help inventors protect their ideas right across the continent.

The UK government has announced that Scotland's Court of Session will now be able to hear new patent cases.

He said in a tweet: "I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings." Days after he fired Mr Comey in May, the president had tweeted: "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations..." He has been under pressure to produce the tapes amid inquiries into alleged Russian meddling in the election. The House Intelligence Committee had earlier this month asked the White House to hand over any such recordings. James Comey was heading the FBI inquiry into alleged Russian interference in last year's presidential election, and whether the Trump team had any links to Moscow, when he was fired on 9 May. In the days that followed, a succession of stories appeared in US newspapers with allegations surrounding a private meeting Mr Trump had with Mr Comey in the Oval Office in February. They included the claim that the president had asked Mr Comey to drop an investigation into fired National Security Adviser Mike Flynn. It was in that context that Mr Trump sent his tweet, hinting that there were tapes of the conversation. Appearing before Congress earlier this month, Mr Comey confirmed he had been asked by the president to "let go" any possible prosecution of Mr Flynn for lying to federal agents about a conversation with the Russian ambassador. He said he was also asked by the president in no uncertain terms to give assurances that he would be loyal. When asked whether he thought the conversation had been recorded, Mr Comey replied: "Lordy, I hope there are tapes."

US President Donald Trump says he did not make secret recordings of ex-FBI chief James Comey despite an earlier hint to the contrary.

Jenny Rathbone said some tenants were charged ??150 to have properties taken off the market while a contract was finalised, while others charged ??65 for cleaning the property. The Cardiff Central AM called for a ban on the charging of such fees. Ministers have warned of a risk that banning fees would push up rents. In Scotland, all charges to private tenants other than rent and deposits have been deemed illegal since 2012. Campaigners have called for similar rules in other parts of the UK. In a Senedd debate, Ms Rathbone said: "It should be the landlord paying the letting agency, not the tenant." She added: "Frankly, the letting agencies are getting away with simply not providing a service in exchange for the fee and I think it's something that needs to be stopped as a matter of urgency." Assembly lawyers have told Ms Rathbone that Wales had the legal powers to impose a ban, despite the Welsh Government previously saying it did not have the authority. Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said agents were legally obliged to advertise fees, and he was "not persuaded" a ban was needed at this time. "I wouldn't want to see the fees - extortionate fees in some cases - just being transferred to the tenant [in the form of higher rents]," he said. "I would like to learn from the evidence from the experience in Scotland before deciding whether this measure is necessary," Mr Sargeant added. Sunday Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales on Sunday 16 October at 1100 BST

Students and other people renting their homes have been victims of "widespread abuse" of fees charged by letting agents, a Labour AM has claimed.

A period of uncertainty over political leadership after the announcement that David Cameron would quit has not made the mandarins' lives any easier. One familiar and important issue has bubbled up to the surface again - NHS finances. The fraught task of finalising the Department of Health's accounts for the last financial year is close to completion. Sources indicate it's touch and go as to whether the department kept to its spending limit agreed by parliament for the health service in England. An overspend would be a serious breach of Whitehall protocol and lead to senior officials being hauled over the coals by the National Audit Office. Ministers and the leadership of the NHS in England are determined to demonstrate they have got a grip on the finances. To that end, a major initiative is planned involving commitments by all trusts in England to stick to agreed spending limits. The regulator, NHS Improvement, under pressure from the government, is straining every sinew to bring down the £2.4bn total deficit racked up by trusts in the last financial year. Putting finance directors' feet to the fire and extracting pledges to stay on budget has been the priority in recent weeks. The NHS financial announcement is likely next week and could well come on the same day as the publication of the Department of Health accounts. The government line will be that running up unplanned deficits and risking breaches of limits set by parliament will be no longer acceptable. At a conference organised by the Reform think tank, the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt talked of the need to "restore financial discipline". He said that trusts should not assume there was a choice between maintaining patient care standards and controlling their finances and that the two were not incompatible. Mr Hunt argued that the hospital trusts with the best ratings by the Care Quality Commission tended to be those with the lowest deficits. But announcing commitments to prudent spending is one thing, delivering them is another. Once winter and the second half of the financial year arrives, the pressures will mount. It's hard to see what sanctions can be applied to trust managements who feel they have to go over their agreed budgets to meet relentlessly increasing demand for patient care. At some hospital trusts, the inevitable consequence of sticking to agreed spending totals will be longer waiting lists. Looking longer term, the referendum has raised more questions about the sustainability of NHS finances. The head of NHS England, Simon Stevens, has called for politicians from either side of the referendum campaign to ensure that pledges for a better funded NHS made during the campaign are delivered. But it will be harder to hold out the begging bowl to the Treasury. The Health Foundation think tank has pointed out that the public finances will be under even greater pressure with economists revising down short-term economic growth forecasts in the wake of the Brexit vote. Anita Charlesworth of the Foundation made the point that when the economy sneezes the NHS catches cold and that the service's finances were already "in a truly dire state". Ministers argue that the government has already made a significant commitment to funding above the rate of inflation for the NHS at a time when other parts of Whitehall are being severely squeezed. They say that making better use of resources, through greater efficiency, is well within the capability of most trusts. But as the NHS celebrates its 68th birthday, the question marks over financial sustainability are perhaps as big as they ever have been. How things will look when the service celebrates its landmark 70th anniversary is anyone's guess.

After prolonged debate during the referendum, Whitehall has been busy since polling day trying to work out the implications of Brexit - including how the NHS could be affected.

Media playback is not supported on this device Newspaper reports have suggested the 33-year-old, whose deal at the Britannia Stadium expires at the end of the season, could join former Stoke boss Tony Pulis at The Hawthorns. But Hughes said: "There's nothing in it. People are adding two and two together and making five. "He's a big part of what we're doing here. His future is with us." Crouch was signed by Pulis in September 2011, joining Stoke from Tottenham for £11m. The striker - capped 42 times by England - has scored 29 goals in 117 Premier League games for the Potters and has attracted interest from elsewhere, most notably when linked with QPR in 2013. Crouch has started all but one of Stoke's last six games and provided the header from which Ryan Shawcross scored the opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Thursday. "You saw by his performance he wasn't bothered by any speculation," added Hughes. Rather than offloading a forward in January, Stoke could be stretched by Mame Biram Diouf leaving to play for Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations and Bojan's hamstring injury. The former Barcelona man missed the draw with United, but Hughes is hopeful of a swift return. "We have had Bojan checked," said Hughes. "He has a slight tear, grade one. It can be 10 days out or a couple of weeks. Hopefully he'll be back soon. "We asked the Senegal FA about Diouf. They are within their rights to call him up on what I think is 5 January. "We hoped to have him for the game at Arsenal, but they said no."

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has dismissed speculation linking striker Peter Crouch with a move to West Brom.