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Experts are cautious because the drug, aducanumab, is still in the early stages of development. But a study in Nature has shown it is safe and hinted that it halts memory decline. Larger studies are now under way to fully evaluate the drug's effects. The build-up of amyloid in the brain has been a treatment target for many years. This study, of 165 patients, was designed to test aducanumab was safe to take. After a year of treatment, it also showed the higher the dose the stronger the effect on amyloid plaques. The researchers then carried out tests on memory and found "positive effects". However, 40 people dropped out of the study, half because of side effects they experienced, such as headaches. These too were much more common with a higher dosage. The next phase of research - phase 3 - involves two separate studies. These are recruiting 2,700 patients with very early stage Alzheimer's across North America, Europe and Asia in order to fully test the drug's effect on cognitive decline. Dr Alfred Sandrock of the biotech company Biogen, which worked with the University of Zurich on the research, said: "Phase 3 really needs to be done and I hope it will confirm what we have seen in this study. "One day I could envisage treating people who have no symptoms because if you have amyloid in the brain it's likely you'll develop Alzheimer's one day." However, there have been many disappointments in Alzheimer's drug development, and it is over a decade since the last drug for people with the condition was licensed. Other experts have welcomed this latest research - but with caution. Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimer's Research UK, said the results provided "tantalising evidence that a new class of drug to treat the disease may be on the horizon". And Dr James Pickett, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, added: "What is most compelling is that more amyloid was cleared when people took higher doses of the drug. "No existing treatments for Alzheimer's directly interfere with the disease process and so a drug that actually slows the progress of the disease by clearing amyloid would be a significant step." However, Dr Tara Spires-Jones, of the Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems at the University of Edinburgh, said: "I am cautiously optimistic about this treatment, but trying not to get too excited because many drugs make it through this early stage of testing then go on to fail in larger trials." And John Hardy, professor of neuroscience at University College London, said: "These new data are tantalising but they are not yet definitive."

A drug that destroys the characteristic protein plaques that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's is showing "tantalising" promise, scientists say.

McAnuff, 31, joined the Royals in 2009 and has made 172 appearances since his arrival from Watford. He began his career at Wimbledon in 2001 and having played for West Ham, Cardiff and Crystal Palace, McAnuff is keen to finish at the Madejski Stadium. "From my point of view of course I would," McAnuff told BBC Radio Berkshire. The squad is so strong we have competition in every position and it is something we have to get on with and deal with "I've been on record numerous time saying how much I've enjoyed my time here and some of my best moments as a professional have been with this club. "But it's not my decision. All I can do is do as well as I can on the pitch, it is not solely down to me." McAnuff, who captained Reading in the Premier League last season, was on the substitutes' bench for their Championship opener against Ipswich but started at Bolton last weekend. Despite being disappointed at missing out on on a starting spot on the first day of the season, McAnuff is confident he can be a regular in the team. "In pre-season you come in and work hard and it is all geared up for that first game," he added. "So it's disappointing (not being selected) but that is football. The squad is so strong we have competition in every position and it is something we have to get on with and deal with. "The manager makes a point of saying it bears no meaning on the season, it is just a team to get the job done, and as you get older you see the bigger picture and for us this year it is going to be about every single player. "It is healthy (to have competition), I don't think any player should be guaranteed a place."

Reading winger Jobi McAnuff says he hopes to end his playing career at the Championship club.

"I'm frustrated to say the least, but very pleased that we've stayed in this division," Hodges told BBC Cornwall. "In a couple weeks time I'll be pleased we're still in this division, but we're going to have to raise the bar." The Cornish side were safe going into their final game, which they lost 4-0 at relegated Bishop's Stortford. "Well done for staying up," he added. "But we've underachieved by a country mile." Having been play-off semi-finalists in 2015-16, after finishing fourth in the table, the White Tigers dropped to 19th in 2016-17, letting in 99 goals from their 42 league games, more than any other side above the bottom three. Hodges says he will meet chairman Peter Masters this week to discuss plans for next season. "There are a lot of decisions to be made on players," he said. "There's a few bonuses there for players who have done very well and competed, and others know that they've not been up to the standard."

Lee Hodges says his Truro team have underachieved by a "country mile" by finishing the season one place above the National League South drop zone.

The 69-year-old's Yamaha collided with a Nissan car between Handley's Corner and Barre Garroo crossroads at about 17:00 BST on 4 June. Mr Baker, who was from the island, was airlifted to Noble's Hospital, where he later died. Insp Dave Dobbie said "thoughts and condolences are with Mr Baker's family". He added that investigations are ongoing in relation to the crash. The car driver, who police say was Northern Irish, was treated in hospital but has been discharged. Another motorcyclist who was injured after the crash has also been released from hospital. The collision happened outside of the TT racing, which is taking place on the island.

A motorcyclist who was killed in a crash on the Isle of Man has been named by police as Kevin Baker.

A boiler house was set for demolition by Coleman & Company when it collapsed at the site in February. Ken Cresswell, 57, John Shaw, 61, Michael Collings, 53, and Christopher Huxtable, 34, died in the collapse. RWE NPower said a procurement process has been under way since the demolition company's contract ended in October. Debris from the part of the building brought down in a controlled explosion in July still remains. However, all clearance work on the spot where the boiler house collapsed has been completed. RWE NPower closed the coal-fired facility at the site in March 2013 after 43 years of service, and a programme of demolition work followed. A major incident was declared on 23 February after the boiler house collapsed. The last of the bodies was not discovered until September. The cause of the collapse is being investigated jointly by police and the Health and Safety Executive. Coleman & Company had been working at the site for two years before the collapse, but lost its contract in October, which it agreed was in the "best interests of all parties".

A new contractor should be in place to clear debris at Didcot Power Station by the end of the month, the site's owner has said.

Lee Novak put the Spireites ahead, nodding in Gboly Ariyibi's cross, for his 14th goal of the season before Adam Hammill's deflected equaliser. Jamal Campbell-Ryce was dismissed for two yellow cards, one for kicking the ball away, but Ollie Banks side-footed home to restore Chesterfield's lead. Hamill then hit the post as Barnsley could not find a late leveller. Defeat in their first league game since winning the Johnstone's Paint Trophy means Barnsley are now six points off the League One play-off positions. Chesterfield, meanwhile, have now opened up a four-point gap between themselves and the relegation places.

Ten-man Chesterfield edged out Barnsley to boost their own survival chances and dent their hosts' play-off ambitions.

Police forces tasked with implementing strict state interpretations of Islamic morality exist in several other states, including Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Malaysia. Many - especially those with an affinity with Western lifestyles - chafe against such restrictions on daily life, but others support the idea, and growing religious conservatism has led to pressure for similar forces to be created in countries that do not have them. Here are some places where "morality police" forces patrol: Name: Gasht-e Ershad (Persian for Guidance Patrols), supported by Basij militia Who they are: Iran has had various forms of "morality police" since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but the Gasht-e Ershad are currently the main agency tasked enforcing Iran's Islamic code of conduct in public. Their focus is on ensuring observance of hijab - mandatory rules requiring women to cover their hair and bodies and discouraging cosmetics. They are empowered to admonish suspects, impose fines or arrest members of the public, but under reforms that come into force this year, will soon no longer be able to do any of these things. Instead, 7,000 undercover Gasht-e Ershad agents will be deployed to report suspected transgressions to the police, who will decide whether to take action. The Gasht-e Ershad is thought to draw a lot of its personnel from the Basij, a hard-line paramilitary unit; it also includes many women. What people think: They are mainly seen as a scourge for urban women - usually from wealthier social groups - who try to push the boundaries of the dress code. This includes wearing the headscarf as far back on the head as possible, or by wearing looser clothing, especially in the heat of summer, although men sporting "Western" hairstyles are also at risk. Fear of encountering them has even prompted the creation of Android app that helps people avoid Gasht-e Ershad mobile checkpoints. President Hassan Rouhani has expressed opposition to the Gasht-e Ershad, but Iran's constitution gives him little sway over the security forces. Name: Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, or Mutawa (Arabic for Particularly obedient to God) Who they are: Formed in 1940, the Mutawa is tasked with enforcing Islamic religious law - Sharia - in public places. This includes rules forbidding unrelated males and females to socialise in public, as well as a dress code that encourages women to wear a veil covering all but their eyes. Instead of a police-style uniform, they wear a traditional Saudi robe and keffiyeh. What people think: Although the Mutawa is widely disliked among liberals and the youth, general opinion in the conservative Sunni-majority kingdom supports it. But even conservatives have been irritated by recent high-profile cases deemed excessive or internationally embarrassing, such as an actor being charged for letting fans take selfies with him, or a female mannequin being seized because of its clothing. Perhaps in response to this criticism, the authorities have curbed the force's powers, as a result of which it can no longer arrest or pursue people but can only report them to the regular police. Name: Public Order Police Who they are: The Public Order Police was set up in 1993 to enforce Sharia enshrined in law for Muslims in the then-northern Sudan by President Omar al-Bashir. They have the power to arrest, and suspects are tried - often at speed - in special Public Order Courts; punishments can include flogging or prison. What people think: Many Sudanese resent their activity as an oppressive and often arbitrary interference in private lives, although some - mostly Salafists and other religious conservatives - support their activities. The force is known for shutting down private mixed-sex events, upbraiding women for immodest dress and raiding businesses seen as being in breach of Sharia. It drew international condemnation when female journalist Lubna al-Hussein was arrested and jailed after being caught wearing loose-fitting slacks in public in 2008. Name: Various, usually collectively known as "religious officers" Who they are: These are bodies run by Malaysia's federal states - or the federal government for federal territories - to enforce Sharia, which applies to the two thirds of the population who are Muslim. They have the power of arrest, and possible offences range from day-time eating during Ramadan to women and men being "in close proximity". Cases are tried by Sharia courts separate from the ordinary court system. What people think: Religious officers have often been accused of overstepping their remit - a situation often muddied by ambiguity about which takes precedence in certain cases - normal legislation or Sharia. In April, religious officers arrested several people during a raid on a transgender group's fundraising event, accusing participants of hosting a beauty pageant, which Muslims were banned from attending by a 1996 fatwa, or Islamic religious decree. The group denies the accusation. 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.

News that Iran has deployed thousands of undercover agents to enforce rules on dress has cast the spotlight on an institution that is a major feature of daily life in several Muslim-majority countries.

President Juan Manuel Santos said the authorities do not know how many people are still missing. Heavy rains caused the river Liboriana, in the town of Salgar, to burst its banks, triggering the landslide. Much of the village of Santa Margarita, south-west of the provincial capital, Medellin, was swept away when the disaster hit early on Monday. Rescue teams and residents have got together to dig through rouble in the hope of finding survivors. After visiting the scene of the disaster, Mr Santos declared a state of emergency and promised to rebuild the houses. "We cannot bring the dead back, which we regret deeply, and we will support the families (of the victims)," said Mr Santos earlier. "But we have to move on from this tragedy, and look ahead with courage and fortitude." "The priority now is the hospital," said the president. Earlier on Monday, gas and electricity services in the town were suspended as a precautionary measure. The Colombian Air Force and police have sent helicopters to the area. More than 160 soldiers are working in the emergency effort. Some 100 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas. Local official Zulma Osorio spoke of a "tragedy of enormous proportions". Mud, rocks and tree trunks destroyed many houses in poor neighbourhoods close to the river. Resident Jorge Quintero described his ordeal when the landslide hit the village: "When I felt my house shaking we got out, my family and me. When we got out, we were stuck in the middle of the landslide, it was coming from both sides and we were in the middle. "I said to my wife, let's hold each other and hope that God saves us and I know he gave us his hand because here we are, alive, still frightened, but still alive." More rain is expected in the are in the next few days.

More than 50 people have been killed in a landslide in Antioquia province in north-west Colombia, officials say.

Jolie, whose directorial debut is set in Bosnia's 1992 to 1995 war, received a standing ovation as she picked up the honorary Heart of Sarajevo award. "I told Brad in the car I was afraid I was going to cry," she said. She presented the festival's best actor award to Thomas Schubert who starred in Atman, also named best film. Romanian leading lady Ada Condeescu won best actress for her role in Loverboy. Jolie, 36, who was at the 17th Sarajevo Film Festival with boyfriend Brad Pitt, visited Bosnia several times last year as a goodwill ambassador for the UN's refugee agency. She said she was "so honoured to be here". "There is no greater example of the strengths of the artists and the festival that began during the war and grew stronger every year," she added. The festival began as an act of resistance in 1995 with residents braving mortar shells to gather in a basement to watch Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Some scenes from Jolie's film In the Land of Blood and Honey - due for release in December - were shot in Bosnia while others were shot in Hungary. The film, which stars Zana Marjanovic and Rade Serbedzija, tells the story of a love affair between a Bosnian Muslim woman and a Serb, on opposite sides of the conflict. The licence to film in Sarajevo was at one point revoked following local rumours that the film featured a rape victim who falls in love with her assailant. The licence was given back when producers proved the rumour was not true. At the time, Jolie asked people to "hold judgement until they have seen the film". "There are many twists in the plot that address the sensitive nature of the relationship between the main characters and that will be revealed once the film is released," she said. On her visits to Bosnia for the UN last year, Jolie drew attention to the thousands of people who have been unable to return to their homes despite the war ending 16 years ago.

A tearful Angelina Jolie has been honoured at the Sarajevo Film Festival for her acting and "active engagement in the complexities of the real world".

See the draw in full here. All kick-offs at 19:45 BST unless otherwise stated EFL Cup third round Bournemouth 2-3 Preston North End (aet) Brighton & Hove Albion 1-2 Reading Derby County 0-3 Liverpool Everton 0-2 Norwich City Leeds United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers Leicester City 2-4 Chelsea (aet) Newcastle United 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nottingham Forest 0-4 Arsenal Scottish League Cup quarter-finals Greenock Morton 2-1 Dundee United Rangers 5-0 Queen of the South EFL Cup third round Fulham 1-2 Bristol City Northampton Town 1-3 Manchester United Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Sunderland Southampton 2-0 Crystal Palace Swansea City 1-2 Manchester City West Ham United 1-0 Accrington Stanley Stoke City 1-2 Hull City Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Gillingham Scottish League Cup quarter-final Celtic 2-0 Alloa Athletic

All the match reports for the midweek EFL Cup action, where Manchester United got back to winning ways and set up a Manchester derby in round four.

The pair have never met at Flushing Meadows but could face each other in the semi-finals this year. "I'd be happy to play him here - I don't think we are thinking that far ahead," said Federer. Women's world number one Karolina Pliskova, defending champion Angelique Kerber and Britain's Aljaz Bedene are also in action on day two. Czech Pliskova opens play on Arthur Ashe Stadium at 16:00 BST against Poland's Magda Linette, followed by Germany's Kerber against Naomi Osaka of Japan. "When I came here one week ago and I stepped on the site, a lot of great memories came back," said Kerber. "It's a great feeling for sure to be back here at the US Open, for me it's a really special place." Top seed Nadal begins against Serbia's Dusan Lajovic in the third match on Ashe at about 20:00 BST. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Third seed Federer faces American teenager Frances Tiafoe in the second night match at about 02:00 on Tuesday, after American Madison Keys plays Belgian Elise Mertens. "It's good to be number one of the world again, of course," said Nadal, who replaced Andy Murray at the top of the rankings earlier this month. "I think it's a good achievement after three years having some troubles. So I'm just happy for that, excited to start the US Open." Bedene plays Andrey Rublev of Russia in the fourth match on court 11 at approximately 23:00.

Title favourites Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will begin their US Open campaigns in New York on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old man, arrested over Penelope Davis's killing, can be held until about 19:30 BST. Mrs Davis, 47, known as Pennie, was tending to her horses when she was attacked. Her body was found in a field on Leygreen Farm, Beaulieu by her husband, Pete on 2 September. A total of five people have been arrested in the case. Hampshire Constabulary said Mrs Davis, a supermarket worker, may have been followed from Sainsbury's in Hampton Lane, Blackfield. Officers have appealed for witnesses who saw Mrs Davis's dark green Toyota Land Cruiser travelling between the supermarket and the field at Leygreen Farm between 13:30 and 15:00 on 2 September. A 28-year-old woman from Hythe, Hampshire, arrested on Thursday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, has been released on bail until 3 November. Leanne Doyle, 24, of Beech Crescent, Hythe, was charged on Monday with assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice. She has been bailed and is due to appear at Winchester Crown Court on 1 October. A 22-year-old man, previously arrested on suspicion of murder, has been released on bail, while a 37-year-old man held on suspicion of assisting an offender was also bailed. Crimestoppers has offered a £5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of Mrs Davis's killer.

Police investigating the murder of a woman found dead in the New Forest have been given more time to question a man.

On Sunday, the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran held a funeral for two of its men killed in action in Syria, the latest of dozens in recent weeks. Revolutionary Guard commanders say they are defending their own country by fighting in Syria against the kind of terrorism that may eventually reach the streets of Tehran. Iran's support for the beleaguered Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has been costly in both blood and treasure. So when the invitation came from the US to join a push for establishing a new political process with the aim of ending the war in Syria, Iran was happy to accept. The invitation to Iran, which until recently was regarded by the US and its allies as part of the problem in Syria, could not have come without the nuclear deal reached in July. Nearly two years of direct nuclear talks led to an understanding that there were regional issues both nations had a strong interest in resolving. A telephone call from US President Barack Obama to King Salman succeeded in persuading Saudi Arabia to drop its objection to Iran's participation - for now. On Friday, for the first time in four and a half years of civil war in Syria, many of the main actors were at the table. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called it a historic meeting. Tehran's involvement in the talks on Syria alarmed Iranian hardliners. They fear the nuclear agreement may have opened the floodgates to undesirable Western influences, and they see Iran's participation in the talks as another worrying sign President Hassan Rouhani is deviating from the Islamic revolutionary path. It comes only weeks after the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, himself a hardliner, had declared there would be no negotiations with the US on any issue. Furthermore, the hardliners discovered to their consternation the Syria talks involving top Western powers, Russia, China, Syria's neighbours, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt had made modest progress. All participants, including Iran, agreed to push forward with a political process that would: For Iran's hardliners, even this most general outline of a possible political process is a step too far. They criticised Foreign Minister Zarif for giving too much away and accused him of forgetting about what they regard as the central issue - the need to fight armed groups the West portrays as moderate forces. "We did not sell out the political future of Syria at the talks," countered Hossein Amir-Abdolahian, Deputy Foreign Minister, who is Iran's point man on regional policies. What the negotiators agreed to disagree on in Vienna, however, was the position of President Assad. Some wanted him gone soon after a ceasefire, but Iran is adamant he should stay until elections at the end of any transitional process. "It's the people of Syria who can decide on this," said Mr Zarif. Iraq and Syria are Iran's only allies in the Arab world. Syria provides Iran with vital access to southern Lebanon, where Iran is deeply committed to the Shia population and Hezbollah. Iran's policy of ensuring the survival of President Assad has many critics at home in Tehran who argue his position is no longer tenable after he has been responsible for so much bloodshed. New talks on Syria between the world powers are due in two weeks. But in spite of the uneasiness at home, Tehran is not about to abandon President Assad, because it fears any new regime in Syria may not be as accommodating to Iran. In Iran's calculation, it is vital that its ally Russia continues to back President Assad. So as long as Russia remains on side, the Iranian hardliners need not worry about a change in direction from Tehran. That is why many around the table in Vienna suspected Iran of engaging in the talks in order to find a solution that saves Mr Assad. Where key players stand on Assad If not Assad, then who? Iran's growing role

Coffins are being flown back to Tehran from Syria at an alarming rate.

The 80ft (24.3m) structure will be located on a raised part of the seafront in Redcar, at the site of the former Leos night club. It will have a viewing platform, a studio, galleries and a cafe. Work is due to start on the town's sea defences in early 2011, and the construction of the vertical pier is set to begin in the autumn. Councillor Sheelagh Clarke, cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, said: "The public told us that they wanted to see unique attractions in Redcar that do not replicate those of other resorts. "The vertical pier will create a point of interest to attract people to Redcar and re-ignite interest in the town as a place to visit."

Plans for a vertical pier in a Teesside coastal town have been given the go-ahead by council planners.

Yves Jego has launched a drive on the Change.org website calling for vegetarian alternatives to be compulsory in all schools. More than 73,000 people have so far backed the petition. The move comes after a town in eastern France banned all pork substitutes in school meals last week. The conservative mayor of Chalon sur Saone had earlier launched his own campaign on Change.org, reiterating France's secular values. His campaign has gained 2,750 supporters. "Messages of support and of encouragement have come from every corner of France and from French people of all backgrounds, faiths and professions," the mayor, Gilles Platret, wrote. A court in the city of Dijon last week rejected an appeal against Mr Platret's intention to ban pork substitutes. "Can we force a Catholic child to eat meat on Good Friday because nothing else is proposed, or a Jew or a Muslim to eat pork?," Mr Jego asked in his petition, set up in response to Mr Platret's. He said he would propose a law if the petition received 75,000 signatories. France insists on the separation of religion and the state, and in 2004 introduced a ban on headscarves in schools. France has five million residents of Muslim descent, half of whom are under the age of 24. It also has the largest Jewish population in Europe. A secular solution to the problem of school meals was possible, said Mr Jego, of the left-wing Radical Party. The petitions have led to a debate in some quarters on the nature of secularism and what is ethically correct. "Secularism is not the denial of religions and beliefs, but the respect of all religions," wrote Houari Zeidouni, who signed Mr Jego's petition. But France's Agriculture Minister, Stephane le Foll, wrote in a tweet: "Supporting French livestock with vegetarian menus: that's Yves Jego's programme! Let's be consistent."

A French MP is campaigning for vegetarian school meals to be introduced to help pupils whose religions prevent them eating pork.

RTÉ reports that a number of flights have been cancelled at Cork airport and weather warnings are in place. A number of power outages have also been reported with about 25,000 customers affected. Aer Lingus regional flights to and from Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol have been cancelled. This is also the case with some City Jet flights to and from London City Airport. The airport is advising intending passengers to check with their airlines. There have also been some flight diversions from Dublin Airport to Belfast due to the weather.

Thousands of people are without power in the Republic of Ireland as the effects of Storm Barney take hold.

In a no-holds-barred email to the board seen by the BBC, Cyrus Mistry says he had become a "lame duck" chairman and alleges constant interference, including being asked to sign off on deals he knew little about. He also warned the company risks huge writedowns across the business. Tata said it currently had no response to the allegations. The Bombay Stock Exchange has sought clarification from Tata on the contents of Mr Mistry's letter. Karishma Vaswani: It's the stuff Bollywood blockbusters are made of Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Group, unexpectedly replaced Mr Mistry with his predecessor Ratan Tata on Monday, giving no explanation or details about its decision. But analysts say there was a clash over strategy, with the Tata family unhappy at Mr Mistry's policy of looking to sell off parts of the business - including Tata's European steel business - rather than holding on to assets and extending the firm's global reach. Whatever the reasons, Mr Mistry has come out fighting. In his blistering five-page attack, he wrote that the board had "not covered itself with glory" and that the nature of his dismissal had done "immeasurable harm" to both his own reputation and that of the firm. And he said that when he moved from being a non-executive director to chairman in 2012, he did "not have a clear grasp of the gravity" of problems he had inherited. While saying that he did not want to "air a laundry list", Mr Mistry went on to unleash a brutal assessment of many aspects of the business, warning the firm may face 1.18 trillion rupees ($18bn) in writedowns because of five unprofitable businesses he inherited. Issues he raised included: Mr Mistry said there was no sign of profitability on the Tata Nano project - which had been launched as the world's cheapest car - and criticised a failure to face up to the reality of its consistently losing money. "Any turnaround strategy for the company requires to shut it down. Emotional reasons alone have kept us away from that crucial decision," he said. Tata's foray into the aviation sector was also criticised, with Mr Mistry suggesting he signed up to joint ventures under pressure from the former chairman. He claimed he was asked by Ratan Tata to sign off quickly on a tie-up with Malaysia's Air Asia to create Air Asia India and that "my pushback was hard but futile". And he wrote that Tata's 51% stake in Vistara - a venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines - was also foisted upon on him "without the benefit of time and experience to fully evaluate the proposal". Cyrus Mistry had been hand-picked as a successor to Ratan Tata as the second chairman from outside the Tata family and with high hopes that he would be the right man to steer the company. He was the sixth chairman in Tata's 148-year history and the first chairman in nearly 80 years to come from outside the Tata family. But Mr Mistry did not come into the job cold. His family has been a major Tata investor since the 1930s and controls companies holding 18% of Tata Sons. And he knows the family well, not least because of his sister's marriage to Ratan Tata's half-brother, Noel.

The ousted chairman of India's Tata Group has lashed out at the way his sudden departure was handled.

Former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Fernando Torres scored the pivotal goal on 72 minutes as Atletico moved within eight points of leaders Barcelona. Antoine Griezmann put Atletico ahead and Denis Cheryshev equalised for Valencia before Torres struck. Valencia had Anderlan Santos sent off on 80 minutes before Yannick Carrasco completed the scoring. Neville suffered just a second defeat in seven games as goalkeeper Diego Alves endured a tough night. Atletico made the brighter start so it was no real surprise when they went ahead in the 24th minute. They squandered possession 25 yards from goal and Griezmann let fly with a low shot that crept inside the near post with home goalkeeper Alves slow to react. The lead lasted just four minutes, however, before Valencia scored as a long pass was cushioned by the head of Paco Alcacer to Cheryshev, who lashed home a left-footed drive from 15 yards. Cheryshev lifted a shot over the crossbar from another Alcacer header seven minutes before half-time as Valencia grew in confidence. Alcacer had a chance to put Valencia ahead just before the hour mark when he latched onto a pass by Sofiane Feghouli but fired straight at goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Moments later Alves made up for his earlier error with a fantastic, one-handed save to keep out a powerful effort by Luciano Vietto. But the keeper could do nothing to stop substitute Torres, who was making his 300th Atletico appearance, putting his side ahead with 18 minutes remaining as he slid in at the far post to turn the ball home after Jose Maria Gimenez flicked on a corner. Santos saw red for two bookable offences with five minutes remaining and Carrasco made it 3-1 five minutes later when he fired straight at Alves, who allowed the ball to creep in under his legs. Earlier in the day, Barcelona kept up their run with a comfortable win at Eibar.

Atletico Madrid kept their La Liga title hopes alive with victory over Gary Neville's Valencia.

Goals from Wilfried Zaha, Christian Benteke, Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt secured Palace's own safety and sent Hull down. Hull could not afford to lose after Swansea had opened a four-point gap with a 2-0 win at Sunderland. Swansea's survival marks a remarkable turnaround in fortunes under Paul Clement. Clement, Swansea's third manager of the season after Bob Bradley and Franceso Guidolin, took over a side in January that was bottom with only 12 points from 19 game. The former Derby County manager's arrival at the Liberty Stadium saw an initial revival with Swansea winning three of his first five games in charge. But between the beginning of March and mid-April the Swans claimed only a single point in six Premier League games. Swansea's 2-0 home win over Stoke City on 22 April was the start of a three-match unbeaten run which boosted their hopes of escaping relegation. Their 1-0 home victory over Everton saw them leapfrog Marco Silva's Hull, who had lost 2-0 at home to Sunderland earlier on Saturday, 7 May. And Swansea extended their unbeaten run to four games with a win in their penultimate game at already relegated Sunderland, which opened a four-point gap between the Welsh side and 18th-placed Hull. Hull's defeat at Selhurst Park sealed the Tigers' fate and ensuring Swansea will remain in the Premier League for a seventh successive season.

Swansea will play in the Premier League next season after Hull were relegated after a 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.

James Bisset, 23, of Yatton, struck the pedestrians with his Volvo in Nailsea near Bristol, last February. Alex Gould, 18, later died in hospital and another man was seriously injured. At a previous hearing at Bristol Crown Court, Bisset admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and possessing a Class A drug. He was jailed for seven years and four months. The court heard he was driving along Clevedon Road in the early hours of 14 February 2016 when his car hit Mr Gould and another man before striking a man and a woman and smashing into a telegraph pole. Bisset was also disqualified from driving for seven years and ordered to take an extended re-test. Speaking after the crash, Mr Gould's family said he had been "the perfect son, brother, nephew, grandson and cousin". Sgt Peter Truch, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "This incident has had a huge impact on all those involved and the wider community in Nailsea."

A motorist who drove into four people killing a teenager has been jailed.

Premier had suspended its shares on 13 January after agreeing to buy E.On's North Sea assets for a net $120m (£84m) plus working capital adjustments. The deal was amended during the suspension so that it no longer constituted a reverse takeover. By close of trading, Premier's share price was up by nearly 90% to 36p. London-based Premier said the cost of the deal would now come to $135m, including completion adjustments. Premier added that this was a result of an increase of the dividend paid to E.On before completion of the deal. In a statement, it said: "On the basis of this lower aggregate consideration, the acquisition has been classified as a Class 1 transaction." The proposed acquisition is still subject to approval by Premier's shareholders and lenders. The assets Premier is buying are located in the Central North Sea, West of Shetlands and the Southern Gas Basin. E.On's UK oil and gas upstream portfolio includes stakes in 40 licenses, including a 5.2% interest in the Elgin-Franklin field, a 47% interest in the Babbage field and a 50% stake in the Tolmount discovery. The deal will add about 15,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day to Premier's production totals in 2016, according to the company.

Premier Oil's shares nearly doubled in value on Monday after trading was restarted following a suspension triggered by a major North Sea deal.

The dress, studded with 6,000 natural white pearls, was taken from the London Hotel in West Hollywood while Nyong'o was out of the room. Nyong'o won best supporting actress in 2014 for 12 Years a Slave and was a presenter at Sunday's ceremony. A statement from the hotel said they were "working with law enforcement". Lieutenant William Nash, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said officers were checking CCTV footage. Conflicting reports suggested the dress was stolen either on Tuesday night or during the day on Wednesday. "Ms Nyong'o was not in the room at the time of the theft," Deputy John Mitchell told Reuters. 'Homage' The dress, designed by Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, took 25 people 10 weeks to hand-sew the 6,000 Akoya pearls. On the red carpet on Sunday, the actress told Associated Press she was "just wearing my diamonds and pearls. My homage to (musician) Prince". Speaking about the dress's design, the 31-year-old said: "We talked about it being fluid and liquid. I wanted it to be an homage to the sea." No arrests have been made. Representatives for Calvin Klein declined to comment.

A $150,000 (£97,000) custom-made Calvin Klein dress, worn by actress Lupita Nyong'o at this year's Oscars, has been stolen in Hollywood.

Sources say there has been a rise in avalanches, landslide-dammed rivers bursting, glaciers cracking and glacial lakes dangerously filling up. Studies by Chinese scientists have shown glaciers and permafrost rapidly melting in Tibet. Earthquakes also continue to destabilise them. A recent study has shown Tibet topping the list of places across the globe that has experienced an increase in water. Mining and dam construction in the Tibetan plateau have further fuelled concerns in downstream countries. In the absence of early warnings from Tibet, water-related disasters can cause human and property losses downstream in Bhutan, Nepal, India and potentially Bangladesh. One recent event took place in July when buildings in Nepalese towns bordering Tibet were swept away by a sudden flood. Authorities in Nepal say it was the result of landslides in Tibet that dammed the Bhotekoshi river. This is one of several rivers that run through Nepal which originate in Tibet. Most houses in Liping, the main town bordering Tibet, have either been swept away by floodwaters or brought down because of soil erosion caused by the floods. In Barabise and other smaller settlements, the BBC saw several houses precariously perched on the edge and all set to collapse because of the flooding. This was one of the most affected areas during last year's earthquake. "That is where my house used to stand and now all you see is a cliff overlooking the river," said Nimji Sherpa, a shopkeeper. "That night I received a call from my relative upstream that a flood was hurtling towards us. I dragged my old husband to higher land." "The next morning we came back to see that our house and all that we had was gone. Last year the earthquake destroyed my house and we had come here to start afresh and now floods have taken everything," she said, with tears in her eyes. Further up, a stretch of the Arniko highway, that links Nepal to Tibet, is gone which has disrupted traffic. "The authorities have told us to move 100 metres higher at night to sleep because we don't know what is coming our way," said Nimji Sherpa. "How long can we live like this?" Officials in Sindhupalchok district said they were able to evacuate people during the July flash flood. "We were lucky that we could save people because of our own early warning system but timely information from the Tibet side could have helped us save properties as well," said Gokarna Dawadi, chief government official in the district, who recently left this role. "We have approached the Chinese side a number of times to discuss this issue as we fear future disasters but it has not moved anywhere." In the past 80 years, scientists have recorded 10 occasions when glacial lakes burst out in Tibet and the flood waters reached Nepal. Officials in the Nepali capital Kathmandu said the Bhotekoshi disaster was an eye-opener. "So far we have no communication between China and Nepal regarding the early flood warning system," said Rishi Raj Sharma, director general of Nepal's department of hydrology and meteorology. "There has been some initial dialogue with the Chinese meteorology department but we need to raise this more seriously through our foreign ministry." Residents of the Nepali towns bordering Tibet are having sleepless nights but settlements far away from the Tibetan territory are also at risk. The Bhotekoshi river is a tributary of the Kosi which flows down from Nepal into India to meet the Ganges. Locals in Sunsari district in south-eastern Nepal, where the Kosi is at its widest and most powerful, said they have heard about floods from Tibet and were concerned. The Kosi, known as the sorrow of Bihar flooded in 2008, displacing tens of thousands of people in Nepal and India. A local water expert Dev Narayan Yadav said fears of future floods were not unfounded. "Our people here know how the bursting of glacial lakes in Tibet have flooded rivers in western Nepal and also in the Brahmaputra basin of India," Mr Yadav explained. "And because the Kosi disaster of 2008 is quite fresh in their memory, they are really wary of what might be happening upstream." The Kosi barrage was built by India to control flood water and is operated by Indian authorities. It was built in 1962 and there are concerns it is no longer fit for purpose. The Indian government is planning to build a major dam upstream in Nepal. "Big structures like these make us more scared because they will multiply the disaster and we will suffer," said Mr Yadav The Central Water Commission of India is tasked with planning and building the new dam. Officials say they have concerns about flooding from Tibet too but they're focused on the dams China is building on Tibetan rivers. "If waters from them are released in a larger quantity, they may become floods and if we have no storage in the Indian portion, that may create havoc," the commission's chairman Ghanashyam Jha told the BBC. "We have an arrangement for sharing flood information but all the desired information is not available." The water resource department of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh that shares a border with Tibet has stressed the proper networking of co-basins for flood warnings. "The flash flood of Pasighat during 11 May 2000 is an example in which the loss of lives and properties could have been minimised had there been proper networking and sharing of information to the downstream county," it says on its website. The Chinese authorities in Beijing did not respond to our questions. Officials in Tibet, however, said flood information was being shared with India and Bangladesh. They said they would only do the same with Nepal if they received instructions from the Chinese ministry of water resources. The United Nations wants all parties to work together. "I think there should be cross-boundary cooperation between countries in the region and unless it happens we cannot control floods," says Vijay Singh, a senior official the United Nations Development Programme Nepal office, who has worked on flood management in the country for years. "We are creating a platform so that governments of Nepal and China can come together and realise the importance of information exchange between the two but it will take some time."

India and Nepal say a lack of information from China about glacial lakes and rivers in Tibet could hamper their ability to plan for flash floods.

Moore, who is 6ft 5ins, scored 10 goals in 21 league appearances this season for Rovers and Torquay, where he had a brief loan spell earlier this term. The 24-year-old has penned an 18-month deal at Portman Road. Spence, 26, has signed to the end of the season having been without a club since leaving MK Dons in the summer. The former West Ham defender played 80 times for the Dons after joining on a full-time contract, following two separate loan spells. Both are unavailable for Ipswich's FA Cup third-round replay at Lincoln on Tuesday as they were not registered before the original tie. Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy confirmed on Saturday to BBC Radio Suffolk he was still searching for another striker despite signing Moore, having previously had an approach turned down by Preston for Jordan Hugill. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.

Ipswich Town have signed striker Kieffer Moore from National League side Forest Green for an undisclosed fee and former MK Dons defender Jordan Spence.

Favourite Air Force Blue, winner of the Dewhurst Stakes last year and four of his five races, never challenged and was a distant 12th of the 13 runners. Dettori crossed to the rail side to win by one and half lengths for his third victory in the prestigious mile race. Massat (9-1) was second with Ribchester (33-1) two lengths back in third. Air Force Blue was widely expected to give trainer Aidan O'Brien a record eighth 2000 Guineas success. But Ryan Moore could find no response from the bay colt and it was Dettori who surged clear, 20 years on from his first success in the race on Mark of Esteem. He also won again in 1999 on Island Sands. The veteran jockey, 45, said of his latest triumph: "We had a bad draw but he's a great horse. "His main forte is that he stays, he galloped out really strong." Trainer Hugo Palmer said: "Frankie was so alert, he said nothing had been coming from behind and that if nothing took us on, he would do it himself and he did. "There were no hard luck stories, for us anyway. It was a masterful ride." BBC horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght "Considering the going was on the soft side, the time was decent so that's another plus about a success achieved by a decisive length and a half. "The winner had to race on the more challenging outside of the field because he was drawn in stall one, and Frankie Dettori gave him extra credit for the performance because of that. "This was Hugo Palmer's first British Classic win; he's very much an emerging force - it won't be his last."

Frankie Dettori rode 14-1 shot Galileo Gold to a surprise victory in the first classic of the 2016 Flat season, the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

It is the first time Wales' commissioners for children, older people, future generations and Welsh language will appear on stage together, at City Hall. They will discuss how the education system in Wales can play a part in shaping the nation's future. It is the second professional speaking event the Education Workforce Council has held with the Open University.

Education in Wales will be discussed at a conference in Cardiff on Monday.

The leading index closed down 69.63 points at 6231.89. Miners more than doubled earlier losses to leave Antofagasta down more than 6%. Others, including Anglo American and BHP Billiton were down 4%. HOusebuilders all but wiped out their earlier falls. Taylor Wimpey ended flat and Berkeley Group ended less than 1% down after a report from chartered surveyors forecasted a short-term drop in UK house prices over the next three months. Rolls-Royce was also a loser, with a 2% fall. The chief executive of Rolls-Royce has warned staff that the engineering firm is behind with deliveries to customers, according to the Financial Times. Vodafone fell about 5% after it agreed a deal to merge its New Zealand operations with Sky Network Television. On the FTSE 250 builder Bellway was also caught in the general decline of construction shares, with a 1% fall. That was despite an upbeat trading statement. "That survey from RICS [Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors] about a first possible drop in house prices since 2012, is clearly spooking people," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. "It is tax-related and maybe a little bit Brexit related, but some will be wondering whether there are more fundamental factors slowing us down, as prices are just at such high levels." Flybe shares ended 5.5% lower, despite returning to profit. On the currency markets, the pound was down 0.3% against the dollar at $1.4466 but rose 0.3% against the euro to €1.277.

(Close): A fall in mining shares hit the main indexes in London, with the FTSE 100 closing down more than 1%.

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

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

The Canal & River Trust said the path at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct would close between 09:00 GMT and 15:00 from Monday until 17 February. The towpath will be open outside these hours from Monday to Saturday and will be open all day on Sundays. Repair work is needed on the parapet of the 126ft (38m) tall structure. The Canal & River Trust said said: "These measures are to protect the public whilst we undertake these important works, allowing them to be undertaken safely by our operatives."

Maintenance work on a Wrexham aqueduct means the towpath will be closed for six hours a day.

The Dow Jones was up 16.5 points to 18,533, the S&P 500 gained 5.15 points to 2,166.8, while the Nasdaq rose 26.1 to 5055.7 points. Bank of America shares rose 3.3% despite a 19% drop in quarterly profits, which still beat expectations. Shares of other US banks also rose, with Citigroup climbing 0.5% and Wells Fargo up 1.2%. Technology stocks also rose on Monday. Apple shares gained 1.1%, Google's parent company Alphabet rose 2.4% and Facebook was up 2.2%. Streaming service Netflix climbed 0.4%, but plunged 16% in after-hours trading after missing subscriber targets in the second quarter following price rises. Yahoo shares added 0.6% ahead of second quarter results.

(Close): US markets reached fresh intra-day records, lifted by technology and banking stocks.

She inveighed against a "draconian policy of austerity" that favoured "globalised elites at the expense of the people". The speaker was not a left-wing firebrand, but the leader of the far-right National Front, Marine Le Pen. The Front first emerged in the 1980s as a mainly anti-immigration group. Ms Le Pen is careful not to neglect this core issue, but nowadays she frames her nationalist message in anti-globalisation terms. Under both the right and the left, she contends, France has surrendered its sovereign powers to EU bureaucrats who are setting interest rates and tearing down borders for the sole benefit of big business. "The grave diggers of Brussels," as Ms Le Pen put it, "are setting France on the path to under-development". She found a receptive audience among the struggling workers who had come from all over France to hear her speak. Roger Denis, a 41-year-old haulier from the eastern city of Nancy, feels his job is threatened. "My company uses a lot of Polish drivers," he says. "I have nothing against them, but they are working for 800 euros a month (£650; $1,100). They have Polish number plates, but of course they work in France." Patrick Cathala is in an even more precarious position. Five years ago he lost his construction job, and he too regards himself as a victim of Europe's open-border policies. "I'm unemployed because firms prefer to hire workers from Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal or Spain. They're letting all those people in. What am I supposed to do?" The transformation of the Front from fringe group into France's leading working-class party is not sudden. In the 1980s Jean-Marie Le Pen - the founder of the FN and the current leader's father - targeted urban voters who were leaving the Communist Party in droves. It was he who decided to hold the Front's annual march on 1 May - the traditional Labour Day celebrated by trade unions. It is now by far the biggest event in Paris on that date. Under Marine Le Pen, the drive to capture far-left votes has been extended to moderate socialists, says Guillaume Bernard from the Catholic Institute of Higher Studies. How FN won in socialist heartland "Those voters are typically public workers and pensioners and these people are sensitive to a message emphasising the role of the state," says Mr Bernard. This has meant not just a shift in emphasis in the FN's message - unfettered markets have all but replaced uncontrolled immigration as its main bugbear - but also a new geographical focus. Studies have highlighted a growing divide in France between city dwellers and those living in the countryside. The first tend to do well, and benefit from globalisation; the second group feel left out. Last year Marine Le Pen went on a "tour of forgotten France" ("Tour de France des Oublies"), taking her message to rural areas and small towns that suffer social deprivation and poor public services. She told residents she felt their pain - while Paris and Brussels officials had sacrificed "small people" to multinationals who wanted an impoverished workforce. Her efforts paid off in recent local elections, when the Front made huge gains. Its most notable success was in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont, a former socialist stronghold which the FN captured in the first round. Olivier, 43, speaks for many residents when he says he is "open" to the Front's message. After working for 21 years as a maintenance technician, he is no better off than many living on benefits or the minimum wage. "I am sliding towards the bottom," he says. Millions feel the same way up and down the country. Some opinion polls suggest the Front may win a quarter of the votes in this month's European elections. And its appeal may rise even further. According to one study, as much as 60% of the population belong to "peripheral France". Not all will support the FN but it still represents a large pool of potential gains, especially if France's economy deteriorates further. The shifting focus of the Front raises two questions - one related to domestic politics and the other of EU-wide significance. First, can a mass party like the FN still be described as "extreme-right", as it is by French commentators, or even "far-right"? The party is "extreme" in the relative sense that there is no significant force further to the right, but its main message is not extremist per se, analyst Bernard Guillaume notes. The idea that workers need to be protected from foreign competitors - "national preference" in modern FN parlance - was accepted by all French parties until World War Two. Even recently, France has argued that trade liberalisation in farming or cultural products would be a disaster. The Front's core contention - that the free flow of goods and people is just as dangerous within Europe as it is globally - is controversial. But it has consistency on its side if you take a dim view of free trade - which is the standard view in France. The party's stance may nowadays be better characterised as "populist" or "nationalist", rather that "extreme". The second question regards links the FN wants to forge with like-minded groups across Europe - such as Britain's UKIP, the FPO in Austria, Geert Wilders' party in the Netherlands, and others in central and eastern Europe. Many of these parties do not share the Front's hostility to "neo-liberalism". Can they form a cohesive force in the EU parliament? Ludovic de Danne, a Euro-MP who speaks on international affairs for the FN, thinks so. Eurosceptic parties, he insists, will ignore their differences to focus on the one issue that unites them: "We are forming an alliance on European questions." Be that as it may, the main populist offensive against the EU will probably take place not in the European Parliament but at national level. UKIP, for instance, has high hopes for a planned referendum on Britain's membership. In France, the FN will continue to tap the nation's atavistic attachment to the state and mistrust of markets.

At the May Day rally, the politician accused the government of "helping the richest 1%, to reassure credit ratings agencies and international finance".

During fieldwork in the mountains, researchers noticed that thrushes in the forests sang much more musically than those on the rocky peaks. They then discovered physical and genetic differences as well, and have now declared the known "plain-backed thrush" to be two distinct species. The mountain-dwelling variety has been re-christened the "alpine thrush". "There aren't too many new birds to be found in the world," lead author Per Alström told the BBC. "So it's exciting when you find one." The Himalayan forest thrush is only the fourth species of bird discovered in India since independence in 1947. Prof Alström, from Uppsala University in Sweden, worked with an international team of researchers on the study, which is reported in the journal Avian Research. They gave the new thrush the scientific name Zoothera salimalii in honour of the late Indian ornithologist Dr Salim Ali. "He did a lot of work on Indian birds and has been really important for bird conservation and knowledge about birds in India," said Prof Alström. The discovery began with some careful listening on a field trip, back in 1999. "I was in Arunachal Pradesh with an Indian colleague, Shashank Dalvi, and we noted that there were two different groups of what was previously called the plain-backed thrush, that occurred at different elevations, in different habitats." One set of birds, found above the tree line, sang quite a harsh, scratchy-sounding song; the other, found in the forests just below, was more tuneful. "They had - to us - incredibly different songs. We couldn't at first find any differences in plumage or structure between them. But we didn't actually see the forest one very well, because it was extremely elusive - extremely hard to see," Prof Alström recalled. Several years of detailed study ensued, as the team compared wild birds from India and China with specimens from 15 museums around the world. This included DNA analysis, which confirmed what the researchers had suspected from hearing the birds' songs: the two groups have bred separately for several million years. "They really are very different, even though they look superficially very similar to each other," Prof Alström explained. "They have had separate evolutionary histories for a very long period of time - possibly the same length of time as humans and chimpanzees have been separate from one another." The team thinks that, all those years ago, the two populations began as one species but branched out as they evolved to cope with the demands of the peaks and the forests. "The alpine thrush has longer legs and a longer tail, proportionately, than the forest bird, which I'm sure are adaptations to its habitat. Because longer legs are more useful in open habitats than in forest." And based on their comparisons to museum specimens, Prof Alström and his colleagues say the original "plain-backed thrush", or Zoothera mollissima, was the mountain-dwelling variety. "So the alpine thrush will actually retain the scientific name of the original species," he said. Meanwhile, on their trips into neighbouring parts of China, the researchers also found that a different thrush population, previously considered a sub-species, also deserves its own classification. The newly named "Sichuan forest thrush", Zoothera griseiceps, is also physically and genetically distinct, with a song that is even more musical than its relatives in the Himalayan forest. "So out of this single species, we got three different species," Prof Alström said. The British Trust for Ornithology said that this type of research was important because discovering separate species can afford greater protection to the different birds and their habitat - for example, if the new species faces different threats from its relatives. Follow Jonathan on Twitter

Scientists have described a new species of bird in northern India and China, called the Himalayan forest thrush.

Home Retail Group said that like-for-like sales at Argos fell 1.1% in the eight weeks to 27 February, compared to a fall of 2.2% in the previous quarter. The electrical and homeware retailer is being targeted by both Sainsbury's and South African retailer Steinhoff. Both companies have until 18 March to make firm bids for Argos. Last month, a £1.3bn bid from Sainsbury's for Home Retail was trumped by Steinhoff's £1.4bn offer. Home Retail recently sold its DIY chain Homebase to Australia's Wesfarmers last month for £340m, leaving Argos as its only remaining business. Total sales at Argos rose 1.9% to £515m in the eight-week period as demand for furniture and sports goods offset lower sales of electrical goods, such as video games and tablet computers. The company said Argos opened 90 new stores over the year, bringing the total to 845. The new openings held back the like-for-like sales total over the period, it added. Chief executive John Walden, who said it had been "another rather eventful period" for the company, was pleased with the improvement in Argos' sales. Shares in Home Retail closed down almost 0.5% at 179.1p, but have risen more than 80% this year following Sainsbury's interest in Argos. The supermarket has argued that combining both chains would create a "world-leading" retailer bigger than rivals John Lewis and Amazon UK. Retail analyst Nick Bubb said: "Home Retail claim that underlying like-for-like sales were broadly flat, once the cannibalisation from the infamous concession inserts in Homebase and Sainsbury are taken out. Gross margins were up, however, by 75 basis points and Home Retail's year-end net cash was strong." Sainsbury's had offered about 167p a share for Home Retail, but will be forced to at least match the 175p-a-share all-cash offer from Steinhoff, which owns UK furniture retailer Harveys. However, the supermarket may be reluctant to increase its offer to the level needed to win control of Argos. Analysts have also questioned the wisdom of Sainsbury's acquiring the struggling retailer.

Argos, the retail chain at the centre of a bidding war, has shown a fall in sales over the Christmas period.

Seven riders in the peloton crossed with the safety barrier down, but were not sanctioned for breaking race rules. Sir Bradley Wiggins finished 18th in his final race for Team Sky, 31 seconds behind German winner John Degenkolb. "It's the most beautiful race in the world and we get bothered by a train," said French champion Arnaud Demare. "This needs to be taken care of, it was dangerous. We went through but it was close." One rider from the Belgian Lotto team was clipped by a barrier which came down seconds before the 60kph train sped past. Race organisers said the peloton were 10m from the barrier as it started to descend and that the leading riders "could not stop in safe conditions". A police motorcycle stopped the rest of the pack, before organisers of the 151-mile race slowed the leaders to allow the pack to catch up. Former British champion and Olympic track medallist Rob Hayles, commentating on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, said: "That could have ended in disaster. "You could see riders nip across but that train wasn't slowing down." A similar incident occurred last year but it affected only the eight men in the breakaway. In 2006, three riders who were chasing a lone breakaway by eventual winner Fabian Cancellara were disqualified after crossing a railway line after the barrier was down.

Several Paris-Roubaix riders were seconds from being hit by a train as they raced over a rail crossing while a TGV approached.