Two quickfire Omar Bogle goals just before half-time gave Grimsby control. Forest Green fought back after the break and Keanu Marsh-Brown's superb goal reduced their deficit after Jon Parkin had missed from six yards. But Grimsby - playing in the play-offs for a fourth consecutive year - struck a late third through Nathan Arnold. Paul Hurst's side, who lost to Bristol Rovers on penalties in last year's final, had seen Arnold's long-range strike tipped onto the post shortly before taking the lead at Wembley. Bogle then glanced in Jon Nolan's free-kick via Rovers' Darren Carter's back to open the scoring, before volleying in from six yards on the rebound to double Grimsby's lead just one minute later. Forest Green introduced substitute Parkin at half-time and the 34-year-old former Preston striker's presence changed the game. Parkin could only hit the side netting from Forest Green's best chance, inside the six-yard box, before Marsh-Brown's sweet, dipping strike gave them hope. But Forest Green, who had finished nine points above Grimsby in the league table, could not find an equaliser despite a spirited fightback. Rovers, who sacked manager Ady Pennock one week before the start of their semi-final against Dover to "boost their chances in the play-offs", had set a fifth-tier record of nine consecutive wins to start the season, before being beaten to the league title by Cheltenham Town. Having finished in their highest-ever league position in second, they were led at Wembley by caretaker boss Scott Bartlett, while next season's manager, Mark Cooper, offered guidance from the dugout. But the Nailsworth club - who had hoped to make their home town the smallest settlement to ever host a Football League club - saw their promotion hopes dashed in the play-offs for the second year running. Arnold, who had a low shot saved with 15 minutes to play, completed the win in stoppage time, tucking in on the rebound to end Forest Green's hopes of a late twist. The promoted Mariners return to Wembley on 22 May for the FA Trophy final against FC Halifax. Media playback is not supported on this device Grimsby boss Paul Hurst told BBC Radio Humberside: "I'm quite relaxed. I feel quite calm. It's a fantastic achievement. "Those players, rightly so, will go down in the club's history. "It's far from job done yet - we want to make sure that we're a Football League club for a long time to come and, if possible, see if we can move the club even further forward." Forest Green Rovers striker Jon Parkin told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "It was just a mad five minutes in the first half that put us on the back foot. "In the second half, we've come out and had a real go. (We had) a couple of chances, should have scored and it's a totally different game. "But that's the difference - they took their chances, we didn't."

Summary: Grimsby Town returned to the Football League after a six-year absence with victory over Forest Green Rovers in the National League promotion final.


Hamilton was 0.029 seconds quicker than team-mate Valtteri Bottas, and a second clear of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in third and fourth. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fifth, just 0.250secs behind Raikkonen. McLaren-Honda's dismal season of unreliability continued, with Fernando Alonso sent into a spin by a major engine failure on his first lap. Alonso spun to a halt in a cloud of smoke with oil pouring from underneath the engine after it failed coming out of Turn Two on his first lap. The Spaniard then left the track to go back to his hotel. Honda blamed the failure on "an oil leak" and said Alonso would be back out with a new power-unit in second practice. Alonso posted a tweet saying: "Keeping the body active," accompanied by an emoji with a halo and a photograph of himself with his trainer playing tennis. Honda have a small upgrade on the engine for this weekend but said the one he was using had previously run in Australia and China and in Bahrain until qualifying. In lovely spring sunshine and under a beautiful blue sky north of Barcelona, the teams spent the session evaluating the upgrades they have brought to this race. All the teams have new aerodynamic parts, as is traditional at this first European race of the season, and the most striking are on the Mercedes. The silver cars have a narrower nose, under which is fitted a unique new snow-plough style aerodynamic shaping device, as well as new parts all the way along the side of the car. So far, they appear to be working well, and Hamilton and Bottas traded times throughout the session, rarely separated by more than a few hundredths of a second. Hamilton arrived in Spain determined to make amends for a poor weekend two weeks ago in Russia, where he finished fourth and Bottas won. Bottas, by contrast, has made it clear that his focus has shifted to trying to win every race after an up-and-down start to the season in which he has been alternately impressive - with his first win in Russia and first pole in Bahrain - and not, such as when he spun behind the safety car during the Chinese Grand Prix. The two men are separated by 10 points in the championship, with Hamilton ahead and 13 points behind Vettel. Ferrari also have a series of aerodynamic changes on their car, as do Red Bull, who are hopeful their upgrade will clos the one-second gap that has separated them from the front-runners so far this season. It is too early to make any conclusions about relative pace, not least because Vettel's session was disrupted by a gearbox problem on the pit straight. He managed to pull of into the pit lane exit, from where the car was recovered and the Ferrari mechanics were able to repair the car and send him out again to set his fastest time.

Summary: Lewis Hamilton set the pace as Mercedes impressed in first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.


A graphic joking about a murdered sex worker, and another about infecting a partner with a sexually transmitted disease were posted on the attraction's Twitter feed. Critics said the collection of images was sexist and offensive. Merlin Entertainment said it was "very sorry" for the campaign and has deleted the tweets. The group said it had wanted to run a "dark Valentine campaign" to promote the London Dungeon, in which visitors are taken on a tour through London's dark history. But many Twitter users complained that many of the images tweeted were in poor taste and inappropriate for a family tourist attraction. Rebecca Reid, a columnist for the Telegraph, said: "The biggest issue here is taking violence against women and turning it into a joke or a cheap marketing ploy." She told the BBC: "Just because these rapes and murders happened in the past doesn't mean they are fair game. "Violence, rape and murder are all still a very brutal reality of life for modern day sex workers and these flippant tweets show no awareness or respect for that." Merlin Entertainment said: "Our brand tone of voice tends to divide audiences. However, we recognise that we've upset some people and for that we're very sorry."

Summary: The London Dungeon tourist attraction has apologised for a promotional Twitter campaign that backfired.


City paid their Premier League counterparts £25m for the Ivory Coast forward two and a half years ago. No fee has been agreed as yet and talks may continue into next week but it is anticipated Bony will return to south Wales for less than half that sum. Bony made 46 appearances in his first 18 months as a City player, scoring 10 goals. But 26 of those appearances were as a substitute and he was loaned to Stoke by manager Pep Guardiola last season. Bony joined Swansea from Vitesse in 2013 and scored 25 goals in 54 games before joining City in January 2015.

Summary: Swansea City are close to securing the return of striker Wilfried Bony from Manchester City.


There were suggestions that Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid, yet to play a Test this year, might come into the side. But batsman James Vince was passed fit after a dislocated finger, while England will stick with four seam bowlers and Moeen Ali's off-spin. England have won successive matches to take a 2-1 lead into the final Test. Leg-spinner Rashid has been released to play for his county Yorkshire in Thursday's T20 Blast quarter-final against Glamorgan in Cardiff. Nottinghamshire pace bowler Jake Ball was the other player in the 13-man squad omitted from the final XI. Rashid took 5-64 on his debut against Pakistan in October and had been tipped to play only his fourth Test, given that he is expected to feature prominently during the winter tours to the spin-friendly conditions of Bangladesh and India. But England skipper Alastair Cook said he was happy with his five-man attack, who each took two wickets in the second innings at Edgbaston as the hosts won by 141 runs. Worcestershire all-rounder Moeen, 29, took the final wicket with a smart caught and bowled and now has 75 wickets from his 29 Tests, at an average of 41.05. "I think the pitch will turn but our four seamers are bowling well and Mo took a massive stride in that last game," Cook said. Asked about Rashid, he added: "If we were 3-0 up it might have been different but the series is very much alive. "We stuck with Mo because he's such a valuable member of the side with the runs he has scored and in the last game he bowled really well. "Adil is clearly going to get a chance in the winter, he's still got one-day cricket here to keep that international experience going and when he gets that chance he's got to take it." If England can avoid defeat at The Oval they will hold the series trophies against all nine of their Test opponents for the first time. Victory could bring the possibility of a return to the top of the Test rankings for the first time since 2012, but that is dependent on various permutations in other current series around the world. How can England get to number one? Try the ICC Test rankings predictor (external site) "It shocked me a little bit when someone told me it could happen because I thought we're still a way off that," Cook told BBC Sport. "To become the number one side in the world you have to win consistently away from home and possibly be a little more experienced across the board. "In 2011-12, every guy had close to 50 games and you could name that 12 if everyone was fit. "We're not quite at that situation, there's a few more places up for grabs, there's a lot of talent but I feel we need to work a bit harder to get there because there is a lot more for this side to do." England: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Joe Root, James Vince, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes,

Summary: England have kept the same team that won at Edgbaston for the final Test of the four-match series against Pakistan, which starts at The Oval on Thursday.


The comment follows an incident where a senior clergyman was injured by a young eagle as he tried to scare it away after it attacked one of his geese. The SGA has called for a public inquiry into the impact of the reintroduction of the birds on the east coast. RSPB Scotland has described the small child claim as "alarmist nonsense". The Scottish government said it was not aware of any attacks by sea eagles on children in other countries and did not think a public inquiry was necessary. In a letter to the Scottish government, the SGA warned that the attack on the Very Reverend Hunter Farquharson in Abernethy, in Perthshire, could be the first of many. The association has asked for the formulation of an "exit strategy" if the sea eagles turn out to have an adverse effect on social, economic or leisure activities. In the letter, the SGA said: "These creatures are being released into what is a comparatively densely populated area so they will come into contact with humans on a daily basis. "That will instil habituated behaviour and remove what should be a healthy fear of humans. "There are reports of buzzards which have obviously undergone this desensitisation and this has resulted in them attacking people. This could pose a serious threat in the future. "Will these very large creatures differentiate between a small child and more natural quarry?" The Perth-based SGA represents gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies, wildlife managers and rangers. Association committee member Bert Burnett said the group did not have a problem with sea eagles on Scotland's west coast. He said: "As far as we are concerned these sea eagles seem to be doing fine and not posing a threat." However, Mr Burnett said more consultation was needed on the release of the birds on the east coast. He added: "Some might think this is gamekeepers making a fuss for some obscure reason. "That's not the case. It is a genuine concern and it is a concern felt by other people out there other than gamekeepers." On the micro blogging website Twitter, RSPB Scotland tweeted: "Alarmist nonsense from the SGA. "Sea eagle could soon be eating small children. Surely ScotGov won't take this seriously." A spokesman for RSPB Scotland said the Perthshire incident was unfortunate and regrettable but that the bird had reacted as other wild animals might do when cornered. He said the SGA claim about eagles, the UK's largest bird of prey, targeting small children as ridiculous. With a wing span of 8ft, the white-tailed sea eagle is the UK's largest bird of prey. It was completely wiped out in Britain in the early 20th Century and only returned when a reintroduction programme began on the island of Rum in 1975. Mull, Wester Ross and Skye also now have established populations. In August this year, a new batch of 16 young sea eagles were released in Fife. A Scottish government said the raptors were widespread in many parts of Europe, including densely populated areas. A spokeswoman said: "We are not aware of any attacks

Summary: The Scottish Gamekeepers Association has raised concerns about whether sea eagles could differentiate between children and their natural prey.


But there are still many real problems and concerns for Rio 2016 organisers with two weeks before the opening ceremony in the Maracana Stadium. The biggest of those worries is the return of violence and crime to the streets of the so-called "Marvellous City" after years of steady progress in a positive direction. The worrying reverse is most notable in the favelas, or shantytowns, that skirt Rio's more affluent south zone. What has gone wrong in Brazil? In favelas like Santa Marta, Pavaozinho and Babilonia the much-heralded Police Pacification projects (UPP) have stalled, drugs gangs have moved back in and people are again being killed. Babilonia is one notable case because the favela overlooks the tourist beaches of Leme and Copacabana, where Olympic events including beach volleyball and the triathlon will take place. Until recently it was regarded as one of the safest and coolest destinations in the city; with hillside bars overlooking the beach offering the best seafood and beer in town to visitors and steady employment for locals. But as Lieutenant Carlos Veiga leads us on a patrol through the favela's steep, narrow alleyways, he tells me how things have deteriorated badly in recent months. "It's dangerous, particularly at night and the gangs often shoot at our patrols," says the UPP commander here. Bodies have been found in the nearby mata, or forest - the result of clashes between the two drugs gangs vying for control of the favela complex. Locals who have enjoyed and benefited from the relative calm of recent years echo each other's concerns about a return of violence and many residents worry that after the Olympic Games the financially-broke state government will cut the pacification programme, abandoning the favelas to their fate. If the situation is bleak in the smaller favelas like Babilonia, it can sometimes seem like all-out war in the bigger conurbations of Complexo do Alemao and Mare. There are shootings on a daily basis, bringing a halt to traffic on the main road between the airport and the city. An eye-watering number of people - almost 2,000 - have been murdered in Rio this year already. Many victims of violence are killed by police, either in crossfire or shot dead by a military police force which is accused of being trigger happy and too eager to execute suspected criminals rather than arrest them. But the police are victims of violence too. "Welcome to Hell" was the slogan that greeted arriving travellers at Rio's international airport recently. The protestors were policemen, complaining about unpaid salaries and the deaths of colleagues in the city's brutal drugs wars. "There have been more than 50 policemen and women killed this year - another one this week," says Carlos Braga. The recently retired civil police inspector added: "I am not safe. I cannot even guarantee my own safety. We police officers have to hide our badges and our guns. There will be a big amount of foreigners here yet the government can't even pay the police to protect them!" After the city's high profile and sometimes outspoken Mayor

Summary: The spectre of an Olympic Games plagued by the Zika virus may be waning, as the cold spell sweeping through southern Brazil deals with disease-carrying mosquitoes more effectively than any repellent.


Hat-tricks by half-time, a caretaker managerial debut to dream of and a familiar face back on the scoresheet with his hometown club, BBC Sport picks out some of the day's headlines. Birmingham 4-2 Bristol City Reading striker Orlando Sa claimed the honour of the season's first Championship hat-trick as the Royals thumped Ipswich 5-1 at home on Friday. Not to be outdone, Birmingham's City Clayton Donaldson thought he would get in on the act less than 24 hours later against Bristol City. Inspired perhaps by Cristiano Ronaldo bagging five for Real Madrid, Donaldson put Blues 2-0 ahead after just 20 minutes. After City clawed one back, he restored the home side's two-goal cushion from the penalty spot. The 31-year-old had started every league game this season, but had failed to find the net before Steve Cotterill's side arrived at St Andrew's. Not a bad afternoon's work. Middlesbrough 2-0 MK Dons It was a Championship signing that raised several eyebrows in the summer, England international Stewart Downing returning to his hometown club Middlesbrough from West Ham. Just as MK Dons looked set to frustrate Aitor Karanka's men at the Riverside, Downing popped up to break the deadlock and bag his first goal of his second spell. His trusted left foot was the source of this goal as he curled an effort into the bottom corner beyond Dons keeper David Martin. Fellow summer addition David Nugent wrapped up the points with nine minutes remaining with his first goal for the club. Oldham 1-5 Peterborough Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony pressed the sacking button last weekend to bring Dave Robertson's brief stint in charge of the Posh to an end after just one win in the first six matches. Earlier in the week, MacAnthony claimed he has a four-man shortlist for the position, but he might want to rip it up straightway and give the job to caretaker manager Grant McCann. The former Northern Ireland international saw his side romp to a 5-1 win at Boundary Park thanks to two goals apiece from Souleymane Coulibaly and Lee Angol. "I thought they were all superb goals," McCann told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "I said to the players, me being greedy, if we had believed in ourselves we could have got more, but I'll settle for that. "I didn't single anyone out in the changing room - to a man, we were exceptional. "They took the messages that I gave to them onto the pitch - they definitely expressed themselves and played with a real freedom. I thought we were very good." While it may have been a good afternoon for Grant, it proved a decisive one for Oldham manager Darren Kelly. He parted company with the club shortly after the final whistle. Yeovil 1-1 AFC Wimbledon It's not been much fun for Yeovil Town recently. Their physio's treatment table has easily been the busiest location at Huish Park. Glovers manager Paul Sturrock said he would struggle to fill the substitutes' bench as he named a full team of unavailable outfield players for the visit of AFC Wimbledon.

Summary: A full programme of Football League fixtures returned on Saturday following the international break and there was no shortage of headlines across the three divisions.


A leak at Llanfairpwll on Sunday morning affected supplies to some customers there and in parts of Gaerwen, Porthaethwy and Llangefni. A spokesman said: "Our team is working on the leak and we hope that all supplies will be back to normal this morning." Welsh Water apologised to customers for any inconvenience.

Summary: Parts of Anglesey have been left without water after a leak, Welsh Water has confirmed.


A police watchdog inquiry into circumstances surrounding the death of Bijan Ebrahimi, who was wrongly branded a paedophile, has been completed. Mr Ebrahimi was beaten to death near his Bristol home, despite making numerous calls to the police. Files on a call handler and a dispatch supervisor have been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) previously sent the CPS a file of evidence relating to three Avon and Somerset police constables and a PCSO. An IPCC spokeswoman said in total 18 police officers and staff members, who had some involvement in the force's dealings with Mr Ebrahimi in the days leading up to his murder, had been investigated. "I have provided the acting chief constable with a report detailing our findings as to whether or not those individuals have a case to answer for either misconduct or gross misconduct and should face disciplinary proceedings," she added. The IPCC is also looking at police contact with Mr Ebrahimi dating back six years prior to his death. This part of the investigation is continuing and Mr Ebrahimi's family, who say they are "desperate" for answers, are being regularly updated on progress. Acting Chief Constable John Long of Avon and Somerset Police said he was "grateful for the thoroughness of the IPCC report". He said his intention was to "address the matters of misconduct, the service failure that took place and the lessons to be learnt in a prompt, firm and direct manner". Lee James, 24, who admitted Mr Ebrahimi's murder in July 2013, was jailed for a minimum of 18 years last November. Stephen Norley, who admitted assisting an offender, was jailed for four years.

Summary: Prosecutors are to decide whether to charge two police civilian staff over events leading up to a murder.


The Republican presidential nominee suggested on RT that Democrats were behind claims Russian intelligence agencies had hacked their computers. Mr Trump has faced a backlash since praising Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Wednesday night forum. His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, accused him of being unpatriotic. Mr Trump was interviewed on Thursday night by Larry King, a former CNN host who now presents a show on RT America, a Russian-funded TV network. Trump and Putin: The new bromantics? When King asked him about reports that Russia is trying to disrupt the US election, Mr Trump was sceptical. "I think it's probably unlikely," he said. "I think maybe the Democrats are putting that out. "I hope that if they are doing something, I hope that somebody's going to be able to find out, so they can end it, because that would not be appropriate at all." A Trump spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, suggested Mr Trump did not realise King's show was part of a Russian-backed network. "Mr Trump recorded a short interview with Larry King for his podcast as a favour to Mr King," she said. Why Trump strikes a chord with Russians "What Larry King does with the interview content is up to him. We have nothing to do with it." Back in the late 1980s and 1990s, Larry King was a titan of US political media. A guest spot on his television call-in show provided current and aspiring candidates a way to reach a national audience in a low-stress, friendly environment. Donald Trump, back when he was just a larger-then-life real-estate developer and New York socialite, was a regular on King's programme. It's not entirely surprising then that the Republican nominee accepted an interview request from his long-time friend. That, however, is when Mr Trump's staff should have done a bit of research, found out the interview would be broadcast on RT and told their candidate to come up with a scheduling conflict and politely pull out. Given the heat Mr Trump has taken recently for showering praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian-owned RT is the last outlet he should be on. This is either another example of the Trump team's questionable advance work or - perhaps more troubling - its judgement. No matter the explanation, the story re-enforces the politically damaging perception that Mr Trump is uncomfortably chummy with the Russian government. Private cyber-security analysts have blamed Russian intelligence agencies for electronic break-ins into Democratic Party computers that emerged in leaks over the summer. Earlier this week Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the US would not ignore Russia's "efforts to interfere with our democratic processes". During a televised forum on Wednesday on national security, Mr Trump complimented Mr Putin for having "great control over his country". Mr Putin has offered kind words for Trump in the past, too, describing him as "a talented man". The Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Corker, offered words of caution for Mr Trump on Thursday. "One has to be a little careful to let flattery affect one's judgment," he told CNN.

Summary: Donald Trump has told a Kremlin-funded TV network "it's probably unlikely" that Russia is trying to influence the US election.


The striker, on loan at the Kirkcaldy club from the Foxes, scored the only goal in the first-leg at Starks Park. "I said to the boys, it's the year of the underdogs and we're the underdogs going into this," said Panayiotou. "Leicester had nothing to lose and we had nothing to lose." The 21-year-old came off the bench after 65 minutes and powered in a header from a corner 10 minutes later. "I've been texting and congratulating everybody [at Leicester], but I can't get carried away with that," he added. "I need to do my job now, we need to get promoted and if we do that, I'll be the happiest man alive." Panayiotou's mood was in stark contrast to Alan Stubbs' demeanour after the match. His Hibs side dominated the game for long spells and created a number of chances, but were left to rue poor finishing and a momentary lapse of concentration at the back. The visiting manager was also frustrated with the match officials throughout, but particularly for a claim for handball inside the Raith penalty area only moments before the goal. Referee Kevin Clancy did not award the spot kick, much to Stubbs' annoyance. "At this stage in the season, in this format, you want the best officials," Stubbs said. "I'm afraid the officials got it horribly wrong. "Our frustration comes from conceding from a set piece, we've lost concentration and we should have dealt with it. The other frustration is not taking some of the opportunities we've had. "The pitch is a leveller, it's a very difficult surface to play on. But the pitch is not the reason we've not won the game. The reason is we missed some chances and we switched off at one set piece. "It's half-time [in the tie], but we've made it more difficult than it should have been. We know what we've got to do, we were going to be on the front foot anyway and look to really take the game to Raith. "We've got an opportunity at home to come through the tie and it just makes for a rip-roaring occasion. I just hope the officials get it right." Raith manager Ray McKinnon felt the result was a reward for the character of his side, and praised his players for their attitude and approach. "The game was exactly how we thought it would pan out, and the longer we stayed in the game we thought we would get our chance," he said. "Fair play to the lads dug in and ground out another result. "I've got very good characters in that dressing room, they don't want to lose, they're determined to win. "It's going to be an extremely tough game [at Easter Road], they're going to throw everything at us. We need to do what we do, work hard. There's nobody getting carried away here." McKinnon also reiterated that speculation about an impending approach for his services by Dundee United will not disrupt his preparations. "My focus is solely on Raith Rovers and I'm determined to give it everything,"

Summary: Harry Panayiotou revealed that Leicester City's Premier League triumph was an inspiration for Raith Rovers' Premiership play-off quarter-final victory over Hibs.


The 10km (four miles) sq area housing government buildings became off-limits to the public as a security measure in the wake of the 2003 US occupation. It is the latest in a series of steps by Mr Abadi to ease sectarian tensions and crack down on corruption. Baghdad has seen weeks of protests over poor services and abuses of power. Earlier this month, in a rare show of unity, the Iraqi parliament backed Mr Abadi's programme to abolish top government posts and cut spending. On Friday, the prime minister issued instructions to lift restrictions on the Green Zone. It is not clear when the plan will be implemented. The compound, in the Karkh district on the west bank of the Tigris, is surrounded by concrete walls and heavily guarded by checkpoints and tanks. It houses former palaces of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and was the administrative headquarters of the US occupation authorities. Several foreign embassies, including those of the US and UK, are situated there. Most Iraqis have been excluded from the Green Zone unless they have special permission, and large bribes have been paid to get round stringent entry procedures, according to AFP news agency. The zone has been targeted by bombings and rockets over the years, and the fortification measures were aimed at making it more secure, although attacks in Baghdad are still commonplace. Mr Abadi also ordered the removal of barriers and checkpoints set up on main roads and sidestreets in Baghdad and elsewhere by prominent figures and militias. The order to lift the restrictions is part of a series of measures to defuse tensions and root out corruption. A panel will also be set up to recover state property appropriated by elites which are found to have been illegally obtained. In recent weeks, thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets in Baghdad and other cities to protest against the failure to provide basic services and against corruption. They have been backed by Iraq's preeminent Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and powerful Shia militia leader, Moqtada Sadr.

Summary: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered officials to open up to civilians the heavily-fortified area of Baghdad known as the Green Zone.


Victor Sorochenko, the head of Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee, said it was too early to conclude what caused the crash on Saturday. He told reporters debris was found across a 20sq km-wide area of Sinai. So far 163 bodies have been found. Russia is observing a day of mourning after its worst air disaster. Mr Sorochenko spoke after visiting the site of the debris, near the village of Hasana. Jihadists allied to so-called Islamic State in Sinai, where such groups are active, had made a claim on social media that they had brought down flight KGL9268. But Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail said experts had confirmed that a plane could not be downed at 9,450m (31,000ft), the altitude the Airbus 321 was flying at, by weapons the militants are known to possess. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi also urged caution on Sunday, saying the investigation into the cause was a "complicated matter" that could take months. Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov said no evidence had been seen that indicated the plane was targeted, and IS has not produced pictures or video footage to substantiate its claim. Analysis by BBC Monitoring found that a video purporting to show the downing of a plane did not appear to be an official IS clip, and was not shared on official IS channels. Three airlines - Emirates, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa - have decided not to fly over the Sinai Peninsula until more information is available. Two smaller carriers, flydubai and Air Arabia, also said they would re-route flights. British Airways said it regularly assessed the safety of its routes. BA said it would not confirm flight routes, but that it "would never fly a route unless it was safe to do so". The plane came down early on Saturday, shortly after leaving the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the Russian city of St Petersburg. Russian and French investigators have joined the Egyptian-led probe, along with experts from Airbus, which is headquartered in France. Egyptian officials said some bodies had been recovered within a radius of 5km on Saturday, but that of a three-year-old girl was found 8km from the scene. One un-named official told Reuters the plane appeared to have split in two, with one part burning up and the other crashing into a rock. The plane's black boxes have been found and sent for analysis, officials said. Russia's transport regulator said on Sunday it is to check all the airline's A-321 planes, but Kogalymavia this would not affect their operations. Egypt's civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said there had been no sign of any problems on board the flight, contradicting earlier reports that the pilot had asked to make an emergency landing. The widow of the plane's co-pilot told Russian TV her husband had complained about the aircraft's technical condition. The plane was carrying 217 passengers, including 25 children, Russian transport authorities said. There were seven crew members on board. Most of the passengers were Russian, but at least three were Ukrainian and one Belarusian. The first bodies to be returned to Russia are expected

Summary: A Russian airliner which crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, killing all 224 people on board, broke up in mid-air, a Russian official says.


Scottish winger Matt Williams' early touchdown caused shudders round a soaking wet Sixways. But the home side responded with four tries, allied to 18 points from the boot of stand-off Ryan Lamb. Flanker Sam Lewis scored a hat-trick of tries, while winger Dean Hammond also crossed the whitewash. Lamb kicked three of his four conversion attempts, as well as two key first-half penalties - and two more late in the game. Full-back Peter Lydon got the Exiles' other try, which he converted, along with a first-half penalty for a 10-point haul. Scottish trailed by five points from Saturday's first leg, only for that advantage to be wiped out inside the first six minutes. Jamie Stevenson's blindside run set up right wing Williams to score in the corner. But that turned out to be the nearest this contest got to a Scottish gain as Warriors eventually rallied and started to tick the right boxes. Two Lamb penalties in the space of three minutes were followed by a Sam Lewis pushover try in the left corner, from which Lamb was also successful with the conversion. Peter Lydon did reduce the deficit at the interval to 13-8 with a penalty, but two tries in four minutes at the start of the second half killed the contest. All Blacks winger Cooper Vuna, switched to full-back following an early injury to Ben Howard, set up Hammond, converted by Lamb before Lewis crashed over in the right corner, from which Lamb missed his first kick of the night. Lydon converted his own try to bring it back to 25-15 on the night, before Lewis's third try, again converted by Lamb. Lamb landed two more penalties before injury-weakened Warriors brought the biggest roar of the night with the late introduction of 17-year-old schoolboy Jamie Shillcock at scrum-half. Warriors: Howard; Hammond, Grove, Mills, Vuna; Lamb, Bruzulier; Rapava Ruskin, Creevy, Schonert, Percival, Thomas, Mike Williams, Lewis, van Velze (capt). Replacements: Annett, Fainga'anuku, Rees, Cox, Shillcock, Fatiaki, Biggs. London Scottish: Lydon; Matt Williams, Moffat, Gidlow, Doneghan; Newton, Stevenson; Lilley, Kwasnicki, Prescott, Phillips, Thomas Brown, Gillanders, Best, Bright (capt). Replacements: Hallam, Stephenson, Rae, Chisholm, Walker, Heeks, Millar. Attendance: 6,658

Summary: Worcester Warriors booked their place in the Championship play-off final, but they had to come from behind to beat London Scottish on the night.


The mix-up happened after repair work was carried out in Cliffords Mesne, Gloucestershire, leaving dozens of residents without a connection and others with different numbers. BT Openreach has apologised and says it is working to put things right. Resident Rob Wadley, 73, said: "There was a lot of hilarity about it but also a serious side to it." He said the problem - caused by a damaged cable running through "some quite dense trees" - affected the entire village of 100 houses. "They completed [the repair] in two days and when they reconnected all the homes, everyone had someone else's number," he added. "Some had no phones and some had someone else's number. We got a telephone call for the local town councillor. We soon found out." Another resident, John Franklin, 65, said: "If you take our next-door neighbour, she is an elderly lady and has one of these emergency buttons. Her family use it to get in touch so it was quite serious as far as she was concerned. "There are some people who work from the village and they were very cross. One fellow said he was losing Â£1,000 a day." A spokeswoman for BT Openreach said: "We're sorry for the problems experienced by a handful of customers in Cliffords Mesne this week. "The issue arose whilst we were carrying out essential maintenance to one of our overhead cables, and we're working hard to put things right as soon as possible. "We would encourage anyone affected to contact their service provider as we are updating them regularly."

Summary: Villagers were left with their neighbours' phone numbers by bungling telephone engineers.


For the last eight months the government has been consulting on how best to ease congestion: its solution is a new piece of road, which drivers will pay to use. The trunk road links the country's largest container port in Felixstowe, with the M1 and M6 motorways, from where goods are whisked to the rest of the country. That's after spending many an hour in gridlock on the 130 mile length of the A14. The stretch through Cambridgeshire between Cambridge and Huntingdon is particularly busy and that's where the changes will happen. South Cambridgeshire MP, Andrew Lansley, welcomed the news: "We all know we need the A14 to be rebuilt. In tough times, if it's going to happen it can't just be paid for by the government - people who are using the road will have to dig into their pockets. "The A14 has stopped Cambridge from growing and it's an impediment day by day to people going about their business," he added. The plan to upgrade this vital artery through the region will cost up to Â£1.5 billion. More then 100,000 vehicles a day travel through Cambridgeshire, a quarter of them heavy good vehicles. Delays frustrate motorists and cost businesses a fortune. John Bridge from Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce gave the plan a cautious thumbs up. He said: "The business community is somewhat concerned about tolling but I think we believe it's a necessary evil if it is the only way we can get the road upgraded." While the local MP for Huntingdon, Jonathan Djanogly (Con) had warmer words: "The east of England needs this road to develop the area and without it, particularly as the economy picks up, it's going to be an increasing problem, so it's important we get on with it." For many years there's been talk about improving this road but every time, drivers hopes have been dashed. The last scheme, backed by Labour, was dropped by the coalition because it was too expensive. A toll road is obviously attractive to the government as it doesn't have to pay for the upgrade. Private finance will stump up the money and and motorists will pay. "HGV's can take the toll road and everyone else can use the local access roads," says Andrew Lansley. "The government hasn't got a limitless supply of money. We need to think of innovative and exciting solutions, which this is." The eastern region suffers from poor transport links, particularly east to west. No doubt this will go some way to help. The government says it wants construction to start in six years time. Isn't that after the next general election?

Summary: The government has announced that our most congested road, the A14, will be tolled.


Michelle O'Neill told the BBC she still intends to publish the plan later this month, with an indicative budget. On Thursday, Mrs O'Neill said there was "no longer an executive in place to agree a budget for an elective-care plan". But she had talks on Friday with the finance minister about the funding. The Stormont institutions face collapse following the resignation of Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister. On Friday, the health minister said she "remains committed" to publishing the strategy to tackle waiting lists which she said were "totally unacceptable" to her. She added that the amount of money needed was "sizeable" and that she was still in conversations with Mairtin O'Muilleoir looking at all the issues involved. While the health minister says she will push ahead with publishing the plan, as there is no budget or executive in place, its implementation will be more difficult.

Summary: The health minister has given further clarification around the publication of a new strategy to tackle hospital waiting times in Northern Ireland.


He wants to transfer the remaining 91 detainees to their home countries or to US military or civilian prisons. But Congress is deeply opposed to terror suspects being held on US soil and is expected to block the move. The prison costs $445m (£316m) to run annually and closing it was a 2009 promise from President Barack Obama. Human rights campaigners have repeatedly complained about the prison in Cuba, which has held 780 detainees since it opened in 2002. The president told reporters on Tuesday it undermined national security. "This is about closing a chapter in our history," said Mr Obama. "It reflects the lessons we've learned since 9/11 - lessons that must guide our nation going forward." But Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio was scathing in his criticism, saying Guantanamo prisoners do not belong on US soil. "These are literally enemy combatants," he said, adding he would ship terrorists straight to Guantanamo "to find out what they know". Life after Guantanamo prison Will Guantanamo prison finally close? There are four main components in the White House plan: It estimates the move would save up to $180m (£128m) a year in cost savings. The president, who will complete his second and final term in January, said it was important not to pass the problem on to his successor. "Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law.'' President Obama has tried for years to close Guantanamo. He and his deputies say that it hurts the reputation of the US and that militants use "the infamous orange jumpsuit", as one senior administration official described it, as a recruiting tool. But members of Congress have baulked at Mr Obama's plan to close the prison, saying they believe it should remain open - and they don't want any detainees to be transferred to the US. Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas, for example, said the prisoners should "stay right where they are". Lately, though, White House officials said that lawmakers, or at least some of them, seem more receptive to the idea. A senior administration official told reporters that there's "room for conversation". That's important since Mr Obama has less than a year to close the prison - and for him time is of the essence. Guantanamo Bay is located on an American naval base in south eastern Cuba. Former US President George W Bush opened it to accommodate foreign terror suspects after the 9/11 attacks on the US. One of the key complaints from human rights groups is that many detainees have been held there without charge or trial. White House officials said they could not give any names of people being held, but the New York Times has its own list. The Obama plan does not specify where in the US detainees would go. But the Pentagon has considered 13 different locations in the US, including seven prisons in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, and six other places

Summary: The White House has presented to Congress a plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, one of the president's long-standing goals.


The Environment Department published its Island Development Plan setting out planning policy for the island. It took three years to produce and includes proposals for increasing the amount of affordable housing and the regeneration of old vinery sites. Environment Minister Deputy Yvonne Burford claimed the plan balances the improving the economy with environment. If approved by the States, housing developers building five or more units would be required to make up to 30% available as affordable accommodation. Before the draft Island Development Plan is adopted by the States it will be subject to independent review by two planning inspectors.

Summary: Housing developers could be made to make 30% of a development affordable housing under new government plans.


The Cardinals took the lead through Matt Robinson's third goal of the season, a fine long-range effort. Gateshead levelled just before half time though, Ryan Bowman converting a penalty after James Curtis was fouled by Brian Saah. Robinson was denied by Gateshead goalkeeper Sam Russell late on as neither side could find a winner. The result leaves both sides near the middle of the table, with Gateshead eight points from the play-offs with three games to play and Woking safe from relegation despite a winless run that stretches back to January. Woking boss Garry Hill told BBC Surrey: Media playback is not supported on this device "You are always happy with a point but you want to win games and I felt over the 90 minutes if any team was going to win or deserved to win it was going to be us. "The frustrating part was in the last five games we have been 1-0 up and 2-0 up in those ones. We are giving away cheap goals and we've invited teams back in the match from experienced players."

Summary: Woking's winless run in the league extended to 13 games after Gateshead came from behind to earn a point.


Natalie Putt left her home in Thornleigh, Lower Gornal, on 1 September 2003, leaving her 11-week-old son at the house with relatives. It was the last time anyone reported seeing the 17-year-old. West Midlands Police said the case remained open and any credible information would be investigated. Det Sgt Matt Morgan said: "It remains a missing persons' inquiry as there is no evidence she's been murdered and certainly nothing to suggest she was suicidal at the time she vanished." Natalie had been out with a friend the day before she went missing. An 18-year-old man was arrested in 2004 in connection with her disappearance but was later released without charge. Police sealed off private land in Wombourne, south Staffordshire, earlier this year after someone recalled seeing a man digging near stables where Natalie is understood to have kept horses. Det Sgt Morgan said: "Forensics teams carried out extensive searches and archaeologists used specialist radar equipment to reveal any buried items, or [reveal] whether land had been disturbed. "Nothing suspicious was uncovered though and the search was called off after three days." Natalie was described as white, of slim build, and just over 5ft (1.5m) tall She was wearing a pendant necklace with the words "someone special" engraved on it.

Summary: Information is being sought over a teenage mother who went missing in the West Midlands 10 years ago this month.


The relaunch featured Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc driving Reliant three-wheelers from London to Blackpool and actor Jesse Eisenberg and chef Gordon Ramsay tackling the Top Gear track. The new hosts were signed up after the old team left after an infamous fracas between lead presenter Jeremy Clarkson and a producer. Initial ratings for the episode will not be known until Monday morning. However, Evans said earlier in the week he would be "disappointed" with anything fewer than five million viewers for the show's first episode. The presenter opened the show saying: "Welcome to Top Gear with our all-new, improved audience." Clarkson was fired from Top Gear in March last year after he punched a producer following a row about the provision of food late at night while filming on location. Evans made a jibe about the incident at the start of the episode, adding: "We don't make jokes about catering on this show any more." Another joke referencing Clarkson's departure was made when Evans bragged he had "won custody" of masked driver The Stig. The revamp featured many of the same elements the show is best known for including a profile of a supercar and a head-to-head challenge between the presenters. The Guardian's Stuart Heritage commented on the similarities during a film profiling the new Dodge Viper ACR saying: "It's well shot. It's got the same unearned swagger. It's presented by a man in a car comparing stuff to stuff, then leaving a pause, then accelerating, then shouting. It is identical." Unlike previous series, the "star in a reasonably priced car" segment was updated to feature two "stars in a rally cross car" compete on a new Top Gear track including an off-road dirt track, water section and a jump. Eisenberg and Ramsay were the first to tackle the course, with Ramsay scoring the faster time of the two. Alex Robbins, the Telegraph's motoring journalist, said he was not sure if the format should have been changed: "One of the best bits about this section was the juxtaposition of celebs in something deeply forgettable. The Mini doesn't work for that remit, because it's just a bit too cool. "I mean, you could imagine Eisenberg in a Mini in LA. The entertainment value of seeing him in something dreary has been lost," he said. He concluded the show was "a solid first effort", but added "it could have done with less of the gimmickry and more space to show off the cars themselves". In his commentary, the Independent's Christopher Hooton said: "The budget and production values were pretty much the same/as high [as previous series] and the show felt very similar, but the original trio were its heart and it needed to take more of a departure without them, not trade off past glories." Meanwhile the Huffington Post's Caroline Frost said: "Matt LeBlanc's laid-back style when left on his own gives a glimmer of hope." The Daily Mail's Quentin Letts said LeBlanc was "a success" and the show was "reasonably entertaining". But he added: "It has lost its spark of genius. It

Summary: Motoring show Top Gear has returned to BBC Two with its new line-up of hosts.


Under the rules, racegoers will also have to wear skirts or dresses of "modest length" falling just above the knee or longer. For men, a waistcoat and tie will be compulsory in the enclosure and cravats will not be allowed. Organisers said the decision was part of a move to restore formality. The annual week-long event in June attracts about 300,000 visitors each year. The popularity for elaborate fascinators, which are a cross between a hair accessory and a mini hat, continued last year after the Duchess of Cambridge wore a feathered one on her first official engagement in Anglesey. In the less formal grandstand, which is open to the public, it will now be compulsory for women to wear a hat or fascinator. In previous years, when female racegoers were simply advised that "many ladies wear hats". Strapless or sheer-strap tops and dresses will also be banned. For men, a suit and tie will now be obligatory. Ascot spokesman Nick Smith said: "It is probably fair to say the dress code hasn't necessarily been enforced quite as rigorously as we might have liked. "There is no doubt our customers would like to get back to a situation where it is universally acknowledged this is a formal occasion and not an occasion where you might dress as you would at a nightclub." Charles Barnett, Ascot's chief executive, said the intention was to be "as helpful as possible" to visitors and to help racegoers in understanding what is "cherished" about the dress code at Royal Ascot. "It isn't a question of elitism and not being modern in a world where there is less and less requirement to dress smartly - far from it," he said. "We want to see modern and stylish dress at Royal Ascot, just within the parameters of formal wear." The less formal Silver Ring will not be affected by the changes.

Summary: Women will have to wear hats, not fascinators, as part of a tightening of the dress code in Royal Ascot's Royal Enclosure this summer.


Kenya also won six silver and three bronze medals, with Jamaica and the US in second and third place respectively. Their final gold medal was won by Asbel Kiprop in the 1500m. President Uhuru Kenyatta tweeted: "Our young people have once again shown that they are as good as the world's best and brightest." "I'm so proud of myself to become a member of this exclusive club of three-times world champions," said Kiprop after his victory. His was part of a strong Kenyan performance its traditional domains of middle- and long-distance running, with gold medals for David Rudisha in the men's 800m Vivian Cheruiyot in the women's 10,000m and Ezekiel Kemboi and Hyvin Jepkemoi triumphing in the men's and women's 3,000m steeplechase respectively. Nicholas Bett won in the 400m hurdles and Julius Yego became the first Kenyan field event athlete to win a medal at the championships with victory in the men's javelin. On Wednesday it was announced that two Kenyan athletes at the championships had been suspended after failing drugs tests.

Summary: Kenya has come top of the overall medal table at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing for the first time, with seven gold medals.


On the one hand it expects price changes to be zero or even negative - or well below the 2% target - for longer than it predicted back in May (and actually nought over the next couple of months). But the Bank also expects inflation to return to target on the basis of interest rates that could rise a bit faster next year than it had been anticipating. That said, don't panic if you have a mortgage - the Bank's forecasts are based on the assumption that the interest rate it controls, Bank Rate, will rise just 0.25% in the first four months of next year and could double from 0.5% to 1% by the end of 2016. So if banks and building societies simply pass on this increase in their borrowing costs to customers, mortgage rates would rise by 0.5% next year. But if inflation is too low, why on earth would accelerated rises in interest rates do anything but reinforce the stagnation or even fall in prices? It's because the Bank of England reckons that what is bearing down on inflation is temporary in nature, and is foreign in origin. Or to tell you what you know, the big deflationary influences are the collapse in oil prices and the softness of food prices. A few months ago, it looked as though we were through the downward phase of the energy price cycle. But there has been another lurch downward in the oil price in recent weeks. And a 3.5% increase in the price of sterling relative to other currencies since May - which makes imports cheaper - means inflation could turn to deflation again in the next couple of months (though not growth-destroying, toxic deflation - or at least not yet). By contrast, wage rises are now accelerating (yes yes - about time too). And although there is no sign yet that companies are passing on those wage increments in the form of sharply higher prices for their goods and services, the Bank believes wage growth will start to push inflation back to target by the end of the year. In fact one member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee, Ian McCafferty, this week voted for an increase in the interest rate of 0.25% , because of "his view that demand growth and wage pressures were likely to be greater, and the margin of spare capacity smaller, than embodied in the Committee's collective August projection". And here lies the central uncertainty for the Bank of England about the British economy: whether a recent faint rise in unemployment represents a serious weakening in the economy, or skills shortages. For what it's worth, businesses are telling surveys that they still have considerable appetite to hire. That implies they can't get the people with the abilities they need - and that they will have to start to pay more for growth. So the notion - implied by the Bank of England's pronouncements - of interest rates being set to rise at a time when employment has stopped growing may be a painful one,

Summary: There is what to many will look like a contradiction at the heart of the Bank of England's voluminous pronouncements on inflation and interest rates.


The League Two newcomers fell behind on 27 minutes when Joshua Mullin headed in a free-kick from Nicky Cadden. Mullin then provided a neat cross for Daniel Mullen to knock in right on the stroke of half time. Mikey Miller crashed a shot against the woodwork as the visitors from League One continued to dominate before Liam Buchanan made it 3-0 from close range. Ousman See went close for the hosts but was denied a landmark goal by a smart save from Liam Kelly. Livingston move up to second place in Group G, behind St Mirren, who have two wins from two.

Summary: Edinburgh City's first competitive match as an SPFL side ended in League Cup defeat to Livingston at Meadowbank.


The British duo dominated from the start as they finished 2.62 seconds ahead of France with Germany in third. Two other Coleraine men Alan Campbell and Peter Chambers failed to reach the A finals in their events. Single sculler Campbell and lightweight four team member Chambers will compete in B finals on Sunday. The lightweight pairs is a non-Olympic class but the performances of Cassells and Scrimgeour could put them in contention for promotion to one of Britain's Rio berths for next year. Earlier this season, Cassells and Peter Chambers won the European title in the lightweight pairs class. Chambers and his team-mates could only manage fourth in their lightweight four semi-final with Campbell fifth in his single sculls semi-final in Aiguebelette. The Coleraine men will attempt to secure Olympic Games spots in Sunday's B deciders. The top five finishers in the lightweight four B final will clinch places in Rio for their countries while Campbell, 32, will need a top-three finish in his B decider to book a British berth in Brazil. 2002 Olympic bronze medallist Campbell, who missed out on selection for last year's World Championships, was always going to be up against it in Friday's semi-final. London Olympics winner Mahe Drysdale powered to victory in 6:45.08 which left him ahead of this year's European champion Damir Martin of Croatia with 2008 Olympic gold medallist Norwegian Olaf Tufte edging out Belarus's Stanislau Shcharbachenia to take the final qualifying spot. Campbell was a further 3.21 seconds back in fifth spot. Chambers and his British team-mates Jonathan Clegg, Mark Aldred and Chris Bartley were never really a factor in their semi-final as they finished 7.33 seconds behind Switzerland with France and Italy also progressing to the A final. The British quartet's performance continued their recent struggles after they also failed to make the A final at the recent Lucerne World Cup regatta. Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher will race for Britain in the lightweight double sculls final on Saturday. Ennisillen woman Leonara Kennedy and her Irish team-mate finished a distant fifth in the final of the non-Olympic women's four final on Friday.

Summary: Coleraine rower Joel Cassells and his British team-mate Sam Scrimgeour have won the lightweight pairs gold medal at the World Championships in France.


The ministers were speaking after they met in Cardiff to discuss the implications of the EU referendum vote. Voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland opted to remain in the EU in the referendum, while Wales voted to leave. Northern Ireland Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir described the meeting as "positive". "We want to speak with one voice to the chancellor - when we speak together, in a united fashion, we speak for 10m people," Mr Ó Muilleoir said. "So despite the fact that we voted in the north of Ireland to remain, the Scottish voted to remain, the Welsh voted to leave, despite that, I think we have made common cause today around some issues we want to bring to the chancellor's table. "We do seek resolution, particularly around this austerity agenda hampering our economic growth." His Welsh counterpart Mark Drakeford said all three nations relied on EU funding. "All three of us have to be determined to hold the United Kingdom to account in delivering the promises that were made to people that money would come in Wales' case to Wales - and that Wales would be better off, not worse off, as a result of leaving the European Union," Mr Drakeford said. "That's a common cause for us all," he said. Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: "We want the UK government to respect our position. "We will be issuing a letter to the UK government and we call upon them to give us some financial stability and ensure that we are represented in discussions going forward. "So maybe with a new prime minister we'll get a new attitude from the UK government."

Summary: Finance ministers from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have said they should be included in the UK's negotiations to leave the EU.


A gala opening will be held on 25 July following a Â£12 million renovation project, with Bellowhead the main act. Cardigan Castle is believed to have been home to the first ever recorded Eisteddfod in 1176. Some locals believe it is a "gross faux pas" to enlist an English group to play at such an historical cultural event. The renovated castle- which has new accommodation, a cultural centre and restaurant- hopes to attract over 30,000 visitors in its first year. Organisers the Cadwgan Trust have enlisted Welsh group 9Bach to support Bellowhead, who it describes as 'one of the best live acts in the UK' for the near sell-out 800 crowd. A pressure group was set up to protest. It is called The Friends of Rhys ap Gruffudd - who was the ruler of the old kingdom of Deheubarth in 1176 when the first Eisteddfod was held. Spokesman Hefin Wyn urged the Cadwgan Trust to rethink, saying that an English act headlining an event of such historical and cultural significance was a "gross faux pas". He said: "Perhaps they are suffering from cultural and historical amnesia. They haven't grasped how important the occasion is." Local Councillor John Adams Lewis told BBC Wales that "there is tremendous talent in the locality and some of those should be taking part." In a statement, Sue Lewis from the Cadwgan Trust said that there would be a "superb programme of events" at Cardigan Castle over the summer that would feature "national performances" and "up-and-coming local talent."

Summary: A row has erupted in Cardigan over plans to invite an English folk group to headline the opening concert at the historic town castle.


Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors rated almost every aspect of care at Sunderland's Hylton Medical Group as "inadequate". The group, which operates two sites for 5,240 patients, came out of its first spell in special measures a year ago. Clinical commissioners described the rating as "disappointing". Alison Holbourn, deputy chief inspector of general practice at the CQC, said: "We found that people were not getting the high quality of care which everyone should expect to receive from their GP. "Following improvements at a previous inspection in April last year, the practice has been unable to sustain these and they now return to special measures. "We remain particularly concerned about the effectiveness of the service the practice provides to patients." Ms Holbourn added: "There were no audits taking place, so staff had no way of knowing if the services provided to patients were improving their outcomes. "Following this inspection we also found fresh concerns around leadership. We weren't confident the practice was providing effective clinical leadership or that leaders had a comprehensive understanding of the practice performance. "I do not believe that the practice is likely to resolve its challenges without external support. "Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within six months and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service and remove the provider's registration." David Gallagher, chief officer at Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "It is disappointing the practice has received this rating, but we continue to work with NHS England and other partners to help the practice team tackle the issues that have been raised and make the necessary improvements. "Patients at the practice can continue to use the service in the usual way, and we would encourage anyone who is concerned about the report to contact the practice."

Summary: A GP practice has been warned it could be closed down after inspectors placed it in special measures for a second time.


And when it came to digital technology there was a Commodore 64 home computer. She's come a long way from that Tyrone childhood and now, based in Silicon Valley, is one of the most powerful women in the technology industry. She recently became the first independent board member of Slack, a business communications platform. Her day job is chief financial officer for Square, a payments business. She led Square's stock market flotation in 2015 and it now has a market capitalisation of more than $8bn (£6.2bn). She was back home last week for the launch of a project which is being supported by various members of Northern Ireland's tech diaspora. They have funded the conversion of Belfast Ormeau Baths building into a co-working space for freelancers and small businesses. She hopes it will allow for "the serendipity of bouncing ideas off different people. It's about creating that nugget of an idea that really works. "You're going to get a bunch of folks with an entrepreneurial streak all in the same place, digging deep to push their own companies forward but they're going to be talking to one another." She works alongside one of the world's best known tech leaders, Jack Dorsey, the founder of both Square and Twitter. "Jack is a phenomenal entrepreneur, what's special about working with someone like that is you see their creative process in action, you see how spontaneous it is," she said. "Seeing something in action in is what gives him his next best idea or gives me my next best idea so my hope is that Ormeau Baths can become that little catalytic point." Her route to the top took her through corporate heavyweights McKinsey, Goldman Sachs and Salesforce after an engineering degree at Oxford. But at the root of that are her school days at Strabane Grammar. "I was lucky in that I was very interested in math and science at school and that was really encouraged," she said. "You hear a lot today about how girls maybe don't get involved in those sorts of subjects. I never found that at school and in fact with all my best friends we were all mad about maths and science. "There was never a sense that there was no job we shouldn't aspire to." Square's main business is helping small firms to take payments through a card reader and app. Its largest market is the United States and it has been operating in the UK for just seven weeks. "So far, so good," Sarah said. "This is a market which has all the hallmarks of a market which should work for Square. "A vibrant small business economy, very technology forward compared to the US and a very innovative spirit and that's usually the sort of business which will embrace all the products that Square will bring to market."

Summary: Growing up in Sion Mills, Sarah Friar's introduction to engineering was dismantling and reassembling her mum's vacuum cleaner.


The younger girl was found with life-threatening injuries near an address in Alness Drive, in the Woodthorpe area of the city. She was taken to hospital but died a short time later, North Yorkshire Police said. The teenager remains in police custody and is being questioned by officers, the force added. A spokesman said officers found the seven-year-old after police were called at about 16:30 GMT. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the girl's death continues, he added. Earlier, the York City and East policing team posted a message about the incident. In a tweet, they said: "Difficult late shift for all York staff with tragic death of a seven-year-old. Thoughts go out to family members."

Summary: A 15-year-old girl has been arrested after the death of a seven-year-old girl in York, police have said.


Forecasts were predicting a 4.1% fall in exports, but a weakening currency may have boosted the lagging sector. Imports also beat expectations in yuan-dominated terms to only fall 4%, compared to forecasts of a 7.9% slump. The jump in exports was the first rise since June last year as the sector has been battered by slowing demand and slumping commodity prices. For the year, exports fell 1.8%, while imports tumbled 13.2% from 2014. China's customs spokesman Huang Songping said at a news conference in Beijing that the country's exports fell last year due to weak external demand. Trade figures in US dollar-denominated terms came out later in the day and were also better-than-expected. Exports fell 1.4%, compared to forecasts of an 8% fall, while imports declined 7.6% against expectations of an 11.5% decline. The country's central bank had been aggressively weakening the yuan guidance rate -the rate the bank fixes for the currency on a daily basis - last week in an attempt to boost the sector. But the depreciation of the yuan sparked fears that other countries in the region would also start to devalue their currencies to compete with China on exports and that rattled global markets. This week, it has set the yuan rate steady in attempt to calm volatility in equity markets and soothe fears that China's economy may be slowing faster than anticipated. The world's second largest economy is already expected to have grown at its slowest pace in a quarter of a century last year, with Beijing targeting 7% growth. But many economists have warned that the Asian giant may undershoot that target as key sectors such as exports, manufacturing, property and consumption struggle to gain momentum. However, Wednesday's closely watched better-than-expected figures could go a long way to ease fears about the Chinese economy at a time when attention is focused on how authorities are handling the market volatility. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index was up 0.7% to 3,044.52 after the data was released.

Summary: Chinese exports defied expectations in December to rise 2.3% from a year ago in yuan-denominated terms.


David Warner and Steve Smith both hit centuries as Australia reached 371-6 in their 50 overs at Kingsmead. But an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 107 by David Miller (118 not out) and Andile Phehlukwayo (42 not out) saw the Proteas home with four balls to spare. South Africa now have an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Their 372-6 eclipsed India's score of 362-1 - also against Australia - in 2013. The highest successful one-day international run chase was also made by South Africa, who hit 438-9 - against Australia - in Johannesburg in 2006. Eight of the top 10 successful ODI run chases have now been achieved against Australia. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: South Africa completed the second-highest run chase in one-day international history as they beat Australia by four wickets in Durban.


Media playback is not supported on this device Last week, the Reds rejected a £90m bid from the Spanish giants for the 25-year-old Brazil attacking midfielder, who then submitted a transfer request. Coutinho has missed the opening two games of Liverpool's season with a back injury, but the club has repeatedly stressed he is not for sale. Despite that, Barca have previously said they are "close" to signing him. On Thursday, responding to Barcelona general manager Pep Segura's claim that a deal was close, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: "I don't know why other people are saying what they are saying. "I don't even know them - especially this guy. I've never even met him." The La Liga side have moved for Coutinho after selling Brazil team-mate Neymar to Paris St-Germain for a world record transfer fee of £200m. Coutinho signed a new five-year deal at Anfield in January, which did not include a release clause. He is also set to miss Saturday's home Premier League match against Crystal Palace (15:00 BST kick-off). Liverpool's instant dismissal of Barcelona's third offer is further hard evidence of the determination within the club that they will not be forced into selling their prize asset under any circumstances. Fenway Sports Group, and manager Klopp, remain unmoved by Barcelona's increased financial inducements - as well as a transfer request from a player who has clearly had his head turned. Liverpool regard this latest bid, understood to be about £114m, as irrelevant because their stance, as it has been from day one, is that Coutinho will not be sold. But questions remain. Will Barcelona take the hint and walk away? Will Coutinho, sidelined by a back injury, accept his dream move will not come to fruition and eventually return to the fold? Will his unhappiness increase at the prospect of a switch to the Nou Camp slipping away? For all the noises coming out of Barcelona that a move is "close", it remains as far away as the day they made their first approach. Liverpool's mood has not altered.

Summary: Liverpool have rejected a third bid from Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho - believed to be in the region of £114m.


It features the Welsh dragon, the English lion, the Scottish unicorn and a stag for Northern Ireland. Rt Rev Gregory Cameron has also been able to incorporate his initials. The final batch of round £1 coins for public circulation were struck at the mint in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taff, in December. A new 12-sided £1 coin, billed by the Royal Mint as the "most secure coin in the world", is to be introduced in 2017. Rt Rev Cameron, an amateur artist and coin collector, said: "I am absolutely delighted and proud that I have designed the very last commemorative round pound coin. "In my design, the four heraldic beasts are equal - each has its quarter of the coin. "There is also some cross-over - parts of each beast cross over into the next. That makes it more dynamic and also symbolic as it shows four separate nations, all an equal part, yet interlinked as they protect Britain's sovereignty, the Crown. "As a Welshman, I put my initials GKC under the dragon." Royal Mint commemorative coins director Anne Jessopp said the commemorative "farewell" pound was all the more special, given it was the last.

Summary: A final commemorative round £1 coin has been struck using a design created by the Bishop of St Asaph following a Royal Mint competition.


The move came hours after it said it would abolish zero-hours contracts for its directly employed, casual retail staff. It will now employ them for at least 12 guaranteed hours a week instead. However almost all staff at the firm's troubled Shirebrook warehouse are agency workers and are not eligible. Sports Direct said the workers' rep would "give workers a voice at the highest level and to help ensure that all staff are treated with dignity and respect". It is not clear how the representative will be chosen, but it is expected that he or she will be elected. The retailer's founder, Mike Ashley, said the board move will offer a "great benefit" and provide "input [that] is invaluable". "I think it will be the one no-brainer that Sports Direct should have been doing," he said in a video interview released by Sports Direct on Tuesday night. "I want to be the pioneer who gets it done... I am going to make it happen." Investors: Sports Direct needs a new chairman Sports Direct workers share their experiences Earlier in the day, in a report commissioned by the firm, Sports Direct apologised for conditions at Shirebrook and admitted "serious shortcomings" in working practices. The retailer has been under mounting pressure to overhaul its operations. It commissioned its legal advisers Reynolds Porter Chamberlain to carry out the review after MPs accused the firm of not treating staff like humans, with working practices closer to "that of a Victorian workhouse than that of a modern high street retailer". The firm's offer of guaranteed hours will apply to the firm's 18,250 casual staff who work in its stores. The 4,059 warehouse workers supplied by agency staff, will not qualify for the offer. Just 400 of the firm's warehouse employees are on permanent contracts. In football, like most sports, timing is everything. Mike Ashley, the billionaire owner of Newcastle United and controlling shareholder of Sports Direct, knows this all too well. The release this morning of the independent review comes just a day before he faces irate shareholders at the annual general meeting. They, and trade unions, are baying for blood, and while the report may not mollify them, it changes the nature of the headlines the day before the showdown. The investigation is surprisingly hard on the company. Many had predicted a whitewash, as the law firm involved, Reynold Porter Chamberlain, does other work for Sports Direct. In a statement the company also promises a review of its corporate governance, and to engage with shareholders. That olive branch will probably come too late to change the tally at tomorrow's meeting, where chairman Keith Hellawell will almost certainly face the ignominy of having a majority of independent shareholders vote against his appointment. More from Dominic: Sports Direct review Profile of Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley Sports Direct 'needs a new chairman' Sports Direct staff 'not treated as humans' Last year an investigation by the Guardian newspaper revealed that warehouse staff were subject to lengthy security searches which, in some cases, resulted in their pay falling below the

Summary: Sports Direct, the retailer under fire for the treatment of its staff, says it will now put a workers' representative on its board.


In a statement, President Trump said visas would once again be issued once "the most secure policies" were in place, and denied it was a Muslim ban. The move has been widely condemned. Sixteen state attorneys general have said the order is unconstitutional. Several federal judges have temporarily halted the deportation of visa holders. Live: Protests over ban Mr Trump's executive order, signed on Friday, halted the entire US refugee programme for 120 days, indefinitely banned Syrian refugees, and suspended all nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries. Those who were already mid-flight were detained on arrival - even if they held valid US visas or other immigration permits. It is not known how many others were turned away at airports overseas as they tried to board flights to the US. Thousands gathered at airports around the country to protest on Saturday, including lawyers who offered their services for free to those affected. Further demonstrations were held on Sunday, including protests outside the White House and Trump Tower in New York. As well as the ban on all refugees, travellers who have nationality or dual nationality of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are not permitted to enter the US for 90 days, or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa. This includes those who share dual nationality with allied countries, including the UK, although Canada has been told its dual nationals are not affected. But there remains much confusion. The UK foreign office put out a statement saying that only those dual nationals travelling from one of the blacklisted seven countries would be subject to extra checks - those travelling between the UK and US would not be affected. However, one Scottish veterinary student - who travels on an Iranian passport - was unable to fly home from her holiday in Costa Rica because she was told her transit visa for the US was no longer valid. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said US green-card holders - legal residents - would also not be affected, but some have been detained since the order came into effect. Mr Trump tweeted early on Sunday that the US needed "extreme vetting, NOW" but later, in a statement, tried to offer more reassuring words, saying: "This is not about religion - this is about terror and keeping our country safe. "We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days," he said. Mr Priebus rejected criticism that the implementation of the order had been chaotic, and said only 109 people, out of 325,000 travelling, had been detained and "most of those people were moved out". "We've got a couple of dozen more that remain and I would suspect that as long as they're not awful people that they will move through before another half a day today," he told US media on Sunday. But they have failed to allay concern among some in their Republican party. The Republican chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations committee,

Summary: The Trump administration is standing firm over its ban on immigration from seven countries despite court rulings and mass protests against it.


Last month's blast at Wood Treatment Ltd reduced the Bosley mill to rubble. Will Barks, Derek Moore and Dorothy Bailey were identified as victims, but Jason Shingler, 38, remains missing. While Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service say they have now handed the investigation over to police, a search and rescue team will stay at the site. Small fires were still burning at the site until last week, but a fire service spokesman said these have now been extinguished. He added that crews would return to the area if any hidden or smouldering fires were uncovered. Temperatures reached 1,000C in the blast and it was described by rescue workers as the "worst incident of its kind" in a decade. The Bosley Disaster Appeal Fund has raised more than Â£53,000 for the families of the victims and workers left without jobs. In a statement last week the mill's owners said they "could not predict" when the factory would be operational again. An investigation into the cause of the explosion continues.

Summary: Firefighters have left the site of the Cheshire wood flour mill which was destroyed in an explosion that left three people dead and a fourth missing.


Amateur metal detectorists Jim Wills and Dennis Hewings first unearthed the coins in Ipplepen, Devon, in 2009. Now archaeologists have uncovered a Romano-British settlement which had trade links to the rest of the Empire. Dr Sam Moorhead, from the British Museum, said the site raised "a whole series of new questions" about Roman Devon. The Ipplepen Archaeological Project, which began its 2016 fieldwork just two weeks ago, has involved the University of Exeter, the Portable Antiquities Scheme run by the British Museum, Devon County Council and Cotswold Archaeology. Until now there was little evidence of the Romans outside of Exeter, which is 20 miles north-east of Ipplepen. It had been thought that rural areas had not been particularly affected by Roman influence, a spokesperson for the University of Exeter said. However, the discovery of "significant amounts" of Roman pottery made in other parts of the Empire and imported into Britain has demonstrated the rural site's connections to the rest of the Roman world. "The presence of these kinds of vessels demonstrates that the people living here... adopted Romanised ways of eating and drinking" including "a taste for Mediterranean products such as wine and olives", Danielle Wootton, the Devon finds liaison officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said. But the site was "puzzling" when compared to other known settlements in neighbouring counties such as Somerset, where a greater amount of coins, brooches and pottery had been found, she said. "We are wondering whether the Dumnonii, the tribe who lived in the area now known as Devon, still retained their traditional identity rather than becoming entirely Romanised", Ms Wootton said. In previous years the team have discovered a Roman road, as well as pot holes which had been repaired. "Until recently, who would have thought that Ipplepen village was once 'plugged in' to the Roman empire?", Ms Wootton added.

Summary: The boundaries of the Roman Empire have been expanded following the discovery of Roman coins in a rural village.


Patients at Royal Stoke University Hospital were taken outside in their beds when a fire broke out in the main building on Wednesday evening. The incident followed a fire in toilets at Staffordshire University earlier in the day, police said. Thomas Ashcroft, 39, of Musgrave Crescent, Sheffield, has been charged with two counts of committing arson with intent to endanger life.

Summary: A man has been charged with arson after fires at a hospital and university.


24 August 2016 Last updated at 17:01 BST These are little beads made of plastic that can be found in face scrubs and other cosmetics. They can cause lots of harm to the environment and wildlife. Jenny's been finding out more.

Summary: Politicians in the UK have said that plastic microbeads should be banned across the world.


Det Con Chris Maitland, 40, faces 14 charges, including sexual touching of a girl aged under 13 and making indecent images of a child. The officer appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier and was remanded in custody. He is next due to appear at Southwark Crown Court on 15 April. Det Con Maitland, who works in the force's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, was originally arrested in November on suspicion of possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was arrested again on Tuesday on suspicion of sexual touching of a young girl in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, in October 2005. It is alleged the officer, of no fixed address, possessed 818 images and videos, ranging from the most serious category A to the lowest category C. He also faces five counts of taking an indecent image of a child and seven of making an indecent image of a child. Mr Maitland is currently suspended from duty.

Summary: A Met Police detective working in a child abuse investigation unit has appeared in court accused of a string of child sex offences.


Angus MacNeil, chairman of the House of Commons energy committee, has called for the project to be re-examined. It follows a letter that EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy sent to his staff, saying the project needed more funding from the French government. The UK government said it was "committed" to Hinkley Point. But Mr MacNeil, an MP for the SNP, said the government needed to urgently rethink its support for the proposal. "It's something that has to be looked into very carefully and very soon because it is a huge obligation and a lot of eggs in quite small baskets," he said. "The Chinese are involved, the French involved, the UK are involved. They need to take a step back because other places have decided not to go ahead with this stuff." In his letter to EDF staff, Mr Levy said: "We are currently negotiating with the French state to obtain commitments allowing us to secure our financial position. "I am sure that this project is a good project for the group and that in the near future, all the conditions will come together for it to be definitely launched. "It is clear that I will not engage EDF in this project before these conditions are met." The company, which is 85% owned by the French government and owns 58 reactors in France, is expected to finalise in April how it will fund the project. It has postponed the decision a number of times. The plan was delayed in January, reportedly owing to funding difficulties. But Mr Levy highlighted in his letter that China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), which will own 33.5% of the project, was investing about 8bn euros (£6bn). He also expressed his confidence in EDF to manage "very large projects". Pressure is mounting as the £18bn cost of the Hinkley project is more than the entire value of the firm. And there is scepticism as the British government has agreed to pay more than twice the current wholesale price of energy once the plant is producing - £92.50 per megawatt hour for electricity, against £37 per megawatt hour. But Prime Minister David Cameron has backed the plan, calling Hinkley Point a "pillar of (the UK and France's) bilateral relationship". Simon Taylor, an economist at Cambridge University, said the letter from Mr Levy showed he was looking for reassurances from the other stakeholders. He said it would be "very embarrassing for the French government to cancel this" but a pull-out from the UK side could also "cast doubt on the UK's entire energy policy" and jeopardise future projects. By Simon Jack, BBC News business editor Imagine British Gas owners Centrica were in financial trouble after sinking billions into a French power station. And then imagine that the bill for rescuing it fell on to taxpayers. That is essentially the risk facing EDF and the French government. The dangers to the company's financial integrity are great enough to prompt EDF's chief financial officer to resign in protest, the French equivalent of the National Audit Office to issue stark warnings and

Summary: Fresh doubts have arisen over plans by French Energy firm EDF to build an £18bn nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset.


Dear Colleague I am writing to clarify the Government's position with regard to the changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) for the self-employed, announced in last week's Budget. As I set out last Wednesday, the gap between benefits available to the self-employed and those in employment has closed significantly over the last few years - most notably by the introduction of the new State Pension in April 2016, worth an additional Â£1,800 to a self-employed person for each year of retirement. It remains our judgment that the current differences in benefit entitlement no longer justify the scale of difference in the level of total NICs paid in respect of employees and the self-employed. Colleagues will be aware that there has been a sharp increase in self-employment over the last few years. Most commentators believe that at least part of the increase is driven by differences in tax treatment. HMRC estimates that the cost to the public finances of this trend is around Â£5bn this year alone and the parallel increase in incorporation will cost more than Â£6bn a year by the end of the Parliament. This represents a significant risk to the tax base and thus to the funding of our public services. The measures I announced in the Budget sought to reflect more fairly the differences in entitlement in the contributions made by the self-employed and addresses the challenge of sustainability of the tax base. The Government continues to believe that this is the right approach. Since the Budget, however, there has been much comment on the question of commitments made in our 2015 manifesto. Ahead of Autumn Statement last year, the Prime Minister and I decided that, however difficult the fiscal challenges we face, the tax-lock and spending ring-fence commitments we have made for this Parliament should be honoured in full. I made this clear in the Autumn Statement speech. As far as National Insurance contributions are concerned, the locks were legislated for in the National Insurance contributions (Rate Ceilings) Act 2015. When that Bill was introduced, it was made clear that the lock would apply only to Class 1 contributions (employer and employee). The measures proposed in the Budget fall within the constraints set out by the tax-lock legislation and the spending ring-fences. However, in light-of the debate over the last few days it is clear that compliance with the "legislative" test of the Manifesto commitment is not adequate. It is very important both to me and to the Prime Minister that we are compliant not just with the letter, but also the spirit, of the commitments that were made. In light of what has emerged as a clear view among colleagues and a significant section of the public, I have decided not to proceed with the Class 4 NIC measures set out in the Budget. There will be no increases in NICs rates in this Parliament. We will continue with the abolition of Class 2 NICs from April 2018. The cost of the changes I am announcing today will be funded by measures to be announced in the

Summary: Here is the full text of Chancellor Philip Hammond's letter to Conservative MPs explaining his decision to drop National Insurance increases announced in last week's Budget.


Look around the world and every other major football club has a women's team, or plans for one. Two of the biggest, men's Champions League finalists Real Madrid and Juventus, are about to set up theirs. Most of those teams are fully integrated with the rest of the club and being backed financially too - a few miles from Old Trafford, for example, Manchester City's commitment to their women's side is clear. Media playback is not supported on this device Southampton are the only other Premier League side not to have an affiliated women's team, although they have just announced a new under-21 team for next season, giving a pathway for the young female players in their girls' sides - something United's girls do not have. Locally, nationally or globally, whichever clubs United compare themselves to, they are allowing themselves to be left behind. I don't understand why. When people have talked about this issue in the past, they have focused on how, with the club's vast resources and worldwide profile, a United team would help develop the women's game. That is still true, but it now works the other way too - United are missing out on an easy way of engaging with their huge female fanbase, in Manchester and further afield, and promoting the importance of women in the make-up of their club. A women's team would do all of that. The game is growing fast and other clubs have demonstrated they believe it is a big commercial asset, at very little cost. Why do United think differently? When the BBC asked United last week about the prospect of them forming a women's team, the club responded by saying: "It is a matter that is under review and a detailed analysis is currently being undertaken." Taken in isolation, that reply gives the impression it is an issue being actively discussed by the club. The problem for me with just accepting that is the case and leaving them to get on with it is that United have been saying the same thing for several years now, since 2013. Whoever asks them about a women's team - and many people from United fans to MPs and national newspapers have done so down the years - United's stock reply is the matter is "under review". Hearing it repeated again and again makes it feel like a brush-off. The BBC's request for an interview was turned down but, if I was given the chance to ask United any questions, I would like to know who is actually carrying out this review and analysis. Who have they been talking to since 2013, what have they found out so far, is there any evidence a review has been happening - and, crucially, when is it likely to end? Media playback is not supported on this device United did have a women's team until the Glazers scrapped it in 2005, with a spokesman saying "it was not part of their core business". I can actually understand why they may have made that decision at the time -

Summary: I think it is shocking that in 2017 a club the size of Manchester United does not have a women's team, and what is even worse is they will not properly explain their position.


It happened at HM YOI Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire on Friday morning, Thames Valley Police said. An online prison blog said 30 inmates took part in the "mass brawl". Police said the injured people had since been released from hospital. The Prison Service said it was investigating the incident with police. Officers were called to "a report of disorder" at the young offender institution in Bierton Road at about 11:00 BST, but "officer deployment was not required at the incident", a spokeswoman said. "Seven prison officers and one prisoner were taken to hospital for treatment." The incident came to light in an online blog on Prison UK. Author Alex Cavendish, a former prisoner, said he was passed the information via "reliable, professional sources inside the system". "A mass brawl broke out yesterday morning... Prisoners were attacking each other with weapons - and staff," the informant said. He described the incident as "horrific". "Staff were trying to save their lives and got battered. Some were seriously injured. Another officer was on the landing unconscious. "We had ambulances and fire service in, trying to help alongside our healthcare department. "The wing has been brewing for a while," he added. A Prison Service Spokesman confirmed that "an incident involving a number of prisoners took place on Friday 21 July". "We do not tolerate violence against our hard-working staff. Where incidents like this occur, we will always work closely with the police to push for the strongest possible punishment," he added. The incident is being jointly investigated by the Prison Service and Thames Valley Police.

Summary: Seven prison officers and one prisoner were taken to hospital after "disorder" at a young offender institution, police have said.