Launching their local election campaign, Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said he wanted "decisions taken as close as possible" to communities. The Conservatives currently run Monmouthshire with Lib Dem support. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the row over a UKIP AM joining the Tory group was not being raised by voters. The campaign launch took place on Thursday in Dinas Powys, in the key Conservative target of the Vale of Glamorgan, currently run by Labour as the largest party. The Tories hope to benefit from consistently high opinion poll ratings for Prime Minister Theresa May. But Mr Davies has been at the centre of a furious row, after announcing the defection of AM Mark Reckless from UKIP to the Conservative assembly group despite Mr Reckless not being a Tory party member. Mr Reckless's previous defection as an MP from the Tories overshadowed the UK party's last conference before the 2015 general election. Senior party figures agree there is little to no prospect of him becoming a Conservative Party member anytime soon. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the row over Mr Reckless was not being raised by voters on the doorstep. "Potholes are more important than personalities," he told BBC Wales. Mr Cairns added that the relationship between the UK Government and Mr Davies was "positive and professional", despite reports that senior figures disagreed with his welcoming of the former UKIP AM. At the campaign launch, Mr Davies said councils should be more open to the people they served. "Time and time again, whether it be the planning system, whether it be exorbitant council tax increases that people have had to face, they believe that Labour-run councils - along with Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats - haven't been listening to them," he told BBC Wales. "Welsh Conservatives promise to listen, promise to deliver, and above all will make sure that we're held to account when we get into county halls across the length and breadth of Wales." Earlier, he told the BBC's Good Morning Wales programme that high pay in local government "drove people around the bend", and questioned why some officials in county halls were paid more than the prime minister. The party's local government spokeswoman Janet Finch-Saunders said Labour and Plaid Cymru-led councils "continue to hold back our communities with a complacency that has seen our high streets deteriorate, picturesque green spaces diminish, and council tax bills spiralling out of control". The Conservatives currently have 104 council seats in Wales, behind Labour and Plaid.

Summary: Welsh Conservative councils would offer fairer council tax bills, promote better recycling and revitalise high streets, the party has pledged.


In his closing speech, Mr Farron will say the NHS needs to be put on a sustainable footing to save it "lurching from crisis to crisis". He will also call for a merger of NHS and care services to ensure people "don't slip through the net". And on education, he is expected to pledge to abolish primary SATs. Mr Farron will also seek to put pressure on the government to spell out "what Brexit really means" and demand a new referendum on the terms of the final deal. Addressing party delegates in Brighton, on the final day of Lib Dem conference, Mr Farron will say more money is needed to put the health service on a sustainable footing and ensure that patients, now and in the future, can get the treatment and care "that they deserve". "We need to face the hard truth that the NHS needs more money - a lot more money - not just to stop it lurching from crisis to crisis but so that it can meet the needs and the challenges it will face in the years ahead," Mr Farron will say. The party has put together a panel of senior doctors and experts to examine the case for a "dedicated NHS and care tax". Mr Farron will tell conference: "If the only way to fund a health service that meets the needs of everyone is to raise taxes, Liberal Democrats will raise taxes." Tim Farron will seek to use his keynote conference speech to position the Lib Dems as the only alternative to the Conservatives. The Lib Dems are celebrating a surge in people joining the party. But that increase hides the huge task they face to rebuild their parliamentary representation at Westminster where they currently have eight MPs. The Lib Dem leader is expected to recall his own experiences battling for a better home for his grandfather, who had Alzheimer's, and call for a merger of NHS and care services. "We all deserve to know that, no matter what happens, we will be cared for properly and treated with dignity and respect," he will say. "It's not civilised to let people slip through the net." He will add: "If the great Liberal William Beveridge had written his blueprint today, when people are living to the ages they are now, there is no doubt that he would have proposed a National Health and Care Service. "So let's today decide to do what Beveridge would do. Let's create that National Health and Care Service." On education, the Lib Dem leader will say the current system is not focused on developing young people for later life but rather "on getting them through the wrong kinds of tests". He will say he wants schools to be places "where children are inspired to learn, not stressed out by tests". "So I want to end the current system of SATs in primary schools that are a distraction from the real education that professional teachers want to give their children; that weigh heavy on children as young as six and add nothing

Summary: The Lib Dems are prepared to raise taxes to fund an NHS "that meets the needs of everyone", Tim Farron is to tell his party's annual conference.


Sandra Brown believes her father, Alexander Gartshore, murdered 11-year-old Moira Anderson and hid her body in Old Monklands Cemetery in 1957. She was speaking as a police operation continues at the grave where the child's body may be hidden. Mrs Brown said she hoped the operation would bring closure to Moira's family. Moira Anderson vanished during a trip to the shops in Coatbridge. Bus driver Gartshore, a child rapist who died in 2006, has been linked to her disappearance. Moira's family believe she may have been killed and buried at Old Monklands Cemetery in the family plot of Sinclair Upton, an acquaintance of Gartshore. Speaking to journalists at the cemetery on Wednesday, Mrs Brown said: "My father was every bit as much of a paedophile as Jimmy Savile ever was. "My sad conclusion is that Moira is not the only child in the central belt of Scotland who suffered this fate. "Whether we find her or not, we know we've looked. I hope to see results in the next few days." Mrs Brown said the exhumation was "very much the end of the road" as she did not know where the investigation could go if Moira's body was not found. She said it was her belief that there was a "paedophile ring" operating in the area at the time the schoolgirl went missing. The children's protection campaigner, who was a childhood friend of Moira, said she believed other victims of abuse may have come from care homes, with the cases never being reported. Mrs Brown said that when she first raised the issue of a paedophile ring in the area in the early 1990s, she was treated with "scorn". She added: "Given recent events with Mr Savile, people are now realising that this is not a modern phenomenon. It has gone on for a long time." Mrs Brown, who has received an OBE for services to child protection, set up the Moira Anderson Foundation in 2000 to tackle sexual abuse of young people. In 2006, she published the book, "Where There is Evil", which outlined her belief that her father had murdered Moira Anderson. The digging at the Upton family burial plot began on Tuesday under the supervision of Strathclyde Police and is expected to last four days. A radar imaging scan of the plot in 2007 uncovered inconsistencies in the soil which may indicate the presence of an additional body.

Summary: The daughter of a man who is suspected of murdering a schoolgirl 55 years ago says her father was "every bit as much of a paedophile as Jimmy Savile".


The Commerce Department said retail sales jumped 0.6% last month, the biggest increase since December. In addition, the retail sales figures for June were revised to show a 0.3% rise instead of the previous estimate of a 0.2% drop. In response, the dollar hit a near three-week high against a basket of major currencies. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones rose 5.28 points to 21,998.99, the S&P 500 index dipped 1.23 points to 2,464.61 and the Nasdaq fell 7.22 points to 6,333.01. Shares in Coach sank 15% after the handbag maker's full-year sales forecast fell short of analysts' expectations. The company said it expected revenues for the 2018 financial year to be between $5.8bn and $5.9bn, whereas analysts had been predicting a figure above $6bn. Dick's Sporting Goods plunged 23% after sportswear retailer's sales and profits in the second quarter came in below expectations.

Summary: Wall Street shares ended Tuesday little changed, but the dollar rose on the back of strong retail sales figures.


In a nod to Mr Trudeau's fondness for statement socks, he wore Canada-themed mountie and maple leaf print ones to welcome his first foreign visitor. Mr Trudeau opted for a more subtle striped pair on his first official engagement in the Republic of Ireland. The Canadian premier is in the country for a three-day visit. Away from talk of socks, trade issues are set to dominate the agenda, with the Canada-EU free trade deal expected to be a focal point of talks between the two leaders. Mr Trudeau arrived in Dublin with his wife, Sophie GrÃ©goire, and their youngest son, Hadrien, on Monday. He is in Europe for a key G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany later this week. Mr Trudeau is also due to meet Irish President Michael D Higgins at his official residence. The visit was arranged in May when Mr Varadkar's predecessor Enda Kenny met the Canadian leader in Montreal. On that occasion, Mr Trudeau wore special Star Wars themed socks, as it coincided with the widely-celebrated Star Wars Day on 4 May.

Summary: Irish Taoiseach (PM) Leo Varadkar has engaged in some "sock diplomacy" in his first meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Dublin.


Rehoboth Baptist Chapel, next to the Regent Circus development in Swindon, was closed in January 2014 because of damage to its ceiling and walls. Repairs by developer ISG had been expected to start two months ago. The BBC has asked ISG for a comment but the company has not responded. The chapel and people living near the Regent Circus complex, which opened fully in February, said they had been reassured by ISG at a public meeting in March 2014 that the damage would be "put right". Tracy White, from residents group Back Garden, said the company had offered nearby residents a property survey and had also agreed to write to all those affected. She said when she had contacted ISG to confirm whether "the letter was actually circulated to residents" she had received no reply. Ms White said: "At that meeting, ISG's director made a public commitment to rectify any problems that the surveys identified. "We know that there are residents on Cross Street whose properties back on to the development that have no access to their garages and back alley, which has remained closed off with fencing for nearly two years. "We were also led to believe repair work would begin in February and March, and that concrete underpinning would start in April. "Again, nothing has happened with this work." Rehoboth Baptist Chapel has been hiring nearby St Mary's church for its congregation since the chapel closed last year.

Summary: A chapel which closed more than a year ago when cracks appeared during the construction of a nearby retail complex is still awaiting repairs by the developer.


The fact that Europe's most-wanted man was able to evade capture for three days, crossing several borders to get from Germany to Italy, has raised questions about security. The missing piece in the puzzle hangs over where Amri headed immediately after the attack. Dutch police are investigating whether the Netherlands was Amri's first stop, before he went on to Paris and then Italy. Their suspicions are centred around a Sim card found in Amri's backpack issued between 20 and 22 December in one of three possible Dutch cities - Breda, Zwolle and Nijmegen, Italian media reported. Police believe he was spotted on CCTV in Nijmegen station and was probably handed the Sim card there. In the aftermath of the attack German police searched a refugee centre in Emmerich, just across the border at Nijmegen. Train tickets found on Amri after he died show he travelled through France. The first was for a journey from the city of Lyon to Chambery, in the French Alps, on Thursday afternoon. CCTV footage has been released of him at Lyon-Part-Dieu station, before he apparently boarded a train to leave the city. Another train ticket, for later that day, was from Chambery for Milan, with some reports that he stopped in Turin on the way. Police have produced a picture of Amri at Milan central station, three hours before was shot dead. The fugitive is said to have arrived at in Milan at 01:00 on 23 December. From the main station, he made his way to the suburb of Sesto San Giovanni. Investigators are trying to find out if the gunman was in contact with anyone in Italy, and what his next destination was should he have evaded capture. He had around â‚¬150 (Â£128) in cash, according to reports, and no food or extra clothing in his backpack. One theory is that he was aiming to take a bus to the Balkans or southern Italy. But by the time he arrived in Milan, it was clear the authorities had lost his trail. It was only a routine police stop that led to his death: he drew a gun, wounding an officer before being shot dead by another. While inquiries continue, foremost on many people's minds is the question of apparent security failures. Germany issued a European arrest warrant for Amri on 21 December. Pictures of the suspect, along with his various aliases, were widely publicised. France - which boosted security following attacks in 2015 - further reinforced checks at key transport hubs. Opposition politicians including centre-right presidential candidate Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Eurosceptic National Front, were quick to criticise what they said was the failure of the authorities to stop Amri from entering the country.

Summary: Anis Amri, the jihadist who rammed a lorry into a crowd at a Berlin market on 19 December, died days later in an exchange of fire with Italian police in Milan.


In a series of Facebook comments, Sonny Truyen suggested Singapore was an undesirable place to live due to the unavailability of the smartphone game. He also wrote that Singapore was filled with "stupid people". Several Singaporean web users contacted his employer, real estate website 99.co, expressing anger at his posts. During a dispute with another Facebook user, Mr Truyen wrote that "the average IQ" in Singapore would fall if he left the country, and that "locals can't even read". Darius Cheng, chief executive of 99.co, apologised for Mr Truyen's comments in a blog post, and said his employment contract had been terminated. Pokemon Go: All you need to know Nintendo's shares soar on Pokemon Go's success Pokemon Go player finds dead body Pokemon Go's UK launch is "paused" "Sonny, as an SEO specialist, has only started consulting for us for a week before the incident happened," Mr Cheng wrote. "We are a proud Singaporean company and do not condone such language or behaviour, hence we have since terminated his engagement once the incident came to light." Responding to the online anger at Mr Truyen, Mr Cheng also asked readers not to spread "messages of hate and division, but instead embrace our diversity". "Anyone labelled a 'Foreign Talent' was heavily criticised" online after the incident, he said. "I am sure we all have Australian or Vietnamese friends - how would they feel if they read it?" Large numbers of Western expats live in Singapore and Mr Truyen is not the first foreigner to be fired amid a social media furore. In 2014, British banker Anton Casey posted a YouTube video complaining about the "stench" of Singapore's public transport system, which he said was full of "poor people". Mr Casey lost his job and was forced to flee the island nation. Australian executive Amy Cheong was also sacked and fled Singapore in 2012 after posting racist comments on Facebook after she was kept awake by a wedding being held near her home. Authorities in Singapore are known to take strong action against public comments that are considered to breach standards of decency. Mr Truyen told Mashable: "It was disappointing the lengths Singaporeans went at to attack me and deny [me] any chance of making amends for my actions." He has deleted his social media accounts, saying it was a "very big error in judgement to negatively label an entire country over Pokemon".

Summary: An Australian has been sacked after a profanity-laden rant on Facebook, where he complained that the game Pokemon Go is not available in Singapore.


The man, from Aberdeen, was charged after "suspicious incidents" in the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Montrose areas. A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal. Sgt Andy Peerless, of Police Scotland, said: "The information provided to us from the public was vital."

Summary: A 46-year-old man has been charged after a police appeal about someone asking women for a piggyback while they were out running.


In a career spanning six decades, he released more than 70 albums and amassed nine Grammy awards. His melodic songs found success in the pop charts with hits including Galveston, Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman. And he also made a foray into acting, notably alongside John Wayne in the film True Grit. Glen Travis Campbell was born in Pike County, Arkansas, on 22 April 1936, the seventh of 12 children. His father was a sharecropper, a tenant who paid his rent with a proportion of the crops that he grew. His first guitar cost $7 from a Sears catalogue and he whiled away the time teaching himself to play. "We didn't have power in the house, but we did have an old battery radio. And whenever I heard a new song, usually on a local country station, I'd learn it." His proficiency led to an offer to join a band fronted by his uncle, Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys. There were appearances on local radio and a spot on a children's TV channel. Campbell moved to Los Angeles in 1960 and became a member of a group of musicians named The Wrecking Crew, who backed artists such as Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. His first solo chart entry, Turn Round and Look at Me, reached 62 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. He also played a pivotal role in the producer Phil Spector's famous Wall of Sound technique. "When I met Phil, he was knocked out by my playing," Campbell later recalled. "He was like a child with a new toy." For three months in 1965 he toured with the Beach Boys, filling in for singer Brian Wilson, who had experienced a breakdown. His big break came in 1967 with the Jimmy Webb song By the Time I Get to Phoenix, which reached number two in the US Country charts. Campbell's partnership with Webb was to be a fruitful one, as hit followed hit. Wichita Lineman went to No 1 in the US and also broke him in Britain where it reached the Top 10 in 1968. "Jimmy used to write in the studio as I was recording," said Campbell. "When he sang me the parts of Wichita Lineman he'd written, I knew it was a hit." The song collected a Grammy and became much requested by US soldiers fighting in Vietnam. He followed it up with Galveston a year later, which again charted on both sides of the Atlantic. In January 1969 he started hosting his own primetime TV show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. The show, which ran for three years, made him a huge star and his fame encouraged a glittering roster of stars to appear with him. Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and the Monkees were among the artists who were guests on the show. He was also invited by John Wayne, a long time Campbell admirer, to appear in the Western True Grit. He won a Grammy for his performance of the film's title song. His biggest hit came in

Summary: Glen Campbell was one of the most successful country singers of his generation.


It will bring together British, Irish and German naval representatives, along with 200 descendants of those killed. The event is being held on the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, the biggest and deadliest sea battle of the war, when 6,000 men in the Royal Navy were killed - 358 were Irish. The commemoration will take place on HMS Caroline. It is the only remaining ship from the 1916 battle off the coast of Denmark. The battle was fought between 31 May and 1 June 1916 and involved about 250 ships. It saw the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, based at Scapa Flow in Orkney, clash with the German High Seas Fleet. The centenary of the battle will be marked in Scotland, where a service in Orkney will be attended by German President Joachim Gauck along with the Princess Royal. Representatives of all the nations connected to the battle, including Ireland, will attend that service. A service of remembrance will also take place on board HMS Duncan at Jutland Bank, the site of the battle. There will be a live stream of the ceremony on the BBC News NI website from 12:20 BST on Tuesday.

Summary: Belfast is to host a special all-island commemoration for Irish sailors who died in World War One.


So these tiny ducklings have been given a helping hand to get into the water at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, USA. The pool is near the famous Capitol building - home to the US government. Two new ramps have been installed to help the junior ducks get to the water. It's been done by the people who look after the historic buildings and grounds. The ducklings seem to think they're waddley good, but not everyone's happy. One politician is going quackers about the bill, saying the ramps are a waste of money! See what you think.

Summary: Life's tough when you're small.


The centre at Milton, Stoke-on-Trent, is licensed to hold about 500 tonnes of recyclable waste, but last December the Environment Agency estimated there were about 6,000 tonnes. The agency wants excess waste gone by July and said progress has been made. Owner Hanbury Plastics Recycling Ltd (HPR) said it was applying to increase its licence to hold 3,000 tonnes. Resident June Grimes said: "[We] shouldn't have to put up with the smells and the issues as these sites bring when [they're] put on your doorstep. "What we want to see happen is this site completely cleared and relocated to a suitable industrial site." Ms Grimes filmed images on her mobile phone of drivers trying to negotiate Milton's narrow lanes and bridges. She added: "We have got heavy goods [vehicles], left hand drive, coming on our roads where our children walk to go to school and they're that big, they're mounting the pavement as they're going down." A spokesman for the owners said it was the best way to deal with plastics, otherwise they would end up in landfill. HPR said it was planning to double the workforce to 60 over the next few years. An agency spokesman said it issued the company with a notice in December to remove excess waste from the firm's site. He said: "Since that time, we have carried out regular checks to ensure that the company is working to remove the waste by the end of June 2014. "To date, the company have made progress and moved waste from the site. We will continue to monitor progress and then decide on the best course of action once the deadline has been reached."

Summary: Residents are calling for a recycling collection centre to be closed after it was told to remove excess waste.


Union leaders are due to hold talks with rail bosses on Tuesday in an effort to resolve their dispute over changes to the role of guards (OBS). They claim that on specific dates in January and February an average of three trains a day ran without an OBS. Southern said a train could run without a guard "in exceptional circumstances". The RMT said new figures showed that on nine days this year, when there was no industrial action, at least 26 trains did not have an on-board supervisor or second member of staff in addition to the driver. It said this equated to three services a day, which would be 1,000 a year. RMT agrees to meet Southern bosses Will the government take over Southern trains? General secretary Mick Cash said: "That's 1,000 journeys where a disabled passenger may not be able to get on or off the train or where passengers and the driver are at increased risk from anti-social behaviour or if something goes wrong, such as a derailment or fire." He added that members feared the figures were "the thin end of the wedge" and instances were "far more widespread and increasing". "Guaranteeing a second member of safety critical staff on every train is the only way you can guarantee access for all and a safer journey for passengers," Mr Cash said. In response a Southern spokesman said: "We said we would roster a second person to every train that had one before, and we are. "However we also said in exceptional circumstances when an on board supervisor is unavailable we will run the train, rather than cancel it, because it is in passengers' interests to do so." The drivers' union Aslef has been balloting its members on a deal aimed at resolving its dispute with Southern, with the result due on Thursday.

Summary: The RMT union has claimed the equivalent of 1,000 Southern rail services per year are operating without a second member of staff on board.


The closure of Imperial Tobacco's Horizon factory in Nottingham was announced two years ago and will lead to over 500 job losses. Most of the staff will leave next week, with 70 staying on for 18 months as part of the "decommissioning process". The site's closure has been blamed partly on attitudes to smoking. Chris Needham, regional organiser for the GMB trade union, said at its height, the firm employed 7,000 staff and made 52 billion cigarettes each year. Mr Needham said operations would move to Poland and Germany, which will increase profits by Â£320m. "We're talking about generations that have been manufacturing in Nottingham since 1860," he said. "The Horizon factory has been part of Imperial Tobacco, worldwide, producing profits in the billions." Mr Needham said 16 to 17 billion cigarettes - or "sticks" as they are known by staff - were produced last year. "The issue is about quantities," he said. "And the stigma of smoking has been one of the major factors. "They [the company] are moving to the Asian markets where the stigma is not as great. Iraq, Syria, Russia, China - these are places I'm sure will be targeted by Imperial Tobacco." Janet May Dangerfield, who worked at the firm in the 1970s after she left school at the age of 15, expressed her sadness at the firm's demise. "I'm very shocked and sad because I always thought that would always be there," she said. "I can remember my first day. I was very nervous but straight away, all the older ones - I think they were called the 'front girls' and 'second front girls' - took me under their wing." When she moved into the "vast" Horizon factory, Mrs Dangerfield said the size of the site made her and other employees look like "little mice". Bosses at the factory previously blamed falling sales and an increase in the illegal tobacco trade for their decision to move out of the UK. History professor John Beckett, from the University of Nottingham, said the business was actually a "major contributor" to the funding required for the city's Queen's Medical Centre. "It's been in decline ever since the first reports in the 1950s that smoking was bad for your health," he said. "Gradually, much of the production has been moved abroad, much of it into countries where it's cheaper such as Poland... and the demand here has almost collapsed." A company spokesman confirmed the plans for closure, but did not offer anyone to comment on the latest developments.

Summary: The last pack of English-made cigarettes has rolled off the production line as the country's only tobacco factory prepares to shut.


The 21-year-old, from St Austell, was arrested on suspicion of robbery on Thursday and remains in police custody. A string of robberies and attempted robberies took place at shops in Reawla, Cubert, Scorrier, Porthtowan and Lanner over the last three weeks. Police said isolated premises were targeted and a knife had been used to threaten staff.

Summary: A man is being questioned by police over a series of armed robberies which took place across Cornwall.


It was decided that the surface at the Silverlake Stadium was unsafe during an 08:45 GMT inspection on Tuesday. Eastleigh must now wait until Saturday's visit of struggling Woking as they look to record their first league win of 2017. They are 12th in the National League table, eight points adrift of the play-off places and two behind Macclesfield.

Summary: Tuesday's National League game between Eastleigh and Macclesfield has been postponed because of a frozen pitch.


Echoing criticism from the UK, Canada and Australia, the US state department urged Egypt to "redress the verdict". The reporters, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy, Egyptian Baher Mohamed and Australian Peter Greste, were convicted of "spreading false news". Mr Greste was deported to Australia this year and was tried in absentia. State department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement: "We urge the government of Egypt to take all available measures to redress this verdict, which undermines the very freedom of expression necessary for stability and development. "The freedom of the press to investigate, report, and comment - even when its perspective is unpopular or disputed - is fundamental to any free society and essential to democratic development." Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop said she was "dismayed" by the sentences. Ms Bishop said she had spoken with Mr Greste and would "continue to pursue all diplomatic avenue with my Egyptian counterpart" to clear Mr Greste's name. Reaction: Peter Greste speaks to the BBC On Sunday, Mr Greste said again that he was innocent. "There was never any evidence to confirm any of the allegations against us," he said. "We will continue to fight this, using any available means open to us. This is a matter of natural justice." The UK Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Tobias Ellwood said: "I am deeply concerned by the sentences handed down today against journalists in Egypt. "These sentences will undermine confidence in Egypt's progress towards strong long-term stability based on implementing the rights granted by the Egyptian constitution." Canada demanded Mr Fahmy's "full and immediate release". Mr Fahmy's lawyer, Amal Clooney, called on Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to issue a pardon to the journalists. "The verdict today sends a very dangerous message in Egypt," she told reporters. "It sends a message that journalists can be locked up for simply doing their job, for telling the truth and reporting the news." She said she would push for her client, who has given up his Egyptian citizenship, to be deported to Canada. The three journalists are accused of aiding the banned Muslim Brotherhood group but they strenuously deny the allegations. They were originally sentenced in July 2014, with Mr Greste and Mr Fahmy receiving seven years and Mr Mohamed getting 10 years. But their convictions were overturned in January this year and they were freed in February to await retrial. Mr Greste's lawyer, Chris Flynn, said the men's re-trial "was a sham and was miscarried at every step". He also urged President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to intervene. Giving the verdict on Saturday, judge Hassan Farid said the three men were not registered journalists and had been operating from a Cairo hotel without a licence. He handed three-year sentences to Mr Greste and Mr Fahmy but gave Mr Mohamed an additional six months. It is unclear how long Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed will now serve. They were in prison for about a year before being freed.

Summary: The US has said it is "deeply disappointed and concerned" at the three-year jail sentences passed in Egypt on three al-Jazeera journalists.


The Â£25,000 prize went to London-based architecture and design collective Assemble, who have overhauled 10 houses in the area. Judge Alistair Hudson said they were "part of a long tradition of art working in society". But some questioned whether they should have been eligible for the prize. Speaking after the announcement on Channel 4, author and broadcaster Muriel Gray said: "I think it's changed the nature of the Turner Prize because I don't think it is modern art. "I think it's socially responsible, beautiful architecture. But it's a very peculiar year." Assemble comprise between 14-18 members and were joined by Liverpool residents at the ceremony in Glasgow. They were presented with the prize by Kim Gordon from US band Sonic Youth. Faced by the collective's massed ranks on stage, she joked: "I'm not sure who to give the cheque to." Assemble were surprise inclusions on this year's shortlist and now join the likes of Damien Hirst, Grayson Perry and Steve McQueen among the ranks of Turner Prize winners. Will Gompertz, Arts Editor Assemble winning the Turner Prize last night points to a trend happening in the art world, which connects to Theaster Gates winning the Artes Mundi prize earlier in the year. Both are trading in the name of "art" to fulfil a community-based social enterprise. They are leveraging the value we place on the word "art" and work artists produce, to enable them to raise the funds to do the regeneration work that motivates their activities. Gates is trying to regenerate Chicago and Assemble are tying to do something similar in Toxteth. Is it art? Does it matter? If somebody turning on and off lights can win the Turner Prize, why shouldn't somebody trying to re-energise a neglected part of an inner city win? Assemble are all in their mid-20s and all but three members studied architecture together. Group member Lewis Jones has described the collective as "the real antithesis of the conventional model of a Turner Prize nominee being a single genius artist". They have impressed the Turner Prize judges and Liverpool residents alike by working closely with locals to develop imaginative designs for the interiors of the terraced houses in the Granby Four Streets area of Toxteth. They have created mantelpieces using brick and rubble construction waste from the streets; ceramic door handles fired in barbecues fuelled by sawdust left over from building work; as well as hand-decorated tiles and hand-pressed terracotta lamps. Working with the Granby Four Streets Community Land Trust, those fixtures and fittings have been used to refurbish 10 derelict houses on Cairns Street. Jones said: "Only a few years ago you'd go around and stuck on the front of each house would be a sign saying, 'All objects of value have been removed from this property.' So I guess this has been part of putting those things back in." They have even proposed turning one ruined house into a glass-roofed winter garden. Assemble arrived after "20 or 30 years of cynical, top-down regeneration attempts", he said. They have also used the profile of the Turner

Summary: A regeneration scheme for derelict houses in Toxteth in Liverpool has won Britain's leading contemporary art award, the Turner Prize.


The IoD is calling for pay strategies to be rethought, if they are rejected by 30% of shareholders. Remuneration should then be put to a fresh vote, it said. Despite some high profile rebellions in recent months, executive pay is usually approved at annual general meetings, the IoD added. "There is still a pressing need to rebuild public trust in big business, to work in the long-term interests of investors and employees, rather than the short-term interests of managers," said Oliver Parry, head of corporate governance at the IoD. "Now is the time for sensible reforms which increase transparency and draw more engagement from shareholders." At present, shareholders have a binding vote on future remuneration policy once every three years. If the policy is rejected by 51% of shareholders, it must be revisited. The IoD is arguing that threshold should be lowered to 30%. Shareholders also have a retrospective, non-binding vote on executive pay every year, and company annual general meetings often see vociferous criticisms of executive pay. In April last year, BP shareholders, for example, rejected a pay package of almost Â£14m for chief executive Bob Dudley at the oil company's annual general meeting. However, the vote was non-binding. In November last year the government outlined its plans to make companies justify high levels of executive pay. Among the measures under consideration were pay ratios, which would show the gap in earnings between the chief executive and an average employee.

Summary: Investors should be given a bigger say over executive pay to help rebuild trust in business, the Institute of Directors (IoD) has said.


The 26-year-old from Bradford has also yet to complete a race on the Triangle circuit. Harrison, who will compete for the Silicone Engineering team, won two races at last weekend's Scarborough Gold Cup. "I want to see some chequered flags this year - if I could get on a podium I would be over the moon," he said. He added: "That's what I'm aiming for, that's the plan. Anything more would be a bonus. "Last year I fell off a couple of times and still to this day I don't know what happened. "I don't want to go and break down or not finish. I want to get there and crack on with it. "I want the bikes to be good and just keep going and going and going."

Summary: Yorkshire rider Dean Harrison is targeting a first top-three finish at the North West 200 next month.


The alleged assault happened on 2 July but her parents discovered it only a few days ago after she complained of stomach ache and was taken to hospital. Meanwhile, hundreds of parents have protested outside the school, pulling down its gates and shouting slogans. Police have registered a case, but they are yet to make any arrests. The BBC's Andrew North in Delhi says it's the latest in a series of sexual assault cases that have made headlines in India. Figures show more rapes are being reported in general, which is a sign that the crime is being taken more seriously, our correspondent reports. But India's sluggish judicial system means it can take years for victims to get justice. New Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a zero tolerance approach on crimes against women, but violence and discrimination against women remain deeply entrenched in society. The girl was allegedly raped by a security guard and a gym teacher, but as there are multiple guards and gym instructors in the school, police say they are trying to identify the guilty, BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi reports from Bangalore. As news of the incident became public, hundreds of parents gathered outside the school, protesting against the alleged insensitivity of the school management. "They have handled it very shoddily," said Vivek Sharma, parent of a boy studying in the school. On Thursday, school chairman Rustom Kerawala addressed a meeting of the parents where he offered his "sincere apologies" and promised "full co-operation" with the police investigation. Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. The brutal crime led to massive outrage in the country and forced the government to introduce tougher anti-rape laws, including the death penalty in rare cases. But the law appears to have failed to act as a deterrent. Statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2013 show one rape was reported every 21 minutes.

Summary: A six-year-old schoolgirl has allegedly been raped by two staff members at a prominent school in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, police say.


A US judge said the plaintiffs could pursue claims that the film unit of the Sony corporation had been negligent. The plaintiffs are seeking to hold Sony liable for not bolstering security after previous breaches. "We are pleased that the court has properly recognised the harm to Sony's employees," said lawyer Michael Sobol. Many Sony employees had their personal details made public in 2014 when a group calling itself Guardians of Peace leaked data from the studio's computers. The attack was described as an act of revenge motivated by Sony's release of The Interview, a comedy about an assassination attempt on North Korea's leader. The nine plaintiffs claim Sony Pictures Entertainment violated a California confidentiality law by spurning security measures to stop the theft of employees' salary and health data, Social Security numbers and other sensitive information. Without ruling on their action's merits, US District Judge Gary Klausner said Sony had created a "special relationship" with its employees by requiring them to provide personal information to be eligible for salaries and benefits. The former workers said Sony's negligence caused them economic harm and that the hack had been "an epic nightmare, much better suited to a cinematic thriller than to real life". The Interview, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen as journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong-un, was initially withdrawn from cinemas but was later made available online.

Summary: Sony Pictures Entertainment has failed in an attempt to dismiss a legal action brought by nine ex-employees over the cyber hack that crippled the studio.


Mary Susan Torley, 60, from Workington, was found guilty by West Allerdale magistrates, of assaulting a resident in her care in October. The 54-year-old resident with onset dementia was dragged by her clothing against her will causing her to fall. Torley was sentenced to a monitored curfew for 12 weeks, Â£620 costs and a Â£60 victim surcharge. She cared for three vulnerable adults at a private care facility, which has since closed, on Windmill Close in Cockermouth. A co-worker in the home witnessed the incident and reported it to Cumbria Police.

Summary: A private care home worker who assaulted a vulnerable resident with Down's Syndrome has been sentenced.


Misty the duckling's mysterious disappearance has stressed out other ducks in the group, who were so upset they refused to eat for two days. Owner Chris Gunnill said there had been no sign of a fox and cannot explain where Misty has gone. He has asked people in Lowton, Greater Manchester, to look be on the lookout for the missing bird. "The other ducks were dead depressed for two days," he said. "They were quacking and they didn't eat." Misty, an Indian Runner duck, disappeared on Wednesday and would now be about twice the size it appears in the photos. The duckling was living at Lime House in Lowton, where Mr Gunnill runs a garden project for adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues. "We only had one duckling left from only two hatched as the other eight eggs were still-born deaths, so you can see how important this one little duckling was to us. "It's a mystery, as we have no clues to its disappearance." The chickens and ducks are kept for their eggs, Mr Gunnill said. He said the birds also help to calm people down. "When you've got someone with a mental health issue, you stick a chicken in someone's hands or duck near them and it can potentially calm them down straight away," he said.

Summary: A reward of free range eggs for life is being offered for the return of a pet duckling missing for almost a week.


Davies, 27, who will rejoin Scarlets for the 2016-17 season, missed the World Cup with a serious injury. He made a try scoring comeback after seven months out in Clermont's European Champions Cup win over Exeter. "There is a goal but at the moment I'm just concentrating on making sure I'm playing well for Clermont," he said. "I'd love to get back in the Six Nations squad but it's down to me to make sure I keep working hard in training and perform consistently. "First things first, I've got to get through a whole game - I only lasted 67 minutes on Saturday." Wales begin their Six Nations campaign in Ireland on 7 February. Before the tournament starts, Clermont have six games, including three in the European Champions Cup. Clermont's bonus-point win over Exeter Chiefs threw Pool Two wide open, with all four teams still in with a chance of qualification to the quarter-finals. Ospreys are top with Clermont in second place ahead of their meeting at the Liberty Stadium in January. Clermont, last season's beaten finalists, won 34-29 when the sides met in November. With a game in hand over their rivals, Davies says the French team are in a good position and confident of progressing to the last eight. "The group as it stands at the moment is quite evenly balanced," Davies told BBC Wales Sport. "The Ospreys have done extremely well picking up those bonus points when they've come to France twice. "They're playing some good rugby and ran us close when they came to Clermont. "We know we've got a game in hand and we have every confidence we can qualify and move forward through the latter stages. "It's going to be a tough ask but I do feel we've got plenty of quality in our squad to make a stamp on this European competition this year."

Summary: Wales centre Jonathan Davies admits he needs to work on his form and fitness but hopes to feature in the Six Nations.


A so-called Special Area of Conservation (SAC) has been created in the Inner Hebrides and Minches. The facility is the largest conservation area for the marine species in Europe. Scientists warned earlier this year that numbers of harbour porpoise were falling because of difficulties with catching food and breeding. They had called on the Scottish government to act and introduce protected sites for the animals. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said she was pleased to designate the first SAC and added: "This will help maintain the favourable conservation status and provide protection to the species and their habitats." WWF Scotland director Lang Banks welcomed the move and said he was hopeful more such sites would be established in future. He said: "It's fantastic news that Europe's largest Special Area of Conservation for harbour porpoise is to be located off the west coast of Scotland. "We've long called for greater protection for this species and we look forward to working with the Scottish government and others to ensure that this site contributes to a coherent and well-managed network of marine protected areas."

Summary: A new conservation area has been set up in waters off the west of Scotland to help protect harbour porpoise.


The veteran striker, 37, ran on to a long clearance and steered a shot past keeper Jason Steele in the 88th minute. Rovers' Ben Marshall had the only effort on target in the first half, a free-kick that went straight at home keeper Frank Fielding. Chances continued to be at a premium after the break until Wilbraham secured City's fifth home win of the season. The home fans stood in tribute to the late Gerry Gow in the 64th minute, and were on their feet again when their penalty appeals were turned down after Scott Golbourne's shot appeared to hit Darragh Lenihan's arm. Marvin Emnes saw a shot blocked as Rovers slid to a fifth away league defeat of the season. City, who have now won four of their last six games, move above Birmingham into the play-off spots in sixth, while Blackburn drop back into the bottom three. Bristol City boss Lee Johnson: "It was a tough game for us. I consider Blackburn to be in a false position and they will be very disappointed not to have taken something. "I was happy to reach half-time not one or two goals behind. But we were more like ourselves in the second half and deserved the bit of luck with the goal. "Blackburn had blocked a lot of our shots and by the law of averages a deflection was due to go our way." Blackburn Rovers manager Owen Coyle: "I am gutted for the players and our travelling supporters. A performance like that would normally earn you three points, let alone one. "We should have been ahead at half-time and my only concern is the small errors that can make all the difference in a close game. "The goal came from our corner and one long ball forward after we concede a free-kick. We should have defended the situation better, but it was still an unfortunate deflection. "I can't recall Jason Steele having to make a difficult save. The level of performance was so high and it's a huge disappointment to come away with nothing." Match ends, Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Second Half ends, Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City). Joe Bryan (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers). Attempt saved. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Corry Evans. Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lee Tomlin following a set piece situation. Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers). Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Scott Golbourne. Attempt missed. Tammy Abraham (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a

Summary: Aaron Wilbraham struck late on as Bristol City edged past Blackburn Rovers at Ashton Gate.


Patients in England and Wales will be offered extra checks using a mobile device that records blood pressure over 24 hours, says the watchdog NICE. A quarter of patients may find visiting a GP stressful, leading to misdiagnosis and being given drugs they do not need. The move could save the NHS £10.5m a year, predictions suggest. High blood pressure (blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or more) affects about a quarter of all adults in the UK. It is a leading risk factor for heart disease or stroke and costs the NHS about £1bn a year in drugs alone. Currently, most patients found to have high blood pressure for the first time are given a formal diagnosis if their blood pressure is raised at two subsequent visits to the doctor. They may then be prescribed medication to lower their blood pressure. Research suggests, however, that about a quarter of patients actually have "white coat" hypertension - where blood pressure is raised temporarily due to stress. Now, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has advised doctors in England and Wales to move towards "ambulatory" monitoring of patients at home, using a device that automatically takes blood pressure readings every 30 minutes day and night. Around one in 10 GPs are already offering ambulatory monitoring, either directly or by referring patients to a hospital specialist. The new guidelines were issued at the same time as the publication of a research study in The Lancet. One of the authors of the paper, Professor Richard McManus of the University of Birmingham, said: "This research shows that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at the time of diagnosis of high blood pressure would allow better targeting of treatment and is cost-saving. "Ambulatory monitoring is already available in some general practices and we have shown that its widespread use would be better for both patients and the clinicians looking after them. "Treatment with blood pressure lowering medication is usually lifelong and so it is worth getting the decision to start right in the first place." It is expected to take about a year to implement the advice at a net cost of about £2.5m. However, in the long-term the costs will be recouped, say experts, eventually saving about £10.5m a year. Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said the number of people with high blood pressure in the UK was "staggering". "Some 12 million people are diagnosed with the condition and it is estimated another 5.7 million people have it but are unaware. It's a major risk factor for heart disease and strokes so it's crucial we do all we can to get people diagnosed and properly treated as soon as possible. "This new guidance will refine the way we test and treat people for hypertension, particularly by helping to identify people suffering from 'white coat hypertension'. "It doesn't mean that current methods aren't working, only that they can be improved further. Anyone currently concerned about their blood pressure or treatment should speak to their GP or practice nurse." Professor Bryan Williams from the

Summary: Patients thought to have high blood pressure should have the diagnosis confirmed at home, according to new guidelines.


Mark Carney told the Guardian the financial sector could be worth 20 times the UK's economic output in 25 years. He said: "If the UK financial system thrives in a post-Brexit world... it will be 15 to 20 times GDP in another quarter of century. "Well then you really have to hold your nerve and keep the focus." Carney was speaking to the Guardian to mark the 10th anniversary of the start of the global financial crisis in August 2007. He said the UK could not return to the pre-crisis light-touch regulation in order to attract business after leaving the EU. The governor has previously said the UK after Brexit could be the "investment banker for Europe". He said: "We have a financial system that is [now] ten times the size of this economy… It brings many strengths, it brings a million jobs, it pays 11% of tax revenue, it is the biggest export industry by some token… all good things. "But it's risky." "We have a view… that post-Brexit the level of regulation will be at least as high as it currently is and that's a level that in many cases substantially exceeds international norms. "The problem you have is that the same issues re-emerge under different labels… and the progress that's been made… is gradually chipped away." Mr Carney's comments come as US regulators begin formal proceedings to loosen regulations brought in after the financial crisis to curb the way banks took high-risk bets on the financial markets.

Summary: The governor of the Bank of England has said the banking sector could double in size but still needs tough regulation.


NSPCC Cymru said just two children were reported to North Wales Police in 2013, rising to four in 2014 then 28 in 2015. Most of those reported - 24 - were aged 15 or under while 10 were 16 or 17. Des Mannion, head of service at NSPCC Cymru said: "It is very worrying that more children are sharing explicit images of themselves." He added: "Although the figures in north Wales are relatively small, the fact that there has been a sharp increase in the number of cases reported to police is a concern." The NSPCC wants children to be warned about the dangers of sexting through compulsory online safety lessons and wants to see the next Welsh Government implement a plan for this. While the majority of these types of images were shared via mobile phones, they were also sent using apps such as Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Mr Mannion added: "We are very concerned that children are putting themselves at risk of exploitation or bullying in this way. "Children need to be taught about the dangers of sexting and how the consequences can be devastating if they lose control of an image." In February, police in England and Wales began producing new guidelines designed to avoid "criminalising" children caught sending indecent images to each other.

Summary: A rise in under-18s being reported to the police for distributing indecent images of children has raised concerns over 'sexting'.


The proposal is one of several contained in a Scottish government commissioned review. Other recommendations include a new National Wild Fisheries Unit and scrapping the system of "closed days" for salmon fishing. Environment minister Paul Wheelhouse said he would consult on the findings. An independent panel led by former Scottish Natural Heritage chairman Andrew Thin was asked to look at ways of modernising the management of Scotland's wild fisheries. The panel's report contains 53 recommendations for change. It suggests a "small National Wild Fisheries Unit" be created within government to provide strategic direction and regulation. The strategy would be delivered through "locally empowered Fisheries Management Organisations" (FMOs). The report notes that salmon fishing has previously been the principal driver of policy but suggests the new system takes an "all species approach". The FMOs could be formed out of existing district salmon fisheries boards and fisheries trusts. The report makes no firm recommendation on whether a rod licensing scheme should be introduced in Scotland, but says "serious consideration" should be given to the idea, with any money raised re-invested in angling. It calls for a ban at the earliest opportunity on the killing of wild salmon unless a licence is granted. Applicants would need to demonstrate sustainability. The system of "closed days" for salmon fishing is outdated and ineffective, it argues, and should be abolished except for certain coastal netting operations where stocks benefit from periods of closure. The system of "closed seasons" should be reviewed and extended to all species, based on scientific evidence, and brought under the control of the new national unit. It suggests a new Angling For All programme be developed to encourage participation with an emphasis on young people and links with the tourism strategy. Environment and Climate Change Minister Paul Wheelhouse said angling alone was worth Â£134 million to the Scottish economy. He said: "This independent review was tasked with considering the requirements of a modern, evidence-based management system that is fit for purpose in the 21st century and is guided by the conservation needs of our wild species. "We need to ensure we have a robust and sustainable system so our fish thrive and people can continue to enjoy wild fishing and the socio-economic benefits that flow from it for generations to come." Mr Wheelhouse said he would study the report in depth and consult on proposals to implement a new management system.

Summary: The killing of wild salmon could be banned, except under licence, under measures aimed at protecting Scotland's wild fisheries.


Warburton wants to use the spur of helping Blues qualify for Europe to secure his spot on the three-Test tour in June. Four successive wins have put the Blues just a point outside the Pro12 top six. "That is how I approach it, making it show that I am worthy of a place in the Welsh team," Warburton told BBC Wales. The eighth-placed Blues have two games remaining, starting with the Judgement Day showdown with Ospreys on 30 April at the Principality Stadium. They then visit direct rivals Edinburgh, currently sixth and a place ahead of Muster, on the final day of the campaign on 7 May. "I have felt like the last two games for the Blues have been a trial for Wales if I am honest, there are some pretty big personal battles all across the field," Warburton said. "You get a lot of respect for performing well in Welsh derbies, individually and as a team and for me personally, I have felt the need to prove myself all over again in a Blues shirt after the Six Nations. "I still feel I have a point to prove when it comes to Welsh selection because I want to make sure you can go into the New Zealand tour, hopefully having your hand held up as one of the form players." Dual contract star Warburton says a return to his beloved Blues has been the perfect way to get over Wales failing to win the Six Nations. "I still felt I was chasing a little bit of match fitness. I was disappointed with the way the Six Nations went," he said, "I did okay, but didn't do as well as I would have wanted and I really felt like I owed the Blues some big performances. "Because I'd had two-and-a-half games after the World Cup and before the Six Nations, which isn't enough really and I just wanted to play a lot more rugby than that for the Blues. "I am a Blues boy, it runs in the family. We are fans more than anything." Warburton is relishing the prospect of returning to perform in front of a bumper crowd on Judgement Day, saying the experience is likely to be unforgettable for his teammates who do not play international rugby. "So few people make it to play professional rugby and then get to play in a massive occasion such as Judgement Day," he said. "Only the international boys get to play in front of crowds like that and even then, it's a handful of times a year. "So for the boys who don't play international rugby, to go to the Principality Stadium makes it a massive occasion. "It's great for all the boys, but especially them."

Summary: Sam Warburton says he is considering the remainder of the Pro12 season to be a 'trial' for selection on Wales' summer tour to New Zealand.


So-called mathematics anxiety was found especially in countries which were more developed and where males and females were considered more or less equal. University of Glasgow researchers looked at achievements, attitudes and emotions around maths and found girls showed more negative emotion about it. Data was collected from 500,000 15-year-olds in 68 countries. Mathematics anxiety is defined as "negative feelings experienced during the preparation of and engagement in maths activities". Academics, led by Dr Gijsbert Stoet, from Glasgow University's school of education, said it did not seem to matter whether the girls' mothers worked in related fields and that efforts to attract more women into science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects had largely failed. Dr Liberty Vittert, a lecturer at the School of Maths and Statistics at University of Glasgow, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that mathematics anxiety could hamper future job prospects. Dr Vittert said: "When I was about 14, I had a maths teacher who called my parents into school to say that I couldn't do maths and I should stop and there was no point in further continuing with it. "It really stops you with jobs if you stop with maths young. "So I pushed through and I had an undergrad in pure mathematics from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and now I have my Phd. So I think it's very important, but I think there's a lot of pressure on young girls to not do some subjects." Asked if maths had caused her anxiety at school, she said: "Absolutely. I think when you have teachers or other authority figures telling you that you can't do something, of course it creates huge anxiety. "And clearly there are pressures on a young girl not to do these things." She added: "If you think about maths, there is always a right or a wrong answer. Whereas in some subjects such as English, there aren't always right or wrong answers. "So if you can't get that exact answer, the teacher can just say, 'Well you don't know what you're doing, you're not smart.' "Whereas maybe you just don't quite get it. In English you can have varying levels of understanding."

Summary: Girls are "more afraid" of mathematics than boys in 80% of countries, according to a new study.


"Even in Hollywood there seems to be a kind of anger about the remake," Niels Arden Oplev said in an interview with the Word and Film website. Sweden's Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace starred in the original film, released in the UK earlier this year. Britain's Daniel Craig and newcomer Rooney Mara co-star in the US version. Currently shooting in Stockholm, the remake is being directed by David Fincher of Fight Club and The Social Network fame. It is due out in cinemas in December 2011. In Larsson's novel and its two sequels, an investigative journalist joins forces with a female computer hacker to solve crimes. Both sequels have been filmed in Sweden with Nyqvist and Rapace reprising their roles as Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. According to Word and Film, Oplev is concerned that Mara's peformance will overshadow Rapace's. "The Sony PR machine is trying to make their Lisbeth Salander the lead Lisbeth Salander," he is quoted as saying. "That's highly unfair because Noomi has captured this part and it should always be all her," he goes on. "That's her legacy in a way I can't see anyone competing with. I hope she gets nominated for an Oscar." The Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo film made Â£2.2m in the UK and $10.1m (Â£6.2m) in the US. Its follow-up, The Girl who Played with Fire, came out in August, while a third film, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, is released this month. Larsson did not live to see his Millennium trilogy of crime novels become an international publishing sensation. The Swedish author and journalist died of a heart attack in November 2004 at the age of 50.

Summary: The Danish director of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has questioned why an English-language version is being made of Stieg Larsson's best-selling novel.


He was also something of a rock legend, his mutton-chop whiskers, facial wart and high microphone position making him one of the most recognisable figures in the business. He is credited with introducing punk sounds into the heavy metal mix, paving the way for a generation of thrash metal and speed metal followers. Offstage he gained a reputation for a prodigious intake of drugs and alcohol as well as a sex life as frantic as his music. Lemmy was born Ian Fraser Kilmister in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, on 24 December 1945. His father, a former chaplain in the Royal Air Force, separated from his mother when Lemmy was just three months old. "I don't recall what my first word was," he later told the Seattle Times. "But it was very loud." Tributes paid to Motorhead frontman The young Kilmister acquired the nickname Lemmy while at school, although he purported to have no idea where it came from. It was later suggested that it referred to his constant pleas to "Lemmy a quid until Friday," as he struggled to service a growing addiction to slot machines. His mother remarried when he was 10 and the family moved to north Wales, where Lemmy completed his schooling and took on a number of jobs including a stint at a local washing machine factory. Having become enamoured of a girl from Stockport who was holidaying in the area, he followed her back to her hometown and became involved in the local music scene. He spread his wings with a band called The Rockin' Vickers, who released three singles and rocked the Manchester music scene while dressed in clerical gear. Lemmy moved to London in search of fame and fortune, where he had a stint as a roadie with Jimi Hendrix and briefly played in progressive rock band Opal Butterfly. In 1972 he was recruited as bassist for the space-rock band Hawkwind, despite having played only rhythm guitar before. It helped him develop a distinct style of bass playing, which added a great deal to Hawkwind's sound. He also sang lead vocals on the band's biggest hit, Silver Machine, after a previous effort by the band's usual vocalist was deemed too weak. "It sounded like Captain Kirk reading Blowing in the Wind," Lemmy later recalled. "They tried everybody singing it except me. Then, as a last shot they said, 'Try Lemmy.' And I did it in one take or two." Lemmy's tenure with Hawkwind ended abruptly when he was busted for drug possession on a tour of Canada in 1975. He later claimed that his dismissal was due to 'pharmaceutical differences', his preference for amphetamines being in stark contrast to the rest of Hawkwind's love of more hallucinogenic substances. Despite the falling-out, Lemmy had fond memories of his time with the band. "In Hawkwind I became a good bass player," he told Classic Rock magazine in 2012. "It was where I learned I was good at something." Lemmy decided to form his own band, "so that no-one can fire me again", and adopted the name Bastard, until it

Summary: Lemmy, who has died aged 70 after being diagnosed with cancer, was the frontman and only constant member of Motorhead, one of the loudest bands in rock music.


4 January 2015 Last updated at 10:51 GMT People living near the area reported hearing loud banging noises coming from the Screggagh wind farm for around two days. Debris from the turbine has been scattered over hundreds of metres but no one has been hurt. It's not clear what caused the collapse but bad weather isn't thought to be a factor, as there were no storms or high winds at the time. The company who operate the wind farm are now investigating. Turbine 3 was one of eight turbines on the wind farm and is worth more than half a million pounds.

Summary: An 80-metre tall wind turbine has collapsed on a mountainside in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.


He worked under Billy Reid at Hamilton Academical, and advised Reid to move to Swansea City when the club wanted him to replace Paulo Sousa five years ago, but Reid chose to stay. He is now an assistant manager in Sweden's second tier. Neil is ambitious, and has always indicated a desire to test himself at the highest level. So he was always likely to accept the offer to succeed Neil Adams at Carrow Road. Reid was his friend, but also the man who shaped his career. Neil was a right-back when he pitched up at Hamilton from Mansfield Town in 2005; Reid restored him to a holding midfield role because of two significant qualities: his tenacity and his ability to read the game. Those traits have served Neil well. He only became Hamilton player-manager in April 2013, when Reid stepped down. Since then, he has guided the club to promotion - via the play-offs last summer - and to an eye-catching campaign in the Premiership, which has included topping the table in October. For perspective, no side in the top division has a lower wage budget. Hamilton regularly field a team in which half of the players have come through the youth ranks, and he led the team to their first win at Celtic Park since 1938. Following that 1-0 win, Neil gathered all of the players and club officials in the dressing room and urged them to make the most of the moment, and to build on it. The display and result were typical of Neil - not least because he was booked in the second half, while still amongst the substitutes. He has a steely edge, and can occasionally be overly aggressive. That tends to generally be controlled, though, and the spikiness will be required as he tries to impose his authority on the Norwich squad. Many of the players will be around the same age as Neil - who is 33 - and most will have played at a higher level and earned more money from their careers. In a world where wealth and kudos are commodities, Neil must find a way to display leadership and motivation without compromising his principles. "He's very calm and won't be fazed," said the former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson, who regularly reports on Hamilton games for BBC Scotland and whose youngest son is a youth player at New Douglas Park. "I did my B coaching badge with him. He has an edge and that's really important." The victory over Celtic was also typical of Neil because he was not prepared to limit his players or alter his tactical approach. Reid would often make Hamilton more defensive when they played bigger clubs, but Neil urges his players to have belief in their abilities and to trust in their game plan. The approach has worked, which is why Neil became Norwich's choice to replace Adams. Reid believes that his protege will succeed, remarking on him being "grounded" and that there is "no chance he will be overawed by the challenge down there". Reid has

Summary: New Norwich City manager Alex Neil has learned from the successes and mistakes of his mentor.


Fred Stobaugh, whose wife Lorraine died in April, has no previous musical experience and wrote the song on a whim for a competition. He submitted his handwritten lyrics by post and, although the contest was online-only, the organisers were so moved they put the words to music. Oh Sweet Lorraine is number seven on US iTunes and has 1.9m YouTube views. Billboard magazine said the song had sold 6,000 copies so far, placing it at number 49 in its rock digital songs sales chart. The track is also in the iTunes charts for Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Luxembourg. "Oh sweet Lorraine," the chorus begins, "I wish we could do all the good times over again." Stobaugh does not perform the song himself - on his original submission, he wrote: "I don't sing, I would scare people, haha!" Vocals are provided instead by Jacob Colgan, whose Green Shoe Studio organised the original contest. A documentary about the recording of the song, uploaded to YouTube in July, explains how the recording came about. "What made Fred's entry so special to us was, one, it's an online contest. People are supposed to upload their videos," Colgan says in the clip. "But, instead of a video, we received a very large manila envelope. Well, I was excited to see what it was. Lo and behold, it was a letter from a 96-year-old man who said, 'I've written a song for my wife'. "He sounds like a sweet guy," he continues, "but, as I'm reading through the letter, I begin to realise that his wife had just passed away a month earlier." Stobaugh says the song, his first, came to him out of the blue. "After she passed away, I was just sitting in the front room one evening by myselfâ€¦it just [came] to me. I kept humming it." The finished recording is a simple, country-tinged lullaby. The documentary shows Stobaugh overcome with emotion as he hears it for the first time, covering his face with his hand as he tells Colgan: "It's wonderful, it's wonderful". "She was just the prettiest girl I ever saw," he says of meeting Lorraine in 1938. "Real timid-like. I just fell in love with her right there." "I really, really miss her."

Summary: A 96-year-old who wrote a song for his late wife has made the US iTunes top 10, alongside Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.


The GMB union said women care workers, cleaners and janitors had been subject to pay discrimination in comparison with their male counterparts. The union said improved offers had now been made which put members in line for "significant equal pay awards". The council described the offer as a "positive step" in ending the dispute. North Lanarkshire Council Leader Jim Logue said: "I have made it clear since becoming council leader that we will settle equal pay claims where these are justified. "I am pleased to say this agreement in principle, which is subject to further discussion, with the GMB union, is a positive step towards that aim. "This is a major milestone which I hope will mark a departure from the confrontations of the past. We have negotiated in a sensible and constructive manner with the GMB and its legal advisers to reach agreement." Councillor Logue said the council had paid about Â£100m in equal pay claims in recent years and wanted to resolve the issue. GMB Scotland organiser Hazel Nolan said fresh negotiations began after "a recent change in leadership at the council". "Improved settlement offers subsequently followed, meaning GMB Scotland members can now look forward to significant equal pay awards," she said. "The new council leadership immediately recognised the need to resolve this inequality and their willingness to work with GMB Scotland in negotiating a proper settlement means our members are at last getting justice. "Our 'Equal Pay Now' campaign was organised after our members, including home care workers, cleaners and janitors, were forced into a protracted dispute with North Lanarkshire Council's previous leadership over pay discrimination in comparison with their male counterparts."

Summary: An agreement in principle has been reached to end a long-running equal pay dispute between North Lanarkshire Council and about 200 female staff.


Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remains a frontrunner. Her main rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, apologised for his campaign's accessing of voter information compiled by Ms Clinton's team. "Not only do I apologise to Secretary Clinton, I want to apologise to our supporters," he said. Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is also taking part in the debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. Gun control and the fear of terror attacks in the United States were tackled early in the debate. "Guns in and of themselves will not make America safer," said Hillary Clinton. "Arming more peopleâ€¦ is not the appropriate response to terrorism." Ms Clinton said that Republican rhetoric - especially from Donald Trump - was "fanning the flames of radicalisation". But Mr O'Malley accused of two rivals of "flip-flopping" in Washington over gun ownership restrictions. For his part, Mr Sanders said US foreign policy needed to focus on destroying the so-called Islamic State (IS or Isis) group, not removing Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria. "It is not Assad that is attacking the United States," he said. "First priority: destroy Isis," he said. Mr Sanders also criticised Qatar, saying that "instead of spending $200bn on the World Cup, maybe they should pay attention to Isis on their doorstep". Bernie Sanders said that on two occasions there were computer breaches - which he said were the fault of the software vendor - in which his campaign could see proprietary data from Hillary Clinton's campaign and that they alerted party officials "quietly". He said his campaign "didn't run to the media and make a big deal about it". He said that the most recent breech involved inappropriate behaviour by one of his staff members, adding that person had now been dismissed. He said that the Democratic Party's decision to temporarily suspend his campaign's access to the strategically crucial database was "an egregious act". The Sanders campaign on Friday filed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee in a federal court to restore its access to the voter data. Strategically important information on voters is contained in the database, which campaigns use to decide strategy. That data takes on a crucial role as campaigns prepare for early primary voting in just over a month's time. Forbidding the Sanders campaign from accessing the database will significantly hamper its ability to reach out to new Democratic voters, says the BBC's Anthony Zurcher in Washington. The DNC maintains the database and charges campaigns for access. Primary voting begins in early February.

Summary: Candidates seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for the US presidency have begun their last debate of the year in New Hampshire.


The world number one responded to a post on Instagram that described the American as "very average". Spieth replied: "Couldn't be further from the truth troll. Go do research before hating." Defending champion Spieth bogeyed five of his first seven holes to trail the leaders by seven strokes on two over. The 22-year-old shot 30 under par to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January but his form has slumped recently, with a missed cut in the Northern Trust Open followed by a 17th-place finish in last week's WGC-Cadillac Championship. World number two Rory McIlroy backed his rival, posting on Twitter: "No, he's not TW (Tiger Woods), he's not slumping and he's not done. He's a double major winning 22 year old. He'll be just fine!!" Spieth, 22, also took exception to a post on the PGA Tour's official Twitter account that he thought used one of his remarks out of context. It highlighted a joke from the his post-round interview when asked whether he could accept having an occasional off day. The PGA post, later deleted, read: "What good is kicking the door other than hurting my foot and [having to] withdraw?" Spieth responded: "Seriously? That's the quote you're going to use out of that article?" He later explained: "I was a little upset. It made it seem like I was OK with getting hurt and withdrawing. I was frustrated with that." There were signs of encouragement for the Masters and US Open champion after his dreadful start as he recovered for a second round of 68, two shots inside the cut. "Today was all about the cut," he said. "I actually did pretty well to make six [at the first hole]. I thought it was really strong what we did after that. For the first 20 holes to be at six over and we finished at two over, [there are] only positives going forward." Steve Stricker holed a 150-yard shot for an eagle two in a 66 as he moved into the joint lead on five under with fellow American Will Mackenzie (67). They lead compatriots Daniel Berger (68) and Bill Haas (67), and Canada's Graeme DeLaet (66), by one stroke. England's Danny Willett is level par after a one-over 72, while Ian Poulter is one over after a level-par 71 and Scotland's Russell Knox improved to to two over with a 69. Luke Donald joined Knox after also firing a two-under 69. However, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell (72) and Martin Laird (75) were among those who missed the cut.

Summary: Jordan Spieth defended himself after being called "garbage" by an internet "troll" as he narrowly made the cut at the Valspar Championship in Florida.


Women's rights activists held a rally outside the parliament building in Warsaw, with more action expected on Monday. Poland's MPs rejected a near-total ban on abortions on 6 October after mass protests against the move. But there are new proposals to outlaw abortions in cases where foetuses are unviable or badly damaged. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS), has said his socially conservative party is working on a new restrictive bill. In an interview on 12 October (in Polish), he said: "We will strive to ensure that even in pregnancies which are very difficult, when a child is sure to die, strongly deformed, women end up giving birth so that the child can be baptised, buried, and have a name." Why the outcry over abortion laws in Poland? The Catholic country already has among the tightest abortion laws in Europe. Currently the procedure is only permitted when there is severe and irreversible damage to the foetus, or a serious threat to the mother's health, or when pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. The draft law that went before Poland's parliament earlier in October called for women who had abortions to be punished with a five-year prison term. Doctors found to have assisted in an abortion would have also been liable for jail time. But it was defeated after nationwide "Black Monday" protests that saw tens of thousands of people dressed in black - most of them women - take to the streets. Women also stayed away from work and school and refused to do domestic chores, in a protest inspired by a women's strike in Iceland in 1975. Sunday's street protests are expected to continue on Monday, when some women are also planning another strike. Activists warn that more restrictions on abortion would drive the practice further underground. Estimates say there are already far more illegal abortions than legal ones in Poland - between 10,000 and 150,000, compared with about 1,000 or 2,000 legal terminations.

Summary: Polish protesters have launched fresh demonstrations against efforts to further tighten abortion laws.


Oliver Scullion died at the Hilden Brewery in Lisburn, County Antrim, on Thursday. It is understood the boy was crushed under a metal tank. His grandfather said: "Oliver was a beautiful child, full of life and enthusiasm for everything he did." The family announced the cancellation of a planned beer festival at the site. In a statement released on behalf of the Scullion-Hanna family, Oliver's grandfather Seamus Scullion thanked "all who are supporting us at this heart-breaking time". "It is difficult to come to terms with life without him. We will miss him more than words can express," he added. "Under the circumstances, we regretfully have to cancel the Hilden Beer and Music Festival, due to take place on 28, 29, 30 August." Oliver was the son of brewery manager Owen Scullion, who was also hurt in the accident. The family have appealed for privacy. The Health and Safety Executive said on Thursday that it had been notified of the child's death and was investigating the circumstances.

Summary: The grandfather of a four-year-old boy who was killed in an accident at their family-run brewery has said he will be "missed more than words can express".


It includes the Buckskin area of Basingstoke, where more than 80 homes were evacuated in February 2014 after groundwater flooding. Hampshire County Council can now access a Â£2.1m fund a year earlier than originally expected from 2016-17. Schemes for Romsey and Winchester can now access funding immediately rather than having to wait until 2020. Many residents in Buckskin were unable to return to their homes until the following winter after more than 77 million litres of water had to be pumped out. An independent report recommended a review of the area's drainage system and the "setting up [of] a threshold at which point actions should be taken". Hampshire County Council has already started the first phase of a feasibility study to mitigate flooding. The funding is subject to the approval of a business case. Cleansing and repairs to the existing infrastructure in Buckskin has already started while an electricity substation has been moved.

Summary: Central government funding has been brought forward for a number of flood defence schemes across Hampshire.


What is Brexit? What happens if the UK votes to leave? And, uh, what do the letters EU stand for again? So here are some basics. The EU is the European Union. The people of the United Kingdom may - or may not- want to leave. Like the US, the EU has a flag. They both have their own currencies. They control their external borders and their citizens have an unlimited right of movement within their internal borders. They regulate immigration. And, perhaps, the forces that have led the UK to consider withdrawing from the EU could also be at play in the US. No, seriously. Here are handful of ways the EU and the US are similar enough to merit such consideration, and a few reasons why they aren't. A disliked bureaucratic elite? One is a distant, meddlesome, too-powerful government on the banks of the Potomac River. The other is a distant, meddlesome, too-powerful government on the banks of the Zenne (that's a river in Belgium). While Washington and Brussels may not have much in common geographically or culturally, they are united in the derision often directed their way. The governments in Washington and Brussels have sweeping powers to issue regulations on things like the environment, immigration, trade and commerce - which has led to resentment and distrust from those who view their power as illegitimate or overreaching. US conservatives regularly campaign against Washington bureaucrats and big-government politicians who impose their legislative priorities on the states. While he was running for president last year, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker called the capital city area "68 square miles surrounded by reality". Meanwhile Brussels is a "job-destroying machine" full of arrogant elites, according to pro-Brexit MP Michael Gove. It's not easy being a political punching bag, but it's the burden both cities have to bear. Separatist attitude. Both the US and the EU have their share of peoples with distinct regional identities that make playing nice with a strong central government a bit of a stretch. Everyone by now is familiar with Brexit. But what about Texit? Residents of the US state of Texas have always had a bit of attitude and an independent streak - it probably comes from flying their own flag for nine years after winning independence from Mexico. Although they gladly joined the US back in 1845 in exchange for relief from war debt, there are some in the Lone Star State who, like the pro-Brexit crowd, think it's time to go it alone once again. The Guardian recently spoke with some Texans who think a UK withdrawal from the EU would serve as a shining example for their state and could lead to greater interest in a Texas secession referendum. "At a cultural and spiritual level there are a lot of similarities," Daniel Miller of the Texas independence movement told the Guardian. "A fiercely independent spirit. Keep calm and carry on. The stoicism. There's a sense that when you're pushed, you don't just crumple like yesterday's newspaper, you stand up for what you believe in. We are easygoing, we

Summary: As the Brexit referendum debate approaches its day of judgement, many Americans have been left with a number of questions.


The opinion was issued by Juliane Kokott, an Advocate General to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). It came after a Belgian court sought clarification on what is banned by EU anti-discrimination laws. In the Belgian case, a receptionist was fired for wearing a headscarf to work. Samira Achbita claimed she was being discriminated against on the grounds of her religion. The opinion by Juliane Kokott is not a binding ruling and judges at the ECJ - the EU's highest court - are now considering what final guidance to issue. BBC Europe Correspondent Damian Grammaticas says they will confine themselves to the legal principles and will leave any decision on the specific case to the Belgian courts. "A ban on wearing headscarves in companies may be admissible if the ban is based on a general company rule which prohibits political, philosophical and religious symbols from being worn visibly in the workplace. Such a ban may be justified if it enables the employer to pursue the legitimate policy of ensuring religious and ideological neutrality," the opinion from the advocate general said. She added: "While an employee cannot 'leave' his sex, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability 'at the door' upon entering his employer's premises, he may be expected to moderate the exercise of his religion in the workplace." Ms Achbita had worked for the security firm G4S in Belgium for three years when she insisted on being allowed to wear a headscarf. She was dismissed because the company bans the wearing of any visible religious, political and philosophical symbols. Ms Achbita took the company to court backed by a Belgian racial equality group but the case was dismissed by two lower courts. Belgium's court of cassation then referred the case to the EU's top court for clarification. The wearing of headscarves, and more controversially the Islamic veil, has caused controversy across Europe. In France, where the separation of state and religion is enshrined in law, a ban on Muslim headscarves and other "conspicuous" religious symbols at state schools was introduced in 2004. However, last year Germany's highest court struck down a ban on headscarves for state school teachers.

Summary: Employers in the EU may be able to ban Muslim staff from wearing headscarves to work as long as it is part of a general prohibition on all religious symbols, a top EU court adviser says.


Richard Pennycook told BBC Radio 5 live that the group had been "let down" by its former management. However, recent changes to its structure and governance should rectify that situation, he said. The organisation had been "undermanaged" in the past, according to Mr Pennycook. "We let the co-operative movement down in a fairly significant way, after 150 proud years where the Co-op had a reputation for doing the right thing." It now needed to become "better at business" and return to making profits, he said: "Just applying good management disciplines and taking out costs can improve profitability." It had been necessary to go through the "painful" process of selling some businesses to repair the balance sheet, Mr Pennycook said. The group is focusing on its grocery shops and funerals, and retains a 20% stake in the Co-operative Bank, which is now controlled by US hedge funds. The Co-op was second to Tesco in the convenience food market, he said, and the quality of its products had increased markedly: "We can absolutely compete with the best." Mr Pennycook was appointed as the Co-op's interim chief executive early last year before assuming the role permanently. Allan Leighton, chairman of the Co-operative Group, is in the process of rebuilding the board after being appointed in February as its first independent chair. His appointment followed the record Â£2.5bn loss for 2014 that was caused largely by the crisis in the group's banking business. The former Royal Mail chairman will preside over his first annual meeting of the Co-op on Saturday. Co-op members will vote on appointing three directors to the board. They are: former Labour minister Hazel Blears; Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the Workers' Educational Association; and Paul Chandler, former chief executive of the fair trade group Traidcraft. Mr Pennycook said he was both "surprised and delighted" that three candidates had been found. "The first principle of the governance reform is that anybody going onto the board had to have the requisite skills and experience," he said. However, he said the Co-op was yet to take its seat on the board of the Co-op Bank. An external candidate may be appointed to the position if no one on the Co-op board had the necessary skills, Mr Pennycook said. "We don't know yet whether we will have somebody on our group board with the qualifications to go on to the banking board. If we do, then that would be the right solution to take up our seat. If it happens that we don't, then we'll seek to appoint an independent suitably qualified non-executive," he said. "We would hope in future years that we have a healthy pipeline of a people who we'd like to represent on the board." Despite no longer owning the Co-op Bank, Mr Pennycook said it and the Co-op Group shared a name and many members. Co-operative ethics and values had been enshrined in its governance and he said it could no longer be called the Co-operative Bank in the future if that were ever to change.

Summary: The chief executive of the Co-operative Group has blamed past mismanagement of the organisation for the problems it has faced.


In a BBC interview, Debbie Engels said the government chose "its allies over protecting its own citizen" by refusing to prosecute Mrs Mugabe, 52, on assault charges. The Department of International Relations granted Mrs Mugabe diplomatic immunity on 19 August, which meant she could travel back home with her husband, President Robert Mugabe, who was in South Africa for a summit of regional leaders. "I half-expected it but when you hear the news it still comes as a shock," Ms Engels said. Mrs Mugabe made headlines after the model laid a complaint with police, accusing the first lady of hitting her with an electrical extension cord on 13 August, almost a week before the first lady was granted immunity. The alleged assault took place after Mrs Mugabe found the model and some of her friends in a plush hotel room where the first lady's two sons - Robert Mugabe Jr, 23, and Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe, 20 - live in Johannesburg's affluent Sandton suburb. According to the young woman, they were guests of the sons, whom they had met the previous day, and they were having drinks when Mrs Mugabe stormed in. "She hit us with so much hate. Like, I don't understand why she attacked us like that. Until this day my friends and I don't understand why this woman attacked us the way she did for no reason at all," she told me. This is not the first time that the Mugabe family's behaviour in South Africa has made headlines - in July, the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported that the pair had been evicted from a luxury apartment block in the same area after a brawl with some of their guests. Zimbabwean newspapers reported that their first lady had to make an "emergency" trip to South Africa to find "secure accommodation" for their two sons. Mr and Mrs Mugabe's sons, who apparently have a taste for the finer things in life in the form of champagne and designer clothes, have a reputation for partying hard. They are studying in Johannesburg and, according to local papers, the two have not been doing well in their studies, unlike their father, who boasts several university degrees. Partying is not a crime - though it could incur the wrath of parents, especially if it is overdone. But beating up someone certainly is, and Ms Engels's lawyers laid a complaint of "assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm" against Mrs Mugabe. Although the case failed to get to court, Ms Engels' lawyers say the fight is not over. The rise of Grace Mugabe The Engels family has an ally in former state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who secured a murder conviction against disgraced Olympic star Oscar Pistorius after he shot dead his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day 2013. Now working for the mainly Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum, Mr Nel says he has taken up Ms Engels' case for free and is planning to challenge the government's decision to give Mrs Mugabe diplomatic immunity in court. "If the review application is successful (and there are

Summary: The mother of 20-year-old Gabriella Engels, the South African model who has accused Grace Mugabe of assaulting her, says she is disappointed and angry with President Jacob Zuma's government for giving the Zimbabwean first lady diplomatic immunity.