Last year, there were about 14,000 visits, compared to 8,000 in 2005, when the county became an approved destination for Chinese citizens. Their spending, including at Bicester Village outlet, has also increased from almost Â£8m to more than Â£20m, according to Visit Britain. A further rise has been predicted for the next ten years. Martin Walker, from not-for-profit group Experience Oxfordshire, said Chinese tourists were "increasingly important" to the county's economy. However, he said, the UK was currently "underperforming" with about 290,000 visitors a year, compared to countries such as France, which gets 350,000. A number of attractions and travel organisations in Oxfordshire had signed up to the Great China Welcome initiative in a bid to encourage more visitors, he said. In 2013, consultancy company Spectrum Insights found Chinese tourists spend 90% of their budget on shopping during UK visits. It said Bicester Village was the most popular shopping destination in the UK, with 27% of Chinese visitors naming it as their favourite. Keith Slater, a former director of several UK retailers, said bosses had "deliberately set out to market to the Chinese and to promote it as a must-go place." "It's actually marketed as Bicester Village London, so is seen as part of the capital," he said. "It's the designer brands, like Burberry, which really attract the Chinese and they prefer to buy a UK brand in the UK."

Summary: The number of Chinese visitors to Oxfordshire has almost doubled in the last ten years, figures have shown.


Some of the victims reported the abuse to police after reading press reports about Peter Farrands being jailed for seven years in May 2015. As well as working at Folville Rise Junior School in Leicester, Farrands was a scoutmaster and lay preacher. The four victims were aged between six and 12 when Farrands abused them. Sentencing Farrands, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: "This was a breach of trust as a school teacher and a scoutmaster and the effect continues to haunt the victims. "The sentence must seem lenient to the victims but they should look at the total sentence." He pleaded guilty to seven additional charges of indecent assault against boys between 1976 and 1981. Leicestershire Police said Farrands committed most of his crimes at Folville Rise Junior School. Det Sgt Hazel Sandall hopes the case will encourage other victims of historical abuse to come forward. She said: "No matter how old the offender and no matter how many years ago crimes took place, we will conduct a thorough examination of the evidence and will not hesitate to seek charges being brought against perpetrators of crime where evidence is available to us." Two of the victims came to Leicester Crown Court, where Farrands appeared via video link, to see him sentenced. The court heard one victim contacted the NSPCC in 2014 and said he had been abused by Farrands and two other people, who he believed have since died. Some of the boys were assaulted multiple times. In a statement read out in court, one of the victims said he is still receiving counselling because of what happened. "There is still a lot of pain," he said. "I'm still unable to enjoy the simple things like Christmas and birthdays."

Summary: A 90-year-old former teacher who is already in jail for child sex offences has had two years added to his sentence after four more victims came forward.


The winger scored three times in 21 second-half minutes to draw level with Lomu's mark of 15 World Cup tries. The Springboks ran in eight second-half tries in all to earn a bonus-point win at the Olympic Stadium. South Africa top Pool B and will now play the loser of Saturday's Pool A decider between Australia and Wales. A mixture of South Africa's ill-discipline and poor finishing kept the score down in the first half, while USA only made it into the Boks' 22 in the last minute of the half, despite enjoying plenty of possession. Centre Damien de Allende scored his first international try before South Africa were awarded a penalty try as USA struggled at the scrum. A different South Africa came out after the break as Habana scored almost from the restart, collecting a Fourie du Preez kick to go over in the corner. Bismarck du Plessis and Francois Louw both crossed the line, before Habana scored two tries in two minutes to complete his hat-trick. Louw scored his second with Jesse Kriel also getting on the scoresheet, before Lwazi Mvovo rounded off a dominant Springboks performance. Habana had a subdued first half, with his only contribution of note seeing him clatter into Blaine Scully as the pair competed for a high ball. But he came out firing in the second half and his hat-trick not only saw him equal New Zealand legend Lomu as the tournament's all-time leading try scorer, but also draw level with Australia's David Campese for joint second in the list of Test try scorers with 64. The 32-year-old, a 2007 World Cup-winner with the Boks, scored 62 seconds into the second half for his 13th World Cup try. He then went over unopposed in the 59th minute after a break by De Allende and swooped on a loose ball to dive over in the corner just two minutes later. Habana could have broken All Black winger Lomu's record but a knock-on as he tried to collect another chip through denied him a fourth try on the night. South Africa's World Cup campaign started in the worst possible way with that shock loss to Japan, but they recovered with a bonus point victory over Samoa and a comfortable win against Scotland. If they are to win the tournament, they will be the first side to do so having lost a pool match. Before the USA game, Boks coach Heyneke Meyer talked about his side "doing a Roger Bannister", citing the British runner who broke the four-minute mile barrier as an example of overcoming the impossible. He also spoke about respecting their opponents but in the first half they showed signs of complacency and failed to pile the points on an under-strength USA, who had made 12 changes from their defeat by Scotland. A rejuvenated and more clinical Springboks came out after the break - and eight tries in 40 minutes will certainly send out a message to the teams left in the competition. South Africa: Le Roux, Habana, Kriel, de Allende, Mvovo, Pollard, du Preez,

Summary: Bryan Habana equalled Jonah Lomu's World Cup try-scoring record with a hat-trick as South Africa reached the quarter-finals by thrashing USA.


Paul Finlay-Dickson's civil partner, Maurice, died of cancer in January. He, himself, is ill. Attacks on the couple's home began nearly two years ago. After his partner's death, Mr Finlay-Dickson had been due to move to a new house in Cosgrave Heights. However, vandals attacked it at the weekend. On Saturday, a gang smashed windows and daubed graffiti on the building in Tiger's Bay. Mr Finlay-Dickson said he now felt too frightened to move in. "The house was boarded up, there was black paint above the window," he said. "On either side of the door they wrote 'pedo'. I'm not a paedophile. I'm a gay man, I'm not a paedophile." He said he had suffered 15 attacks in the past four months. "They make me feel as if I am living in fear," he said. "I am being segregated and attacked because of my sexual orientation. "I am not the only gay man in Northern Ireland. This is a homophobic hate crime attack. Something needs to be done, I cannot take much more." Gavin Boyd from the Rainbow Project said he felt a lot of sympathy for Mr Finlay-Dickson in what had been "a very difficult year". "My heart goes out to Paul," he said. "It is deeply disconcerting that anyone should have to go through such a sustained period of homophobic attacks and crimes. "With all kinds of prejudice or hate-based violence, it is about whatever someone can identify as a weak spot - that is something people will prey on." Mr Boyd called for a joined-up approach from the police, the Housing Executive, politicians and community leaders to tackle homophobic attacks. "For far too long, people have been putting up with these sustained campaigns of intimidation," he said. "Police need to adopt a robust response to these kind of crimes." A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said they would make contact with Mr Finlay-Dickson as a matter of urgency to discuss his options.

Summary: A grieving man who has been the target of a series of homophobic attacks has had his new north Belfast home vandalised.


Vicki Russell told the CBC that Air Canada bumped her from the 1 April Toronto-to-Miami flight that she had booked two months in advance. As a result she missed her connecting flight to meet the cruise ship. Ms Russell has since received C$800 (US$592; Â£463) compensation from the airline. She says everything went according to plan until an agent told her about two hours after she had checked in and received her boarding pass that the flight was overbooked and she did not have a valid ticket. Despite showing her travel documents and getting the tour company to email her trip receipt to prove her ticket was valid, the flight left without her. "It was extremely upsetting," Ms Russell told the CBC. "The woman could not have been more rude, hostile. In all my years of travelling, I have never had a travel person treat me so badly." She was sent to Air Canada customer service at the airport to find a new flight to Miami. By the time she was seen by an agent, no flights were available that would allow her to make the connection. She also had to wait to get back her checked luggage. She filed a complaint for missing her "dream vacation" with Air Canada the next day. The $10,000 National Geographic cruise, organised by Lindblad Expeditions, tours the famous Pacific Ocean archipelago's varied islands and habitats. A spokeswoman for Lindblad Expeditions said on Friday they have been in contact with Ms Russell throughout the situation and have rebooked her expedition at no charge, including airfare from Miami to Galapagos. Air Canada confirmed that the flight had been oversold. But the carrier said their agents spent "a great deal of time" looking at options for Ms Russell, including exploring "outside the box" solutions for getting her directly to the Galapagos Islands despite her flight ticket being issued only to Miami. They noted they refunded her initial fare and paid compensation. "This is a very regrettable situation and we are sorry this occurred," said an Air Canada spokesman in a statement. The practice of airlines bumping passengers from flights has been under scrutiny since the footage of United Airlines passenger David Dao being forcibly removed from a flight made headlines worldwide. Following that incident, Canada's federal government reiterated its pledge to table a passenger rights law this spring. It is expected to include compensation rules for those denied boarding due to factors within the carrier's control. The Canadian Transportation Agency receives an average of about 50 complaints a year from passengers saying they were denied boarding.

Summary: A Canadian woman missed a "trip of a lifetime" Galapagos cruise after being bumped from a flight.


Eight former and serving officers have been called to give evidence at the hearings. South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings said the sum was "substantially less" than required. The force, which has a legal duty to support its staff, said that as of January more than £12m had been paid out on legal representation. The total spend had now risen to "considerably more than that", it added. Dr Billings described the financial situation for the force as "grave" and said taxpayers in the region would "have to bear the additional cost". He said it would ultimately impact on the police budget and the force's ability to provide policing and crime services. Dr Billings said he would be calling an emergency meeting. Ninety-six Liverpool fans died after crushing at the FA Cup semi final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest held at Hillsborough in 1989. Fresh inquests into the deaths were ordered after the original accidental death verdicts were quashed in 2012 following an independent report. The inquests are expected to continue for another year. Dr Billings said: "The special grant application I submitted was for the full amount, which leaves us the shortfall to pay. "My office now has to undertake a financial analysis to establish the size of the shortfall and its impact on our budget." "While I recognise that the Home Secretary's decision was a matter of discretion, I am extremely disappointed by both the timing of the announcement and the amount of funding granted." Dr Billings said he would submit another application to fund "the further legal costs we will incur during 2015/16". A Home Office spokesman said: "On 27 March the home secretary agreed to provide a special grant to the South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner in relation to legal costs incurred by the inquests into the Hillsborough tragedy. "The amount is up to £5.1m in 2013/14 and £5.6m in 2014/15." Special grants can be provided to police forces facing unexpected or exceptional costs exceeding 1% of its annual budget.

Summary: South Yorkshire Police has been awarded £10.7m to cover legal fees incurred from the new Hillsborough inquests.


The victim, in his 30s, was shot in Swancote Green, Bracknell after answering the door to two men at about 18:00 BST last Sunday. He was treated in hospital and later released. Police said 28-year-old Scott Kennedy of Sturdee Close, Frimley, Surrey, is accused of one count of attempted murder. A 63-year-old man, also from Frimley, Surrey, arrested in connection with the shooting has been bailed until 26 June. Mr Kennedy is due to appear before Reading Magistrates' Court.

Summary: A man has been charged with the attempted murder of a man who was shot in the chest at his Berkshire home.


The Robins have won six of their 10 League One games since former Brighton Under-21 and reserves coach Williams took interim charge in December. The 35-year-old replaced Martin Ling at the County Ground, after Ling stepped down citing "health reasons." "He is a fantastic coach, the best I've come across in 25 years of football," chairman Lee Power said. "The reason Luke is 'head coach' and not 'manager' is because that is what he is: the head coach. "No players will come into the club that Luke is not happy with, but his main job is to coach the group and improve them." Williams is the fourth person to take charge of Swindon this season, following Mark Cooper, Ling, and chairman Power, who looked after the first team for a spell following Cooper's dismissal in October. The Robins are currently 13th in the League One table, seven points outside the play-off places.

Summary: Swindon Town have appointed caretaker boss Luke Williams as head coach on a five-year contract.


Sally Ann John, who disappeared from Swindon, aged 23, in 1995, had been working as a prostitute. On Thursday police arrested three men in their 50s on suspicion of her murder. "Every day is difficult without Sally Ann and I appreciate the understanding I have been shown," said Lesley John. In a statement released through Wiltshire Police, she said: "The police have been keeping me informed of progress with the investigation into Sally Ann's disappearance and the arrests yesterday give me hope. "I feel it is important that the police are able to continue to investigate without speculation from anyone and I hope that the community will support me in this." The trio, including two men from Swindon aged 50 and 52, and a 52-year-old from Chippenham, are still being held on suspicion of kidnap and murder. Sally Ann's disappearance was initially classified as a missing person but police launched a murder investigation in 2014. She was last seen on Aylesbury Street on the morning of Friday 8 September 1995. Her body has never been found.

Summary: The mother of a woman who went missing 20 years ago and is believed to have been murdered has said the recent arrests have given her hope.


The hosts went in front when Tyrone Barnett stabbed in as the Blades appealed in vain that goalkeeper George Long had control of the ball. Dean Hammond headed an equaliser but David Worrall drilled home to re-establish the Shrimpers' lead. Jack Payne sealed the victory with a dinked finish just seconds after Che Adams hit a post for the away side. Southend climb to eighth, six points adrift of the play-off places, while Sheffield United slip to 13th.

Summary: Southend United gave their fading League One play-off hopes a boost with a home victory over Sheffield United.


Jarvis, 29, has won 17 caps for Wales and last played in the Six Nations win over Italy in March 2016. James, who will miss the first match of the three-Test series against the world champions in Auckland, has not recovered as quickly as hoped, but remains with the squad. Wales have lost 26 matches against the All Blacks since beating them in 1953. James is also likely to miss the game against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Tuesday, 14 June. Jarvis, who is joining French Top 14 side Clermont Auvergne from Ospreys, will arrive on Wednesday morning in New Zealand. The Exeter-born player graduated to professional rugby via the Bath academy, and played for England Under-16s and U19s. But he successfully pursued Wales honours via Ospreys, having been eligible because of his Merthyr Tydfil-born grandmother. He has started six Wales games, coming off the bench for the remainder of his caps.

Summary: Tight-head prop Aaron Jarvis is flying to New Zealand to join Wales as cover for Paul James, who has a calf injury.


There was no secret that the picture today's Autumn Statement would paint would not be pretty. But more than £100bn of extra borrowing, roughly equivalent to the entire NHS budget - nearly £60bn of that the costs of Brexit - make a brutal backdrop for Theresa May's government as it only just gets going. Remember all the figures ought to be taken with a giant pinch of salt. Forecasts like these have so often been wrong. And no one is forecasting a recession. But what the chancellor said today and the Office for Budget Responsibility has calculated have big implications. First off, with the goal of balancing the books now an aspiration to be met as "early as possible", next Parliament, the Tories will be going into the next election, a decade after they took charge, without having kept the central promise they made 10 years before of clearing the deficit. Yes, you read that right - a full decade. As political promises go, that is a less than glorious record. Voters will see the national debt hitting 90% of GDP, not shy of £2 trillion, 10 years after being told that tough spending cuts were worth it, because within five years we would be on our way back to the mythic sunlit uplands. There is a separate debate about whether that was ever achievable, and how much Brexit can be blamed for the fact Mr Hammond has pushed those targets back again. But at the very least, it means the Conservatives will still be borrowing, and borrowing significantly, busting their own timetable by at least five years. And with wages predicted to slow, and inflation expected to rise, the public will feel the pinch too. Simply, if today's forecasts are right, the government's finances are set to be shaky for a lot longer, and more voters will feel skint. Despite Theresa May's repeated desire to help families who are finding it hard to make ends meet, there were few measures that will make a big difference. Privately, Treasury sources acknowledge they haven't done that much, despite Number 10's hopes. The truth is that they didn't have much cash to play with. And Mr Hammond's ambitions to rebuild the fundamentals of the economy were clearly his priority, rather than major concessions to help some groups of voters feel a bit more flush. Indeed, the charts that estimate who is bearing the brunt of the government's policies suggest that when everything is taken into consideration, not just today's measures, the three poorest groups are all slightly worse off. The only group that loses more is the top 10%. Beyond all the charts and tables and documents, though, Mr Hammond dropped one giant hint which is perhaps politically one of the most important things of the day. He was talking about the "triple lock", the guaranteed increases in the state pension, seen by many in Westminster privately to be completely unaffordable in the longer term, but few will yet say it in public. He said: "And we will meet our pledge to our country's

Summary: Ouch!


A recent event at the end of August left at least 30 soldiers injured. At least 24 cadets were reported to have been left unconscious because pillows were stuffed with hard objects. West Point Superintendent Lt Gen Robert L Caslen said the academy was pursuing unspecified disciplinary measures against those involved in the fights. He was quoted in the New York Times as saying that those facing such measures included "senior military members and cadets alike". Gen Caslen was not reported to have identified or provided the ranks of those who may be punished, but said he was determined "to send a clear message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated". An army investigation dated the pillow fights to 2001, but congressional testimony reported in the New York Times suggests they date back more than a century. One cadet suffered a broken nose in the August pillow fight, while others had dislocated shoulders. West Point academy argued at the time the fight was designed to build "esprit de corps". None of the injuries was severe and all cadets have returned to duty, it said. Video of the fight posted online shows crowds of yelling cadets, some wearing body armour as well as helmets, surging together in a central quad. The annual night-time event has been described as a harmless way of blowing off steam at the end of a gruelling summer of training. But this year's event seems to have been a little over-exuberant, with pillow cases reported to have been stuffed with hard objects, thought to have been helmets. A report into the incident cited by the New York Times said that the injuries were largely caused by cadets being struck by "elbows or other body parts" or from being knocked down.

Summary: Huge pillow fights among US cadets to mark the end of summer training at the prestigious West Point military academy are to be banned, officials say.


Fake Ophelia is a large collage on canvas by Steven Campbell - one of the "new Glasgow Boys" who studied at the school. Forsyth and his partner Moira Wylie gifted the work made in 1991 by Campbell, who died at the age of 54 in 2007. It will hang in the art school's library. Gregory's Girl director Forsyth first met Campbell in the 1980s. The two were fishing buddies. When Campbell was asked to paint a famous Scot for the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, he chose Forsyth, as the only famous person he knew, and a friend. Fake Ophelia is formed of paint, textiles, string, wallpaper and paper cut work. Campbell went to the GSA as a mature student, graduating in 1982 with a Fulbright Scholarship which he used to travel to New York. He returned to live in Glasgow in 1986 and emerged in the group of Scottish figurative painters which also consisted of fellow GSA alumni Ken Currie, Peter Howson and Adrian Wiszniewski. Alison Stevenson, head of learning resources at the GSA, said: "We are grateful to Bill and Moira for this generous donation to the GSA's archives and collections. "Steven was an incredibly talented artist whose life was cut tragically short. "We are delighted to be able to add Fake Ophelia to our rich collection of works by GSA graduates."

Summary: Film-maker Bill Forsyth has donated an artwork to Glasgow School of Art.


Cleveland Police used anti-terror powers as part of an investigation into alleged leaking of confidential material to newspapers in 2012. However, the force claimed it was justified in secretly monitoring the phones of two former officers. Mark Dias and Steve Matthews claim they were targeted after challenging misconduct by fellow officers. The decision over whether the force's covert techniques used against its former employees were lawful will be made in the new year, following an Investigatory Powers Tribunal. At the hearing in London, Judge Sir Michael Burton said although he reserved judgement until 2017, it was clear what his decision would be. He said the force should start thinking about compensation for the two officers. Cleveland Police claimed it was justified in using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) - which has since been replaced. In a four-month period the force monitored over a million minutes of telephone data, the tribunal heard. Mr Matthews, the former head of Cleveland's Police Federation, said: "I honestly think they were trying to stitch me up." If anyone criticised the force "they would be jumped on and, as part of that campaign, I was singled out", he said. Mr Dias said the force monitored his phone calls, emails and activity. The officers' legal team said the "force's casual disregard for the legal framework beggared belief".

Summary: A police force has admitted to unlawfully accessing the private phone records of journalists and a solicitor.


He was taken into custody on Thursday in Lurgan. Four other men arrested after searches in the County Armagh town and in Coalisland, County Tyrone, on Wednesday, are still being questioned. Police evacuated an estimated 15 homes in Lurgan's Woodville Avenue during Wednesday's searches. Forensic teams and police using a sniffer dog carried out the searches. Three men, two aged 22 and one aged 24, were arrested in Lurgan and a 46-year-old in Coalisland.

Summary: A 22-year-old man who was arrested by police investigating dissident republican activity has been released unconditionally.


The 29-year-old has featured in 53 U's games since joining in 2015, 18 of which have come this season. "He came and requested the opportunity to leave for personal reasons," said director of football Tony Humes. "We have been working with him over the past few weeks to resolve the situation in the best way possible."

Summary: Colchester United midfielder Owen Garvan has had his contract with the League Two club cancelled by mutual consent for personal reasons.


A statement said all employees involved in industrial action would be locked out from Monday evening and flights grounded from 0600 GMT on Saturday. Aircraft currently in the air will complete their flights, but there will be no further departures. Chief executive Alan Joyce called his decision "unbelievable". Fair Work Australia, the national industrial tribunal, adjourned a hearing on the Qantas dispute on Saturday night. The tribunal - which has the power to suspend or terminate industrial action - is to reconvene later on Sunday. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that the dispute could have "implications" for the national economy. The airline has been hit by a series of costly strikes. Baggage handlers, engineers and pilots have been involved in the action which the company says is costing A$15m (US$16m) a week. The airline issued a statement on its Facebook page saying customers booked on Qantas flights should not go to the airport until further notice. The airline said a full refund would be available to those affected. Relations between the unions and Qantas management started deteriorating in August after the airline announced plans for restructuring and moving some operations to Asia. By Phil MercerBBC News, Sydney At the heart of the dispute are concerns about pay and job security along with cost-cutting and the subcontracting of work overseas as Qantas looks to set up new airlines in Asia and sack hundreds of staff to revive its sagging international fortunes. At Sydney international airport, feelings among marooned passengers oscillated between anger and frustration. Qantas' decision to pull its entire international and domestic fleets from the skies comes during one of Australia's busiest travel weekends, with tens thousands of people converging on the hugely popular Melbourne Cup horse race, an event that stops the nation for a few, brief minutes. Anger and dismay at Qantas move Qantas grounded: Your stories Qantas has a 65% share of the domestic Australian market, but has been making heavy losses on its international flights. The restructuring is expected to mean the loss of 1,000 jobs from its 35,000-strong workforce. The disruption to flights has also affected a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Perth, with reports that members from 17 delegations have been stranded in the city because of the dispute. It comes on a busy travel weekend, just days before the country's biggest horse race, the Melbourne Cup. The Australian minister for transport, Anthony Albanese, said the government would take action to intervene in the dispute. "We are very concerned about Qantas' actions, of which we were notified only mid-afternoon, with no advance notice from Qantas at any stage," he said. Qantas homepage Qantas boss risks all for Asia In pictures: Qantas grounds flights "The government is making an urgent application to Fair Work Australia to terminate all industrial action at Qantas. This will be aimed at both actions by unions and by Qantas management." Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce announced the grounding of the airline on Saturday: "The airline will be grounded as long as it takes to reach a conclusion on

Summary: The Australian airline Qantas is grounding all international and domestic flights with immediate effect due to an industrial dispute.


Charlie Alliston, of Trothy Road, Bermondsey, was 18 when he allegedly hit Kim Briggs as she crossed Old Street, east London, in February 2016. The Old Bailey heard a witness saw the cyclist fly "through the air". Mr Alliston, now 20, denies manslaughter and causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving. In court, prosecutor Duncan Penny QC read a statement from eyewitness David Callan who said he was walking in Old Street at about 12:15 BST when he heard a male voice calling. "It made me look up immediately, just in time to see a collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian," he said. Mr Callan said the crash caused the cyclist to fly "through the air" while the pedestrian "fell at the point of impact". "The cyclist clattered to the ground further down the road but quickly sprang to their feet and shouted something at the pedestrian... who lay on the ground," the court was told. Mark Wyeth QC, defending, suggested his client had the right of way as the lights on the stretch of Old Street were green. He added that Mrs Briggs could have avoided danger by using a pedestrian crossing less than 10 metres away. Jurors heard the 44-year-old HR consultant suffered "non-survivable brain injuries" and died in hospital a week later. They were previously told Mr Alliston was using a bike which which had no front brake so was not legal to use on the road. The court has been told crash investigators had concluded Mr Alliston would have been able to stop and avoid the impact if the bike had been fitted with two brakes. The trial continues.

Summary: A cyclist accused of killing a woman by ploughing into her in a London street began shouting at her as she lay injured, a court has heard.


Witnesses said a man carrying two knives was Tasered by police after running from the discount shop in Bury Street, Abingdon, at about 11:20 GMT. Staff at a nearby Spar store said they barricaded themselves inside as the man tried to gain entry, before he was restrained by the police. A 36-year-old man, who is from Abingdon, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Updates on this story and more from Oxfordshire Police said the deceased was yet to be identified and his next of kin had not yet been informed. Kash, who works at the Spar shop, said after the stabbing a man tried to push his way into the store. He said: "He approached with two knives in his hands and he tried to enter. He said 'I just want to shake your hand' and we held the door closed. "Then a policewoman caught up with him and Tasered him." Poundland chief executive Jim McCarthy said he was "shocked" that one of the company's customers had been killed. He said: "Our sympathy and thoughts centre on the family of the deceased and of course with other customers and colleagues who were in the store at the time of this terrible incident." Supt Rory Freeman said: "Members of the public will understandably be shocked and upset by this incident today, which has happened in a very public place. "At this stage, this is not being treated as a terrorist incident." A second man nearby suffered a minor injury to his thumb. Thames Valley Police are investigating whether the incidents were connected. Joanna posted on Twitter: "Watching everything that happened today in Abingdon from my office window was terrifying. Rest in Peace." The leader of South Oxfordshire District Council John Cotton said on Twitter it was "dreadful news" and praised the quick response by police. A local trader, who did not want to be named, said: "People are absolutely devastated. Normally it's a very busy vibrant market, but everyone has gone home." Thames Valley Police has appealed for anyone who captured footage at the scene to come forward.

Summary: A customer has been stabbed to death in a Poundland store in Oxfordshire.


Immobile joined the La Liga club on a season-long loan spell from Borussia Dortmund in July 2015, before signing on a permanent deal worth 11m euros. The 26-year-old was then loaned to Serie A side Torino, where he scored five goals in 14 games last season. Immobile made two appearances for his country at Euro 2016.

Summary: Lazio have signed Italy striker Ciro Immobile from Sevilla for an undisclosed fee - reported to be around 8.5m euros (£7.1m).


In one case a worker allowed their partner to access and amend personal data. There were also several cases of posting personal data on websites, and an e-mail which accidentally disclosed sensitive details of 24 dead people. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) called for effective data handling to become second nature. Seven of the 22 local authorities said they had recorded no breaches last year. BBC Wales' Welsh-language news website Newyddion Ar-lein obtained the information in a Freedom of Information request. The ICO was informed about "several incidents" in Anglesey council in 2012 in which documents including personal data "were either disclosed or disposed of inappropriately, or there was a risk of unauthorised access". After an investigation, the ICO said that the council's guidelines on data protection were insufficient and the chief executive committed to making improvements. An Anglesey council spokesperson said: "In order to secure improvements, we have recently established a corporate information governance project board to embed and improve a culture of data protection compliance throughout the whole organisation." The 17 breaches in Powys council included five internal cases of misdirecting information, and 12 cases of sending information to the wrong address, recording wrong personal data in correspondence, and placing personal data on the council's website. Disciplinary procedures were taken against one staff member. There were seven cases recorded in Cardiff council. Among them were a member of staff accidentally sending an email to a number of third party individuals - including Cardiff council employees, Vale of Glamorgan council and individuals in the NHS - which accidentally disclosed sensitive details of 24 dead people. However, the Data Protection Act does not apply to the deceased. Also in Cardiff council, a worker sent an e-mail with sensitive personal data to the wrong person internally and a planning file containing personal data was lost. There were seven cases in Wrexham Council. On two occasions the social services department mistakenly shared information with a third party; e-mail addresses of subscribers to the housing department portal were shared by mistake, and the council failed to respond to a request for data within the necessary 40 days four times. Four cases were recorded in Flintshire council. Disciplinary action was taken against one worker who allowed a partner to access and amend personal data. In addition, two committee reports which included personal data were mistakenly published on the website, a letter about children's services was sent to the wrong house, and a CD with personal data was lost. Five cases were reported in Newport council, and two workers were given final written warnings. Gwynedd council said that none of the data involved in its five breaches was sensitive, while in Caerphilly council further training was provided after three cases in which personal data was mistakenly revealed. In Conwy "several cases" were recorded of missing data, involving e-mails, faxes and letters being misdirected, and information being stolen from vehicles and property. There were two breaches in Carmarthenshire council. A private company was used to send a circular to each member of the Dyfed Pension Fund. It printed

Summary: Local authorities in Wales broke data protection laws over 60 times in 2012, BBC Wales has learned.


Mourners wore Chelsea and Cambridge United colours to celebrate the life of Tommi Miller, who was eight. Terry met Chelsea fan Tommi last year, and when he was told of the boy's death he volunteered to pay for the service. Tommi was laid to rest near his Cambridge home in a Chelsea-blue casket bearing the club logo. Tommi, who was diagnosed with leukaemia aged three, died last month after a bone marrow transplant proved unsuccessful. More on this and other stories from Cambridgeshire Family friend Tawney Bianca Toogood contacted Terry on Instagram to tell him the boy he had been photographed with had died. When she explained the family could not afford the funeral they wanted for their son, the former England captain got in touch with the funeral parlour and covered the full Â£1,600 costs. Tommi's mother Ruth said she was "overwhelmed" by the gesture and "very proud" the footballer - one of her son's favourite players - remembered him. Most of the arrangements for Tommi's funeral were made by Mrs Toogood's mother Mally Beaver, and sister Chelsea. The families became friends after meeting on the cancer ward at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. "My father battled leukaemia for just 12 weeks, but Tommi fought it for five years," Mrs Beaver said. "His family found times tough and we did everything we could to help them out." When Tommi died the Beaver family, from the travelling community, reached out to other travellers for help. "Roo and Kevin [Tommi's father] aren't from the community, but everyone took them to their hearts," Mrs Beaver said. Travellers from as far afield as Canada, Australia, Scotland, Lancaster and Harlow raised more than Â£4,000 to help towards "a celebration of Tommi's life". As well as the specially-made casket, Mrs Beaver arranged for 100 blue balloons to be released at the service, and had 100 blue roses brought over from Holland "to make it special for him". The extra money raised will be put towards a headstone for Tommi's grave.

Summary: The football-themed funeral of a boy who died from cancer has taken place after Chelsea captain John Terry paid for it.


Hibs' 15-year stay in the Scottish Premiership was in danger after Jason Scotland's goal reduced their 2-0 first-leg lead in the play-off final. Anthony Andreu squared the tie 10 seconds from the end of stoppage time. Neither side managed to score in extra time, but Hibs' Kevin Thomson and Jason Cummings both had penalties saved. It was goals from teenager Cummings that had given Terry Butcher's side a 2-0 advantage over the Championship runners-up after the first leg at New Douglas Park. But it was Accies goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert who was the hero of the return leg, parrying away two nervously struck spot kicks to spark scenes of joy among the Accies faithful and protests outside Easter Road from their angry home counterparts. The spirits of the majority of the 18,000 near-capacity crowd had already not only been dampened by a dreich Edinburgh downpour but the kind of abject display all to familiar from the men in green and white this season. And four perfect penalties from Hamilton will send shockwaves through Easter Road after a season that started with a 9-0 aggregate defeat by Malmo under one manager and ended with a run of one win in 15 games and relegation under another. They are now facing the prospect of chasing one automatic promotion spot in a Championship that will not only contain relegated neighbours Hearts but League One champions Rangers, two clubs recovering from their respective financial meltdowns. Few had given Accies, who had already come through a two-leg semi-final against Falkirk, much chance of rescuing their promotion hopes as they arrived in Edinburgh looking for a first win in four away games. However, the statistics also gave them hope - having only lost two of their last 16 games, while Hibs had not won any of their last six at home and their midweek win being their first in 14 outings. Butcher had given on-loan Notts County forward Danny Haynes another chance to show why he was capped for England at youth level by starting the 26-year-old ahead of off-form teenager Alex Harris. After a crunching Jon Routledge tackle had the former Ipswich man limping for the touchline after seven minutes, Hibs were back to their midweek line-up. Six minutes on and Haynes' pain spread to the home stands after a misplaced Ryan McGivern pass led to the ball being swiftly dispatched into the back of the Hibs net. An interception by Accies midfielder Ali Crawford, who had started ahead of James Keatings, was flicked on by Routledge and Scotland's quick turn mugged Michael Nelson before the striker's left-foot drive from just inside the penalty box slipped under the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Ben Williams. The veteran former Trinidad and Tobago international had not been considered match fit at New Douglas Park, but his introduction in place of Mikael Antoine-Curier had provided the missing goalscoring link. As with the first leg, it was Accies who were playing the prettier possession football while Hibs were relying on hopeful balls to expose flaws in a second-tier defence. The ploy, either by

Summary: Hamilton Academical ended their three-year absence from Scotland's top flight after a dramatic penalty shootout that consigned Hibernian to relegation.


19 January 2016 Last updated at 19:50 GMT Eddie Girvan, 67, was found in his home on Station Road in Greenisland by police at about 21:30 GMT on Monday. BBC News NI's Kevin Sharkey reports.

Summary: A murder inquiry has begun into the death of a man who was found tied up and stabbed in his home in County Antrim.


Media playback is not supported on this device Wendie Renard glanced in a header from a corner deep into injury time to consign Mark Sampson's side to a cruel defeat in Pennsylvania. Marie-Laure Delie had headed France level with 10 minutes to go after Jordan Nobbs' 25-yard opening goal. England's second game in the four-team tournament is against hosts the United States in New Jersey on Saturday. They then finish with a game against Germany in Washington on 7 March. Wednesday's result means England are still waiting for their first victory in the SheBelieves Cup, having drawn one and lost two in last year's event, and are without a win over the French since 1974. Sampson's team are the lowest-ranked side in the event, with World Cup holders USA first, European and Olympic champions Germany second and France third. The USA later beat Germany 1-0, with Lynn Williams scoring for the hosts. Match ends, England 1, France 2. Second Half ends, England 1, France 2. Goal! England 1, France 2. Wendie Renard (France) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Amel Majri with a cross following a corner. Corner, France. Conceded by Demi Stokes. Foul by Amandine Henry (France). Jill Scott (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Wendie Renard (France) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Amel Majri with a cross following a corner. Corner, France. Conceded by Jill Scott. Karen Bardsley (England) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Amandine Henry (France). Nikita Parris (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Marie-Laure Delie (France) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Millie Bright (England). Substitution, England. Isobel Christiansen replaces Jordan Nobbs. Foul by Eugénie Le Sommer (France). Lucy Bronze (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Amel Majri (France) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Nikita Parris (England). Substitution, France. Amel Majri replaces Griedge Mbock Bathy because of an injury. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Griedge Mbock Bathy (France) because of an injury. Sarah Bouhaddi (France) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ellen White (England). Goal! England 1, France 1. Marie-Laure Delie (France) header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Élodie Thomis with a cross. Marie-Laure Delie (France) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jade Moore (England). Offside, France. Amandine Henry tries a through ball, but Wendie Renard is caught offside. Eugénie Le Sommer (France) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Lucy Bronze (England). Substitution, France. Élodie Thomis replaces Gaëtane Thiney. Hand ball by Eugénie Le Sommer (France). Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, England. Alex Scott replaces Rachel Daly. Substitution, England. Nikita Parris replaces Ellen White because of an injury. Delay in match Ellen White (England) because of an injury. Substitution, France. Eugénie Le Sommer replaces Kadidiatou Diani because of an injury. Delay over.

Summary: England conceded a 95th-minute goal as they suffered an agonising defeat by France in their SheBelieves Cup opener.


The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said sales were up 8.4% compared with February last year. Sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles jumped 19.9% year-on-year, with diesels up 5.6%. Fleet sales fell 1.4% but still accounted for 53.1% of new vehicle sales in the month. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "February is typically one of the quietest months of the year ahead of March's plate change, but this positive performance is encouraging and puts the sector in a good position for the coming 12 months." Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said only 4% of cars typically were registered in February, so "small movements in the absolute number of registrations have a big impact on the headline growth number". "High consumer confidence, lower petrol prices and cheaper unsecured credit have enhanced the attractiveness of car ownership, but these drivers will be less supportive of sales growth in 2016," he added. "Growth in car sales therefore looks likely to moderate, contributing to a slowdown in the overall consumer spending recovery this year." A record 2.63 million new vehicles were registered last year - about 6% higher than in 2014 and the fourth consecutive year of growth, according to the SMMT. The top selling models in February were the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf and Nissan Qashqai. VW sales were down 13% compared with February 2015, although Toyota recorded a 16% drop and Vauxhall a 17% slide. Ford sales were 12% higher compared with February 2015 at 11,513 vehicles,

Summary: Almost 84,000 new cars were sold in February in the UK - the highest level for the month since 2004.


Skomer Island and Marloes Sands are included in travel guide Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2015 list. Kent was ranked top, followed by County Kerry in Ireland, with destinations in Germany and Hungary also making the top five. The guide said Skomer's marine nature reserve and 500,000-strong bird population were among its draws. It also recommended visiting Marloes Sands - "a mile-long sweep of beach that does a vanishing act at high tide". Europe's 10 Best Places for Family Holidays, by Lonely Planet

Summary: Two Pembrokeshire beauty spots have been named among the 10 best places to go in Europe for a family holiday.


The Ryder Cup veteran, 41, finished two over par, two shots adrift of the projected cut and down in tied 93rd. He needed to win at least £23,905 ($30,639) - equivalent to a top-30 finish - to retain his tour place. But the 2008 Open runner-up said: "It doesn't mean you're never going to see me again." He later added on Twitter: "You don't get to number five in the world and help lift a few Ryder Cups and disappear. "You come back stronger and more determined than ever." Scotland's Martin Laird, who won the Texas Open in 2013, remains in contention at the halfway stage in San Antonio. The 34-year-old shot a second-round 67 to leave him five under par, three shots behind the joint leaders, American pair Bud Cauley and Tony Finau. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is two under but England's Luke Donald, runner-up in last week's RBC Heritage, missed the cut on four over. First-round leader Branden Grace carded a one-over 73 to drop back into a seven-way tie for 10th, alongside Laird. Poulter, who shot 75 and 71, said he would still play on the PGA Tour through sponsors' invites and add more European Tour events to his schedule. The world number 190 added he thought his struggles had been "slightly over-dramatised". "It means I've got some work to do and I need to go away and do some work," he said. After missing the second half of last season with a foot injury, Poulter started this season needing to earn either 218 Tour points or £271,514 ($348,000) in 10 events to retain his full playing privileges. He has accrued 155 points and prize money of £247,335 ($317,010).

Summary: England's Ian Poulter says he will "come back stronger than ever" after losing his PGA Tour card by missing the cut at the Texas Open.


Now it's been announced that Bryan Cranston is to make his UK stage debut in an adaptation of the 1970s Oscar-winning film Network. The 60-year-old US actor will play Howard Beale, a TV news anchor who announces he will kill himself on air after he's told he's being sacked for declining ratings. In a famous scene, Beale implores his viewers during an on-air meltdown to shout out of the window: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!" Adapted by Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall, Network will open on the National Theatre's Lyttelton stage in November. It will be directed by Ivo van Hove, whose Hedda Gabler at the NT is currently a sell-out hit. Announcing its new season on Friday, National Theatre boss Rufus Norris described Network as "one of the greatest media satires of all time". "It's incredibly prescient in terms of the world today," he said. "I think it will stand up in our digital world." The 1976 film, directed by Sidney Lumet, won four of its 10 Oscar nominations. Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight cleaned up in three of the four acting categories while writer Paddy Chayefsky won for original screenplay. Norris said van Hove had been talking about the idea with Cranston for "a couple of years". "He's got a fantastic pedigree as a stage actor," he said. "It's a part that requires something compelling and special." Norris pointed out that Beale's "mad as hell" line was still being quoted at demonstrations - and had appeared on a placard held by singer Charlotte Church at a rally in 2015. Cranston won a Tony award in 2014 for his Broadway debut in Robert Schenkkan's play All the Way. He was Oscar nominated last year for Trumbo. Other announcements made by the National Theatre on Friday included: Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: He's best known for his role as criminal mastermind Walter White in Breaking Bad.


Police said the incident happened at the corner of Jamaica Street and Argyle Street at about 09:45. Emergency services attended and the man was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. There is currently no information on his condition. Jamaica Street has been closed while police carry out investigations into the circumstances of the incident.

Summary: A man is being treated in hospital after he was struck by a bus in Glasgow city centre.


Rajinder Sidhu, of Crathie Avenue, Dumfries, was on a petition before Sheriff Brian Mahon in private. The appearance follows an alleged attack at the Tesco car park in Dumfries earlier this month. A spokesperson for the procurator fiscal said that no plea or declaration was made and Mr Sidhu was committed for further examination. He was remanded in custody.

Summary: A 30-year-old man has made a brief appearance in court at Dumfries on a charge of rape.


The singer hasn't given a reason for his decision yet, but his team have said that it was because of "unforeseen circumstances". Bieber has already performed in more than 150 shows since starting his tour in March 2016, with an average of 40,000 tickets sold for each date. A statement on his website said: "Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them. "He is grateful and honoured to have shared that experience with his cast and crew for over 150 successful shows across six continents during this run. "However, after careful consideration he has decided he will not be performing any further dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase."

Summary: Justin Bieber has cancelled 14 concerts that he was due to perform in Asia and North America as part of his Purpose World Tour.


He has launched a consultation to try to find agreement on how universities should be paid for. The consultation has been called the 'Big Conversation'. Speaking in the assembly, Mr Farry said that Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK actively "disinvesting" in higher education. The consultation process will involve a number of events and online presentations in order to seek opinion from students, university staff, unions and the wider public. Just under 40% of funding for Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) and Ulster University comes directly from Stormont's Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). However, the universities faced cuts of more than £16m in funding from DEL in 2015/16, which followed cuts in funding during previous years. Ulster University is shedding about 200 jobs in 2015/16 and 1,200 student places over the next three years, while Queen's University announced in April that it was cutting 236 jobs in 2015/16 and 1,010 student places over the next three years. Ulster University also closed a number of courses and departments including their School of Modern Languages at Coleraine, County Londonderry. The universities also draw about 30% of their annual funding from student tuition fees, which are currently £3,805 per year for students from Northern Ireland. Some students also study for degrees at further education colleges, and that budget was also reduced this year by about £12m. DEL's budget was reduced by £62m earlier this year, and its budget for higher education institutions fell from £203m to £186m, a reduction of 8.2%. Mr Farry said that, given its importance to the local economy and the fact that just under half of young people in Northern Ireland entered higher education, the status quo was no longer an option. During subsequent questions, a number of MLAs including Phil Flanagan of Sinn Féin, Jim Allister of the Tradition Unionist Voice (TUV) and Basil McCrea of NI21, expressed concern about a possible rise in tuition fees. In response, Mr Farry said that he had an "open mind" and that "this is not a conversation about whether we have fees or don't have fees". "All options have to be on the table and fees are only one of many options facing us. This is not a done deal process." The consultation ends on 23 October, and Mr Farry said he wanted to present options to the Northern Ireland Executive in the autumn.

Summary: The way that higher education is funded in Northern Ireland is "no longer sustainable", Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry has said.


He said the DUP would speak to the PSNI to seek answers about the killing. Mr McGuigan was shot at Comber Court in east Belfast on Wednesday night. Asked if he was concerned about IRA involvement, Mr Robinson said: "I think everyone should be concerned that would be the case." "Let's allow the police to fully investigate the matter," he said. "We will speak to the PSNI to see what their findings are in terms of the involvement of any organisation. "But let's be very clear, there will be repercussions if that was found to be the case." He added: "It would certainly be totally unacceptable for any organisation which is involved in violence to be part of the Executive of Northern Ireland." Mr Robinson was referring to the potential political consequences for Sinn FÃ©in, the main republican party in Northern Ireland and the second biggest party in the assembly. Mr Robinson described the murder as a "savage killing" and said it "should be a warning to all politicians and others about how easy it would be to slip back into those bad old days." He said there were people who would step into a "void" to "exploit political difficulties". "The collapse of the assembly will feed that kind of activity we have seen over the last number of weeks from dissidents in our society," the DUP leader added. Sinn FÃ©in MLA Alex Maskey said he did not believe the PIRA was involved in the murder and expressed concern about "unhelpful speculation". "I don't accept for one second that the IRA has been involved in this, it just doesn't register at all," he said. "We will be meeting the PSNI shortly to make sure that they do their job, which is to have a very thorough and rapid, speedy and professional investigation into whoever caused this killing and whoever caused this killing should be and hopefully will be brought to justice as speedily as at all possible. "We're calling for calm, we're calling for respect for this particular family at this time in the midst of their grief and we're cautioning against unhelpful and unwelcome speculation." In a separate development, Mr Robinson said there had been talks over the summer between parties about the deadlock over welfare and that they would continue. He said: "We've gone through the exploratory stage. "We're now at the preparatory stage where we look at what can be done in the circumstances. But clearly by the autumn it will be necessary to have reached an agreement." He said he did not want to be "too precise" over the date by which there had to be a resolution, but that the autumn was the critical time. Mr Robinson added that progress was being made on all of the other issues in the Stormont House Agreement, including new mechanisms to deal with the past and the civil service voluntary exit scheme. But he said the main issue holding up the process was welfare. He warned again that the political institutions in Northern Ireland were in danger if the situation

Summary: First Minister Peter Robinson has said there will be repercussions if it is found that the Provisional IRA was involved in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr.


Two communities are claiming compensation and want Shell to clean up their land. Shell said it is at an "early stage" in reviewing the claims and that the case should be heard in Nigeria. The Ogale community of about 40,000 people in Rivers State, on the coast of Nigeria, who are mainly farmers or fishermen, are some of the claimants. Their case is being handled by law firm Leigh Day. Spills since 1989 have meant they don't have clean drinking water, farmland or rivers, their claim says. It points to a November 2015 report by Amnesty International which says four spill sites Shell says it planned to clean up are still contaminated. The first court hearing at the Technology and Construction Court, held on Wednesday, found that the claimants can can lodge a case against Shell's Nigerian business, known as Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC). Shell declined to comment on the ruling. Amnesty's findings followed a 2011 report by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which found water contaminated with oil by-products including benzene, thought to be a carcinogen. It suggested a clean up, but said a "sustainable recovery" of the area could take up to 30 years. Shell says it has agreed a clean-up plan. "In mid-2015 SPDC JV, along with the government, UNEP and representatives of the Ogoni community, agreed to an 18-month roadmap to fast-track the environmental clean-up and remediation of Ogoniland which includes a governance framework," it said in a statement. The Bille community, who are mainly fishermen and are the other party to sue, claims Shell should be liable for "failing to protect their pipelines from damage caused by third parties", according to Leigh Day. Pipelines in the area have been targets for thieves who steal crude oil and try to refine it locally. This has lead to more spills and damage though explosions. "Both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta. "Ogale is in Ogoniland and it is important to note that SPDC has produced no oil or gas in Ogoniland since 1993. Access to the area has been limited following a rise in violence, threats to staff and attacks on facilities," Shell said. But the communities say Shell pipelines lack the technology to detect and shut off leaks, whatever the cause. Daniel Leader, partner at Leigh Day said: "It is scandalous that four years after the UNEP Report Shell is yet to clean up its oil in either Ogale or Bille. Our client's patience has now run out and we intend to force Shell to act since it is clear they have no intention of doing so on their own." In January last year, Shell agreed to an $84m (Â£55m) settlement with residents of the Bodo community in the Niger Delta for two oil spills. The same law firm, Leigh Day, said their 15,600 clients would receive $3,300 each for losses caused by the spills. The remaining $30m would be left for the community,

Summary: Oil giant Shell is being sued in London for the second time in five years over spills in the Niger Delta.


Ruth Munro's mother, Margaret McPartlin, died in September 1993 aged 73. But a court heard she continued to draw Ms McPartlin's pensions from British Steel Corporation and Diageo. Munro, 67, from Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, admitted defrauding the schemes of Â£18,577. Alloa Sheriff Court was told that between 1993 and May 2015 - by which time Ms McPartlin would have been 94 - she pretended to the administrators of both pension schemes that her mother was still alive. Sheriff Linda Smith deferred sentence for a criminal justice social work report until 10 November and ordered Munro to reappear then. She said: "I'll continue this for reports to be made available." It is expected that Munro's solicitor, Jay Goodwillie, will outline mitigating circumstances at the November hearing.

Summary: A woman has admitted pretending her dead mother was still alive for more than 20 years so she could carry on drawing her pension.


The high jumper won bronze in 2008 but that result is now in doubt after 454 samples from those Games were retested. "It's the most complete shock," said Chicherova, who went on to win gold at the 2012 Games in London. "I can't explain how it could have happened. I was always sure what supplements and medicines I was using." Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee said up to 31 athletes from around the world could be banned from the Rio Olympics as a result of the retests, which were conducted using the latest scientific methods. The Russian Olympic Committee subsequently revealed that 14 of those 31 athletes were Russian. A Russian TV report then claimed those 14 athletes included 10 medallists, among them 33-year-old Chicherova, who is planning to defend her Olympic title at the Rio Games, which begin on 5 August. Sports minister Vitaly Mutko admitted the news did not "look good" but said the results were "not an objective picture" of Russia's doping situation. Media playback is not supported on this device Russia's athletes are already banned from international competition following allegations of state-organised doping. But in an interview with BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Mutko said he expected the ban to be lifted for Rio because it would be "useless" for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to continue punishing them. He also held the IAAF partly responsible for Russia's predicament, claiming it helped cover up the positive tests. "The priority for them [IAAF] must be the development of track and field worldwide and you cannot achieve that with punishment," he said. "It damages hugely the reputation and image of track and field. It would decrease the popularity of the sport in Russia. Kids would not want to do it."

Summary: Olympic medallist Anna Chicherova has vowed to clear her name after learning she is one of 14 Russian athletes to have failed a doping retest.


Seventeen student bodies have endorsed the BDS movement - which calls for an international boycott of Israel over the way it treats Palestinians. Some Jewish students in the UK say growing support for BDS has fuelled a rise in anti-Semitism on campuses. The Commission said it would assess the concerns and take action if necessary. The BDS - which stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions - describes itself as a human rights organisation and criticises Israel for its human rights record. It says it stands for "freedom, justice and equality", saying it is "inclusive and categorically opposes as a matter of principle all forms of racism" - including anti-Semitism. Devora Khafi, a student at Queen Mary University of London, is one of nearly 10,000 Jewish students in the UK. She told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme she felt physically intimidated when other students hijacked a speech at London's UCL given by a former Israeli defence force officer. She said she was pushed against some doors, jostled and shouted at by protesters. She says she fears having a connection with Israel has made other people at her university hostile towards her. "If I ever express a viewpoint in class or on social media, I get comments, in public or private," she said. "It has been hard. It's been two years of constant fighting for our freedom of speech, our rights, our wellbeing. I've missed deadlines, I've had counselling, I've had anxiety episodes," she said. Devora believes the BDS movement is adding to a climate of hostility against Israel on campus, which she says has turned her and other Jewish students into scapegoats. "If you look behind the BDS lens, it calls for these things that are not peaceful. They harm Jewish students and pro-Israel students and they don't support a peaceful, atmosphere on campus." Support for BDS has been growing rapidly on British campuses. London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) students' union in London was one of the first to endorse the BDS, after students voted in favour in a referendum in 2015. The students' union implemented an academic boycott of Israel. The BBC found 17 students' unions have now passed motions to endorse the BDS boycott of Israel. They include Belfast, Birkbeck, Brunel, Essex, Exeter, Goldsmiths, Kings College London, Kingston, Lancashire, Liverpool, Manchester, SOAS, Strathclyde, Sussex, Swansea, University of Arts London and UCL. But it is possible they may be breaking the law by backing the movement. Since 2010, students' unions have become registered charities, meaning they have a legal duty to represent the interests of their members. According to guidance, public comment should also be limited to matters that affect the welfare of the union's members as students. The BBC understands these issues have been raised with the Charity Commission, which is assessing them to determine if any regulatory action should be taken. A Charity Commission spokesperson said concerns about links to the BDS Movement would be "assessed consistently" and, where appropriate, it would "take regulatory action". David Holdsworth, from the commission, said students' unions must not be discriminatory

Summary: Concerns over some students' unions' support for a boycott of Israel are being looked into by the Charity Commission, the BBC has learned.


Resuming on 111-4, Voges moved his overnight score on from 29, occupying 196 deliveries to frustrate Hampshire's attack, led by Kyle Abbott (5-59). As Voges, James Franklin and John Simpson fell to the new ball, it left them on 215-8 and Hampshire in hope of a win, with the lead at just 133. But the Middlesex tail held on and hands were shaken on a draw after tea. Middlesex were the only side to remain unbeaten over the entire 2016 season as they claimed their first title since 1993, but they looked in danger of beginning a new campaign with a loss when they got under way. Without the injured Fidel Edwards, Abbott - who took his total to 16 Division One wickets in two matches - led Hampshire's attack, with Brad Wheal (3-73) also contributing. Voges survived an lbw appeal on 29 before nightwatchman Steven Finn (16) was caught off a Wheal bouncer, but Simpson joined the former Australia Test batsman to stop any Hampshire momentum. However, with the new ball in hand, Abbott gave the hosts a glimmer of hope, having Voges caught behind and Franklin taken in the slips before Gareth Berg snared Simpson (22) for wicket-keeper Lewis McManus' fourth catch. It wasn't to be for Hampshire though as Toby Roland-Jones (25), Ollie Rayner (17 not out) and Tim Murtagh (19 not out) took Middlesex to a lead of 196 and safety at tea. Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams were brought on to bowl, signalling their intentions to agree on a draw, which brought both sides 10 points and moved Hampshire into second place in Division One behind Surrey. Hampshire captain James Vince told BBC Radio Solent: "The way the guys fought back from Middlesex being 220-2 in their first innings to get into a position where we were really close to being able to chase a gettable score on that wicket is an incredible effort from everyone. "The bowlers, having lost Fidel early in the first innings, were outstanding to put in a shift to get us into that position. "We did exactly what we wanted with the new ball and came within one wicket of probably setting up a 150-run chase in 40-odd overs. So it's huge credit to all the boys." Middlesex head coach Richard Scott told BBC Radio London: "We showed the old resilience of last year when we were up against it. "When the new ball came, a couple of quick wickets fell, but Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones and Tim Murtagh were magnificent. "We put ourselves under the pump this game. We dropped some crucial chances - if we'd have taken those chances we'd at least of had parity after the first innings. But that wasn't to be and I thought they played very well."

Summary: Adam Voges scored 92 as Middlesex's lower order kept Hampshire's bowlers at bay to earn a draw for the champions.


An article in Buzzfeed suggesting that the social network was about to introduce what is known as an algorithmic timeline - promoting tweets deemed most relevant rather than publishing them in reverse chronological order - sparked a wave of what can only be described as furious panic. Under the hashtag #RIPTwitter, thousands, perhaps millions, told the world that this was the end of civilisation as we know it, that a beautiful thing was being crushed, that the company, whose share price has been tumbling for months, was signing its own death warrant. Finally, the CEO Jack Dorsey was forced to react. "Hello Twitter!" he called out. "Regarding #RIPTwitter: I want you all to know we're always listening. We never planned to reorder timelines next week." He went on "Twitter is live. Twitter is real-time. Twitter is about who & what you follow. And Twitter is here to stay! By becoming more Twitter-y." But was Dorsey right to blink in the face of pressure? And should he be "always listening" to his users? That depends on whether you believe the hoariest old cliche of management books: "The customer is always right." I certainly sympathise with those who say that Twitter isn't broken, so it does not need the kind of radical fixing implied by an algorithmic timeline. For me, it works just fine, connecting me to like-minded communities of dog-owners, sourdough loaf bakers, and gadget enthusiasts, while providing the best breaking news service on the planet. Like many other heavy users of Twitter, I have been sniffy about recent innovations such as "Moments" and would rather things carried on just as they are. But perhaps Mr Dorsey and his management team should not be listening to people like me - we're almost certainly going nowhere. He has to cock an ear to the concerns of three other constituencies - investors, advertisers and the people who use Twitter infrequently or not at all. Because the crisis in his company is not about revenues, which are growing nicely, and it's not about what loyal users think - it is about growth. The last set of results showed Twitter user numbers had barely moved over the previous three months, up just four million. Investors who bought into the business when it floated on the hope that it would grow at the same rate as Facebook, shuddered at that news and will be watching nervously when the next set of results is published on Wednesday. Advertisers are asking why they should spend money with a network when it is not delivering the kind of audience available elsewhere. So Twitter's top team is trying all kinds of tricks to make the experience of joining and using the network more intuitive. And there's another reason why Jack Dorsey might be tempted to ignore those users protesting about a change that has not even happened yet. If he looks at the history of Facebook, he will see that just about every innovation introduced by Mark Zuckerberg has met with dismay from existing users. Here's how Techcrunch reported the arrival of

Summary: For the last 48 hours Twitter has beenâ€¦ well, all of a Twitter.


Typhoon Nida hit Hong Kong on Tuesday with high winds and torrential rain, forcing schools, businesses and transport services to shut. But the storm was reported to be weakening as it moved to the mainland. Guangzhou in Guangdong province issued a red alert, its highest weather warning, and people have been advised to stockpile food and essentials. The southern cities of Zhuhai and Shanwei are also on red alert, with transport, industry and public services largely grinding to a halt. Nida, which earlier passed over the Philippines, is set to be the strongest typhoon in the region since 1983, one official told Chinese state media, warning it could bring severe flooding. In Hong Kong, thousands of workers were evacuated from an offshore oil platform and from a series of tunnels and bridges being built to link the territory with two other cities. Hundreds of people took refuge in government shelters in the city, amid torrential rain and gusts of over 150km/h (93mph). Although Hong Kong officials ended their rainstorm alert at midday on Tuesday, they warned residents there was still a risk of flooding in low-lying areas. Southern China is hit by heavy rains every monsoon season, but this year has been particularly bad. In July, Typhoon Nepartak killed dozens of people in Fujian province and forced hundreds of thousands of Chinese people from their homes. It also caused deaths and damage in Taiwan.

Summary: Large areas of southern China are on emergency alert as a powerful typhoon batters the region.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 10 January 2015 Last updated at 07:53 GMT A farm in Dorset have got a trusty group of 25 goats that love to eat them. The goats eat all of the greenery and leave just the bare branches. The extra food is good for the animals and helps to keep them full up over the winter months. Watch Hayley's report to find out more...

Summary: Goats are being used as a handy new way to recycle unwanted Christmas trees.


The unidentified woman was helped to safety after running into waters in Ellel earlier, the fire service said. Fourteen flood warnings have been issued, including in Croston, which was hit by a severe deluge last year. Some rail services between Preston and Lancaster have also been cancelled after heavy flooding on the track. Read breaking news updates on BBC Lancashire Live Elsewhere, Burrow Beck in Lancaster has burst its bank, and there are two flood warnings for the River Condor at Galgate amid prolonged periods of heavy rain. No properties have been affected, although water is being pumped from culverts in some areas. Dave Wilkinson, who lives in Galgate, said: "If the river levels keep up like this it's obviously going to come over in the next 24 hours I would say. "This is just one night's rain. We've been here for six years now and it's never gone up as quickly as this before." The Environment Agency's flood warnings mean flooding is "expected", with "immediate action required". Police are advising people to avoid travelling where possible, to turn off electricity in their homes and avoid walking through floodwater. Drivers have also been urged to exercise caution.

Summary: A pregnant woman was rescued from her car by a farmer after becoming trapped amid widespread flood warnings across Lancashire.


The 55-year-old tweeted from the hospital in Tooting to thank the professionals who "saved his life". Moore won 64 England caps between 1987 and 1995, played for the British and Irish Lions, and trained as a solicitor while pursuing his rugby career. The former England hooker now works in the media.

Summary: Former England rugby international Brian Moore is recovering in intensive care at St George's hospital in London after suffering a heart attack.


The A9 drops from 150m (492ft) to 20m (65ft) as it enters a valley at the Berriedale Braes. Transport Scotland will run an exhibition at Berriedale Parish Church in Berriedale on 26 November outlining the proposed work. The plans will also be made available on the agency's website. The draft road orders for the work involved will be published on Friday. Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "The hairpin bend and steep hill at Berriedale Braes has presented drivers with a very challenging road to negotiate - and is why we are working hard towards delivering improvements right along the A9, including at the Braes." In August, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) called for work to tackle the bend to be accelerated. The Berriedale Braes were the scene of a lorry fire on 5 August which blocked the road for five hours. A 77-mile (124 km) detour was unsuitable for HGVs. The SCC said accidents were a "frequent occurrence" and adversely affected businesses in the far north and Orkney. Transport Scotland said a solution to the hairpin was being progressed.

Summary: Transport Scotland will present a draft outline of the proposed improvements to a challenging hairpin bend on the A9 in Caithness next week.


After decades of debate, years of acrimony over the issue in the Conservative Party, months of brutal brinksmanship in Westminster, and hours of debate this week, MPs have just approved the very first step in the process of Britain leaving the European Union. There are many hurdles ahead, probably thousands of hours of debate here, years of negotiations for Theresa May with our friends and rivals around the EU, as she seeks a deal - and possibly as long as a decade of administrative adjustments, as the country extricates itself from the EU. On a wet Wednesday, the debate didn't feel epoch-making, but think for a moment about what has just happened. MPs, most of whom wanted to stay in the EU, have just agreed that we are off. This time last year few in Westminster really thought that this would happen. The then prime minister's concern was persuading the rest of the EU to give him a better deal for the UK. His close colleagues believed the chances of them losing, let alone the government dissolving over the referendum, were slim, if not quite zero. Then tonight, his former colleagues are rubber stamping the decision of a narrow majority of the public, that changed everything in politics here for good. This isn't even the last vote on this bill. There are several more stages, the Lords are likely to kick up rough at the start. But after tonight, for better or worse, few will believe that our journey to the exit door can be halted. As government ministers have said in recent days, the moment for turning back is past.

Summary: It's begun.


They scored 428.91 to come second behind Chen Aisen and Lin Yue of China. Daley, 21, and Goodfellow, 19, improved on their effort in the first round of the series in Beijing, where they picked up bronze. Tonia Couch and Lois Toulson took bronze in the women's event, while Chris Mears and Jack Laugher won 3m synchro bronze for Britain. Coach and Toulson's bronze followed a silver won in Beijing, but Mears and Laugher's success was their first medal of 2016. The third round of the series takes place in Windsor, Canada from 15-17 March before the final leg in Kazan, Russia a week later.

Summary: British pair Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow won 10m syncro silver in the Dubai leg of the Diving World Series.


Former special constable Debra Martin previously said Kevin Williams spoke to her in the ground's temporary mortuary. But, intensive care expert Dr Jasmeet Soar said he had not found "a medical explanation for that". He said Kevin's heart was likely to have stopped after 15:30 following an unsuccessful resuscitation attempt. The teenager was one of 96 people who died following a crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989. Kevin's mother Anne campaigned for more than 20 years for a new inquest into his death, but died before the current hearings began. Dr Stefan Popper, the coroner who oversaw the original Hillsborough inquests in the early 1990s, ruled all those who died had suffered fatal injuries by 15:15. As such, he said, he did not need to hear evidence on any events after that time. It was, according to the current coroner Sir John Goldring, a "highly controversial decision", which the bereaved families "strongly disputed". The new jurors have heard how the 15:15 cut-off meant the first inquests did not look into whether the police, ambulance service and others handled the aftermath of the disaster properly. They have now heard evidence that some of the 96 may have been alive after 15:15, with one expert witness saying there was a "strong possibility" Jimmy Hennessy was alive on the pitch between 15:15 and 15:20 that day. Dr Soar, an expert in intensive care medicine and resuscitation, was asked to give his opinion of what happened to Kevin based on the evidence heard about the teenager's movements. The jury saw how Kevin was carried out of pen three at 15:28, at which point Dr Soar said he was "deeply unconscious", "unresponsive to stimulation" and did not appear to have "any body tone or muscle tone", which was "significant" because it indicated he was not conscious. Kevin was carried on a makeshift stretcher to the opposite end of the pitch, where a group of Liverpool fans and medics tried to resuscitate him after 15:32. The jury has heard evidence from Derek Bruder, an off-duty Merseyside police officer who was at the match, who said he found a "slight pulse" in Kevin. Dr Soar said Mr Bruder may have felt a "weak heartbeat" or he could have been mistaken. He said a series of photographs of Mr Bruder breathing into Kevin's mouth showed he was carrying out "textbook, exemplary" help, but he was confident that following 10 to 15 minutes of CPR, "there are no signs of life reported by the three individuals, so, yes, he was in cardiac arrest". In October, Ms Martin told the inquests she later felt a pulse in Kevin inside the stadium's gymnasium, when he was said to have woken up and said "mum". Dr Soar said he and his colleague Prof Nolan had "discussed at length" Ms Martin's evidence. "We don't think it's possible to be deeply unconscious for that duration and then to restore an adequate level of breathing and oxygen level and blood pressure for the brain to then regain adequate

Summary: It was not "medically plausible" a 15-year-old Hillsborough victim regained consciousness and said "mum" before he died, an inquest jury heard.


For just a few weeks of the year, Scotland is peppered with stunning pockets of pink as cherry tree blossom comes into full bloom. BBC Scotland news readers have been sending us their photographs of the beautiful blossom in their neighbourhoods. To celebrate this all-too-brief season, we have compiled a selection of some of the best. If you would like to share your photos of Scotland's blossoming trees, send them to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk or our Instagram at #bbcscotlandpics

Summary: All pictures are copyrighted.


Daniel James' late penalty gave Wales a first win in the competition after an opening draw against hosts France. Page's side face Ivory Coast in their final Group B game on Monday. "It's always a good sign when you win games of football and you haven't been at your best," said former Wales defender Page. "We probably played better against France and didn't win. "If someone would have said before the tournament that we'd be two games in and with four points going into the third game I'd snap their hand off. "It's our first time in this tournament and we've been up against excellent opposition against France and a different challenge against Bahrain." Wales are second after their win over Bahrain with next opponents Ivory Coast top of Group B after they beat France.

Summary: Intermediate teams manager Rob Page says Wales Under-20s were under par despite a 1-0 win over Bahrain in the Toulon Tournament.


The approval of the austerity measure is an important victory for President Michel Temer. He took office earlier this year promising to lead the country out of its worst recession in many decades. Protests against the measure turned violent in the capital Brasilia and at least a dozen states in the country. The opposition says the measures will mainly hit areas such as health and education, which are already underfunded. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets during the Senate session to protest against the austerity plan. After the vote, many demonstrations descended into violence. In Brasilia, masked protesters set fire to a bus and marched on the local offices of Globo TV, which they say is biased towards Mr Temer's government. But the marchers were blocked by riot police. In Sao Paulo, the headquarters of the state's conservative Industrial Federation (Fiesp) was attacked. To pass the constitutional amendment, the government needed the votes of 49 senators - three-fifths of the Senate. The measure was approved by a narrower margin than the government expected, passing by 53 to 19 votes. "We have won. That was the main thing: to deliver the product in the middle of a storm," said government leader in the Senate Romero Juca. The project, known in Brazil as PEC 55, freezes expenditure in the executive, judiciary and legislative branches of power, allowing them to grow only by the rate of inflation n the previous year. The government argues it is necessary to boost growth and investments, and contain the country's growing public deficit. But critics say the poorest in society will be harmed and that setting a spending cap for two decades in advance is unrealistic, says the BBC's Julia Carneiro in Rio de Janeiro. The measure takes effect on Thursday.

Summary: The Brazilian Senate has approved a controversial amendment to the constitution capping public spending for the next 20 years.


Media playback is not supported on this device The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has also banned 15 horses trained by the 37-year-old for six months. Godolphin is run by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Q&A - read more "Al Zarooni acted with recklessness and caused tremendous damage to Godolphin and British racing," said the stable's racing manager Simon Crisford. "I think it will take a very long time for Godolphin to regain the trust of the British public. We're shocked and completely outraged by the actions he has taken." Al Zarooni continued to be repentant after hearing of his punishment, saying: "I apologise to Sheikh Mohammed and all those at Godolphin, and the public who follow racing. "I accept it was my responsibility to be aware of rules and regulations around banned substances. "I can only apologise and repeat what I said in my statement earlier in the week - I have made a catastrophic error." One of the banned horses is Certify, the former 1,000 Guineas favourite, who will be clear to race again on 9 October 2013, as will the other 14 suspended thoroughbreds. Eleven horses were caught by drug testing, while Al Zarooni admitted at Wednesday's hearing to doping four others. Al Zarooni gave the steroids ethylestranol and stanozolol, which are prohibited substances, to his horses and he was charged with violating multiple rules related to banned substances, as well as failing to keep medication records and with conduct prejudicial to the sport. It's a hefty ban, but one that officials at the British Horseracing Authority say reflects how seriously they take their good record when it comes to drugs in the sport. Not long ago Mahmood Al Zarooni, personally picked by Sheikh Mohammed to be his trainer, was rated a rising star, yet now his promising career lies in tatters. Meanwhile, the Sheikh and the huge Godolphin operation will endeavour to re-group, but some of the mud is sure to stick, and things can never be quite the same again. Steroids are allowed in some countries, including Dubai, out of competition. Hopefully, this whole episode acts as a catalyst for the world's racing authorities to get their drugs rules consistent across the globe. BHA chief executive Paul Bittar said he hoped the bans for Al Zarooni and the doped horses "will serve to reassure the public, and the sport's participants, that use of performance-enhancing substances in British racing will not be tolerated". Bittar added: "We welcome the proactive response of Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed in announcing their intention to review the procedures of this stable and the need to ensure that all horses formerly trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni are tested and cleared before they race again. "The BHA will itself consider the wider issues raised by this matter and we will seek to ascertain and collate all other relevant information including, where necessary, interviewing other employees or contractors of Godolphin." Sheikh Mohammed, who is worth an estimated £10bn, has "locked down" the Moulton Paddock stables in Newmarket where Al Zarooni trained. Speaking

Summary: Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has been banned from racing for eight years after doping horses at one of the world's leading racing operations.


The initiative returns from 19-25 June ahead of a busy summer of elite sport which includes the cricket and rugby World Cups in the UK and Ireland. The European Football Championship starts in July in the Netherlands. The campaign will encourage the public to watch, listen, volunteer and take part in sporting activities. Crouch added: "We want more women and girls to get involved in sport and enjoy the huge benefits that being active brings to their lives." Shelley Alexander, editorial lead for women's sport for BBC Sport, said: "We'll devote even more resources to showcasing the best of women's sport across television, radio and online this year. "We'll also examine the pertinent issues across women's sport, with our original journalism interrogating the state of play of women and girls' sport from the grassroots to the elite."

Summary: Women's Sport Week will be "a fantastic campaign" and "encourage more women to try a new sport", says minister for sport Tracey Crouch.


The valuation caps a strong month for the virtual currency, with its value growing by more than 65% in a month. The steady rise in value is believed to be linked to policy changes in Japan and China that have made it easier for speculators to trade in bitcoins. Many other virtual currencies have also enjoyed a sustained rise in value over the last few weeks. Bitcoin first broke the $1,000 (£768) barrier in November 2013 but its value has fluctuated wildly since then. For instance, in early 2014 one bitcoin was worth only $280 (£215). And at the end of 2016, each one was changing hands for about $900 (£690). Bitcoin emerged in 2008 and is a digital currency based around cryptography. Individual coins can be split into smaller denominations and many people involved with the currency use computers to verify the globally-held log, known as the blockchain, of who spent what where. Verifying transactions involves solving a complicated mathematical problem and the first person to do so gets rewarded with bitcoins. Rising interest in bitcoin has sparked the creation of many other crypto-currencies. These have proved popular as the technology underlying bitcoin has struggled to cope with its popularity and growth. One estimate suggests bitcoins now make up only 47% of all traded crypto-currencies. Rivals such as Ethereum and Ripple have been gaining value far faster than bitcoin over the last few months. The surging valuations has led some commentators to suggest that an unsustainable crypto-currency bubble is developing. "The question is not if but when the market will turn," said an editorial in The Economist.

Summary: The value of Bitcoin has hit a new high with each individual coin now worth more than $2,100 (£1,615).


It follows hours of disturbances during the early hours of 17 March as hundreds of students and other young people celebrated St Patrick's Day. The Holyland is a residential part of south Belfast popular with students. Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry is to meet residents' representatives on Monday afternoon. Eleven people were arrested in the area and the city centre over the St Patrick's Day period. One policeman was injured when bottles were thrown at officers in Agincourt Avenue. A number of vehicles were also damaged and residents complained about excessive noise and litter in their streets. There has been a history of trouble in the Holyland on previous St Patrick's Days and talks have been held before in a bid to prevent students engaging in anti-social behaviour. The chairman of the Holyland Regeneration Association, Ray Farley, said the existing measures had not worked and called for Stormont ministers to intervene. Speaking last Friday ahead of the meeting, Mr Farry said he was "appalled" by the behaviour of some young people in the area but said the majority of them were not university or college students. However, he added that further steps to address students' bad behaviour would now be considered in light of this year's trouble.

Summary: Residents of Belfast's Holyland are due to meet the minister responsible for universities later to discuss students' involvement in disorder in their area.


People who depend on being able to harvest forest resources should receive payment under the schemes. But researchers say there is a "reality gap" between safeguards designed to help affected communities and who actually receives the compensation. The findings have been published online in Global Environment Change. "About 11% of global emissions come from deforestation and degradation of tropical forests so the idea is that if you can slow this down then that can offset emissions and that is good for climate mitigation," explained Julia Jones from Bangor University, Wales. Over the past decade, schemes called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (Redd/Redd+) have been developed as part of the global effort to mitigate climate change. These mechanisms are designed to improve forest management and reduce the net emission of greenhouse gases in tropical forest and sub-tropical forest nations. "It finally got approval (at the UN climate summit) in Paris in December that Redd+ will go ahead as a global climate mitigation mechanism," Prof Jones told BBC News. "What that means in reality is more protected areas and more funding. This sounds brilliant, after all it is a win-win situation and what is there not to like about it?" However, it has been widely acknowledged that such schemes - if not implemented properly - can have a significant negative impact on people's livelihoods, such as indigenous communities, and exacerbate poverty. "This has been taken on board by, for example, the World Bank," observed Prof Jones. "They have made commitments that anything they fund [and] people are displaced as a result, they must be compensated for it. "These commitments are also encapsulated in other doctrines, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity." But she added: "The problem is how do you go about doing that? The way that the World Bank guidelines work is that households affected by a scheme must be identified and then compensated for the negative impact of the establishment of a protected area on their livelihoods." In order to test whether the commitment to "social safeguards" were working on the ground, the team of UK and Madagascan researchers looked in detail at an area within Madagascar where a new protected area was being established. The work was being funded by the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. "We have shown that, yes, they have gone out there and identified households that they think are affected negatively by conservation and have delivered compensation." However, she added, the compensation was not reaching those most affected by the project. "We have mapped every single household that should have been covered by the compensation and have shown thatâ€¦ the process had some very serious biases in it," she said. "Essentially, the people that were identified were easier to reach physically - such as closer to the road or closer to the administrative centre. "They also tended to be more socially connected; members of local forestry management committees, and they were - on average - richer or, at least, less poor." Prof Jones said it was not what would be expected from a

Summary: Remote communities are not receiving the compensation they are entitled to from schemes designed to conserve tropical forests, a study suggests.


She officially opened the games, which is marking its 150th anniversary. And she was photographed pouring whisky from a quaich to anoint the new Aboyne Games caber, and meeting competitors. The monarch is thought to be in residence at nearby Balmoral, the Royal Family's Scottish holiday home.

Summary: The Queen has made a surprise visit to the Aboyne Highland Games in Aberdeenshire.