The shadow home secretary told the Guardian she was diagnosed with the condition two years ago and it was "out of control" during the campaign, when she gave some faltering performances. "During the election campaign, everything went crazy," she said. She said she was managing the condition and was ready to get back to work. Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. It can be controlled by taking medication to reduce glucose to normal levels and also by making lifestyle and dietary changes. Ms Abbott was criticised for her performance during the election campaign, in which she stumbled several times during interviews and appeared unable to give detailed answers to questions. In one interview with LBC Radio, she mistakenly said plans to boost police numbers by 10,000 would cost Â£300,000. It led to a barrage of criticism from the Conservatives who said she could not "add up". She pulled out of an interview on BBC's Woman's Hour with just a few minutes' notice amid unconfirmed reports that some within the party leadership had lost confidence in her. Just 48 hours before polling day, Labour said Ms Abbott was taking a period of sick leave and would be replaced "indefinitely" by Lyn Brown. Ms Abbott, a key ally and friend of Jeremy Corbyn, said she was badly affected after facing six or seven interviews in a row without eating enough food - vital to managing blood sugar levels. "During the election campaign, everything went crazy - and the diabetes was out of control, the blood sugar was out of control," she said. Ms Abbott, who was re-elected as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington with a majority of more than 30,000, accused her political opponents of mounting a "vicious" campaign against her. She told the newspaper she was disappointed a female prime minister had singled her out as a national target. The Guardian says a Conservative source "angrily rejected" Ms Abbott's accusations and said it was "legitimate in a campaign to point out weaknesses in the opposition's front bench" The source wished Ms Abbott well with her health, adding: "No-one knows more about the difficulties of diabetes than the prime minister." Theresa May revealed in 2013 that she had type 1 diabetes. During the election campaign she said she managed it by injecting herself with insulin six times a day. Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar to become too high. More than three million people suffer from type 1 and and type 2 diabetes in the UK.

Summary: Diane Abbott has revealed she has Type 2 diabetes and that the condition is what forced her to take a break from the election campaign.


It follows the death of 17-year-old Adam Owens in Newtownards, County Down, on Monday. His family blamed his death on an addiction to "legal high" drugs and has called for a ban on them. Mothers Against Drugs said it is concerned about how effective the law is at tackling legal highs. Donna McMenamy helped to found the group after her 12-year-old son became addicted to the drugs in 2012. He is currently receiving treatment for his addiction, and is not using drugs at the moment, but she said more needs to be done to help ensure he does not start again. "He has got fed up and went back onto drugs again in the past," she said. "The system's very slow, there is no money, no resources and that really needs to change. When people put their hands up for help it needs to be there for them." Mrs McMenamy said those responsible for selling legal highs were "animals". "They don't care what it's doing, not just to the person themselves but the surrounding families and the effect it's having on the community too." Randox Laboratories in County Antrim is a specialist hub for "legal highs" drugs analysis. Toxicology manager Mark Piper said long-term use of legal highs could have serious consequences. "There are lots of negative effects," Dr Piper said. "Besides the short-term stimulation, it can lead to extreme violence, extreme apathy and can really affect people's personalities." He added that the use of legal highs is continuing to increase across the UK. "We are one of the biggest marketplaces for these substances within Europe, and we're continuing to see a rise of these being sent to Randox." Fra Stone works with the Falls Community Council's drugs programme. He said Northern Ireland's government needs to "pick up the pace" and enforce new legislation on legal highs. "The wheels are grinding too slowly," he said. "We need to toughen up. In the Republic of Ireland they had a ministerial order and were able to ban these overnight. In the jurisdiction we're in, it's a deferred matter that has to go to Westminster." Several deaths in the UK have been linked to legal highs. More than 200 of the substances have been banned since the coalition government came to power in 2010. In the Republic of Ireland, "legal high" drugs are banned by law. Emergency legislation was put forward in March after a loophole in the law meant that it was legal to possess drugs such as ecstasy, crystal meth and ketamine.

Summary: A Belfast based anti-drugs group has called for tougher laws to be introduced to deal with the sale of "legal high" drugs.


The industry lobby group the British Retail Consortium and KPMG said sales had risen 5.6% since April 2016 - up from a fall of 1% in March. Food spending accounted for most of the growth, but shoppers were more cautious about other items. The BRC said consumer spending would slow as inflation climbed. Chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE said: "The positive distortion from the timing of Easter was largely responsible for the month's growth and looking to the longer-term signs of a slowdown, the outlook isn't as rosy." According to the research, sales of food and drink soared over the long Easter weekend boosting total spending. Over the three months to April, total food sales increased by 3.6% - much faster than the 12-month average of 2% growth, it found. However, quarterly sales of non-food items grew more slowly at 0.7%. Exceptions included sales of children's clothes and toys and furniture, although researchers said these rises were seasonal. According to official statistics, UK retail sales posted their biggest quarterly fall in seven years in March, as the prices of everyday goods continued to climb. The value of the pound has slumped by around 14% against the dollar since the EU referendum last June, pushing up the price of imported goods. This threatens to derail a consumer spending boom that has underpinned economic growth since the referendum. Ms Dickinson said: "Although today's figures do indicate that consumers are still willing to spend, with a cocktail of rising costs and slowing wage growth as the backdrop, conditions for consumers will get tougher."

Summary: Retail sales jumped in April thanks to higher spending over Easter, although tougher times may be ahead, a survey has found.


The show's producers told the Coronation Street star as he woke on Thursday morning that Dean, 50, had died of a heart attack. An ITV spokesperson said: "Craig decided to leave the Celebrity camp... and will be heading back to his family in the UK. We send our sincere condolences to Craig and his family." Charles was missing from last night's show when presenters Ant and Dec entered the campsite. The pair told viewers that they could not vote for Charles when deciding which celebrity should take part in the next bushtucker trial. The 6 Music radio presenter and former Red Dwarf star had been in the jungle for less than a week. He was one of the favourites to win. The 49-year-old is the second celebrity to leave, following reality TV star Gemma Collins's exit. Westlife singer Kian Egan, who won the jungle crown in 2013, has tweeted his condolences. Craig - a DJ at BBC Radio 6 Music - had said his rocky past had prepared him for the jungle. He admitted he went to hell and back over his crack cocaine addiction in 2006. He finally beat the habit after a stint in rehab, but said recently that heights, snakes, rats and spiders won't prove to be as challenging as getting clean. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Craig Charles has left the I'm A Celebrity jungle after the sudden death of his older brother.


It faces competition from two grime albums - Kano's Made In The Manor and Skepta's Konnichiwa. The records, which address everything from police harassment to broken families, both reflect an emerging maturity in the genre. Radiohead receive a record fifth nomination for their stirring, emotional album A Moon Shaped Pool. The band, who are currently on tour in the US, have yet to win the album of the year award. Other artists nominated for the £25,000 prize include Laura Mvula, The 1975 and Michael Kiwanuka. The full list of nominees is: Read more about the nominees Blackstar, which contains the line: "Look up here, I'm in heaven," on the track Lazarus, has been called Bowie's "parting gift". Released just two days before his death from cancer, it went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic. There is also a nomination for former Mercury Prize-winner Antony and the Johnsons, who now goes under the name Anohni. Her album, Hopelessness, is a lacerating look at the modern world that rages against President Obama, drone warfare and ecological disaster. The shortlist was chosen by a panel of judges that includes former winner Jarvis Cocker, Radio 1's Annie Mac, pop producer Naughty Boy and singer Jessie Ware. Notable omissions include Adele's 25 and Coldplay's A Head Full Of Dreams, which were the two biggest-selling albums released during the eligibility period: 26 September 2015 to 29 July 2016. PJ Harvey, the only artist to win the prize twice, also misses out on a nomination for her latest album, The Hope Six Demolition Project. The shortlist will be whittled down to six albums on the night of the awards, with one of those finalists selected by a public vote. Presented by Lauren Laverne, the ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC Four and 6 Music on 15 September. After last year's low-key event, the award will be handed out at a gala concert in London's Eventim Apollo, after Hyundai stepped in as a headline sponsor. After the row over diversity at this year's Brits, the Mercury list does its best to redress the balance, with an all-female rock band, two grime MCs, a music icon and a transgender torch singer. Many of the nominated albums are unswervingly political. Anohni accuses President Obama of "executing without trial", while Skepta delivers a powerful message to the establishment: "We don't listen to no politician". All of the records feel vital and innovative - yet it's the most commercial list in years, with all but one of the nominees having entered the UK album chart, four of them at number one. That's thanks to a new panel of judges which puts an emphasis on musicians - including Jarvis Cocker and Naughty Boy - over rock critics and industry "suits". They've even taken the brave decision to omit Adele's all-conquering 25. Not that she'll mind: The £25,000 prize is only just enough to buy one of her concert tickets on the secondary market. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, has been shortlisted for the 25th annual Mercury Prize.


Teachers, doctors and nurses were among who stopped work because they had not been paid in more than a month. It comes a day ahead of a suggested national shutdown called by activists complaining about the economy and alleged government corruption. Police used teargas and water cannons to break up protests in some areas of the capital, Harare, on Monday. The unrest had begun when minibus drivers erected barricades in a protest against harassment and roadblocks by police demanding bribes. Teachers, doctors and nurses have not been paid for a month, but the government has said they will get their wages by the middle of July, Reuters news agency has reported. The scene in the country's capital, Harare, resembled a quiet Sunday afternoon, with civil servants on strike, the BBC's Brian Hungwe reports. "We have heeded the call" by our governing council, Zimbabwe Teachers' Union president Richard Gundani said. "Teachers and the rest of the civil servants are declaring their incapacity to go to work. Government departments were operating without some of their staff who stayed at home." Our correspondent says unlike other government workers, the security forces were paid on time in June. Those who were not paid were handed a $100 (Â£76) advance to help with transport and other costs. Zimbabwe has become increasingly volatile in recent weeks as the government struggles to cope with a severe cash shortage and the effects of a drought. Political activists, backed by the social movement called #ThisFlag, have called for a national stay-away on Wednesday "to shut down the country" in protest at the government "for allowing corruption, injustice and poverty". On its Twitter account, #ThisFlag said it wanted "good governance and leadership" in Zimbabwe. "Citizens. They do not have enough guns and man power to kill us all. The country has broken down. We demand an engine overhaul," said one message. It is not clear if the national shutdown has been called for one day or indefinitely until demands are met, our reporter says.

Summary: Government workers in Zimbabwe have gone on strike over unpaid salaries because of a chronic cash shortage.


The better-than-expected growth rate came after higher government spending helped to offset weakness in business investment and exports. Capital expenditure fell by 1.4% during the quarter, indicating that businesses remain reluctant to spend. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell slightly to 16,644.69. The broader Topix index ended up 0.2% at 1,338.38. Despite the better-than-expected GDP figure, analysts are concerned about the outlook for consumer spending, which accounts for about 60% of GDP. That could take a hit if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe moves to increase the country's sales tax to 10% from the current 8%. Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported this week that Mr Abe plans to postpone the move and will announce his decision after the G7 meeting later this month. Other stock markets in Asia were lower ahead of the release of the US central bank's meeting minutes later on Wednesday. Investors are looking for guidance on what and when the Federal Reserve's next move is going to be. Many investors are now predicting the Fed may raise interest rates at its June meeting following a recent run of positive economic data. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 1.5% to close at 19,826.41 while the mainland Shanghai Composite dropped 1.3% to finish at 2,807.51. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index lost 0.7% to finish at 5,356.20, while South Korea's benchmark Kospi index fell 0.6% to close at 1,956.73.

Summary: Japanese stocks closed little changed after data showed the economy dodged a recession, growing at an annual pace of 1.7% in the first quarter of the year.


According to its website, both the 32GB and 64GB models are "currently unavailable", and Amazon says it has no plans to replenish its inventory. It follows reports of lay-offs at the US company, after the phone failed to resonate with consumers. Amazon has not responded to requests from the BBC for comment about its plans for the phone. Launched with much fanfare in June 2014, the Fire Phone was Amazon's first foray into the smartphone market. The main selling point was its "dynamic perspective" camera, which can track the user's movements and give the impression of depth and 3D. It also includes a 24-hour customer service tool and an in-built encyclopaedia called X-Ray. But the rollout quickly faltered, as reviewers took against the phone, and Amazon cut its price drastically last September. In October 2014, the company revealed it had suffered a $170m (Â£110.5m) writedown "primarily related" to the gadget. And last month, the Wall Street Journal reported it had laid off "dozens" of Fire Phone engineers at its Silicon Valley research-and-development lab. Stuart Miles, editor and founder of technology news website Pocket-lint, said he was not surprised by the decision to pull the phone. "The phone industry is incredibly competitive, and it's very foolhardy for any company to believe you can come in on your first product and make a difference. "Amazon obviously believed it could launch something, which unfortunately didn't gain any excitement. "The dynamic perspective camera was pretty much seen as a gimmick which didn't really add anything to the overall experience." Amazon is still selling its tablets, such as the Kindle and Fire. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported Amazon planned to launch a cut-price $50 (Â£33) tablet this Christmas, along with new tablets with 8in (20cm) and 10in screens.

Summary: Online retailer Amazon has stopped selling its Fire smartphone, just 15 months after the handset was launched.


A Freedom of Information request revealed there were 634 reports in the 2015-16 financial year, compared with 316 the year before. Police said the rise could have been caused by changes over which incidents schools can deal with internally. An education expert called the figures "worrying" and said police needed to identify the reason for the increases. John Howson, who is also a former teacher, said: "I'm extremely worried about these figures - the doubling of the violence against a person, whatever source it is or however minor." Thames Valley Police said more incidents were now included in their figures after the Home Office clarified a policy about what must be investigated. It added: "Recorded violent crime went up in the Thames Valley overall last year by 30% so we would anticipate an increase in violence in schools as well. "All schools in Thames Valley have contact with police through either dedicated schools officers or neighbourhood policing teams. "Their approach is one of preventing young people from entering the criminal justice system rather than criminalising them." In January a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers showed that, nationally, 43% of teachers four out of 10 teachers had to deal with physical violence in the past year.

Summary: The number of violent incidents in schools reported to Thames Valley Police more than doubled last year.


A spokesman said the closure was part of a wider plan of "simplifying the business", which has already seen the closure of about 40 branches in the UK. He said the branch handled Â£400m from 16,000 customers, with 6,000 in Guernsey and 2,000 to 3,000 in Jersey. The spokesman said a factor in the decision was the high cost of operating in an offshore banking centre. The branch is the only one in the Channel Islands. He said account holders would be contacted directly over the next few days to outline what he described as the "next steps", but customers should not be concerned and mortgages would continue to be honoured. The company would look to find room for its employees elsewhere in its business, the spokesman added.

Summary: The Guernsey branch of the Co-operative Bank is to close early next year with the loss of 11 jobs.


The government has put aside 10bn roubles ($272m; Â£164m) to pay owners of cars that are at least six-years old an incentive to buy a new vehicle. Car owners will be eligible for a discount of at least 40,000 roubles. The government expects the scheme, which will run to the end of the year, to subsidise the sale of more than 170,000 vehicles. The scheme could "seriously stimulate sales," said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, according to local news agencies. Car sales fell by almost a quarter in July compared with a year earlier, following a sharp fall in the previous month. Russia, along with many other countries including the US, the UK, Germany and France, first introduced a car scrappage scheme during the global economic downturn.

Summary: Russia has said it will introduce a new scrappage scheme to try to boost flagging car sales.


European football's governing body has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Danish champions for supporters in the away end "setting off fireworks". Uefa holds host clubs responsible for security inside and around the stadium, "unless they can prove that they have not been negligent". Leicester won the game 1-0. Uefa's control, ethics and disciplinary body will deal with Copenhagen's case on 17 November. Elsewhere, three Polish football fans were arrested in Spain on Tuesday hours before Legia Warsaw's Champions League meeting with Real Madrid, AFP reported. The three supporters, aged 31, 33 and 34, are alleged to have attacked waitresses in a bar in the La Latina district of Madrid, stealing the mobile phone of one woman and attempting to rob cash from the till, a police spokesperson told the news agency. Legia have already been made to play their home game against Real, on 2 November, behind closed doors. The Polish champions were punished by Uefa last week for racist behaviour and fighting among the home fans during a 6-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Leicester City will not face Uefa charges after FC Copenhagen fans let off flares before Tuesday's Champions League game at the King Power Stadium.


Deborah Fenlon's Menos 4 trial will investigate how routine CBT could help patients regain a sense of control over difficult side effects. Hot flushes and night sweats are experienced by about 70% of women undergoing treatment. The trial has been funded by a Â£300,000 Breast Cancer Now grant. Royal Glamorgan Hospital is one of six participating in the three-year project, led by Swansea University's Prof Fenlon. Hormone replacement therapy, normally offered to women experiencing hot flushes as part of the menopause, cannot be used by women with breast cancer as it can increase the risk of their disease returning. The scientists said although CBT was known to be effective, it was not routinely offered on the NHS for women with breast cancer and can only be given to groups by trained clinical psychologists. During the study, half the women will receive group CBT from a specially-trained breast cancer nurse in six weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes. The other half will receive whatever support they would normally receive. A 52-year-old teacher, taking part in the trial, said: "I had never expected hot flushes to be quite so awful. "Some nights I just do not sleep as the hot sweats keep me awake and then I have to work the next day as though everything's ok and it's not." Prof Fenlon said: "Hot flushes and night sweats can have a major impact on women's lives; affecting their work, social life and disrupting their sleep. "There are very few effective measures to help support women with this problem, particularly after breast cancer and proven interventions are not widely available. "With this study we hope to show how an effective intervention can be offered more widely."

Summary: A Swansea scientist is trialling how cognitive behavioural therapy could reduce the impact of hot flushes for breast cancer patients.


Paul Thomas, from Telford, was jailed for 10 years in April for the manslaughter of his son Oliver Sargent. Oliver's mother Ashlea was convicted of causing or allowing his death. The infant could have been removed from his home had the abuse been recognised earlier, the review concluded. Oliver's parents, whose relationship was described in the report as "unstable", took him to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford on four occasions. He was was seen by a number of doctors there and one questioned if the injuries could have been non-accidental, but another, a consultant, accepted Oliver's mother's claim that he was a "very active child who rolled on to toys". The report, which refers to Oliver as Child B, stated: "Although there is no guarantee, there is a probability that had health professionals been clearer in recognising that there was no plausible explanation for the injuries, Child B would have been subjected to child protection procedures and consideration given to protecting Child B by removing them from the home. "Health professionals were in a position to raise concerns when Child B was observed to have bruising and occipital swelling. "The parents either gave no explanation for the bruising or the explanation was questionable." Oliver died in hospital on 27 July 2012, five days after sustaining a skull fracture during an assault. His injuries were consistent with shaking. He was not previously known to social care services or police, the report said. Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court were told at his parents' trial that Oliver had injuries consistent with a 40mph car crash. A post-mortem examination showed he had 13 separate marks on his body and face and had been subjected to at least one impact to the left side of his head. Further medical investigations discovered historical injuries, including two fractured ribs and a broken collarbone, all of which had healed. Paul Thomas was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter, while Ashlea Thomas was cleared of both murder and manslaughter. She was given a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, for causing or allowing her son's death. The report set out a number of recommendations for agencies. It said Shropshire Community Health Trust (SCHT) responses to bruising seen in young children must be improved, consideration should be given to seeing a child's father and injuries should not be seen in isolation, but considered with other concerns. In cases where a child has life-threatening injuries out of office hours, senior managers of children's social care should be alerted. The review noted poor quality in recording of injuries at Princess Royal Hospital and a lack of consideration of previous admission and/or injuries. Andrew Tapp, from the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, described Oliver's death as "tragic" and said a number of changes had been made. "Among these changes, any incident where there is the suspicion that injuries may be non-accidental is recorded using a body map to show the position of the injuries, along with measurements and full details. "A system has also been established to ensure clinical photographs are

Summary: Health professionals missed "several opportunities" to safeguard an 11-month-old boy before he died of a skull fracture inflicted by his father, a serious case review has found.


Hiring an investment banker is being seen by some analysts as a prelude to making a push back into that industry, one which the last holder of the top job, Antony Jenkins, was backing away from. But will an expansion into a sector dominated by a few American names be successful? After all, this won't be Barclays first drive into investment banking. During the deregulation of the City of London in the 1980s, Barclays bought stockbrokers De Zoete & Bevan, and Wedd Durlacher, a firm of stock market wholesalers. The resulting amalgamation was BZW. But its expansion was curtailed by then-chief executive Martin Taylor, who broke it up, selling its equity business, and retaining fixed income as a new company, Barclays Capital. He told investors it wasn't profitable, and the capital it sat on could be better used. The second expansion came under the leadership of a more recent figure at the bank: Bob Diamond. Starting at Barclays in 1996, he expanded its fixed income (bonds) and foreign exchange businesses. Barclays Capital became the lender's most profitable unit. But after the Libor scandal and his subsequent sacking, retail banker Antony Jenkins was promoted to chief executive and began cutting trading desks and the investment bank's salary bill. Mr Staley's posited arrival was not met jubilantly by investors. Barclays stock fell by as much as 3% following the news. A cloud around the way the industry is viewed in the UK may the reason, says Chirantan Barua, banking analyst at Bernstein. "Every time someone goes up on stage and says we are going to be a retail bank, the stock goes up," he says. "Because we hate investment banking. The other thing that happens is, to be profitable in investment banking you need scale and therefore capital. "Where are you going to get that from? That's why the reaction is negative. "Getting Jes in would mean moving the bank more towards an investment bank." For an enlarged investment bank to work, it will have to be big enough to take on competitors across the Atlantic. Big clients like hedge funds are less likely to trade with a bank that won't do complex lending, and picks and chooses business, Mr Barua says. "Having just the juicy part - that's not how it works." He estimates Barclays may need to find Â£4-5bn of extra capital, through raising it from investors or selling something. There are two alternative strategies for the investment bank, however. "They should really just carve out the investment bank and ship it back to the US where they bought most of it," says Cenkos Securities analyst Sandy Chen, referring to Mr Diamond's purchase of Lehman Brothers's north American assets, which be bought after the bank collapsed. US investment banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have a competitive advantage over their European peers in the form of friendlier regulators. What the detached investment bank would lose is the strength the larger group can provide in the form of customer deposits. This wad of cash - liquidity strength - allows the group to

Summary: Barclays is close to appointing former JP Morgan banker James "Jes" Staley as its new chief executive.


The fairy tale will be made available for free on Daydream, Google's mobile virtual reality product. Daydream is a mobile headset which covers the eyes of the user and immerses them in the film they are watching. The corporation has released a trailer for the experimental project ahead of its release next week. The BBC said the project is part of the corporation's drive to explore emerging technology and new storytelling mediums for future audiences. Read More: Google's hot take on affordable VR The storyline of The Turning Forest sees a young child staring into the eyes of a fantastical creature before they embark on a journey together into a new realm of "folkish dimension and boundless imagination", the BBC said. The film also has its own "spatial" soundtrack, which is intended to be heard via headphones, further immersing the viewer in the virtual reality experience. The Turning Forest debuted at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, and was originally created for another VR product - the Oculus Rift. The BBC said the film has now been enhanced to further improve the sound design and introduce new controller interactions. Zillah Watson, executive producer of BBC R&D, said: "The Turning Forest is unique in that it's been designed from the sound up, using state-of-the-art audio to help transport people to a magical world. "It takes advantage of decades of research and experience from our own team, partners and universities to create a beautiful soundscape that we hope people will love." The Turning Forest has been produced by the BBC's Research & Development team in collaboration with virtual reality production studio VRTOV. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: The BBC has confirmed it will launch a new virtual reality film, The Turning Forest, next week.


He takes over from Caroline Wyatt, who is stepping down after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Bashir, who last worked for the BBC in 2004, is also known for TV interviews with suspects in the murder of Stephen Lawrence. He said he "cannot wait to get started" in the role. As correspondent, he will cover events and provide analysis on issues affecting different faiths both in the UK and around the world. BBC head of newsgathering Jonathan Munro said: "Martin's track record in enterprising journalism is well known and respected in the industry and amongst our audiences. "As a student of theology, Martin will bring immense knowledge of the brief to his new role, and an enthusiasm to cover the broadest range of faith-based stories." Bashir said: "I am delighted to be rejoining the BBC at this time and in this subject area. The opportunity to cover the broad spectrum of religious affairs is challenging and compelling and I cannot wait to get started." He first worked as a BBC news correspondent from 1987 to 1992, and then joined Panorama. He was there until 1999 and also presented BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme until 2004. He worked for Tonight on ITV before moving to the US in 2004 to host ABC's Nightline programme. In 2010, he joined NBC News as an MSNBC anchor and a correspondent on NBC's Dateline programme. He resigned from MSNBC in 2013 after making controversial remarks about former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. It was during her 1995 interview with Bashir that Diana, Princess of Wales, admitted to having had an affair and also spoke of Prince Charles's relationship with the then Camilla Parker-Bowles. "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," she told Bashir on Panorama, in a programme watched by millions globally. In 1999, he interviewed five men suspected of involvement in the murder of Stephen Lawrence. In 2003 he also interviewed Michael Jackson for his controversial documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, which led to the pop star being charged with molesting one of the boys featured in the programme. Jackson was later acquitted after being found not guilty of all charges, at the end of his four-month-long child abuse trial. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Journalist Martin Bashir, famous for his interviews with Princess Diana and Michael Jackson, is rejoining the BBC as its religious affairs correspondent.


The Serbia striker headed in Georginio Wijnaldum's cross with seven minutes to go of boss Rafael Benitez's home debut. Jermain Defoe had volleyed the visitors ahead just before the break. The draw leaves both in the bottom three, with 18th-placed Sunderland a point and a place ahead of Newcastle but two points from safety. It is a result that ends a four-game losing streak for Newcastle, during which Steve McClaren was sacked as manager and replaced by former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Benitez. Sunderland have drawn their last three matches. Media playback is not supported on this device While not the victory they so badly needed, the draw does mean Newcastle have ended a six-match losing streak against their fierce rivals, dating back to April 2013. This was the least they needed after Norwich's victory at West Brom on Saturday had opened some daylight between the 17th-placed Canaries and the bottom three. And despite the huge challenge still ahead, the manner in which they clawed their way to a point will give Benitez some hope that he can fashion an escape act over the next two months. For much of the game a somewhat ragged and ill-disciplined Newcastle were second-best to a Sunderland side who have been instilled with a renewed efficiency and spirit by manager Sam Allardyce. After falling behind, the home side offered plenty of effort but precious little quality in the second half, with an Ayoze Perez volley at the back post, which was cleared off the line by Yann M'Vila, the closest they came to a goal. But Mitrovic's late intervention - the sixth he has scored since joining the club last summer for £15m - gives them confidence before six April fixtures that will go a long way to deciding their fate. Next up; Norwich at Carrow Road on 2 April. Sunderland were seven minutes from moving out of the relegation zone so to find themselves in the bottom three heading into the international break is an undoubted blow. This is a game they should have won. They played more as a unit throughout and fashioned the better chances. Defoe's goal - coming after Rob Elliot had saved a shot from Fabio Borini and Chancel Mbemba had failed to properly head clear - was his eighth in his past 11 appearances, but he could have scored more. Before his opener he fired over from inside the box and poked a first-time shot from Borini's cross inches past the near post. And had Elliott not produced a wonderful one-handed save to deny Patrick van Aanholt's angled 12-yard drive, it would have been 2-0 just before the hour mark. Ultimately, though, it was their defensive frailty that cost them as a DeAndre Yedlin foul throw set up the move from which Mitrovic scored the 39th goal the Black Cats have conceded away from home this campaign and extended their run of games without a clean sheet to 17. Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez: "The positive thing for me is we have eight games to play and the reaction today from

Summary: Aleksandar Mitrovic rescued a point for Newcastle against relegation rivals Sunderland as a fiercely contested Tyne-Wear derby ended in a draw.


Eleven of Scotland's 14 territorial health boards were hit by the "ransomware" attack linked to other IT attacks around the world. The hack has encrypted information on NHS computers, denying access unless a payment is made. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said work to fix the systems affected had entered a "recovery phase" She called the attack "hugely concerning" but said there was no evidence as yet to suggest outdated computer systems were responsible for the breach. Scotland's Health Secretary Shona Robison said there was a "level of confidence" that systems would be back up and running by Monday and that no breach of patient confidentiality had been detected. The health boards which have been affected are: The Scottish Ambulance Service has also been affected, along with NHS National Services Scotland. The incidents are thought to be part of a wider attack affecting organisations in about 100 countries around the world. IT problems have also caused disruption in about 30 health authorities in England, while the NHS in Wales and Northern Ireland are so far unaffected. The Scottish government said most incidents had been confined to desktop computers in GP surgeries, dental practices and other primary care centres. A spokesman said the only acute hospital sites so far affected had been in NHS Lanarkshire. BBC Scotland understands that computer systems at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride were compromised. Ms Robison told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that IT specialists had been working non-stop to get GP systems back up and running. She said: "People are working very, very hard and have worked through the night. The update I've got this morning is that we're very much into recovery phase now, with a lot of work going on to get systems back up running. "The GP systems, which of course were the main problem across our health boards - work is going on, and there is a level of confidence that many will be back up and running before GP surgeries open on Monday morning." Ms Sturgeon told the BBC: "Obviously cyber-attacks of this nature are hugely concerning and I think they underline the vulnerability not just of the public sector, but also of society generally to cyber-attacks, but they also underline the importance of all organisations making sure that they have all appropriate measures in place to protect against those kinds of attack." She added: "Obviously there is a lot of investigation into exactly why the health service has been affected in the way it has. I think it's important to stress that this has been a global international attack." Shona Robison said NHS Lanarkshire had been more affected in terms of its acute hospitals, but said manual systems had worked safely and insisted that patients had not been negatively impacted by the breach. "The intention today is to begin testing those IT systems and to gradually and safely try to bring those back on over the course of the weekend." Ms Robison added: "Throughout all of this there's been no breach to patient confidentiality that has been detected to date so

Summary: The Scottish government says it is working closely with health officials following a global cyber hack.


12 November 2015 Last updated at 07:08 GMT He blasts off for his six-month mission on 15 December. But what exactly is the International Space Station and what will Tim be doing on it? Hayley's been finding out.

Summary: In a few weeks' time, British astronaut Tim Peake will be making himself at home aboard the International Space Station.


Election campaigning in Cardiff, Michael Fallon said such a government would mean "chaos and instability". Hearing the Welsh Tory leader had not read his party's UK manifesto, Mr Fallon said it was "well worth a read". Labour said the Conservatives had not ruled out a "dangerous pact with UKIP". Mr Fallon told BBC Wales said there was a "threat of instability, of putting our economic recovery at risk, if you end up with a minority government". "It's becoming clear that Labour can't form a government on their own and a cobbled together coalition or minority government, depending day after day on the support of other parties, is simply a recipe for chaos and instability. "The only way to have a sure, certain government that would continue the recovery and the 50,000 new jobs in Wales is to vote Conservative." Responding, a Welsh Labour spokesman said: "The Tories have consistently not ruled out a dangerous pact with UKIP, that would risk the tens of thousands of jobs dependent on Britain's place at the heart of the EU." The spokesman added: "The IFS [Institute for Fiscal Studies] lifted the lid on the Tories extreme spending plans today, which would be disastrous for Wales." Liberal Democrat candidate Roger Williams said no party would win a majority and an "unstable government....pulled sharply to left or right" would "cost us all dear". "This is why we need the Liberal Democrats in government, providing a stable government that can build both a stronger economy and a fairer society."

Summary: The Conservative defence secretary has warned a Labour minority UK government, or "cobbled together" coalition involving Plaid Cymru and the SNP, would put economic recovery at risk.


The Mayor of London who is in the country on a trade visit was invited to join children on a mini turf pitch in Tokyo for the non-contact game. Toki Sekiguchi was knocked to the ground and said he "felt a little pain". The mayor, a keen rugby fan, shook the boy's hand and apologised. In the game of touch rugby the person with the ball is stopped by being touched, not tackled, as in union rugby. Slo-mo BoJo He has form. He brought a child to the ground last year in a football kickabout. And in 2006 he played in a charity England-Germany football match. Although only on for 10 minutes he stunned the 20,000-strong crowd by flooring retired German midfielder Maurizio Gaudino in a rugby-style tackle. Of that incident he said: "When he was about two yards away I just put my head down. I was going for the ball with my head, which I understand is a legitimate move in soccer." In Tokyo, the pair later posed for photographs and Mr Johnson handed over a 2015 rugby ball to the youngster.

Summary: Boris Johnson has knocked over a 10-year-old child while playing touch rugby in Japan.


Marian Fields had an aggressive and very rare form of skin cancer, which left her with large, open wounds around her backbone following multiple operations and radiation treatments. She was beginning to lose all hope of recovery after plastic surgeons in the US refused to take on her case because of the size of the wound. But her identical twin sister Mary Jane provided the solution. "There was never a moment of hesitation when the option to donate skin and tissue was a possibility," Mary Jane said. "I had what she needed. We are two bodies with one soul. She is my other self." Dr Jesse Selber, a plastic surgeon from the MD Anderson Cancer Centre at the University of Texas, who had previously performed the first skull-scalp transplant, said the surgery was "incredibly challenging and complex". His team of five plastic surgeons removed skin, tissue and blood vessels from Mary Jane's abdomen and transplanted it to Marian's back, connecting eight different arteries and veins under a microscope during surgery. The hole in Marian's back was 21.5in by 8.5in (55cm x 22 cm), making it one of the largest tissue transplantations on record. By donating skin to her sister, Mary Jane - in effect - got a giant tummy tuck. Having an identical twin made the transplantation process more likely to succeed for Marian because no suppression of her immune system was required - but there were still huge risks. Surgeons said they were concerned about the donated skin being rejected and the possibility of the cancer recurring. Although the tumour in Marian's back was very aggressive, it was not a type that spreads to other parts of the body so receiving her sister's skin and tissue was a perfect fix. Dr Selber said: "Marian's wound was impossibly large - without her genetically identical sister, we would not have had enough tissue to reconstruct it." The surgery took 14 hours and involved "extensive resection through skin, muscle and bone", followed by "hours of meticulous microvascular work". This involved re-connecting countless veins and arteries. The surgery was meticulously planned beforehand - and it paid off, according to Dr Selber. "It went quite beautifully," he said. Before the transplant surgery, Marian was in horrible pain. She couldn't lie on her back or sit up in a chair properly. One month on from the surgery, the twins have been discharged, the stitches have been removed and they have returned home. Marian says: "I'm looking forward to getting back to work, driving, running and sitting comfortably. "I've never been sick before 2012 and am ready to get back to life."

Summary: The 66-year-old Fields twins, from Missouri, have lived together all their lives - now they are even closer after sharing their skin.


It's the first time - and probably the only time - this information will be made public. The review will be published at 11:00 BST and details of anyone earning more than £150,000 a year will be included. The report will also look at TV and radio viewing figures, as well as online engagement. It may also examine the issue of the competition, such as Netflix. It looks back over the previous year's performance and publishes details about the corporation's finances and spending. This year's edition could prove more interesting than most. It's all down to the government's culture secretary, Karen Bradley. Speaking in the House of Commons last September, Mrs Bradley said publishing the salaries of stars earning more than £150,000 would bring the BBC "in line with the civil service" on transparency. The culture secretary said it would help ensure the BBC "produces value for money for the licence fee" and that more transparency could lead to savings that could be "invested in even more great programmes". But the BBC's director general, Tony Hall, has said: "Our position on talent pay has not changed and all major broadcasters have questioned the merit of the proposal. "The BBC operates in a competitive market and this will not make it easier for the BBC to retain the talent the public love." ITV's programmes chief, Kevin Lygo, also called the proposal a "mean-spirited, nosey way of looking at things" during last year's Edinburgh Television Festival. The corporation already reveals the salary details of on-air stars who earn more than £450,000 and executives who earn more than £150,000. Presenters such as Graham Norton, Gary Lineker, Claudia Winkleman, Chris Evans, Fiona Bruce and Andrew Marr could easily be on the list. The revelations are required under the BBC's new Royal Charter, and are expected to encompass more than 100 of its top stars. According to last year's annual report, 109 TV and radio presenters earned more than £150,000 in the financial year 2015-16. But they were not named at the time. Some have. Speaking at the China Exchange last month, Andrew Marr said of the plans to formally spell out pay: "It's uncomfortable for all of us. "I'm well paid but I'm much less overpaid, perhaps, than people working for rival organisations who won't go through this process," reported the Telegraph. But Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman said ahead of Karen Bradley's announcement last year: "I'm all for it. I totally understand it. We're working for the public, so why shouldn't they know? "It's good to see some women on the list too. "We get paid an awful lot of money and it's a marketplace. It's bonkers." She added: "I love working for the BBC. I know that commercial stations pay a whole lot more - double, three times, four times. But I totally understand why people would want to know." By revealing talent pay, we might also find out if there is any gender disparity. We should also find out how the BBC's television and radio channels and stations have performed over the

Summary: The salaries of the BBC's biggest stars are expected to be revealed in the corporation's annual report when it is published later.


He left virtually all contact with the outside world to his foreign minister, Wakil Ahmad Mutawakkil and the last known audio recording of him was in 2006 - even this was leaked and not meant for public consumption. Yet he remained a powerful figure in Afghanistan, the undisputed leader of the Taliban and dubbed "commander of the faithful", a title with great resonance in Islamic history. On 29 July 2015 the Afghan government announced that he had died in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan in April 2013. No more details were provided. He was replaced as Taliban leader by Mullah Akhtar Mansour the following day. According to a biography published by the Taliban in April 2015, Mullah Mohammed Omar was born in 1960 in the village of Chah-i-Himmat, in the Khakrez district of Kandahar province, in the south of the country. It is thought he later attended the Darul Uloom Haqqania, a madrassa in Pakistan. This Islamic seminary has been dubbed "the University of Jihad" and boasted a number of future radical leaders among its students. Mullah Omar abandoned his studies to join the forces resisting the the Soviet occupation in 1980s but only rose to the level of small-time commander. He never did any practical field commanding during the Taliban's 1994-96 campaign that culminated in their capture of Kabul. But the localised uprising that he led against former Mujahideen warlords in the Kandahar area in 1994 earned him wide respect and is regarded by some as a catalyst for the Taliban movement that followed. He was wounded a number of times during this period, including an eye injury caused by shrapnel. It was after the capture of Kabul that he was elected the movement's supreme leader. During this period Omar began his long association with the al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Mullah Omar vigorously defended his friend against allegations that he masterminded the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, accusing the US of trying to cover up their own intelligence failures. Bin Laden is believed to have at least partially financed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The ties may go further. It was thought that Mullah Omar had taken Bin Laden's eldest daughter as a wife, and that Bin Laden may even have taken one of Mullah Omar's daughters as a fourth wife. The two were reported to have spoken daily by satellite telephone, and some reports suggested they also met for fishing trips. Under Mullah Omar's rule, a strict interpretation of Islamic law was imposed on Afghanistan under Taliban control. Women were strongly discouraged from leaving their homes, denied schooling and jobs and forced to fully cover themselves. Women found guilty of adultery were stoned to death, homosexuals crushed under brick walls, thieves' hands amputated and murderers publicly executed by victims' families. Edicts from Mullah Omar included the death sentence for anyone converting to another religion, as well as the infamous orders to destroy the country's ancient Buddha statues at Bamiyan. It was Mullah Omar's backing for Osama Bin Laden that brought the US-led campaign to

Summary: Mullah Omar was a reclusive figure even before his Taliban government fell from power in late 2001 and he was forced into hiding.


Media playback is not supported on this device He replaces Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who was dismissed on Monday, two days after the club's FA Cup win. "Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today," said United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. Mourinho, 53, said: "To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game. It is a club known and admired throughout the world." He said he had always "felt an affinity with Old Trafford" and claimed he has "always enjoyed a rapport with the United fans". He added: "I'm looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years. "There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match." In an interview with MUTV, Mourinho said he is "in the right moment" to succeed at United, adding the "past three years" did not reflect the club's history. Saturday's win brought United their first piece of silverware since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. "It is a giant club. It must be for the best managers," he said. "I prefer to forget the past three years and focus on the giant club I have in my hands. "I want to win. What the players need to do is listen. I want to focus on the history of this giant club. I will give everything to go in the direction we all want." "The most important thing is the players and my relationship with them." Mourinho said United fans had shown him "empathy, no problems" on previous visits. "I was pushed by that feeling to say things my clubs were not happy with, like when I said the best team lost when I won with Real Madrid," he added. "Real Madrid were not happy with that." The Portuguese's appointment followed three days of talks between his agent, Jorge Mendes, and senior United officials. He has already been linked with a move for Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played for him at Inter Milan. Ibrahimovic, who has decided to leave Paris St-Germain, told reporters on Thursday that Mourinho "is the man" to bring United "back to the top". Media playback is not supported on this device The BBC reported on Saturday, within an hour of United's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, that Van Gaal would be sacked and replaced by Mourinho. Talks, which started on Tuesday and were delayed by negotiations over Mourinho's image rights, finally concluded on Thursday. As well as his three Premier Leagues, Mourinho has led Real Madrid to the Spanish title in 2012, and guided Porto and Inter Milan to Champions League victories in 2004 and 2010 respectively. However, he left the Blues in turmoil only seven months after winning the Premier League title, with the club 16th in the league, just one point above the relegation zone, having accused some players of "betraying" his work. Mourinho's first match at Old Trafford will be on 5 June for Soccer Aid, managing an England team against a Rest of the World side led by

Summary: Jose Mourinho has been officially confirmed as Manchester United manager and has signed a three-year contract.


Hayley Davidson had been at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh since police were called to a flat in West High Street, Buckhaven, on Sunday. A statement from the baby's family said Hayley was "a beautiful baby girl who was loved by everyone who met her". Police Scotland said: "A thorough and rigourous investigation is ongoing as officers progress with inquiries." Chf Insp Adrian Annandale added: "This is an extremely tragic and sensitive case and I'd like to reassure Hayley's family as well as the wider community that we're conducting a robust investigation and appreciate the assistance provided."

Summary: A five-month-old baby girl found in a critical condition after an incident at a Fife flat has died.


The Uganda Wildlife Association (UWA) has said the 832 pieces of ivory could be worth up to $6.7m but other estimates put the value lower. Experts say some of the ivory is believed to have come from elephants poached outside Uganda. There is a huge demand for African ivory in Asia for use in ornaments. The ivory was apparently heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa. Some of the tusks had been broken up and covered with plastic bottles in crates labelled as material to be recycled. The UWA told the BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga that Uganda is increasingly being used as a transit country by poachers who kill elephants in states such as South Sudan or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda is believed to have about 5,000 elephants and this haul would represent the tusks from about 400 animals. Last week, some four tonnes of ivory was found in Mombasa after coming from Uganda. According to the UWA, the rate of elephant poaching is relatively low in Uganda, with an estimated 20 elephants killed for their ivory across the country in 2010. After a sharp fall in the number of elephants in Africa, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) banned the trade in ivory in 1989 But in recent years poaching has increased across sub-Saharan Africa with criminal gangs slaughtering elephants for ivory markets in Asia.

Summary: Ugandan officials have seized some two tonnes (4,600lb) of ivory - one of the country's biggest such hauls for many years.


The animals cup their mouths when they produce kiss squeaks - alarm calls that often signify a predator is nearby. Researchers have now studied the acoustics of these "hand-modified kiss squeaks" and shown that the animals sound bigger and "more impressive" when they use their hands in the call. The findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. If the orangutans do this deliberately - knowing it exaggerates their size - the researchers think it may be a glimpse of an early precursor to language; an animal intentionally changing a sound it makes and, in turn, changing its meaning. This same team of scientists - from the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK - first noticed that the apes changed their kiss squeaks with their hands back in 2009. But that change they spotted was very subtly different, so the team decided to analyse it in much more depth, to understand exactly what effect it had on the orangutan's voice. Lead researcher Bart de Boer from the University of Brussels, an expert in bioacoustics, worked out that the animals' hands were creating what he called a "a cylindrical extension of the lips". "This has the same effect as lengthening the sound box of a musical instrument," he explained, "so you get resonance of the lower pitches". In short, this makes a kiss squeak sound like it is coming from the puckered lips of a bigger orangutan. "So they aren't doing this for nothing," said Dr de Boer, "It makes them sound more impressive." Dr de Boer's main scientific interest is the evolution of speech. By applying detailed acoustic examination of the sounds these great apes produce, he says that researchers are gradually piecing together the puzzle of how language developed. But, he said, "there is still a lot to be found out". "It's unlikely that they're [making themselves sound bigger by accident], but it's still possible," Dr de Boer cautioned. Wild orangutans can be tricky to spot and study, so one research team is listening for their voices instead - using microphones in the forest to locate the animals. Brigitte Spillmann from the University of Zurich has developed a way to triangulate male orangutan "long calls" - a call often used to attract a mate - to work out their positions. "Long calls can be heard up to 1km away, [so they're] a good candidate for this type of monitoring," says Ms Spillmann. "With acoustic monitoring we know where, when and often who called or counter-called in the forest. "This could help to improve our understanding of orangutans' social organisation and in particular their long-distance communication system." Dr Wendy Erb, an anthropologist from Rutgers University in New Jersey pointed out that non-human apes' gestural signals are thought to be more likely precursors to language because they are "more flexible and intentional" than vocal sounds. And the use of gestures in apes is well known. Recently, a team from the University of St Andrews published a study that attempted to translate the many gestures wild chimpanzees use. But, as Dr Erb pointed out,

Summary: Orangutans use their hands to alter their voices and make themselves sound bigger, say scientists.


Jon Lewis' side have a core of local players, many produced by the academy at Chester-le-Street, with both veterans, stalwarts and newcomers all ready to play their part this term. So who is going to lead the county's bid to win a fourth County Championship title? Stokes' return to Durham for the start of the County Championship season might give fans a rare glimpse of his talents at the Riverside, after a winter away with England. His last appearance for the national team came in agonising World Twenty20 final defeat by West Indies, in which he was hit for four consecutive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite in the final over, with them needing 19 to win. County captain Paul Collingwood was with England as part of Trevor Bayliss' coaching team, and a familiar face at a tough time for all. "Ben Stokes is the heartbeat of the England side, has plenty of friends in that dressing room but I know Stokesy really well," Collingwood told BBC Newcastle. "When he goes through something as tough as that in such a big occasion he's obviously going to be upset. "But he's the kind of character that bounces back straight away and he'll be desperate to get himself and his team into a situation like that again. "Hopefully he'll have learned so much from those four balls he bowled in that over and make him stronger for the future. "I'm sure he got a lot of people who put their arms around him and gave him a lot of advice and he'll be bouncing back in the future no doubt about that." Collingwood, even at 39 and his 20th year with Durham, was a key player in 2015, only missing one Championship game. Despite the ongoing speculation about his retirement is determined to play his part again in 2016. Media playback is not supported on this device "Every year for the last three I've gone into it saying it my last season, so this year I'm going to try to play as much as I can," he said. "The body still feels pretty good, I'm still enjoying it, I've still got plenty of ambition to go out there and do well, so I want to play as long as I can." Few counties possess such devastating and experienced bowling attacks as Durham, with Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth leading the unit and cameos from England duo Mark Wood and Stokes. Media playback is not supported on this device Onions, 33, finished 2015 with 66 wickets while Rushworth, 29, was the Professional Cricketers Association player of the year with 90. "I don't feel pressure, whether or not people say there is pressure," Rushworth said. "We've got some big players here so I'm not feeling any pressure and will keep doing my job." The combination of the two local lads has been a backbone of the county in recent seasons, although last year might take some catching for both. "That was a really good season, but it's very hard to put into words what Rushy did," Onions added.

Summary: Without an overseas import for the 2016 season after John Hastings was called into the Australia player pool, Durham will again rely on largely home-grown talent.


The 25-year-old German was on the losing side in last season's UEFA Champions League against Frankfurt. Blues have also brought in a player from the winners Frankfurt, German international forward Isabelle Linden. They also signed Norwegian midfielder Andrine Hegerberg this week from Swedish side Kopparbergs/Gothenburg "To sign Paris Saint-Germain's number one goalkeeper says it all," said Blues Ladies manager David Parker. "We have had to work hard to prise her away. "It is another signal of intent and statement that we can attract the very best players to the club with the vision and strategy we have. "When meeting Ann-Katrin and showing her everything we had to offer at the club she was blown away by what we are developing here and wants to be part of this special journey we are embarking upon." The arrival of Berger, Linden and Hegerberg comes on top of the signings of Corina Schroder from Liverpool and Marisa Ewers from Bayer Leverkusen. But Blues have lost two players, England internationals Jade Moore and Jo Potter having both opted to leave, after buying out their contracts. Blues stand third in Women's Super League One, seven points behind leaders Manchester City, having gone into the mid-season break with two wins in three matches.

Summary: Birmingham City Ladies have made their third foreign signing of the mid-season break by bringing in Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.


The research showed nearly one in five (18%) boys were in need of extra learning support, compared with fewer than one in 10 (8%) girls. One in eight (13%) Scottish eight-year-olds were reported by their parents as having an additional support need. The survey was carried out in 2012 by social research body ScotCen. Its study, Growing Up In Scotland, tracks the lives of thousands of children and their parents from birth. The data has been released to coincide with Learning Disability Awareness Week. Other findings showed children from families with the lowest incomes were more likely to have an additional support need than those from families with the highest incomes - 17% compared with 9%. And youngsters living in the most deprived areas were more likely to have an additional support need - 15% compared with 11% living in the least deprived areas. Local authorities and other agencies are legally required to provide additional support where needed to help any child or young person benefit from education. Some of the reasons cited in the study for children requiring learning support included speech problems, dyslexia and autism. Paul Bradshaw, head of longitudinal surveys at ScotCen, said: "The findings show that a significant proportion of today's youngsters are in need of additional support from an early age. "The challenges they face are varied, aren't always straightforward to manage and it's likely that they'll have a significant impact on their adult lives, so it's important that every effort is made to provide this support where possible. "The earlier extra support for children's development is identified and delivered, the more likely it is they'll succeed throughout childhood and into adolescence." The survey's results come from interviews with the parents of 3,685 children and are taken from data collected in 2012 when they were aged eight, and in either primary three or primary four.

Summary: Boys are twice as likely as girls to need additional support for learning, according to a study of eight-year-old children in Scotland.


Shelly Wu, six, and Lily, seven, were hit near the Grove Lane and Antrobus Road junction, Handsworth, last June. Michael Junior, 35, from Handsworth, admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and three charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, at Birmingham Crown Court. Junior will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday. The crash caused serious injury to Shelly and Lily's mother, Zhulan Wu, and her other two children. More on this story and others on Birmingham and Black Country Sgt Steve Newbury from West Midlands Police said: "This tragedy rocked the local community and devastated a family. Lily and Shelly's mum continues to recover from serious head injuries." He added the children who survived have recovered from their injuries but continue to suffer "emotional trauma". Judge Murray Creed imposed an interim driving ban on Junior, of Copthall Road, and granted him bail until Thursday, when he will reappear in court.

Summary: A man has pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of two sisters in a road crash in Birmingham.


Barbara Bonansea scored the only goal midway through the first half, eluding two defenders before shooting from close range. For the hosts, Asisat Oshoala had a goal ruled out for a foul. The match marked Liverpool manager Matt Beard's final game in charge before moving to Boston Breakers in the USA. Liverpool dominated long periods without turning pressure into goals. Ashley Hodson forced two good stops from goalkeeper Camelia Cesar, while Lucy Staniforth saw her two direct free-kicks well saved. Other than the goal, the Italian side created few clear openings. Chiara Marchitelli and Valentina Cernoia had shots from outside the area, but both were straight at keeper Libby Stout. Beard said: "I was pleased, we've done everything but score again, we threw the kitchen sink at them in the second half. "To be fair to Brescia, they defended really well which restricted us. "And over the course of the two ties, they probably deserve to go through." Liverpool Ladies: Stout, Harris, Murray, Omarsdottir, Ryland, Staniforth (Williams 70), Zelem, Oshoala, Hodson, White (Dale 79), Dowie (c). Unused subs: Darbyshire, Beckwith, Schroder, Pacheco, Smorsgard. Brescia: Marchitelli (Cesar 32), Gama, D'Adda (Boattin 61), Linari, Cernoia (c), Eusebio, Rosucci, Bonansea, Girelli, Sabatino (Alborghetti 76), Tarenzi. Unused subs: Serturini, Ghisi, Lenzini. Referee: S Frappin Attendance: 387

Summary: Liverpool Ladies have been knocked out of the Champions League after losing 1-0 at home in their last-32 tie, suffering a 2-0 aggregate defeat.


The 31-year-old is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore, alongside Sussex and England pace bowler Chris Jordan. Wiese has made 20 T20 appearances for South Africa, including two against England earlier this year. He will be available to play for Sussex against Somerset on Wednesday, 1 June and Surrey two days later.

Summary: Sussex have signed South Africa all-rounder David Wiese for their first two home T20 Blast matches.


Nat Sciver (77) and Danielle Hazell (45) helped England recover from 58-6 to post 240-9 on Thursday before rain forced the game into a reserve day. Laura Marsh took 4-21, including her 100th ODI wicket, and Hazell 3-21 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 78. England secured qualification for the 2017 World Cup in the second ODI. "It was nice, in the face of a potential collapse, to turn it around and win," captain Heather Knight said. "We've had a really good year and I think the girls are really starting to take responsibility and grow into their roles." New Zealand guaranteed World Cup qualification with a seven-wicket defeat of Pakistan in Nelson on Thursday - joining Australia and England in next year's tournament, which will be held in England in June and July. The fourth and final automatic place is between West Indies and India - and will depend on how the International Cricket Council rules on an unplayed series. With every team expected to play each other over a two-year period, a scheduled series between Pakistan and India - due to take place before the end of October - did not happen, and looks unlikely to do so for political reasons. If the six available points from that series are shared, fourth-placed West Indies would finish above India as they have recorded the most wins of the pair. The Windies would also stay fourth if Pakistan, as the home side, are awarded the points because of the Indian board's perceived reluctance to play them. The fifth-placed side will join South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and six other teams in Sri Lanka early next year, to play a final qualifier for the last four places in the World Cup.

Summary: England completed a 4-0 women's one-day international series whitewash as they thrashed Sri Lanka by 162 runs in the final match in Colombo.


The 15-year-old Scot became the youngest ever Commonwealth medallist when she finished third in the SB9 100m breaststroke aged 13 in 2014. However, she was told in April her impairment was now not serious enough for her to compete in Para-swimming. A second panel, at the Berlin Open event, upheld the result on Wednesday. Davies, from the Delting Dolphins club in Shetland, has Perthes disease, a condition that affects her hip bones and joints. Before losing her classification, she was only eligible to compete in breaststroke events.

Summary: Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Erraid Davies has been deemed ineligible for disability swimming after medical tests.


The rise of the far-left Podemos party and centrist Citizens means the next general election, at the end of this year, is set to be a four-horse race. For over three decades the Socialists (PSOE) and centre-right Popular Party (PP) have alternated in power, accounting for over 70% of the vote in past general elections. But the impact of austerity policies and a focus on corruption has created unprecedented uncertainty. And the "indignant" protest movement, which camped out in Madrid's central square in the summer of 2011, changed the nation's viewpoint on corruption. The shift has been highlighted by an opinion poll that puts the one-year-old Podemos in the lead on 22.5%, the Socialists second with 20.2%, the PP third on 18.6% and Citizens, or Cs as the party has branded itself, with 18.4%. A former PP treasurer revealed wholesale illegal financing of his party while the Socialist regional government in Andalusia oversaw a fraud totalling hundreds of millions of euros diverted from funds meant to help the unemployed. Both are now stuck with the label of "la casta" (the caste), a term coined to great effect by Podemos. Podemos is the brainchild of a group of leftist political science university lecturers, headed by gifted orator Pablo Iglesias. Only four months after they were founded, they attracted 8% share of the vote in last May's European elections. Podemos argues Spain's crisis was a swindle on the part of the country's financial and political elite and vows to renegotiate its debt to its creditors in the same way as Greece's radical Syriza government is doing. Under Podemos, evictions of homeowners would be halted and welfare guaranteed for families hit by Spain's 24% unemployment rate. "We didn't set up Podemos to become like the PSOE or PP - historical parties for our children and grandchildren to join as heirs of the founders," says the party's chief political analyst, Carolina Bescansa, a university lecturer. "Our idea was to create a tool to allow people to join a participative process." Podemos plans to open up government and submit major governmental decisions to referendums. Citizens has existed in the Catalan parliament since 2006 under the leadership of Albert Rivera, a lawyer who came to prominence through his stand against Catalan nationalism. Last year he was engaged in talks with UPyD, a Spanish centrist party, which shares Citizens' desire to limit the autonomous powers of Spain's regions. When negotiations broke down on electoral co-operation with UPyD, Cs decided to go it alone on the national scene and is now selecting candidates for a spate of regional and local elections taking place before the end-of-year parliamentary poll. Podemos and Cs both insist on primaries to select electoral candidates and share the diagnosis of a Spain mired in corruption and economic ruin. But they offer different cures. Podemos seeks to boost internal demand by raising income levels in poorer homes. Cs wants to reduce wasteful government layers, encourage investment and boost education. "We need change and we need transparency, but it has to be sensible change," says Citizens' economic coordinator

Summary: The emergence of two new parties has blown Spanish politics wide open.


He was available after being released by Truro, with whom he won promotion out of Chesham's division in 2014-15. It extends Hayles' 26-year career, which has taken in teams including Leicester, Cheltenham and Arlesey Town. "He is incredibly fit, and still loves the game," Chesham boss Andy Leese told the club website. "He has a lot to offer on the pitch still and now off it as well as he looks to start a coaching career." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Former Fulham and Stevenage striker Barry Hayles has joined Southern League Premier Division side Chesham United as a player-coach at the age of 43.


Handmade at Amazon is currently invitation-only, with an initial 5,000 sellers on the site. Goods must be "factory-free", with items such as wooden cufflinks and handstitched baby bibs already on sale from around the world. Its competitor, artisan website Etsy, was valued at $1.8bn (Â£1.2bn) when it launched on the stock market in April. "We had thousands of searches every day from customers looking for handmade or handcrafted items,'' said Peter Faricy, vice-president for Amazon Marketplace. "Knowing an item has a unique story behind it creates a personal experience that customers have told us makes owning handmade items special." The firm will initially take a 12% sales fee from its handmade retailers with no other charges. Etsy, which was founded 10 years ago, takes a 3.5% sales fee from its 1.5 million sellers and also charges a listing fee of $0.20 per item. The firm's chief executive, Chad Dickerson, told the Associated Press that almost half of the site's sellers already used other retail outlets in addition to Etsy but that the site was still "usually" their main source of income. "We believe that Etsy is the best platform for the creative entrepreneur," he said. "Etsy has a decade of experience understanding the needs of artists and sellers and supporting them in ways that no other marketplace can."

Summary: Amazon is entering the handicraft market with the launch of a new online store for handmade goods.


Police Scotland named the men as Craig Munro, 30, and 26-year-old Allan Robertson. One image appears to have been taken at the same location where missing mother Farrah Fadli was sighted earlier this month. Police Scotland and the Crown Office said they were unable to confirm if the investigations were linked. A spokesman for the Crown Office said it was also unable to say, for legal reasons, why the two men were being sought. Ms Fadli, who is also known as Farrah Gillespie, has been missing from her home in Ayr since Wednesday 12 October. The 29-year-old initially disappeared with her children but dropped them off at a friend's house in Irvine on 14 October. She has not been seen since. Ms Fadli is 5ft 4in, of slim build with dyed blonde hair. She has not gone missing before and officers have said previously it is extremely unusual for her to leave her children for such a long time and not be in touch with her family and friends.

Summary: Police have released CCTV images of two men they are trying to trace and have warned the public not to approach them.


Swansea Community Farm in Fforestfach offers free access to a variety of rare breeds including sheep and bees, a healthy eating kitchen and café, and sustainable orchards. Organisers say their core Volunteer and Child and Youth programmes have some funding from external sources beyond March 2017. But day-to-day running costs do not. Founded in 1998, the farm has been an accredited Agored Cymru training centre since 2012. It has also delivered a range of courses in cooking skills and healthy eating, food growing, nature conservation skills and animal care. Phil Budd of Swansea Community Farm said the farm had fallen foul of austerity. "Everyone we speak to agrees that the farm is doing vital work in reconnecting under-privileged urban youngsters with where their food comes from, but when local authorities and the Welsh Government have to choose between us and, say a hospital, it's hardly surprising we are where we are now," he said. "All the available grants are for specific projects, but it's extremely difficult to get funding for the day-to-day nitty-gritty." It is hoped £25,000 can be secured from a crowd-funding campaign, and the same amount via grants, government and business. Organisers say that would secure its future for six months, while they look for a longer-term partnership. "It's terribly sad, at what should be our busiest time of the year, we're already having to keep one eye on the prospect that we won't be here this time next month," Mr Buss said. "Many of our sheep should be going into lambing shortly, so we've already had to start re-homing them, as we don't want to have to move them while they are delivering and suckling. "Hopefully we can welcome them back in the summer, but we all need to pull together and find new ways of working."

Summary: Swansea's only community city farm is facing closure at the end of the month, unless it can raise £50,000.


The design, said to represent the relationship between the medieval monarchies of Europe and the castles they built, was unveiled on Friday. But critics including Plaid Cymru's North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said it symbolises the oppression of Welsh people. Monuments body Cadw said the plans were "about investing in Flint". Flint was one of the first castles to be built in Wales by Edward I - construction began in 1277. The winning design was selected by a panel following a nation-wide competition, and the architects said it demonstrated "the unstable nature of the crown". But Mr Gruffydd said a sculpture celebrating the conquest of Wales by Edward I was "inappropriate and insulting". "The 'ring of steel' is the description given to the chain of castles across Wales that were built to conquer and subjugate Wales," he said. "From a Welsh perspective, this is certainly not something to celebrate. It does not either reflect the many rich Welsh legends that could have been the source of a far more appropriate sculpture." A petition has also been launched calling the design "extremely disrespectful". By Monday it had attracted more than 2,000 signatures. People have also criticised the sculpture on social media. TJ Buck tweeted: "I think even a 'balloon made of lead' would have gone down better than this idea", while Carolyn Hitt posted: "Flint has rich history of female factory workers. Turn those into legends rather than remember Edward I's Iron Ring." But Andrew Barrattâ€

Summary: Plans to create an iron ring sculpture at Flint Castle have been described as "insulting to Wales".


Rangers confirmed that Jardine had lost an 18-month battle against cancer on Thursday evening. He was part of their European Cup Winners' Cup-winning team of 1972 and played 38 times for his country. He was respected not only by Rangers fans but also the wider football community Ibrox manager Ally McCoist said everyone at Rangers was devastated at the loss of "a legend" and "a great man". And the club said their thoughts were with his wife Shona, children Steven and Nicola, his grandchildren and friends. Hearts also extended their condolences to his family, with the Tynecastle club adding they were deeply saddened at the death of a club legend. Media playback is not supported on this device Edinburgh-born Jardine began his career with Rangers in 1965 and went on to make over 600 appearances for the Ibrox side. As well as playing in the club's European triumph in 1972, the full-back won three top-flight titles, five Scottish Cups and five Scottish League Cups with Rangers. A move to Hearts followed in 1982 and, along with former Rangers team-mate Alex MacDonald, he was joint-manager at Tynecastle between 1986 and 1988. Under their command, the Edinburgh club lost out on the Scottish title on the final day of the 1985-86 season, Celtic taking advantage of Hearts' defeat at Dundee to pip them to the crown. Jardine's on-field contribution that term was such, though, that he was named Scotland's player of the year for the second time at the age of 37. The honour came 11 years after he first won the award. After his playing career ended, he returned to work for Rangers in various roles. In November 2012, it was confirmed Jardine was being treated for cancer. "He was respected not only by Rangers fans but also the wider football community and he is a huge loss to the game," McCoist said on Rangers' website. "I had the privilege of watching Sandy playing for Rangers when I was a young boy, I had enjoyed the pleasure of working with him closely since I returned to the club in 2007 and he was a truly remarkable human being. "His achievements both on and off the pitch are second to none and I was honoured to regard him as a friend. "He gave everything for this great club and worked tirelessly in a number of roles because he wanted to ensure the traditions, history and standards at Rangers were maintained. "He recently told me he was proud to be a Ranger and wanted to be remembered forever as a Ranger. Well Sandy, you will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time and we will miss you terribly." During his time at Ibrox, Jardine was a team-mate of Sir Alex Ferguson. The former Manchester United manager and his wife, Cathy, added their own tribute. "From Cathy and I, this is some of the worst news we have heard," he said. "Sandy was a noble and courageous man. "The respect he is held in at Rangers is immense. He was one

Summary: Former Rangers, Hearts and Scotland defender Sandy Jardine has died at the age of 65.


A Derry Journal article revealed that due to verbal abuse of staff, £1 will be charged for up to two-hours parking. Parking will no longer be free for less than ten minutes. It will mean a decrease from £4 for a two-hour period to £1. Clive Coleman, RCA contracts director at City of Derry Airport, has said the move was "not to increase revenues". He said the fee would reduce congestion and was in response to an increase in traffic incidents. "The level of abuse is of deep concern to the airport's management team and the board of directors and is at a level that can no longer be tolerated," Mr Coleman said. Members of the public will need to pay a £1 fee to enter the car park and would be permitted to stay for a two-hour period. The changes will be introduced on 1 December 2015. Former chairman of the airport users committee James Buchanan, welcomed the change. "There have been a number of complaints about taking away the 10 minutes free parking," Mr Buchanan said. "There are all sorts of people saying that this is the City of Derry trying to raise more money. "But in reality, 10 minutes was too short for a number of people. "I have talked to staff a number of times and I know they do get a lot of abuse from people when they have run over the 10 minutes and find that they can't get out in the 10-minute period." The Consumer Council has said they had not yet received any formal complaints about the plans. "Whilst this is disappointing coming into the Christmas period, we also recognise the airport's safety concerns," said the Consumer Council's head of transport policy Scott Kennerley. "We welcome the news that short stay prices are being reduced from £4 to £1 for a two-hour stay. "This should be beneficial if there are flight delays and allow people to meet passengers inside the airport terminal building."

Summary: A plan to introduce parking fees at City of Derry Airport has been met with mixed reaction from the public.


Up to eight people are believed to have carried out the ram-raid at Martins newsagent in Prentice Place, Harlow, at about 01:45 BST. The ATM was removed from an outside wall, causing "substantial damage", and was then loaded on to a van. Essex Police are investigating whether the raid is linked to another at a Roydon newsagent earlier this month. The cash machine contained a "five-figure sum", police said. It is thought the thieves left in the van and a red car, believed to be an Audi. The digger, which was damaged in the raid, was left at the scene. "We are especially keen to hear from anyone who saw the JCB, which is not the usual sort of vehicle to be seen on public roads late at night," Det Insp Jim Adams said. "There was a previous incident involving the theft of a cash machine at a newsagent in Roydon on 16 September in which the machine and its contents were later recovered, and we are looking into whether these two incidents may be linked."

Summary: Thieves used a stolen JCB digger to smash into an Essex newsagent and steal a cash machine.


The rally followed sharp rises in European markets, which came after France and Germany proposed a fiscal union ahead of a summit on 9 December. A union would mean binding limits on eurozone government borrowing. Markets hope that the agreement will open the way for the European Central Bank to bail out Italy and Spain. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rose 2.6% to 11,523.01 points, while the broader S&P 500 index rose 2.9% to 1,192.57 points. US markets were also helped by data suggesting that recent consumer spending has been strong. The US National Retail Federation said sales during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend climbed 16% to a record $52.4bn. In Europe, the FTSE closed up 2.8%, Germany's Dax was 4.6% higher and France's Cac added 5.4%, led by banks and other financial stocks. These gains followed strong rises in Asian markets overnight. The stock market rally came despite ratings agency Moody's warning that the eurozone crisis threatens the credit rating of all the bloc's members. Moody's said the eurozone could still face a number of shocks as countries struggled with high debt levels, denying them access to markets and requiring further bailouts. "This would very likely cause those countries' ratings to be moved into speculative [junk] grade in view of the solvency tests that would likely be required and the burden-sharing that might be imposed if, as is likely, support were to be needed for a sustained period," Moody's said in its report. On plans for fiscal union, the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, said his government was working closely with the French on the proposal. "We are working intensively for the creation of a stability union," he said in a statement. "That is what we want to secure through treaty changes, in which we propose that the budgets of member states must observe debt limits." The minister acknowledged on Sunday that it may not be possible to get necessary treaty changes agreed by all 27 European Union members states. In the UK, Conservative backbench MPs in the coalition government have been demanding a referendum on the UK's EU membership as a condition of ratifying any new treaty, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will use it as an opportunity to demand new policy opt-outs from Brussels. There has been speculation that the 17 eurozone governments may go it alone - passing separate bilateral agreements on the new fiscal rules, thereby avoiding the need for EU treaty changes, and circumventing a UK veto. The unprecedented move comes as many eurozone governments, including Italy and Spain, have faced sharply rising borrowing costs in nervous financial markets. "We are in an economic war with a number of powerful speculators who have decided that the end of the euro is in their interest," claimed the French Agriculture Minister Brun Le Maire on Monday. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News The price for the Italian government of borrowing remains prohibitively high. Which implies that even if the Italian government isn't talking to the IMF about financial support, it may only be a

Summary: Wall Street rebounded from seven days of losses on hopes that eurozone leaders will stitch together a new deal to help the bloc's ailing economies.


Anderson is the first recruit brought in by new boss Justin Edinburgh, who took over on Monday with the club 16th in the League One table. The 21-year-old joined Palace from non-league Barton Rovers in January 2015, but has yet to play a first-team game. He had previous loan spells with Doncaster and Bolton and could make his Cobblers debut at MK Dons on Saturday. "I felt we needed a striker who could stretch defences and worry them with speed and movement, and Keshi can do that," said Edinburgh. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.

Summary: Northampton Town have signed Crystal Palace striker Keshi Anderson on loan until the end of the season.


It has gained a foothold in key towns and cities in the mostly lawless North African state, prompting Egypt - seeing itself as the bulwark against Islamists in region - to launch air strikes against the group. After the two war-ravaged Middle Eastern states, IS has launched its most high-profile attacks in Libya, bombing an upmarket hotel in the capital, Tripoli, in January, and releasing a video earlier this month showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians it had kidnapped. On 20 February, it killed at least 40 people in a suicide bombing in the eastern town of al-Qubbah. For UK-based Libyan academic, Mohamed Ahdash, the emergence of IS affiliates in Libya is not surprising. "There is a study which shows that after Saudi Arabia, most of the fighters who went to Syria were from Libya," he told the BBC. Libya's internationally recognised government believes the fighters are now returning, following a shift in IS thinking to promote local jihad, and are under the command of a Tunisian named Abu Talha. The North African state, Middle East Monitor publication analyst Nasim Ahmed points out, is an obvious target for IS. It is a gateway to Europe, and has been chaotic since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Muhammar Gaddafi in a Nato-backed offensive in 2011, with two rivals governments, dozens of groups armed with weapons looted from the former regime's arsenal and smugglers who roam freely across porous borders in the desert region. "It is a failed state. Unlike other countries in the region, it does not have a semblance of government. This makes it the most vulnerable," he told the BBC. Moreover, Libya is rich in oil and, earlier this month, gunmen claiming to represent IS raided a French-run oil facility in al-Mabruk, south of Sirte city, killing at least 11 guards. "They are able to attack oil pipelines, but as of yet lack the capability to sell smuggled oil on the open market. Nonetheless, many IS-aligned fighters collect salaries from the Libyan state," Jason Pack, a researcher in Libyan history at the UK's Cambridge University, told the BBC. Libya's rival power bases Has Libya been let down by the West? Fighting for the spoils of Libya's revolution Why is Libya lawless? Mr Ahdash says Libya has become a magnet for jihadis from other parts of Africa - especially those who fled northern Mali after a French-led military operation recaptured territory from them in 2013. "They are under one umbrella, but they are very different and very divided. It is difficult to work out who is who," he says. He says Islamists had a presence in Libya during Col Gaddafi's rule, but they were heavily suppressed. So it does not surprise him that they have now gained a foothold in cities like Benghazi, the cradle of the 2011 revolution that overthrew Col Gaddafi, and Derna, the coastal town being targeted by Egypt's military and where the first IS affiliate emerged in October. But what surprises him, Mr Ahdash says, is that they have secured a presence in Sirte, the birthplace of

Summary: The Islamic State (IS) has wreaked havoc in the Middle East, seizing vast areas of Iraq and Syria and now it is taking advantage of Libya's collapse into anarchy.


Carlisle told the Sun newspaper he had been left severely depressed by the end of his football career, financial problems and the loss of a TV punditry role. The 35-year-old left hospital on 30 January, six weeks after being struck in North Yorkshire. "This was my lowest point," he said. Carlisle, speaking on Time to Talk Day, which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues, was chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association between 2010 and 2013 and remains on the PFA's management committee. Born in Preston, he started his career at Blackpool and made more than 500 appearances for nine clubs in a playing career that spanned 16 years, finishing at Northampton in 2013. Media playback is not supported on this device Carlisle was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary following the 22 December incident on the A64 Leeds to York road. He had suffered cuts, bruises, internal bleeding, a broken rib and shattered left knee. On Christmas Day he was admitted as an in-patient to a psychiatric unit in Harrogate before his release last Friday. He said he had reached "an epiphany" that he is "incredibly unwell". "I ventured out of my room not as Clarke the ex-footballer, but as Clarke, a mental health patient," he said. "That was the first step in my road to recovery." Carlisle faces a charge of failing to provide a sample after being stopped by police on 20 December - just two days before his suicide bid. The first footballer to appear on Question Time, Carlisle has previously spoken out about depression and suicide in professional sport and presented a BBC Three documentary on the subject. In the interview, he said his wife Gemma had seen a "steady decline" since he left Burnley in 2012. "I missed a sense of belonging, a sense of worth and value in life," he said. "You see someone in the street and they'd say, 'didn't you used to be Clarke Carlisle?' I laughed the first few off but after a while it eats at your core." Carlisle's wife Gemma has published a series of updates on her husband's condition on Twitter since the incident. On Wednesday night she tweeted: "Clarke and I thought very long and hard about this over the last week and feel that as you all supported us so immensely through this ordeal you deserved the truth. "We also want to highlight and create understanding for a lot of issues and feel it would be hypocritical of us to say nothing." Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: "We admire Clarke Carlisle and his family for speaking openly about his depression and his fight for recovery. This will encourage many thousands of others who will be experiencing despair in silence and without help." Samaritans can be contacted by phone on 08457 909090, via email or you can find the details for your local branch here. Click here for information on mental health issues from BBC's Action Line.

Summary: Former Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle was attempting to take his own life when he was hit by a lorry in December, he has revealed.