The visitors were already underdogs for the match at Des Moines Golf and Country Club, which starts on Friday, before the loss of Suzann Pettersen, through injury. The Norwegian is a talismanic figure for Europe, having played in the eight previous competitions, winning 57% of her matches, but her influence will now be restricted to a vice captain's role. A back problem aggravated by some light jogging last weekend has effectively prompted a job swap with 47-year-old Scot Catriona Matthew, who had been preparing for a week as Sorenstam's assistant. "It's been a lot of juggling, to put it mildly," the European captain admitted. "I had a plan, I called it Plan A. And then we started a Plan B." Sorenstam also has fitness worries over her highest ranked player, world number 13 Anna Nordqvist. The tall Swede has been suffering glandular fever and is still prone to periods of exhaustion on the course. The skipper says she hopes there will be no need for a "Plan C" but Nordqvist admitted she found it hard work in her last tournament outing at the Ricoh Women's British Open at Kingsbarns. "It was definitely a bit of a struggle getting through 18 holes in the weather," she said. "But since then I've had a lot of rest and the last two weeks have been a lot better but I haven't been able to do as much practice as I usually do." Nordqvist has been playing practice rounds punctuated by heavy thunder storms here in Des Moines. "Walking up a few hills I have to take a few extra breaths because I was a little more tired than normal," she added. Pettersen was at the heart of the bad blood between the two sides in Germany two years ago, failing to concede a short putt picked up by American opponent Alison Lee, in an incident dubbed 'Gimmegate'. There seems a better spirit between the teams in the build up to this match, with the US skipper Juli Inkster allowing Matthew to practice ahead of Pettersen's withdrawal on Wednesday. "It was nice of Juli," Matthew told BBC Sport. "Normally the reserve or a vice captain wouldn't be able to play the golf course. So it was nice to get out there and play." This is Inkster's second match as US captain after using 'Gimmegate' to inspire the American comeback from 10-6 down in the last contest. Now Europe are seeking their own lift and avenging the loss of that dominant position is being used as a source of inspiration. "I would say it motivates us quite a lot," said Kettering's Charley Hull, who at the age of 21 is already playing her third Solheim Cup, having won six of the eight matches she has played. "We've got good memories from being back in America from four years ago," Hull added. On that occasion Europe thrashed the home team by a record 18-10 at Colorado Golf Club. Europe will have four rookies on duty including Englishwomen Georgia Hall and Florentyna Parker as well as captain's picks Emily

Summary: Europe captain Annika Sorenstam admits her team will be employing "plan B" as they seek to regain the Solheim Cup from the United States in Iowa this week.


President Salva Kiir's spokesman told the BBC Mr Machar "has no space here", and should not return to the country before elections in 2018. Mr Machar, who had become vice president as part of a peace deal, fled the country following heavy fighting in the capital Juba in July. But on Monday he vowed to return. Speaking to the BBC from South Africa, Mr Machar said his rebel faction could still negotiate a peace deal with President Kiir. In July, Mr Machar's bodyguards and President Salva Kiir's presidential guards fought each other, sparking days of violence. Hundreds of people died and more than 100,000 fled across the border. The fighting erupted less than a year after a peace deal was signed to form a unity government and end the civil war. Riek Machar profiled On Tuesday, President Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told the BBC that Mr Machar "will look for his space as a citizen of South Sudan, but not as a political leader". Referring to the elections planned for 2018, Mr Wek said: "I don't think that he (Riek Machar) can even think to come (back) before that." "It is better that Riek Machar stays away from South Sudan political scenes," the spokesman added. Both President Kiir's and Riek Machar's followers have been accused of perpetrating atrocities during the country's bitter civil conflict. More than 2.5 million people in South Sudan have been displaced since December 2013. More on South Sudan's crisis:

Summary: South Sudan's sacked Vice-President Riek Machar no longer has a role to play as a political leader in the country, the presidency says.


Australian half-back Miller, 23, arrived from Hull FC in 2014 and his previous deal was due to expire at the end of the current season. Tonga prop Fifita, 27, joined from NRL side Cronulla Sharks in June 2016 and his new contract includes an option for an additional year. "Fifita has become an important member of the squad," said boss Chris Chester. "He has so much passion for the club both on and off the field which is great to see. "Jacob is still a young player with exceptional talent - I am looking forward to working with him for another two years and see him improve even more."

Summary: Wakefield Trinity duo Jacob Miller and David Fifita have both signed new two-year contracts.


The businessman, from Essex, denied ill-treating his wife, who is in her late 70s, during a High Court hearing. The court's Family Division heard the woman was frightened of her husband and had taken legal action against him. Judge Catriona Murfitt concluded the woman was likely to suffer "significant harm" if he stayed in the house. The details of the case emerged after the man was ordered to vacate the property but went on to appeal the decision, saying the ruling was "unfair". Mr Justice Baker dismissed the challenge, telling him he had "no prospect" of overturning Judge Murfitt's ruling. He said the couple, who have two adult sons, could not be identified. In his ruling, Mr Justice Baker said the woman claimed "that for the duration of the marriage, she had been the emotional punch bag for his insecurities and frustrations". She also said he had been physically abusive towards her on occasion, and that he was an "extremely difficult" man who had been unfaithful and "disinhibited in his behaviour". Judge Murfitt had made an order requiring the businessman to "vacate the property altogether", Mr Justice Baker said. "She held that the wife was likely to suffer significant harm if the order was not made and that the harm that she would suffer was greater than any harm which the husband was likely to suffer," he said.

Summary: A 67-year-old millionaire has been ordered by a judge to leave his home after his wife said she had been used as "an emotional punch bag".


The Saudis say they do not know who fired the mortars, or from where. A small Shia militant group in Iraq, known as the Mukhtar Army, has claimed it carried out the attack, although this cannot be confirmed. The group said it was a warning to Saudi Arabia to stay out of Iraq's affairs. The militia's commander, Wathiq al-Batat, told Reuters that the goal of the attack "was to send a warning message to Saudis to tell them that their border stations and patrol are within our range of fire". The mortars fell in an uninhabited area near Hafr al-Batin in the kingdom's Eastern Province. The mortar fire comes two days after suicide bombers killed more than 20 people outside the Iranian embassy in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. On Thursday Saudi Arabia advised its citizens to leave Lebanon following those bombs. The continuing civil war in Syria is fuelling increased tensions between nations in the region. Saudi Arabia, which is largely Sunni, backs the rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, whereas Shia Iran and Shia militias in Iraq and Lebanon back the president.

Summary: Saudi Arabia and Iraq are investigating an incident in which six mortar bombs landed in a remote area of Saudi Arabia near the border with Iraq and Kuwait.


Roedd Megan Davies o Bwllheli yn blogio'n aml gan rannu ei phrofiadau o frwydro'r canser gyda chynulleidfa iau. Wedi iddi gael gwybod ychydig fisoedd wedyn ei bod hi'n glir o ganser, eleni mae stori Megan am gael ei droi'n ddrama lwyfan. Bydd cwmni theatr y Frân Wen yn teithio 'Mwgsi', sydd wedi ei sgwennu gan yr awdur a dramodydd Manon Steffan Ros, yn ystod yr hydref eleni. Mirain Fflur sy'n chwarae'r brif ran, gyda Catrin Mara a Ceri Elen hefyd yn perfformio'r ddrama. Wrth siarad gyda Cymru Fyw ym mis Rhagfyr 2015, fe soniodd Megan am sgil-effeithiau'r cemotherapi gan gynnwys colli ei gwallt, a chael gwybod bod yn rhaid iddi gael triniaeth IVF er mwyn rhoi cyfle iddi gael plant yn y dyfodol. Mae'r cyfarwyddwr Iola Ynyr yn addo "drama creulon o onest ond llawn hiwmor tywyll", ac mae Megan a'i ffrind, Gwenllian, wedi chwarae rhan ganolog yn siapio'r ddrama. "Mae wedi bod yn lot o hwyl bod yn rhan o ddod a bob dim at ei gilydd," meddai Megan, sydd bellach yn astudio Nyrsio ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, wrth drafod y ddrama. "Dwi 'di bod yn darllen llyfrau Manon ers blynyddoedd, yn enwedig pan roeddwn yn astudio ar gyfer fy Lefel A, felly roedd o'n brofiad gwych gallu datblygu'r stori hefo hi. "Dwi'n teimlo'n falch fy mod yn cael y cyfle i rannu fy stori mewn ffordd fwy eang, er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth o ganser ymysg yr ifanc," meddai'r ferch 20 oed. "Mae Manon wedi defnyddio fy stori i fel ysbrydoliaeth, a da' ni wedi ceisio gwneud y ddrama mor abstract â phosib, gan ddefnyddio fy mlog fel sylfaen. "Dwi'n gobeithio gwneith y ddrama ysbrydoli pobl eraill i siarad - siarad am ganser, salwch ac iechyd meddwl. Dyda ni ddim yn siarad digon." Am fwy o wybodaeth am y ddrama 'Mwgsi', ewch i wefan Cwmni'r Frân Wen.

Summary: Bron i ddwy flynedd yn ôl, bu Cymru Fyw yn siarad ag un ferch ddewr o Ben Llŷn wedi iddi gael gwybod fod ganddi Hodgkin Lymphoma.


The company has introduced an option to allow you to flag a story as "purposefully fake or deceitful news". This should affect the distribution of that story, making it less likely to appear in your feed - but it won't be taken off Facebook altogether. Hoaxes have tricked users in the past and with 1.35bn currently on Facebook, that's a lot of people to fool. "A post with a link to an article that many people have reported as a hoax or chose to delete will get reduced distribution in the News Feed," Facebook explained. Examples of recent fake stories include dinosaur sightings and research claiming to prove the existence of Santa Claus. Earlier this month users again started posting privacy notices - that's a response to a hoax from two years ago. In the past, Facebook has been criticised for not doing enough to tackle illegitimate accounts; in 2012 the company admitted that more than 80m were likely to be fake. At the time, the company said that "undesirable" accounts included those using fake names which were "intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of service, such as spamming". About a third of adults in the US now use Facebook to get news updates, according to a 2013 study by the Pew Research Center in collaboration with the John S and James L Knight Foundation. Fans of sites like The Onion should be reassured by Facebook's claim that "satirical" articles, "intended to be humorous, or content that is clearly labelled as satire," will not be affected. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Hoaxes and fake stories in your News Feed should be a thing of the past, if Facebook's updated algorithm works.


Irish fell to a 15th defeat of the league season against Sale on Saturday to leave them four points adrift at the bottom with three games left. Back row Narraway dismissed concerns at the spirit of his squad heading into the Premiership run-in. "It's the one thing I think we have in abundance, accuracy and being clinical are things we haven't," he said. "That's why we find ourselves here (at the bottom)," Narraway added. "Not because of the spirit or the want or desire not being there. "It's just that 5-10% in terms of accuracy that probably a little bit of confidence gives us," the 32-year-old former Gloucester, Perpignan and England player said. Irish face Harlequins in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup at The Stoop on Saturday before their Premiership status will be determined in remaining games against Newcastle, Quins and Wasps. The fixture against fellow strugglers Newcastle at Kingston Park on 17 April has been described as "a Grand Final" by Narraway, who said: "Newcastle is huge, they're one place above us, one win above us."

Summary: London Irish captain Luke Narraway says improving their accuracy is the missing piece to their Premiership survival.


With temperatures at Indian Wells in excess of 105 degrees, Evans broke in the opening game but world number five Nishikori hit back immediately and captured the set in 42 minutes. Breaks were traded again at the start of the second before Nishikori sealed the match in an hour and 24 minutes. Kyle Edmund is also out, 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to defending champion Novak Djokovic. Following the surprise defeat of world number one Andy Murray at the hands of qualifier Vasek Pospisil the previous evening, Evans, 26, produced a spirited performance, but some pinpoint accuracy from Nishikori saw him break again in game eight of the first set. World number 41 Evans, who beat Dustin Brown in the previous round, continued to frequently match the quality of his Japanese opponent's groundstrokes but gradually faded as the assured Nishikori moved through to face Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in round three. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.

Summary: British number two Dan Evans was beaten 6-3 6-4 by Japan's Kei Nishikori in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open.


Two men escaped with a cash box after threatening G4S staff with weapons inside Santander, West Princes Street, Helensburgh, at 00:35 on Wednesday. Police believe a dark-coloured Hi-lux 4x4 vehicle was used in the getaway. They said a blue high-powered Audi estate and a Vauxhall Zafira may also have been used by the suspects. The men escaped with a five-figure sum of money. During a similar early-morning raid at the same branch on 6 April, two men escaped with another five-figure sum of cash. Police have said the robberies may be linked. The suspects in the latest incident have been described as being of medium height, medium build and were wearing overalls and masks. Det Insp Douglas Wilson, from Police Scotland, said: "We continue to seek information on a dark-coloured Hi-lux 4x4 vehicle, which we understand was initially used in their getaway. "We also continue to seek information on a blue high-powered Audi estate vehicle and also a Vauxhall Zafira vehicle which may have also been used by the suspects." Det Insp Wilson added: "From the CCTV that was analysed, we observed passengers getting into the back of two silver private-hire taxi vehicles at around 0035 hours. "It is possible that the taxis may have encountered the 4x4 vehicle making off from the scene at speed. If the drivers or the passengers of those vehicles have any information they believe may be useful to our inquiry - please get in contact."

Summary: Three vehicles could have been used in a robbery involving two security guards carrying out cash transfers at a bank in Argyll, police have revealed.


Oman captain Sultan Ahmed had won the toss and opted to field before the rain set in. Oman now top Group A with three points, while the Netherlands are eliminated. If the rain also forces the abandonment of Ireland's game against Bangladesh on the same ground on Friday, the Irish will also be out of the competition.

Summary: Netherlands' World Twenty20 Group A match against Oman was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of heavy rain in Dharamsala.


David Miller, 24, from Jersey, attended the University of Leeds and had been travelling with Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk. Their bodies were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. The university awarded Mr Miller a degree in civil and structural engineering. He had just completed the third year of his degree and was about to start the fourth year of the master of engineering course. His mother Sue Miller and girlfriend Jessy Howorth collected the degree on his behalf. The trial of two Burmese men - Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo - accused of murdering the pair continues. Both deny the charges.

Summary: The family of a student murdered on a Thai island have collected their son's posthumous first class degree from the university where he studied.


The match against Lancashire, scheduled for 20 September, has been earmarked following a successful day/night trial in this week's Second XI home game with Worcestershire at Edgbaston. Day/night Championship cricket was first experimented with when Kent hosted Glamorgan in 2011. Just as then, the Lancashire game would have to have nothing riding on it. If either of the two Division One sides were still battling against relegation, or competing for serious prize money, then switching to day/night hours would not receive approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). If it does take place, it would the first time it has happened in English cricket's top flight, the Kent-Glamorgan game at Canterbury having been in Division Two. The future of day/night cricket, especially at Test level, remains on the long-term ECB agenda, especially given the success of the third Test between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide in front of record-breaking crowds in November 2015. The first game to be played in England with a pink ball was at Lord's in April 2008, when the MCC beat Scotland in a 50-over game. Alan Fordham, head of cricket operations, was one of a host of ECB officials who attended Edgbaston over the course of the three days: "For me, much of this is about the cricket ball. We want to try to get to a cricket ball that produces a game of cricket that is as similar as possible to when we are using a red ball in the longer form of the game. "It's one step at a time really. I'm hoping that the modern cricketer will look at this and think this is something we're pleased to be a part of because it's about making the game as accessible as possible. "Cricket has changed enormously in the last 15 to 20 years, and I see this as something that could certainly play a decent part in the future." Neil Snowball, Warwickshire chief executive, has a long-term vision to host a day/night Test at Edgbaston: "First of all we wanted to see how the ball behaves under the lights here, and also how visible it is, particularly later on when we get into the proper darkness. We also wanted to see how it works with the dew. "We've been working closely with the ECB and the MCC who have been pioneers with the pink ball. We like being involved in innovation here at Edgbaston. We had the first county day/night game here in 1997. Who knows, it might happen." William Porterfield captained Warwickshire in the three-day Second XI Championship draw against Worcestershire: "There's been a bit of talk about visibility but it was all fine. It swung a little bit, but it hasn't behaved too dissimilarly to what a regulation Dukes ball does. "A day/night Test at Edgbaston? I don't see why not. You might need to bring a coat for the last session. But apart from that, I think it's going to be pretty good. Whatever's going to draw the crowds in. If it's going to mean getting more exciting

Summary: Warwickshire are hoping to make this season's final County Championship home fixture a day/night match.


Avon and Somerset Police were called to the junction of Creswicke Road and Airport Road in Knowle West at about 21:05 GMT on Tuesday after reports a man had been run over. Officers said the crash involved a car and a pedestrian, aged in his 20s, who died from his injuries. A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is police custody. The road has reopened but a nearby petrol station on Hengrove Way remains sealed off while investigations continue. A spokesman said: "A full investigation has been launched and one of our priorities is to ensure the victim's next of kin are given all the support they need."

Summary: A pedestrian has been run over and killed in Bristol.


The man, named as 24-year-old John Santos Gurgao from Brazil, swallowed 0.8kg (1.8lb) of the drug, the Irish Times reported. It is believed that one or more of the packages burst during the flight. A Portuguese woman in her 40s, also on the flight from Lisbon, was arrested on suspicion of drugs offences. It is not clear if her arrest is linked to the man's death. Toxicology tests have been carried out on the consignment found in the man's stomach, which reportedly had a street value of around Â£40,000 ($61,900). Passengers said the man became agitated and then violent and had to be restrained. A doctor and a nurse treated the man aboard the plane after he lost consciousness. The captain declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Cork airport, landing early evening local time. About 170 passengers and crew members were taken from the aircraft and were interviewed by police about the incident.

Summary: A man who died after being restrained on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin had reportedly ingested a number of small packages of cocaine.


The Horizons project has already helped two dozen acts since 2014 - with radio airplay and UK festival appearances. "Supporting new music is at the heart of what the BBC does across the whole of the UK, and internationally," said BBC Music's Jason Carter. Bands and solo artists have until 12 February to apply. "We're proud to support Horizons for a further year and see another 12 artists have a creative and potentially career changing 2016," said the Arts Council's Lisa Matthews. "There's been some incredible opportunities created so far and we're looking forward with excitement to more incredible music experiences." Solo artist Violet Skies said the 2015 project had meant a "mad year" for her. She said: "I've been lucky enough to tick off a lot of things from my musical bucket list - The Great Escape, Festival No.6, SÅµn, Maida Vale and now, I'm looking forward to Eurosonic and SXSW festival in 2016. "It's been a lovely little Welsh family of talented musicians and a really good support team - it's nice to turn up at festivals or a show knowing you have people there to help you."

Summary: A scheme to help new Welsh bands get wider exposure is set to return for a third year, backed by BBC Wales and the Arts Council of Wales.


The British Channel Islands-registered company has acquired more than 60 launchers to help put up its proposed satellite broadband network. OneWeb envisages placing 648 spacecraft in orbit to take affordable internet connectivity to every part of the globe. The firm used a London press conference to detail its plans. This included introducing all of the key partners in the endeavour. Along with European aerospace giant Airbus, which was announced last week as the satellite manufacturer, OneWeb presented Bharti Enterprises, Coca Cola, Group Salinas, Hughes Network Systems, and Intelsat. Chip-designer Qualcomm and the Virgin Group already had seats on the board. "We have put together an incredible team and we have an ability to execute on our model," said OneWeb CEO Greg Wyler. "We have funding, we have spectrum, chip technology, satellite manufacturing, launchers, and then markets - the broad pieces of the puzzle to build a system of this size." Virgin's Sir Richard Branson said that he would be making available at least 39 of his LauncherOne rockets to assist with the deployment of the satellite constellation. This vehicle, which is based on Virgin Galactic's space tourism system, has not actually had its debut flight yet, and when it does enter service will probably only launch between one and three satellites at a time. That makes the involvement of the long-established Arianespace all the more important. It is the commercial operator of the Soyuz launcher. OneWeb says it has a firm acquisition order for 21 of these Russian-made rockets. The vehicles would orbit the satellites in large batches of about 36. At some point, Arianespace may even make available its Ariane rocket. In publicity material released on Thursday, an artist's impression depicted the forthcoming Ariane 6 rocket painted in the OneWeb livery. "The special characteristic we'll bring is in the replenishment role," said Virgin Galactic's CEO, George Whitesides. "And if there is a problem with a particular satellite, we can help fix that. I think it's a very smart strategy, and what I think people should get is that it is a very complementary strategy between the different launch vehicles." It is difficult to overstate the challenge of the OneWeb proposition. Its constellation would be 10 times the size of the largest commercial satcom network currently in the sky. To make the project financially manageable, it will need not only some sizeable loans but also considerable direct investment from its partners, and part of Thursday's event was to announce that OneWeb had raised $500m of funding from those supporting companies. One aspect of key interest is the price of each individual 150-kilo satellite. The aim is to get the unit cost to half a million dollars or less - something unheard of in the industry. "Yes, the cost per satellite will be about half a million, which is really tremendous for company that normally makes satellites for a hundred million and upwards," said Airbus CEO Tom Enders. "We do it by being ingenious and creative." OneWeb expects to place the spacecraft in 20 orbital planes at an altitude of about 1,200km. They

Summary: The biggest commercial rocket campaign in history has been announced by OneWeb.


He told the BBC he was hopeful the party could get "over the line in a number of seats". But he would not be drawn on how many seats, or in which constituencies. The party is standing in about half the number of seats contested in 2015. Its only MP in the last parliament, Douglas Carswell, defected in March. Mr Nuttall said UKIP was campaigning strongly in seats where it has local councillors. And he rejected suggestions the party was in decline, predicting that by the end of 2018, UKIP would be "bigger in terms of membership and higher in the polls than it's ever been before". Asked about suggestions support for UKIP could cost the Conservatives seats, he told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine he had struck deals with Brexit-supporting MPs from both the Tories and Labour, to help them retain their seats: "In some places we have stood down in favour of a Labour MP," he said. "People like Kate Hoey, for example, I don't want to see Kate Hoey not in the House of Commons because she's been a true Brexiteer all her life. "What we need is for the prime minister to go into these negotiations strong, confident in our country and not prepared to backslide." He also spoke about the Manchester attack and said that while the prime minister was not to blame for last week's bombing, Theresa May was responsible for cutting police numbers Local police officers who are known in a neighbourhood were more likely to have the trust of the locals who would pass information to them, he said. He also talked about banning Muslim women from wearing a full face veil. He said he was "serious" about banning the veil in the UK and claimed that other countries in Europe were also going the same way. He said such a ban was needed for greater integration, so that people could be identified on CCTV and also because of vitamin D deficiency.

Summary: UKIP will win seats at the general election, even though they had no MPs at the end of the last parliament, its leader Paul Nuttall has predicted.


Fox was unseated after his mount, Luxford, veered sharply to the right. Television replays showed the filly had been distracted by a stray golf ball on the course, which appeared to be thrown up by eventual winner Big Lachie. The ball ricocheted off the helmet of another rider and across the sightline of Fox's mount. Sandown Park in Surrey has three nine-hole golf courses close to the racetrack, but clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said they were not open on racedays. "I am satisfied that we take all reasonable precautions to make sure that the course is as clear as we can make it but we accept that there will be some balls buried in the grass," said Cooper. "We have a 14-strong team that walk the course, and other parts of the track, looking for golf balls. "Even where there is netting next to the driving range we have found them. It is not a unique occurrence and we probably have this happen once every three or four years." The afternoon ended on a more positive note for Fox as he partnered First Experience to victory. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Jockey Kieren Fox escaped unhurt when he fell from his horse in a bizarre incident involving a golf ball during a race at Sandown.


The Juno spacecraft passed over the giant storm on Monday as it continued with its series of close passes of the gaseous world. The pictures of the spot reveal the intricate nature of its swirls which encompass a region bigger than Earth. Juno's instruments all acquired data during the pass which should now provide fresh insight on the storm. It has been a particularly long-lived feature on Jupiter, but there is evidence that the 16,350-km-wide oval has actually been shrinking of late. "For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorising about Jupiter's Great Red Spot," Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a Nasa statement. "Now we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm. It will take us some time to analyse all the data from not only JunoCam, but Juno’s eight science instruments, to shed some new light on the past, present and future of the Great Red Spot." Scientists describe the storm as something similar to a hurricane - but there are significant differences between that kind of storm on Earth and what we see at Jupiter. Many behaviours are not the same. For example, hurricanes on Earth quickly lose energy when they leave the ocean surface and pass over land - but on Jupiter, there is no land. Indeed, researchers are not even sure there exists any kind of hard surface under the planet's clouds. This could be an explanation for why the spot has persisted for centuries. But Juno hopes to resolve such puzzles. It has the instrumentation to determine the precise chemical composition of the oval's clouds, to sense their temperature and structure, and to measure how deep they go. There is a suspicion that the spot has very deep roots. Jonathan Nichols, a British science team-member from the University of Leicester, marvelled at the new pictures. "These images are stunning, and reveal Jupiter's Great Red Spot in all its glory," he told BBC News. "From the three swirls inside the deep red core to the waves and vortices orbiting it, the images reveal the power and chaos of this iconic storm. "The light and dark shades reveal the wind flow in the spot and potentially the 3D structure of the cloud decks. But the images are also a perfect convergence of science and art, revealing the awesome beauty of the giant planet. "The quality of these data are superb, and it bodes well for further Juno data that will reveal how deep into the atmosphere the Great Red Spot extends." Juno has been at Jupiter for just over a year. It flies large ellipses around the planet, coming in close every 53 days. Monday’s pass saw it skim just 3,500km above the cloudtops at one point. When it travelled across the spot, it was still a mere 9,000km overhead. The practice of the mission so far has been to release raw images from JunoCam and invite the public to work on them - to process them in ways that highlight areas of scientific

Summary: An American space agency probe has returned the most detailed pictures ever of Jupiter's Great Red Spot.


Police said the 27-year-old victim heard a knock at the door of his home in Brucehill Road, Dumbarton at 00:15. When he answered it, he was "violently attacked" by three men who he did not know. Officers said that images of the men have been captured on CCTV cameras in the area and they appealed for help in tracing them. One of the men walked with a limp and they were all in their 30s. Det Sgt Fiona Macarthur said: "This man was violently attacked on his own doorstep and it is absolutely crucial that we trace the people responsible as soon as possible. "I would like to speak to anyone who was in the area in the early hours of this morning and saw three men or anything suspicious."

Summary: A man is being treated for stab wounds after he was attacked by three men on his own doorstep.


The Japanese carmaker said it had suspended its global and Japanese sites early on Wednesday after they had been bombarded with traffic. Hacktivists linked to the Anonymous collective have claimed responsibility. They tweeted the attack was "punishment" for Japan's killing of whales and dolphins. Nissan has said that it has no view on such hunting activities. Over recent weeks, Anonymous has struck against the websites of the Japanese president and other government departments in protest against the animals' deaths. This follows related cyber-attacks against Icelandic institutions in November as part of the same OpWhales campaign, which resulted in most of the country's government sites being made unavailable for about 13 hours. One of the hackers claiming responsibility for the attacks explained why Nissan had been targeted. "They are a big corporation in Japan, and we have targeted big corporations to spread awareness about the killing [of dolphins] in the cove in Taiji because the Japanese news is censoring it," he said. "As a note for Nissan, we are not out to harm your customer data or system data." The attack coincides with the Detroit Auto Show, where Nissan unveiled a concept pickup van on Tuesday. The company's US and European websites remain online. "At Nissan, customer privacy and security is of utmost importance, and we take any potential threat to our information systems seriously," said a spokesman. "Because of a potential distributed denial of service [DDoS] attack, we are temporarily suspending service on our websites to prevent further risks. "Nissan continuously monitors and takes aggressive steps to ensure the protection of our information systems and all of our data."

Summary: Two of Nissan's main websites have been driven offline by a cyber-attack.


The Speaker announced the clerks, who advise him on conduct and constitutional issues, would also no longer wear wing collars and white tie. Conservative Sir Gerald Howarth said the tradition of wearing wigs went back "several centuries". But Mr Bercow said there was an even older tradition of not wearing wigs. He announced the changes on Monday, but added that clerks would keep part of their garb - black gowns, to signify they are experts on procedure and constitutional issues. Mr Bercow said changes to clothing and headgear represented the "overwhelming view" of clerks themselves. They would "convey to the public a marginally less stuffy and forbidding image of this chamber at work". But Sir Gerald, MP for Aldershot, raised a point of order, telling the Commons: "I was surprised by [the] statement, which had the sort of appearance of an executive order." He added that traditional clerks' dress was "key to the dignity of the House" and had been so "for several centuries", adding that MPs "should discuss this". Mr Bercow replied that it was "a matter that can properly be decided by the Speaker", adding that the House of Commons Commission had approved the changes, which clerks themselves had suggested. He said that, if one went back more than a "couple of hundred years", the situation was different from that presented by Sir Gerald, and that "several centuries ago", clerks "did not wear wigs". Mr Bercow has refrained from wearing a wig himself in the Commons since becoming Speaker in 2009, as did his predecessors Michael Martin and Betty Boothroyd.

Summary: John Bercow has defended the decision that Commons clerks will no longer have to wear wigs, after one MP likened the move to an "executive order".


Media playback is not supported on this device Plenty about those days, growing up as teenage boy in north London who weighed more than 20 stone, must have been difficult. But without that experience, Davis says he would never have learnt the skills that last month saw him become Great Britain's first European champion in fencing. "I was 132 kilos. I was always a big lad. But that didn't stop me being good," Davis, who turned 23 at the start of this month, told BBC London. "The speed of my hand was good. It's a sport where you can learn the basics whatever size you are. "I always knew I had it in me, I always knew I could do it, but perhaps some people around me didn't. Perhaps when they lost to me they would think 'how did I lose to this big kid'." When the World Championships begin in Kazan on Tuesday, hopes are high that Davis can go on to become the first Briton to make it onto the podium in the event since 1965. While being overweight on the junior circuit might not have been a barrier to success, to really make it in the sport Davis realised he had to prioritise fencing over food. "I was technically very good but the fitness wasn't there. I would get to a certain point and then I would start to die," he said. "I had to make a choice. Do I want to be successful in this sport? The answer was yes. so I had to lose this weight. "I lost it through working with my strength and conditioning coach Jon Cree at Middlesex University, who were supporting me on their scholarship scheme when I was not part of the World-Class programme. "I started eating well, cut out all the rubbish and just started drinking water. Since I've turned professional I've trained every day and it pays off. "There is no way someone my size could have made it onto the senior circuit, but it's a sport that does offer something for everyone who is starting out. "I'd encourage anyone to give it a go. I learnt so much in those fat days that is still relevant today." Last month at the European Championships in Strasbourg, Davis, who nowadays stands at 6ft 4in (1.94m) and weighs 98kg (15st 6lbs), beat Russia's Alexey Cheremisinov 15-11 in the foil final. It was his first championship gold medal and his country's first European title. While Britain's Gwendoline Neligan originally won European gold back in 1933, that event in Budapest was later re-classified as a World Championships and Neligan was awarded the world title instead. Davis, who grew up and lived in Barnet until the end of last year, puts his recent success down to his relocation to San Francisco. Last November he moved out to California to train with some of the top-ranked US fencers. Davis continued: "Immediately I thought 'wow, something's working here'. "Training is amazing out there, the guys are incredible. They are world class and they have such a big

Summary: James Davis calls them his "fat old days".


The 26-year-old Scottish forward was sold to the Ibrox club by Saints for £500,000 in February 2016. But he found starts hard to come by despite 24 appearances last season and has been sent back to Perth on loan. "He knows when I need a kick up the backside or an arm round the shoulder," O'Halloran said of Wright. O'Halloran joined Saints after leaving Bolton Wanderers in January 2014 and, after 16 goals in 90 appearances, was persuaded to move down a division to join Mark Warburton's Rangers. He scored three goals as he helped the Glasgow side win the Championship title, but he failed to find the net last season and fell out of favour under new manager Pedro Caixinha. "I came here a few years ago from Bolton and, at the time, it felt right when I spoke to the manager and again it feels right," said O'Halloran of his six-month loan. "He knows me as a person and how to get the best out of me as a player and I trust him and I think he trusts me, which is important. "You also see how he is with the boys, it is such a tight group, a family club and we work hard for each other. "The manager, the staff and the boys were a big part in coming back and I am just looking forward to it." O'Halloran came on at half-time in Saturday's friendly against East Fife and is hoping to start in this weekend's Premiership opener against Kilmarnock. "The last game I started was in January," he added. "I haven't done a lot of training sessions and pre-season has been on my own as well. "It was good to get training with the boys again and get some minutes on the pitch on Saturday, which was important as well going into the season."

Summary: Michael O'Halloran believes St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright is the best man to help him rediscover the form that led to a transfer to Rangers.


Instead, it will be used to assess the impact of immigration on schools. Schools in England were asked to start collecting this information in September, leading to fears it may be used to find illegal immigrants. Campaigners have written to Education Secretary Justine Greening to ask her to axe the data collection plans. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "Collecting this data will help ensure our children receive the best possible education. "It will be used to help us better understand how children with, for example, English as an additional language perform in terms of their broader education, and to assess and monitor the scale and impact immigration may be having on the schools sector. "Data on pupils' country of birth, nationality and level of English proficiency is collected through the school census in line with the national population census. "These data items will not be passed to the Home Office. "They are solely for internal Department for Education use for analysis, statistics and research." An earlier letter to Ms Greening from at least 20 organisations said: "Without assurances to the contrary, our grave concern is that the new data collected will be shared with the Home Office and therefore potentially used for immigration enforcement purposes. "We have already seen data sharing between the Home Office and other departments increase since the government announced its commitment to creating a 'hostile environment' for undocumented migrants. "Such measures deter vulnerable children and families from accessing essential services, exercising their human rights, and participating on an equal basis in our communities." Under the new expanded census, schools are, for the first time, asking parents to say which country their child was born in. Disclosure is not compulsory, but a report by Schools Week found many schools were demanding copies of pupils' passports amid confusion about the new stipulation. Gracie Mae Bradley, from Against Borders for Children, which is leading the campaign to have the policy overturned, urged parents to boycott the data collection. She said: "School should be a place where all children are treated equally. "In the context of a 'hostile environment' in which employers, landlords and even healthcare workers are being turned into border guards, we believe this new requirement could be used to add school administrators to the list. "We are also deeply concerned that this data will be made available, without time limit, much more widely outside the schools system, which cannot be acceptable. "Over the coming weeks we expect the organisations opposing this divisive approach to be joined by many more and for parents and schools to join the boycott and protect young people from this dangerous threat to their privacy."

Summary: Data on pupils' nationality now being collected by schools will be not passed to immigration officials or the Home Office, the government has said.


The 24-year-old beat GB team-mate Alfie Hewett 6-2 6-1 in 54 minutes to collect his second medal in Rio. On Thursday, Reid and Hewett had to settle for silver in the doubles event, losing out to French pair Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer. Reid won the inaugural singles title at Wimbledon this year as well as the Australian Open title. "I felt I hadn't played that well on the big stage until Australia this year and ever since then I've enjoyed every match on the big stage," said Reid after his latest triumph. "I was nice and relaxed and managed to play one of the best matches of my life. "Me and Alfie know each other inside out. We train together, we play doubles together. It just felt like anything I tried tonight came off. "It's an incredible feeling. I'm really clear headed at the moment but I might just lose the plot as soon as I get back to the locker room."

Summary: Scotland's Gordon Reid won Paralympics gold in the wheelchair tennis singles final.


The Namibian full-backs have been on the fringes of the Premiership side's squad this season, making only two appearances between them. Botha, 27, has had his time in Devon disrupted by a broken leg and dislocated ankle in November 2014. McGuigan, 26, was signed as a result of Botha's injury and has scored four tries for the club.

Summary: Exeter Chiefs pair Byron McGuigan and Chrysander Botha will leave Sandy Park in the summer, the club has confirmed.


Three separate experts say Tata made the cash by selling carbon emissions permits it was given for free. They say Tata was allocated more carbon allowances under the EU emissions trading scheme (EUETS) than it needed. There is no suggestion Tata broke the rules, and the firm said its permits were a "matter of public record". Reports say Tata profited more than any other firm in the UK from the much-criticised trading scheme, which allowed it to sell the surplus to other firms wanting permits to pollute. Other windfalls allegedly went to Lafarge, Hanson, and Total UK. But the analysis is controversial because some climate sceptics blamed EU climate policies for the demise of Tata. One report - by consultants CE Delft for citizens' group Carbon Market Watch - shows that the ailing steel firm was the UK's biggest beneficiary of the EUETS windfall, making £704m. Overall it says industry across Europe has earned a £19bn windfall from 2008 to 2014. Tata declined to comment on the specific figures, but said it disagreed with the methodology used in the reports for calculating its profits from the EUETS. It said the allegations were a "selective telling of the many flaws in the EUETS." A spokesman told BBC News: "We agree that the current emissions trading system needs to be fixed and all parties should focus on how best this can be done, rather than conducting theoretical studies on what it could have previously meant for individual companies." The problem happened because when the EUETS began national governments were left to decide how many carbon permits their industries needed to cushion themselves from foreign competition. The governments typically allocated more permits than necessary because it cost them nothing directly, whilst boosting domestic firms. The sectors profiting most from pollution payouts have been iron and steel, cement, refineries and petrochemicals. One report says the amount netted by industry over the period is more than 10 times the amount the EU has spent on innovation under the EUETS to make firms more energy efficient. I understand Tata is telling critics privately that it cannot be blamed for legitimately exploiting loopholes in a badly designed system. Green groups say this is disingenuous as major European polluters lobbied governments to give them more emissions permits than they would really need. (Smaller firms not facing competitive global pressure had to buy all their emissions permits). The EUETS has long been criticized for its failure to reduce carbon emissions, and citizens' groups are pressing for it to be reformed again. Femke de Jong, of Carbon Market Watch, said: "Instead of making the polluter pay, energy-intensive companies are allowed to pollute for free under the EUETS. "Even worse, they are able to profit from their pollution to the tune of billions. It's European taxpayers that are picking up this bill as governments forego scarce public money." Emil Dimantchev, carbon analyst from Thomson Reuters, estimates that Tata Steel is likely to have netted around £794m (€1bn) between 2008 and 2014 in windfall profits. Dr Simon Evans, of Carbon Brief, calculated that across

Summary: Tata Steel is refusing to comment on claims it has made £700m windfall profits from a policy designed to protect the climate.


Media playback is not supported on this device Marathon runner Nailiya Yulamanova and 800m specialists Zinurova and Svetlana Klyuka have received two-year bans from the Russian Athletics Federation. All three will now miss London 2012. Meadows will also miss this summer's Olympics after not being selected in Team GB's athletics squad. The 31-year-old, who just lost out to Zinurova in Paris in 2011 when the Russian passed her in the home straight, had indicated before Tuesday's team announcement that she would appeal if not selected but has decided not to fight the decision. As well as the doping charges, Russian trio Yulamanova, Zinurova and Klyuka were also suspended for "abnormal indexes in their biometric passports", the first time Russian athletes have been banned for such offences. Yulamanova, 31, finished second in the marathon at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona. But she was awarded the gold medal after the original winner, Lithuania's Zivile Balciunaite, was disqualified and banned for using steroids. Yulamanova also finished eighth in the marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Both Yulamanova's and Klyuka's suspensions have been backdated from February 2012, while 800m indoor European champion Zinurova's ban began in September 2011. Their suspensions mean all three are ineligible to compete at this week's Russian championships in Cheboksary, and therefore cannot compete at London 2012. "This is the first time athletes have been suspended in Russia because of abnormality of their biometric passports," said Russian Athletics Federation president Valentin Balakhnichyov. "We know such practice has been widely used in cycling but unfortunately it's now been the case with our athletes as well. "It's a huge loss for our team but their guilt has been proven beyond doubt."

Summary: Jenny Meadows has had her 800m silver medal at the 2011 European Indoor Championships upgraded to gold after Yevgenia Zinurova was one of three Russian athletes banned for doping.


Met Office statistics showed the Shetland area had 192.9 hours of sunshine from 1-29 July, while Cornwall had 153.5 hours. Shetland lies about 700 miles (1,130 km) to the north east of Cornwall. It was a wet month for the UK as a whole, with 22% more than the average rainfall for July. Properties were damaged and people had to be rescued after heavy rain and storms hit the Cornish village of Coverack. Climate scientist Mike Kendon said while it hadn't been a remarkable weather month, there were some "significant events". "It is uncommon for Shetland to experience more sunshine hours than Cornwall at this time of year," he said. "There is also a notable gradient between a cooler, sunnier and slightly drier than average north-west and a wetter, dull and warmer than average south-east." One of the wettest places in July was Hampshire - which received 118% more than its average rainfall for the month. Northern Ireland was the wettest region of the UK, with 39% more rain the average. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

Summary: The Shetland Islands had more sunshine than Cornwall in July - only the eighth time this has happened since records began in 1929.


Lila Tretikov wrote in an email that it was time for her to move on. A leaked memo suggesting the Foundation was looking at creating a "commerce-free" search engine had upset the volunteer Wikimedia community. Many were angry that it had not been discussed first, as transparency is key to the ethos of the organisation. In September 2015, Wikimedia was awarded a $250,000 grant from a trust called the Knight Foundation for work to "advance new models for finding information by supporting stage one development of the Knowledge Engine by Wikipedia, a system for discovering reliable and trustworthy public information on the internet," according to a document uploaded by Wikimedia itself. The project summary at the end of the document - although its author is unclear - states that the Knowledge Engine would be "the world's first transparent search engine, and the first one originated by the Wikimedia Foundation". The leaders of the team were listed as Ms Tretikov, vice-president Wes Moran and Wikimedia head director of search and discovery Tomasz Finc. However, in published notes from a meeting to discuss the controversy, Ms Tretikov is recorded as saying the grant news had been shared "without context". A new team had been set up, given the task of researching "how Wikimedia users seek, find, and engage with content", Ms Tretikov wrote in a piece co-authored with Mr Moran. But they went on to deny that a search engine was the intended outcome. "What are we not doing? We're not building a global crawler search engine," they wrote. "We're not building another, separate Wikimedia project... Despite headlines, we are not trying to compete with other platforms, including Google." Wikipedia editor William Beutler recently told the website Motherboard that the controversy was the result of a "culture clash" between the Foundation and its volunteers. "The community is this volunteer group that is made up of people who largely buy into Wikipedia for ideological reasons," he said. "Then you have the Foundation, which has increasingly fewer people from the community and a larger Silicon Valley contingent that comes from a tech background." The Wikimedia Foundation has been contacted by the BBC for comment.

Summary: The executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, has resigned after denying the group is considering building a search engine.


You asked for the latest news on an office block in Dudley which has stood empty for many years. You wanted to know why a once popular picture house in Shropshire closed in 1967. And you asked us to shed some light on the history of terraced houses in Stoke-on-Trent. Here is how we have got on with answering your questions. Cavendish House in Dudley town centre was once home to Inland Revenue offices but has been empty for many years. The seven-storey, 85,880 sq ft building was bought at auction by Avenbury Dudley Ltd for £800,000, the Express & Star reported in October 2015. The following month, the Birmingham Post reported Avenbury planned to demolish the building to pave the way for a £50m retail and leisure development. Midlands Business News reported a planning application had been submitted to Dudley Council in March 2016. We asked Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for planning and economic development, for the latest. He said: "We are in regular dialogue with the developer and will be meeting with them again in the New Year." A spokesman for Avenbury told us: "Things are still happening behind the scenes but [there is] nothing to announce yet." We have spoken to a number of local historians and cinema enthusiasts and the general consensus is that it closed due to dwindling audiences. Historian Ron Miles said there were once 26 cinemas in the Telford area and two in Oakengates - but they became less popular when people started to get televisions in their own homes. Another local historian, Rob Breeze, remembers being taken to The Grosvenor to watch Carry on Cleo. He agreed that a lot of cinemas started closing from the late-1960s onwards, as demand fell. There is also a theory that the cinema had to close to make way for the flyover carrying the A442 Queensway. But according to the book "Silver Screen Memories" that is not true, because the road was not built until 1975. Like many parts of the UK, terraced houses - with one design repeated along a row of joined homes - were built in the city in great numbers following the industrial revolution. Local historian Fred Hughes said many were built around the six town centres of Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. These went on to form Stoke-on-Trent. They were built close to industrial centres for pottery and mining due to the lack of transport links, he said, with many knocked down towards the end of the 1950s and early 60s when they were replaced by housing estates like Chell Heath and Bentilee. Stoke's terraced houses hit the headlines in 2013 when the city council sold off 35 of the properties, mainly in the Cobridge area, for £1. Have you got a question about the West Midlands? Is there something you have seen or heard that you would like us to investigate? It could be a burning issue or something you have always wondered about the area or its people. Use the tool below to send us your questions. We

Summary: Readers have been using Your Questions to tell us what they want to know about the West Midlands.


The 35-year-old extended his stay with the League Two club in June after his short-term contract expired at the end of last season. He helped Notts win seven of their last 13 games to avoid relegation. "I believe we're on the cusp of doing something great. Hopefully I can be a big part of that," Ameobi said. Talking to BBC East Midlands Today, the former Newcastle striker continued: "I feel that we have the quality in this squad to compete with any team in this league. "Promotion spots, fighting for play-off spots. For me, as a team I think we're good enough to be in those positions." At Meadow Lane, Ameobi is working under former Newcastle United team-mate Kevin Nolan, who initially brought the former Nigeria international in after taking over as Notts boss in January. "As soon as I got the phone call, it wasn't really a big decision," Ameobi said. "I know how he works, what sort of character he is, for me that's a big thing, understanding who you're working for. What he's trying to build is a big part of why I decided to come here. " Ameobi, who represented Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup having played as a junior for England, said Nolan's demanding pre-season fitness routines have been punishing. "I think the older you get the harder everything is," he added. "I think it's my 20th pre-season now. I'm still loving it, even if it's a bit painful at times we know it's all for a reason and hopefully we'll see the results once the games start."

Summary: Striker Shola Ameobi says he signed a new deal with Notts County because he has unfinished business with a club capable of challenging for promotion.


Crystalla Dean, 52, was last seen by her daughter at her home in Longsdale Crescent, Oban, at about 20:00 on 15 December. On 5 January a body was found on the shore at Ardmucknish Bay near Benderloch. Police said the body had now been formally identified as that of Ms Dean and her relatives had been informed. Following a post-mortem examination, the death is not being treated as suspicious. A large-scale search for Ms Dean took place, involving Police Scotland's mountain rescue team, the coastguard and the local mountain rescue team.

Summary: A body found in Argyll earlier this month has been confirmed as being that of a missing woman.


The former Home Office minister said Labour must not be "afraid" of the argument and had a moral responsibility to talk about immigration reform. He also said UKIP voters were "darkly pessimistic" about their lives, whereas progressive politics was optimistic. David Cameron and Ed Miliband clashed on the issue this week - with both attacking the other party's record. Official figures published in August showed UK net migration - the difference between those entering and leaving - increased by more than 38% to 243,000 in 2013-14. EU citizens accounted for two-thirds of the growth. The Labour leader has promised to bring in an immigration bill creating "clear, credible and concrete changes" within months, if Labour wins next year's general election. Mr Byrne - Labour's universities spokesman who was immigration minister in the last Labour government - told Total Politics magazine the party "can win an argument on this, but we have got to have the courage to put it at the top of our list of things we talk about". "And we have got be honest about the realities," he said. And he cautioned politicians against ignoring voters' concerns: "If people then sense that politicians are trying to duck the issue or avoid it or not confront it they are just not prepared to have that - and frankly, why should they?" He expressed confidence that voters backed his proposal to exempt students from migration targets: "People know that students are good for Britain, not bad for Britain, they know that they are critical for our future influence in the world." The Birmingham Hodge Hill MP said Mr Miliband had to offer a positive vision to voters who had been attracted to the UK Independence Party: "The curious thing about UKIP voters is that they have one big thing in common: they are darkly pessimistic about themselves and their lives and if you want people to vote for progressive politics, you need people that are optimistic." Meanwhile his colleague, shadow transport Sscretary Mary Creagh told The House magazine Labour "needs to acknowledge the strain on schools, public services and the fact that people want to feel that people have put into a society before they start taking something out". "We are the Labour Party, we do like talking about the NHS and we are right to talk about the NHS. But perhaps there are some colleagues who feel nervous talking about immigration. I certainly don't." Mr Cameron's Conservative Party is facing a difficult by-election in Rochester and Strood, Kent, called after one of its MPs, Mark Reckless, defected to UKIP, which campaigns for the UK's exit from the European Union. The prime minister has said action is needed to curb EU immigration and has pledged to have "one last go" at negotiating a better deal for the UK in Europe. There have been reports that the coalition could seek an "emergency brake" to stop EU migration after it reached a certain level or to limit the number of National Insurance numbers issued to new arrivals from the EU. But German Chancellor Angela

Summary: Labour must have the "courage" to make talking about immigration policy a priority, Liam Byrne has said.


When operational, the Â£10bn nuclear plant is expected to create 850 permanent jobs and should start generating power by 2025. But in a draft letter, the council has criticised Horizon for the lack of detail in its final consultation. Horizon said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the council's response. In the letter, the council's chief executive expressed concern at a decrease in proposed local employment during the building phase. Dr Gwynne Jones also said there was "an objectionable lack of detail" on proposals to house 4,000 building workers on site. The letter called for "immediate" investment in education to ensure that local young people will be employed at the proposed power station. It suggested that, due to the lack of detail, the legality of the process could be in doubt. "The council remains committed to working with Horizon and other key stakeholders but... not at any cost nor with promises of 'jam tomorrow'," the letter added. A third and final consultation into the power station plans has been held and Horizon hopes to submit a planning application, known as a development consent order, later this year. Responding to the council's comment, Horizon's Richard Foxhall said: "They have been made aware of what we intended to consult on before May 2017. They agreed with the content of what we do in the consultation. Of course, what we've consulted on is what to change since last year, not necessarily on the whole project. "However we do look forward to working with the council. This isn't the end of the game as far as input." He added there was no question of the company's consultation process being illegal.

Summary: The company behind Wylfa Newydd has been told Anglesey council will not support the scheme "at any cost".


The Shanghai Composite index closed 2.3% higher at 3,361.84 points as measures from regulators to support the stock market started to have an impact. Local reports said the securities regulator would keep in effect its ban on share sales by major shareholders until new rules were released. The ban was set to expire on Friday. It was put in place six months ago at the height of the mainland stock market sell-off over the summer and locked up an estimated 1.24tn yuan ($190bn; Â£129bn) worth of shares. Monday's 7% plunge in the Shanghai market, which led to the suspension of trading for the first time, triggered a global equities rout. But a sense of calm has now moved over financial markets, said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at trading firm IG in a note. "While we haven't seen a snap-back rally, the flat moves in US and European markets means we can stop to catch our breath," he said. Beijing's decision on Tuesday to inject cash into the falling market also helped soothe fears. Economic data that suggested activity in the country's services sector expanded at its slowest pace in 17 months in December had little impact on investors' confidence. The Caixin/Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 50.2 from 51.2 in November. A reading above 50 suggests growth in the sector, while one below that suggests contraction. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index failed to match the positive run from the mainland market and ended the session 1% lower at 20,980.81. Traders in the rest of Asia were cautious after a North Korean nuclear test heightened geopolitical tensions. The country claimed that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday morning, drawing widespread criticism from around the world. South Korea's Kospi index finished down 0.3% to 1,925.43, but the index was already lower before the news of the bomb. Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended lower by 1% to 18,191.32, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1.2% to 5,123.1. Shares of Japanese electronics maker Sharp fell 3.3% after reports that the troubled firm is expected to book an operating loss of at least 10bn yen ($84m; Â£57m) for the nine months to December.

Summary: Mainland Chinese shares headed higher on Wednesday, recovering some of the steep losses made earlier this week on concerns about the economy.


Patterdale terrier Taz became trapped beneath a concrete terrace at Bath City FC on Thursday night. Crews from Bath Fire Station had to remove part of the stand at the Twerton Park ground to get to the dog. A spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue said: "Once crews reached the terrier they found he was still pinched between the bottom of the stand and soil and rubble below." The spokesman added: "Firefighters were able to dig out the ground around Taz before pulling him to safety through the gap. "Once free, he was reunited, unhurt, with his extremely grateful owners." Bath City have been approached for comment.

Summary: A dog has been rescued after getting stuck under a football stand.


Both sides have already qualified for the semi-finals the winners of Group A face Zamalek of Egypt while the runners-up will play South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns. Wydad know they need just a point to top the table and will take encouragement from their comfortable 2-0 win over Zesco in Morocco two months ago. Coached by former Real Madrid manager and Liverpool striker John Toshack, Wydad top Group A with 10 points despite a mid-group crisis. After wins over Asec Mimosas of the Ivory Coast and Zesco, the Moroccans only took one point from a possible six off struggling Al Ahly of Egypt. Wydad then battled to translate dominance over Asec at home into goals until Congo Brazzaville-born Fabrice Ondama scored in the final minute to secure a 2-1 win. That result, and Zesco holding record eight-time African champions Ahly 2-2 away, eliminated the Egyptian and Ivorian clubs. Zesco have exceeded expectations by reaching the semi-finals although coach George Lwandamina remains worried about concentration lapses in defence. "Our defence has a tendency to fall asleep after we score and this allows opponents back into matches," said Lwandamina, who doubles as the caretaker national coach. What Zesco do boast are consistent goal scorers with Idris Mbombo from the DR Congo scoring five in this Champions League campaign. Clatous Chama and Kenyan Jesse Were have notched four each and John Ching'andu three. Failing to reach the semi-finals cost Ahly coach and former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol his job amid safety concerns. Assistant coach Ossama Orabi has taken charge for the meaningless midweek match against 1998 champions ASEC at Stade Robert Champroux in Abidjan. Another fixture where only pride is at stake involves already-eliminated Enyimba of Nigeria and Sundowns in Port Harcourt. Zamalek have a bye as Entente Setif of Algeria were disqualified.

Summary: Wydad Casablanca of Morocco travel to face Zesco United of Zambia on Wednesday to decide who tops Group A of the African Champions League.


The visitors took an early lead when Newport defender Darren Jones turned the ball into his own net. Stevenage doubled their advantage before half-time as Tom Pett headed in from close range. Newport stay one point away from safety, while Stevenage climb up to ninth place in the table. Match ends, Newport County 0, Stevenage 2. Second Half ends, Newport County 0, Stevenage 2. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Paul Bignot. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Paul Bignot. Substitution, Stevenage. Jobi McAnuff replaces Tom Pett. Foul by Tom Owen-Evans (Newport County). Tom Pett (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt missed. Charlie Lee (Stevenage) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Foul by Joss Labadie (Newport County). Rowan Liburd (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Marlon Jackson (Newport County). Jack King (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Scot Bennett. Attempt blocked. Charlie Lee (Stevenage) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Substitution, Stevenage. Rowan Liburd replaces Harry McKirdy. Foul by Marlon Jackson (Newport County). Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing. Marlon Jackson (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Steven Schumacher (Stevenage). Attempt missed. Joss Labadie (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Attempt blocked. Jennison Myrie-Williams (Newport County) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Rhys Healey (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage). Attempt missed. Harry McKirdy (Stevenage) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Rhys Healey (Newport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Dean Wells (Stevenage). Substitution, Newport County. Joss Labadie replaces Ben Tozer. Foul by Jennison Myrie-Williams (Newport County). Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing. Josh Sheehan (Newport County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ben Kennedy (Stevenage). Foul by Scot Bennett (Newport County). Ben Kennedy (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Jazzi Barnum-Bobb (Newport County) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Tom Pett (Stevenage). Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Ben Tozer. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Paul Bignot. Substitution, Stevenage. Charlie Lee replaces Henry Cowans. Attempt missed. Darren Jones (Newport County) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.

Summary: Stevenage moved to within a point of the League Two play-off places after winning away against Newport County, who remain bottom of the table.


Delays in answering calls have resulted in the helpline resorting to using its previous system after just 10 days. Once a solution to the problems is found, the programme will be re-launched - expected to be early 2016. The call-handling and IT system - called the Future Programme - "has proved extremely challenging", according to an NHS statement. This is despite "a huge amount of planning, system testing and staff training". NHS 24 chief executive Ian Crichton warned that keeping the Future Programme in service at this level of operation would be unsafe for patients. He said he expected the volume of calls the helpline receives over the weekend to "significantly increase" as winter approaches, which indicates that the service "would fall below acceptable tolerances". "This is not a decision that we have taken lightly, given the significant investment to date, but one that will ensure we can continue to deliver vital and safe out-of-hours support to patients when they need it most during the coming winter", he said. The NHS will continue to develop the new system offline before rolling it out again early in the new year. Scottish Labour's public services spokeswoman Jackie Baillie accused the Scottish government of having a "short-term, sticking plaster approach to the NHS". Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw called the project "a mismanaged shambles" which had cost the taxpayer a fortune. Health Secretary Shona Robison said that while NHS 24 remained fully operational, she was disappointed that it had to revert to the previous system. However, she said patient safety was the priority and "it is right that NHS 24 take the time necessary to understand and fix any outstanding problems completely". Theresa Fyffe, Royal College of Nursing Scotland director, said it was "regrettable" but "the right decision" for patients and staff. The announcement follows an incident in October, when the same system crashed and staff had to resort to pen and paper. An Audit Scotland report had also previously raised concerns over the cost and delivery of the system. Initially due to be ready for October 2013, it was delayed for two years and cost about £117m - almost £40m above the expected cost.

Summary: The medical helpline NHS 24 has shelved a new £117m phone system over fears for patient safety.


20 October 2016 Last updated at 14:40 BST In a short speech, Prof Hawking said: "The rise of powerful AI will be either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity. We do not yet know which." Read more: Stephen Hawking - will AI kill or save humankind?

Summary: Prof Stephen Hawking has discussed the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence, at an event in Cambridge marking the opening of the Centre for the Future of Intelligence.


Erhan Havaleoglu, 36, killed Leighanne Cameron, 29, by strangling and stabbing her in Mid Calder on 28 October 2015. He must serve a minimum of 20 years before he can apply for parole. Sentencing him at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Johanna Johnston said he was guilty of a "cruel, merciless and extremely violent murder". In August, a jury at the High Court in Paisley found him guilty of murdering Ms Cameron. The court heard the attack happened after Havaleoglu discovered she was in a relationship with another man. The judge told Havaleoglu: "Leighanne Cameron was much loved and had everything to live for." She said Ms Cameron's injuries had been "catastrophic". Havaleoglu attacked the mother-of-two shortly after she returned from work. The killer had been spending the day looking after their children before he struck. He then fled to Edinburgh and it is thought that on his way there he got rid of the murder weapon and the clothes he had been wearing. Ms Cameron's body was discovered by her new boyfriend Philip Kilkenny. Mr Kilkenny called police and revealed Havaleoglu had told Leighanne "she'd never get to love another man". The court heard the "reality" of Ms Cameron's new relationship had come to "the full attention" of Havaleoglu shortly before the murder. Ian Duguid, defending, said it came from a conversation the killer had with one of his young children. The QC said this discovery was suggested to be "the catalyst" for the fatal attack. Mr Duguid: "This is an event that pushed him beyond what his previous behaviour had been." Havaleoglu had also been accused of assaulting three other women, but he was cleared of those charges at the trial. Det Ch Insp Raymond Brown, of Police Scotland, said: "Leighanne's death has been absolutely devastating for her family and those close to her. "Her five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son have been robbed of their loving mum in the most horrific of circumstances. "Havaleoglu has callously refused to admit responsibility for Leighanne's murder ever since, despite extensive evidence against him." He added: "Unfortunately, nothing can undo his actions that day but hopefully the outcome at court provides some form of comfort and closure to Leighanne's family and friends."

Summary: A man has been given a life sentence for murdering his estranged wife at her West Lothian home while their two children slept upstairs.


Gusts of up to 88mph - the tail end of Hurricane Gonzalo - hit Oban in western Scotland, while most of the UK saw strong winds. About 10,000 passengers were affected by flight cancellations at Heathrow, and several UK ferries did not sail. The woman died in central London, with a man hurt in a nearby incident and three people injured in West Sussex. Gonzalo caused widespread damage and a power blackout when it hit the island of Bermuda last week, with winds of up to 110mph. The strongest winds in the UK were recorded mainly in northern parts of the country and in Wales. Fallen trees caused problems on the roads, and there were delays and cancellations on several train routes. In other developments: Scotland Yard confirmed the woman in Knightsbridge died after she was hit by a tree brought down by high winds. A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We sent an ambulance crew, a responder by car, an advanced paramedic, a medical team from London's Air Ambulance by car and a duty officer to the scene. "Sadly, despite our attempts to resuscitate the patient, a woman died at the scene." The severe weather caused some travel disruption with flights cancelled at Heathrow, but other airports reported no major problems. BBC Weather said Wednesday would be much quieter. In central London, paramedics were also called to reports of a tree falling on a person at about 12:20, in Belgravia. A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We treated a man reported to be in his 30s for leg, chest and head injuries. He was taken as a priority to St Mary's Hospital Paddington." The three people hit by a tree in Southwick, West Sussex, were taken to hospital but paramedics said there was "nothing to suggest serious injury". That tree fell at about 10:00 in Shelldale Road. South East Coast Ambulance Service said two women were taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital, one with spinal pain and one with a head injury and pelvic pain. The third patient was taken to Worthing Hospital. Heathrow said 110 flights were cancelled and that figure included Lufthansa flights disrupted by a pilots' strike. This was less than 10% of its usual daily total of about 1,286 flights. Among other UK airports, Gatwick said there was no disruption, Stansted said it operated "normally" and Manchester said its only cancellations had been due to issues at other airports, mostly Heathrow. Edinburgh Airport said its only cancellations were three flights to Heathrow, and Glasgow Airport said its flights had run as normal. There were no reports of widespread train delays, but South West Trains tweeted that it had seen "poor rail adhesion" - meaning "trains have had trouble accelerating as the wheels slip when applying power". Speaking from County Down, BBC Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler said the storm had been "rough enough" but had not hit "quite as hard as many had feared". There had been high winds but not much disruption in Northern Ireland, he said.

Summary: A woman has died and four people were taken to hospital after winds felled trees and caused widespread disruption.


Lord Healey was Labour's defence secretary from 1964 to 1970 and chancellor of the exchequer from 1974 to 1979 before becoming deputy party leader in opposition in 1980. The former Leeds MP's family said he died peacefully at his Sussex home on Saturday, after a short illness. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was "a Labour giant". The PM said he was a "huge figure of post-war politics". BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Lord Healey's death marked the end of an era in Labour's history. Obituary: Lord Healey Denis Healey: A life in pictures 'A great man': Tributes paid Mr Corbyn tweeted: "Denis Healey was a Labour giant whose record of service to party and country stands as his testament. All our thoughts are with his family." Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was "absolutely loyal to the Labour Party" and a "towering intellect". Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Facebook: "We've lost a huge figure of post-war politics. A hero in World War Two as Beach Master at Anzio and a brave politician, Denis Healey told his party hard truths about Britain having to live within her means." Lord Healey served as an MP for Leeds for 40 years from 1952 before joining the House of Lords in 1992. A defining moment in his career came in 1976 when, as chancellor, he applied for an emergency loan from the the International Monetary Fund in an effort to save the pound from collapse. He came close to winning the Labour leadership in 1980, finishing just 10 votes behind winner Michael Foot. A graduate of Oxford university, he also served in the Army, joining operations in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during World War Two. His wife, Edna, died in 2010. Obituary Denis Healey, an intellectual heavyweight who had a range of interests that stretched far beyond the narrow world of Westminster politics, was known for his tough, no-holds-barred style of debate. His relish for the cut-and-thrust of politics served him well during long periods in government in the 1960s and 1970s, and in the internal struggles that re-shaped Labour during its years in opposition in the 1980s. His trademark bushy eyebrows, colourful turn of phrase and expertise on a range of musical instruments, including the piano and double bass, made him a regular fixture on television and a favourite target of impressionists. But he had a sharp mind and could fell opponents with a devastating one-liner, once likening debating with Conservative Chancellor Geoffrey Howe to being "savaged by a dead sheep" and accusing Margaret Thatcher of "glorying in slaughter" during the Falklands conflict. Read more: Obituary of Lord Healey Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain "has lost a dedicated and faithful public servant". Mr Blair said: "He steered the Labour government and the country through some of the most difficult economic times; and in winning the deputy leadership of the Labour Party in 1981, he probably saved the Labour Party as an instrument of government and social change. "All of us in the Labour Party owe him a huge debt.

Summary: Former chancellor Denis Healey has died at the age of 98, his family has said.


The Association for Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has written to Philip Hammond asking for more transitional relief for the sector. Business rates in England and Wales are being updated to take into account changes in property values. However, the government says a cap on how much bills can rise will cushion the impact for firms facing increases. The letter written by the ALMR on behalf of its members says that "on average, the pub sector will see a 15% increase and restaurants a 23% increase across the country". "This will add a further Â£300m to Â£500m in additional cost in the hospitality sector," it says. The ALMR says the impact of the extra costs could threaten the positive contribution the sector is making to overall economic growth in the UK. The ALMR represents leading brands, including Pizza Express, Wagamama and Yo Sushi, as well as smaller businesses operating from only one or two premises. "We would urge you to consider reviewing the transitional relief provisions and the introduction of sector specific hospitality retail relief," the letter says. Rates are calculated by multiplying the rateable value of a property by a multiplier set by the government. But as property values change over time, rateable values need to be reassessed periodically - usually every five years. However this update to property values is two years behind schedule, making it a harder pill to swallow in areas where the price of real estate has been rising. A statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said that most businesses will not face sharp rises in costs. "Following the revaluation, three-quarters of properties will see no change or even a fall in their bills, and the small minority of businesses that face an increase will benefit from our Â£3.6bn transitional relief scheme," it said. However, property experts have predicted that some businesses, especially in thriving commercial centres and the south-east of England could see very dramatic changes to their rates bills, by as much as several hundred percent. Many pubs and restaurants occupy prime real estate in town and city centres. The DCLG added that many pubs had seen turnover increase significantly since the last rates valuation in 2010 as a result of the growth in casual dining. That increase in revenue would affect the rateable value of the property, it said. However the government's planned cap on annual increases means that bills will rise gradually over five years rather than all in one go, with greater protection provided for smaller businesses. The DCLG said that while some businesses will see their rates bill rise, others will see bills remain the same or even fall. Overall the rates upgrade is designed to be revenue neutral.

Summary: Pubs and restaurants are calling for the chancellor to dilute the impact of business rate rises due in April.


Author JM Barrie credited the gardens of the town's Moat Brae house as his inspiration for the work. Ms Lumley unveiled a wood-carving of his most famous creation at the entrance to the town. She is already a patron of the appeal launched last week to turn Moat Brae into a children's literature centre. The Peter Pan statue was provided by the action group, the People's Project, which is working to improve the appearance and reputation of Dumfries. Ms Lumley said she was amazed at the work which had gone into the wood-carving. "I absolutely love it - I am so impressed that it is all made out of one enormous spruce tree trunk," she said. "It is absolutely enchanting and it is standing outside the garden centre so everybody who is driving past on the road can see it."

Summary: The actress Joanna Lumley has unveiled a statue of Peter Pan to recognise the part Dumfries played as birthplace of the children's classic story.


The money will fund flood defences in Yorkshire, a £10m innovation fund for businesses in Manchester and Cheshire, and regeneration in Hull city centre. It was announced by Prime Minister Theresa May amid plans for a new more interventionist industrial strategy. Mrs May said there was a need to "drive growth across the whole UK". She detailed the funding during her first regional cabinet meeting, held at a science and business park in Daresbury, Cheshire. The money will help fund projects including: What is the Northern Powerhouse? The £556m has been allocated from the Local Growth Fund cash pot of £1.8bn, announced in the Autumn Statement, and will be handed to 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships across the north. It is part of a wider scheme aimed at boosting the post-Brexit UK economy and creating jobs, with a particular focus on investment in science, research and innovation. Mrs May said the plans, contained in a green paper published earlier, were about building a "truly global Britain". While a significant portion of money has been allocated to the North, she said there was "the need to ensure that our economy works for everyone in every part of the country". News of the funding earmarked for flood defences has been particularly welcomed, following the widespread deluge that hit parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire in December 2015. Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford City's Council executive member for regeneration, said: "We need to examine the detail but I welcome much-needed investment to help protect homes and businesses in our district from future flooding. "The Boxing Day floods a year ago had a devastating impact on those affected and the region's economy, so it's essential that the government works with us to manage flood risk because this is about people's homes and livelihoods." Stacey Howard, operations director at the Goole Development Trust, said improved transport links would be "brilliant for the town". "We are in the M62 corridor and Goole is the biggest inland port in the UK." Mike Perls, founder and CEO of Manchester-based strategic marketing agency MC2, said the funding "isn't about about factories and chimneys", but rather "a modern industrial strategy" to help modern, innovative businesses thrive. "It will encourage regional economies to develop strategies reflecting their strengths, and the businesses within to look globally without hesitation." However, Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said £556m "pales into insignificance" when set against recent central government cuts to local councils. "Local authorities lost £18bn of government funding in real terms between 2010 and 15, with the poorest councils bearing the brunt of the cuts. "From what we have seen of the government's industrial strategy so far, I am not convinced they are committed to the long-term investment needed to transform the northern economy." Business Secretary Greg Clark said the plans were about "spreading opportunities right across the country". But his opposite number at Labour, Clive Lewis, said the government's industrial strategy was "too little too late".

Summary: Business leaders and politicians have welcomed a newly-allocated cash injection of £556m for the government's Northern Powerhouse project.


Engineering manager Leslie Miley wrote that he was asked to build a tool that would classify recruitment candidates' ethnicity by analysing their last name. The idea was intended to improve diversity among staff. Alex Roetter, Senior Vice President of Engineering, said that the "engineering-driven, quantitative solution" was a "blind spot". "As an engineer, I understand this suggestion and why it may seem logical," wrote ex-employee Mr Miley on blog-publishing platform Medium in which he also claimed to have been the only African-American member of Twitter's engineering leadership team. "However, classifying ethnicities by name is problematic as evidenced by my name. "What I also found disconcerting is this otherwise highly sophisticated thinker could posit that an issue this complex could be addressed by name analysis." In 2014 only 4% of Twitter's technical staff were black or Hispanic, according to its own figures. Mr Roetter said that Mr Miley's comments about him were "inaccurate" but that he was sorry for the "pain and confusion" caused by his communication. "I realise that we have blind spots, myself included. One of mine is that I have a tendency to default to engineering-driven, quantitative solutions," he responded. "We all want the same resultsâ€Š - â€Šstronger representation of under-represented minorities at all levels within Twitter." Mr Miley said that he was passionate about Twitter as a high-profile platform for comment around issues like the Ferguson shootings and the success of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. "And yet there were moments that caused me to question how and why a company whose product has been used as an agent of revolutionary social change did not reflect the diversity of thought, conversation and people in its ranks," he wrote. Mr Miley cited occasions when a network for black engineering colleagues was not invited to internal events attended by high-profile black visitors such as Jesse Jackson and Ben Jealous, chief executive of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). "Is it because, as one colleague told me, 'they forgot that you were black?'," he said. "When Hillary Clinton and Mellody Hobson [chairman, Dreamworks Animation] visited, the Twitter Women Engineering resource group was notified and given an opportunity to meet privately." Mr Roetter said the firm is taking its commitment to increased diversity seriously. It has published its own diversity goals for 2016, which includes increasing the proportion of "under-represented" minority staff to 11%, and aiming to ensure that 35% of its staff are women.

Summary: A senior Twitter executive has replied to criticism from a former employee about the firm's approach to diversity.


South Africans are angry and embarrassed by accusations that the president's friends are effectively running the country from their posh suburban mansion by appointing ministers. The statement by deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas that he was offered a cabinet ministerial job by a member of the controversial Gupta family is more bad news for President Zuma. While he is known to be one of the greatest political survivors, from a distance it looks like this latest scandal could finally cost him the presidency. Mr Zuma denies that he has outsourced his constitutional duties of appointing cabinet ministers to his friends. He told a raucous parliament: "I am in charge of the government, I appoint in terms of the constitution." "There is no minister who is here who was ever appointed by the Guptas or by anybody else." The governing African National Congress (ANC), which until very recently vehemently defended its president, is beginning to change its tune. The party's Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said: "The threat of corporate capture is a real threat. When you corrupt individual politicians to actually act as your proxies in the ANC to become agents of business interests then that's corporate capture." He described the Gupta family's rebuttal, saying the issue is not their undue influence but internal party political factions jostling for positions, as arrogance gone too far. Speaking to local TV channel ENCA he said: "It's arrogance to the superlative degree." The Gupta family, who arrived from India in 1993, have responded to the latest allegations with a double-page advert entitled "Gupta Family, The Inconvenient Truth" in The New Age newspaper, which the family owns. The family, through their holding company Oakbay Investments said it was releasing details of a meeting it held with ANC officials last month. Several accusations were addressed line by line but the advert did not mention the reports of ministerial job offers, which the family has previously denied. "Like any other South African businesses, we interact with the government," the family said. "In fact, friendship with the previous president was as strong." Several ANC officials have joined in the attack on the Guptas. ANC MP Vytjie Mentor claimed on Facebook that she too was offered a cabinet job by the Gupta family, but she said she too refused. Soon after Mr Jonas spoke about the controversial meeting at the Gupta home called by Duduzane Zuma, the president's son, senior MPs took to social media to support him. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom stated on his Twitter account: "Mcebisi Jonas is a person of great integrity and there no reason to doubt his version of events." He was followed the former ANC's spokesman MP Jackson Mthembu who said: "I fully agree that comrade Jonas is a person of integrity whose commitment to our democracy is unquestionable." Who are the Guptas? The expression of disgust gained momentum when ANC heavyweight and former cabinet minister Barbara Hogan said that the party needed to clear the "rot." Ms Hogan, who was once the minister of public enterprise responsible for state companies such as South

Summary: South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is walking further into a long, dark tunnel as he clings to his presidency.


The bag rocks alarmingly from side-to-side and threatens to overturn. Now, scientists have investigated this conundrum of everyday physics. Speeding up rather than slowing down can solve the problem, they say. Alternatively, you can pivot the handle of the suitcase as close to the ground as possible. French scientists studied a model suitcase on a treadmill to see what goes wrong when a suitcase rocks out of control at high speed. They developed equations to explain why two-wheeled trolleys have a tendency to rock from one wheel to the other. In cases of unstable bags - after having gone over a bump, for example - they found luggage rocks from side-to-side until it falls over, or it reaches a regular side-to-side swing. If a regular side-to-side swing develops, going faster results in smaller swings, said the researchers. "Thus, one should accelerate rather than decelerate to attenuate the amplitude of oscillations," they explained. "A non-experienced suitcase puller would not react this way. The outcome should not be a dramatic for a suitcase, but it could be troublesome for a trailer towed by a vehicle." This leads on to important practical implications of the research, which is published in the journal HRoyal Society Proceedings A. "The suitcase is a fun way to tackle the problem but the study would be the same for any trolley with two wheels or blades," Sylvain Courrech du Pont, of Universite Paris-Diderot, who led the study, told BBC News. "So it will be the same for a caravan or maybe also for airplanes." In technical terms, the mechanical instability is mainly due to the fact that there is a coupling between the translational motion and the rotational motion of the suitcase. It comes about because the two wheels are fixed together on a rod. In April, scientists solved another problem of everyday physics - why shoe laces come undone. They found the force of a foot striking the ground stretches and then relaxes the knot, while a second force caused by the leg swinging acts on the ends of the laces, like an invisible hand. This too has practical applications for structures such as DNA. Follow Helen on HTwitter.

Summary: It's a common experience when dashing for a train or plane while lugging a two-wheeled suitcase.