In an exclusive interview with the BBC, the British corporate investigator who became embroiled in GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) China corruption scandal tells me his story is "a cautionary tale which many people can learn from". The risks of doing business in China, he says, are "on the same scale as the opportunities", and governments, including the British government, "have not been doing a very thorough job of making business understand the risks". "Absolutely any company going to China could be the next party to suffer our fate if they fail to understand this," he says. The fate suffered by Peter Humphrey and his wife Yu Yingzeng was to spend two years in squalid and crowded jail cells, to be denied urgent medical attention and to be separated from each other and from their son. The corporate investigator says it was both a shattering experience and a miscarriage of justice. "None of our staff did anything illegal," he told me. "We engaged third parties to help us with some parts of our work. We always instructed them to follow legal means but had no control over the methods they used." So why the prosecution and the prison term? "It doesn't stack up at all when you analyse our case and the GSK case on the basis of the information you have. It doesn't stack up at all." The couple were corporate investigators who became embroiled in a Chinese police investigation of corruption at GSK. The British pharmaceuticals giant had bribed Chinese doctors and hospitals to buy its medicines. Mr Humphrey and his wife were in no way implicated in that corruption, but had been hired by the company to investigate the source of a secretly filmed sex video of GSK's top boss in China and of whistleblower emails sent to company headquarters in London. "I believe we were collateral damage in a wider dispute between a company and the authorities which led to us being dragged in," he said. Even now, Peter Humphrey is reluctant to discuss the details of the GSK case or of his relationship with his former client. Asked why, he tells me: "It's not impossible that we may sue some of these parties or through other means try to seek redress." He says he watched the TV coverage of the GSK trial from his Shanghai prison cell. The company was found guilty of systematic bribery and fined Â£300m. He was shocked by the contrast between his punishment and theirs. "Suspended jail sentences for three or four of the main culprits when I and my wife had been sentenced to years in prison," he says. "Someone asked me recently why someone like Mark Reilly (GSK China's boss) could be set free and we were in jail. I think it's very simple, we don't have half a billion dollars. That story was about money from the beginning. Money got them into trouble and money got him out." The events which led to these trials took place in the early part of 2013 when China's new President Xi Jinping had just declared nationwide

Summary: It's exactly two years since the door of Peter Humphrey's Shanghai bedroom was kicked in by police and he disappeared into a prison nightmare which ended only three weeks ago with his deportation from China.


Speaker Mitchel McLaughlin said Gregory Campbell had been "blatantly disrespectful" after he yawned loudly twice when Sinn FÃ©in member Caitriona Ruane had been speaking in Irish. It happened last Monday. Mr Campbell was barred from speaking on Monday and Tuesday. "It can be tiring listening to Sinn Fein abusing the Irish language," said Mr Campbell. "Has Caitriona Ruane nothing else better to do with her time than complain? "Does this mean every time you blow your nose someone is going to say that's inappropriate nose blowing? "This is ludicrous. It's nonsensical. "If I was feeling somewhat tired I would yawn in Westminster too. "Some people yawn quietly, some yawn loudly." Last November, Mr Campbell was barred from addressing the Northern Ireland Assembly for a day for failing to apologise for an Irish language parody. A row developed after he began his address to the assembly with: "Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer".

Summary: DUP MLA Gregory Campbell has defended his actions after being barred by the assembly speaker over what has been described as "schoolboy behaviour".


The key element is the goal to limit global warming to below 2C by moving to zero carbon emissions by 2050. The UN meeting in December is "the last chance" to avert dangerous climate change, according to the Earth League. Scientific evidence shows this can be achieved, but only with bold action now, says an alliance of climate researchers from 17 institutions. The statement involves eight calls for action: Chair of the Earth League, Johan Rockstrom, of the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden, said the statement set out the scientific stance on what needed to happen at the Paris talks. "Six years after the failure at Copenhagen, the world now has a second chance to agree upon a safe pathway towards a future that does not undermine human well-being in the world." He said the statement summarised what the group of scientists believe has to happen at the Paris talks to avoid the risk of severe climate change linked with sea-level rise, heat waves, droughts and floods. "The window is still open but just barely," he said. "There is still an opportunity to transition into a safe, reasonably stable climate future." He added: "The statement says very clearly that 2 degrees is the absolute upper limit that the world should aim for." The Earth League includes 17 scientific research institutions around the world, including two in the UK. Professor Sir Brian Hoskins of the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College, London, said to achieve the goal, global carbon emissions would need to peak around 2020 and fall very rapidly to near zero by around 2050. He said rich countries would have to take the lead on this and help the less developed world. "We're all in this together - we share one planet, we share one atmosphere, we share one climate system." The statement was released to coincide with Earth Day, an annual event to demonstrate support for environmental protection. WWF-UK said governments around the world must agree a fair deal at Paris, but should take action beyond this. Head of climate and energy policy, Emma Pinchbeck, said: "The next UK Government must reaffirm our leadership on this key international issue, and commit to decarbonising policy in line with the science. "When it comes to government action on climate change, we will benefit from ambition and will regret inaction."

Summary: Scientists are calling on world leaders to sign up to an eight-point plan of action at landmark talks in Paris.


The 49-year-old, a former international player, will take up his role in early January on a four-year contract. Wong is currently women's singles coach to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). He has previously worked with world number one Lee Chong Wei and his wife, Wong Mew Choo, the two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist. He has also worked for the last three years with world junior champion Goh Jin Wei, and bringing through Scotland's brightest youngsters will be a big part of his remit. Badminton Scotland's chief executive Anne Smillie said: "It has been a long process but it was crucial that we took our time and found the right person, someone with the credentials and capability to develop our youngsters into fully-fledged internationals. "In Tat Meng we believe we have found the person to do that. We have been fortunate in recent years to produce Olympic squad members and World, European and Commonwealth medallists and we want to continue that success story over the next four years and beyond."

Summary: Badminton Scotland has appointed Malaysian Tat Meng Wong as the organisation's new head coach.


The company said it was looking into the matter, which could be caused by wireless interference, and suggested gamers sat closer to the console. It comes after some players complained about their screens containing dead pixels that created black squares. The console has received largely positive reviews and is selling well. Reports about problems with the controllers, known as Joy-Con, have been around since before the launch of the console, among those who had pre-release review units. It seems to affect play when the console is connected to the TV and the controllers are being used wirelessly. On its support page, Nintendo advised users to make sure that the Switch console was placed "out in the open" and not behind a TV, in or under a metal object or near an aquarium. It also advised users to make sure the console had the latest software update and to "try to decrease the distance" between the Joy-Con and the console. The problem seems to be worse in the left-hand controller and some, including games writer Jeff Gerstmann, report it is affected by how close users sit to the TV. A video posted on YouTube suggested that while the right-hand Joy-Con had a dedicated antenna, the left-hand one was harder to find. "The antenna is printed directly on the controller's circuit board; it's not a separate unit inside the device. Second, the antenna is located beneath the controller's shoulder button and next to the housing for the controller's joystick," said gaming website Polygon. "All of that could block or weaken the Bluetooth signal," it added. A straw poll on the social media platform Reddit suggested that 20% of respondents (out of a total of 6,300) had experienced some kind of issue with their Switch console. Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at research firm IHS Markit said: "Obviously, if this does occur when gaming it can be frustrating, but generally I don't think this is impacting people's enjoyment of the platform too heavily." "What is perhaps making it worse is that the right Joy-Con has better connectivity which is highlighting the left's relative weakness. "If this is a design issue, I expect Nintendo to look closely at adjusting the lay-out of the antenna in the left Joy-Con to help solve the issue, as the fix would appear relatively straightforward."

Summary: Nintendo is facing more complaints about its new console, Switch, this time about the controllers failing to connect.


Donald Trump Jr denied issuing inconsistent statements about last year's meeting. He also suggested it was normal practice to receive information about a political opponent. US officials are investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election. The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign head, Paul J Manafort, were also at the meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya. Mr Trump Jr insists she provided "no meaningful information" on Mrs Clinton, his father's rival for the presidency. On Monday he tweeted sarcastically: "Obviously I'm the first person on a campaign to ever take a meeting to hear info about an opponent." He then tweeted: "No inconsistency in statements... In response to further Q's [questions] I simply provided more details." And he linked to a piece in the New York Post headlined "The Times' exposÃ©' on Donald Trump Jr is a big yawn". Later, Mr Trump Jr tweeted: "Happy to work with the committee to pass on what I know", after a Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee said it should interview him. The White House says there was nothing inappropriate about Mr Trump Jr's meeting with the Russian lawyer. It took place on 9 June 2016 at New York's Trump Tower, just two weeks after Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination. It is thought to be the first confirmed private meeting between a Russian national and members of President Trump's inner circle. After the New York Times first reported the meeting on Saturday, Mr Trump Jr released a statement which confirmed that it had taken place but did not mention whether it was related to the presidential campaign. However, another Times report, on Sunday, said Mr Trump Jr had agreed to the meeting after being offered information that would potentially prove detrimental to Mrs Clinton. The paper cited three White House advisers briefed on the meeting, and two others with knowledge of it, as its sources. Mr Trump Jr said that an acquaintance he had known from the 2013 Miss Universe pageant had set up the meeting. The Washington Post said that figure was music publicist Rob Goldstone, who has links to the Russian music industry. In a statement on Sunday, Mr Trump Jr said he had been asked to meet "an individual who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign". "I was not told her name prior to the meeting. I asked Jared [Kushner] and Paul [Manafort] to attend, but told them nothing of the substance." Mr Trump Jr's statement continues: "After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Mrs Clinton. "Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered. It quickly became clear that she had no meaningful information. "She then changed subjects and began discussing the adoption of Russian children and mentioned the Magnitsky Act. "It became clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting." Ms

Summary: President Donald Trump's son has hit back at US media reports of his meeting with a Russian lawyer who said she had damaging material about Hillary Clinton.


The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), held every two years, will focus on climate change, with talks on security issues also expected. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to set up a Commonwealth unit to target the "scourge" of extremism. The group of nations has a vital role to play in tackling terrorism, he said, and pledged Â£5m to help fund the unit. Security was high around the Queen as she arrived with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Opening the conference, the Queen said she was enormously proud of what the Commonwealth had achieved and "all of it within my lifetime". She said Commonwealth nations would continue to be called on to demonstrate leadership in global issues. Counter-terrorism is top of Mr Cameron's agenda for the meeting in the Maltese capital, Valletta. It comes after he addressed MPs in the UK to state his case for military air strikes in Syria to tackle so-called Islamic State. Mr Cameron said of the Commonwealth unit: "The Commonwealth has a vital role to play in broadening international efforts to counter extremism. "Its civil society and education networks make it particularly well placed to complement international efforts to build counter narratives to this poisonous extremist ideology. "This is the struggle of our generation, but by working together we will defeat this extremism scourge that is a threat to us all." Mr Cameron has pledged Â£1m funding annually, for five years, to help set up the unit, with another Â£200,000 going on expanding a European counter-radicalisation youth programme to include the Commonwealth. French President Francois Hollande is due to arrive in Malta on Friday and will attend meetings on climate change ahead of a summit on the issue in Paris on Monday. By Nicholas Witchell, royal correspondent, BBC News It is an association of 53 independent nations, disparaged sometimes as little more than a talking shop, but between them the countries of the Commonwealth represent nearly one-third of the world's population. As its heads of government gather in Malta, there are pressing matters to consider. Countering violent extremism is a priority; so too is climate change, the effects of which are a particular threat to low-lying territories in the Pacific. And a few days short of the Paris conference on global warming, French President Francois Hollande is breaking off from his domestic security challenges to address Commonwealth leaders on the need for decisive action on global warming. The conference will be formally opened by the Queen in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth: no-one has been to more of these gatherings than she has but, since by the time of the next meeting she'll be 91, it is thought this might be the last Commonwealth conference she'll attend. The Queen will later host a reception for new Commonwealth leaders. The event will feature more than 360 artists and performers, including the Maltese Philharmonic Orchestra and tenor Joseph Calleja. The Royals are on a three-day tour of Malta, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lived at

Summary: The Queen has opened a two-day summit of leaders of the 53 Commonwealth nations in Malta.


Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said it would be "ready as soon as we receive a list of the opposition delegation". The warring parties and the world powers backing them have to agree on which rebel groups will be designated as "terrorists" and not represented. The UN hopes to convene the talks in Geneva towards the end of January. More than 250,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes. "Syria is ready to participate in the Syrian-Syrian Dialogue in Geneva without any foreign interference," Mr Muallem told reporters in Beijing on Thursday following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. "We hope that this dialogue will be successful to help us in having a national unity government," he added. Mr Wang said the Chinese and Syrian governments had agreed on three principles that "should be upheld throughout the whole peace process". "We should stick to the peaceful resolution of Syrian issue, the people of Syria should decide the future and fate of Syria, and the UN plays a key role in negotiations," he added. On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously backed a resolution endorsing a road map for the peace process, including negotiations, a ceasefire and elections. But the resolution avoided contentious issues, including who could represent the opposition at the peace talks and the fate of Mr Assad. Mr Wang declined to answer directly when asked if Mr Assad should remain in power. "China's position is very clear. We believe Syria's future, its national system, including its leadership, should be decided and set by the people of Syria." The United States, which supports the Syrian opposition, wants a negotiated settlement based on the 2012 Geneva Communique, which calls for the formation of a transitional governing body. It says President Bashar al-Assad must go. Russia, which launched an air campaign against Mr Assad's opponents in September, also calls for the implementation of the Geneva Communique. But it says Mr Assad's future is for the Syrian people, not external powers, to decide. Most of Syria's political and armed opposition factions now agree on the need for a managed transition but they demand that the president leave at the start of it. Bashar al-Assad says peace talks cannot begin until "terrorism" is eliminated and that his departure is out of the question before elections are held. On Tuesday, the head of the UN's Geneva office said special envoy Staffan de Mistura expected to convene the talks "some time towards the end of January". "Almost everybody wants these talks to be successful, so that we can finally get a political solution to this really unacceptable problem," Michael Moller said. In a separate development in Syria on Thursday, activists said the jihadist group Islamic State had seized an area previously held by government forces in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said at least 26 soldiers were killed in fighting for the industrial district.

Summary: Syria's government is prepared to take part in UN-brokered peace talks aimed at finding a political solution to the four-year conflict in the country.


Defending champions India topped Group B following wins over South Africa and Pakistan, who beat England on Wednesday to reach the final. India also thrashed Bangladesh by 240 runs in a warm-up game last month. "A lot of teams have surprised the opposition and we're not taking anything for granted," said Kohli. "There are no guarantees in this sport. We're not going to go according to past results and what we've done in the past tournaments. "We will use whatever momentum we've gained in this tournament to execute what we want to. "Going into a big game like this, we're going to treat it as how we treated the last game. Our mindset does not differ." Bangladesh, who finished runners-up to England in Group A thanks to an impressive five-wicket win over New Zealand, are appearing in their first semi-final in a global competition. In 2015 they recorded their first ODI series win against India. "Bangladesh have taken huge strides," said Kohli. "They are a very dangerous side on their day and everyone realises that. "They have cricketers who are skilled, who are committed to play for Bangladesh and play with a lot of passion." India opening batsman Rohit Sharma was limping during India's final practice, but Kohli hinted that they would name the same team that beat South Africa on Sunday, with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin keeping his place ahead of pace bowler Umesh Yadav. If selected, 35-year-old all-rounder Yuvraj Singh will make his 300th ODI appearance. "His contribution to cricket has been outstanding," said Kohli. "He's been a total match-winner for India, won so many big tournaments in big cities, and this is just a testimony to the kind of talent he possesses." Bangladesh were beaten by India in the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals, and were eliminated from last year's World Twenty20 when, with two runs required from three balls, they lost three wickets. "Obviously we have been disappointed, especially in the T20 World Cup when we couldn't go through," said Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, who was captain for both matches. "It happens sometimes in cricket, but we forget it. "We can't just think what happened in the last two matches [because] coming into the ground it will put some more pressure on to us. "We're playing the first time in our life in a semi-final, so that is a fact, but India have got more pressure than us because the huge population is there and people love cricket in India a lot."

Summary: Captain Virat Kohli says India are wary of Bangladesh's threat in Thursday's Champions Trophy semi-final at Edgbaston.


The trial in an undisclosed location in southern Wales could begin this year. Scotland recently listed beavers as a protected species there following a successful reintroduction. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it would have to consider the impact on existing wildlife and land use. The Welsh Beaver Project first submitted an application over a year ago to NRW and said, following this subsequent submission, a public consultation would be held. The group has been working towards this for years, and has previously identified the River Rheidiol in Ceredigion as a preferred location to reintroduce them. In the 10th century, Hywel Dda, who was king of much of Wales, wrote in his laws that beaver skins were royal privileges, and were valued at 60 pence, or the worth of a "best horse", about Â£5,000 in today's money. The historian Gerald of Wales noted in the 12th Century there were beavers on the River Teifi at Cilgarran in Cardiganshire (now in modern-day Pembrokeshire). Oral history refers to beavers at Nant Francon in Snowdonia, north Wales, in the latter part of the 17th Century. The species is believed to have become extinct in Wales around 400 years ago, after it was hunted for its pelt and scent glands. European beavers, which would be introduced, are the same as those which once lived in Wales, as there is only one species of beaver native to Europe. Source: Welsh Beaver Project The five-year Scottish Beaver Trial saw a group placed in the Knapdale Forest, Argyll, while another emerged on the River Tay from illegal releases into the wild. In England, a male and female have been released on the River Otter in Devon to boost the genetic diversity of a group already in existence, the country's only wild beaver population. Alice Leow-Dyke, Welsh Beaver Project officer for the Wildlife Trusts Wales, said: "The evidence coming from Britain and Europe is they can be beneficial for ecology, helping with reducing flooding and filtering water, and have important consequences for the landscape." She added beavers could help with habitat restoration, bringing light into overgrown areas and allowing other nature to thrive. "With the beaver you're not looking at a single species, it can have such a wider benefit helping the ecosystem. Because we've had such a detrimental effect on the landscape for so long, this can help," she said. Farmers and anglers have raised concerns the animals can damage the landscape and fish migration routes, and have called for conservation efforts to be focused on existing wildlife. Ms Leow-Dyke said the scheme would have a net benefit, as well as providing an "enjoyment factor" of seeing the animals or the tell-tale signs of their presence, which could encourage children to engage with the natural world. Liz Halliwell, Natural Resources Wales mammal ecologist, said beavers were once native wildlife and could create rich and varied habitats which make the environment "stronger and healthier". However, she added: "Our assessment of any application for a licence would need to carefully consider the effects of a reintroduction on existing wildlife and land use."

Summary: Plans to reintroduce beavers to Wales after an absence of centuries are moving ahead after wildlife experts submitted an application to release 10 of the creatures into the wild.


The Institute for Economics and Peace published its Global Peace Index on Thursday for the 11th year running. Researchers said conflict costs had an enormous impact on economies worldwide. They called for more money to be spent on peace building. Their report found that the world became 0.28% more peaceful over the past year. This was driven by a drop in state-sponsored violence, including torture and extrajudicial killings, and a decrease in the murder rate. The delayed effect of the US and UK withdrawing troops from Afghanistan also made itself felt in the research. But the overall trend was not borne out inside the US, where an increase in murders and a higher level of perceived crime pushed peacefulness down. And while terrorism levels jumped in Europe, it remained the most peaceful region on the planet. The number of countries seeing a record number of deaths from terrorism rose to 23. Among those were Denmark, Sweden, France and Turkey. Researchers found that 60% of countries now have a higher rate of terrorism than they did 10 years ago. The research did not cover the time period of the attack on Manchester in the UK last month. Increased support for populism in Europe corresponded with a deterioration in peacefulness levels, the report suggested, as wealth inequality rises, media freedoms decrease and people's acceptance of the rights of others diminishes. In Colombia, the ceasefire between the Farc armed group and the government was reflected in improved scores, notably in the number of deaths from internal conflict, but the country's peacefulness score was held back by ongoing activity by a smaller armed group, the ELN. Researchers used a multifaceted index of peace indicators - they measured the homicide rate, the ease of access to weapons, the impact of terrorism and the number of armed services personnel in the population, among other things. Syria is the least peaceful country in the world for the fifth year running. Before the outbreak of civil war there, it was the 65th least peaceful. Its fall has been the starkest of the past decade. The other four most violent countries are Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen. The combined Middle East and North Africa was the least peaceful region in the world. Iceland remained the most peaceful country in the world, a spot it has occupied since 2008. The other four most peaceful countries are New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark.

Summary: Levels of peace around the world have improved slightly for the first time since the Syrian war began, but harmony has decreased in the US and terrorism records have increased, a Sydney-based think-tank has found.


Bethan Rhys Roberts hosts Ask the Leader on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST on Friday. Carwyn Jones is a former barrister and Bridgend councillor who was elected to the assembly in 1999 and has been a Cabinet minister since 2000. He is front and centre of an almost presidential election campaign by Welsh Labour, focusing on his six-and-a-half-year record in charge as first minister. Opinion polls suggest the public rate Mr Jones more highly than his rivals, although the Conservatives are trying to drag him down by association with Labour's left-wing UK leader Jeremy Corbyn. Former First Minister Rhodri Morgan paid tribute to Carwyn Jones as "the ideal person to have during a crisis", citing his handling of the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak while he was agriculture minister. Labour sees the present steel crisis as giving Mr Jones an opportunity to portray himself as a national leader, standing up to the forces of global capitalism and a Tory government at Westminster. But the opposition script says that if voters are not happy with the state of public services in Wales, they should blame the party which has been running the country for nearly 20 years. Monday 11 April - Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in Swansea Tuesday 12 April - UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill in Swansea Wednesday 13 April - Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams in Aberystwyth Thursday 14 April - Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood in Aberystwyth Ask the Leader can be seen on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST on Friday and on the BBC iPlayer. You can also follow the programme via social media - @walespolitics

Summary: Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones faces questions from an audience in Llangollen in the last in a daily series of live TV election specials.


Faye Burdett, aged two, from Maidstone, Kent died on Valentine's Day after fighting the infection for 11 days. Her family said they were enduring "a pain you cannot describe" after the toddler contracted meningitis B. Their photographs of Faye, including one of her in hospital, have been widely shared on social media. The most widely shared image shows her covered in a rash from the infection lying in her hospital bed. More than 331,000 people have signed a petition calling for the NHS vaccination programme to be widened to all children. A vaccine to protect against meningitis B became available on the NHS for babies in September but parents who want to have older children vaccinated must pay privately. "We campaign for change in her memory," said Faye's mother, Jenny. "Faye was taken to A&E with a rash on her forehead. She was then transferred by South Thames Retrieval Service to Evelina Children's Hospital, where her heart stopped in the ambulance. "They revived her and spent hours working on stabilising her. "We were given a 1% survival chance but she proved them wrong and carried on fighting. "After a few days she seemed to have turned a corner, but the sepsis started to affect her more." It was then that doctors presented the family with an option of amputation. "The extent of removal was massive, full leg amputation and one arm and plastic surgery," Jenny said. "We had to make the decision, a massive operation and she may die or we let her go peacefully on her own accord. "We decided the latter and then watched our little girl slip away." Charlene Reed, who set up a JustGiving page in memory of Faye, to raise money for the Evelina hospice, said Faye's mother shared the picture to raise awareness. "It's not nice, but it is reality. It's what this disease did to Faye which made her sadly lose her life on Sunday," she said. Sue Davie, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said: "Although the introduction of the Men B vaccine on the childhood immunisation scheme for young babies was a momentous achievement, saving thousands of lives, there are still so many, like Faye, left unprotected. "We continue to campaign to see the Men B vaccine rolled out, particularly to at-risk groups, to insure a future where no-one in the UK loses their life to meningitis." A Department of Health spokesman said: "When any new immunisation programme is introduced, there has to be a date to determine eligibility. A decision based on the best independent clinical recommendation to ensure we can protect those children most at risk of Men B. "When our nationwide Men B vaccination programme was introduced last year, England became the first country to protect our babies from this devastating disease."

Summary: A mother has shared an image of her daughter before her death from meningitis to back a campaign for vaccines to be given to all children.


Defcad, as the firm will be known, has already been dubbed the Pirate Bay of 3D printing. The site will become a "search engine for 3D printing," according to its founders. But its flouting of copyright is likely to face legal challenges. The firm is the brainchild of Cody Wilson, law student and self-styled crypto-anarchist. Last year he set up Defense Distributed, a project aiming to print gun parts. The project provoked controversy with 3D printing firm MakerBot pulling gun part blueprints from its website in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings and 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys refusing permission for its machines to be used by the company. It is also facing legal challenges to shut the site down. Despite the set-backs, it released a video this month demonstrating an AR-15 with a 3D printed part firing more than 600 rounds. Meanwhile its blueprints at non-profit Defcad.org have seen 400,000 downloads since the site was launched, according to founder Cody Wilson. Announcing the new for-profit Defcad.com at the South by South West conference in Texas, Mr Wilson said it was an obvious next step for the wiki weapon project. "Help us turn Defcad into the world's first unblockable, open-source search engine for 3D printable parts," says Mr Wilson in the video posted on the website looking for funding. In the video, Mr Wilson said the revolution which many predict 3D printing will bring about will only happen if it can be freed from corporate ties. The blueprints available on the site will be for "important stuff", he said. "Not trinkets, not garden gnomes but the things institutions and industries have an interest in keeping from us; access, medical devices, drugs, goods, guns." "Supplying consumers with blueprints to print products designed by third parties is a business model fraught with risk," said Lorna Caddy of law firm Taylor Wessing. "Many of those products will be protected by intellectual property rights, such as design law. Owners of those rights could assert them in the courts to prevent their designs being further distributed and to seek financial compensation," she added.

Summary: The company that developed 3D printed gun parts has announced plans to launch a new firm, dedicated to copyright-free blueprints for a range of 3D printable objects.


Lord Janner died at the end of last year, shortly after a judge had ruled that the he was not fit to stand trial for alleged child sex offences. But a leading lawyer has told the BBC he sees "a danger" that the inquiry into Lord Janner's case may contravene the principles of a fair trial. As part of her wider inquiry, Dame Lowell, who served as a judge in her native New Zealand, will investigate the way public bodies handled child sex abuse claims. She will be holding further preliminary hearings this month into allegations of child sexual abuse involving the Anglican Church, Lambeth Council and a number of institutions in Rochdale. The inquiry will consider the prevalence of abuse and the adequacy of child protection policies. At this stage, though, it will not hear from witnesses. Instead, Dame Lowell has designated 17 complainants in the case as core participants, giving them access to relevant evidence and the opportunity to make opening and closing statements. Core participants will be able to ask for particular questions to be put to witnesses by the inquiry panel but they will not be allowed to question the witnesses directly. In setting out the scope of the investigation, Dame Lowell says she will consider whether or not the allegations against Lord Janner are "well-founded". It is only if particular allegations meet this test that she will go on to consider whether the various authorities concerned had failed in their responsibilities. This suggests that she intends to hold what amounts to a trial without a defendant. Last April, her team said: "If the evidence permits findings of fact to be reached concerning the allegations against Lord Janner, the inquiry will record and publish these findings." If Lord Janner's criminal trial had gone ahead, prosecutors would have had to prove the allegations against him beyond reasonable doubt. However, it is thought that the Goddard inquiry will regard the allegations as well-founded if they can be proved on the balance of probabilities - the lesser standard of proof required in civil claims. Another question for the inquiry is whether witnesses who claim they were abused by Lord Janner should be cross-examined, as they would have been at a criminal trial. Unless lawyers for the various core participants are willing to challenge the evidence given by individual witnesses, Dame Lowell may have to consider appointing independent lawyers for the purpose. That's because the inquiry's findings may have a bearing on civil claims being made against the estate of Lord Janner and against the various public bodies that are accused of failing in their safeguarding duties. Prof Sir Ian Kennedy QC, who chaired the public inquiry into child deaths at Bristol Royal Infirmary which reported in 2001, said there was a danger that Lord Janner's case would become something like a trial. In an interview for BBC Radio 4's Law in Action he said: "The difficulty is that it can't really be a trial, as we would recognise it, because the person who is centre stage is no longer there. "And

Summary: Dame Lowell Goddard's independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has begun hearing legal submissions about the scope of her investigations into the late Labour peer Lord Janner.


26 September 2016 Last updated at 14:43 BST She's come back from the Paralympics in Rio with four medals, including gold in the 400m, a silver in the 4x100m relay - and not to mention her gold medal and new world record in the 500m cycling time trial! Winning a gold medal in the sprinting and again in the cycling, Kadeena is the first British Paralympian to top the podium in two different sports since 1984. So plenty of reasons for her to be pleased and what better way to celebrate winning gold than with a little bit of a dance? Kadeena shows Newsround's Naz how to celebrate like a pro.

Summary: Kadeena Cox is no stranger to celebrating on the podium, the 25-year-old from Leeds has enjoyed a lot of success in her career.


The building has been closed for two years after it was declared unsafe. The film's producers want to use the main entrance for around six weeks as a location when filming begins in July. Campaigners have arranged for engineers to survey some of the damage around it but hope work could enable the foyer and main hall to stay open. Ian Hill, the director of Save The Coal Exchange, said any remedial works would allow the building's front entrance, foyer and main hall to continue to be used once The Crow has finished filming. "We are taking the opportunity to make sure that when the door opens, it stays open," he said. "The Crow will be on site for around six weeks. When they leave, we hope to be able to keep the front door open, and give the public access to the foyer and main hall." The fee paid by the film's producers should cover the cost of making the entrance safe. The Crow will be shot on location in south Wales, and at the Pinewood Wales studios in Cardiff. The owners of the Coal Exchange went into liquidation last year, with around £5m currently owed to Cardiff Council and two banks. The building is considered to be one of the capital's most significant historical landmarks, and was the place where the first ever £1m cheque was signed. In recent years it had been used as a concert venue and office space until its closure in 2013. Discussions have already begun with the hope of transferring the ownership of the Coal Exchange to the charity which is campaigning to save the building. It plans to raise around £15m to fund the restoration of the building over the next three to four years, if the initial works are successful in partially reopening the venue. THE COAL EXCHANGE - TIMELINE Actor Jack Huston is widely reported to be in talks to take on the lead role in The Crow, which will be filmed at Pinewood studios on the outskirts of Cardiff. It will be the first multi-million pound A-list film to get made at the new facilities. The original 1990s film starred Brandon Lee, who died on set after being accidentally shot.

Summary: The Hollywood remake of The Crow, which will be filmed in south Wales this summer, could help reopen Cardiff's historic Coal Exchange.


The superb Jonathan Sexton kicked Ireland into a 6-0 lead before Handre Pollard replied before the break. Rhys Ruddock's try straight after half-time helped increase Ireland's lead to 13-3 before Marcell Coetzee's score cut the margin to three points. However, two more Sexton penalties and Tommy Bowe's try put the game out of sight before JP Pietersen's late score. The Springboks went into the game hot favourites after beating New Zealand a month ago but found themselves unable to match Ireland's remarkable resolve. Ruddock was a late inclusion in the Ireland team after original selection Chris Henry was ruled out by illness. Ireland had heroes all their pitch with prop Jack McGrath brave in the scrum and at the breakdown but there was no doubting that Sexton was deserving of his man-of-the-match honour. The Irish fly-half conclusively won his duel with emerging Springboks fly-half Handre Pollard as the home side effectively targeted both South Africa half-backs. Springboks scrum-half Francois Hougaard endured a nightmare evening as South Africa's backs moves were largely confined to runs from lively full-back Willie le Roux. Joe Schmidt's players also showed a ruthlessness in the closing 15 minutes after replacement hooker's Adriaan Strauss's sin-binning was followed by Bowe's match-clinching try. With Sexton orchestrating, the Irish effectively mixed a kicking and running game in the early stages and the fly-half kicked the opening points in the eighth minute after McGrath had out-duelled Jannie du Plessis in a scrum. Ireland, minus regular hooker Rory Best, struggled in a couple of early line-outs and had an escape in the 13th minute as Hougaard's fumble at the base of a ruck just short of the line allowed McGrath to hack to safety. Sexton's 24th-minute penalty increased Ireland's lead before the home scrum began to creak for the first time. Media playback is not supported on this device South Africa's scrum dominance forced two kickable penalties in three minutes but their decision to chase tries from line-outs backfired on both occasions as the Irish defence held firm. Pollard finally opened South Africa's account before the break to cut the margin to three and the visitors must have remained confident as they trudged into the dressing-rooms. However, they were rocked within two minutes of the restart by Ruddock's crucial try. Young Irish centre Robbie Henshaw's superb kick had forced Le Roux to concede a line-out deep in Springboks territory and Ruddock burst through to score after Devin Toner had soared to win Sean Cronin's throw. Sexton's conversion increased Ireland's lead to 13-3 but there was still some 36 minutes of action left. The visitors looked right back in the contest on 57 minutes as Coetzee barged his way over after the option of turning down an easy three points finally bore fruit. Pollard's conversion cut the margin to three but crucially Ireland doubled their advantage within six minutes as Sexton punished Duane Vermeulen's high tackle on Jamie Heaslip. Bakkies Botha was introduced width 15 minutes remaining but the South Africans were then handed a hammer blow as replacement hooker Strauss was yellow carded for

Summary: Under-strength Ireland produced a display of discipline and invention to stun the in-form Springboks in Dublin.


Figures obtained by the BBC through the Freedom of Information Act show the stun guns were used 34 times in 2010 and 65 times last year. Human rights groups say they were being used too readily. Devon and Cornwall police said the rise could be linked to the increased number of officers now trained to use Tasers. Of the force's 3,200 officers, 480 are trained to use Tasers, up from 150 before 2009 and spending on the weapon rose from Â£33,470 in 2009 to Â£101,379 last year, according to an FoI request . Nineteen of the 34 people that were shot with a Taser in 2010 were charged with an offence, and 37 of the 65 shot in 2011 were charged. Eulette Ewart, from the human rights group Amnesty International, said Tasers should only be used in "limited circumstances " where there was a "serious threat to life or serious injury". She said: "Given the increase, one must question whether the incidents in 2011 merited the need for a Taser to be drawn as opposed to 2010 when it was only drawn 34 times. "We are not against Tasers but they are very dangerous and so they need to be used in a very limited set of circumstances." The force's criteria for using Tasers states that they can be used if officers get permission from a senior officer and "in the course of their duty, may have to protect the public, themselves and /or the subject(s) at incidents of violence or threats of violence of such severity that they will need to use force". Nigel Rabbits, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall branch of the Police Federation, the officers' staff association, wants most frontline officers to have Tasers. He said: "In Devon and Cornwall, it has been recognised that Tasers are a really useful safety measure for officers and the public. "They are really safe. Most people recover really quickly from a Taser and walk away."

Summary: The number of times police have used Tasers in Devon and Cornwall has nearly doubled over a two-year period.


Created by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the BBC in memory of commentator Martin-Jenkins, the awards recognise exceptional sportsmanship. Madsen was recognised for walking of his own accord in a County Championship match against Yorkshire this summer. Alton county cricket under-13 girls' team took the Youth Award. The joint MCC and BBC judging panel were impressed by their story of lending players to field for an opposition side in a league fixture this summer. Madsen's display of sportsmanship came when batting for Derbyshire against Yorkshire on 18 July. He feathered a ball from bowler Steve Patterson to the wicket-keeper and though umpire Jeff Evans gave the Derbyshire captain not out, Madsen opted to walk back to the pavilion, later stating that it was a matter of principle. Madsen went on to score 141 in the second innings, but Derbyshire still lost by an innings and 113 runs. MCC president and lifelong friend of Martin-Jenkins Mike Griffith said: "MCC is passionate about its role as Guardian of the Laws and Spirit of Cricket, and it is instances like Wayne Madsen walking when his Derbyshire side was in real trouble against Yorkshire, which set an example for everyone in the game to follow and must be encouraged." BBC cricket correspondent and Test Match Special commentator Jonathan Agnew added: "During a summer in which the spirit of the game was widely debated, Wayne Madsen gave a wonderful example of what many in the game still hold dear. "Too often we are treated to negative instances, so how nice it is to celebrate and reward such a genuine act of good sportsmanship." Meanwhile, City Academy in Bristol are the first beneficiary of the award's school's prize. They have awarded a £2,000 grant, which will be used by City Academy to support the enhancement of their cricket performance programme. Martin-Jenkins died of cancer at the start of January at the age of 67. He joined the BBC in 1970 and succeeded Brian Johnston as the BBC's cricket correspondent three years later, holding the post until 1991, with a break between 1981 and 1984. Read more about the Spirit of Cricket on the MCC website.

Summary: Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen has been awarded the inaugural Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket Elite Award.


Palm-sized fidget spinners have become the latest "must-have" for children. But while some schools have banned the toys as a distraction, Castle Gardens Primary School in Newtownards, County Down, has taken a different approach. The toys are being used as a teaching aid in some maths and English lessons. Primary four teacher Heather Hutchinson is behind the idea. "These crazes come into school and you either go with them or they're a complete annoyance," she said. "The children wanted to know whose spinner was going to spin the longest, so I saw an opportunity for a maths investigation." "They timed each other's spin, recorded it on a table and then put it on to a graph." "It was an opportunity for something a bit different with their learning." There are strict rules on when the spinners can be used in Ms Hutchinson's class, however. She collects them at the start of the school day and only hands them out for certain lessons. Her pupils have also honed their English skills by holding debates on whether they should be allowed in school and writing up their opinions. Despite all of the children owning fidget spinners, they are divided on their role in school. Eight-year-old Zach thinks they are a good idea. "If you don't have neat writing you can spin them to help your finger muscles," he said. But his classmate Anna disagrees. "I don't think they should be allowed in class, as they distract the teacher and if you were asked a question you wouldn't know what to do as you'd be sitting fidgeting," she said. Fidget spinners were originally developed as a way for children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism to relieve stress. When it is placed between the thumb and a finger, the child can give it a quick flick to trigger a spin. There are many different types but the most popular is a small, three-pronged one with rounded ends. There are many different types but the most popular is a small, three-pronged one with rounded ends. There have been safety concerns, however, about ones with sharp edges or spikes. Castle Gardens principal John Gray said his staff checked which fidget spinners children are bringing into school. "It is using a degree of common sense," he said. "Ones that are appropriate and safe will be used and if they're not, the children wouldn't be allowed to have them and they'll be returned to the parents at the end of the day." But he does think the devices have their place in the classroom if used well. "If the children are engaged and enthusiastic about something, the quality of learning will be higher," he said. "We wouldn't use them for every lesson. "It would be the occasional opportunity to use them in a numeracy or literacy lesson to engage the children in activities they would be doing anyway. "For example, they would be doing graph work so we're using something to record real data they've taken themselves. "They then plot the graphs, but because they're recording something

Summary: They are the new craze sweeping school playgrounds.


The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said the slowdown last month was fuelled in part by uncertainty over the EU referendum. It also cited the higher stamp duty in place on investment property purchases. New buyer inquiries fell significantly across Scotland, with 21% more surveyors reporting a fall in interest. This was the sharpest decline since 2012. There was also a further fall in the supply of properties coming on to the Scottish housing market, and a decline in sales for a second consecutive month. Survey contributors said they expected that trend to continue, with 9% more respondents anticipating a further drop in sales over the next three months. The same trend was projected across the UK, with 12% more contributors expecting transactions to fall over the next 12 months - the weakest reading in four years. Rics chief economist Simon Rubinsohn said: "Big events such as elections typically do unsettle markets so it is no surprise that the EU referendum has been associated with a downturn in activity. "However, even without the build-up to the vote and subsequent decision in favour of Brexit, it is likely that the housing numbers would have slowed during the second quarter of the year following the rush in many parts of the country from buy-to-let investors to secure purchases ahead of the tax changes. "Rics data does suggest that the softer tone to the market will persist over the coming months but the critical influence looking further is how the economy performs in the wake of the uncertainty triggered by the vote to leave. "Respondents to the survey are understandably cautious, but with interest rates heading lower and sterling significantly so, it remains to be seen whether the concerns about a possible stalling in both corporate investment and recruitment are justified."

Summary: House prices across Scotland have continued to rise despite a marked drop in housing market activity, according to a report.


NUS lawyers have written to Business Secretary Sajid Javid, demanding he properly considers the equality impact of the move. Plans to scrap grants were announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his budget in July. The government said it would respond to the letter in due course. Currently, students whose family income is below £25,000 are eligible for full grants worth up to £3,387 plus a loan of £4,047 if they live away from home outside London. Partial grants on a sliding scale are available for students whose family income is below £60,000. The government wants to replace the grants with loans for new students from next year. In its judicial review pre-action letter, the NUS identifies "a serious and unlawful failure" in the government to discharge a duty set out in the 2010 Equality Act to consider the impact of the policy on the poorest students. "The abolition of maintenance grants will cause a very significant increase in debt for the poorest students; from £40,500 to around £53,000 at a time when the impacts of the 2012 recent reforms remain to be properly analysed and understood," says the letter. NUS President Megan Dunn called the government's plan "reckless", citing "strong evidence" the change would mean higher education "becomes less accessible to minority groups". She added: "We know the huge damage that this change will have if it is allowed to happen. It is obvious that the government is attempting to rush through these changes with no consideration on future generations of students." Salima Budhani of legal firm Bindmans said the NUS was calling upon the secretary of state "to halt plans to abolish maintenance grants and to gather information to enable him to properly consider the complex equality considerations at stake. "An open minded reconsideration of the policy should then take place." A spokeswoman for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills said students would not have to pay back anything until their earnings rose above £21,000. The maintenance loan for all students would also rise from next year to £8,200 for students living away from home outside London: "the highest amount of support ever provided", the spokeswoman added.

Summary: The National Union of Students (NUS) has taken the first step in legal action over government plans to scrap maintenance grants in England.


Cuts in benefits and tax credits since the financial crisis are further reasons cited by the GLA (Greater London Authority) Economics study. It finds 60% of women with children, who are eligible to work, have a job in London. That compares with just under 70% across the country, the report says. The Mayor of London's office said it was "working to increase the number of flexible and good quality paid jobs for women". Since 2008, part-time jobs in the capital have increased by nearly a quarter - to 1.6 million - compared to a 9% increase in the UK. However, women are not getting the same access to work as elsewhere, the Part-time employment in London report said. It said the costs of transport and childcare are barriers to women returning to work, with childcare costs in London 28% higher than the British average, according to the Daycare Trust. Because 34% of people use public transport in London, both the time it takes to travel and the price of fares reduce the incentive to get part-time work, GLA Economics said. "The costs of travelling to work are likely to be higher in London than elsewhere in the UK," it says. "The choice of whether to work part-time needs to factor in higher opportunity costs for working as compared to those working full-time. "Longer journey times mean subtracting time from other important activities such as childcare, and because this is more expensive in London, it may well not pay for some to take a part-time job." But another major factor is that the tax and benefit system does not compensate for London's higher cost of living, according to the report. It says the coalition government's abolition of the In Work Credit allowance removed one way of giving eligible Londoners a premium to offset higher living costs. "Other changes to the welfare system, affecting couples with children in particular, have occurred and are likely to continue to occur in the future (e.g. Universal Credit). "If these policy changes do not take into account London's circumstances, the relative disincentive to take work in London (as compared to the rest of the country) could remain or become higher still." Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, said the high cost of living in the capital had been exacerbated by low pay. Recent research by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) suggested in six boroughs - Bexley, Newham, Merton, Harrow, Redbridge and Waltham Forest - the majority of female part-time workers earn less than the London living wage of Â£8.80 an hour. "London needs a better deal on childcare, improvements in the minimum wage and faster progress towards the Living Wage," Ms Buck said. A Mayor of London spokesman said: "The Mayor is looking at ways to work with employers to improve and increase the number of flexible and good quality paid jobs for women, particularly those with childcare responsibilities. "He has introduced a part-time Travelcard with Transport for London and plans to commission employment programmes focused on supporting parents who are out of work or in low

Summary: Women are finding it harder to work in London than the rest of the country because of the costs of transport and childcare, according to a report.


The submarine, one of the Russian navy's most advanced vessels, sank in the Barents Sea on 12 August, 2000 with the loss of all 118 people on board. An explosion of fuel from an old torpedo caused the disaster. Moscow's response to one of the greatest disasters in Russian naval history was widely criticised. Relatives and members of Russia's northern fleet are due to cast wreaths into the sea on Thursday in memory of the crew. Flags are being flown at half-mast at the headquarters of all Russia's naval fleets, and a ceremony and minute's silence was being held at Moscow's Central Army Museum. The initial response to the disaster in 2000 was shambolic, says the BBC's Richard Galpin. After radio contact was lost there was a still unexplained delay before a search and rescue mission was launched. Although the submarine was lying just 100m below the surface of the sea, attempts to locate it and reach it repeatedly failed. It was days before the authorities informed relatives that something was wrong and the then President, Vladimir Putin, initially remained on holiday. Russia eventually accepted international assistance, but when Norwegian divers opened the Kursk's hatch 10 days later they found the boat flooded and everyone dead. Many had died within seconds of the initial explosion, but others survived for several hours, a report found. Russian officials originally suggested the submarine may have collided with a foreign ship or with a stray mine. But it emerged that an explosion was caused by fuel that had leaked from a torpedo. This started a fire, which subsequently caused all ammunition on board to detonate. The boat was raised and the bodies recovered in 2001.

Summary: Ceremonies are being held in Russia and on board its naval vessels to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster.


Pamela Shimwell-Mayo, receives an MBE for services to Parkinson's and said she was "incredibly emotional". Financial expert Tim Cullen, 70, also receives an MBE for services to International Financial Management. Meanwhile, Judy Arnold, 67, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Cruse Bereavement Care. Mrs Shimwell-Mayo, whose late husband suffered with the disease for 30 years, has campaigned to raise awareness since 1989. The Isle of Man Parkinson's Disease Society Chairman said: "I am in shock. My husband Derek and my mother would have been so proud. "I can't wait to tell my daughters the news." Mr Cullen conceived and established the Small Countries' Financial Management Centre (SCFMC) in 2009. The initiative helps equip government officials from smaller developing countries with skills in financial regulation, public sector management, leadership and negotiation. The 70-year-old, who spent 21 years with the World Bank, said: "It has been enormously satisfying and we have achieved remarkable things on a shoestring budget. "I am absolutely delighted to be honoured, this programme has made a real difference." Since its formation the SCFMC has helped more than 100 people from about 30 countries. Mrs Arnold founded Cruse Bereavement Care in a friend's front room and has gone on to help hundreds of people. She said: "It is wonderful and completely out of the blue. This is testament to the organisation itself and all the people we have helped."

Summary: A founder member of the Isle of Man's Parkinson's Disease Society is one of three Manx residents recognised in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours list.


Scientists were able to locate the hotspots by matching the DNA fingerprint of seized ivory to DNA profiles from the dung of elephants living throughout the continent. Around 50,000 elephants are thought to be poached each year. The worst area for poaching was identified as Tanzania and nearby parts of Mozambique. The Tridom, which spans parts of Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Cameroon, was also highlighted. The researchers say the data, published in Science, may increase international pressure to stop the killing. This week, the US government hopes to send out a message against the illicit sale of elephant ivory by destroying one tonne of elephant ivory in New York's Times Square. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned the international trade in ivory in 1989, but a black market trade continues to thrive. Ivory is used for trinkets, souvenirs and also in traditional medicines. With an estimated population of less than half a million, the ongoing African poaching problem is rapidly driving the animal towards extinction, according to some conservationists. International efforts to try to stop the ivory pipeline focus on points of sale and tightening up controls at potential shipping routes. But, Dr Samuel Wasser, a conservation biologist from the University of Washington and lead researcher on the Science paper, thinks other measures might be more effective. "The source populations are where it all starts, and to be able to focus on the source populations, especially the major source populations, is very very effective at trying to target these killings," Dr Wasser told the BBC's Science in Action programme. In an effort to identify where illegal ivory was originating from, Dr Wasser and his team turned to genetic analysis. Elephants live in social groups, or herds. Animals living in one location are more genetically related to one another than they are to animals living elsewhere. So, by analysing the DNA sequence - particularly those stretches that reveal relatedness - from animals living across Africa, the researchers could build a geographical map of elephant genetic diversity. Elephants are large, wary and not easy to sample directly, but their dung provides an abundant source of the essential elephant blueprint; that tell-tale DNA. An analysis of dung samples from 1,500 individuals, each from a separate family group and living in different locations across Africa, resulted in a detailed DNA geographical map. As Dr Wasser explained, this allows them to pinpoint the source of illegal ivory: "We are very accurate. "Most importantly, areas are further apart than 300km so that, combined with knowing the natural history of the area - what parks are there and where the elephants live - it means you can get it to the precise park." Essential groundwork done, they were poised to analyse ivory to pinpoint its source, and there was no shortage of material to analyse. The team focussed on 28 seizures made between 1996 and 2014. "We analyse large animal seizures that are over half a tonne in weight, and that's important because these large seizures represent about

Summary: Most illegally poached African elephant ivory can be traced back to just two areas of Africa, research shows.


The visitors were closing in on three points thanks to Christian Nade's first-half penalty and a fine finish from Robert Thomson. But Martin Boyle's late effort - after Daniel Harvie scored an own goal and James Keatings had a penalty saved - earned Hibs a point. A mistake from goalkeeper Alan Martin handed Boyle the equaliser. It meant two lost points for Dumbarton, who fall behind Raith Rovers, into eighth spot after the Kirkcaldy side's win over Dundee United. Dumbarton looked extremely well organised at the back in the first half, with space for the Hibs strikers at a premium. And the visitors were awarded the chance to take a shock first-half lead when Marvin Bartley needlessly bundled Andy Stirling to the ground just inside the home team's 18-yard box. Former Hearts striker Christian Nade made no mistake in despatching the ball beyond goalkeeper Ofir Marciano. When the home side equalised through a Harvie own goal, few inside the ground would have expected anything else other than Hibs going on to secure a victory. However, Thomson restored the visitors' lead with a stunning shot from 22 yards out to give the travelling support hope their team could secure their first win at Easter Road in more than 30 years. Martin, on loan from Hamilton Academical, had an afternoon he is likely to remember for a long long time. He kept Hibs at bay with stunning saves from Keatings and Brian Graham. None better than the penalty stop from Keatings that denied Hibs an equaliser after they laid siege on the visitors' goal. However, only he knows what he was thinking about when he dropped the ball on the edge of his box, allowing Boyle to nod the ball into the empty net to salvage a point. If, or indeed when, Neil Lennon manages to get his Hibs side over the line and secure their place back at Scottish football's top table, he will have plenty to think about regarding who he should retain on the playing staff. With 10 draws in the league this season, the Easter Road side are far from the finished article and the inconsistency shown at times by many of his squad could lead them towards the exit door in the summer. With two huge games coming up in the next 10 days against their closest challengers, Falkirk and Greenock Morton, the league title could all but be in the bag. However, any slip ups and those two, under two of the shrewdest managers around, Peter Houston and Jim Duffy, will look to pounce. Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon: "I'm frustrated as we deserved to win the game. Ridiculous goals we are giving away. "Our attitude towards the game in the first half wasn't good enough. "This team has to be more consistent. I'm not scratching my head because I see it so often now. "We are at home, but the malaise sets in and they are not learning. "If they think they are going to get to the Premiership playing like that, they won't - and, if

Summary: Championship leaders Hibernian twice came from behind to salvage a draw at home to Dumbarton.


Jones, who led by three strokes heading into Sunday, dropped three shots in his first two holes and triple-bogeyed the ninth but rallied to end eight under. American Spieth, who missed an eagle putt on the last to force a play-off, carded a 71 to finish joint second. He was joined on seven under by Scott, who shot a superb six-under 65. The round of the day, though, came from another Australian, Rod Pampling, who made a 60-foot eagle putt on the 18th green for a course record 10-under 61 to earn him a fourth-place finish on six-under. This bettered the 63 Spieth carded in the final round to win the title last year. Despite the leader's poor start and two birdies of his own on the front nine, 22-year-old Spieth was unable to capitalise before Jones' two birdies on the back nine gave him the win. "That was very stressful, it wasn't comfortable out there for me," said Jones, whose victory earns him a place in next July's Open Championship at Royal Troon. "I've watched the Australian Open for many years and just to have my name on that trophy is something I'll never forget." Joining Jones at next year's 145th British Open Championship will be fellow Australians Pampling and Nick Cullen. Cullen shot a 68 in his final round to share fifth place and earn the third qualifying place. England's Lee Westwood carded his best round of the tournament - a two-under 69 - to finish tied for 18th on two under, while a 76 from Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke left him joint 30th on four over.

Summary: Matt Jones held off a challenge from world number one Jordan Spieth and fellow Australian Adam Scott to win the Australian Open by a shot.


Mladen Grujicic, who acknowledges the killings took place, won 54.4% of the vote, triggering alarm and calls for a recount among the Muslim population. Srebrenica was a Muslim-majority town before the war, but is now 55% Serb and 45% Bosniak (Muslim). The July 1995 slaughter has been deemed genocide by two international courts. Speaking to AFP before the vote, Mr Grujicic said "the crime against the Muslims took place" but like most Serbs refused to recognise it as genocide, saying: "I leave (it to) competent institutions to qualify it." Outgoing Muslim mayor Camil Durakovic refused to concede defeat, crying foul and pledging to lodge a complaint. But Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said their candidate won, adding that chemistry teacher Mr Grujicic would lead a politics of "reality in Srebrenica" and would respect everyone, Beta news agency reported. Hatidza Mehmedovic, who lost her husband and two sons and heads a survivors' organisation, said Mr Grujicic "could not run" the town "because his idols are war criminals such as Radovan Karadzic", the Serbs' political leader during Bosnia's brutal 1992-1995 civil war who is serving a 40-year jail term. "I do not fear for myself. They killed me a long time ago with my sons," she added. "But I do fear for the young ones who have children and who are trying to rebuild something in Srebrenica, first of all trust."

Summary: A man accused of not recognising the murders of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica as genocide has been elected the town's first Serb mayor since 1999.


A large wooden structure at Venture in Caia Park was destroyed by the blaze, which broke out at about 03:30 GMT on Wednesday. The main building was not affected and was operating as normal. North Wales Police and North Wales Fire Service are jointly investigating but the cause is unknown.

Summary: An investigation has been launched following a fire in the grounds of a youth centre in Wrexham.


Gerard Coyne, who is challenging Len McCluskey for the leadership of Unite, said his rival was "seeing plots all over the place". He said Unite should not be focusing on "the extreme politics of the left". Mr McCluskey claims a "cabal" of MPs are treating the leadership contest as a "proxy war" against Mr Corbyn. But speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Coyne, the union's West Midlands secretary, said: "Len is seeing plots all over the place and actually it is only him that has lost the plot in this election. "He is rattled, he can see it slipping away from him, and he is lashing out with allegations about involvement in this campaign." The battle for control of Unite, Labour's biggest donor, has become increasingly bitter, with insults and accusations traded between Mr McCluskey and Mr Coyne. Fujitsu rep Ian Allinson completes the three-way line-up, and voting ends on 19 April. Mr McCluskey is a key ally of Mr Corbyn, and has suggested the Labour leader should be given 15 months to turn around his party's performance in the polls. Mr Coyne said he would offer no such "shelf life", but added that he had not supported Mr Corbyn's bid for the leadership, saying: "I would prefer the Labour Party to be able to form the next government." On Sunday Mr McCluskey told the Observer Mr Coyne's campaign was being "run by a cabal of West Midlands MPs who are trying to abuse Unite's democracy by fighting a proxy war against Corbyn". He has also labelled his rival a "puppet" for the media and the "right wing of the Labour Party". Mr Allinson, who calls himself the "grassroots socialist" candidate, said the resources being spent on Mr McCluskey and Mr Coyne's campaigns should instead be spent on fighting for Unite members' jobs.

Summary: The man hoping to unseat the leader of the UK's largest trade union has dismissed claims he is part of a plot to undermine Jeremy Corbyn.


Businessman John Adams renamed Palleg golf club in Swansea the Celtic Minor to attract more members. But a spokesman for Celtic Manor warned they will fight "any attempt to take unfair advantage of their reputation". Celtic Minor said "there wasn't any issue" with the name change. Club manager Melanie Eaton said the name change "works in their favour." She added: "You put Celtic Manor into Google and there's the Celtic Minor popping up underneath it so there are advantages of having a similar name. "The club had been established a long time and initially the members didn't want a name change. But the response we get from most of them is brilliant. "The club was relatively run down when it was bought out and the new owner has spent a lot of money." The Celtic Minor golf course is 53 miles (85 km) away from the Celtic Manor, which is owned by billionaire Sir Terry Matthews. A Celtic Manor Resort spokesman said: "The Celtic Manor Resort would like to make it clear that Celtic Minor Golf Club has no affiliation with the Celtic Manor Resort or its three championship golf courses. "Celtic Manor is a registered trade mark of Celtic Manor Resort Limited (UK) and we reserve all our rights to protect our name from any attempts to take unfair advantage of our reputation or to exploit our goodwill in these services."

Summary: Bosses of the Celtic Manor, which hosted the Ryder Cup and the Nato summit, are threatening legal action against a village club changing its name to Celtic Minor.


The council said a decision would be made on the Princes Jetty location on Princes Parade after a feasibility study later this year. Plans for a terminal in the Cunard Building were scrapped in 2014, because of an estimated cost of up to Â£15m. The city last hosted regular transatlantic crossings in 1968. An existing terminal at Princes Parade is estimated to have generated Â£7m for the Liverpool economy last year, the council said. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: "The temporary cruise liner building has been a tremendous success and served us well, but a city of Liverpool's standing and ambition needs a permanent building if we are to continue the growth we've seen in recent years." He added the cost of any development at Princes Jetty would be offset by the passengers' economic impact. But he stressed there was "lots of work to do before we can give any scheme the green light". A council spokesman said there had been "a doubling in the number of vessels visiting Liverpool" - from 31 to 61 - since they were able to turn around in the city's waters in 2012. "Passenger numbers are up from 38,656 four years ago to an expected 86,365 this year." The council has commissioned a study "into the design and cost of constructing a terminal capable of handling 3,600 embarking and disembarking passengers with baggage - twice as many as the existing facility", he added. Cunard director Angus Struthers said it would examine if it could "incorporate Liverpool into Queen Mary 2's iconic transatlantic crossings" if the terminal plans are approved. Liverpool hosted the headquarters of Cunard from its launch in 1840 until the 1960s, when it moved to Southampton. A final decision is expected to be taken later this year.

Summary: Liverpool has identified the preferred site of a proposed permanent cruise terminal that could see transatlantic crossings return to the city.


Operations are due to resume early next week after a meeting between NHS bosses and other partners on Thursday night. Data suggested death rates there were double that of other centres, but experts have questioned their accuracy. However, the Department of Health (DoH) said the NHS was right to investigate safety at the unit. A spokesperson said: "We support NHS England and the trust in their decision to suspend surgery last week on the basis that there were serious concerns that needed to be investigated. "If the trust and the regulators are content that these concerns can now be explained or addressed then we would support a joint decision to resume surgery." Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said work would be done over the weekend to give "sufficient assurance" the unit is safe to reopen, early next week. Doctors and other medical experts said the data on death rates had not been verified and was not fit to base a decision to close the unit on. Mortality data and staffing are just two of the concerns being looked at as part of a review into why children's cardiac surgery at Leeds General Infirmary was suspended last Thursday. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS England and the Care Quality Commission have all been involved. The indication is that if the trust can provide strong assurances that heart surgery is safe, then the unit could reopen early next week. But discussions will continue over the weekend as part of the review, which is expected to last three weeks. If the unit does reopen, Leeds General Infirmary will have to reassure patients and families that safety of care is paramount. The NHS can ill afford another scandal after Mid Staffs. Yet Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will probably have the last say on the future of children's heart services, at Leeds and elsewhere. A separate independent review is set to report to him on the whole restructuring of children's heart services in England. But, Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of NHS England, said the figures were among a "constellation of reasons" the decision was made. He has been backed by health secretary Jeremy Hunt. A senior Westminster source has told the BBC that "as far as the secretary of state is concerned, Sir Bruce Keogh was right to ask questions about the safety of heart surgery at the unit". Parents had criticised the timing of the suspension of surgery at the unit, which came 24 hours after a High Court judge ruled that a decision-making process to close it as part of an England-wide reorganisation of services was "legally flawed". Stuart Andrew, the Conservative MP for Pudsey, called for "some really serious investigating" into the decision to suspend surgery. Mr Andrew claimed a review of the mortality figures showed "Leeds is within the average and is a safe unit to use". He said recent events raised questions about the NHS decision to close the Leeds unit for good and concentrate children's heart surgery in fewer centres. "We are losing faith in that review process," said

Summary: Children's heart surgery is set to restart at Leeds General Infirmary, a week after it was claimed data showed higher-than-usual death rates there.


Dean Carl Evans, 22, from Reading, died on 21 July during fighting in the city of Manbij, Kurdish reports suggest. His father, John, posted a statement on social media confirming the death and added: "He was loved and will be missed by all his family and friends". The Foreign Office is looking into reports of the death - the second involving a Briton fighting against IS. In a second post, Mr Evans, who lives in Oxford, said: "I would like to say a massive big thank you to all my friends and family who sent their condolence for the loss of my son. "He would have been very proud and would have regarded you all as his brothers and sisters, thank you again." Mr Evans was one of many foreign volunteers who joined the People's Defence Units (YPG) - the Kurdish military force fighting in northern Syria. Dean Carl Evans has become the second British man to die in the fight against IS with the Kurds in Syria. The first UK casualty, Erik 'Kosta' Scurfield, died during fighting to take back the strategic Til Hamis town in the Hasakah province in north-eastern Syria. Mr Evans died fighting for another strategic town, called Manbij, in north-western Syria. Kurdish YPG units were among forces which started an attack on Manbij, which has become the new epicentre of the fight against the IS Group in Syria, in April this year. Capturing Manbij from IS would cut the corridor between the town and the group's de-facto capital city, Raqqa, in central Syria. A UK-based pro-Kurdish activist, Mark Campbell, told the BBC Mr Evans had travelled to Syria in 2015 and again in March this year. He said his contacts near Manbij told him Mr Evans had been fighting on the frontline and sheltering behind a wall when he was fatally struck by a bullet. In a statement, the YPG described Mr Evans as a "man with the noblest of intentions who planted a seed of love into the hearts of [his] friends and all the peoples of Rojava [Western Kurdistan]". Jac Holmes, an IT worker who left the UK to join the fight against IS, posted a tribute to Mr Evans online. He said the pair had met twice, and described Mr Evans as a "great man" who had "moulded himself" into a soldier during his time in the Middle East. A number of well-wishers replied to John Evans' post on social media announcing his son's death. One user said: "Feel for you soldier. Sorry to hear your sad news John. My thoughts go to you and your family. RIP young man." Another added: "So so sorry to hear your sad news John. Keep strong and remember we're all here if you need someone to talk to." A statement from the Foreign Office said: "As all UK consular services [in Syria] are suspended, it is extremely difficult to confirm the status and whereabouts of British nationals in Syria." It said it had advised for some time against all travel to Syria. "Anyone who does travel to

Summary: A British man has reportedly died fighting with Kurdish forces against so-called Islamic State in Syria.


One officer was killed and 10 people injured as police and occupiers confronted each other. Locals occupied the mine and refused to leave until the miners paid them a "tribute". They allege that the mine lies on their ancestral lands and they should be compensated by those exploiting it. There are conflicting reports as to how police Sergeant Jose Luis Quispe died. A lawyer for the miners said he was pushed over a precipice by the squatters. But one of the squatters said the officer fell as he was fleeing the clashes. Other witnesses said Sgt Quispe lost his balance after the protesters threw an explosive device in his direction. Interior Minister Carlos Romero said his death would be investigated and those responsible would be punished harshly. One of the occupiers told local radio that the violence was triggered when more than 200 officers were sent to evict them. He warned that if the officers were not recalled, locals would block roads. He said that the miners had tried to convince locals of the benefits their work would bring to the community. But he insisted that locals wanted compensation from the mining co-operative. The government on Tuesday welcomed the release by the occupiers of four police officers they had been holding hostage since Monday.

Summary: Police in Bolivia have clashed with protesters they were trying to evict from a gold mine 200km (125 miles) north-west of the city of La Paz.


There have now been a total of 102 arrests since the match between Hibernian and Rangers at Hampden Park. Fans spilled onto the pitch after the final, which Hibernian won 3-2. The latest men arrested are aged 17, 18, 22, 32 and two men aged 23. Police Scotland confirmed a report would be submitted to the procurator fiscal. A dedicated email address has been set up for anyone with information. They can also contact Greater Glasgow CID on 0141 532 5457 or provide information anonymously via Crimestoppers.

Summary: A further six men have been arrested in connection with violence and disorder at the Scottish Cup Final in May.


The artist was arrested at Shannon Airport in November 2014 when she was taken off a flight from New York after an alleged air rage incident. As she was being detained, O'Riordan told officers that she was an "icon" and the "Queen of Limerick". Last December, she admitted three assaults and obstructing an officer. She was diagnosed as suffering bipolar disorder after the incident. Medical reports given to the court showed she had been suffering mania and was mentally ill when it happened. At Ennis District Court in County Clare on Wednesday, a judge said it would be unfair to impose a criminal conviction on O'Riordan. He accepted O'Riordan has no memory of the incident and had a "very severe medical illness which completely inhibited her judgment". "Let me be utterly clear that the defendant is not being treated any differently than anyone else," he said. The judge asked for the money to be paid to a charity that helps prisoners ahead of their release from jail. Originally from County Limerick, O'Riordan became a multi award-winning musician after first singing with the Cranberries when she was just 18. The band went on to become one of the biggest of the 1990s, selling tens of millions of records. Leaving the courthouse, O'Riordan said she was feeling "very positive about this coming year". She added: "I have a couple of albums coming out and I'm going to go back to work."

Summary: Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan has been ordered to give 6,000 euros (£4,690) to charity after head-butting an Irish police officer.


From September, NHS staff and council workers will be among those required to have language skills equivalent to GCSE grade C or above. Managers will have to test employees can "communicate effectively with the public". Cabinet minister Matt Hancock said it was to help control immigration. The new rules, which will form part of the government's immigration bill, will mean every public sector worker in a "customer-facing" role will have to be able to speak at least school-leaver levels of English. It will include police officers, social workers, teaching staff and assistants and council employees. The government wants the policy to be rolled out across England, Scotland and Wales and said it would be working with the Scottish and Welsh governments on the details of the plans. Each organisation will have to decide how to test their staff based on guidance in a code of practice, which the government will produce after a consultation starting in the autumn. Existing employees who are not fluent enough may be given time to improve. Doctors working in the UK are already required to have a much higher level of English and are tested by the General Medical Council. The risk of a healthcare professional not being fluent was highlighted by a mistake made by Dr Daniel Ubani, a German doctor who gave a lethal dose of a painkiller to patient David Gray in 2008. At the time, as a European citizen, he was able to register to work in the UK without passing a language test but rules were changed in June last year. Mr Hancock said: "We are controlling immigration for the benefit of all hard-working people. "We have already introduced tough new language requirements for migrants, now we will introduce new legislation in the forthcoming immigration bill to deliver the commitment made by the prime minister to go further."

Summary: People who do not speak fluent English will be barred from public sector jobs which involve working directly with the public, the government has said.


The line-up includes Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter and is best viewed from southern parts of the northern hemisphere. In Northern Ireland, astronomers say all five planets should come into view simultaneously by about 24 January. The Irish Astronomical Association said it will be a "sight not to be missed". However, successful planet spotting will depend on local weather conditions and the amount of cloud in the sky. Terry Moseley, a former president of the Irish Astronomical Association, said Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter are the only five planets that are ever visible from Earth with the naked eye, but it is rare to see all of them at once. He said that in the UK, the alignment would be visible in southern parts of England first and should come into view in Northern Ireland a few days later, as it lies further north. Mr Moseley added that four of the planets can be seen from Northern Ireland at the moment on clear nights, but added that "elusive little Mercury" is always the hardest to see because it is closest to the horizon. "Mercury will be easiest to see from about 28 January to 2 February, but you should start looking from about 24 January in case the skies are cloudy later," Mr Moseley advised skywatchers. "You should start looking from about 45 minutes before sunrise, and you'll need a good clear horizon to the south east," he added. "Venus will be by far the brightest, a brilliant beacon above the south east horizon. Look about a hand-span to the left of Venus, and slightly below it, to try to spot Mercury, which will be much fainter, and not easy to find in the twilight glow." The director of Armagh Observatory, Mark Bailey, said the last time such a view was visible was January 2005. He will be talking to schoolchildren in Tandragee library, County Armagh, on Thursday, explaining what to look out for. Skywatchers will have to distinguish the row of planets from some very bright stars. Mr Bailey said that one of the brightest stars in the sky - Arcturus - will also form part of the alignment view, along with another star, Spica, more or less vertically below it. Observatory staff have produced images showing the alignment on the morning of Friday 22, January, shortly before Mercury is expected to come into view. Mr Moseley added: "The group will be joined by the waning crescent moon from 1 February onwards, making an even more glorious sight." The pre-dawn sky show is best viewed from high ground, in places were there is little light pollution. "You need a good, dark view towards the southern horizon," Mr Bailey said. He suggested locations such as Divis mountain in Belfast; the Sperrins in counties Londonderry and Tyrone and Slieve Beagh near the border with County Monaghan. The alignment will be visible from some areas until 20 February, but both local astronomers advised that the window will be much shorter in Northern Ireland as Mercury will disappear from view several days earlier.

Summary: Skywatchers are about to get a rare chance to see five planets align in the night sky in a celestial show that has not been seen for more than a decade.


The host country beat South Africa by just two wickets at the match in Bristol. England will now face either Australia or India at Sunday's final at Lords Cricket Ground in London. Hopes will be high for England, who have only lost one match this competition and topped their table in the group stages.

Summary: England have made it through to the final of the Women's Cricket World Cup.


The 18 sketches are by artist Donald McGill who produced more than 12,000 original artworks for the postcard industry between 1904 and 1962. Along with a pun-filled caption, the pencil sketches include stamped approval by the censorship board. They sold for between £55 and £220 and fetched about £1,200 in total, auctioneers Moore Allen said. Described as the "king of the saucy postcard", McGill produced thousands of artworks and an estimated 200 million postcards were printed and sold. Often with a double, risqué meaning, one of his sketches shows a buxom blonde flashing her bloomers as she waters a flowerbed with a passing man saying: "I like her display of pinks, Fred!" Another features a red-faced policeman telling a curvy blonde driver with a broken taillight: "You've got no light behind, so I'm afraid I'll have to pinch you." But in the 1950s, McGill fell foul of a crackdown on the saucy postcard industry and was prosecuted and fined under the 1857 Obscene Publications Act. Many postcards were destroyed by their owners during the government crackdown.

Summary: Original bawdy sketches the basis of thousands of "saucy seaside" postcards have been auctioned in Gloucestershire.


Creditors fear they will not be paid, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said, adding the city is "basically broke". Court papers filed on Thursday night listed 100,000 entities as creditors to the city. But unions have described the bankruptcy filing as a power grab. Detroit, once a symbol of US industrial power, has faced decades of decline. It is seeking protection from creditors who include public-sector workers and their pension funds. Detroit's problems stem from declining industry. Public services are nearing collapse and about 70,000 properties lie abandoned. Mayor Dave Bing has vowed that public services will keep running and wages for public workers will be paid. Mr Snyder said in a televised statement on Friday morning: "Currently those creditors have a situation where they don't know what they'll get paid, and whether they'll get paid at all." "The growth of Detroit is critically important for all of us," he said. "Let's Detroit on the path to being a great city again." By Jonny DymondWashington correspondent Detroit's fall is complete. It is a depressing, if inevitable, end to a grotesque saga of decline, corruption and mismanagement. The irony is that the bankruptcy comes just as the private sector is picking up in Motor City. There is a buzz downtown, with commercial and residential occupancy at record levels. But public services are in a state of near collapse. Around 70,000 properties lie abandoned. Great swathes of the city need to be written off. For some, the announcement will come as some kind of relief. When I was last there business leaders told me that some kind of decision had to be taken about the city's future - that agonising limbo was unsustainable. The problem now is not just image. Bankruptcy looks bad. But Detroit is already a poster child for urban failure. Nor is it just about being locked out of capital markets - few would lend to the city anyway. But bankruptcy could take years to sort out, when Detroit's real world problems need urgent remedies. In pictures: Detroit bankruptcy "Today is a major step to getting on that path," the governor added. On Thursday, Michigan state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr asked a federal judge to place the city into bankruptcy protection. If it is approved, he would be allowed to liquidate city assets to satisfy creditors and pensions. Detroit - known as Motor City for its once-thriving automobile industry - stopped unsecured-debt payments last month to keep the city running, as Mr Orr negotiated with creditors. He proposed a deal last month in which creditors would accept 10 cents for every dollar they were owed. But two pension funds representing retired city workers resisted the plan. Thursday's bankruptcy filing comes days ahead of a hearing that would have tried to stop the city from making such a move. Mr Orr suggested at the time there was a 50-50 chance of the city needing to file for bankruptcy. He also said the city's long-term debt could be as high as $20bn. At a press briefing on Thursday, Mr Orr said filing for bankruptcy

Summary: Detroit may be gearing up for a battle with creditors the day after it became the largest US city ever to file for bankruptcy, with $18bn (£12bn) of debt.


The shooting of Philando Castile last year made international headlines after his girlfriend broadcast the aftermath live on Facebook. A civil lawsuit for wrongful death has concluded with the news that Valerie Castile, his mother, will receive the money from the city of St Anthony. The Hispanic police officer who shot him was acquitted of manslaughter. Mr Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was stopped by police last July and the encounter began cordially. Police officer Jeronimo Yanez informed him his brake light was out and asked for his insurance and licence. But when Mr Castile politely told the officer about the gun he was legally carrying, things became tense and seconds later the officer opened fire, after shouting "Don't reach for it!" Last week, the family of a black man shot in Ferguson, Missouri, reached a $1.5m settlement over his death, which sparked riots and a national debate about police use of lethal force against African Americans.

Summary: The family of a black driver killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota will receive $3m (Â£2.4m).