This follows reports that some restaurant chains are regularly holding back some or all of the tips meant for their staff. The investigation will consider whether there should be a cap on the proportion of tips businesses can withhold. Trade union Unite opposes this, however, saying it would be "impossible to enforce". Mr Javid has ordered a formal call for evidence which will end in November. The investigation will look at how tips left by customers are handled after recent reports found that a proportion of tips at some restaurants were being spent on administrative costs. There is a voluntary code of practice but restaurants can adopt their own systems. Unite officer Dave Turnbull said the union was pleased that "the government has woken up to this scandal" but an effective solution needed "careful consideration". "Capping admin fees will simply legitimise the underhand practice of restaurants taking a slice of staff tips and be near enough impossible to enforce," he said. "Rather than tinkering around the edges, Sajid Javid should be looking to scrap what is effectively a tax by restaurant bosses on money meant for the pockets of hardworking staff." Mr Javid said the government wanted a "fair deal" on pay for working people and that this included "taking action on tipping abuse". "I'm concerned about recent reports, suggesting some restaurants pocket tips for themselves. That's just not right," he said. "I've ordered an immediate investigation to look at the evidence and consider the views of employees, customers and the industry to see how we can deal with the abuse of tipping." Analysis by BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam Restaurants have the highest corporate mortality rate. They pop up and disappear from our high streets with daffodil-like regularity. That's because consumer tastes can change rapidly but also because profit margins are often very low. Add in high rents and staff costs in Britain's largest cities and restaurants will say they need to maximise every source of income to stay afloat. But consumers tend to side with waiting staff when it comes to tips. They assume staff will see most, if not all of them - especially if customers have been asked to pay an 'optional' service charge of at least 10% on their bill. Adding tips to the existing code of practice among restaurants (which is voluntary anyway) may be the solution. But it may be tough to police. Most waiting staff are either young or foreign - meaning they don't know the law and don't wish to upset their employers. As part of the investigation information and views from the hospitality industry and other key stakeholders will be sought. This will help the government decide if ministers need to intervene to strengthen the voluntary code of practice. Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said the body "would welcome dialogue with the business secretary on the matter of tipping and the industry code of conduct." Most chains use a "tronc" system, where all the tips are collected together and distributed evenly through the staff, usually with around 70%

Summary: Business Secretary Sajid Javid has ordered an investigation into the "abuse" of tipping in restaurants.


In March, the Gulf state said that those without papers would not be arrested if they left within 90 days. The deadline was extended by another month, but so far only 60,000 out of an estimated 400,000 Ethiopians have left, the Ethiopian government says. Ethiopians make up a large portion of the kingdom's undocumented workers. All those without papers now face imprisonment or forced deportation. Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories Ethiopia's Communications Minister Negeri Lencho told the BBC he feared what could now happen to his compatriots who were still in Saudi Arabia, adding they must return "with a sense of urgency". "They will be imprisoned and we don't want our citizens to face unnecessary imprisonment, or suffer any physical harm or humiliation," Mr Lencho said. One of those who returned is 28-year-old domestic worker Nura Ahmed. "Life was really tough," she told the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza just after she arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. "Sometimes I was jobless because I did not have the proper documentation, so I had no freedom to move around. "One can never be at peace there," she added. In 2013, a number of Ethiopians died in clashes with Saudi police as they were being rounded up for deportation. Saudi Arabia attracts migrant workers from around the world, particularly Africa, and south and south-east Asia. Saudi authorities estimate that up to one million people are working in the country illegally. So far, tens of thousands of people of different nationalities have taken advantage of the grace period and have either left or acquired correct papers.

Summary: Ethiopia says that only a fraction of its citizens working illegally in Saudi Arabia have returned home before today's amnesty deadline.


Billy Mankelow was found in a railway arch, on Swinegate near Commercial Garages, at 03:20 BST on Saturday. Police said he had been assaulted. The 20-year-old from Tonbridge, Kent had surgery but died on Sunday. A 31-year-old man from Leeds has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held in police custody. Det Insp Mick Jackson, of British Transport Police, said Mr Mankelow had been living in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. He added: "Our thoughts are with Billy's family at this difficult time."

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 20-year-old found with severe head injuries near Leeds railway station.


The 21-year-old will finalise a £31m move to Old Trafford when the transfer window opens in June. Depay made his final appearance for PSV on Sunday, playing 83 minutes of their 3-2 victory at Den Haag. He finished the season as Eredivisie's top scorer with 22 goals as PSV secured their first Dutch title since 2008.

Summary: PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay has completed a medical at Manchester United.


DM Awasthi, the chief of the state's anti-Maoist force, told the AFP news agency that the clash took place near Bijapur district. The region has seen a long-running insurgency by Maoists. The rebels killed 24 troops last month. The Maoists say they are fighting for communist rule and greater rights for tribal people and the rural poor. Profile: India's Maoist rebels India Maoist rebels kill 24 policemen Some media reports said the rebels had been killed in two different operations. The police, however, did not give clear details about the exact timing of the operation. The violence comes against the backdrop of India's government promising to take strong action against the rebels after last month's attack. The rebels are active in several eastern and central states of India. They routinely target Indian security forces. In 2010 they killed 74 policemen in Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh in one of their most deadly attacks.

Summary: Police in India say they have killed 16 Maoist rebels in the central state of Chhattisgarh.


At the same time though, they realise the Belgian jihadist's whereabouts was just one strand in a complex and evolving investigation being pursued under the enormous pressure created by the knowledge that their enemy may launch murderous follow-on attacks at any moment. On Wednesday evening, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins caused consternation when he revealed that "a new cell was neutralised" during the bloody raid of a flat in Saint Denis and that "this team would have been able to carry on other attacks". Suddenly we realised this was not those who'd escaped Friday's atrocities and that even if Abaaoud was proven to have been there, it was a different cell, heavily armed, that according to some official briefings was about to perpetrate a massacre in the financial district of La Defense. So we have received a salutary reminder that the journalistic narratives of an "eighth man" or an "escaped mastermind" often get in the way of understanding what is happening in a case like this. It might be done with integrity (based on official sources leaking information for their own reasons) or it might be no more than a social media echo chamber where some speculation soon becomes a "fact" bemused investigators are then quizzed about. Their inability to answer some of these questions might be seen as suspicious, whereas in fact it is no more than puzzlement. The question of how many people the authorities are looking for is in itself a complex one because the number is being added to all the time. When Mr Molins revealed on Wednesday, for example, that one of Friday's Stade de France attackers and one of the Bataclan theatre killers remained unidentified, it indicated a certainty that once those identities had been established it would generate additional lines of inquiry, raids and quite probably arrests. There have been so many of these police swoops - several hundred since Friday - that one has to ask whether they are simply taking this opportunity to bring in all sorts of jihadist suspects or whether the list of people they are looking for is much larger than we might suppose. After all, there are all manner of enablers or supporters who may be questioned for helping jihadist cells or simply complicit by their failure to report certain facts, even if they didn't have a direct role in the attack. Fanning the flames of uncertainty to achieve maximum effect, the Islamic State (IS) group on Thursday released two videos promising more attacks. "Christian countries," one speaker warned, "suicide bombers are present in your country in their tens, or rather in their hundreds." While one might dismiss this as mere propaganda, it's clear there are hundreds of returned jihadists in Western Europe, even if relatively few of them would be prepared to carry out an IS "martyrdom operation". Returning to the central issue of the 13 November perpetrators and their immediate network, there are reasons for believing it is considerably bigger than the eight men who carried out the attack. The day after these atrocities, the Iraqi government revealed

Summary: News that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, believed to be the ringleader of the Paris attacks, had died during a French police raid came as a welcome win for investigators.


Ex-Wales striker John Hartson is concerned that the risk of injury is too great with the tournament less than a week away. Coleman's team start their Euro 2016 campaign against Slovakia six days after their Stockholm visit, and already have several injury concerns. "I don't think he'll take many chances with his big players," Hartson said. "Chris has to be slightly cautious because there's only six days after Sunday until Wales open against Slovakia." Hartson, who scored 14 goals in 51 Wales appearances, thinks that short turnaround could lead to Coleman resting Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale among others. The world's most expensive player was last in action when he helped club side Real Madrid to win their 11th Champions League title. "He might not play the likes of Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and Ashley Williams," added Hartson. "Bale might have 10-15 minutes to shake off the cobwebs near the end maybe. I just don't think we can risk him. "It's very close, but I don't think we can risk our big players." Bale joined up with the Wales squad this week after his Champions League involvement. After playing Slovakia, Wales face England in Lens on 16 June and Russia in Toulouse on 20 June. Coleman's team is the first from Wales to qualify for the finals of a major international tournament since the 1958 World Cup. The manager has already selected Crystal Palace's Joe Ledley who broke a bone in a leg less than a month ago. Joe Allen and Hal Robson-Kanu are also likely to miss the Sweden clash. "Chris has to be careful with injuries," added Hartson. "The last thing he wants is any more injuries to deal with. He needs to make sure everyone is fit and well to play that first game in France."

Summary: Wales manager Chris Coleman has been urged to rest his star men in Wales' final warm-up game before the Euros.


He appeared before 15,000 activists in Jackson, Mississippi, being introduced by and sharing the stage with Mr Trump. And he said the party could "beat the pollsters" in the presidential race. Mr Trump, who is trailing his rival Hillary Clinton in the opinion polls, backed the UK's exit from the EU. In a tweet last week, Mr Trump said: "They will soon be calling me Mr Brexit." Mr Trump introduced Mr Farage as the man who "brilliantly" led the UK Independence Party's campaign to secure a vote on the future of the UK's 40-year membership of the European Union. Mr Farage began his address by saying he had a "message of hope and optimism" for the Republican Party. He drew on parallels between Mr Trump's bid for the White House and that of the Brexit campaign's "people's army of ordinary citizens", which he said engaged successfully with the public prior to the UK's referendum vote on whether to leave the EU. He told those gathered: "If you want change in this country, you better get your walking boots on, you better get out there campaigning. "And remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment." Mr Farage also said the Republican campaign represented a "fantastic opportunity". He added: "You can beat the pollsters, you can beat the commentators, you can beat Washington." Mr Farage, who attended the Republican convention in Cleveland last month, had previously said he would not "fall into the trap" of personally endorsing Mr Trump in his quest to reach the White House. However, during his rally appearance he said that if he were an American, he would not vote for Mrs Clinton "even if you paid me". By Gavin Hewitt, in Jackson, Mississippi Donald Trump showered Nigel Farage with praise as the leader who had helped Britain regain control of its borders. The two men shook hands and then Mr Farage spoke for 10 minutes. He was greeted with strong applause. He said there were parallels between Brexit and what was happening in the US - little people let down by global corporations. "We made June 23 our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment", he told a crowd waving "make America great again" placards. From the side of the stage Mr Trump smiled and clapped. Mr Farage spoke about when President Obama came to the UK and urged voters to remain in the EU. "He talked down to us," he said, "he treated us as nothing." Mr Farage said "I can't possibly tell you how you should vote", but added he would not vote for Hillary Clinton "if you paid me". It was not an endorsement but it came close. The UKIP leader earlier told local radio in the state that the similarities between Brexit and the US election were "uncanny". Speaking on Super Talk Radio in the US state, Mr Farage said he had been part of a "political revolution" in the UK and there were the makings of a similar movement in the US. He compared the federal

Summary: Outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage has urged Republicans to "get your walking boots on" and drum up support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.


Mr Farron was quoted in the Mail on Sunday suggesting that the Lib Dem brand would be tainted for a generation by governing with the Conservatives. Lord Ashdown said: "Tim's a very able guy but at the moment judgement is not his strong suit." He was asked about Mr Farron's comments on Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics. The Lib Dem election campaign chief, and former leader, went on to say: "I know Tim very well. He is a great campaigner, a good friend of mine. I think his well-known ambitions would probably be better served with a little more patience and a little more judgement." Mr Farron was quoted as saying: "In 2010, many people said: I am not voting for you because of the Lib Lab pact (in the 1970s) when I was seven years old. Just think what going into coalition with the Tories will do to our brand over the next generation." The Lib Dems insist that was not a new quote.

Summary: Lord Ashdown has said Tim Farron - one of the frontrunners to be a future Liberal Democrat leader - lacks judgement.


The 31-year-old, who joined the Reds in 2014, has the option to extend his stay at the West Sussex club by a further year as part of the deal. Harrold scored nine goals in 39 appearances last season. "I know what he can bring. He can handle himself physically but his touch and positional play is excellent," Crawley head coach Dermot Drummy said.

Summary: Crawley Town striker Matt Harrold has signed a new one-year contract with the League Two club.


A "limited number" of European shops would also close, the San-Francisco-based company said in a statement. In addition, Gap will also cut about 250 jobs from its head office. It has been struggling with falling sales as it competes with the likes of Europe's H&M and Zara. Like-for-like sales for the Gap brand fell by 15% in April, compared with a 3% rise in the same month last year. Chief executive Art Peck said: "Returning Gap brand to growth has been the top priority since my appointment four months ago." "Customers are rapidly changing how they shop today, and these moves will help get Gap back to where we know it deserves to be in the eyes of consumers," he added. The store closures will mean a loss of sales worth about $300m, Gap said, with one-off costs expected to be between $140m to $160m. It did not say how many employees would be laid off as a result.

Summary: The retailer Gap is to close 175 stores across North America over the next few years as it attempts to turn around the business.


The body of Alice, 14, was found in the River Brent in west London on 30 September after she went missing a month earlier. The corpse of Latvian builder Zalkalns was found less than two miles away in Boston Manor Park, on 4 October. The Met Police has told the Crown Prosecution Service it thinks Zalkalns was responsible for Alice's murder. At a briefing, the force released the evidence it had compiled against him, including CCTV and items recovered. Alice's disappearance sparked what the Met said was its largest inquiry since the 7/7 bombings in 2005. A statement from her family said they had "serious unanswered questions" about "what the authorities knew or should have known" about Zalkalns "when he came to the UK". "Alice believed in the free movement of people and so do we," the statement added. "For her sake we are determined to ask these questions responsibly and sensitively." At the briefing, Det Ch Insp Andy Chalmers said: "Boy, do I wish we'd found her earlier." Zalkalns, who was working as a labourer on a building site in Isleworth, had been convicted of murdering his wife in Latvia in 1998. Police said they believe there was a "sexual motive" to Alice's murder although there is no evidence of that. The CPS said its case would have been based on circumstantial evidence, not forensic or eyewitness evidence. Tim Thompson, CPS prosecutor said: "Of all the people the various strands of evidence might have implicated they in fact point towards Arnis Zalkalns: a person who has previously killed and concealed the body of a young woman. "It is not for the CPS to say whether or not Arnis Zalkalns killed Alice Gross - that would have been for a jury to decide." They added a single DNA sample from Alice's skin "strongly supports" a match to Zalkalns. Officers have said no-one else was involved in Zalkalns' death. He was found hanged. Post mortem tests suggested the cause of of Alice's death was "compressive asphyxia". Following the police briefing, Alice's family said: "Although we now have certain information about how Alice died, we are still left with some serious unanswered questions about what the authorities knew or should have known about the man who is believed to have killed our daughter when he came to the UK." The inquest into Alice's death was due to resume on Thursday but has been postponed. Other key points that have emerged from police at a press briefing: Scotland Yard also spoke about Zalkalns' criminal history. Following his conviction for murdering his wife in Latvia, he was released from prison in 2005 and arrived legally in the UK in 2007, police said. In 2009, he was arrested over an alleged indecent assault on 14-year-old girl near to the Grand Union Canal in Boston Manor. Police said the allegation was "thoroughly investigated" but the complainant decided not to press charges. No checks were made to see if Zalkalns had any overseas convictions because it was not Met policy to do so, the force said. However, detectives said

Summary: Charges would have been brought against Alice Gross murder suspect Arnis Zalkalns if he had lived, police say.


New Zealand, who set a new record in the professional era by winning all 14 of their Tests in 2013, won team of the year for the seventh time. And Steven Hansen was named coach of the year for the second time in a row. "This is fantastic recognition of a very special team," said New Zealand Rugby chairman Mike Eagle. Kieran Read is the third New Zealander to win the IRB world player of the year award. Dan Carter triumphed in 2005 and 2012, while Richie McCaw won the award in 2006. 2009 and 2010 "We are very proud of what Steve, Kieran and the team have achieved in 2013 as they have worked hard to be the best." Read, 28, who has played 61 Tests for New Zealand, was chosen ahead of countryman Ben Smith, Wales' Leigh Halfpenny, South Africa's Eben Etzebeth and Italy's Sergio Parisse. He is the third New Zealander to win the award, following Dan Carter in 2005 and 2012 and Richie McCaw in 2006, 2009 and 2010. "I'd like to congratulate Kieran on his award as it is well deserved," said Hansen. "He has been outstanding and has been a major contributor all season. It's been a big year and I'm incredibly proud of what the boys have achieved. "It's certainly special to have the All Blacks named for all three awards so it's important that we thank and acknowledge all those behind the team." The winners of the three awards were picked by a panel chaired by Australia's 1999 World-Cup winning captain John Eales and made up of Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphael Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga and Paul Wallace. New Zealand's 14th win of 2013 came against Ireland late last month as they secured victory with a converted injury-time try to edge the autumn international 24-22.

Summary: New Zealand number eight Kieran Read has been named world player of the year as the All Blacks dominated the International Rugby Board awards.


Arteta, 34, joined the club in 2011 and made 150 appearances, scoring 17 goals. Rosicky, 35, signed in 2006 and was given an award for 246 appearances and 10 years of service before the Gunners' final-day win over Aston Villa. Manager Arsene Wenger described the pair as "two exceptional players and influences in the dressing room". Media playback is not supported on this device Spaniard Arteta and Rosicky of the Czech Republic leave Arsenal with two FA Cup medals, won in 2014 and 2015. Arteta, who signed from Everton for £10m, thought he had scored on his farewell but his late strike in the 4-0 win over Villa on Sunday was given as a Mark Bunn own goal. He was then seen crying after the final whistle. In his match programme notes, Arteta said that failing to win the Premier League was "not good enough for this club". Tottenham's 5-1 defeat by Newcastle meant the Gunners leapfrogged their north London rivals to finish second in the table, but they have not won the title since 2004.

Summary: Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta and fellow midfielder Tomas Rosicky will leave the Premier League club when their contracts expire this summer.


The 49-year-old Colorado native, whose legal pedigree includes Harvard and Oxford, would succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia if confirmed. He is favoured by many conservatives who consider him to espouse a similarly strict interpretation of law as Scalia. Judge Gorsuch was first nominated to the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals by former President George W Bush in 2006. Judge Gorsuch began his law career clerking for Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy, the latter of whom he could now serve alongside. He worked in a private law practice in Washington for a decade and served as the principal deputy assistant associate attorney general at the Justice Department under the Bush administration. Judge Gorsuch graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where former President Barack Obama was a classmate, and earned a doctorate in legal philosophy at Oxford University. Perhaps it was during his time in England that he accumulated what his former law partner, Mark Hansen, has said was "an inexhaustible store" of Winston Churchill quotes. Judge Gorsuch - who reportedly likes to fly-fish and hunt - lives in Boulder with his wife Louise and two daughters, where he is also an adjunct law professor at the University of Colorado. If confirmed by the Senate, he would become the only Protestant on the current bench. The other justices are Jewish and Catholic. His family is well-connected in Republican establishment politics. His mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, was the first female director of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Reagan administration. He is known for his clear and concise writing style, navigating the most complex legal issues as deftly as the double-black diamond slopes on which he is reputedly an expert skier in the snow-capped mountain state he calls home. Judge Gorsuch's published writings reveal his conservative leanings. He argued against euthanasia in his 2006 book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. "All human beings are intrinsically valuable and the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong," he wrote. In a 2005 article in the National Review, Judge Gorsuch argued that "American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom". He said they keep "relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda". Judge Gorsuch has never ruled on abortion, and he is not expected to call into question high-profile rulings on that issue or gay marriage. His conservative outlook cements Mr Trump's campaign promise to nominate a judge "in the mould" of Justice Scalia, restoring the nine-seat high court's 5-4 conservative majority. Much like the late Scalia, the Ivy-League educated judge is known to support textualism, or the interpretation of law according to its plain text. He also maintains a strict interpretation of the US Constitution, or how it was originally understood by the Founding Fathers. While sitting on the bench of the 10th Circuit, Judge Gorsuch sided with groups that successfully challenged the Obama administration's requirements for employers to provide health insurance that includes contraception in the Hobby Lobby Stores

Summary: President Trump's Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch, is the youngest such nominee in a quarter of a century.


The 27-year-old, who came through City's academy, left for Reading in 2006 after making 15 appearances. Golbourne, who joined Wolves in August 2013 and played 92 times for Wanderers, would have been out of contract at Molineux at the end of the season. "Scott is a Bristol lad and that's important to us," said interim manager John Pemberton. "He has been here before, he's athletic and someone we need for this football club." The left-back joins new loan signings Lee Tomlin, Alex Pearce and Ben Gladwin at Ashton Gate. Colchester United manager Kevin Keen has also confirmed to BBC Essex that the League One club have rejected another offer for midfielder Alex Gilbey from City. Last week Keen said the U's received a "joke bid" for the 21-year-old. Meanwhile, right-back Luke Ayling is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his cartilage. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Bristol City have re-signed former defender Scott Golbourne from Wolves on a two-and-a-half year deal.


Blackwell, 25, was taken to hospital after Saturday's British middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank Jr was stopped in round 10. He suffered a small bleed on the brain but has not required surgery. "I'm told the vital signs are good and doctors are cautiously optimistic," Costello told BBC Radio 5 live. Blackwell is heavily sedated, but doctors are gradually reducing the amount of drugs over the next two to three days. "There are no major issues within the context of his condition," added Costello. Towards the end of the fight, Eubank's father - former world champion Chris Eubank Sr - told his son to punch Blackwell's body rather than his face. The ringside doctor then halted the fight in round 10 because Blackwell's left eye was swollen shut. He was taken from the ring on a stretcher while being given oxygen. Eubank Sr later told BBC Sport he would have stopped the fight had his son been in the same situation, while Eubank Jr said he eased off in the final round and that referee Victor Loughlin should have ended the bout sooner. However, Eubank Jr's trainer Ronnie Davies disagreed and said both Loughlin and Blackwell's corner were right not to pull him out of a "title fight". The British Boxing Board of Control said it is satisfied with the way the fight was handled and respected trainer Adam Booth told BBC Radio 5 live that Loughlin had "acted immaculately". Meanwhile, boxing promoter and former world champion Barry McGuigan said it was an "isolated incident" and "nobody was to blame".

Summary: Nick Blackwell's family expect the boxer to wake from his induced coma in the next 48 to 72 hours, reports BBC boxing correspondent Mike Costello.


The distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack was aimed at the website of industry expert Brian Krebs. At its peak, the attack aimed 620 gigabits of data a second at the site. Text found in attack data packets suggested it was mounted to protest against Mr Krebs' work to uncover who was behind a prolific DDoS attack. In a blogpost, Mr Krebs detailed the attack, which began late on Tuesday night and quickly ramped up to its peak attack rate. DDoS attacks are typically carried out to knock a site offline - but Mr Krebs' site stayed online thanks to work by security engineers, who said the amount of data used was nearly twice the size of the largest attack they had ever seen. "It was among the biggest assaults the internet has ever witnessed," added Mr Krebs. Security firm Akamai said the attack generated such a huge volume of data by exploiting weak or default passwords in widely used net-connected cameras, routers and digital video recorders. Once in control of these "smart" devices the attackers used them to swamp the site with data requests. "These new internet-accessible devices can bring great benefits, but they are also an increasingly easy and lucrative targets for cybercriminals," said Nick Shaw from security firm Symantec. The security firm has carried out research which shows swift growth in the number of malware families scouring the net for vulnerable devices. Typically, said Mr Shaw, malicious hackers who take over gadgets are not interested in stealing personal data. "Cybercriminals are interested in cheap bandwidth to enable bigger attacks," he said. Mr Krebs speculated that the attack could have been prompted by an article he published, in early September, that named two young men allegedly associated with a service called vDos that carried out DDoS attacks for cash. Soon after the article was published, Israeli police arrested the two men named by Mr Krebs. Released on bail, the pair were barred from using the net for 30 days. Buried inside many of the data packets despatched towards Mr Krebs' site was text calling for the release of one of the men named in that article. "I can't say for sure, but it seems likely (to be) related," said Mr Krebs.

Summary: One of the biggest web attacks ever seen has been aimed at a security blogger after he exposed hackers who carry out such attacks for cash.


To others, Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) - or Alternative for Germany - is a dangerous populist force, whipping up anti-foreigner feeling, and giving right-wing extremist ideology a respectable face. Either way, few are indifferent to Germany's new anti-euro party. It was founded last year as a protest against German-backed EU bailouts for poorer Southern Europe. The AfD originally catered to some German taxpayers fed up with paying for what they saw as the irresponsible behaviour of southern Europeans living beyond their means. But it has now become the first anti-euro party to win seats in a German regional parliament, receiving almost 10% of the vote in the eastern German state of Saxony, taking even the party's bosses by surprise. "Astonishing results," Frauke Petry, one of the party's leaders, told journalists in Berlin on Monday. The 39-year-old mother-of-four is a former chemist. As the face of the party, she is meant to shake off its grumpy-old-man image, campaigning heavily on education and family issues. That agenda counters allegations that the AfD is simply a more respectable, lighter version of the far-right NPD, which is no longer represented in Saxony's parliament. But Ms Petry has big ambitions, giving a clear warning to Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing Christian Democrats (CDU), who have ruled out entering into government with the AfD - both in Saxony now, and nationally in the future. "The CDU will lose out if they refuse to talk to us," she said. The danger for Angela Merkel is not that the AfD poses a threat as a rival for national or even regional government. Rather it is that Germany's right will be splintered - much as, over the past decade, the far-left Linke party has chipped away at support for the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). By focusing on traditional conservative ideas, such as law and order, tougher border controls, and the importance of the traditional family model, the AfD is managing now to attract voters who feel that Mrs Merkel's government is betraying those values. Mrs Merkel's pragmatic approach, to appeal to as many voters as possible, has pulled her CDU party closer to the centre. And governing with the SPD means compromise. So the AfD aims to scoop up voters who want a tougher approach to the EU and immigration - much as the Eurosceptic party UKIP does in Britain. But there the similarity ends. In Britain, UKIP can make statements about Europe which in pro-EU Germany would lead to pariah status. However, in Germany, comments by some AfD candidates on abortion or homosexuality would be deemed unacceptable in mainstream British society. And AfD leaders bristle if they are described as Eurosceptic, keen to underline they are anti-euro, not anti-EU. So, in the European Parliament, the AfD is actually in the same grouping as the UK Conservatives, not with UKIP. Commentators often see more parallels between the AfD and the socially conservative American Tea Party, than with UKIP. "We have arrived on the political scene," announced AfD leader and co-founder Bernd Lucke, an economist who has taken time off from his career

Summary: To some, it is a party that speaks up for the people, challenging Germany's pro-European political establishment, and tackling tough issues which other parties are afraid to mention.


Quoting banking officials, the agency said the gang behind the raid used stolen credentials to make requests to transfer cash look legitimate. If all the requests had gone unchallenged, the gang would have got away with about $1bn. However, the transfers were stopped when the volume of requests raised suspicions at other banks. The computer hackers behind the breach are believed to have got away with about $80m - one of the largest known bank robberies in history. To commit the attack, which took place about a month ago, the gang spent time studying the internal processes of Bangladesh's central bank so they could convincingly pose as officials when requesting the transfers. However, said Reuters, the sheer number of transactions and a spelling mistake helped alert bank staff to the theft. The spelling mistake in the name of one recipient of funds led Deutsche Bank, which was helping route the cash, to ask for clarification from the central bank, which then stopped the transaction. Around the same time, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York had alerted the Bangladesh central bank to a series of suspicious requests to transfer money. The requests are believed to have been flagged because they were to private accounts rather than other banks and because there were so many of them. If all the transfer requests had been fulfilled, the thieves would have got away with about $950m. The $80m the hackers did steal ended up in accounts in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, said Reuters. The central bank has started proceedings to recover the cash. Bangladesh's government has publicly blamed the New York Fed for not spotting the suspicious transactions earlier. Earlier this week Bangladesh's Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said it might launch legal action against the US body to help recover the money. "The Fed must take responsibility," he said. The New York Fed said its system had not been breached by the hackers and added that it was working with Bangladesh's central bank to investigate what happened. Security and forensics firm Mandiant is also helping the Bangladeshi investigation into the theft.

Summary: Cyberthieves who targeted Bangladesh's central bank tried to get away with $1bn (Â£700m), reports Reuters.


Media playback is not supported on this device Gabbiadini scored twice to bring Saints level at 2-2, but had what would have been the opener incorrectly ruled out. "Gabbiadini's first was a good goal, it should have stood. He scored three good goals," Puel said. "It's a lot of disappointment. We deserved better," the Frenchman added. "I would like the video for the future for this situation, but at the moment we are without. Sometimes there is a bad decision against us, it is important to accept this. "The memories are always for the winner. It's football and congratulations for Manchester. I'm proud of my players because we played very well." Zlatan Ibrahimovic collected the 32nd trophy of his career after heading an 87th-minute winner at Wembley on Sunday, having earlier given United the lead with a brilliant 19th-minute free-kick. Jesse Lingard put United 2-0 in front before Gabbiadini struck twice - his fourth and fifth goals in three games since joining from Napoli for £14m. "Puel has reason to be really sad and disappointed because he did fantastic work and his team deserved extra time,'' United manager Jose Mourinho said. "To lose in minute 87 with very little time to try to react, as they did in the first half, is a little bit unfair on them." Goalline technology - to determine whether the ball has crossed the line - was brought in to the Premier League for the start of the 2013-14 season. And a trial - possibly in Britain - using video assistant referees for "game-changing decisions" will begin no later than the 2017-18 campaign, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has said.

Summary: Southampton manager Claude Puel says he would like to see video technology used for offside after Manolo Gabbiadini's disallowed goal in the 3-2 EFL Cup final defeat by Manchester United.


The New Zealander wants them to finish as the top Welsh team in the table and also stake claims for places for Wales' summer tour Tests against Samoa and Tonga. Scarlets have secured a top-four finish and Ospreys are all but assured of qualifying for the play-offs. "One of the team goals was to be the top Welsh region," said Pivac. He continued: "So to finish top, we need a win on the weekend." The Pro12 title will be decided after semi-final play-offs in which Scarlets or Ospreys will travel to Ireland to face either Leinster or Munster. The leading Irish teams go into round 22 first and second in the table respectively. The team finishing top will play the fourth-ranked team with second hosting third meaning, as things stand, Scarlets would go to Munster while Ospreys would be at Leinster later in May. Pivac said the clash with the Ospreys, "is not a cup final", however, adding: "In isolation, it's one of our team goals is to finish top Welsh team on the ladder. "We were able to do that last year and we want to replicate that. "There's also the small matter of a tour to the southern hemisphere for Wales to play two Test matches. "Part of our role is to get results for the club. "It's also to help promote players to that next level so there's a lot to play for in this weekend's game." Pivac also highlighted how finishing highest among Welsh teams can affect which group they would play in during the 2017-18 Champions Cup. He said: "There is pressure. The top four is put to bed, but we certainly are looking at finishing as high up as we can because it impacts on the pool we have for Europe next year, which is important." Wales lock Jake Ball and Scotland back-rower John Barclay are doubts to face their local rivals as the regular season ends. Ball came off with a shoulder injury in Scarlets' win at Connacht on Saturday, and Pivac says he is "50-50" to be fit to face Ospreys. Barclay was withdrawn before kick off in Galway after suffering a hamstring twinge in the build-up and Pivac says he will not be tempted to select any injured players. He added: "We are selecting to achieve our team goals and to do that we're up against a strong Ospreys team who have similar goals, I would imagine. "And their players are playing for positions on the tour as well so will be equally motivated. "We'll be putting out the strongest team possible without being silly. "If there are players carrying injuries we have that luxury of the semi-final to think about as well." Scarlets won what was then called the Celtic League title in the first season of Welsh regional rugby in the 2003-04 campaign but they have not won it since. Their most recent semi-final play-off appearance came in 2013, when they lost at that stage to Ulster.

Summary: Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac has given his players a double target when they host Ospreys in the Pro12 on Saturday.


For Will Stevens, it couldn't be further back. The 23-year-old from Essex is in his debut season in F1 with the struggling Manor team, revived at the 11th hour ahead of the 2015 season from the ashes of Marussia, who collapsed three races before the end of last year. It is hard to think of a more difficult place to try to learn your craft at the pinnacle of motorsport. Manor, still run by team boss John Booth and president Graeme Lowdon but now funded by investment from Stephen Fitzpatrick of energy firm Ovo, made it to the first race in Australia only by the skin of their teeth, but were so ill-prepared than they could not even get their cars out of the garage in Melbourne. Two weeks later in Malaysia, the team could run only one car at a time, and in qualifying that turned out to be that of Stevens' Spanish team-mate Roberto Mehri, who was five seconds slower than the next slowest car. In China last weekend, Stevens finally managed to do what he is there for and take part in the race. There was progress. Both cars finished the grand prix, and this time the fastest Manor - Stevens - was less than three seconds behind the McLaren-Hondas in qualifying. But given that Stevens, like many young drivers, has to pay for his drive, people may wonder why he would choose to spend his backers' money to be so far off the pace. But he insists he is doing the right thing, saying he has confidence the team is going in the right direction. Stevens, who was briefly Marussia's reserve driver last year before their collapse, says: "Because I had a relationship with the team from last year, we kept in close contact throughout the winter and we wouldn't have entered into it if there wasn't certainty there. "From our side of it, we are very happy to be here. We can see where the team want to progress to and I want to be part of that journey." Stevens is less certain about where exactly he sees the team going, saying merely that it is "hard to tell" what Manor can achieve. But few men are as steeped in motor racing as Booth and under his guidance Manor won everything in a long career in the junior categories. Manor might be battling against the odds with a tiny budget in F1 terms, but this is a team with a strong racing pedigree. Cynics might argue that the same cannot be said of their new English F1 driver. Because he has paid his way into F1, Stevens has inevitably been dismissed by some as a 'pay-driver', a disparaging term for someone who has bought his way in because he does not have the talent to earn a place on merit. Is the criticism valid? Stevens says no. "There are lots of drivers up and down the pit lane who are in the same position," he says. "The sport is completely different now. There are huge companies who

Summary: Every Formula 1 driver has to start somewhere and often that's closer to the rear of the field than the front.


The dangers of allowing ungoverned space, where militant groups have launched attacks on neighbouring Israel, ought to have been obvious to anybody in Cairo, but it was only the killing of 16 of their border guards on Sunday that finally prompted action. The inhabitants of the Sinai Peninsula, notably some of its Bedouin tribes, are a heavily armed force that, it would seem, the military rulers of Egypt who had recently stood down were reluctant to challenge. Now, in one of those bitter paradoxes of power in the Middle East, it has fallen to Mohammed Morsi, the recently elected president from the Muslim Brotherhood to clamp down on militants who claim Islamic legitimacy for their attacks. It might be argued that Mr Morsi is the ideal man to take these wayward tribes in hand - since he has both a democratic mandate and some degree of backing from Egypt's religious establishment. There is also a good deal of cynicism in Cairo about the tribes' professed religious motivations, since they are also widely believed to be involved in smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people. Even so, Tuesday's raid on Touma, close to the Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean Sea, may indicate the opening of a bloody new chapter for Sinai. The raid, in which helicopters fired missiles into the township, had an aspect of communal punishment about it, or reprisal for Sunday's loss of border guards. Inevitably there will be some who want revenge against the security forces. Since the armed bands on the peninsula are thought to possess hundreds of light weapons, as well as technicals (pick-up trucks mounting heavy machine guns), and multiple rocket launchers they have considerable ability to cause trouble. The bombing of several hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2005 claimed 84 lives was blamed by security officials on elements within the same Bedouin tribes, claiming ties with al-Qaeda. It underlines the degree to which the country's Red Sea tourist industry is vulnerable to reprisals. More recently the Israelis have accused the same groups of several deadly attacks along their border with Egypt. These created great tension in an area that had been peaceful for decades, and prompted the Israelis to start building a barrier through the desert in an attempt to prevent more infiltration. Today the Israelis have reacted with satisfaction to the new security crackdown, and have given their agreement to military reinforcements going into Sinai (as it required under the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries that sought to de-militarise the peninsula). Mr Morsi meanwhile faces the accusation that has been used in the past against those who have taken similar measures, of acting as Israel's policeman. The shooting of so many Egyptian soldiers at the weekend has allowed the president to present this action as a response to a challenge to national authority rather than an attack on Israel. But the scope both for serious escalation in this violence and for political difficulties for the new president will make the Sinai Peninsula a key place to watch in coming months.

Summary: For many months Egyptian government control of the Sinai Peninsula has been tenuous at best.


Following the announcement of the new global calendar in March, Premiership Rugby confirmed the 2019-20 domestic season will start in early September and finish at the end of June. However, players have voiced their concerns about the schedule. "I think it fills us all with a bit with dread," Tigers hooker Youngs, 30, told BBC Radio 5 live. "I know they are trying to look after us a little bit, but that's a long time. It's long enough now." Premiership Rugby say the 10-month campaign will allow clubs to become "more sophisticated" in their management of players, with chief executive Mark McCafferty insisting player welfare remains the priority. But Youngs, who has 28 England caps and three for the British and Irish Lions - is among those to stress the need for a long summer break and pre-season, rather than shorter rest periods during the campaign. "It would shorten pre-seasons, and pre-season is so vital to get us ready to go through the season," he added. "I know in June, if I don't go on any tours or anything, I have five weeks off and that is nice to know. Even when pre-season games come round, it feels a little bit like you have only played last week. "I don't know the ins and outs, but I wouldn't be too keen about it to be honest. I do feel the players are going to be the ones to drag it through. To just extend the season, I don't think that will really work." Senior figures in the club game, such as Northampton forward Christian Day, have not ruled out the option of players going on strike and Youngs says the next few months could be critical. "It will be interesting to see what happens over the next year or so, and how the players try to get this resolved to where we would like it to be," he said. "It's probably going to clash at some point and we will have to see how it all unfolds."

Summary: The proposed 10-month Premiership rugby season "fills players with dread", says Leicester Tigers captain Tom Youngs.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Ross County striker transferred his prolific club form onto the international stage to beat the All Whites in the friendly in Belfast. "My family were all in the stands so to score in front of all of the fans and hear the noise of a goal was unreal. "I thought I took my goal well, it's a brilliant feeling," Boyce said. Boyce was unlucky to be omitted from Michael O'Neill's squad for the Euro 2016 finals but finished this season as the Scottish Premier League's top-scorer with 23 goals, including 10 in his last 10 games. Media playback is not supported on this device With forwards Conor Washington and Jamie Ward out injured, Boyce seized his chance and said the early goal after just six minutes was exactly what he wanted. "The form I've been in you want to get a goal as early as possible and try to add to that," said Boyce. "I cut inside and hit it well between the defender's legs and once that happens, more than likely it's going to go in." Boyce is determined to make an impact in Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier away to Azerbaijan on 10 June by scoring his first competitive goal. "It's not so long ago I was playing in the Irish League and I want to show I'm better than that and see how far I can go in football," added the ex-Cliftonville man. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill described Boyce's display as evidence of "a player on top of his game". He admitted he was "slightly disappointed" the team did not add further to their tally. "It was a physical game, a demanding game, which was exactly what we wanted. "It leaves us in a good place for next week." Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary: Liam Boyce described the feeling of scoring his first international goal as "unreal" after netting the winner for Northern Ireland against New Zealand.


Victory in Australia's High Court was the culmination of a long battle for the Brisbane woman, twice, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer herself. In an interview with Australia's ABC, she said the pain of chemotherapy was what motivated her to begin her campaign. "I have met a lot of women with genetic cancer and if I can help them in any way stop having to have chemo and radiation therapy then I will have done my job," she told the network. Ms D'Arcy's involvement began in 2010 when the social justice practice of legal firm Maurice Blackburn took up the case on her behalf - the start of a five-year legal battle in the face of long odds. In February 2013, Justice Nicholas of the Federal Court ruled that Myriad Genetics patent was valid, as the act of isolating the gene mutation made it a human invention. Upset and unwilling to accept the verdict, Ms D'Arcy and campaign group Cancer Voices Australia, lodged an appeal. She was given hope by a landmark ruling in the US Supreme Court in June of the same year, which rejected patenting of the gene, with similar reasoning to that which would eventually prevail in Australia. But the optimism was short-lived, because in February 2014 the Full Federal Court again backed Myriad Genetics' patent in Australia. Refusing to end her campaign, she was later given permission to take the case to the country's highest court, which began hearing it in June this year. Her legal battle finally ended in success on Wednesday, when those earlier judgements were dramatically reversed in a unanimous High Court verdict against Myriad Genetics' patent. Ms D'Arcy was predictably delighted. "I screamed. I was just excited to know that we had it seven-nil our way," the 69-year-old said, adding that she expected testing to become cheaper as a result. Ms D'Arcy admitted the fight was "a David and Goliath test". "I'm only a little person, but it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." US firm Myriad Genetics had previously patented the BRCA1 gene, detection of which helps diagnose certain cancers, particularly ovarian and breast cancer. Ms D'Arcy did not carry that genetic marker for her own cancer. Myriad Genetics had argued the nucleic acid they had isolated was distinct from the DNA as found in nature, and so could be patented. But the court concluded that while human activity was required to isolate the gene, that was insufficient to make it a manufactured product. Cancer campaigners welcomed the result. Paul Grogan, head of public policy at Cancer Council Australia, admitted that the case was "more about the principle", as the BRCA1 patent itself was due to expire soon. The verdict, he said, would hopefully "provide enough clarity for lawmakers" that patents are not issued for purely diagnostic tests, "so we won't have to see them disputed in court in future". This, he hoped, would encourage new such tests, with researchers no longer having to worry about infringing a patent

Summary: Yvonne D'Arcy, who has won a landmark court case against the patenting of a cancer gene, is an Australian grandmother and has twice survived cancer.


Lee Cook's fourth-minute shot from the right-hand side of the penalty box was enough to separate the sides. Brendan Moore denied Cook a second in the first half while Angus MacDonald twice went close for the Gulls. Torquay, who had been on an eight-game unbeaten run, have now lost two in a row and are two points from safety. They have scored just one goal in their last six games and dropped to third from bottom of the table after Boreham Wood's 3-0 win over Dover.

Summary: Eastleigh moved to within two points of the National League play-off places as they won at relegation-threatened Torquay United.


The Briton is trying to be the first rider in 38 years to win the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same year. Another of Froome's key rivals, Nairo Quintana, finished four-hundredths of a second adrift with his Movistar squad. Manxman Pete Kennaugh led the Team Sky squad over the finish line to take the race leader's red jersey. Just five of Sky's nine-man squad crossed the line together, the minimum needed to register a time. Spaniard Contador was the last man to win two of the three main road races in a calendar year, winning the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta in 2008. Only Jacques Anquetil, in 1963, and Bernard Hinault, in 1978, have previously won the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same season. "To start almost a minute from direct rivals is more than I imagined," said Contador, who is looking to win the Vuelta for a joint record fourth time. "It's a big deficit. There are still 20 stages to go and we will try to reduce the gap day by day." Sunday's 159km second stage takes the riders from Ourense to Baiona. Team time trial classification: 1. Team Sky (GB) 30mins 37secs 2. Movistar (Spa) same time 3. Orica BikeExchange (Aus) +6 secs 4. BMC Racing (US) +7secs 5. Etixx - Quick-Step (Bel) +22secs 6. Trek-Segafredo (US) +50secs 7. Cannondale (US) +52secs 8. Tinkoff (Rus) Same time 9. BORA Argon (Ger) +57secs 10. Astana (Kaz) +58secs General classification: 1. Peter Kennaugh (GB/Team Sky) 30mins 37secs 2. Salvatore Puccio (Ita/Team Sky) same time 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Team Sky) 4. Leopold Koenig (Cze/Team Sky) 5. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 6. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) 7. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa/Movistar) 8. Ruben Fernandez (Spa/Movistar) 9. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa/Movistar) 10. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) Selected others: 14. Simon Yates (GB/Orica BikeExchange) +6 secs 50. Alberto Contador (Spa/Tinkoff) +52 secs 124. Scott Thwaites (GB/BORA Argon) +02mins 01sec 179. Hugh Carthy (GB/Caja Rural) +04mins 34secs

Summary: Chris Froome opened a 52-second lead over rival Alberto Contador after Team Sky won the team time trial on the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana.


The £20m contract is with wind farm developer Scottishpower Renewables. The engineering firm is to make 24 steel foundation jackets for wind turbines to be used in the North Sea. The work will take two years to complete. Harland and Wolff said the new contract is "very significant for Belfast". It added that the structures, at more than 65m tall, will almost be as "prominent in the Belfast skyline as the famous Samson and Goliath cranes". Harland and Wolff stopped shipbuilding in 2003 and its more recent work has included refurbishing oil rigs. In March, it announced 60 jobs were to go because of a downturn in the offshore oil and gas sector. Accounts for last year show it had made a profit of £1m and described market conditions as difficult.

Summary: Harland and Wolff has secured a major manufacturing contract that it says will support 200 jobs.


Swansea are four points clear of the relegation zone after a much-needed 2-1 win at Everton. The Swans had beaten Watford earlier in the week and Williams wants the team to continue the momentum. "The main thing is we build on it and that was my message before the game," Williams said. "We want to put a run together now and pick up as many points as we can to put a bit of distance between ourselves and the drop zone. "Every team has a little run, whether it's a good one or a bad one, throughout the season. Media playback is not supported on this device "We'll try and make it our turn to have a good one now." New head coach Francesco Guidolin's first game in charge saw Swansea secure a first ever league win over Everton and two successive wins for the first time this season. Wales defender Williams has been impressed by the Italian, who previously coached Udinese and Monaco. "He's lifted the place a bit and also tried to implement some of his own ideas into the team in the week," Williams added. "He wants us to play our own game with a few little tweaks and ideas that he thinks will help us. "I look forward to working with him and all the lads have been impressed with his first week and the way he goes about work and what he's asking of us. "It looks good at the minute. It's been a good week for us and now we can settle down again, collect our thoughts and go again." Swansea's next Premier League game on Tuesday, 2 February will be away to the side immediately above them in the table, West Bromwich Albion.

Summary: Captain Ashley Williams has challenged Swansea City to maintain their winning form following back-to-back wins in the Premier League.


The actor, best known for playing the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit wizard Gandalf and the X-Men supervillain Magneto, is to be given a star in the town's Believe Square. The 75-year-old lived in Wigan in the 1940s and has said he was inspired to act by watching market traders there. He said he was looking forward to returning to accept the honour in June as Wigan "holds many special memories". The actor, who was born in Burnley in 1939, moved to a semi-detached house near Mesnes Park with his family at the age of three and stayed there until he was 11. McKellen has spoken previously of his love of watching brass bands play in the park, the performances of the Frank Fortescue Players at the town's now-defunct Hippodrome and how traders pedalling their wares in Market Square was one of the things that sparked his interest in acting. Sir Ian gone on to become one of Britain's best loved actors, combining his film performances with Shakespearean roles on stage and even a cameo appearance on Coronation Street. "It will be fascinating to see how the town has developed since 1951, when our family moved to Bolton," he said. "If only the Hippodrome was still there." Wigan Council leader Lord Peter Smith said Sir Ian was "rightly one of this town's most loved sons", adding there were "few better ambassadors". Believe Square was unveiled in 2013 to celebrate the sporting achievements of the town's rugby league and football clubs. Other personalities honoured include writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie, athlete Jenny Meadows, football manager Roberto Martinez and pioneering heart surgeon Dr Nayyar Naqvi.

Summary: Sir Ian McKellen is to be honoured by his childhood hometown of Wigan.


It fell from 170th best ranked university in the world in 2014/15 to 182nd in the QS World University Rankings for 2015/16. Ulster University, meanwhile, was ranked in a band from 551-600 in 2015/16, similar to last year. The QS rankings are one of the most authoritative rankings of universities across the globe. The ratings are based on a number of factors, including evaluating each university's strengths in research, teaching, academic reputation, staff to student ratio and the number of international staff and students. However, QS said it has changed its methodology slightly this year to counteract a bias in favour of universities specialising in life sciences and to better reflect the qualities of institutions focusing on other areas. The other main global ranking table for universities is the Times Higher Education system, which is due next month. Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA was rated the world's top university in 2015/16, followed by Harvard in second place, with Stanford and the University of Cambridge in joint third place. The UK had 30 universities, including Queen's University, in the world's top 200. In the UK alone, QUB was ranked 29th, while Ulster University was ranked 56th.

Summary: Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) has fallen 12 places in the latest global university rankings.


Media playback is not supported on this device Anderson had West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin caught at slip for his 384th victim as the first Test was drawn. "I've tried to block it out as much as possible, but I'm thankful that I've now got there and people can stop talking about it," the 32-year-old Lancashire bowler told BBC Sport. "I love playing for England. I'll try to do it for as long as possible." Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Taking over from an English legend is a hugely proud moment for me." Anderson, who reached the milestone in his 100th Test, took five wickets on his debut against Zimbabwe at Lord's in 2003. "The difference is I now know my game inside out," he added. "That comes with experience and I've got more skills and more control. "When I first started out as a young 20-year-old I just tried to bowl as fast as I could and didn't really have any control at all." England captain Alastair Cook took the catch that brought up Anderson's landmark. He said: "It was a great moment when Jimmy took the 384th wicket - we'll remember it for a long time." Former all-rounder Botham, now a commentator, said on Sky Sports: "I couldn't be happier. I'm delighted for Jimmy. "I've watched him develop those skills. It's not easy to bowl the inswinger and away-swinger with very little detail change but it's great to watch those skills. I enjoy watching him bowl; it's a pleasure to commentate on. "It's been a burden for him and for me. I've got something for him in the UK - it's the largest bottle of wine that I've been able to find. It's about as big as Jimmy." Botham predicted Anderson could go on and take 450 Test wickets - but Anderson was reluctant to set himself a goal. "450 sounds a long way off," he told the BBC. "I'm not going to think of any target. I'm just going to concentrate on turning up for England and trying to win us games of cricket." West Indies - set a notional 438 to win - batted out the final day on a placid surface to reach 350-7 thanks to Jason Holder's superb unbeaten 103, his maiden first-class century. He added 105 for the seventh wicket with Ramdin, who made 57, and shared an unbroken stand of 56 with Kemar Roach for the eighth. "We got ourselves back in the game but we couldn't find anything in that pitch whatsoever," said Anderson. "We tried our hearts out." West Indies skipper Ramdin paid tribute to Holder and Roach. "Hopefully it is one of many hundreds to come," he said of Holder's innings. "England fought hard - they came at us all the time - but Kemar Roach held his nerve well at the end." Cook said England "couldn't have done any more" to force victory, as the sides prepare to travel to Grenada for the second Test of the three-match series. "We knew it was going to be hard work, and

Summary: James Anderson said he was relieved and proud to have overtaken Sir Ian Botham as England's top Test wicket-taker.


The detonation happened shortly before 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) in the Schwabing district and was heard across the city, local media report. There are reports that sparks from the explosion caused the roofs of some neighbouring buildings to catch fire. The bomb was discovered on Monday night by building workers at the site of an old bar that was being demolished. Overnight, 2,500 residents were evacuated from the area closest to the bomb, with others living further away being told to stay in their homes. Experts decided it was not possible to make the device safe because of its unusual fuse, which operated by means of a chemical reaction rather than the mechanical device that many Allied World War II bombs used. The bomb was described as a highly explosive, a 550lb (250kg) device dropped by the Americans. It is not unusual for big, unexploded bombs to be discovered in Germany, the BBC's Stephen Evans reports. About 600 tonnes of unexploded ordnance are discovered in Germany every year. They are usually defused safely, though in 2010 three bomb-disposal officers were killed during an attempt to make a bomb safe, our correspondent adds. In December 2011, the biggest bomb disposal operation in Germany since 1945 was mounted in Koblenz to defuse two bombs from World War II found in the riverbed of the Rhine.

Summary: A bomb disposal team has detonated an American bomb left over from World War II found in the German city of Munich.


David Cameron told the Conservative leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Ian Hudspeth, that potential reductions in services were unwelcome. He suggested cuts in back office functions instead and offered to set up a meeting with the No 10 policy unit. Labour has asked the Cabinet Secretary if that broke the ministerial code. The PM wrote to Oxfordshire council leader Ian Hudspeth last month saying he was "disappointed" at proposed "cuts to frontline services, from elderly day centres, to libraries, to museums". The council should "move cautiously in setting out its budget plans", he says. In a letter of response Mr Hudspeth reminds Mr Cameron he "worked hard to assist you in achieving a Conservative majority". Mr Cameron is the MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, an area covered by Oxfordshire County Council. Labour has written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood suggesting the prime minister's letter may have breached the ministerial code, because Mr Hudspeth was invited to meet the No 10 policy unit regarding budget cuts. Shadow minister without portfolio Jon Ashworth said the code requires ministers to "keep separate their roles" in government and as constituency members. He said the leader of Mr Cameron's constituency county council "should not be given preferential treatment", and asked whether similar offers have been made to all the leaders of other councils. Mr Ashworth told BBC Radio 4's Today: "I doubt he is inviting the leader of Leicester City Council, where I am an MP, or the leader of Manchester City Council into the No 10 policy unit to discuss ways to deal with the cuts. "It feels like a breach and I hope the Cabinet Secretary will look into it." In his letter, the prime minister attempts to reassure his local colleague, pointing out that the money councils get from central government will not be confirmed until after the Spending Review later this month. In his lengthy letter of response, Mr Hudspeth disagrees with a series of claims made in the prime minister's letter - including a suggestion that Oxfordshire County Council was failing to make back office savings and had actually seen an increase in its budget. The county council leader points out that the authority employs almost 3,000 fewer people than it did in 2010. He adds that the council's grants from government have fallen from £194m a year in 2009/10 to £122m this year. "I cannot accept your description of a drop in funding of £72m... as a 'slight fall'" he writes. Mr Hudspeth points out that in addition to the spending cuts the council has had to deal with, the demands upon it have been growing, given the "heightened awareness and concern around vulnerable children" since the Baby P case in Haringey in north London, and "the growth in the elderly population - who generate the largest demand for expensive social care placements and support". Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet agreed earlier this week to cut £3.7m in subsidies to bus companies in the county. The subsidies currently help ensure "low use routes" remain viable. Such routes are often in rural

Summary: Labour has accused David Cameron of being hypocritical by writing to his local council in Oxfordshire to complain about proposed cuts.


The fighter gave himself up when he was approached near the town of Sinjar on Monday morning, an Iraqi Kurdish general said. He was reportedly carrying a large quantity of cash, three phones and a US driving licence. The US is leading an international military coalition against IS. The US state department said that it was aware of reports that a US citizen had been captured by Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, Reuters reports. "We are in touch with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to determine the veracity of these reports," a state department official said. CBS News said the man was trying to enter Turkey when he was intercepted by Kurdish forces. Maj Gen Feisal Helkani of the Kurdish peshmerga forces said the man was currently being held by the peshmerga for interrogation, AP reports.

Summary: US officials are checking reports that an American member of the so-called "Islamic State" group (IS) has been held in northern Iraq.


The 24-year-old was found dead at his home in Skellow on 14 August. South Yorkshire Police believe Mr Siddall was assaulted in the VDKA bar in Silver Street the night before. A post-mortem examination concluded he died of a head injury. Blue Horrobin, 22, of Highfield Road, Askern, has been charged with manslaughter and released on bail. He will appear at Doncaster Magistrates' Court on 1 March.

Summary: A man has been charged in connection with the death of Lewis Siddall in Doncaster.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 10 December 2014 Last updated at 07:08 GMT Nasa astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield dropped into Newsround's mission control to answer kids questions, taste our finest space food and sing a cracking space lullaby. Here's your chance to watch it again.

Summary: It has been a fantastic year for space exploration this year, from landing the Rosetta space probe on a comet, to testing out rockets that could take astronauts to Mars.


Tony Alliss died of gunshot wounds in woods near Stroud in 1991, following a long-running boundary dispute. His neighbours - father and son Terence and Graig Maule - were cleared of murder and a civil claim for damages against them also failed. Gloucestershire Police will see if there is any "compelling" new evidence that could lead to a reinvestigation. A spokesman said: "The case was last subject to a comprehensive review by the constabulary five years ago resulting in a complete revisit of the forensic and ballistic issues by experts. "Following the review the case was put before senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyers who decided the evidential test was not met." Mr Alliss's family have welcomed the development as they have campaigned for years for the case to be reopened. His sister-in-law Mary Alliss said she hoped it would lead to a full reinvestigation instead of "just a review of the same old evidence". A judge at Bristol Crown Court ruled in 1991 that there was no case to answer, clearing Terence and Graig Maule of involvement in the killing. Mr Alliss's son Leigh brought a civil action against the Maules in 2002, which was rejected by the High Court. His widow Marilyn and brother Bob called in 2008 for a "not decided" verdict to be introduced into English law.

Summary: Police are to review an investigation into the death of a man at his Gloucestershire farm 27 years ago.


That is nearly double the price of his previous most expensive work, bought by the same person a year ago. It has broken several other records including becoming the most expensive work by any US artist. It is also the highest price fetched for any art by a black artist and the first piece created since 1980 to break the $100m mark. The untitled work was done in oil stick, acrylic and spray paint, and depicts a face in the shape of a skull. It was sold to Yusaku Maezawa, a 41-year-old Japanese fashion entrepreneur who plans to set up a museum in his home town of Chiba. Bidding for the piece during the auction at Sotheby's lasted 10 tense minutes. Cheers and applause erupted in the room when the work was sold to Mr Maezawa by telephone. He later posted on Instagram that the painting made him feel "so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art", a feeling he wished to share with "as many people as possible". Mr Maezawa last year set the previous record for a Basquiat piece, when he paid $57.3m for a painting of a horned devil. Basquiat, a native New Yorker, died in 1988 of a heroin overdose aged 27. He had been an artist for just seven years. Most of his works depict the problems faced by African Americans in the US, reports the BBC's Laura Bicker in Washington. Once a graffiti rebel from Brooklyn who sold drawings for $50, he is now in the same league as Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon, she says - part of a rare group of artists whose work has sold for more than $100m at auction. "Breaking $100m for a work which is that recent is definitely extraordinary," said Gregoire Billault, head of contemporary art at Sotheby's. "I think it just speaks about the talent of this guy. It's just pure emotion. He's bringing something never seen before."

Summary: A painting by the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat has sold at auction in New York for $110.5m (Â£85.4m).


The 21-year-old became the youngest ever back-to-back champion in the premier class as he clinched his second world title on the Motegi track. Repsol Honda rider Marquez won the title with an unassailable lead of 312 points in the overall standings with three races to go. "Just two years in MotoGP with two titles is incredible, " said Marquez. Spain's Jorge Lorenzo won the race 1.638 seconds ahead of Marquez with Italy's Valentino Rossi third. Rossi moved up to second place in the championship ahead of Marquez's team-mate Dani Pedrosa with Lorenzo fourth. Marquez won the the title with 11 victories in 15 races, including a record-equalling 10 in a row. He is also the youngest rider to win two consecutive world championships, beating the previous record held by Britain's Mike Hailwood in 1963. Marquez did not make the best start off the line from fourth on the grid. But he hunted down the front group and overtook Pol Espargaro, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Iannone in the opening laps. He then picked off Andrea Dovizioso who started on pole and won a mid-race battle with Rossi, overtaking at the second attempt on lap nine for second place. Marquez made an attempt to catch Lorenzo, but the Yamaha rider responded and Marquez settled for second. Pedrosa finished in fourth place just 0.5secs behind Rossi. "The race doesn't really matter today, " said Marquez, who has also won world titles at Moto2 and Moto3. "Maybe I wasn't riding like always, as I felt a little different. It was hard to overtake and I didn't want a mistake. I had two mistakes in the last races but we got the title. It's incredible to take it at home. Thanks to my family and Honda." "Maybe for the people it looks easy because I'm always smiling, but there is a lot of pressure. I'm really happy with my team and family and fans, they're all pushing me. It's like a dream right now." The next race is Phillip Island, Australia on 19 October. Motegi MotoGP result: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 42:21.259 secs 2. Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda +1.638 3. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha +2.602 4. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda +3.157 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati +14.353 6. Andrea Iannoneita (Italy) Ducati +16.653 7. Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda +19.531 8. Pol Espargaro (Spain) Yamaha +19.815 9. Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha +23.575 10. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda +35.687

Summary: Spaniard Marc Marquez retained his MotoGP championship title with a second-place finish in Japan on Sunday.


Rowe, 27, had not planned to take part in the race, which will be held over eight days in September. But he says the opportunity to race on the streets of the Welsh capital would be "special". "It's yet to be decided but it's on the radar and something I would like to do," Rowe told BBC Radio Wales. "Potentially it's a once-in-a-career moment, racing a professional bike race on the home roads I grew up as a kid racing. "It would be so special to have the home Welsh support and have my mates and my family out there." The eight-stage event, won last year by Britain's Steve Cummings, will conclude with a 180km stage finishing in Cardiff on 10 September. Rowe said he has already held discussions with Team Sky about the possibility of taking part in the race. "It's all up in the air at the moment," Rowe said. "Originally the plan was definitely not to ride it as it wasn't in the race programme. "But once I heard it finishes in Cardiff suddenly a few phone calls were going back and forth and I'm quite interested in racing it now." Rowe is taking part in the three-day Tour de Yorkshire, which begins in Bridlington on Friday, as he starts his preparations for this year's Tour de France. The Welshman hopes to be selected for his third Tour de France having been part of the team that supported Team Sky colleague Chris Froome's wins in 2015 and 2016. "The race in Yorkshire is my first race back," Rowe added. "I'll have an altitude camp in Tenerife then I'll have the Criterium du Dauphine, which is a week-long stage race in France and after that will be the Tour de France. "It's not guaranteed I'll ride. I'll have to perform well in the next month, six weeks to gain selection. "But I'm quietly confident and hopefully I'll bank a place in the team and 'Froomey' can do the business again."

Summary: Team Sky's Luke Rowe is hoping to take part in this year's Tour of Britain, which will finish in his home city of Cardiff.


The institution, which is based in Edinburgh, has been sold to Macquarie Group for £2.3bn and will now operate under the name Green Investment Group. The government said the deal ensures that all taxpayer funding invested in the bank has been returned, with a gain of around £186m. It employs 50 people at its headquarters in the Scottish capital. Another 85 work at its London office. The bank was set up by the UK government five years ago to fund renewable and low-carbon projects. Climate Change and Industry Minister Claire Perry said: "We led the world in setting up the Green Investment Bank and it is now being copied by others. "Now that it's in the private sector, it will be able to operate on an international level to tackle the global challenge of climate change. "It is also perfectly placed to help us finance green initiatives for our Clean Growth Plan and realise the commitments set out in the Paris Agreement." The government said the Edinburgh office will be home to a new revenue-generating business. It will also provide services to the green energy portfolios of both Macquarie and the Green Investment Group in the UK. Vince Cable, who launched the bank in 2012 when he was business secretary, said its sale was "environmentally irresponsible". "The bank has done an extremely good job in supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-carbon projects," the Liberal Democrat leader said. "It has managed to attract over £10bn of private investment in these sectors that would not otherwise have happened. "At a time when business confidence is falling and the Conservatives are giving mixed signals on their commitment to the environment, this is the worst time to undermine investment in the green economy. "The Green Investment Bank's environmental mission is in danger of disappearing under the ownership of a private Australian bank whose track record does not inspire confidence."

Summary: The sale of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) by the UK government has been completed.


The incident happened at the new hospital on Garroch Loaning overnight between Thursday and Friday. Electric drills, a plunge saw, a jig-saw, two laser-levels and various hand tools, drill bits and batteries worth more than Â£3,000 were taken. PC Emily Conroy said: "We are keen to hear from anyone who may have any information about this theft. "Likewise we would want to hear from anyone who may be offered any similar tools for sale."

Summary: Thieves have made off with a haul of tools from a multi-million pound construction site in Dumfries.


The 18-year-old won his first Grand Slam title along with Gordon Reid. The second seeds came from a set behind to beat top seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer 4-6 6-1 7-6 (8-6). "I actually had to re-watch the match point because I just couldn't remember what had happened," Hewett told BBC Radio Norfolk. "One of the players asked what was the rally like at match point and I couldn't answer them, I just couldn't remember what had happened - it was an insane moment. "Thoughts start coming in your head about winning two or three points before, you've just got to try to keep as calm as possible." Despite his success, Hewett was asked if he would rather be a Wimbledon champion or watch his team Norwich City win at Wembley? "Wembley, all day long."

Summary: Wimbledon men's wheelchair doubles champion Alfie Hewett has revealed that he forgot the winning rally of their final.


Carwyn Jones hailed figures showing exports from Wales increased by £1.5bn over the past year to £14.8bn. Wales exported most to the United States, followed by Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Germany and Holland. The most popular Welsh export was machinery and transport equipment, worth £6bn. Mr Jones said: "At the start of 2013 I set out the most extensive programme of trade missions since devolution. "Today's figures clearly demonstrate the overwhelming success of our approach, with companies in Wales benefitting from substantial increases in exports to every major trading market. "Today's figures add to the growing list of economic indicators that show the Welsh economy clearly outperforming the rest of the UK." Welsh Conservatives welcomed the figures, whilst pointing out that exports were "rising from a low base". Shadow Business Minister William Graham said: "Welsh businesses have a positive story to tell in many of the products and services on offer, but we need the Welsh Labour government to improve the way it markets Wales to maximise potential gains to the Welsh economy. "The Welsh government needs to properly develop a Welsh identity brand and to ensure better liaison with UKTI (UK Trade International) with its world wide contacts and experience. "While this long-awaited progress is welcome after 15 years of successive Labour governments, Welsh ministers must not get complacent and should redouble their efforts to secure economic growth and make Wales a more prosperous nation."

Summary: Exports from Wales are up more than 11%, outperforming the rest of the UK whose exports rose by just 0.4%, the first minister has said.


A window of a property on Aubrey Street was smashed when a group of people threw a bin at it at about 1:45 GMT on Sunday. The five adults inside the house were not injured. Police have asked for anyone with information on the attack to contact them on the non-emergency number 101.

Summary: An attack on a house in Londonderry is being treated as a sectarian hate crime, police have said.


William Summerill, 25, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday to seven years and six months for drug supply offences and resisting arrest. The Wavertree man had scaled the walls of the Dockers Club, Anfield, on 2 February to escape arrest, police said. Four police officers were then hurt by the petrol bomb thrown by a bystander. Summerill, of Carno Street, was arrested after drugs were found at an address in Lampeter Road, Merseyside Police said. He admitted three counts of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, and resisting arrest. Police confirmed an investigation into the petrol bomb attack in Townsend Lane was ongoing. It was thrown by one of the onlookers who had gathered in the street during the rooftop incident.

Summary: A drug dealer who climbed onto the roof of a Liverpool club during an incident in which a petrol bomb was thrown at police officers has been jailed.


The club has not been able to buy players since January this year after breaching Financial Fair Play rules. The news came the day after the club removed Russell Slade from his position as manager to take up a new role as the club's head of football. Slade will be in charge of the team for the last time when they play their final match of the season against Birmingham City at home on Saturday. The sanction will be lifted after the game, and means the club can start looking at potential summer recruits with the transfer window due to open on 10 June. Chief executive Ken Choo insisted the club would not rush appointing Slade's replacement. "We will take our time - we need to get the right person into the role," he said.

Summary: Cardiff City's transfer embargo has been lifted by the Football League.


Last summer, he pulled out of the Stormont Executive when Peter Robinson was away, initially wrong footing the DUP as it tried to respond to allegations that Provisional IRA members were involved in the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan. When Peter Robinson returned, he had to engage in some unpopular tactics, such as the DUP's rolling ministerial resignations, to buy time for Stormont. However, his successor Arlene Foster reaped the dividend in the assembly election, by maintaining her party's dominance. The DUP has more than a two to one advantage over the Ulster Unionists. Mr Nesbitt has undoubtedly lost some of the momentum built up by last year's Westminster election. But, he hasn't abandoned his sense of timing. Thursday's inaugural meeting of the assembly looked like it would be all about protocol and procedure. Mrs Foster was itching to get back to the DUP's stand at the Balmoral Agricultural Show. The TUV leader Jim Allister spiced up proceedings by launching an attack on the new principal deputy speaker, Sinn F??in's Caitr??ona Ruane. Then, at 15:10 BST, the story changed. Mike Nesbitt's announcement that, so far as he is concerned, the programme for government negotiations are over surprised MLAs beyond his own party ranks. His rallying call of "let battle commence" ensures the political game at Stormont will change. Business in the assembly could start looking a little more like Westminster, although for historic reasons it's hard to imagine the DUP and Sinn F??in sitting on the same side of the chamber facing their opponents. The SDLP insist the Ulster Unionist decision does not put them under extra pressure. They will continue to negotiate about the executive's future policy. But, with Mike Nesbitt enjoying the extra speaking rights and other privileges accorded to an official opposition, SDLP politicians will inevitably need to consider whether they will pale by comparison. Not only do they need to consider the impact of having the UUP outside the executive, but also the more pugnacious role smaller parties like People Before Profit and the Greens might play in the future. Sinn F??in reckons Mike Nesbitt has repudiated the principles of the Good Friday Agreement that David Trimble signed up to 1998. The DUP is dismissive, insisting Mr Nesbitt is "running into opposition having lost the election". DUP sources claim the Ulster Unionists were so semi-detached when they were in the power-sharing coalition that this latest move will change little. That said, Arlene Foster herself told me on Monday that "perhaps it would be more honest" if those who previously opposed the executive from the inside did so instead from the outside. Mike Nesbitt has taken her at her word and we now have five years to work out if his gambit pays off.

Summary: As a former TV presenter, Mike Nesbitt has a penchant for grabbing a headline.


The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy grew by 0.4% in the quarter, compared with an earlier estimate of 0.3%. Growth was boosted by a better performance from the construction industry than previously estimated. On an annual basis, the economy grew by 2.9% from the first quarter of 2014, up from a previous estimate of 2.4%. The latest revision is the third estimate for the period. For 2014 as a whole, economic growth was revised up to 3% from 2.8%. The ONS figures showed household disposable income grew by 4.5% year-on-year, the fastest annual pace since the second quarter of 2001. Earlier this month, the ONS said construction output in the UK was 0.2% lower in the first quarter, rather than 1.1% lower as previously estimated. "The slight upward revision to growth in the first quarter of 2015 is down largely to the recently announced new methods to measure construction output," ONS chief economist Joe Grice said. Quarterly growth in services output was left unrevised at 0.4%. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, forecast economic growth would accelerate in the three months to June as the uncertainty caused by the general election in May subsided. He said he expected the economy to grow by 0.7% in the second quarter and by 2.5% over the course of the year.

Summary: The UK economy grew faster than previously estimated in the first three months of the year, figures have shown.


But in a BBC interview, Williams cast doubt on whether the 40-year-old can win another major and suggested Woods' fitness problems might have been self-inflicted. No-one knows Woods' game better than Williams, who shared in 13 of the American's 14 major titles among 84 tournament victories together. Their partnership broke down in 2011 and Woods has since not added to his major tally. The former world number one last played competitively in August last year. Woods has slumped to 467 in the world rankings while he recovers from his latest back surgery and there seems no prospect of an imminent return. Yet Williams is convinced the golfer can achieve more professional victories. "I don't doubt he will come back to the winner's circle," Williams told 5 live Golf. "He is a great competitor, he has an incredible work ethic - when he can work hard - and one thing he does know how to do is win. "He has that ability to win even when he's not playing his best. But whether he comes back and wins major championships? That's going to be a very difficult task." The four-times Masters champion looks certain to miss next month's Augusta gathering for only the second time since his debut as an amateur in 1995. Williams was Woods' right-hand man throughout the period between 1999 and 2008 when the American dominated the game, and Williams thinks his old employer may now be regretting the way he punished his body during that spell. "I guess when he looks back, he might question some of the activities that he did, some of the gym work that he might have done that, you know, had all these injuries escalate," he said. Watching from a much greater distance, it seemed to me that Woods trained as an athlete rather than as a golfer. Athletes' bodies usually break down in their late 30s, certainly in terms of enabling competition at the highest level. Is this what has happened? Does Williams see any worth to this argument? "It is very hard to pinpoint how he has got to where he is now, but I'd have to say there is a lot merit in what you've just said," he said. Williams was caddying for US veteran Ray Floyd in the mid-1990s when he first came across the willowy youngster who made it a career ambition to overhaul Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles. Greg Norman and Fred Couples were also in the group and they listened in disbelief while Woods contemplated carrying his drive over the fairway bunker down the right of Augusta's par-five second hole. Media playback is not supported on this device "We were laughing at him just talking about it, but then he actually did it," Williams recalled in the interview which publicises the caddie's recent autobiography Out of the Rough. Their first major triumph came at the 1999 PGA Championship when Williams gave an accurate read for a crucial putt on the 16th hole of the final round. "That was the moment between him and me that

Summary: As Steve Williams prepares to help Adam Scott's quest for a second Masters title, the Kiwi caddie says his old boss Tiger Woods can still return to winning ways.


Downing Street said "good progress" had been made on the UK's proposals but there were still "difficult issues" to resolve. The prime minister's spokesman said there would be "substantive discussions" on the reforms instead. The UK's PM has promised an in/out vote on EU membership by the end of 2017. The prime minister is said to want to hold an early vote but he has said he will not set the timing of the poll until the negotiations, on Britain's terms of membership of the 28-member bloc, are concluded. Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe Guide to the UK's planned in-out EU referendum BBC News EU referendum special report Mr Cameron spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone on Thursday to discuss the renegotiation efforts. After the call, Downing Street said: "The prime minister explained that his priority is to get the substance right, underlining the need for legally binding, irreversible changes. "He noted that the scale of what we are asking for means we will not resolve this in one go and consequently he did not expect to get agreement at the December European Council. "Instead, we should keep up the pace of discussions and use the summit for a substantive discussion of the proposed changes in each area." The government had never committed to a deal by December but it is thought that was what the negotiating team had hoped. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said it suggested Mr Cameron was "running into real difficulties" in his renegotiations, in particular over proposals to restrict EU migrants' access to benefits in the UK. "That has always been a sticking point," he said, adding that European leaders have "serious reservations" about the proposals.

Summary: David Cameron has said that he does not expect an agreement to be reached on his EU reform aims at December's summit of European leaders.


The hosts held a slender 13-11 lead at the break, with Bristol wing David Lemi responding to Will Hurrell's try. But second-half scores from Ross McMillan and Ben Glynn put the away side, who finished the season top of the table, in command of the tie. The two teams play the second leg at Ashton Gate on Wednesday, 25 May. Bristol, who are taking part in the Championship play-offs for the fifth time in seven seasons, elected to play the first leg away from home after losing in the final in each of the last two campaigns. They are looking to return to the Premiership for the first time since they were relegated in 2009, when they finished bottom with only two wins from 22 matches. Andy Robinson's team finished 16 points ahead of second-placed Doncaster in the regular season. Doncaster: Jarvis, Bulumakau, M. Clark, Hurrell, Lewis, Cusack, Heaney, List, Hunter, Quigley, Challinor, Phelan, Makaafi, Hills, Shaw. Replacements: Veikoso, Brugnara, W. John, Steadman, Young, Flockhart, Field. Bristol: Arscott, Varndell, Tovey, Mosses, Lemi, Sheedy, Cliff, O'Connell, McMillan, Perenise, Evans, Glynn, Mama, Lam, J. Phillips. Replacements: Brooker, Traynor, G. Cortes, Sorenson, Robinson, Roberts, Morgan.

Summary: Bristol took a significant step towards promotion to the Premiership with victory at Doncaster in their Championship play-off final first leg.