Of the 245 families interviewed, 76% said that their child's illness had had a major impact on finances with two in three parents experiencing a loss of earnings. The survey was carried out by children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. It wants the government to ensure families get more financial support. For their report, entitled Counting the Costs of Cancer, the charity also sought the views of 90 young people with cancer through an online survey, focus groups and telephone interviews. Parents and young people told the charity that they spent on average £367 and £277 respectively on cancer-related expenses every month, and with treatment lasting up to three years, the bills soon mounted up. This added up to a spending of £4,400 for parents and £3,325 for young people each year, the report said. These costs included travel and car parking to get to hospitals and treatment centres, additional clothing for the child as a result of weight loss, food to supplement that available in hospital, and other costs such as telephone calls and accommodation. The report found that of those parents who acquired debt, 41% borrowed £1,000 or more and 27% borrowed more than £2,000. Six per cent of parents surveyed said they had turned to high interest, short-term loans to cope with the additional costs. Ross was 11 months old when he was diagnosed with Bilateral Wilms Tumour, a cancer of the kidney. His mum, Eileen, and dad, Shaun, both gave up work to look after him and their daughter, who was three. "We took out a loan for £20,000 to make sure we could cover the extra costs of his care," says Eileen. "I stayed with Ross in Yorkhill Hospital for five months. I had to buy food there and buy clothes for him. Meanwhile, Shaun was doing 70-mile round trips to visit us. "It was a very tough time. We are still paying off the loan and will be until Ross starts secondary school." They got no financial help for the first three months, before receiving the Disability Living Allowance and some small grants from charities. Ross is eight years old now. He only has half a kidney and may need a transplant when he is older. Both Eileen and Shaun are back at work but both have changed jobs to suit their circumstances. "The five months after his diagnosis were very hard. The government should be doing more to help." Family finances were also put under pressure by time needed to care for the child with cancer, with three in five respondents saying they had to reduce the number of hours they worked. Some parents were forced to give up work completely to care for their child. CLIC Sargent said it was concerned that government reforms would restrict families' options to financial support through the benefits system. Lorraine Clifton, chief executive of CLIC Sargent said the cost of caring for children with cancer was often unexpected. "Everyone is suffering in this economic climate but parents of children with cancer are amongst the hardest hit. The extra costs

Summary: Two-thirds of parents of children with cancer surveyed by a cancer charity say they have been forced to borrow money to make ends meet.


Baraclough, 46, takes over from Jim Magilton, who remains the Irish Football Association's elite performance director. The new under-21 manager moves into the post after leaving his role as assistant to Oldham boss John Sheridan. "I am looking forward to working with young players in Northern Ireland," said Baraclough. "I will be aiming to help the team be successful in qualifying and also to help develop future senior internationals." Baraclough had a 20-year playing career which saw him play for QPR, Notts County and Scunthorpe United. He became Scunthorpe manager in 2010 before moving to Sligo Rovers two years later, where he guided the Irish club to the League of Ireland title plus FAI Cup and Setanta Cup triumphs. After being appointed Motherwell manager, he kept the club in the Scottish Premier League and was then handed the Oldham assistant's role after departing from the SPL outfit. Northern Ireland senior manager Michael O'Neill said Baraclough would be a "great addition to our international coaching team". "We were looking for a candidate with good coaching and management experience and Ian certainly fits the bill given his previous roles as both a manager and assistant manager," said O'Neill. Northern Ireland's Under-21s have never progressed to a European Championship Finals and finished last in their previous qualifying group after picking up only two points from 10 matches. Baraclough's Under-21 side have have been drawn with Albania, Estonia, Iceland, Slovakia and Spain in their 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifying group. The Northern Irish begin their campaign against Estonia in Tallinn on 8 June.

Summary: Former Motherwell and Sligo Rovers boss Ian Baraclough has been appointed the new Northern Ireland Under-21 manager.


The Tees Valley Airshow will take place on 29 August at Durham Tees Valley Airport for the first time since 1989. Organisers said the it had been "prepared in full compliance" with Civil Aviation Authority requirements. At least 11 people are thought to have died after a Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 during an aerial display at Shoreham on Saturday. A statement from Tees Valley Airport said: "Everyone connected with the airport and the air show is obviously deeply saddened by the weekend's tragic events at Shoreham and expresses their condolences to the victims' families and friends. "Incidents of this kind are thankfully very rare and safety is, of course, always our primary objective. "All our procedures have been developed with and approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. "In addition, all plans for the air show have been prepared in consultation and agreement with the local authorities." All aircraft operators taking part in live displays have been required to produce confirmation relating to pilot qualifications, aircraft airworthiness and insurance as required by the CAA, organisers added.

Summary: A minute's silence will be held at a North East air show in memory of victims of the Shoreham crash.


Russian athletes remain banned from next month's Rio Olympics after claims of a state-sponsored doping programme. No British athletes are on governing body IAAF's list of sanctioned athletes but Warner guarded against complacency. He added GB athletes know "at all times if they cheat they'll be caught". Last week's McLaren report revealed that urine samples of Russian competitors were manipulated across the "vast majority" of summer and winter Olympic sports from late 2011 to August 2015. Asked whether he could be sure no Britons would be involved in doping, Warner told BBC Radio 5 live: "I'm very confident, but I'll never say never. "This is a world in which temptation exists in all sorts of quarters in every walk of life, including in sports. "So what we can do is be constantly vigilant and lean very heavily on UK Anti-Doping, who are a very good body. "We work closely with them to ensure our athletes are well educated. They understand at all times that if they cheat there's no hiding place, but also that the watching public deserves clean athletics. "We're a great standard bearer for this, but I'm not going to be so complacent as ever to say there will never be a problem." Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah said: "We (in Great Britain) have very tight rules and I just wish other countries applied them." "All I want to be able to do is run against clean athletes fairly. "There's no point having one rule for one country and another for another country." Farah, who last year said his name was "being dragged through the mud" following allegations linking his coach Alberto Salazar with doping, added: "I do feel bad for the athletes who haven't done anything or who haven't crossed the line. "It is not a nice thing. Last year you put me through hell and I hadn't done anything." On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a ban on the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes who had tried to overturn it. The ban was imposed on track and field athletes by governing body the IAAF following allegations of widespread, state-sponsored doping in the country. A handful of Russian athletes could still compete as neutrals at the Rio Games, which start on 5 August, if they can fulfil IAAF criteria to prove they are clean. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee will hold a second emergency meeting on Sunday to decide its course of action in response to the McLaren report. Some have called for a total ban on Russian competitors in Rio. Britain's 2004 relay gold medallist Darren Campbell has said the decision to ban Russian athletes from Rio 2016 would be the "rebirth of the Olympics". Olympic sprint legend Usain Bolt, who will be competing in Rio, added: "Doping violations in track and field is getting really bad. If you cheat or go or against the rules, this will scare a lot of people." Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary: UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner admits he could "never say never" that British athletes were 100% clean - but stressed Britain remained a "great standard bearer" in the battle against doping.


Thomas Cullen, 20, who has Down's syndrome, posted the video having failed to find a job after several months of trying. Since putting the clip on Facebook, his appeal has been viewed more than 28,000 times. His mother Carolyn said she had not expected the video to attract the level of attention and was "hopeful" it would help her son. Mrs Cullen, from Thirsk, said: "I posted it on Facebook just thinking that somebody might see it and think 'Oh, I know somebody [who can help]'. I did not expect the amount of hits and shares that it's had. "I think people view somebody with a disability as not able to do the job, but it just needs somebody to give a little bit of extra time to them. "Thomas just needs somebody who is prepared to give him a chance. "I'm hopeful. I would like him to get a job and to lead a normal life like anybody else." According to Mencap less than a fifth of the 1.4m people in the UK with a learning disability are in employment despite at least 65% wanting to work. James Bolton, from the charity, said: "Unfortunately [Thomas'] story is all too common. "I think there are all too often negative attitudes from employers and the public about what people with a learning disability can do. Very often it's due to a lack of understanding."

Summary: A disabled man's online appeal for work has been seen by thousands of people.


Jersey made it past the opening round for the first time in their history after coming back from a goal down to beat Salisbury 2-1. Josie Steinson put Salisbury ahead before half-time, but two goals from Fiona Anderson, the second in the final minutes, sealed the win. Meanwhile, Guernsey won 4-1 away at Warminster-based West Wilts.

Summary: Jersey and Guernsey's women's teams are both through to the second round of the EH Trophy after first-round wins.


The Egyptian, 25, has signed a five-year deal and has been a prime target for manager Jurgen Klopp. At current exchange rates, the fee is short of the club record £35m paid for Andy Carroll in 2011 but matches the sum they spent in 2016 to make Sadio Mane the most expensive African player. Salah almost joined Liverpool from Basle in 2014 before moving to Chelsea. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said Salah has "the perfect mix of experience and potential", adding: "This is a really exciting signing for us. "I have followed him since he emerged at Basle and he has matured into a really good player. "His pace is incredible, he gives us more attacking threat and we are already strong in this area. I like that we will make it even more competitive." Salah will wear the number 11 shirt, with Roberto Firmino moving to number nine. After only six Premier League starts following his £11m move, Salah had loan spells at Fiorentina and Roma before joining the latter in a permanent move for about £15m last summer. He was a key figure as Roma finished second in Serie A last season, scoring 15 goals in 31 league appearances. Liverpool have already signed Chelsea's 19-year-old striker Dominic Solanke, who was top scorer as England won the Under-20 World Cup and will join on 1 July. That fee will be decided by a tribunal after he rejected a new contract at Stamford Bridge, with the fee expected to be about £3m.

Summary: Liverpool have completed the 39m euro (£34m) signing of Roma's former Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Portugal captain, 28, was named world player of the year for the first time since 2008 by national coaches, captains and journalists. It is a tremendously emotional moment Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was named best women's player, while former Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes picked up the coach of the year accolade and Germany manager Silvia Neid claimed the women's award. Ronaldo claimed the award with a total of 1,365 points, ahead of Messi (1,205) and Ribery (1,127), with the votes cast by 184 coaches, 184 national captains and 173 members of the global media. Neither Ronaldo or Messi voted for the other in their top three. Cristiano Ronaldo didn't vote for Lionel Messi, and Messi didn't vote for Ronaldo. Find out who voted for whom in a breakdown of the results Ronaldo selected Radamel Falcao for first place, followed by Gareth Bale and Mesut Ozil, while Messi opted for Barcelona team-mates Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Neymar. England manager Roy Hodgson chose Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robin van Persie as his top three, while captain Steven Gerrard picked Ronaldo, Messi and Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez. Messi, 26, had won the award for the last four years, but Ronaldo had been viewed as the front-runner this time after scoring 66 goals in 56 games in 2013 for club and country. They included a sensational hat-trick for Portugal against Sweden in their World Cup qualifying play-off second leg, which sealed a place in the finals in Brazil. "First of all, I have to say a great thanks to all of my team-mates with the club and the national team," Ronaldo said as he cried during his speech. "Without all of their efforts, this would not have been possible. I am very happy; it is very difficult to win this award. "Everybody that has been involved with me on a personal level, I have to thank - my wife, my friends, my son. It is a tremendously emotional moment. All I can say is thank you to everybody that has been involved." Angerer, 35, saved two penalties in Germany's 1-0 win over Norway in the 2013 European Championship final and was named player of the match. "I have to say that I'm a little surprised, but very thankful," the Brisbane Roar goalkeeper said. "You never get a success like this on your own. I have to thank my team-mates and my goalkeeping coach who raised me to a level that I never thought I'd get to." Media playback is not supported on this device Heynckes, who retired at the end of the last season after guiding Bayern Munich to a historic treble, said he was "humbled and happy" to have won his award. The Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur was awarded to Brazil legend and three-time World Cup winner Pele. "I promised to my family that I would not cry but I am emotional," he said. "I got so many trophies and prizes but I was jealous of all of those guys who got the Ballon d'Or,

Summary: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich to win the 2013 Fifa Ballon d'Or.


The Health Protection Agency (HPA) report said a hot tub on show at JTF Warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent was the probable source of an outbreak in 2012. Richard Griffin, 64, and 79-year old William Hammersley, both died and 19 other people caught the disease. The HPA said hot tubs posed a health risk if not regularly maintained. BBC News has not been able to contact JTF Warehouse for a comment following the HPA report. The report said: "This was a significant outbreak and has raised questions on the acceptability of operating spa pools (also known as whirl pools and hot tubs) in public places where the general population has access. "Spa Pools are known to pose a risk of Legionella if water systems are not rigorously maintained, properly managed and subject to regular chemical controls. "Operating spa pools on display in indoor spaces, even if not used for bathing, have been previously shown to be the cause of outbreaks in other countries," the report added. Lawyers Irwin Mitchell are taking legal action on behalf of the families of two men who died, as well as 16 other people who caught the disease. They are calling for a public inquiry into the outbreak. Clive Garner from the firm said: "We hope that now this report has been published those responsible for the store will admit liability for the illness suffered by our clients so that we can help them to access the exact level of care and support they now need. "We are currently working with medical experts to investigate their longer term condition and prognosis and we hope to conclude their cases as soon as possible so that they can begin to move on with their lives."

Summary: Rules on displaying hot tubs in shops and public places should be reviewed, according to a report into a fatal outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.


She may continue to exercise some functions, but her role will be very limited. Sinn FÃ©in has seven days to re-nominate a new deputy first minister following Mr McGuinness' resignation. However, the party is adamant it will not replace him. From the evening of Monday 16 January, the baton passes to Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire. The law says he shall call an election. The usual time period for an Assembly election campaign is six weeks. If Mr Brokenshire moved immediately, then voters in Northern Ireland would be going to the polls in seven weeks' time. However, a previous court case indicated that the Northern Ireland Secretary did not necessarily need to call an Assembly election immediately, but within a reasonable period of time. Mr Brokenshire could use this flexibility to allow for more negotiations. What he cannot do as the law stands is suspend the Stormont Assembly and Executive. That power was used by previous governments on a number of occasions, but it was removed from the statute book as part of the 2006 St Andrew's Agreement. It would require a fresh emergency law to be passed by Westminster for suspension to be used again in the future. During the 2015 crisis over welfare reform and IRA activity, the Northern Ireland Office was adamant that, in the event of a breakdown, it would not try to bring back suspension powers, but allow fresh elections to take place. Government sources indicate that thinking has not changed, even though a potentially polarising campaign might not make the restoration of devolution in spring any easier. Sinn FÃ©in say their rift with the DUP is far wider than the latest Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. But whilst the Stormont parties go into election mode, it seems unlikely there will be any progress on either recouping the potential RHI losses, or agreeing an independent investigation into the affair.

Summary: Once Martin McGuinness' resignation takes effect, under the joint protocols that govern Stormont's power sharing government, First Minister Arlene Foster also loses her office.


Mouloud Tahari, 20, from Sparkhill, Birmingham, appeared at the Old Bailey in March charged with funding terrorism overseas. But West Midlands Police said he would no longer stand trial. His mother, Gerri Tahari, is due to appear before a jury on September 8 charged with the same offence. A spokesman for the force said: "The case against Mouloud Tahari was discontinued after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. "It was decided there was insufficient evidence to for a realistic prospect of conviction."

Summary: A man accused of a terrorism offence relating to the civil war in Syria has been told he will face no further action because of a lack of evidence.


Media playback is not supported on this device Three years ago that person was Jonjoe, but after his mum persuaded him to go on a Snow-Camp ski course, everything changed. "I was worried because I felt he just didn't know where he was going," said Debby. "I never dreamed this would come out of that moment." I love the way Snow-Camp uses my sport to support young people who wouldn't ever get the chance to get involved in snow sports The thrill of taking part in snow sports often attracts young people but the associated costs can mean it is an experience only available to the privileged and wealthy. UK charity Snow-Camp works in deprived inner-city areas to use young people's interest in the sports to engage them and provide life skills, qualifications and vocational training. "I was a perfect candidate for it," says Jonjoe, who comes from Hackney Wick in London. "I'd never seen snow before, crazily! And never ever thought I'd put skis on." Jonjoe progressed through the charity's programmes and last year was offered a year's paid apprenticeship in the snow sports industry. "Through the apprenticeship I'm now an internationally-qualified ski coach and working my way up. Just through that one day of saying 'You know what mum, maybe I am going to go...', it's completely changed my life." You can watch more of Jonjoe's story on Ski Sunday on Sunday, 19 February, on BBC Two at 17.15 GMT (17.30 in Wales) - here we introduce two more Snow-Camp graduates and explain more about how the programme works... In 2014, Sami had dropped out of school and was often in trouble with the police. He lacked confidence and was facing a future that involved gangs, crime and continued unemployment. "I was easily influenced and vulnerable to bad decisions. I had an attitude and I wasn't the best with authority," he said. Snowboarding has already inspired me to improve my life and I want to use it to have a positive impact on others. "I didn't know what I wanted to do as I had been through so much and let it drag me to the lowest of the low." He turned to the youth club Ladbroke Grove for support who enrolled him on to Snow-Camp's programmes, and over the next year progressed to gain a Snowsport England Level 1 Snowboarding Instructor qualification. "I never knew I wanted to snowboard for the rest of my life," Sami added. "That's because I didn't want to because it's a sport that people like me don't even consider. "Snow-Camp has had a big effect on my personal life. I now feel like I can do something valuable and worthwhile with my time. "My dream is to become a full-time snowboard instructor. Snowboarding has already inspired me to improve my life and I want to use it to have a positive impact on others." Like many boys of his age, 13-year-old Hamza didn't enjoy school; he was often getting into trouble and had no aspirations for his future. His family were worried he may

Summary: How can one skiing lesson change the life of a young person who is failing in school and getting into trouble?


The second-tier club, located just east of capital city Brussels, narrowly avoided relegation this season. The club's board set a time limit in its search for investment and said King Power "was the only bidder who made a clear and coherent proposal". Its directors said the deal "guarantees the future of the club, both financially and in sporting terms". OH Leuven were relegated from Belgium's top tier in 2015-16 but said new ownership would provide "sufficient financial resources to aspire to the earliest possible return". It added King Power - founded by Leicester chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 1989 - will fund an expansion of the club's youth system. The acquisition will be formally completed when the company has concluded due diligence. Srivaddhanaprabha is worth an estimated £3.6bn according to Forbes. The 58-year-old bought Leicester in 2010, with the club winning promotion to the top flight four years later and claiming the Premier League title in 2015-16.

Summary: Leicester City owners King Power International have agreed to purchase OH Leuven, the Belgian club says.


A vote at the East Lothian club failed to rally a two-thirds majority of members behind allowing women to join. The club has been barred from hosting the Open Championship as a result. The first minister said the club had the right to set its own rules, but said the decision was "wrong" and "damaging". Prime Minister David Cameron has also criticised Muirfield, and backed the decision to bar it from hosting the Open Championship. Mr Cameron told LBC Radio: "My general rule is that sports clubs should be totally open to both sexes, and it's outdated not to do that, particularly if you think that you're up to hosting important championships." A majority of members taking part in the vote at Muirfield backed allowing women to join, but did not achieve the necessary two-thirds of eligible members to push the move through. Golf's governing body, the Royal and Ancient, said it would not stage the Open "at a venue that does not admit women as members". Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland that she was "disappointed" by the "indefensible" decision. She said: "Muirfield is a private club and they're in charge of their own rules and regulations, and I accept that, but this is 2016. "Scotland has women leaders in every walk of life, in politics, in law, in business and everywhere else. I think this decision is wrong, and I hope there's a way of of looking at it again and overturning it. "As well as being wrong, it's damaging to Muirfield as a club - I want to see the Open played at Muirfield, it's a fantastic golf course, so this really is a regrettable decision." Ms Sturgeon rejected the suggestion that the decision had any wider message about Scottish society. She said: "The fact that I'm sitting here in the first minister's office says that Scotland is a country that values the contribution of women. "There are still barriers to women in every walk of life, but women also make progress in Scotland. Scotland is a welcoming place for women to progress in, so I don't want this decision to be seen as as reflection on modern Scotland, it's a reflection of a minority of members at Muirfield." Other politicians have also been quick to condemn the decision. Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said the golf club's decision was "hugely disappointing". She added: "I would urge Muirfield Golf Club to think again and find a way to reverse this decision, otherwise it will rightly find itself ostracised from the Scottish golfing community. "If ever a decision highlighted how much we need to keep up the fight for equality in Scotland this is it." Scottish Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton, who had campaigned for allowing women members ahead of the vote, said it was "very disappointing". She said: "I understand that there are traditions involved here, and the members knew fine well what the consequences of this decision would be. "But we have to move with the times, and this will be seen widely as a very outdated attitude for a

Summary: Nicola Sturgeon has called for the "indefensible" decision of Muirfield Golf Club to reject women as members to be overturned.


The pair were selected by the Rugby Football League from a number of potential bidders. The new club will retain the Bulls' place in the second-tier Championship division, with a 12-point deduction. However, existing head coach Rohan Smith has left by mutual consent. The 35-year-old Australian was appointed by Bulls in May on a three-year deal after James Lowes stepped down for personal reasons. "We appreciate all he did for the Bradford Bulls and the support he has given the playing group," Lowe said. "We are focused on bringing in a new proven and experienced coach as soon as possible and the recruitment process is underway." Their season begins at Hull KR on Sunday, 5 February. The group came close to taking the Bulls out of administration at the end of 2016, when a bid they made was rubber-stamped by the RFL, only to be rejected by the administrator. Chalmers registered the name Bradford Bulls 2017 at Companies House. RFL director of operations and legal, Karen Moorhouse, said: "The RFL is confident that the consortium selected to run a new club in Bradford will provide an exciting and stable future for rugby league in the city." The first task awaiting Chalmers and Lowe will be to replace Smith and get a squad together to compete in the Championship, and in particular tie down the existing players and staff members to new contracts, after their old deals were made null and void by the liquidation. First-grade players such as Leon Pryce and Omari Caro had said they were committed to staying with the Bradford club, but others - including Kris Welham, Adam O'Brien, James Clare and Alex Mellor - have already signed with other teams. "We are under no illusion of the enormity of the task that is ahead of us and that it is our job to win the trust of supporters and deliver a club that they are proud of," Chalmers said. Lowe added: "We do not see this as a quick fix and we will work through the immediate issue of offering full-time playing contracts to the team. "Following that, we will look at bolstering the playing squad as necessary to replace those players who have secured contracts elsewhere." In addition to a coaching career in the southern hemisphere, Lowe will be familiar to rugby league fans for his work in establishing Wigan as a major force in rugby league in the late 1980s. His team featured stars such as Ellery Hanley, Joe Lydon and Shaun Edwards, winning a championship and Premiership final and Challenge Cups during his stint - as well as the World Club Challenge against Manly in 1987. Coincidentally, it was at Manly where Lowe and Chalmers worked on the former's return to Australia. Chalmers was a reserve grade player at Manly and Balmain before quitting the game because of injury. He also served as a director at Salford Red Devils. There has been a rugby league presence in the city of Bradford since before the birth of Northern Union in 1895. Two local clubs, Bradford FC

Summary: Former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Andrew Chalmers and ex-Wigan coach Graham Lowe have been confirmed as the new owners of the Bradford club to replace the liquidated Bulls.


26 July 2016 Last updated at 11:23 BST How on earth are you meant to pass the time? Don't worry - Newsround's got it sorted - sort of.... Check out our top tips to beat boredom in the car!

Summary: You know the feeling - you get in the car for a long, boring journey, and the battery on your tablet dies.


David Harris, 68, denies three counts of soliciting to murder Hazel Allinson, a former TV scriptwriter for The Bill. He told jurors at the Old Bailey he had become "besotted" with a younger woman in a brothel and spent £50,000 on her. When the money ran out he was "inspired to write a thriller", to recoup his expenses, the court heard. The prosecution alleged Mr Harris wanted Ms Allinson's money and full ownership of the £800,000 home they shared in Amberley, West Sussex. Mr Harris told the jury earlier he had offered a man posing as a hitman £150,000 to kill his wealthy partner as research for his book. Unbeknown to Mr Harris the contact was an undercover policeman. The defendant told the jury: "I said I wanted my wife killed - which is not true. "The figure of £150,000 was mentioned by me, bearing in mind I have no money and I wanted to get this person on side to help me with my story." Mr Harris told the jury: "He said: 'Yeah, for that kind of money, I will go down there now and shoot her.' "I said: 'Of course not, you cannot do something like that. It has to be planned'." The contact said for £175,000 he would "do it now", the court heard. They allegedly discussed scenarios including a potential mugging or carjacking, before Mr Harris returned home to enjoy a fish supper, watching Strictly Come Dancing, with Ms Allinson. Mr Harris said: "What I needed for my book was a fatal murder." He had apparently ruled out any sort of car accident because there was no guarantee that would ensure death. The couple first met in 1989 when they were both working on The Bill. Ms Allinson had saved him from alcohol addiction and he retired through "ill health" in 2006, Mr Harris said. Ms Allinson gave him a monthly allowance of between £300-£400. He told jurors on Wednesday he still had an "active libido" and visited brothels to fulfil his sexual needs. He met his mistress Ugne Cekaviciute in Worthing and said: "I had become besotted with her. I thought that she was too young and too nice to be in a brothel." He took her to expensive restaurants and hotels and spent all the money Ms Allison gave him. Jurors heard he wanted to be with Ms Cekaviciute but was "very stressed" about his finances. The trial continues.

Summary: A man who offered to pay a "hitman" £150,000 to kill his wife, says he had no intention of going through with it and was only researching for his novel.


An extra 260,000 passengers used the airport compared with the same month in 2014, mainly due to an increase in long-haul flights and larger aircraft. In June, Gatwick said it had the busiest year in its history, claiming it proved its case for a second runway. The Airports Commission has since backed a new Heathrow runway instead. Gatwick said demand for long-haul flights to New York, Los Angeles, Cape Verde, Trinidad and Costa Rica had contributed to the increased passenger numbers. It said it had now experienced two-and-a-half years of consecutive month-on-month growth. Gatwick's chief executive Stewart Wingate said the July figures showed his airport remained the best location for the new runway. "These results put us 10 years ahead of the forecasts used by the Airports Commission to predict future air traffic movements," he said. "Our growth in the last 12 months is actually more than the commission concluded could be added at Gatwick in the first year of a new runway. "This is further proof of the flaws in the Airports Commission analysis and shows its conclusions are fast unravelling." A spokesman for the commission said: "All forecasts in the Airports Commission final report were subject to extensive analysis and we are confident that they are fit for purpose."

Summary: Gatwick had its busiest July with 4.3 million passengers - a 6.4% increase on last year - the West Sussex airport has said.


The camera and medical equipment firm brought the case against ex-chairman Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and 15 others. A Tokyo court found Kikukawa and five others liable for $529m. The ruling comes comes six years after former chief executive Michael Woodford exposed his colleagues for falsifying accounts to conceal losses of $1.7bn. The scandal was one of the biggest financial frauds in Japan's history, but Kikukawa and two other executives who pleaded guilty never went to jail. Instead, they were given suspended sentences of up to three years. An Olympus spokesman declined to comment, saying the former employees could appeal against the ruling. One of the six men found liable by the court has since died, but his family could still be held responsible for his share of the damages, according to the AFP news agency.

Summary: Six executives sacked by Japan's Olympus have been ordered to pay more than half a billion dollars in damages after a massive accounting fraud.


Media playback is not supported on this device Those first seven words, first delivered by Tim Robbins in the Hollywood adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Shawshank Redemption, may originally have referred to Robbins' character's plan to escape from prison. But spoken by former England youth international and Leicester Tigers player Matt Hampson, they have a much more literal meaning. Hampson was a standout prop for the Tigers' development squad, seemingly destined to one day earn full international honours with England. But 10 years ago on Sunday, Hampson, then just a 20-year-old, was left paralysed from the neck down when a scrum collapsed in a training session with the England Under-21 squad. Hampson spent 17 months in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, and now can only breathe with the help of a ventilator. Having seen his burgeoning career cut short, Hampson admitted he questioned why he had become the victim of such a serious freak accident. "That was the initial thoughts - why me, why me? "Then I saw other people who had had accidents in different scenarios and they weren't as fortunate as me to have such great support and a great network of friends and family. "I would see some people in hospital who didn't have one visitor from one week to the next and that's why I count myself very fortunate and I still do." Although support from family and friends helped Hampson, he also credits his background as a sportsman for enabling him to cope with his change in circumstance. "I think the mental strength comes from being a rugby player, from being at Leicester Tigers where it is a tough upbringing," added Hampson. "My family treat me as the same old Matt and still tell me if I am being miserable and tell me to get on with it and keep smiling. "I have a great network of friends as well who support me and treat me as the same person. I am not different. "I am just paralysed from the neck down - I am no different to anyone else really." Having come to terms with his injuries, the 30-year-old now feels it was fate that led to his accident, and with it, a greater purpose in life through a charity in his name. "I think it happened for a reason and I said this to my Dad - this will make me a better person. "I don't think I initially believed that, but I am just starting to now and I do think it has made me a better person. "I do think about people a lot more and try and help people as much as possible." One of those Hampson has helped is Harve Iradukunda. Iradukunda was a Rwandan refugee who was hit by a car and left paralysed while playing football on the street in South Africa. The Matt Hampson Foundation paid for Iradukunda to be flown to a Paris hospital, to be reunited with his mother and brother in France. "Honestly I don't know what I would have done without the Matt Hampson foundation,"

Summary: "Get busy living, or get busy dying' - I got busy living."


The Nasa probe, which flew by the dwarf planet in July, continues to downlink its data, and as it comes in, the scientists get to work on it. The ripples stretch for many hundreds of km. "It looks more like tree bark or dragon scales than geology," observed mission team member Bill McKinnon. "This'll really take time to figure out; maybe it's some combination of internal tectonic forces and ice sublimation driven by Pluto's faint sunlight," the Washington University, St Louis, scientist said in a US space agency release. The best way to look at "scales" is to browse the new high-resolution enhanced colour view of Pluto that has been made available (PNG file, 70MB). The features are on the far eastern edge. This super image comes from the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera on New Horizons. It combines blue, red and near infrared (NIR) images. The enhanced view will help decode the various geological and climatological processes that have worked together to produce all the complex surface features seen on Pluto. Alex Parker, a team member from the Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, worked on the Ralph portrait. "This image consumed the better part of this week for me," he tweeted. "I removed striping noise and deconvolved the images, massively improving sharpness. "Since the NIR, red and blue images used to make this colour composite are taken separately, they have to be precisely aligned in software. "The instrument is a TDI (time delay and integration) camera, and has funny spatial distortions. I removed all of these by hand to create the final colour product." Also released this week are probably the highest-resolution images seen so far. They come from the Lorri camera and show details down to 270m across. Lorri is a black and white camera, but the imagery released by Nasa has been coloured with Ralph information. The mosaic includes a segment of so-called Sputnik Planum. Incorporating a series of large polygonal features, in previous releases the icy surface has appeared to be ultra-smooth. But in this new higher-resolution view, it is possible to see a more dune-like and pitted texture. New Horizons continues to move deeper into the outer Solar System even as it downlinks its flyby data. It has now gone 90 million km beyond the dwarf, which puts it very nearly five billion km from Earth. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

Summary: A great swathe of Pluto that features a strange rippling terrain is perhaps the highlight of the latest image release from the New Horizons mission.


More than 200 pupils at St George's Preparatory School in Jersey were due to have a day at the beach in July. But after hearing a health department warning about skin cancer on the island, headmaster Colin Moore said the school would be organising "a less exposed alternative event". Mr Moore said "the children's health must take priority". He said the decision was made with "considerable regret". "I'm not suggesting we shouldn't go to the beach... but I think there is a big difference between taking your family to the beach and 210 or 220 children." He said the school may "resurrect" its visit to the beach in future years if adequate shading is available. The average Jersey temperature in July is 14C to 20C, compared with 11C to 19C in the UK, according to the Met Office. Too much sunshine was also blamed for the closure of an outdoor swimming pool in Cornwall because lifeguards were unable to clearly see the bottom of the pool after the weather helped create an algal bloom.

Summary: A school's annual beach day has been scrapped over concerns about the dangers of midday sunshine.


Media playback is not supported on this device Charles Piutau, Stuart McCloskey and Kyle McCall scored tries in Ulster's first-half purple patch, with Kristian Dacey replying for Cardiff Blues. Chris Henry and Louis Ludik added second-half scores while man of the match Ruan Pienaar converted all five. Willis Halaholo and Alex Cuthbert crossed for home consolation tries. Wales captain Sam Warburton was a late withdrawal from the Blues side with a sickness bug, despite recovering from the shoulder injury which kept him out of Wales' win over South Africa. Shingler's early long-distance penalty was the only score of a cagey opening quarter, before Ulster took control with three converted tries in 13 minutes. A snipe from Pienaar set up the attacking position for All-Black Piutau to bag an overlap try after 24 minutes, with opposite number Blaine Scully in the sin-bin for killing the ball at a ruck. Four minutes later giant centre McCloskey cut through on a clever angle from 20 metres out to stroll through some weak Blues defence. Scully's return did not prevent Ulster turning the screw as prop McCall bundled over from close range following Pienaar's charge-down of Lloyd Williams' attempted clearance, Pienaar again converting. The Blues finally roused themselves for hooker Dacey to be driven over with the final move of the first half, making it 21-8 at the break. Media playback is not supported on this device Clinical Ulster The visitors were twice reduced to 14 when Iain Henderson and Luke Marshall were yellow-carded, but a punchless Blues attack could not take advantage. Even with Marshall off, a clinical Ulster bagged the bonus point as Chris Henry crossed, following a break-away led by Pete Browne and Tommy Bowe. Crowd favourite, former Wales fly-half Nicky Robinson, returned to Blues colours in the final quarter and converted a jinking effort by Halaholo with ten minutes left, before putting Cuthbert over and goaling again. But replacement Ludik eased any Ulster nerves by scrambling over from a charge-down to leave the Blues pointless. Cardiff Blues: Blaine Scully; Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Tom James; Steve Shingler, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins (capt), Kristian Dacey, Taufa'ao Filise, George Earle, James Down, Josh Turnbull, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Navidi. Replacements: Matthew Rees, Rhys Gill, Scott Andrews, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Macauley Cook, Tomos Williams, Nicky Robinson, Matthew Morgan Ulster: Charles Piutau, Tommy Bowe, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy, Brett Herron, Ruan Pienaar; Kyle McCall, Rob Herring (capt), Wiehahn Herbst, Pete Browne, Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy. Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Rodney Ah You, Kieran Treadwell, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Louis Ludik, Darren Cave. Referee: Andrew Brace (SRU) Assistants: Sean Gallagher (IRFU), Aled Evans (WRU) TMO: Charles Samson (SRU)

Summary: Ulster ended a run of three PRO12 defeats with an emphatic bonus-point win away to Cardiff Blues.


The Disney Pixar film took $73.2m (£54.6m), while The Independence Day sequel took a disappointing $41.6m (£31m). Blake Lively's shark thriller The Shallows did better than expected, taking $16.7m (£12.4m). Filmed in Australia, it came in fourth and only cost $17m (£12.7m) to make. On its opening weekend, Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory had the most successful launch for an animated film in US box office history, taking $136.2m (£93.3m). It is already the sixth-best selling film of 2016 after ten days with total takings of $285.6m (£214m). That figure is less than $100m (£74.9m) short of the final total that Finding Nemo made. Will Smith did not return to battle the aliens second time round in the Independence Day sequel but Roland Emmerich was back in the director's chair. Bill Pullman, Vivica Fox and Jeff Goldblum reprised their characters, joined by new cast members Liam Hemsworth and Jessie Usher. It cost $165m (£123.6m) to make and will need strong international ticket sales if it is to become profitable. It has taken $102m (£76.4m) from 57 different markets since its release. In third place was the Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson action comedy Central Intelligence. It took $18.4m (£13.7m) in its second week and has now topped $69m (£51.7m) in 10 days. Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer said social media buzz helped the film, which is about Lively's character battling for survival in a shark's feeding ground. "We were able to convey that this is a movie that has you on the edge of your seat and is both fun and scary," he said. Meanwhile, Matthew McConaughey's historical drama Free State of Jones took fifth spot. The film, in which McConaughey plays the leader of a rebellion against the Confederacy, took $7.8m (£5.8m), which was below expectations. It cost $50m (£37.4m) to make.

Summary: Finding Dory has remained at the top of the US box office for a second week, as Independence Day: Resurgence came in second place.


Gary Bennett, 46, of Needwood Road, Bedford, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court to two years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to nine charges of making indecent images of children. Judge Richard Foster told Bennett the children had "suffered the most horrible abuse for your perverted sexual gratification". The court heard how Bennett had begun searching for pictures and videos of children being abused in 2004. Over a ten year period, he amassed a collection of more than 15,000 images, including 302 at the most serious level. His barrister, Natalie Goff, had urged the court to suspend the sentence saying Bennett had begun seeing a counsellor. But Judge Foster told Bennett: "What people like you fail to understand is that this offending has real victims, they are not just pictures on a computer screen." He said the defendant had used a sophisticated method to obtain the images, having gained information from another sex offender. Beverley Cripps, prosecuting, said police had gone to Bennett's home on 12 April 2014 and seized computer equipment, CDs, discs and lists of search terms. She said: "Analysis of the images showed them to be of female children some as young as two. Some of the children involved were visibly upset and crying while being abused." She said in his police interview, Bennett admitted having a sexual interest in children since he was 13. Bennett was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years.

Summary: A paedophile convicted of taking an indecent picture of a child 13 years ago has been jailed for possessing more than 15,000 child abuse images.


Cedric Anderson entered a primary school on Monday in San Bernardino, California, and gunned down estranged spouse Karen Elaine Smith, 53. On Facebook, he referred to the special needs teacher as "my wonderful little wife", "sexy" and a "pure spirit". But some online posts by Anderson, also 53, hinted at a darker side. The couple, who had reportedly been in a relationship for years, wed in January, but were separated within a few weeks. Anderson initially seemed to be a smitten husband, rhapsodising about his bride and proclaiming himself "blessed". "She has no guile or pretense," he wrote in one post of Ms Smith. "She has no ill will toward anyone. (It amazes me!). "I praise God for such a wonderful Lady!" But in February Anderson exposed a violent streak as he boasted on Facebook of having "almost personally attacked 3 Coaches to get my son Jared a scholarship". "A father is like a lion. He will kill you for his Blood!" he wrote. On 12 March, he shared a New York Post video of a man kicking an elderly woman in the face on a bus, entitled: "Can you hear me now?" Anderson wrote along with the video: "Deranged? Yea!" Ms Smith's mother, Irma Sykes, told ABC News: "We thought he was a fine person. Until they were married and then he showed the other side of him. "Which we had never seen before. We were shocked. He began to pick on my daughter and talk down to her. "And they had dated for four years. And after about three weeks, my husband and I decided, you need to get away from him. "He is not the kind of person you thought he was." In 2013 Anderson was charged with assault and battery, brandishing a weapon and disturbing the peace, but the charges were dismissed a year later. In 1993, he was charged with two misdemeanour counts of battery in Kern Superior Court, the Los Angeles Times reported. However, court records show both charges were dismissed six months later. Somehow, the man who posted a selfie on Facebook a month ago celebrating "date night!!!" with his new wife was able to walk into the classroom on Monday morning where she was teaching and gun her down in cold blood with a Smith and Wesson .357 revolver. Without saying a word, he discharged 10 shots and stopped to reload, police said. Two children in the North Park Elementary School special needs class of 15 students were injured in the crossfire, authorities said. Jonathan Martinez, eight, died and a nine-year-old was in hospital in a stable condition.

Summary: A newlywed who fatally shot his wife and a child before turning the gun on himself at a US school had projected a blissful marriage on social media.


The group sparked outrage in the western city of Wuppertal in 2014, when they approached people in orange vests bearing the words "Sharia Police". They demanded that locals stop gambling, listening to music, and drinking alcohol. The group's alleged organiser, Sven Lau, is a well-known Islamist preacher. He is facing separate charges of supporting a terrorist group fighting in Syria. A film of the "patrol" appeared on YouTube, prompting condemnation from the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, who said their behaviour was "harmful to Muslims". Wuppertal's district court ruled that the seven vigilantes could only have broken the law - which was originally aimed at street movements such as the early Nazi party - if their uniforms were "suggestively militant or intimidating", a court spokesman said. In this case, it found that the vests were not threatening, noting that one witness mistook the gang for a stag do. The same court threw out the case last year, but was overruled on appeal by a higher court which felt the ban on uniforms could be applied in this case. Monday's verdict is not yet final and may still be appealed. So-called "Sharia patrols" by ultra-conservative Muslim men have been seen in other European cities including London, Copenhagen and Hamburg.

Summary: A German court has ruled that seven Muslim men who formed a Sharia street patrol did not break laws against political uniforms.


The relationship drama, written and directed by Jolie, opened this year's American Film Institute Film Festival in LA. Hollywood Reporter said it was "far too long" and suffered from "stasis and dramatic flatness". Variety added that it "it leaves the heart and mind coolly unstirred". It summed up the film as "a gorgeously unhappy 1970s American couple seeking to escape their demons during an extended stay on the Maltese coast". Screen Daily said it was "an intimate art-house film for a major studio" and that it was "sure to garner attention because of the marquee attraction" of its stars. It is the first film in which they have starred together since 2005's Mr & Mrs Smith and is Jolie's third film as director, after Unbroken (2014) and In The Land of Blood and Honey (2011). Screen Daily said Jolie's "commitment to serious themes is undercut by a rigid, overblown style". "No matter the type of story she's trying to tell, she often bears down on it so hard that the film doesn't have much room to breathe," it added. The Wrap called the film "a soporific drama that teeters on parody", adding: "Angelina Jolie Pitt's reputation as a competent filmmaker won't be entirely undone by her third directorial effort but neither will it be enhanced." It said it was "hard enough watching these two talented actors play blanks who have no chemistry with each other, but the effort seems especially pointless when we learn the root of their problems". The film is released in the US on 13 November and in the UK on 11 December.

Summary: Critics have given a lukewarm reception to Angelina Jolie's By The Sea, in which she stars with husband Brad Pitt, calling it a "vanity project".


Media playback is not supported on this device Defending champions Watson and Henri Kontinen beat second seeds Bruno Soares and Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3. Murray and Martina Hingis overcame Marcelo Demoliner and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2 7-5. The number one seeds broke the unseeded pair three times in a one-sided opening set before breaking in the 11th game of the second set en route to victory. Media playback is not supported on this device Watson and Kontinen had 14 chances to break their opponents in the opening set of their match, finally converting one in the ninth game of the first set. The second set was a tighter affair. Again, the 2016 champions had several opportunities to break, but wasted them before coming unstuck in the tie-break. However, they took full advantage of their chances in the decider when they broke in the fourth game before going on to secure a second successive appearance in the final.

Summary: Heather Watson will face fellow Briton Jamie Murray in Sunday's Wimbledon mixed doubles final.


Debutant Jordan Kirkpatrick put Clyde in front after eight minutes but Arbroath turned the game on its head early in the second half. Bobby Linn's penalty levelled 11 minutes after the break, then Richard Little's right-footed effort two minutes later left Clyde stunned. Clyde failed to capitalise on leaders East Fife's 1-1 draw with Queen's Park.

Summary: Struggling Arbroath came from behind to earn a victory which denied Clyde the opportunity to go top of League Two.


Mr Beshira, 21, was pronounced dead on Kilburn High Road in north-west London at 17:20 GMT on Thursday after being shot in the abdomen. A 22-year-old man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder and remains in custody. Metropolitan Police said they believe Mr Beshira was shot on Palmerston Road and staggered 200 yards. Officers are searching for a man described as slim and white who was wearing jeans and a dark top with his hood up and the lower half of his face covered. Members of the public were already attending to Mr Beshira, who had collapsed outside a cafe, when the emergency services arrived. Witnesses described the area as "mayhem" after the shooting with reports of fights breaking out in a crowd. Det Ch Insp Andy Partridge said the gunman was "loitering in and around Palmerston Road and the Webheath Estate prior to the attack". He said: "We know the area was extremely busy at the time of the shooting. "I am convinced that other members of the public have either seen the incident itself, or have seen the suspect arrive at the scene or flee after the shooting."

Summary: Detectives have identified a man who was shot and killed on a busy street as Yasir Beshira.


DreamHost had argued the DoJ's warrant would have revealed 1.3 million IP addresses. The DoJ has now narrowed the scope of its demand. Disruptj20.org was set up to help arrange a protest at President Trump's inauguration. "The government has no interest in records relating to the 1.3 million IP addresses that are mentioned in DreamHost's numerous press releases and opposition briefs," prosecutors said in the new request. They were focused on the use of the website to plan and carry out a criminal act - a "riot" - not the "lawful activities of peaceful protesters", they said. The warrant does not now require certain access and error logs, which, DreamHost says, means visitors' IP addresses are "largely safe". "We see this as a huge win for internet privacy, and we absolutely appreciate the DoJ's willingness to look at and reconsider both the scope and the depth of their original request for records," DreamHost said in a blog post. However, it still plans to challenge the DoJ on other aspects of its request. Prosecutors signed the original warrant to DreamHost in July, arguing that disruptj20.org had been used to organise "violent" protests in Washington DC. DreamHost and privacy advocates argued that amounted to a "digital dragnet". In its updated warrant, the DoJ said that the full scope of the original request - criticised by DreamHost in its public statements - had been "unknown to the government and the court at the time that the warrant was issued". Data still required by the amended warrant includes files and databases stored by DreamHost. More than 200 people have been charged in relation to rioting at the inauguration.

Summary: Visitors to an anti-Trump website will probably not have their internet protocol addresses turned over to the Department of Justice, after a legal standoff with a US web company.


Japan called for an end to the raid, summoning the Algerian ambassador to express concern for the lives of the captives and to plead for up-to-date information. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "disappointed" not to have been told about the raid in advance. But while many details of how events at the In Amenas plant have unfolded remain unclear, Algeria's decision to deal with the kidnappers forcefully and unilaterally fits with a deeply-entrenched and uncompromising approach to counter-terrorism. "I'd be surprised if they'd reacted any other way," said Jon Marks, an Algeria analyst and head of the Cross-border Information consultancy. "From the Algerian point of view the attackâ€¦ was an affront to the prestige of the Algerian military which is a very central part of the Algerian value system." The military is still seen as the ultimate arbiter of power in Algeria, and has never been placed fully under civilian control. The army, and the governments it supports, derive much of their legitimacy from largely winning the military battle against Islamist insurgents in the 1990s, during a vicious conflict that left as many as 150,000 people dead. Algerian authorities have expressed some bitterness that they were left to fight this conflict on their own, before most of the rest of the world was confronted with the threat from Islamist militancy. But they also take pride in their counter-terrorism experience, their military suppression of armed groups and their publicly-stated reluctance to negotiate or pay ransoms. "We say that confronted with terrorism, yesterday as today and tomorrow, there will be no negotiation, no blackmail, no let-up in the fight against terrorism," said Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Said Belaid. "Those who think we will negotiate with terrorists are delusional." The conflict in the 1990s was fought in the north of Algeria. Armed groups have only become more active in Algeria's vast southern desert and neighbouring Sahel states in recent years. They have carried out kidnappings, mainly outside Algeria, and have never launched a major attack on the oil and gas industry that has long been the backbone of Algeria's economy. However, both the alleged organiser of Wednesday's attack, Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, and the prospect of a drawn-out kidnapping saga, are darkly familiar to the Algerian authorities. "They know Mokhtar Belmokhtar and his gang very well and they know very well that these are people who are extremely adept at operating in the Sahara regions," said Jon Marks, referring to reports that the Algerians intervened when some of the kidnappers and hostages tried to leave the plant. The risk, he said, was that they would take the hostages to a remote part of the desert and then negotiate for ransoms or prisoner exchanges, "and they used the bluntest of instruments, which was air power, to stop those cars". "With the western governments you've got the view which is predominant that they've got a duty of care towards the hostages," he added. "Whereas in the perception of those people running the operation, it was very much, 'you must deal with the terrorists and

Summary: Algeria's military intervention against kidnappers at a Saharan gas plant apparently came as a surprise to those foreign governments whose citizens were being held hostage.


The Israeli company behind the AirMule has already successfully tested it flying itself without being tethered to the ground for safety reasons. It aims to be able to deliver models to military customers in the next decade. One expert said the drone was impressive but raised safety concerns. Urban Aeronautics has received financial support from the Israeli government for the project, and its chief executive said it could help save lives. "[It could fly to] anyone out in the field who needs water, food, batteries, supplies, medical equipment and so forth," Rafi Yoeli told the BBC. "Later, it could be used to fetch soldiers that you don't want to leave behind or are wounded. "There are plenty of situations where you cannot send a helicopter - for example, in the middle of fighting where you want to evacuate people from a street or from a narrow roof. "Eventually, there could be civilian applications, such as rescue missions in the mountains or flying into disaster areas - for example, nuclear facilities where no person in a helicopter could get in." Urban Aeronautics has carried out nearly 200 test flights of the AirMule, including its first untethered trial at the Megiddo airfield in northern Israel on 30 December. The machine, 6.2m (20ft) long and 2.3m (7.5ft) tall, takes off vertically, like a helicopter. The company aims to make it able to fly at a maximum speed of 180km/h (112mph) and as high as 18,000ft (5,500m) once a more powerful turboshaft engine is fitted. Mr Yoeli said his team also needed to upgrade the aircraft's flight control system to make it capable of flying in rain and other bad weather. In addition, he said, further work had to be done before he could say what lifespan it would have. "When you supply a vehicle to the customer, you need to offer them a guarantee that it will work for 500 hours or 1,000 hours or so many take-offs and landings," he said. "So, we need to develop the knowledge of the lifespan of the components and maybe redesign some of them. "This will be an expensive aircraft. "There is nothing out there that has the dimensions of a Humvee [military vehicle] yet can take off vertically with 500kg of supplies and fly for an hour." Before the end of 2016, he added, the plan was to demonstrate it could fly itself at low heights over obstructed terrain without the risk of a collision and to carry out the first robotic delivery of a parcel at a destination. A drone expert from Imperial College London said the aircraft could prove groundbreaking, but the engineers would have to prove it did not pose a threat to other aircraft or people living under its flight path. "The vehicle design and control system is impressive," said Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan. "Evacuation of injured people, delivery of supplies or equipment, and intelligence support could represent the first use of autonomous systems in defence and humanitarian relief operations. "But a vehicle this size obviously brings very significant safety issues. "Experiments for large

Summary: The maker of a drone designed to carry loads of up to 500kg (1,100lb) says it plans to see if it can fly itself between trees and other obstacles before the end of the year.


Earlier this month a WTO dispute panel found the US had dealt with all but one of the instances of illegal subsidies to the aerospace giant. But Airbus maintains the US continues to offer unfair support. The fight is part of a 13-year dispute between the EU and the US over support offered to Boeing and Europe's Airbus. In 2012, the WTO found that state and federal programmes provided Boeing with billions of dollars in illegal subsidies. On 9 June the WTO's dispute panel found most of those issues had been addressed. However, generous tax benefits offered by the state of Washington, where Boeing has a large presence and which are worth an estimated $800m to date, continue. Both sides claimed the panel's June findings as a victory. The WTO has also found that Europe provided billions in illegal subsidies to Airbus.

Summary: The European Union (EU) has appealed against a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling in favour of the US over its state aid for Boeing.


A charity wants older people to help care for pet chickens in an attempt to tackle loneliness. The idea, by the project Hen Power, has experienced significant success with the scheme in England. What started with a couple of hens in Northumberland has expanded to more than 40 care and residential homes across England and Wales. Similar schemes are also taking place in Canada and Australia. Caring through arts is being backed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, which is promoting other forms of art among the elderly in care settings including dance, music, creative arts and circus skills. But will bringing chickens into care homes ruffle some feathers? Not according to 80-year-old widow Pat Cain who is originally from Merseyside. She lives alone in sheltered accommodation as part of a wider care home and has been a hen-keeper for four years. "First of all some shook their heads, they didn't care for it at all. But now it's part of our lives, it would be strange if we didn't step out of our bungalows and care for the hens. "It's made everyone around me change their lives." The project recently received £1m of Big Lottery funding and Hen Power says it is hatching a plan for the scheme to be introduced in Northern Ireland soon.

Summary: The number of 'hensioners' in Northern Ireland could soon be on the rise.


Prof Gerry Holtham said plans for an advisory group of business leaders and experts were "probably not sufficient". He claimed it would be a "big ask" for First Minister Carwyn Jones to add Brexit to his list of responsibilities. The economist said a dedicated Brexit ministry would have the staff and resources to undertake the job. Prof Holtham, who previously led an inquiry into Welsh Government funding, said the advisory group was a good idea to help with "very complicated" negotiations, claiming both the Welsh and UK governments were "short on experience and expertise". But the Cardiff Metropolitan University professor said the panel would not be enough. "Brexit will influence a lot of different ministries within the Welsh Government," he told BBC Wales, naming agriculture and industry as key areas. "All of these will have to work together and make their input," he said. "The Welsh Government hasn't been great in the past at that kind of cross-departmental co-ordination. "It may help to have somebody who is responsible for pulling it together and conducting the negotiations." New Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed David Davis as secretary of state responsible for Brexit in the UK government, with former Welsh Secretary David Jones as a junior minister working with him. Mr Holtham said the first minister may want to lead the Brexit response from Wales himself, but asked: "Does he have the staff back-up to actually carry that out? "If there were a department doing that, there would be civil servants seconded to it and it would have the resources to undertake the job, as well as having a minister responsible for seeing that all the information was brought together and co-ordinated in the right way. "It's a big ask for the first minister to do that as well as all the other things that he has to do." In July, Mr Jones told the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales: "There can't be a minister for Brexit. "I have a limited number of ministers I can appoint - I can't appoint somebody just to do that. "The reality is we can do this anyway... not just me but the cabinet and other parties as well." Reacting to Mr Holtham's comments, a Welsh Government spokesman said: "The first minister is chairing a cabinet sub-committee focused exclusively on Brexit issues, bringing together the departments directly linked to EU business. "In addition the cabinet secretary for finance and local government will chair an EU advisory group drawing together expertise and sectorial interests from across Wales. "Throughout this process the Welsh Government will be fighting vigorously for Wales' interests."

Summary: Wales needs a dedicated minister for Brexit to co-ordinate its response to leaving the EU, a former Welsh Government advisor has said.


Colombia said it would not allow any further temporary openings of the border, which Venezuela shut last year. More than 100,000 people went to Colombia last weekend, the second time the border was open in a year. They crossed to buy basic goods that are in short supply in their country because of a severe economic crisis. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure to fight cross-border crime. He said the area had been infiltrated by Colombian paramilitaries and gangs. The UN human rights office called on Venezuela to consider accepting "humanitarian aid" to ensure food and medicine supplies were distributed. Colombia's Foreign Minister, Maria Angela Holguin, said a decision had been made to not allow any further temporary reopening of the border. "Let's work so that the opening, the next opening, is definitive," she said after meeting officials from the region neighbouring Venezuela. She added that work needed to be done to make the frontier safer and to prevent criminal activities in the area. Many in Venezuela say they have struggled to feed their families as the country has suffered severe shortages for months. This is a result of the falling price of oil which is Venezuela's prime source of income. Supermarkets have empty shelves and people spend days in queues to buy basic goods. The Venezuelan opposition blames the government for the economic crisis, saying its policies have left businesses unable to import raw materials and essential parts. President Maduro argues that his leftist government is the victim of an economic war. Expressing concern about "severe shortages" of basic goods in Venezuela, the UN human rights office also warned about deteriorating human rights and growing violence in the country. The body urged the authorities to ensure the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Venezuela: Economy on the brink?

Summary: The government in Colombia has called for the permanent opening of its border with Venezuela after crisis-hit Venezuelans flocked to buy basic items.


The defender, 27, was carried off after he was injured in an 85th-minute collision with opponent Theo Hernandez. Barcelona said on Saturday evening that Vidal, signed from Sevilla in 2015, would be out of action for five months. "Aleix, you'll be back stronger - get well soon," wrote team-mate Andre Gomes on Twitter. Vidal had recently established himself as a regular in Luis Enrique's side, scoring in league victories over Las Palmas and Athletic Bilbao since the turn of the year. After suffering his injury, he was taken to hospital in the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, where Alaves are based, for an operation to reduce the swelling on his ankle. His was one of two serious injuries sustained in La Liga matches on Saturday; Osasuna defender Tano Bonnin broke his leg during the first half of their 3-1 defeat at home by Real Madrid.

Summary: Barcelona full-back Aleix Vidal will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his right ankle during Saturday's 6-0 La Liga win at Alaves.


Dougie Gair scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot late on after Reece Donaldson had been sent off for conceding the spot-kick. The 2-1 aggregate score also brought to an end East Stirlingshire's 61-year tenure in senior football. Shire will now enter the Lowland League, which Edinburgh won this term. The home side had the better of the opening 45 minutes with Max Wright and Tommy Orr both coming close to giving East Stirling the lead but City coped well, the experienced Joe Mbu at centre-half a rock at the back for the capital club. In the second half City came much more into the game and Mark McConnell forced a fine save from goalkeeper Darren Dolan. With four minutes left the tie took a dramatic turn when the visitors were awarded a penalty. Ross Allum was through on goal when he was brought down by Donaldson, who had successfully appealed against a red card in the first leg. Referee Don Robertson immediately pointed to the spot and issued the Shire defender a straight red card. And Gair, who scored from the spot in last week's draw, hammered the ball down the middle of the goal to spark celebrations among the City fans. And when the full-time whistle was blown, the players and fans rejoiced as they can now look forward to senior football next season. Match ends, East Stirling 0, Edinburgh City 1. Second Half ends, East Stirling 0, Edinburgh City 1. Attempt saved. John MacDonald (Edinburgh City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Foul by Mark McConnell (Edinburgh City). Neil McCabe (East Stirling) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, East Stirling. Conceded by Sean Muhsin. Foul by Ross Allum (Edinburgh City). Lloyd Kinnaird (East Stirling) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! East Stirling 0, Edinburgh City 1. Dougie Gair (Edinburgh City) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the centre of the goal. Penalty Edinburgh City. Ross Allum draws a foul in the penalty area. Reece Donaldson (East Stirling) is shown the red card. Penalty conceded by Reece Donaldson (East Stirling) after a foul in the penalty area. Foul by Ian McFarland (Edinburgh City). Max Wright (East Stirling) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Ross Allum (Edinburgh City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt missed. Mark McConnell (Edinburgh City) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Corner, Edinburgh City. Conceded by Neil McCabe. Corner, Edinburgh City. Conceded by Lloyd Kinnaird. Substitution, Edinburgh City. Sean Muhsin replaces Ross Guthrie. Chris McKee (Edinburgh City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Gavin McMillan (East Stirling). Ian McFarland (Edinburgh City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ross Fisher (East Stirling). Shaun Harrison (Edinburgh City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Max Wright (East Stirling). Substitution, East Stirling. Aron

Summary: Edinburgh City became the first club to be promoted to Scottish League Two through the pyramid system after a dramatic win over East Stirlingshire.


Hackers said they had penetrated Hacking Team's internal network and stolen more than 400GB of data. The Italian company said it was working with police to track down the hackers. Widely shared online, the stolen data includes a list of the countries that have bought Hacking Team's main surveillance tool, Da Vinci, and emails suggesting intelligence agencies use it to spy on activists and journalists. The list includes: Lists of passwords and login details for client sites were also revealed. The hackers first published stolen data, including internal files, email messages and software source code, on Hacking Team's own Twitter account, having first changed its name to "Hacked Team". Confirmation of the breach came via the Twitter account of Hacking Team engineer Christian Pozzi. "We are awake. The people responsible for this will be arrested. We are working with the police at the moment," he said in one message. Soon after, this and other messages about the breach were removed as Mr Pozzi's Twitter account was deleted. Hacking Team's website is also currently offline. Security expert Graham Cluley said the company had "no shortage of online enemies around the world". Its software had been popular with intelligence agencies in many countries, he said, but he questioned how many would continue that relationship given that it had been "so seriously breached". Human rights group Reporters Without Borders had named Hacking Team as one of its "enemies of the internet" because its software was being used in countries that did not have a "good record on democracy and human rights".

Summary: A company that sells surveillance software has been hit by a data breach.


The combined value of the two firms is likely to be at least $230bn (Â£150bn) based on Tuesday's share price. AB InBev's brands include Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona, while SABMiller owns Peroni and Grolsch. If the deal is successful, the merged company would produce one third of the world's beer. AB InBev said it had approached SABMiller's board about a "combination of the two companies". However, it added that there was no certainty the approach would lead to an offer or an agreement. Earlier, SABMiller said it had been informed that AB InBev was planning to make a bid, but that it had no details as yet. "No proposal has yet been received and the board of SABMiller has no further details about the terms of any such proposal," the firm said. Shares in SABMiller jumped more than 20% on the news, while AB InBev's shares were 11% higher. "Let's get this straight, this is a takeover by AB InBev of SABMiller. It's not a merger," said Larry Nelson, editor of the industry trade magazine, Brewer's Guardian. Given the size of the deal both parties would be likely to have to sell off parts of their operations to get it past the regulators, and that may mean sacrificing some of their US and Chinese businesses . "In the US SABMiller has a joint venture with Molson Coors which gives it a 25% share of the market and makes it a clear number two," Mr Nelson added. "But combining with the number one, AB INBev, would give them 75% of the market, which is clearly untenable. But AB InBev would not have gone into this without having some plan of what they want to divest." The merged company would be likely to move aggressively into faster growing markets. AB InBev has an eye on the South African markets where SAB Miller dominates in 15 countries, and has a presence in a further 21. A merger would also strengthen its grip on South America and Mexico which are by far its most profitable markets. This deal has long been anticipated but analysts believe AB InBev was held back from making an offer because of high levels of debt built up through a string of other purchases. SABMiller has also been trying to do deals. Last year it made an unsuccessful offer for its smaller rival Heineken in a move that was widely seen as an attempt to ward off a bid from AB InBev.

Summary: The prospect of a tie-up between the world's two largest brewers is looming after Anheuser-Busch InBev said it had made a takeover move for SABMiller.


In 2014, the president of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, said judges should publish judgements in their most significant cases and certain care cases. But in 2014 and 2015, only 837 of these were published, via the legal website the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII). There were more than 25,000 care applications in English and Welsh courts during this time, though not all would result in a judgement that could be published. For many years campaigners have described the powerful family courts as secretive and unaccountable. The courts have been responsible for some highly controversial decisions, such as that to return Ellie Butler to her father's care, or the decision to take away Karissa Cox and Richard Carter's baby. Sir James Munby's "transparency initiative" has been widely welcomed, especially by the press. He wrote that it should "bring about an immediate and significant change". However, the first detailed evaluation carried out by Dr Julie Doughty of Cardiff University and others, including Alice Twaite and Paul Magrath, shows a piecemeal impact. While some judges and certain courts regularly publish judgements, others do so rarely, if at all. In Newcastle during 2014 and 2015 judges frequently sent cases for publication, as did Leeds, Manchester and East London. But no judge in Devon, South East Wales or Wolverhampton published cases during that time. The researchers warn that fewer judgements are being published now than in 2014 and 2015. "Rather than publication becoming accepted as routine, it appears to be increasingly exceptional," they say. Judges have to make sure no family involved in a case can be identified when they publish a judgement. This anonymisation can be a complex process. The researchers found there had been mistakes. One judgement was published with a name left in. Others had details that could identify a family. Judges told the researchers they lacked resources and time to prepare judgements for publication. "Even judges who are very enthusiastic about the guidance and who are keen on publishing judgements because they feel that they should be open to accountability and scrutiny, even those judges are struggling to find the time and resources to publish those judgements," says Dr Doughty. She said it was "unrealistic" to expect all care cases to be available for public scrutiny. Although many families are often wary of publication, because they're worried they or their children could be identified, some have found it very useful. Two years ago, we reported a case of a grandmother who wanted to look after her grandson, while the local authority said he should be adopted. The judge decided the boy should stay with his family. We could report it because the judgement had been posted online. The grandmother was pleased the judgement had been made public. "In our case social services did wrong. Publishing the judgement meant they couldn't do it again," she said. "They've had to be more careful since." The Family Rights Group (FRG) is a charity that helps families caught up in the family justice system. It is currently trying to help another grandmother who

Summary: The much publicised drive to open family courts in England and Wales to public scrutiny has had only limited success, according to the first national evaluation, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.


Mr Piech had criticised his chief executive in an interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel, but did not specify the issue at stake. Mr Winterkorn has been widely tipped as VW's next chairman. Mr Piech and the Porsche family control 51% of VW. Volkswagen is the biggest car manufacturer in Europe. On 17 April, Volkswagen's five-member governing board gave its backing to Mr Winterkorn. Board member Wolfgang Porsche, a cousin of Mr Piech, said he had given his "personal opinion" without clearing his remarks with other family members. Mr Piech, 78, is a former VW chief executive. His wife Ursula has also resigned her seat on the board. In a statement (in German), Volkswagen said that deputy board chairman Berthold Huber would serve as interim chairman. During his eight-year tenure as chief executive, Mr Winterkorn has overhauled VW and made it one of the world's most successful carmakers, industry analysts say. In 2014, VW was the world's second-biggest carmaker by sales, behind Toyota and ahead of GM. Apart from Volkswagen, the group's brands include Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Skoda and Seat.

Summary: The chairman of the carmaker Volkswagen (VW), Ferdinand Piech, has resigned after a power struggle with chief executive Martin Winterkorn.


Jayne Ludlow's side are preparing for home qualifiers with Israel on 15 September and Austria on 20 September. The inclusion of Seattle playmaker Fishlock is significant as she was pondering international retirement. "We're looking forward to the next campaign, which is really important for us," she said. Fishlock hinted she would retire after Wales' failure to reach next summer's Euros but the 29-year old is now targeting another campaign. "We're really excited," said Fishlock. "We haven't been together for a while now and we always enjoy being together. "Friendlies are always important. The result is not the main thing - it's about what we get out of it and hopefully we can get good things out of this one. "The team spirit is good, it's always good. It is fun."

Summary: Jess Fishlock has boosted Wales women ahead of Friday's Republic of Ireland friendly as they warm-up for their UEFA European qualifying campaign.


Offenders forced their way into a house on Bower Street, Carlisle, early on Saturday evening, Cumbria Police said. A 39-year-old man was taken to hospital with a serious head injury. A woman, also 39, had her finger broken. Three men aged 33, 26 and 23 and a 31-year-old woman, all from Carlisle, have been charged with aggravated burglary and are due in court later. The injured man remains in hospital.

Summary: Four people have been charged in connection with a hammer attack which left a man seriously injured.


The service said it had a shortage of 24 staff - the equivalent of 12 ambulance crews - that could have led to delays for "less serious calls". It said support was sought from voluntary and private ambulance crews. The shortage was due to a factors including rostered leave, sickness, vacant shifts and cancelled overtime. John McPoland from the NIAS said the shortage left the service about 20% down on the usual 60 crews it expected to have in place for a Saturday night shift. He added that the staff shortage was an ongoing issue. "We are experiencing difficulty at the weekend and we have been relying on the voluntary crews and on the private ambulances," he said. "We also rely on our staff coming in and doing overtime. "We have been dealing with situations like this for quite a while now. "We're absolutely not happy about it but we will take steps to try to address it." He added that the reduced service would mostly be felt by patients "whose situation is not immediately or potentially life-threatening".

Summary: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) has said it had to operate a reduced level of cover on Saturday night due to a shortage of staff.


Think-tank Reform Scotland said the route had been left with limited potential for expansion. It said the Edinburgh to Tweedbank line had shown thinking was "too small" and planning "too short-term". The Scottish government said the railway had proved a huge success and expected more investment in future. Reform Scotland released written evidence it had sent to Transport Scotland's rail infrastructure strategy consultation. It has been submitted on its behalf by advisory board member Tom Harris, a former Labour transport minister in the UK government. He makes a range of suggestions including the need for "bigger thinking" in the long-term vision for Scotland's railways. Mr Harris singled out the Borders Railway for criticism with the construction of bridges to accommodate only single-track width as an example of limits placed on future expansion. He said: "We are in danger of missing the bigger picture when it comes to discussing rail in Scotland. "We talk in very narrow terms about ScotRail and its operation, but what we actually need is an injection of some creative, strategic thinking so that we can give the Scottish people a rail system built for the future and one to be proud of. " He called for the creation of a Scottish Rail Infrastructure Commission to examine what "ambitious transformational projects and new railway lines" were needed to boost the Scottish economy and "transform our connectivity as a nation". "The Borders Railway showed us that there is an appetite for new railways in Scotland, but it also showed us that our thinking is too small and our planning too short-term," he said. "That ship has now sailed, but we must learn the lessons from it, think big, and plan long, and that is why the need for a commission is now critical." A Scottish government spokesman said it welcomed Reform Scotland's comments. "The think-tank has raised issues about structure and vision," he said. "Whilst there will be different views on structures to realise the vision for Scotland's railways it is clear that the ambitions for our railway to be a driver of economic growth and a positive, integral part of our social fabric is an ambition that is shared right across Scotland." He said the reopening of the Borders Railway had been a "cause for celebration" in the Borders and Midlothian. "We were always confident that, in time, it would deliver major economic opportunities and attract new investment, so it is pleasing to see strong evidence that visits and spending are up significantly as a direct result of the new railway," he said. "With over 1.2m passenger journeys in its first year alone, additional seats on peak time services and more improvements and initiatives in the pipeline, we look forward to seeing even more investment and interest in the area in the months and years ahead."

Summary: The Scottish government has defended the Borders Railway after claims the infrastructure vision for the project was "short-sighted".


The £25m Rhyl High School, which opened on Wednesday, includes facilities for vocational courses such as a hair and beauty salon and a construction room. It will also provide a base for 45 pupils from the nearby community special school, Ysgol Tir Morfa. Work started on the new complex more than two years ago, built near the old school which will be demolished. It has been funded by Denbighshire council and the Welsh Government. The old school was described as dilapidated by the modernising education team in the council. Head teacher Claire Armitstead said: "It is amazing. We have worked really hard for the last two years, even longer, probably five years, to try and make it happen. And it felt like it was always just a bit out of our reach. "But today we've got children sitting in the building that we helped to create. "I feel like we have done something right for the children of Rhyl and I think our children deserve this. "We now have a building that is watertight, bright, light and I don't think you realise how important those things are to you until you haven't got it."

Summary: A new secondary school in Denbighshire has officially welcomed the first of its 1,200 pupils.


Animal welfare groups have called for Thomas Chipperfield's show, An Evening with Lions and Tigers, to be banned. Its 10-day run in Welshpool, Powys, starts on Friday. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Jason Mohammad programme, Mr Chipperfield said all relevant animal welfare licences are in place and the animals are checked by vets. "There's no scientific evidence whatsoever to support that claim (of animals suffering)," he said. "The amount of studies that have been done with regards to the use of animals in live entertainment and zoos... the results always come back overwhelmingly in favour." But animal welfare groups want the show stopped. Adam Roberts, chief executive of the Born Free Foundation, said: "In the last two years, the big cats in question have been hauled around the whole of the UK and Ireland for the sole purpose of performing outdated circus tricks for paying audiences. "In 2010, 95% of respondents to the UK government consultation on this issue demanded a ban. "A promise was made by Westminster in 2012 that a ban would be introduced in England before the end of 2015 and the Welsh assembly has suggested that it would support a ban in Wales." However, Mr Chipperfield said his show includes training displays, talks and feeding with hundreds of people buying tickets to see it. "What we are doing isn't actually a circus. It's animals in a show - it's educational," he said. A Welsh government spokesperson said Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans, has "made it clear that she wishes to move to a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses". The spokesperson added: "Because the circuses in question tend to operate in England and Wales we believe it is important that the legislation banning the use of wild animals should be on an England and Wales basis. We are pressing the UK government to deliver on the promise to legislate as soon as possible."

Summary: The man behind an animal show featuring performing lions and tigers has denied his animals suffer in captivity.


The city's Lord Provost Sadie Docherty lay a wreath at Dalbeth Cemetery in honour of five Glasgow Auxiliary Fire Service messenger boys. They died at the height of the German bombing on 13 and 14 March 1941. The boys were among 90 youngsters who cycled or ran with potentially lifesaving messages for front-line fire crews during the war. The lord provost laid the wreath in honour of all the messenger boys who died at a Celtic Cross which was erected at the grave of 15-year-old Neil Leitch. He died from bomb injuries sustained while trying to take a communication to Partick Fire Station. The teenager had been injured during an earlier mission when he was blown off his bicycle by a bomb. He defied orders to rest and continued with his duties until he was fatally injured. The lord provost said: "I am proud to join others to remember the remarkable, and little known, bravery of Neil Leitch and all the other Fire Service volunteer boy cyclists across the country, who put their lives on the line to save others during the Second World War. "Sadly Neil Leitch along with four others paid the ultimate price that terrible night as our city and its citizens were relentlessly bombed." Following his death, Neil Leitch was gazetted by King George VI for his bravery and devotion to duty. His nephew James Leitch, a former Clydebank fireman who now lives in Orkney, attended the service along with family from across the UK. James said: "I grew up hearing about my uncle Neil and this is something we have always wanted to do. "These boys were forgotten. To me they deserve recognition. It will be an emotional day." The lord provost was joined by George McGrandles, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the city's senior fire officer. He formed part of a Fire and Rescue Service Guard of Honour in tribute to the youngsters. "The role of the boy messengers isn't widely known but it was absolutely vital," he said. "They took on an incredibly dangerous role to ensure fire crews could get to where they were needed even when bombs destroyed communications channels. "It took incredible courage and, in trying to save others, these five youngsters ultimately lost their lives."

Summary: A service has been held in Glasgow to honour young messenger boys who died in air raids during Word War Two.


The Stormont executive has a target of growing external sales by 33% over the next four years and by 80% by 2025. The "trade accelerator plan" includes increased grants to visit trade shows. Small and medium sized firms will also get accommodation and travel grants for market development trips to Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said increasing exports was critical to "transforming Northern Ireland into a globally competitive economy". The most recent trade figures show that manufacturing exports from Northern Ireland were up by 9.5% in the year ending June 2016. External sales are all those sales made outside Northern Ireland, that is sales to Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and anywhere else in the world. Exports consist of all sales made outside the United Kingdom. Pharmaceutical firms have performed particularly strongly with exports up by 84% or Â£527m. However, the number of firms that are exporting has continued to drift downwards and are there now fewer than 1,000 exporting businesses in Northern Ireland. The last executive fell significantly short of it export targets. It aimed to grow manufacturing exports by 20% but growth was less than 6%. Mr Hamilton said: "I want us to look at existing markets and new ones as huge opportunities for Northern Ireland. "We are already doing exceptionally well at exporting our goods and services but I believe we can do even better."

Summary: Northern Ireland companies selling to external markets are to be offered more financial support under a scheme announced by the economy minister.


Paramedics were called to The Mitre pub, on Spider Island, in Allenton, at about 15:00 GMT on Sunday. The 24-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Monday and is in police custody. The teenager remains in a serious condition in hospital. "We would urge anyone who might have information that could help us to come forward immediately," police said.

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed outside a pub in Derby.