In a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference, the prime minister insisted his party was the only one that could challenge the Nationalists. He also described what he saw as the SNP's "litany of failure" in power. Opinion polls suggest the Conservatives are in a race with Labour for second place ahead of May's Holyrood election. The SNP is widely expected to secure a second successive majority in the Scottish Parliament in the election on 5 May, with the party having also formed a minority government between 2007 and 2011. The Nationalists won all but three of Scotland's 59 seats at Westminster in last year's general election, with Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats winning just one seat each. In his speech to delegates at the one-day conference in Edinburgh, Mr Cameron claimed Labour's "collapse" in Scotland meant the country was "in danger of becoming a one-party state". He added: "We are the party that can challenge the SNP - now the only party that can challenge the SNP. "They've been in power for nine years - they are the establishment." He highlighted "stagnating" school attainment figures, "falling" numbers of college students, "cuts" in the help for poorer university students and "unfulfilled" spending on the NHS as being among the SNP's "litany of failure" in government. The PM went on: "There's even the absurd Named-Person policy, which ensures every child is allocated a guardian - even if they have parents; even if they have no need for this extra layer of bureaucracy. "Well I'll tell you who needs a guardian - someone to keep them in check - it's the SNP. "And it falls to us, the Conservatives, the only party fit to expose these spendthrift, out-of-touch, dogmatic, inept Nationalists for what they really are." The conference will also hear from Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who is expected to renew his attack on Labour over its divisions on Trident. And Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson will call on the SNP to commit to a new NHS funding guarantee in her address to delegates. Ms Davidson will say NHS budgets should increase by the higher of either 2% or all of the additional Barnett formula funding to Scotland, as a result of increased spending on the NHS in England. She will also say that health spending in Scotland increased by only 1% in real terms between 2010 and 2015, compared with a 7% rise in England. Ms Davidson will stress that most patients have a good experience of the NHS, and will describe how she recently met a retired surgeon who she credits with saving her life at the Sick Kids hospital in Edinburgh when she was hit by a truck at the age of five. But she will say that the pressures in areas such as general practice and recruitment are only getting more intense, and will accuse the SNP of "failing to care" for the NHS during its time in government. And she will add: "There is no way around this: if we want to maintain our NHS to the standards

Summary: Only the Tories can challenge the SNP and prevent Scotland becoming a "one party state", David Cameron has said.


Raheem Wilks, 19, was the brother of Leeds United's Mallik Wilks. He was shot near Too Sharps on Gathorne Terrace, Harehills, on 26 January. His coffin was taken to St Aidan's Church, Harehills, by horse-drawn hearse. Two men have been charged with his murder and are due to stand trial in October. Read more about this and other stories from Leeds and West Yorkshire The Rev Andi Hofbauer, who led the service, said Raheem "loved life and was a bit of a joker, bit of a clown". "They [his family] described him as fearless. "He desperately wanted to be popular and was well-loved amongst his family and friends." She said the service featured favourite songs chosen by his family and the hymns Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art. Following the service, during which his brother Malik delivered the eulogy, Raheem was buried at Killingbeck Cemetery.

Summary: Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a teenager shot and killed outside a barber's shop in Leeds.


The company's decision last week to grant the equivalent of a 50% pay rise to six top executives sparked outrage. Quebec's government agreed to a CA$1.34bn ($1bn; Â£800m) bailout in 2016, a year after it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "not pleased" with the pay hike. But he welcomed the change of heart. Protesters gathered outside the firm's headquarters in Montreal on Sunday, hours before Bombardier relented and said the rises would be deferred to 2020. They will be payable only if the firm achieved performance goals, it said. "Over the past 75 years, our fellow citizens have always been by our side," said Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare on Sunday night. "It is because of this deep relationship that we are sensitive to the public reaction to our executive compensation practices." He was one of the six executives who were set to receive payments of CA$43.7m ($32.6m; Â£26.1m) in 2016. That was up from CA$30m the year before, according to regulatory filings. Bombardier originally justified the pay increases as a necessary measure to retain top talent. But two Quebec cabinet ministers pressured the company last week to heed the backlash. The Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard tweeted that he was "satisfied" with Sunday's climb-down by the firm. The Quebec government last year invested CA$1.34bn in Bombardier's C-Series aircraft programme in return for a nearly 50% stake. In February, the federal government agreed to give the company CA$372.5m in interest-free loans. In 2016, Bombardier also announced lay-offs for 14,500 people, including about 20% of its workforce in Belfast. The redundancies came as the firm secured orders with Delta Air Lines and Air Canada and made its maiden commercial voyage with Swiss Air Lines.

Summary: Canadian plane and train manufacturer Bombardier has said it will defer some hefty executive pay increases following a public outcry.


The senator from South Carolina told CBS This Morning that he would make an official announcement on 1 June in his home town of Central. But when asked why he was considering it, he said "I'm running" because "the world is falling apart" and he would make the best commander-in-chief. He becomes the seventh leading Republican to join a crowded field. Mr Graham has been a fierce critic of President Barack Obama's foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. He wants US ground troops to be sent into Iraq and Syria to combat Islamic State, to prevent terror attacks in the US. Lindsey Graham tried to be coy about whether he was going to run for president, but his decision is clear - he's in. That makes four members of the US Senate - 9% of all Republican senators in office in 2014 - now running. A foreign policy hawk in the mould of Senator John McCain of Arizona, he is likely to make national security the central theme of his campaign. If polls are to be trusted, that may play well with Republican audience. He is still a long-shot, however, given that his past efforts at co-operation with Democrats and support of sweeping immigration reform put him out of step with many Republican primary voters. The mere fact that he's in a position to run for president now, however - given that just a few years ago he was seen as a prime target for a grassroots Tea Party primary challenger - is an impressive political achievement. When asked by CBS whether he thought the Republican field was weak, he revealed his intention to run himself. "I'm running because of what you see on television, I'm running because I think the world is falling apart, I've been more right than wrong on foreign policy," he said. "It's not the fault of others, or their lack of this or that that makes me want to run, it's my ability in my own mind to be a good commander-in-chief and to make Washington work." Meet the 2016 hopefuls

Summary: Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican foreign policy hawk, has confirmed that he will run for US president in 2016.


Duarte played under Mourinho when he began his career with Uniao Leiria in 2001 and has been strongly influenced by his fellow Portuguese. "He congratulated me and said he is not surprised (that we reached the semis)," Duarte told BBC Sport. "He is like a father for me, and for the young Portuguese coaches." Duarte added: "For me, for us, Mourinho is a good reference so when he called me I was very happy." I'm very happy because every day my team is better. We are playing very good football Although Duarte is still searching for a first trophy while Manchester United boss Mourinho boasts 23, what do they have in common is that both began their coaching career with Uniao Leiria. Duarte, who spent a decade at the club between 1995 and 2004, was Mourinho's centre-back as Uniao Leiria finished seventh in 2002. "Mourinho is very important in my career because 15 years ago, he changed the mentality of Portuguese football. The training and the mentality of the players changed," Duarte said. Of the four semi-finalists at this year's Nations Cup in Gabon, the Burkinabe - surprise runners-up in 2013 - are the only side to have never won the title. After a season in charge of Leiria, Duarte instantly moved to Burkina Faso - leading the side between 2008 and 2012. After spells with French side Le Mans, Tunisian club Sfaxien and Gabon's national team, the 47-year-old returned to take charge of the Stallions in 2015. Now, they are impressing observers with the quality of their football - particularly when beating Tunisia 2-0 in Saturday's quarter-final in the Gabonese capital Libreville. "Egypt have a good team but I have a good team, too," Duarte explained. "I know this team from 10 years ago but back then, we didn't have so many good players because they were all playing in second or third divisions. Now everybody plays in a premier league. "The success of the team is hard work and humility. "I'm very happy because every day my team is better. We are playing very good football and this is very important for me."

Summary: Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte has revealed Jose Mourinho has phoned him ahead of Wednesday's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Egypt.


Flight AF953 was travelling from Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, to Douala, Cameroon's largest city and commercial capital, when it hit bad weather on 2 May. While avoiding storm clouds, the plane came close to hitting the 4,040-metre (13,254 feet) Mount Cameroon. French accident investigators BEA have now opened an investigation. The Boeing 777 aircraft had 37 people on board as it made the short journey to Douala, which is around 100km (62 miles) from Malabo. It was due to arrive in Cameroon to pick up more passengers before continuing to Paris. After diverting north to avoid storm clouds shortly after 21:00 local time, the plane's new route to Douala took it directly towards the mountain. An initial incident report published by BEA said an automated warning, saying "Pull up", was activated. The plane then ascended quickly from 9,000ft (2,743m) to 13,000ft (3,962m) to avoid a collision. BEA did not say how close the plane came to Mount Cameroon. The flight landed 44 minutes after leaving Malabo, and no-one was injured. Air France said they were conducting an internal investigation into the incident.

Summary: An Air France aeroplane narrowly missed central Africa's highest mountain in early May, French investigators say.


Lesley Bate faces 13 charges over her role as a social worker with Fife Council between 2011 and 2014. Mrs Bate has chosen not to appear before the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conduct sub-committee. She was a member of the Glenrothes Child Protection Team who managed Liam Fee's case. Two-year-old Liam was murdered by his mother and her partner at their home in Thornton, Fife, in March 2014. It is alleged Mrs Bate failed to follow up referrals more than a year earlier about bruising to Liam's face and a sore neck. The charges against Mrs Bate relate to 16 different children, including several allegations that she "failed to take necessary steps to minimise actual or potential risk of harm" for them. The committee heard that in the months following Liam's death, Mrs Bate had been under a disciplinary investigation and had been off sick. When she returned she was moved to the Children and Families Team based in Dunfermline. Her manager James Ross told the hearing he had tried to "help and support" Mrs Bate on her return, but that her work had been "poor". Mr Ross said she was given a case to handle in which the father of an unborn child had been charged with 21 offences of domestic and sexual violence against women. However, Mrs Bate neglected to mention that in a report going before an Initial Child Protection Case Conference. In another case involving concerns of neglect over children, the hearing was told she failed to undertake planned weekly visits with the express aim of "keeping children safe", claiming she "forgot". In a further case, Mrs Bate dropped a letter outside her office building containing "the most sensitive information possible" about children she was working with - a document later found in the street by a neighbour. Mr Ross said: "There had been a lengthy investigation into Lesley's work before she came to my team. "That had concluded she be given an opportunity to practise elsewhere in the service. "She was probably the most erratic person I have worked with. "She was fine when there was no work to be undertaken - but the minute anything was required she failed to undertake it." He added: "She absolutely could not understand risk at that point and I had a real concern about her visiting families and drawing a conclusion about what the information was telling her. "She was very disorganised and presented chaotically. "I constantly tidied up for her because I wanted the children to be safe." The hearing was told that Mrs Bate has relinquished her registration as a social worker with the SSSC but does not admit any of the charges against her. The hearing continues at the SSSC headquarters in Dundee.

Summary: A senior social worker has told a hearing that a colleague involved in the case of murdered Fife toddler Liam Fee was "disorganised and chaotic".


Mevlut Cavusoglu said the plan, which also involves Russia, could be set in motion "at any moment" but it was up to the "will of the leaders". Russia has not officially confirmed the deal, other than to say talks are under way with Turkey. The two countries back opposing sides in the conflict. Rebels said they would meet Russian officials in Turkey on Thursday. Turkey's state news agency had earlier reported the deal could come as early as Thursday evening. The issue of which areas would fall under the ceasefire deal remains a possible stumbling block. Earlier this month, Moscow and Ankara negotiated a ceasefire in Syria's second city, Aleppo, that led to tens of thousands of rebel fighters and civilians being evacuated from an enclave besieged by government forces. Previous ceasefire initiatives this year brokered by the UN, or the US acting with Russia, quickly collapsed. Fighting has continued elsewhere in Syria since the Aleppo evacuation, notably in the nearby town of al-Bab, where Turkey has been helping rebels fighting so-called Islamic State. Speaking on Turkish TV, Mr Cavusoglu said Turkey and Russia would act as guarantors of the ceasefire deal, under which all foreign fighter groups would have to leave Syria. "We are on the verge of an agreement with Russia," he said. "If everything goes alright, we will make this agreement. Russia will be the guarantor of the regime [Syrian government]. Russia and Turkey are guarantors in the agreement being worked on in Ankara." He added that there was "nothing final" on whether Iran, another military ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, would also sign it as a guarantor. Russia's RT state TV channel said it was still waiting for confirmation from the Russian foreign ministry that a deal had been reached. On Wednesday, Turkey's official Anadolu news agency cited an unnamed Turkish source as saying the ceasefire would exclude "terrorist organisations", without giving further details. An official from the Islamist rebel coalition Ahrar al-Sham said there were fundamental disagreements over which areas would fall under the ceasefire deal. Labib Nahhas singled out the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, saying Russian attempts to exclude it from the truce were unacceptable. Despite the obstacles, Turkey and Syria analyst Ilhan Tanir detected greater confidence among the negotiators after the Aleppo evacuation and last week's Moscow Declaration, a roadmap for Syria's future signed by Turkey, Russia and Iran. "So this is kind of a third step and I think the parties have more confidence to work together for Syria," he told the BBC. Diana Darke, a Middle East expert, said she was optimistic as Russia and Iran had achieved their war goals. "Potentially everybody has finally reached the stage where they are ready," she told the BBC World Service's Newsday programme. "They can see that there is nothing further to be gained. I mean Russia does not want to be sucked more and more in to the Syrian quicksand. They've got what they wanted. The same for Iran. The Syrian government itself is incredibly weak."

Summary: A plan to implement a ceasefire across Syria could be in place before the new year, Turkey's foreign minister says.


Police said four men, aged 72, 58, 56 and 55, were being held in the probe into financial irregularities at LCC. Liverpool City Council's chief executive Ged Fitzgerald and leader of the Tories at LCC Geoff Driver are among those arrested. The probe is into a council contract. Lancashire Police said the arrests at addresses in Preston and Merseyside were made on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and witness intimidation, but not on suspicion of fraud. The investigation, which was launched in 2013, relates to allegations of financial irregularities over the tendering of a Â£5m contract with One Connect Ltd, a joint venture between the council and BT to run some services. The deal included running the council's fleet of vehicles which was agreed by LCC's Conservative administration, which was then led by Mr Driver. The contract was revoked later that year by the new Labour administration. The Conservatives regained control of LCC in the elections earlier this month, and Mr Driver, 72, is expected to be named as leader of the council at a meeting on Thursday. Mr Fitzgerald was the chief executive at LCC before he left to take up the same post at Liverpool City Council. In January Lancashire's police and crime and commissioner Clive Grunshaw said the investigation into the allegations had cost Â£2m and 22 police officers were working on it. LCC said it was not making any comment although it was aware of the police statement. A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: "We do not comment on personnel matters relating to individual employees."

Summary: A council chief and the leader of the Conservatives on Lancashire County Council (LCC) have been arrested as part of a long-running fraud investigation, the BBC understands.


The family of the entertainer, who died on 1 August, has asked those wishing to pay their respects to line a two-mile stretch of Woolton Road. The funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, in the suburb of Woolton, at 13:00 BST (12:00 GMT). More than 3,000 people signed books of condolence in Liverpool, the star's home city, following her death. The funeral cortege will start at the junction of Woolton Road and Church Road North, and will travel to the junction with Blackwood Avenue before continuing to the church. The family said the public would not be able to access the church grounds and asked people not to travel to Woolton village as "as this may compromise the funeral party and invited guests from attending". After the funeral, the entertainer's body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried. Some parking and traffic management restrictions will be in place on the day: Black, who made her name as a pop singer in the 1960s before becoming the host of hit TV shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, died after a fall at her villa in Estepona on the Costa del Sol. A coroner ruled last week that the 72-year-old died from an accidental traumatic head injury. The star made a posthumous comeback to the UK music charts last week when her greatest hits collection, The Very Best Of Cilla Black, rose to number eight in the UK albums chart. Her former number one single Anyone Who Had A Heart, first released in 1964, returned to the charts at number 41.

Summary: The cortege route for Cilla Black's funeral in Liverpool on Thursday has been announced.


The home side had early chances, David Worrall heading over from Joe Martin's cross, while Byron Webster wasted an opportunity from a Worrall corner inside the first 15 minutes. But Coventry led after 22 minutes through Marvin Sordell's first goal for the club. The forward showed strength under pressure to swivel and fire home from 25 yards for only the Sky Blues' third league goal this term. Coventry keeper Reice Charles-Cook's attempted clearance played in O'Brien before half-time, but he dragged his shot wide. The visitors repeatedly went close after the break, Sordell's header trickling inches wide before Tony Craig deflected his shot behind minutes later. Superb play from Steve Morison on 71 minutes, skinning Jordan Turnbull before setting up O'Brien from close range, set up a grandstand finish. Substitute Jodi Jones' free-kick forced a quality save from Jordan Archer, while Morison headed narrowly wide. Reports supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Millwall 1, Coventry City 1. Second Half ends, Millwall 1, Coventry City 1. Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Jamie Sterry (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Shane Ferguson (Millwall) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jamie Sterry (Coventry City). Callum Butcher (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Gael Bigirimana (Coventry City). Substitution, Millwall. Jamie Philpot replaces Aiden O'Brien because of an injury. Attempt missed. Callum Butcher (Millwall) header from the centre of the box is too high. Shaun Williams (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Devon Kelly-Evans (Coventry City). Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Jordan Archer. Jodi Jones (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Callum Butcher (Millwall). Attempt saved. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Gael Bigirimana. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Devon Kelly-Evans. Attempt missed. Jamie Sterry (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Substitution, Coventry City. Daniel Agyei replaces Kyel Reid. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Joe Martin. Joe Martin (Millwall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jodi Jones (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Joe Martin (Millwall). Substitution, Millwall. Callum Butcher replaces Ben Thompson. Substitution, Coventry City. Jodi Jones replaces Ruben Lameiras. Foul by Byron Webster (Millwall). Marvin Sordell (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! Millwall 1, Coventry City 1. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Steve Morison. Substitution, Coventry City. Devon Kelly-Evans replaces Lewis Page. Attempt missed. Sam Ricketts (Coventry City) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right following a corner. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Ben

Summary: Aiden O'Brien's second-half tap-in denied Coventry their first win of the season as Millwall rescued a point.


However, a radical new driverless truck being trialled by Daimler may offer a solution. Earlier this month, the automotive giant was granted the first licence ever to test such a vehicle on a public highway by the US state of Nevada. Using a combination of GPS, radar and video cameras, the Freightliner Inspiration can drive by itself on open stretches of road, freeing a driver to take breaks, check his emails and even watch DVDs. The catch is that a qualified person must remain in front of the wheel at all times so they can take control if something goes wrong. However, proponents say that the technology, once perfected, will reduce accidents by lessening the chance of human error, boost productivity and cut emissions. It is perhaps ironic that fully driverless vehicles are already being used in low-speed, controlled environments. Rio Tinto, for instance, operates over 50 self-drive trucks at its mines in Pilbara, Australia, while Lockheed Martin has built a range of autonomous trucks for the US Army. One such is the SMSS vehicle which made its combat debut in Afghanistan in 2011. According to Lockheed, it can "track and follow" the movements of a single soldier, transport supplies over rough terrain and carry out casualty evacuations, all without the aid of a human driver. Where things get tricky is moving these vehicles onto public roads, with other vehicles and pedestrians. Daimler's truck, for example, only works on freeways, and a human must take over when it reaches city streets - a far more "complicated traffic environment", according to the company. The good news, predicts the German consultancy Roland Berger, is that we will overcome these technical hurdles within the next 10-15 years - in fact by 2030, we will probably have the capacity to take human drivers out of the equation entirely. Much more challenging, however, will be solving the deeper social and legal barriers. "There are some really big ethical issues," explains Wolfgang Bernhart, partner at Roland Berger. "They relate to how a computer-controlled vehicle should react in certain situations, when an accident is unavoidable and the vehicle has to decide what to do and whom to harm. "It requires a clear consensus in societies about what to do in terms of liability, and it will take a very long time to reach." He gives the example of a fully self-driving truck, which unexpectedly hits an object that has fallen onto a highway and loses control. The truck may at this point have to make a choice: veer to the right onto a walkway, where a mother and her children are walking and would be killed; or to the left where three elderly people are crossing the road. "If a human was at the wheel, he would have to make this really tough decision in the moment," explains Mr Bernhart. "But if a truck is being powered by a computer algorithm, then these decisions would have to be made in advance by the programmers. And who is going to accept such a decision that sacrifices three elderly people instead

Summary: Sleepiness and stress are perennial risks for the long distance lorry driver, and accidents are sadly too frequent.


In his closing speech, prosecutor Philip Evans told Woolwich Crown Court the men had given "lies" and "half truths" as evidence during the trial. Carl Wood, William Lincoln, Jon Harbinson and Hugh Doyle all deny being part in the Â£14m theft. Four other men have already pleaded guilty to taking part in the raid. Summing up the case against the accused men, Mr Evans said the robbery had involved a "staggering sum of money" and had been a carefully planned operation by men who knew what they were doing. He asked the jury to consider whether the "ringleaders" - who had already pleaded guilty - would have trusted those on trial to look after their jewel-laden bags and not take a "peek" inside. "The men who have pleaded guilty were a group who thrived on acquisitive crime - taking people's money and possessions, greed in reality. "What they needed were people who wouldn't question that," he said. Referring to Mr Lincoln's claim that he did not know what was in the bags he helped move, he asked the jury whether they could "believe that for one second?" "They were never going to let that significant commodity go into the hands of someone they did not trust," he said. Mr Evans insisted the four men had not told the truth to the court. "On each of the four occasions that you have heard the defendants give evidence, each of them have told you lies," Mr Evans said. He added that it did not matter what size role each of the men had played because "if you take part knowingly, you're guilty". The case continues. Daniel Jones, 60, of Park Avenue, Enfield; John Collins, 75, of Bletsoe Walk, Islington; Terry Perkins, 67, of Heene Road, Enfield, and Brian Reader, 76, of Dartford Road, Dartford, have all previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.

Summary: Four men accused of being part of the Hatton Garden raid were trusted to be involved because of their "connections to the ringleaders", a court has heard.


The victim was threatened with a knife and punched during the attack at Exhibition Park in the early hours. Her attacker is described as of Asian appearance, aged about 25 or 30, of thin build and wearing a grey hoodie. Northumbria Police has asked anyone who was in the Exhibition Park or Spital Tongues area at the time - about 03:00 BST - to get in touch as they might have vital information.

Summary: A man who raped a woman in a Newcastle park is being sought by police.


Lincoln Castle underwent a Â£22m renovation project ready for the document's 800th anniversary. Castle manager Rachel Thomas said about 34,000 people visited in April - up 21,000 on last year. Last month, the castle was named as one of 12 sites in the county that could be outsourced to save the council money. Since the 11th Century castle reopened at the beginning of April, 33,941 people have visited, compared with 12,503 last April. Lincoln's copy of Magna Carta, is one of only four surviving copies. Ms Thomas said she had not expected so many visitors. "Partly, no doubt, the coverage around Magna Carta and the raising in the public consciousness of Magna Carta has helped," she said. The renovation project included a new wall walk and the reopening of the Victorian prison to visitors. The high-security underground vault houses the 1215 Magna Carta, alongside an original copy of the Charter of the Forest, which was signed two years later. The work was funded by Lincolnshire County Council, Heritage Lottery money and private donations. The authority said a final decision on whether to outsource 12 attractions including the castle, Gainsborough Old Hall and the Museum of Lincolnshire Life has not yet been made.

Summary: A castle that had a multi-million pound vault built to house a surviving copy of Magna Carta has almost tripled visitor numbers.


It took some amazing photos of the dwarf planet and now scientists are hard at work looking through all the information it sent back. Here's Newsround's rundown of the most interesting things we've discovered about Pluto so far from the New Horizons probe. The high-resolution cameras on board New Horizons have shown Pluto to have a distinctive heart-shaped crater on its surface. The shape is believed to have been caused by an impact at some point in the past. One side of the heart is smoother than the other, and researchers believe the crater is filled with frozen gases from the atmosphere, including nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. The first image released by Nasa showed Pluto to be reddish in colour. But, this doesn't mean it's the same as the other famous red planet, Mars. Both planets are red, but for different reasons, due to the ways chemicals react in their atmospheres. New Horizons has provided more accurate information about Pluto's size, and we now know it's about 80km wider than previously predicted. Nasa experts say it's around two-thirds the size of our Moon. This means that Pluto is likely to be made up of less rock and more ice beneath its surface, according to members of the mission team. One of the main things we learned is that Pluto does have a polar ice cap. Scientists had thought this before but couldn't prove it until they saw the new images beamed back from the probe. Temperatures on Pluto are extremely cold! They range from -172 to -238 degrees Celsius depending on where it is on its orbit. Experts had assumed that the dwarf planet was cooling but the new data shows that this isn't happening. The New Horizons probe is 5 billion kilometres from Earth. This means it can only send back its information to mission control in the US very slowly. So, just one black and white picture of Pluto would take over three hours to transmit back to Earth. Getting all the data from its flypast of Pluto last week will take almost 16 months. So, we can look forward to lots more new discoveries about the far away dwarf planet over the next year or so.

Summary: The New Horizons probe successfully completed its fly-by of Pluto last week.


The John Muir Trust has carried out its latest clean-up of Ben Nevis after the thaw of winter snow. Last September, trust volunteers found as many as 1,000 banana skins dropped at the summit. Walkers and climbers were warned that the skins take up to two years to break down and did not biodegrade as quickly as they may think. Plastic bottle and tissues have also been collected in the latest clean-up. Sarah Lewis, trust conservation officer, said most walkers and climbers dealt with their litter responsibly. She added: "But it is clear that some people just don't see the impact that their litter has - 100,000 people climb up Ben Nevis every year, so if even a tiny minority of them leave their litter it can quickly build up."

Summary: Discarded banana skins are still being found on Britain's highest mountain despite warnings from conservationists.


The central bank had originally hoped to lend up to 450bn euros to stop another credit crunch crippling the banking system. Over 500 banks raced to borrow from the scheme, which was far beyond market expectations. The euro rose sharply on the news, but then fell back later. When the plan was announced, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said banks could use the money to invest in eurozone sovereign debt. However, analysts were uncertain if banks will use the money in this way. "The very heavy take-up of the ECB's three-year, long-term refinancing operation provides some encouragement that banks' liquidity needs are being amply met," said Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics. "But while this might help to address recent signs of renewed tensions in credit markets and support bank lending, we remain sceptical of the idea that the operation will ease the sovereign debt crisis too as banks use the funds to purchase large volumes of peripheral government bonds." This was the European Central Bank's first offer of three-year loans and was the largest amount of money the central bank has injected into the financial system, beating the 450bn euros it put in with its 2009 one-year loans offer. By Stephanie FlandersEconomics editor, BBC News Read Stephanie's blog in full Although the offer was seen as a success, its impact on the eurozone economy is still uncertain. "This is good. It's a positive number, at the top end of expectations. You have to regard it as a positive result. But it is still short of covering all of the banks' financing for next year," said James Nixon at Societe Generale. Borrowing money though the ECB's loans and using it to buy sovereign debt has been dubbed 'Sarkozy trade' after the French president encouraged banks to use the money to buy national debts when the loan offer was announced. However, some suggest the money will just be used to boost bank balance sheets, especially since the ECB lowered its collateral requirements when it announced the loans, enabling weaker banks to apply for the funds. "A cash for trash mechanism allowing banks to access cheap funds and buy up more sovereign debt - or more likely just shore up their own finances," is how Justin Urquhart Stewart of Seven Investment Management described the scheme. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News Read Robert's blog in full Carsten Brzeski at ING, said: "The good news is that banks won't have to worry about liquidity for three years and that it has already pushed down government yields, as banks are buying them to use as collateral". "However, whether the ECB's hopes that the money will filter through to the real economy will be fulfilled remains to be seen." The success of the offer initially had a positive impact on European stock markets, but the effect was short-lived and in afternoon trade several markets were trading lower on the day. The ECB's move comes in the wake of turbulent times for the eurozone that have hit peripheral eurozone economies such as Greece, the Irish Republic and Portugal, and started

Summary: Eurozone banks have rushed to take out cheap three-year loans offered by the European Central Bank, borrowing 489bn euros ($643bn; Â£375bn).


Turley, 26, had spells with non-league Salisbury City and Forest Green before joining Eastleigh in 2014 where he made 49 National League appearances. "I'm delighted to be finally making the step up to the Football League and I want to take full advantage of this opportunity," he told the club website. "I'm a quick and aggressive player, your typical centre-half really." Manager Warren Feeney hopes Turley, who turned down an improved deal at Eastleigh to join the Exiles, is the first of several summer signings. "We know exactly what we want in terms of mentality and ability," Feeney told BBC Wales Sport. "It might take a few weeks, but we are confident of putting a very competitive squad in place." Newport have offered contracts to eight members of last season's first team, but Feeney is unconcerned that none of the players are yet to agree to a stay at Rodney Parade. "It is not an issue at this stage," he said. "We won't let it drag on and on and I've made that clear to the players." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Newport County have signed defender Jamie Turley on a two-year deal from National League side Eastleigh.


Last week a judge rejected Camille Cosby's attempts to avoid testifying, after she claimed she was protected by a marital disqualification law. But on Tuesday, he agreed to a postponement, saying it would be unfair to deny her the right to appeal. However, if the appeal fails, a hearing should happen soon after, he added. A lawyer for the women said he expected to eventually be allowed to question Mrs Cosby, who has been married to the comedian for more than 50 years is also his business partner. Mr Cosby's accusers' legal claim alleges he and his representatives sought to tarnish their reputations after they went public with their claims of sexual misconduct. The star has filed a counter legal claim, contending the women are "engaged in a campaign to assassinate" his reputation and character. The 78-year-old is also seeking unspecified monetary damages and said the women inflicted emotional distress. He has denied the accusations. Last week, prosecutors in Pennsylvania charged the comedian with an alleged sexual assault in 2004. It is the first time Mr Cosby has been charged with any offence after months of accusations by dozens of women. He is currently on $1m (Â£675,000) bail.

Summary: Bill Cosby's wife will not have to give evidence on Wednesday in a defamation case filed by seven women accusing the comedian of sexual assault.


The 25-year-old woman was attacked as she walked on a footpath in Wythenshawe Park at about 04:00 BST on 5 July. Extra police patrols were carried out in the aftermath. Daniel McBurney, 30, from Sale, has been charged with rape and robbery, Greater Manchester Police said. He will appear before Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court later.

Summary: A man has been charged with rape after a woman was attacked in a park in Manchester.


About 50 people have now been re-settled in Torfaen, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot and Caerphilly. More will be dispersed to other areas in the new year. David Cameron has confirmed the first 1,000 Syrian refugees are now in the UK under a resettlement scheme. The UK government has promised to accept 20,000 Syrians over five years, with about 1,000 coming to Wales. Eleven refugees arrived in Aberystwyth last week after being picked up from the airport by the British Red Cross. Ceredigion council's families first co-ordinator Catherine Morgan said they were being helped to settle into their new lives. "They're happy, they're relieved to be here. They're smiling," she said. "They're just settling in at the moment, they've been through a lot to get here. It's very early days but hopefully they'll settle in well and enjoy living in Ceredigion. "There were lots of smiles and I did apologise for the rain when they arrived because it was raining very hard and they said 'it's lovely' and 'thank you'. They're happy to be here." All those being helped have fled violent conflict in Syria and several are victims of torture. They were all in refugee camps in neighbouring countries in the Middle East where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees identified them as being vulnerable. The UK government is giving all refugees who are being brought here under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement (VPR) programme five years' humanitarian protection status. This means they have the right to remain in Wales for five years with permission to work and access public funds. Many are families with young children. Alun Williams, head of policy support at Ceredigion council, said: "The Home Office has vetted them for extremist views and criminality. Only if they are successfully vetted do they get to be part of the scheme. They wouldn't be allowed into this country if they didn't pass those tests. "They are ordinary people who have been in very difficult circumstances and who have seen and suffered things that no one should ever have to see." The Welsh government has produced a welcome booklet which will be given to all refugees when they arrive. It gives an overview of the country, its government, police, currency, climate and language, including a guide on how to pronounce common Welsh words: "Bore da (Pronounced: Boh-reh dah): Good morning." It also gives advice on manners and customs in Wales, including guidance on how to greet people. "British people are generally reserved and well mannered," it says. "Neighbours greet each other politely, saying 'good morning or good afternoon' or 'bore da/prynhawn da' in Welsh, and often shake hands." It also says: "Do not throw litter on the floor but use a public bin. It is considered very bad manners to spit on the floor in public places. "If you need to sneeze or blow your nose, it is considered normal practice to use a tissue. "Do not urinate in a public place other than a public toilet." Practical help is also given, including how to pay bills, help with schools and

Summary: The first refugees to arrive in Wales after fleeing war-torn Syria are "happy" and "relieved to be here", according to those helping to welcome them.


The 41-year-old, who joined the BBC in 2008, said she was "mega-excited" if "petrified" to be taking part in the BBC One ratings hit. "I'm going to give it my very best and enjoy what's bound to be a great adventure," she continued. Munchetty, a keen golfer, also revealed she has known she would be taking part since February. Only her husband knew she would be following in the footsteps of former BBC Breakfast presenters Natasha Kaplinsky and Bill Turnbull, she said on Thursday. "I never thought I'd have the courage to say yes, but it would be simply silly to turn down the chance to learn to dance with a professional," Munchetty said. The broadcaster, who started out career as a financial journalist on the London Evening Standard, said she was "equally excited, nervous and scared". Munchetty's involvement was announced by BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood - herself a Strictly contestant - at the end of Thursday's programme. Ed Balls, Daisy Lowe, Danny Mac, Melvin Odoom, Louise Redknapp, Ore Oduba, Laura Whitmore and Will Young are the other confirmed celebrities. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has been named as the ninth celebrity on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.


The 8-11 shot defeated 12-1 chance Algometer by one and a half lengths with the other four rivals well beaten. Midterm is a son of 2001 Derby winner Galileo and Group One victor Midday. After the Sandown win, Midterm's odds for the Derby at Epsom in June were cut by some bookmakers from 8-1 to 6-1 second favourite. The 4-1 market leader is US Army Ranger. In the 1980s, the trial was won by subsequent Derby winners Shergar and Shahrastani, although the last runner to triumph at Epsom was 1997 Sandown runner-up Benny The Dip. You can check out the latest racing results on the BBC Sport website.

Summary: Odds-on favourite Midterm, ridden by Ryan Moore for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, won the Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday afternoon.


He was convicted at a retrial in March of accepting illegal payments from an American businessman while he served as mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister. Last year, he was sentenced to six years in prison for accepting bribes. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing and will remain free until his appeals against both convictions are heard. A Supreme Court decision on the first appeal is expected in the next couple of months. If he is unsuccessful OImert will become the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed. Olmert served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009. He was forced to resign amid a flurry corruption allegations, which ended his political career and disrupted the peace process with the Palestinians. In 2012, Olmert was acquitted of fraud, concealing fraudulent earnings and breach of trust in connection with donations received from a New York-based financier, Morris Talansky between 1997 and 2005. However, a retrial was ordered after a former aide, Shula Zaken, accepted a plea bargain and testified against Olmert. Ms Zaken gave prosecutors diary entries and tape recordings of conversations in which Olmert referred to receiving the money. Olmert was found guilty of fraud and breach of trust in March and on Monday was sentenced to eight months in jail. He was also given a suspended sentence of an additional eight months and fined 100,000 shekels ($25,000; Â£16,000). The Jerusalem District Court said the sentence recognised Olmert's contributions to Israeli society, but noted that "a black flag hovers over his conduct". Olmert's lawyer Eyal Rozovsky said they were "very disappointed" by the sentence. The former prime minister has always insisted that he is innocent and has described the allegations against him as "a brutal, ruthless witch-hunt". The 69-year-old is also appealing against the six-year sentence he was given in May 2014 in connection with a real estate deal at took place when he was mayor of Jerusalem in the 1990s. He was convicted of accepting bribes in return for speeding up a controversial residential development, known as Holyland, in the heart of the city.

Summary: A court in Jerusalem has sentenced the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to eight months in prison for fraud and breach of trust.


Replacement cost profit between July and September was $1.23bn (Â£802m), compared with $2.38bn a year earlier. Total revenue was $55.9bn against $94.8bn a year ago. The oil price dipped below $50 a barrel in the quarter, while it was above $100 for much of the same period last year. Prices have dropped due to oversupply and weaker demand. On an underlying basis, profit for the third quarter was $1.8bn, down from $3bn a year earlier but higher than analysts' estimates of $1.2bn. BP shares opened almost 2% higher, but by mid-afternoon were down 1% on the day. Replacement cost profit is a standard measure used in the oil industry that takes into account the price of oil. Reflecting the tougher environment across the industry, the company's capital expenditure for the period fell to $4.3bn, down from $5.3bn. BP continued to rein in spending estimates for 2015, which it now expects to be about $19bn compared with the $24bn-$26bn forecast a year ago. The company also announced that the total cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 would reach $55bn, higher than previous estimates. Earlier this month, the company said it had agreed to pay $20bn to settle claims in the US. To meet these costs, it is selling off assets, and expects to divest $10bn this year, with another $3bn-$5bn in 2016. BP also said it was maintaining its dividend at 10 cents a share. Analysis: Kamal Ahmed, BBC business editor Low oil prices are not all bad news for integrated oil companies. Yes, life upstream (the exploration and production part of the business) might be tougher because the business is not being paid as much for every barrel of oil it produces. But, for the downstream business (that's refined oil products such as fuel, lubricants and petrochemicals for making things like paint and plastic bottles) a low oil price can be a veritable boon. That's because the input costs - essentially the low oil price - are down and therefore the profit margin can be boosted. Read more from Kamal Despite the company's immediate troubles, analysts said there was some reason for optimism. "Refining margins are better than expected, the company remains a cash generating machine and costs are being attacked aggressively to suit the difficult backdrop," said Richard Hunter at Hargreaves Lansdown stockbrokers. "BP's longer term outlook remains positive." Oil prices have fallen sharply due to increased supply from US shale producers and lower demand, in part due to the slowdown in the Chinese economy. The major oil producers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, known as Opec, would normally cut production to support prices, but they have decided to keep pumping to try and flush out US shale producers which, they hope, will be unable to withstand a sustained period of low prices. "BP has successfully adapted to changing circumstances many times in its history and, in a hard time for the entire industry, I believe we will once again successfully take on today's challenges," said BP chief executive Bob

Summary: Oil giant BP has reported a fall in profits due to lower oil and gas prices.


The team's drivers - world champion Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton - won 19 of the 21 races in 2016 and sealed the title with four races to spare. Red Bull, though, gave Mercedes plenty to think about with their drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo often getting the very best out of the car. But which team did most BBC Sport website readers choose as the best of the season? Here are the results... They dominated the season and dominated the picks in the BBC Sport selector. Statistically Mercedes swept aside all before them. As well as winning 90% of the races, a silver arrow also took pole position in all but one race - Monaco, where Ricciardo started at the front of the pack. With Rosberg retired and Hamilton's new team-mate yet to be confirmed, their rivals can only hope that Mercedes may find it difficult to match such an all-conquering campaign as the new guy settles in, and new rules take effect. After finishing fourth in the constructors' championship last season, Red Bull rose from that disappointment to cement themselves as the best of the rest. They may not have had the package to truly challenge Mercedes but they certainly won plenty of fans, thanks to their drivers' skill on the track and character off it. The fearless Verstappen completed 78 overtakes in 2016 - a new F1 record - while Ricciardo was consistently impressive in the second half of the season, finishing on the podium in seven of the last 11 races. One to watch in 2017, especially as aerodynamics become a more important factor with the new rules. Do not forget who will be leading their design package - one Adrian Newey. They may have a smaller budget than the leading teams in Formula 1, but Force India certainly knew how to get the most out of what they had as they finished a hugely impressive fourth in the constructors' championship. Both Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg consistently finished inside the top eight, with Perez also managing to climb the podium twice - finishing third in Monaco and Baku. Jennie Gow: 1) Mercedes, 2) Red Bull, 3) Manor Mercedes: "They have been on top of their game once again. There have been reliability issues for Hamilton but the team have an outstanding car and winning their third title gives them bragging rights this season. Let's see what they can do next year." Manor: "The fact that they are even on the grid is impressive after all the challenges they have faced. The single point that they won in Austria is a major achievement and almost gave them 10th place in the championship. With such a small budget to work from and a small team compared to others, you have to take your hat off to the them and hope that despite losing 10th place to Sauber in Brazil, the team continue to flourish in 2017." Tom Clarkson: 1) Mercedes, 2) Red Bull, 3) Force India Red Bull: "Even with that botched pit-stop at Monaco, which cost Daniel

Summary: It was another dominant season on the track for Mercedes as they won the constructors' championship for the third consecutive season.


Mabey Bridge has begun a consultation on the planned closure of its business in Station Road where 150 people work. It is also looking for a buyer for its renewables section in Mathern, Chepstow, which employs 180 people. A company spokesman said it anticipated a buyer would be found to support that area of the business. "We have not made these decisions lightly and we understand that this is a very difficult time for our people." the spokesman added. BBC Wales understands the firm is now looking for employees to apply for voluntary redundancy. One employee said: "Everyone's absolutely stunned, some people guessed what was going to happen but the majority had no idea at all. "The announcement today is that the infrastructure side is gone, that it will finish. It was just shock, complete and utter shock; very few could believe that they have taken such as drastic decision." The company's infrastructure section makes highway bridges, railway bridges, footbridges and sign gantries while its renewables division builds wind turbine towers and carries out work in offshore renewable energy. Analysis, Brian Meechan BBC Wales business correspondent Mabey Bridge is a big name in construction. As specialists in bridges, it is one firm that would have been expected to weather the difficult economic times the sector has been through. In recent years, it has branched out into renewable energy including the towers for wind turbines. The construction industry is expected to grow by three percent a year until 2018 so the future might have been considered promising. But the Mabey Bridge site in central Chepstow has been up for sale for months and may prove appealing for redevelopment for housing rather than further industrial uses.

Summary: An engineering firm has announced the proposed closure of one site in Chepstow and the sale of another, putting 330 jobs at risk.


Secret service and regular police have been searching for Ivan Kaspersky, 20, for at least two days, a police source told Interfax news agency. His father's firm, Kaspersky Lab, told a newspaper it could not confirm news he had been abducted. Yevgeny Kaspersky made his fortune developing anti-virus software. News of his son's abduction was reported by Russian news website Life News, quoting its own sources. The kidnappers are demanding 3m euros (Â£2.6m; $4.3m) for Ivan's safe return, the website says. According to the unconfirmed report, he was snatched while on his way to work in Moscow on Tuesday. When contacted by Russian newspaper Gazeta, Kaspersky Lab said it could neither confirm nor deny the report. There has been no official comment on the story. Kaspersky Lab is regarded outside Russia as one of the country's few business success stories not related to the energy sector. The US business magazine Fast Company recently ranked Kaspersky Lab among the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies worldwide.

Summary: The son of Russian software entrepreneur Yevgeny Kaspersky has gone missing in Moscow and may have been kidnapped, Russian media report.


Marc Martin, 22, and Matt Preece, 21, died after the BMW crashed in High Beeches Lane, Handcross, West Sussex, in December 2014. Mr Martin, from Haywards Heath, and Mr Preece, of Lindfield, were both sitting in the back of the BMW. Kyle Witney, 21, of Lindfield had previously admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Witney has been jailed for six years at Lewes Crown Court. The court heard Witney had been smoking cannabis and had gone out to get more drugs when the crash happened. His girlfriend said at the time of the crash he had been showing off in front of his friends "trying to be smart". The jury was told Witney had said immediately after the crash: "Oh my God, what have I done? I hope I haven't killed my friends." He told paramedics he had been driving at 100mph. Mr Martin and Mr Preece were taken to hospital after the crash but died from their injuries. A 16-year-old girl who was a front-seat passenger in the BMW was also treated in hospital for minor injuries. Witney had been left the BMW by his grandfather three months before the crash, the court was told.

Summary: A man has been jailed after two of his friends died when his car hit a tree and flipped onto its roof.


Newly promoted Newcastle host Tottenham, while Brighton welcome Manchester City and Huddersfield visit Crystal Palace. Spurs' first game at Wembley will be against Antonio Conte's champions on the second weekend of the season. The precise date of games will be set once TV schedules have been decided. The league season is set to finish on Sunday, 13 May 2018 - a week earlier than last season - with the World Cup finals in Russia starting on 14 June. The English Football League fixtures will be released on Wednesday, 21 June, and Scotland's fixtures two days later. Questions have been raised about Tottenham's potential to perform at Wembley after a miserable run of results there in last season's Champions League, and Mauricio Pochettino's side will have a tough first test at their temporary home. The last time Spurs visited the national stadium was in the FA Cup semi-final, a game they lost 4-2 to this season's first visitors - Chelsea. But it could prove a tricky opening few weeks for the defending champions too, with Chelsea hosting Everton (26 August), visiting 2015-16 winners Leicester after the international break and then welcoming Arsenal (16 September). Arsene Wenger's Gunners have a chance to show their top-four credentials in week three when they visit Liverpool. Another early indicator in the race for the Champions League places comes in the following round of games, with Liverpool travelling to Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Europa League winners Manchester United do not face another Champions League qualifier until they visit Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on the weekend of 14-15 October. English football's top-flight sides will face four league games in nine days over Christmas and new year, with eight in total from 2 December to 1 January. The final round of the Champions League group stage also takes place during that period, as traditionally does the fifth round of the League Cup. Arsenal welcome Liverpool two days before Christmas, while Brighton go to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Newcastle host Manchester City. West Ham make the trip across London to face Tottenham in the round of games scheduled for 30 December, with another London derby taking place on New Year's Day as Arsenal host Chelsea. There will be no easing into life in the top flight for those promoted from the Championship, with Brighton's first game in the Premier League at home to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Newcastle hammered Tottenham 5-1 in their most recent Premier League game at St James' Park, and it will be last season's runners-up Spurs who visit Rafa Benitez's side on the opening day. Huddersfield make their Premier League debut at Crystal Palace, before hosting fellow newcomers Newcastle a week later and completing their August schedule at home to Southampton. The Terriers' first game back in the top flight since 1972 is a repeat of their last, when they drew 0-0 at Selhurst Park in April that year. Brighton, meanwhile, are back in English football's top division for the first time since the 1982-83 season. Chris Hughton's side go to Leicester on the second

Summary: Chelsea will begin their title defence at home to Burnley when the 2017-18 Premier League season kicks off on the weekend of 12-13 August.


The report for 2015 is due out in the next few weeks, so the most recent report we have is the 2014 one. In the year covered by that report, 1,013 tests were conducted for IPC sports (which include athletics, swimming, powerlifting and skiing) in which prohibited substances were found nine times. During the year, sanctions were taken against 11 athletes. If you break that down into the sports involved it is clear that most of the IPC's anti-doping problems come from the sport of powerlifting, which was the source of seven of the positive tests and eight of the sanctions. The IPC announced in 2014 that it had suspended 13 powerlifters in the previous 14 months. The sport has been targeted with a "Raise the Bar - Say No! to Doping" campaign. Since then, the IPC has also adopted a new anti-doping code, which came into effect on 1 January 2015. Paralympic athletes have the same list of banned substances as Olympic athletes and, like them, anyone who requires additional medication for pain or treatment must apply for an exemption. "It's a common misconception that a lot of Paralympians will be on prescription drugs. That's not the case at all," Nicole Sapstead, UK Anti-Doping chief executive, told the BBC ahead of London 2012. "Obviously there are athletes with spinal injuries and they need pain relief. But mostly it is the same as the Olympics - things like asthma and diabetes." Only one athlete was given a doping sanction at the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, but since then the McLaren Report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found that Russia's sports ministry manipulated urine samples provided by its athletes between 2011 and 2015. The report identified 27 samples relating to eight Para-sports, five of which are summer sports, including some governed by the IPC. The IPC also found evidence that samples were swapped during the Sochi Winter Paralympics, adding that it planned to reanalyse every Russian sample given at the event. So now the Russian team has been banned from this year's Paralympic Games in Rio, and the IPC is wondering if it has more of a doping problem than it previously thought.

Summary: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) gives details of anti-doping activities in its annual reports.


A selection of photos from Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week:

Summary: Images courtesy of AFP, AP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters


The Welsh have never been involved in a penalty shoot out, which could happen in Saturday's last 16 match in Paris. Coleman admits it is impossible to replicate the anxiety of sudden death penalty shoot out. ''If it comes our way we will have to try and deal with it,'' said Coleman, who has a fully-fit squad after beating Russia 3-0 to top Group B. Individual players have penalty experience, including top-scorer Gareth Bale who scored from the spot in Real Madrid's shoot-out win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final in May. The current squad have been sharpening their spot kick skills in training, but Coleman recognises its limitations. ''I would say on three days out of five, the players naturally just gravitate after training to take penalties," he said. ''If it comes to that (on Saturday), again it is new territory for us. ''How do you recreate 50,000 people breathing down your neck; or the eyes of the world upon you as you are stepping up to take the penalty and you need to put it in the back of the net. You cannot recreate that.'' Coleman reported no injury worries after clinching Group B top spot with Monday night's commanding win over Russia in Toulouse. Eight Wales players started all three games in the opening stages of the competition and Coleman says he will not hesitate to alter the line up on Saturday, if required. "'I would make changes if I think physically, they cannot do it," he added. "But I would be surprised if any of them admit to me that they are a bit tired and may be they don't want to start. "The guys who have not been on the grass or have not been starting are chomping at the bit. They are not very happy they have not been on the grass. That is a positive. "But I can only pick 11 . . . I look at the opposition and I think if we can create a few problems with a different player in there, or in a different place I will do it. "That does not mean the player who is being replaced in the last game has not done very well. It's just horses for courses."

Summary: Wales have been practising penalties since arriving at Euro 2016, manager Chris Coleman says.


Paddy Madden curled in a right-footed shot from 14 yards to give the Iron a 12th-minute lead. The rest of the first half was a scrappy affair on a bobbly pitch where getting the ball under control was not easy. The second half was much livelier and captain John Lundstram brought the home side level with a driven half-volley from Joe Skarz's left-wing cross in the 52nd minute. It was Lundstram's first goal of the season and the ex-Everton midfielder was unlucky not to get a second four minutes later with a 20-yard shot which came back off the underside of the crossbar. Madden was always a threat for Scunthorpe, and goalkeeper Simon Eastwood had to beat out a drive from the dangerous striker, and then saved his header a few moments later. Luke Daniels' superb point-blank save kept out Liam Sercombe's volley two minutes from time, but Scunthorpe's defence was under severe pressure and, following a corner, Curtis Nelson drove a low 14-yard shot across goal for Edwards to touch home. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Oxford United 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Second Half ends, Oxford United 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Craig Davies replaces David Mirfin. Goal! Oxford United 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Curtis Nelson (Oxford United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marvin Johnson with a cross. Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Jordan Clarke. Attempt missed. Conor McAleny (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Attempt missed. Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Liam Sercombe (Oxford United) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the bottom left corner. Conor McAleny (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Clarke (Scunthorpe United). Joe Skarz (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Neal Bishop (Scunthorpe United). Foul by Curtis Nelson (Oxford United). Ivan Toney (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Hakeeb Adelakun replaces Stephen Dawson. Substitution, Oxford United. Kane Hemmings replaces Antonio Martínez. Attempt saved. Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Conor McAleny (Oxford United). Neal Bishop (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Oxford United. Marvin Johnson replaces Joe Rothwell. Foul by Conor McAleny (Oxford United). Murray Wallace (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Ivan Toney replaces Tom Hopper. Attempt saved. Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by John Lundstram (Oxford United). Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. Antonio Martínez (Oxford United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Joe Rothwell (Oxford United) right footed shot from a difficult angle

Summary: Phil Edwards claimed a stoppage-time winner as Oxford came from behind to beat promotion-chasing Scunthorpe in League One.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Stoke City forward, 32, limped off after 64 minutes of Monday's 1-1 Group E draw with Sweden in Paris. Walters has not trained since and his absence for the Belgium game was confirmed on Friday. West Brom midfielder James McClean, Walters' replacement against Sweden, is expected to start in Bordeaux. Media playback is not supported on this device Belgium - ranked second in the world - lost 2-0 to Italy in their opening game. Italy, who beat Sweden 1-0 on Friday to seal their progress into the last 16, take on the Republic in Lille next Wednesday. "He thinks he is going to be able to make the Italian game," O'Neill said of Walters on Wednesday. Wes Hoolahan's opener for the Republic against Sweden at the Stade de France was cancelled out by a Ciaran Clark own goal. "If that performance doesn't lift you, nothing will," said O'Neill. "We will have to show the same attitude again, go and compete and be strong on the ball." Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary: Republic of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters has been ruled out of Saturday's Euro 2016 clash against Belgium because of an Achilles injury.


Media playback is not supported on this device The competition is set to start in 2020 and will involve eight new city-based teams playing 36 games in 38 days. "Cricket needs that moment in this country that changes the way we talk and think about it," said Vaughan. He also said that he believes the ECB's aim for "significant" free-to-air coverage is key to the proposal. ECB chief executive Tom Harrison called free-to-air ambitions an "aspiration which reaches at the heart of our proposition going forward". He hopes the new competition will rival the Indian Premier League and Big Bash in Australia as the leading T20 tournaments in the world. The Big Bash draws average crowds of more than 28,000 whereas Vaughan labelled the attendance of the current T20 Blast competition in the English county game as "nothing better than division three football". "Everyone can see every ball of the Big Bash," said Vaughan, who was speaking on his BBC Radio 5 live show with ex-England spinner Phil Tufnell. "Cricket is there for everyone to see. I love the thought and talk of terrestrial partners and the game seen. "But I don't think that is the be-all and end-all. I think it is important, but I think cricket has to do so much more. "The only thing in terms of a county perspective is this new tournament will be a massive juggernaut, get loads of marketing and the county game may say: 'Why didn't we get that support?' "Would the Blast have had more success if there was a terrestrial partner in play or had that kind of support? I guess the answer is yes." He added: "I think the white ball game, in particular, and T20 is exactly the brand of cricket required to expand the game." Current England captain Joe Root believes the plans for the new competition are a "good idea" and that "it is very important the public are given an opportunity to see cricket at a national level, on free-to-air TV". Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, the Yorkshireman added: "It will be interesting to see how things pan out and what decisions are made." Squads of the eight T20 teams will be made up of 15 players and include three overseas players. That will leave 96 players being selected from the 18 counties, which averages out at just over five apiece. "If you picked 96 players out of county cricket now, the standard is remarkable," said Vaughan. "Pick five-and-a-half players from each county and you add in the world-class overseas stars and you are going to get some terrific teams." Vaughan played down concerns over fans not wanting to support certain city-based teams because of their county allegiance. "Supporters will say I won't support Leeds or Manchester but I don't think they're going to be called the towns," said Vaughan who also addressed worries about the weather and the tournament being played when families travel abroad during the lengthy school summer holidays. "The weather is nonsense because we might as well say 'we're not going to

Summary: A new Twenty20 tournament planned by the England and Wales Cricket Board "will be a roaring success", says former England captain Michael Vaughan.


Leonid Papachin, 51, from Lithuania, is alleged to have performed the manoeuvre on Thursday after missing an exit slip-road near Lichfield. Other vehicles are said to have been forced to slow down to avoid his articulated lorry. He appeared at Cannock Magistrates' Court charged with dangerous driving but did not enter a plea. Mr Papachin was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on Tuesday.

Summary: A lorry driver has appeared in court accused of doing a U-turn on the M6 toll motorway.


The attempted raid took place at the Rite Stop shop in Powell Street, Abertillery, at 20:25 GMT on Tuesday, Gwent Police said. They allegedly entered the shop and tried to get behind the counter before they were challenged by staff, escaping empty-handed.

Summary: Two men are being hunted after trying to rob a Blaenau Gwent shop with a chair leg.


They were among a group of suspects acquitted in Kenya last week. Taiwan's foreign ministry says they were forcibly put on a China-bound plane and has demanded their release. China has not responded in detail to the allegations, but has criticised Taiwan for not considering itself as part of "one China". The incident comes as cross-strait relations are feared to be entering a rocky period, say the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei. Taiwan said the eight were among 23 Taiwanese people who were accused in Kenya of being members of a telephone fraud ring, which also included Chinese nationals. They were arrested in Kenya at the end of last year and charged with illegal entry and telecommunications fraud. All of the Taiwanese, and some Chinese, were later acquitted. The Taiwanese were detained when they went to a police station last week to retrieve their passports. On Friday, eight of them were put on a plane by Chinese officials and sent to the mainland, despite a court order that would have kept them in Kenya, say Taiwanese officials. Taiwan has demanded their release, as well as for the release of the remaining 15 Taiwanese still in Kenyan custody. On Monday, Taiwan's foreign affairs ministry accused Chinese officials of "obstructions", including delaying the court order and preventing Taiwan's representative from reaching the acquitted. It said China's actions amounted to an "uncivilised act of extrajudicial abduction" which represents a "gross violation of basic human rights." In response to a reporter's question on the matter, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: "I might need further understanding of the exact details of the case, but in principle, countries which follow the 'one China' principle are worthy of approval." Beijing has refused to have dialogue with Taiwan's incoming President Tsai Ing-wen unless she recognises the two sides as part of one country. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's current President Ma Ying-jeou held historic but largely symbolic talks in Singapore last November, the first between China and Taiwan's leaders in more than 60 years.

Summary: Taiwan has accused China of "extrajudicial abduction" after eight Taiwanese acquitted of fraud in Kenya were deported to mainland China.


However, a sturdy pair of scissors was all it took to cut through the strap of an identical tag that was fitted to me the other day. And there was easily enough room between my ankle and the strap to position the scissor blades before making the cut. The tag was fitted to me in exactly the same way that all tags are attached to suspects under Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPims). It is made of a type of plastic, which although tough is deliberately breakable enough to be removed in case of an emergency. Phil Kemp presents The Report on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 5 December at 20:00 GMT Listen via the website Download the programme The Best of The Report "It can be cut and it can be broken off because it has to break at a certain prescribed limit for safety reasons," says Paul, an equipment specialist for the security company G4S, who fitted it to me. The company runs the GPS monitoring contract for government. He requested that his surname should not be used. "You have got enough flexibility so you can get your sock on and off, you can move it around on your leg for comfort, but you can't get it over the heel and over the ankle to remove it," he says. "But the main fact is that it cannot be cut off, broken off, or removed in any way without detection and without some evidence of what has caused that to be removed." Buried inside the length of the strap is a fibre-optic cable that, if interfered with, transmits an alert to G4S's monitoring system. The strap doesn't have to break or be cut for it to raise the alarm. Simply exerting enough force on the strap to damage the cable sends a signal to the authorities that the device could be being tampered with. Paul says that on the day Mr Mohamed's tag was removed, the device did what it was designed to do. "It detected the interference immediately, it transmitted that alert to us and we notified the relevant authorities well within our contracted turnaround time for raising that alarm," he says. However, by the time the police arrived at the mosque where the tag was removed, he had disappeared. On the same day he went missing, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped a case it had brought against Mr Mohamed and two other TPim subjects for allegedly tampering with their tags. Had they been found guilty, they could have been given prison sentences lasting up to five years. However, the CPS said they would not be able to prove to a criminal standard that the tags had been deliberately tampered with. In cases where the defendants dispute trying to remove or break a tag, expert witnesses are called to see if they can work out what exactly triggered a tamper alert. Prof Ross Anderson is an expert in security engineering at the University of Cambridge and he worked on the defence case for the accused TPim subjects. "It turned out

Summary: We do not know how the electronic GPS monitoring tag was removed from the ankle of Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, the terror suspect who went missing after changing into a burka at a London mosque last month.


Media playback is not supported on this device Owen Farrell moves from centre to fly-half to replace Charlie Hodgson, who has a finger injury. Northampton's Lee Dickson steps in for Ben Youngs at scrum-half, while Scarlets' Ben Morgan starts at number eight in place of Phil Dowson. Lock Tom Palmer has been dropped in favour of Leicester's Geoff Parling. Should fortune favour the brave, England's interim coach Stuart Lancaster could be in for the most satisfying of Twickenham debuts. But if Six Nations rugby is more about the more prosaic virtues of experience, form and proven ability, Saturday's meeting with Wales might turn out to be less pleasant. Read more of Tom's blog Tuilagi, who was fined £3,000 and warned by the Rugby Football Union after jumping off a ferry following England's World Cup exit in New Zealand in October, has played precious little rugby since because of a hamstring problem and a broken cheekbone and eye socket. He will link up with new boy Brad Barritt, who impressed against Scotland and Italy, in the centre positions. Dickson, Morgan and Parling make their first Test starts at Twickenham on Saturday as England look to secure a third successive victory after wins over Scotland and Italy. "We are looking forward to seeing how Brad and Manu gel together in the centre," Lancaster said. "Owen has trained throughout and knows our patterns and plays, so we are fully confident in his ability to run the game from 10. "It's been a good start with two wins but we've got real competition for places and Lee, Ben and Geoff deserve an opportunity to start this game." Media playback is not supported on this device Farrell was chosen in the starting XV ahead of Toby Flood, who makes his return to the squad after a spell out with a knee injury. The Leicester fly-half will be joined on the bench by fit-again Northampton lock Courtney Lawes. Hodgson, who scored the two tries England have managed so far in this year's Six Nations, is unavailable after cutting and spraining his left index finger in training this week. "Charlie cut his finger in training earlier in the week and needed stitches, but it swelled up and there is a sprain there," added Lancaster. "We assessed him this morning [Thursday] and he cannot grip fully. "Phil and Ben [Youngs] will provide a different role from the bench and it's great to have Courtney and Toby, who can also give us options in what I am sure will be a full-on encounter. "The finger injury to Charlie Hodgson is very unfortunate, but may prove a blessing for England. Owen Farrell was always destined to end up at fly-half and looks ready to do the job. Hodgson's absence allows Stuart Lancaster to include the incisive power of Manu Tuilagi, whose line-breaking ability is priceless. Geoff Parling will bring organisation and height to the line-out. Ben Morgan brings a much-needed ball-carrying punch. Lee Dickson's inclusion is vital for England's zip and momentum at the breakdown. For the moment, Ben Youngs has lost

Summary: Centre Manu Tuilagi returns to the England side as interim head coach Stuart Lancaster makes four changes for the Six Nations game against Wales.


Figures from the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) have shown that, in total, 1.81 million people visited the Edinburgh museum - a 15.5% rise on the previous year. Edinburgh Castle welcomed 1.77 million people, up 13.4% on 2015. Visits across Scotland rose for the third year running in 2016. Almost 30 million visits were made to 249 of the ASVA members' sites in Scotland last year - a rise of 6% on 2015 figures. The National Museum of Scotland opened 10 new galleries in July 2016. Director Dr Gordon Rintoul said: "I am delighted that the latest ASVA visitor figures have confirmed the National Museum of Scotland's place as the most popular visitor attraction in Scotland. "In addition, we recorded the highest-ever visitor numbers across all our sites with nearly 2.7 million visits." 1 National Museum of Scotland (free), Edinburgh - 1,810,948 visitors 2 Edinburgh Castle (paid) - 1,778,548 visitors 3 Scottish National Gallery (free), Edinburgh - 1,544,069 visitors 4 Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (free), Glasgow - 1,259,318 5 Riverside Museum (free), Glasgow - 1,259,042 6 St Giles' Cathedral (free), Edinburgh - 1,171,793 7 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (free) - 857,268 8 Gretna Green (free) - 794,543 9 National War Museum (free), Edinburgh - 678,982 10 Gallery of Modern Art (free), Glasgow - 646,567 Four other sites welcomed more than one million visitors each, with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Riverside Museum, both in Glasgow, attracting more than 1.25 million people each. The Scottish National Gallery and St Giles' Cathedral, both in Edinburgh, drew 1.54 million and 1.17 million visitors respectively. Eleven of the top 20 attractions were located in the capital, compared with nine in 2015. Sites outside the top 20 were also successful in attracting more visitors. The Black Watch Castle & Museum in Perth and Kinross saw a 1,248% rise in numbers, largely on the back of "Weeping Window", a sculpture featuring thousands of handmade ceramic poppies commemorating those who died in World War One. Last year, 195,301 people visited the museum, up from 14,483 visitors in 2015. In the Highlands, interest generated by the Outlander TV series helped boost visitor numbers at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, which rose 21% from 115,923 in 2015 to 139,691 last year. Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "It is fantastic that Scottish visitor attractions recorded another successful year in 2016, with almost 30 million visits to some of Scotland's most popular and iconic tourist sites. "I commend the sterling work of ASVA in creating quality visitor experiences and building Scotland's reputation as a top tourist destination for visitors from around the world." ASVA chairman Douglas Walker said the figures demonstrated that the visitor attractions sector in Scotland was in "robust health".

Summary: The National Museum of Scotland overtook Edinburgh Castle to become the most popular visitor attraction in Scotland last year.


A drilled shot by experienced Slovenia international Milivoje Novakovic threatened to leave Aberdeen with an uphill task in next week's return leg. But Republic of Ireland international Hayes finally converted one of the many chances the Dons created at Pittodrie. However, Aberdeen will need to score in Slovenia to stay in the tie. All seven of the Dons' goals in the previous two rounds had come in the last 22 minutes of matches, with three in stoppage time. And though there was a constant threat from Derek McInnes' side, full of pace, movement and intensity, they could not find a way past goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic until the closing stages. The aim from McInnes was to disrupt a team who like to slot into a steady defensive pattern in an effort to get an early goal. Top scorer Adam Rooney fastened on to a mistake by Dare Vrsic, but the striker's shot was indecisive and Handanovic saved at the second attempt. The visitors then squandered the best early chance after a great run and cross on the counter-attack by right-back Denis Sme, Marwan Kabha sending his shot from 12 yards hopelessly over the bar when he should have scored. Handanovic made a brave block at Rooney's feet and then saw the same player miss an excellent Andrew Considine delivery by inches as crosses kept flashing across his penalty box. The keeper again excelled by blocking Jayden Stockley's header at point-blank range just before the break. Vrsic caused a few moments of anxiety for Aberdeen when stopper Joe Lewis was forced to make a sharp dive to his left to prevent the former Austria Vienna player netting. Rooney did have the ball in the net after some great build-up play by Niall McGinn but the striker had strayed offside. Then, with time running out, Novakovic struck. It was a wonderful finish from the 37-year-old as he brushed off the challenge of Ash Taylor before arrowing a shot beyond the despairing dive of Lewis. But Taylor redeemed himself with a determined contribution to set up Hayes' sidefoot finish minutes later. That gives Aberdeen greater hope of reaching the play-off round, but Maribor know they will progress if they avoid losing a goal next week.

Summary: Aberdeen struck late in Europe again as Jonny Hayes equalised against Maribor in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg.


The group is managed by Hong Kong's Argyle Street Management and funded by Indonesia's Sinarmas Group, which is managed by Indonesia's Widjaja family. The offer values Asia Resource Minerals at Â£98.8m and includes plans to inject $150m equity in the embattled company. British financer Nat Rothschild submitted an alternative $100m refinancing plan in April. Asia Resource Minerals, formerly known as Bumi, is grappling with tumbling coal prices and a continuing battle for control of the company. It was founded in 2010 by Nat Rothschild and Indonesia's wealthy Bakrie family. The co-founders fell out and the company was broken up in March 2014 and renamed Asian Resource Minerals. The Argyle-Sinarmas bid for the company once again pits Mr Rothschild against a powerful Indonesian family. The potential acquirers have stressed the importance of "an experienced and proven Indonesian partner", to lead the company. Foreign ownership of businesses is a contentious topic in Indonesia. Asia Resource Minerals controls nearly 85% of Indonesian coal mine operator Berau. The country's energy minister said on Thursday that it would prefer Berau to be locally owned. "Berau Coal is a corporate matter between shareholders. But as a policy matter, we want coal to be the pillar of our energy security. The more national mines that are controlled by national firms, the better," said Energy Minister Sudirman Said.

Summary: A group of Asian investors has submitted a bid to acquire Indonesian coal miner Asia Resource Minerals.


The 45-year-old, who stepped up from assistant in December after Mark Burchill was sacked, has signed a one-year deal. "Continuity is one of the main objectives of the board of directors," said a club statement. "The club is also delighted that it will retain its full-time status." Livingston had hinted at their intentions by announcing three new signings immediately after their play-off semi-final defeat by Stranraer. Midfielder Jordan Sinclair, 19, arrived from Hibernian and central defenders Sean Crighton and Alan Lithgow joined from Airdrieonians. Meanwhile, Ryan Currie agreed a new contract, but Bulgarian midfielder Spas Georgiev, who was loaned to Albion Rovers in February, was released.

Summary: Livingston have decided to remain a full-time club despite being relegated to Scottish League One and have handed head coach David Hopkin a new contract.


The 23-year-old was found with serious injuries in Crossbank Avenue, Toryglen, at around 05:15 on Saturday. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and treated for a stab wound before being discharged. Police are reviewing CCTV from the area and want to speak to a group of people who were in the street at the time of the attack. Det Con Stuart McLennan said: "Our enquiries have revealed that there were a number of people in the vicinity at the time that this young man was assaulted and I appeal for these people to contact police immediately as they may hold valuable information that could help us find the person or persons responsible for this assault. "Anyone with information is asked to contact Cathcart CID via telephone number 101. Alternatively, calls can be made via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained."

Summary: A young man needed hospital treatment after he was stabbed in Glasgow in the early hours of Saturday.


Journalist Richard Chambers was making his way to Letterkenny in Donegal when his car aquaplaned to the side of the road and became stuck in mud and gravel. He was unable to push his car free - until a mini-bus carrying a hen party from Northern Ireland pulled up. Dressed in pink feather boas the hens helped push the car back onto the road. Mr Chambers' car skidded to the side of the road outside Ballybofey when he drove over a large amount of surface water which was lying on the road. He told the Good Morning Ulster programme, "I tried to reverse it out, but it was stuck so I called the AA and they said they would be about an hour and a half. "A helpful fellow from Cork pulled up and offered to help with a push. The pair of us macho clowns really couldn't shift it at all." The bypasser told Mr Chambers that he didn't think the car could be moved without a tow-truck. At this point the journalist said, "I had resigned to my fate." However, much to his surprise a mini-bus carrying a hen party from Northern Ireland stopped to lend a hand. "They got straight out of the bus with pink feather boas and all that sort of stuff and said 'We'll push it out'. I was like, we'll give them a go anyway, you know? "Within minutes this gang of women, about five or six of them' were pushing. (They) all pushed the car, and that was the job done! "One of them came out with a face full of mud from a bit of reversing, but the photos I'd say will be great fun for them," Mr Chambers added. He says he hopes to find the women as he is "eternally thankful" for all that they did.

Summary: A hen party which helped a man whose car had become stuck in mud has been called 'heroic' by the driver.


Referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn gave Equatorial Guinea a controversial penalty in stoppage time as they beat Tunisia 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Tunisia staff confronted the official after the match and their federation has been fined $50,000 (£33,000). "The referees committee noted the poor performance of the referee," the Confederation of African Football said. Caf added that the referee's failings included an "unacceptable failure to maintain calm and ensure proper control of the players during the match". Caf also wants an apology from Tunisia for accusations of bias. And Tunisia have been ordered to pay for damages to a door and a refrigerator in the team's dressing room at Bata Stadium. Mauritian referee Seechurn awarded the penalty in stoppage time after Ali Maaloul was harshly ruled to have fouled Ivan Bolado when Tunisia were leading 1-0 and, after equalising from the spot through Javier Balboa, hosts Equatorial Guinea went on to win in extra-time. Seechurn has also been removed from Caf's list of elite referees. According to Caf, it was sent two letters by the Tunisian FA following the match, with the second asking for an investigation and suggesting that Caf and its officials "were questionable and biased against Tunisia in general". Unless Tunisia's football federation can provide "irrefutable evidence to substantiate the accusations" they need to send a letter of apology by midnight on 5 February or face expulsion from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Tunisia football chief Wadie Jary resigned from Caf in protest after the match and he was also "condemned" for his behaviour after going on to the pitch to confront Seechurn, as well as criticising the referee and African football's governing body. Equatorial Guinea were fined $5,000 (£3,300) for poor security at the stadium.

Summary: An Africa Cup of Nations referee has been banned for six months for "poor performance".


On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said India's health ministry had confirmed three cases of the mosquito-borne virus from the city of Ahmedabad in western Gujarat state. Authorities in Gujarat said the cases were reported in a bustling neighbourhood between November 2016 and February 2017. The infection has been linked to severe birth defects in almost 30 countries. These include microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads and restricted brain development. Although the virus is mostly spread by mosquitoes, it can also be sexually transmitted. Even before the first official case of the Zika virus was registered in Nigeria, researchers concluded in a paper published in 1953 that "significant numbers" of people had been exposed to the virus in India. A total of 33 of the 196 people tested for the new disease had immunity. More than 60 years later, the three cases in India detailed in a statement by the UN health agency included two women, aged 22 and 34, and a 64-year-old man. The 34-year-old woman delivered a "clinically well baby" on 9 November 2016; the 22-year-old woman was tested positive for the virus in her 37th week of pregnancy. None of the three, according to reports, had travelled outside the country. "The two pregnant mothers have delivered healthy babies and the 64-year-old senior citizen has shown no complications at all," JN Singh, the senior-most bureaucrat in Gujarat, told reporters at the weekend. He also said the government "consciously did not go public with the cases" as the number of cases didn't rise. But there has been shock and consternation among many independent public health professionals and analysts on why the public was not informed of the cases immediately after they were detected. "This is unprecedented in India's public health history. It is also disturbing and raises a lot of ethical issues. You have to take the community into confidence. You can do it without spreading panic. That is the job of a sound public health policy," Rajib Dasgupta, a professor in the community medicine department at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told me. For one, critics say, on 17 March, junior health minister Anupriya Patel, responding to a question in the parliament said, that "so far, only one-case of laboratory-positive Zika virus has been detected as part of a routine laboratory surveillance in January 2017". The government was lying, they said, because the third - and final - case had been detected in January. A health official, however, defended the minister, saying "while two cases were picked up in January for testing and the third in February, only one confirmed case had been detected while [the minister was] replying to the parliament". Nitpicking apart, many say it is surprising that the government decided to remain quiet for months about the first cases of a globally prevalent disease which is caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries the dengue and chikungunya viruses, both widely prevalent in India. They say it is surprising that the government, which gives regular public updates on dengue and chikungunya cases, decided

Summary: Did India conceal its first cases of the Zika virus?