Sandwell Council has received back-to-back poor Ofsted ratings and was warned the service could be run externally. The announcement coincides with the release of Ofsted's latest inspection report which said "positive progress" has been made, the authority said. Unison said members could be balloted for industrial action if there were "no guarantees around pay and pensions". Tony Barnsley, Sandwell joint branch secretary, said council staff worked hard protecting children, "many with huge workloads". More updates on this story and others Birmingham and the Black Country He said the announcement "put a question mark" over workers' pay and pensions and guarantees were needed from the government. "It feels like a huge slap in the face really," he said. "Members have already indicated about action for a ballot to strike and if we don't get the guarantees we'll be faced with little choice but to go for the ballot process." Councillor Simon Hackett said the council did not agree with the trust model, but accepted the decision. The move follows a government warning last December that failing departments would have six months to improve or be taken over by high-performing councils or charities. Sandwell's children services was rated inadequate in June last year after another poor rating in 2013, which led to two resignations at the authority - a department boss and a cabinet member. Analysis: Rob Mayor, BBC WM Black Country Political Reporter This isn't the first authority to have a trust appointed - councils in Slough, Doncaster and just down the road Birmingham have all gone through the same. But this is another blow for Sandwell Council which last year said it "struggled to see how Ofsted came to the conclusion" that it's children's services were inadequate. The councillor in charge of the department Simon Hackett, who's previously ruled out resigning, says he doesn't think a trust is the best way to improve services, but making it a success is his "priority". Behind the scenes there are concerns about morale of staff in a department which has been under siege since an inadequate rating three years ago. Today the council is saying everything it can to reassure them as the trust takes over. Earlier this year, Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson announced Eleanor Brazil would be the new commissioner of children's services at the council. She recommended appointing a trust, he said. Mr Hackett, cabinet member for children's services, said he was disappointed with the decision and improvements had been made which were reflected in Ofsted's latest report. He added: "However we know there is more to do to improve the quality of social care and accept we must accelerate the pace of change. For this reason, we acknowledge intervention can help us reach the high standards we are determined to achieve.

Summary: A struggling children's services department is to be taken over by a government-appointed trust.


An application for £6.8m has been made to the UK Government for a station and interchange, including parking and bus stops, at Bow Street near Aberystwyth. The Welsh Government has provided £1.7m, including expenditure, to date. The station closed as a result of the Beeching cuts and there have been campaigns for it to be reinstated. Proposals for a new station have been shown at a public event and it is hoped it will open in 2019. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: "We've been working very closely with the local authority, local interest groups and the railway industry to ensure that proposals result in the station and interchange development starting on the ground in April 2018."

Summary: A village in Ceredigion could soon have a new railway station if the Welsh Government is successful in its funding application.


Mark Boleat said London would remain a leading financial hub, with only a few banking jobs likely to move. Urging speedy trade talks, he added: "We would hope that the negotiations go quickly and go well." The triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty last month began the two year countdown to the UK's EU exit. Before the referendum, the financial services sector largely backed the Remain campaign, warning that quitting the bloc could spur an exodus of City jobs. The City of London, the council that covers London's financial centre, itself backed EU membership. Since then, banks including Goldman Sachs, HSBC and UBS have said they will move some jobs out of London as a result of Brexit. The historic insurance market Lloyd's of London has announced plans to open a Brussels subsidiary in early 2019. But in an interview with the AFP news agency, Mr Boleat said that while a few people would be moved, "no one is going to say 'we are closing down in London'". "Banks have had contingency plans since before the Brexit referendum in some cases," he said. "They have known there is a possibility that Britain will not be in the single market - that has now been confirmed." He said banks would need to "restructure what they are doing - perhaps cease doing a few things, in some cases build up business elsewhere in the European Union. They are getting on and doing that." Mr Boleat also said it was important the UK reached an early agreement over the terms of its exit from the bloc and on the rights of EU nationals. That would minimise disruption to "business and consumers in this country - and in Europe," he said. On Friday, the Bank of England governor warned of sector-wide consequences if the UK left without a trade deal. Mark Carney said the "vast majority" of City firms already had contingency plans in place. However, he said some financial firms still needed to prepare in case of a "more extreme" outcome. The Bank has written to the UK's biggest financial firms, urging them to plan for "all eventualities" from the UK leaving the bloc.

Summary: The outlook for the UK financial sector has improved since Brexit was triggered, the policy chief for the City of London Corporation has said.


But there are a few forms of the virus which have been identified by scientists. But if you get the right medical care and treatment, you can recover. Ebola was first spotted in the African countries of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. In five months 284 people in Sudan caught the virus. It killed 117. You can catch it through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person such as blood and saliva. It is not airborne like the flu so is more difficult to catch but is very infectious: so infected people have to be kept separate to reduce the risk of it spreading. Health care workers who have looked after sick patients have also been infected. It's thought Ebola is carried by animals too - chimpanzees and monkeys have been badly affected by the virus. It is spread to humans from close contact with infected animals and can then be passed between people. This latest outbreak has been linked with fruit bats - which are considered a tasty meal in parts of Africa. There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola but a new experimental drug, ZMapp, has been used in the US on health workers and a UK nurse who caught the disease in Africa. They recovered from the virus. You lose a lot of fluids when you have the disease so giving people enough water and the right vitamins, minerals and nutritious food is one of the main treatments. October - The government announced that more is being done to deal with the risk of the Ebola virus in the UK. People will be able to ring a special phone line and will be asked questions about their travel history and possible symptoms. Experts will be on standby with several hospitals ready to deal with any possible cases. The Ebola virus has spread across West Africa in recent months and prompted lots of questions from you. We asked virus expert Dr Benjamin Neuman to answer some of your questions. 20th October - Nigeria was declared free from Ebola after more than six weeks without any new cases. But the World Health Organisation says Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are still trying to prevent it spreading. Lots of countries and charities are trying to help stop the outbreak of the virus by sending troops, supplies and helping to build more facilities to treat people. Chris Worrall from the charity Oxfam, has told Martin about the work they're doing to raise awareness of the virus. 3rd September - The first British person to catch Ebola during the outbreak in West Africa made a full recovery. William Pooley was brought back to the UK from Africa and was treated in a special isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London but has now been discharged. William was given the experimental drug ZMapp and has praised the "world class" care he received. He was working as a volunteer nurse in one of the worst affected countries, Sierra Leone, when he caught the virus. August

Summary: Ebola - or Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) - is a really deadly virus: 50% to 90% of people who catch it die.


Screenshots posted by a computer science student in the US appear to show cash transfers between users could be coming to Facebook. Earlier this year the social network's founder Mark Zuckerberg said that "over time" there would be some "overlap" between messenger and payments. But Facebook declined to comment. Andrew Aude, 21, posted screenshots of the payment function on Twitter. He reportedly uncovered the facility using software which allows developers to explore and modify apps. He added debit card details which apparently unlocked a way of sending money, just as you would a photo or emoji. Speaking to investors in July, Zuckerberg warned that the company had "a lot of work to do" before offering a payments service. "We're going to take time to do this in the way that we think that's going to be right over multiple years." Earlier this year, Facebook hired former PayPal president David Marcus. Several person-to-person payment apps already exist including Ribbon, Square Cash and Venmo. So far these services have struggled to attract users in large numbers, particularly outside the US. Facebook has 1.3 billion active monthly users, giving it the potential to become widely used as a payment service. The social network has faced criticism for forcing users to use a separate app to send messages rather than the main Facebook app. Adding mobile payments may help Facebook encourage people to use the messenger app more widely. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Soon it may not just be smiley faces, big cats and a thumbs-up that you can send your friends on Facebook messenger.


Lead investigator Viviana Fein said the draft warrant was found in a rubbish bin in Mr Nisman's apartment complex. Mr Nisman was found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment last month, with a single bullet wound to the head. Investigators have yet to establish if he killed himself, or was murdered. Mr Nisman had been investigating the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires which killed 85 people. He died hours before he was due to testify in Congress against President Fernandez, whom he had accused of covering up alleged Iranian involvement in the 1994 attack. President Fernandez has denied the allegation. Iran has also denied involvement in the attack. Ms Fein told a local radio station on Tuesday that the draft warrant was "on file", and that a previous statement from her office saying that no such draft had been found was "erroneous". Opposition newspaper Clarin had published a copy of the draft on Monday. The document, dating from June 2014, requested the arrest of President Fernandez and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman. However, it was not included in a 300-page report submitted by Mr Nisman to a federal court days before his death. Under Argentine law, the president and the foreign minister could only be arrested if Congress first lifted the immunity granted to them as members of the executive. Horacio Verbitsky, one of Argentina's most experienced journalists and human rights investigators, told me in his Buenos Aires flat last week: "There's no point trying to speculate who killed Nisman, because we just don't know." Mr Verbitsky is, of course, dead right. Alberto Nisman probably alienated many people as, with the zealous attitude of a man on a mission, he put the finishing touches to his controversial report into the 1994 bombing. But that does not mean any of the people he criticised in the report were responsible for his death. Having initially dramatically denied the existence of the draft arrest warrants by ripping up copies of the newspaper that first carried the reports, a government spokesman has now been forced into an embarrassing climb-down, and that does look bad for the president. So does the apparent pressure the government continues to put on case investigators and fringe players by relentlessly commenting on what should be an independent judicial investigation. What is particularly worrying here, beyond the personal tragedy of Alberto Nisman's death, is not that this happened in Argentina - such murky deeds could happen in any city in any country. It is the fact that most Argentines clearly do not expect their government or its institutions to get to the truth, just as the 1992 and 1994 atrocities remain unresolved. When Clarin first published the draft warrant, the government reacted angrily, dismissing the report as "garbage". President Fernandez had also originally described Mr Nisman's death as suicide. However, in a televised speech last week, the president suggested that rogue elements in Argentina's intelligence service had fed Mr Nisman false information and manipulated him. She announced plans to dismantle the Intelligence Secretariat (SI) and called for a special

Summary: Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman drafted an arrest warrant for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, according to the woman investigating Mr Nisman's mysterious death.


The midfielder spent three years at Tannadice but leaves after their relegation from the Premiership. Saints manager Tommy Wright told his club website: "Paul is underestimated - he's an aggressive player but has a lot of real quality too. "His range of passing is excellent and throughout this career his attitude on the pitch has been great." St Johnstone have already secured midfielders Blair Alston and Michael Coulson from Falkirk and York City respectively, while defeners Keith Watson is making the switch from St Mirren. "We believe we've captured another good signing for the forthcoming season - our fourth - and I think in all four we are bringing quality and experience into the squad," said Wright. "It not only improves the quality but also in terms of depth we are sitting, I believe, in a good position. "I've always emphasised the point that it is the whole squad that has enabled this football club to achieve what it has these past few seasons and the addition of Paul will enhance that." Paton joined United in the summer of 2013 from Partick Thistle, going on to make 90 appearances for the club. He captained the side in the latter stages of last season and thanked the club's supporters "and everybody at Tannadice" on the club's website. "There will always be a tangerine spot in my heart and I wish Dundee United every success in returning to the Scottish Premiership next season," he said. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Paul Paton has signed a two-year deal with St Johnstone after leaving Dundee United by "mutual agreement".


They made the 30-minute journey from Victoria in a Twin Otter aircraft and were greeted by thousands of people gathered on Vancouver's waterfront. The duke and duchess later met refugees at an immigration centre and went to the Kitsilano coastguard station. It is first time the Cambridges have toured as a family of four, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The royal couple were greeted on the harbourside by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, before meeting well-wishers on a walkabout. He later paid tribute to the royal couple, saying they are "strong advocates" for young people, "whether it's speaking out about cyber bullying, creating more opportunities for young people to lead in their community through sport coaching, or helping children and young people affected by addiction in their families". He added that they "understand the need to support and encourage the world's youth". Leaving Victoria for Coal Harbour, in Vancouver, the duke and duchess were given earplugs for the flight because, although it is the easiest way to travel from Victoria to Vancouver, it is also the noisiest. A royal aide said: "It was very smooth flying. The duke was very interested in the landing and the different conditions they work in. They spent a lot of time looking at the incredible views from both sides of the plane." Later, the couple met a family who had fled the civil war in Syria, during a visit with Canada's prime minister and his wife to the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISS). Canada has resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and February this year. They met Alaa Al Mahameed, 36, and wife Yosra, 35, who came to Canada with their daughters, Reemas, three, Reetaj, two, in August. The duchess crouched to speak to the two young children and then asked their mother for their ages through a translator. She asked: "Has it been difficult with young children?" Yosra told her: "We feel safe here. Much more safe." Prince William spoke to Alaa about the conflict in Syria, asking: "Was there a lot of devastation in your town? How bad was the situation?" Alaa said he was relieved the children were born outside of Syria, in Jordan, but admitted: "It's been difficult. "We hope that things would get better and we could return to Syria but unfortunately things have not improved." The day ended with the duke being hailed "one of the guys" as he met the emergency services with his wife and the Trudeaus. The duke - a former RAF search and rescue pilot and current air ambulance pilot - shared his experiences with fellow first responders. Raising questions about "macho culture", he and the duchess went on to inspect the latest technology available to Canadian fire, police and coastguard services. 24 Sept Victoria, British Columbia: The duke and duchess, accompanied by their children, arrived in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. 25 Sept Vancouver, British Columbia: The duke and duchess visited Sheway, the Immigration Services Society of British Columbia - for an event to celebrate young leaders in Canadian arts,

Summary: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have flown by seaplane to Vancouver on the latest leg of an eight-day Canada tour.


A grant of £1.78m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will be used to create Scotland's first centre for children's literature and storytelling. It is part of £4.8m the HLF is donating to five projects across Scotland. Others include Campbeltown Picture House, which will receive £1.1m to fund restoration and improvements. The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust hope to promote "creativity, imagination and play" with its plans for the house and garden where Barrie played as a child. In November it received £687,500 from Creative Scotland. The HLF grant moves the trust closer to its goal of raising £5m for the project. Actress Joanna Lumley, who is a patron of the trust, said: "This grant will make a sensational difference to Moat Brae and the plans for the future of the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust. "It means that we can now move swiftly towards our goals of restoring the house and gardens in readiness for its role in the literary life of children in Scotland. "Our aims are to nurture the memories of past writers and to encourage the emergence of new talent, to respect our extraordinary literary inheritance and to enable children's imaginations to fly, like Peter Pan." Work is expected to get under way next year at the building, which was home to JM Barrie's childhood friends while he was a pupil at nearby Dumfries Academy. An exhibition space will be created within the existing building and two extensions will house visitor facilities including a shop and cafe, and a learning and education suite. Trust chairman, Dame Barbara Kelly, said: "I believe Moat Brae will create a major attraction and focus for local, national and international visitors. "It has massive potential to contribute to the local economic, social and cultural regeneration of Dumfries and has the ability to attract much-needed inward investment and could create up to 35 new jobs." Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland said it was delighted to support the "ambitious" and "inspirational" project. "A new breath of life has the potential to transform them into a visitor attraction that could boost the town's tourist economy and inspire children today and tomorrow, as they once inspired JM Barrie," he said. Other HLF grants have been distributed to Heritage Inverclyde, Merkinch Welfare Hall and Wildcat Action.

Summary: Plans to preserve a Dumfries house which inspired JM Barrie to write Peter Pan have been given a major financial boost.


The total - that includes on and off-street parking and penalty charges minus running costs - means it is the third year in a row the figure has increased. Of the 22 councils, 19 made a profit, with Cardiff (£3.5m) the biggest. Three councils lost money on parking - Flintshire (£423,000), Blaenau Gwent (£310,000) and Torfaen (£81,000). Before running costs were taken off, the local authorities had a combined parking income of £35.8m - a 5.6% increase on the previous 12 months. The RAC Foundation takes official returns given to the Welsh Government by each local authority and analyses them. Its director Steve Gooding said the figures "up sharply again" could reflect "a recovering economy with people using their cars more". Earlier this month, the Wales Audit Office said Welsh councils could raise much-needed cash by charging more for services. However, it cautioned against some rises, citing the potential for increased car parking fees to stop tourists and shoppers visiting town and city centres. Mr Gooding called for profits made from parking to be ploughed back into transport projects - including the ongoing campaign to tackle potholes. He said while towns and cities should not be dominated by cars, more than 80% of employees in Blaenau Gwent, Neath Port Talbot and Torfaen rely on their vehicles to get to work - some of the highest levels in the UK. Swansea (£2.4m) and Gwynedd (£1.4m) recorded the second and third highest profits, while Monmouthshire's system was the most efficient - with £490,000 spent and £1.42m brought in.

Summary: Car parking charges made Welsh councils a combined profit of £13.8m in 2015/16, figures from the RAC Foundation show.


But some will be waiting to see whether he changes long-standing US policies on major issues and crises in the region. BBC correspondents have been gauging the reaction. On the ground in the battle for Mosul, the fight to recapture Iraq from so-called Islamic State, Donald Trump's election will make little difference. The military campaign is advanced, and IS in retreat. Despite his criticism of the strategy used against IS, in Iraq at least, it is delivering results. In Syria, it is a different case. Mr Trump has already questioned the US partnership with moderate rebels. Across the Middle East, he is encouraging more co-operation with President Bashar al-Assad's staunch ally, Russia. In the short term, some suggest it might encourage Moscow to begin its bombing campaign on rebel-held Aleppo sooner rather than later. The balance of power in Syria's war - a proxy war, as much as a civil war - may be about to change dramatically. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Donald Trump, describing him as "a true friend of the State of Israel". Mr Netanyahu said he was looking forward "to working with him to advance security, stability and peace in our region". The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, was one of the first Israeli officials to send his congratulations. Mr Trump's campaign said his administration would recognise the holy city as the "undivided capital of the State of Israel". That would antagonise Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Mr Trump, hoping that "just peace" would be achieved during his term. Yet much uncertainty remains. Donald Trump has said he would support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also that peace will only be possible when "Palestinians renounce hatred and violence". A spokesman for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said: "The Palestinian people do not count much on any change in the US presidency because the US policy towards the Palestinian issue is a consistent policy on the basis of bias. Nevertheless, we hope that US President Trump will re-evaluate this policy and rebalance it on the Palestinian issue." Israelis from the hard-right meanwhile hope that Mr Trump will not speak against the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett put it quite bluntly: "The era of a Palestinian state is over." For many Iranians, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are cut from the same cloth, although they were surprised to see the latter elected. One political activist said the reaction was similar to when the UK voted to leave the European Union. Many here believe a Trump presidency could be more problematic for Iran as far as the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers is concerned. Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said during the election campaign that the Republican candidate was a bullying and dangerous man who had no principles. But some Iranian politicians believe Mr Trump lacks Barack Obama's ability to influence the international community and will therefore

Summary: Many Middle Eastern leaders have congratulated Donald Trump on his unexpected victory in the US presidential election.


Conor McAteer was jailed for 28 months in February, with co-accused Paul McGee receiving a 20 month sentence. McAteer says he has suffered a miscarriage of justice in terms of comparative sentencing after McGee's term was cut to eight months on appeal. McAteer also claims the length of his sentence was excessive. The two men were caught with the class A drug at the festival at Balado in 2013. The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has now referred the case to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. The independent body was established in 1999 to review alleged miscarriages of justice in Scottish convictions and sentences.

Summary: A drug dealer caught with £870 worth of ecstasy at T in the Park will have his appeal against the length of his prison term heard at the High Court.


How to pronounce the budget retailer's name has caused a basket-load of debate. Some claim "Pry-mark" is an upmarket affectation. Others say "Pree-mark" is a northern thing. But Primark have tried to settle the matter once and for all, writing on their website: "We like to use Pr-Eye-Mark." End of Twitter post by @niamhioos End of Twitter post by @kickthetradgedy But Primark isn't the only brand that people mispronounce... Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

Summary: Pry-mark or Pree-mark?


She won a silver with an impressive throw of 4.61m (15.12ft) in the F-53 final event on Monday in Rio. Her medal has taken India's tally to three after high jumpers Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Bhati won gold and bronze respectively on Saturday. Many in India have taken to Twitter to praise her historic achievement. Malik's win also means that India's Paralympians have already outperformed India's Olympic contingent of more than 100 athletes. India won two medals - silver and bronze - at the Rio Olympics. Malik said she felt "incredible to fulfil a lifelong ambition". "This is our third medal now in Rio and I sincerely hope people back home wake up and acknowledge the potential of para sports in India," she added. And many Indians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, woke up to the news and praised Malik's performance. Malik was paralysed below her waist in 1999 after undergoing surgery to remove a spinal tumour. She decided to participate in para sports six years later and took to swimming and javelin throw, winning medals at national and international events. But she also participated in the shot put, winning silver at the World Championships in 2011. On Monday, she thanked her coaches and everybody who supported her. "It is an extremely satisfying feeling and a big thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years," she said.

Summary: Shot-putter Deepa Malik has created sporting history after becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympics medal.


Scotland now has a total of five universities in the top 200 of the Times Higher Education world rankings and three in the top 100. The University of Edinburgh is the top-ranked Scottish institution in 24th place. Glasgow has moved to its highest ranking of 76th place and St Andrews is ranked 86th. Aberdeen rose to 172nd place while Dundee re-entered the top 200 in 185th place. The rankings were based on performance in a number of areas, including academic reputation, employer reputation, staff to student ratios, research citations and international students and faculty. League tables like this one are ultimately subjective. Crucially they do not suggest a degree from one university is better than one from another. Scottish Education Secretary Angela Constance said: "To see five institutions back in the top 200 and all five substantially improving their placing again demonstrates that our Higher Education institutions are up there with the very best in the world. "We really do punch above our weight and thanks are due to the hard working staff and students that have made this possible." Edinburgh University said: "It is always pleasing to see the university perform strongly in international league tables, reinforcing our ranking as one of the leading global universities. "Our strong position is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of the entire university community. Prof Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice chancellor of the University of Glasgow said its improved rankings capped a "fantastic year". "It comes just after we became the only UK University to have attained a five-star plus award in the QS World Rankings and as we celebrate our highest ever position in the National Student Survey, joint top in Scotland," he said. Universities Scotland's Director, Alastair Sim, said the rankings demonstrated Scotland was delivering "record levels of world-leading, impactful research" producing "highly-skilled graduates". "League table results always make for interesting reading, but the sector's 'excellence' is not just a label. What it means in practice is that universities are always pushing to deliver more and better in every aspect of what they do." A total of 34 British universities make the top 200, suggesting Scottish universities are punching above their weight in the table. A strong showing in tables like these can assist universities in their efforts to attract research funding and the best students. Some Scottish universities earn a significant proportion of their income from the large fees paid by students from outside the European union and research funding. The rise in Scottish university rankings came as Scottish students continued to receive free tuition. When tuition fees were abolished in Scotland some claimed Scottish institutions could lose out to rivals south of the border and warned of an academic brain drain. But some within academia continue to express concern about the implications of the Scottish government's Higher Education Governance Bill. This would see the elected chairpersons for university courts and guaranteed places for union representatives on them. Some academics fear the government wants to gain greater control over universities or fear the changes could inadvertently lead to universities

Summary: Five Scottish universities have climbed up a respected table of the world's top higher education institutions.


Civil Aviation Authority data suggested there were 83 incidents at the airport in 2016, up from 44 the previous year. The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) said the rate of attacks was dangerously high and could soon result in a serious incident. It has called for new police powers to help prevent attacks from taking place. The rate of attacks, in relation to the number of flights taking off or landing at Glasgow Airport, was "significantly high". There were 98,127 flights to and from Glasgow last year compared to 474,963 at Heathrow Airport, where there were 151 laser attacks. Birmingham and Manchester also continued to experience high numbers of attacks. Incidents at Edinburgh Airport dropped from 55 to 44 from 2015 to 2016. Across the UK, 1,258 laser attacks were reported in 2016, down from 1,439 the year before, which equates to more than three incidents a day on average. Balpa flight safety specialist Steve Landells said: "We are concerned that at more than three reports a day this figure is still dangerously high. "We're also concerned that under-reporting of incidents could mean that we don't have a true idea of the scale of the problem." He welcomed the new Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill, which proposes to increase the powers of the courts to allow them to impose prison sentences for laser attacks. He said: "Balpa wants to see these people stopped before they commit this reckless act and we hope that the bill will give police and authorities the powers to ensure they don't happen in the first place." The UK government's transport secretary Chris Grayling said shining a laser pointer at pilots was "incredibly dangerous and could have fatal consequences" He added: "Whilst we know laser pens can be fun and many users have good intentions, some are not aware of the risks of dazzling drivers or pilots putting public safety at risk. "That's why we want to take the common sense approach to strengthen our laws to protect the public from those who are unaware of the dangers or, even worse, intentionally want to cause harm. This kind of dangerous behaviour risks lives and must be stopped. "There are around 1,500 laser attacks on aircraft every year in the UK and we know there have been similar attacks on trains and buses. What I announced on 5 February 2017 are plans to give the police effective powers to investigate and bring those who misuse lasers to justice."

Summary: Laser attacks at Glasgow Airport doubled in a year, making it the second most targeted airport after Heathrow, according to latest figures.


Mr Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, made the claim in the Independent and later told BBC Radio 4 it was "accurate" - but would not reveal who made the remark. He told the newspaper it happened during a 2012 meeting on the Budget. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid denied the claim, saying: "No-one said it." "If they think someone said it... they should come clean and say who said it. The reality is no-one said it so the only conclusion is that they must be making this up," he told Radio 4's World at One. Responding on the same programme, Mr Alexander said: "I've said what I've said. It is an accurate reflection of a comment that was made." Chris Mason, political correspondent For months, if not years, the two coalition partners, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, have talked up the lists they were each keeping of what they saw as the bonkers ideas they had stopped the other lot doing, or their brilliant schemes the other side had thwarted. David Cameron called it his "little black book". Today, senior Lib Dem Danny Alexander appears to be trying to cash in one of his. His reporting of a private conversation is potent because it plays at the prejudice about the Tories they are most scared of - being seen as the party of the rich. But his suggestion is hugely weakened by having no proof of the conversation and not being willing to name which Conservative said what he accuses them of. It means the Tories can accuse him of making it up, something he insists he isn't. The 2012 Budget - the coalition's third - contained an announcement on increasing the personal allowance to Â£9,205 in April 2013. Mr Alexander told the newspaper David Cameron and George Osborne were guilty of "breathtaking hypocrisy" for claiming credit for this increase, which the Lib Dems say they had to force Tory ministers to accept. "In March 2012 when the economy was still in the very early stages of recovery we wanted to do a very big increase in the personal allowance to put a lot of money back into folk's pockets," he said. "The Tories' priority at the time was the top rate of tax. "I remember one meeting with a group of senior Conservatives and one of them - I'm not going to say who - said 'Listen, you take care of the workers and we'll take care of the bosses'. "That was said across the table in one of the meetings where we were discussing the forward policy of the government. That really spelt out where their priorities lay." Pushed on the claim on Radio 4, Mr Alexander insisted he would not reveal who had made the remark but said he was using it to make a wider point about the "very different" attitudes between the Lib Dems and the Tories. When told Downing Street had dismissed the claims, he said: "They can say what they like. "I remember what was said and I remember the nervous laughter from the

Summary: Danny Alexander has claimed he heard a senior Tory tell a Lib Dem colleague: "You take care of the workers and we'll take care of the bosses."


Christine Chapman, of the assembly's Communities Committee, said good work was being done - but the Welsh government should speed up efforts. The latest figures suggest more than one in five people in Wales are living in poverty. The Welsh government said getting people out of poverty was at the "very heart" of what it does. Earlier this year, the Communities Committee published a report that stated it was "deeply concerned by the Welsh government's lack of progress in reducing poverty". Poverty is statistically defined as a household income below Â£271 a week - 60% of the national mid-point average of Â£453. Figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggest 23% of people in Wales are living in poverty - a figure which the committee said has barely changed since the early 2000s. Labour AM Christine Chapman said the Welsh government was "going in the right direction" but the pace of change "needs to be quicker". "We are a rich country in the main but yet people are still struggling with their heating bills, with their food - that is absolutely appalling," she said. "There must be a strong message first of all to the UK government that things need to change." Gemma Jones, a caseworker for Rhondda Cynon Taff Citizens Advice, said despite government initiatives, she sees little evidence of improvement. "I don't know what's going wrong or what's happening but we're certainly seeing a lot more clients in poverty and not saying I'm better off," she said. A Welsh government spokesman responded: "All government departments are working relentlessly to tackle the root causes of poverty, by giving children the best possible start in life, helping people to get a job and improving their health and wellbeing. "We also continue to do all we can to mitigate the effects of the UK government's sweeping welfare reforms and austerity measures. Sunday Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales at 11:00 GMT on 13 December

Summary: More urgency is needed to tackle poverty in Wales, a Labour assembly member has said.


The match was played in N'Djamena and was settled by a goal early in the second half. Leger Djimrangar struck for the hosts in the 47th minute to give them the advantage going into the second leg. The result will be seen as a blow to Sierra Leone who are ranked 54 places higher than Chad in the world rankings. The Leone Stars are still barred from hosting matches because of fears over the Ebola virus. They will therefore play the return leg on 13 October in Port Harcourt in Nigeria. It will be the second time that Sierra Leone have used the venue for one of their qualifiers. Last month they held African champions Ivory Coast to a goalless draw there in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The overall winners of the tie will play Egypt in the next round. The match in N'djamena was Sierra Leone coach Sallas Tetteh's second game since he took over in August on a three-month deal following an agreement between the Sierra Leone Football Association and the Ghana Football Association. Tetteh was forced to pick a squad without talismanic Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara who announced he was taking a break from international football. Elsewhere on Saturday, Madagascar took a big step towards the next round of World Cup 2018 qualifiers with a 3-0 win over the Central African Republic. Chad should have been hosting the first leg of this first round tie, but Fifa moved the game to Antananarivo because of violence in Bangui. It means the Central African Republic will have played both legs in the huge Indian Ocean island. Madagascar took the lead against CAR in the 27th minute through Michael Rabeson. A second goal followed for Madagascar 12 minutes later from Njiva Rakotoharimalala which ensured that they went into the break with a 2-goal lead. They increased their advantage in the 65th minute through their skipper Paul Johann (pictured.) The second leg will take place on Tuesday 13 October in Antananarivo. The overall winners of this tie will play Senegal in the next round of World Cup qualifiers. The Central African Republic were also forced to give up home advantage during the last World Cup qualifying campaign when rebel attacks on Bangui led to the overthrow of the government in 2013. Also on Saturday, Eritrea were beaten 2-0 at home by Botswana in the first leg of their first round World Cup tie. It was a predictable outcome as Botswana are ranked 91 places above Eritrea in the world - the widest gap among the 13 first-round match-ups. Galabgwe Moyana gave Botswana the lead midway through the first half, with a 22nd minute strike. Joel Mogorosi made it 2-0 for the visitors with a goal in the 64th minute. Eritrea are still without a World Cup win after seven matches spanning four qualifying tournaments. The winners of this tie will face Mali in the next round. There will be three second legs on Sunday and a further 10 on Tuesday with the overall winners joining the 27 top-ranked African

Summary: Sierra Leone suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Chad in the first leg of their 2018 World Cup preliminary round qualifier on Saturday.


Police have worked with a housing association to run the project on the Beechfarm Estate in Swinton. The government plans to ban the sale of so-called legal highs, which would include nitrous oxide - also known as "hippy crack" - for human use. Health experts warn the gas can have dangerous side effects if inhaled. The art project, to run during the summer holidays, will use the containers to create decorative tiles in Margaret's Garden, Kingsley Road. PC Iain Fletcher said: "We hope this arts project will help us educate the young people in Salford that the abuse of nitrous oxide is not as safe as they may think it is." Last year, seized cannabis plant pots recovered during a drugs raid were decorated and reused "to brighten up the estate", Salix Homes said. Lee Sugden, from the housing association, said: "We hope this arts project will make young people aware of the dangers and help us turn a negative into a positive by putting the remnants of drug abuse to good use."

Summary: Hundreds of discarded laughing gas cylinders in Salford are being turned into public art to "highlight the dangers" of young people inhaling it.


This 6% increase in national income numbers gives the government more scope to cut its austerity programme. EU rules allow R&D investment, illicit gambling, drug dealing and activities linked to prostitution to be included. Separate figures showed the economy grew 2.7% in the first quarter of 2014. And the sharp contraction in the economy in the final three months of 2013 was revised to show that it shrank less than thought, by 0.1% rather than 2.3%. The GDP recalculation does not affect the growth figures, because previous years have also been recalculated. In October's budget, Finance Minister Michael Noonan outlined 2bn euros ($2.7bn) programme of tax hikes and spending cuts to meet a deficit target of 3% of GDP by the end of next year. Last month, he suggested that the enlargement of GDP under the new EU rules could mean the programme might be reined back, as the debt and deficit will appear smaller when measured against the new "larger" economy . Conall Mac Coille, chief economist at Davy Group, Ireland's biggest securities firm, estimated that the new numbers meant Ireland's debt-to-GDP ratio stood at 116% and its deficit at 6.7% of GDP at the end of last year . Previously, those figures had been 123.7% and 7.2%. He said: "It's a measurement issue rather than a real improvement. But since exchequer returns were outperforming anyway, it looks as though the finance minister can bring the deficit down below 4% of GDP by the end of the year and hit his deficit target of 3% easily by the end of 2015, without having to do very much at all in the way of austerity." Mr Mac Coille estimates that R&D expenditure contributed more than 90% of the extra GDP, with illegal activities making up the rest. Illegal activity is calculated using EU guidelines. There has been a raft of encouraging economic figures coming out of Ireland in recent months. Much of the growth is coming from exports, which grew 1.8% in the first three months. Even though personal consumption fell 0.1% in the first quarter, the unemployment rate now stands at 11.6%, the lowest level since April 2009. There have been some 30bn euro in tax hikes and spending cuts since the property bust of 2008 was followed by a banking collapse. Ireland was forced to turn to the IMF and the European Union for a 78bn-euro loan, which came to an end in December.

Summary: Research and development (R&D) costs and illegal activities have been added into Ireland's GDP for the first time, enlarging the economy by 10bn euros ($13.6bn; Â£7.9bn).


It was a commitment that in Mr Harper's nearly 10 years as prime minister had seen Canada, long viewed in the region as an honest, if minor, broker in the Arab-Israel conflict, shift emphatically and unequivocally to the Israeli side. While he will undoubtedly remain a friend of Israel, the incoming prime minister Justin Trudeau will also be aiming to repair relations with the Arab world in order to assert his firm belief that a two-state solution requires dialogue with both sides. By contrast, Mr Harper managed to convey the impression that Muslims and Arabs were not to be trusted, most tellingly in his handling of the Syrian refugee crisis. His government's response during the campaign to the drowning death of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, who was attempting with his sister and parents to join family in Canada, highlighted the hard fact that only a tiny number of refugees have been allowed into the country. Early on in the campaign, Mr Trudeau committed Canada to taking 25,000 refugees immediately and he clearly caught the mood of the voters when he said: "Canadians get it, that this is about doing the right thing, it is about living up to the values that we cherish in this country." And if there was a swing moment in this election, it was probably a debate in the province of Quebec, in French, about the niqab (a face veil). Mr Harper had opposed the wishes of a new Canadian citizen to wear her niqab to the swearing in ceremony, even taking the case to the Supreme Court, where he lost. But he clung to his position that the niqab threatened the fabric of Canadian society. "Most Canadians believe that it is offensive that someone would hide their identify at the very moment where they are committing to join the Canadian family," was how he put it. Mr Trudeau on the other hand argued: "It's obvious that he's playing very reckless and dangerous games, pitting Canadians against one another for a narrow political goal." Mr Trudeau also took the view that Canada should withdraw its fighter jets from the bombing campaign against the so-called Islamic State. But in a deft touch that showed he is no pacifist he promised to commit more troops to training up Iraqi and Kurdish ground forces to fight the jihadists while calling time on Canada's commitment to the aerial war. On Iran, where the Harper government had cold-shouldered the nuclear deal and reaffirmed its support for Israel, Mr Trudeau again took a nuanced position, welcoming a "significant agreement" and affirming "the importance of a diplomatic solution while ensuring Iran cannot build a nuclear weapon." On every major Middle East issue Mr Trudeau offered a fresh take. Mr Harper with his unquestioning support for Netanyahu and his deep suspicion of Iran and much of the Arab world brought nothing new to the table. Having staked out his position, he proved incapable of moving from it, a fatal flaw with an electorate hungry for change. Indeed it is no small irony that while in the televised

Summary: As Stephen Harper banged out the final piano chords to the Beatles song Hey Jude at a private dinner for Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem last year, he underscored, albeit somewhat bizarrely, his absolute commitment to the Israeli leader.


The news comes after an online crowdfunding appeal to raise £1.6m for Dartmoor Zoo in Devon closed on Monday after raising nearly £340,000. Director Ben Mee said the gaining of the new status meant the zoo's future was "as secure as it has ever been". Launching the appeal last month, Mr Mee said becoming a charity that focused on research meant it could apply for grants. The zoo launched its crowdfunding appeal as part of moves to become a charity and also to avoid job cuts. It raised £339,930 from 745 backers in its 35-day appeal, which closed on Monday morning. Crowdfunding backers included people pledging private donations, and Plymouth University also said it would provide £2,000 of match funding. Launching its appeal, the zoo said: "Two global recessions and five of the wettest English summers on record have shown that this zoo needs to shift its centre of gravity from dependence on seasonal tourists towards becoming a charity focusing on research and education." Dartmoor Zoo 1968: Opened as Dartmoor Wildlife Park 2006: Bought by Mee family for £1.1m 2011: We Bought a Zoo released starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson 2014: Gains charity status Employs: 35 people Animals: Tigers, cheetahs, lions, wolves, raccoons, foxes, bears Mr Mee's family, from Surrey, bought the zoo in 2006. The 2011 film We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, was based on a book by Mr Mee describing his experiences. But it had been "running reliably at a loss" for most of the time it had been in his family's possession and three staff faced losing their jobs if its finances did not improve, he previously said. Although falling short of the crowdfunding target, Mr Mee said enough money had been raised to "ensure a smooth transition" to becoming a charity. "The sense of relief is only beginning to wash through me," he said.

Summary: A zoo that inspired a Hollywood film has become a charity, its boss says.


McDowell, who was risen to 55th in the world rankings, finished with a one-under-par 69 to finish five strokes behind winner Adam Scott. The Portrush player had started the day at three under, after an impressive 67 on Saturday. It qualifies the 36-year-old for the WGC-Cadillac Championship which starts at Trump Doral on Thursday. McDowell started his round with a birdie three on the first, and then bogeyed the fifth and birdied the eighth to reach the turn in one-under 34. A dropped shot on 12 was recovered with birdie on the 13th to move into a top-five position. Defending champion Padraig Harrington finished 43rd in the West Palm Beach tournament after a closing 71 put him on four-over-par 284.

Summary: Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has been buoyed by finishing fifth at the Honda Classic in Florida.


The UK firm will get $17.1bn (Â£10.7bn) cash and a 12.84% stake in Rosneft, enabling BP to continue to share in Russia's vast energy resources. BP has agreed to eventually use some of the cash to buy further Rosneft shares, taking its stake to 19.75%. Rosneft is also buying the other half of TNK-BP from the AAR consortium of Russian billionaires for $28bn. Companies active in Russia's energy sector have come under political pressure in the past. However, this deal has the blessing of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said state-controlled Rosneft had made a good deal at a good price: "This is a good, large deal that is necessary, not only for the Russian energy sector but also the entire economy." The acquisition of the stake in TNK-BP, one of Russia's biggest oil firms, will give Rosneft about half of Russia's energy sector and make it the world's largest publicly-traded oil group. BP said that once the proposed transaction gets the necessary shareholder and regulatory approval, it will use $4.8bn of the cash received on buying a further 5.66% of Rosneft shares. BP already holds 1.25% of Rosneft. Although BP's involvement in the Russian joint venture has been lucrative, paying billions of dollars in dividends to the UK company, relations with its partners have often been fraught with disagreement. In 2011, the AAR consortium attempted to block a drilling joint venture in the Arctic between BP and Rosneft through the courts. The plan was eventually dropped. As well as internal wrangles, BP employees at TNK-BP have fallen foul of Russian authorities. While serving as head of TNK-BP, Bob Dudley - now the head of BP as a whole - had his office bugged and raided by the police and met with onerous back-tax demands, legal action and visa problems. He eventually fled the country in 2008. A tie-up with Rosneft would keep BP in Russia, allowing it to continue to explore and exploit the country's vast energy resources, including in the Arctic region. Rosneft would be able to tap into BP's expertise in exploring in difficult and potentially hazardous conditions. Rosneft said it would have two BP representatives on its board and that it would "benefit from BP's significant experience and successful track-record of applying best international practices in Russia".

Summary: Oil giant BP has agreed to sell its 50% stake in TNK-BP to Russia's Rosneft in return for cash and shares.


Sebastian Prodl, Craig Cathcart and Valon Behrami all face fitness test on minor injuries. West Ham will assess Andy Carroll's groin problem ahead of the game. Left-back Aaron Cresswell is fit after a hamstring niggle, and forward Andre Ayew is available for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations. Martin Fisher: "Watford's season effectively kicked off 41 minutes into their match against West Ham at the London Stadium in mid-September. "Trailing 2-0, a deflected shot from Odion Ighalo reduced the arrears and proved the catalyst to a stunning revival. "A 4-2 victory saw them soar out of the bottom three, early relegation fears were eased and they've not looked in serious trouble since. "Improving on last season's finish of 13th looks within their reach, but that bid could be checked by a Hammers side that has been so impressive on the road since Christmas. "Goals aplenty too along the way: 10 scored in victories at Swansea, Middlesbrough and Southampton." Twitter: @mfisherfootball Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri on the brilliant winning fightback against West Ham in September: "We cannot compare [Saturday's game] with that game. "It was a long time ago. They had some problems in that period and we were coming from a particular period, too. "We did a very good game after losing at the beginning. They are doing very well now." West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on that reverse fixture: "We are a different team now. A lot of things have changed. "When we played them in September we had a lot of players injured and we had to push players in who were not totally fit because we had no other options. "We are in much better shape now." Watford have had their wobble and, like West Ham, I think their relegation worries are over. The Hornets mounted a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat the Hammers at the London Stadium earlier in the season, but this should be a more straightforward win for them. Prediction: 2-0 Lawro's full predictions v Let It Shine judge Martin Kemp Head-to-head Watford West Ham United SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.

Summary: Watford are still without Nordin Amrabat and Christian Kabasele, who are sidelined with ankle and knee problems respectively.


Gibbs had the upper hand and was serving at 7-5 2-6 2-1 when the players were called off on Sunday evening. Their match will resume on Monday following the conclusion of Grigor Dimitrov's contest against Viktor Troicki, which was due to start at 10:00 BST on court three, but has been delayed by heavy rain in Paris. Kyle Edmund was among a host of players scheduled to begin their campaigns on day one but who must now wait on the weather. Edmund will now be third on court six against qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, while fellow Briton Naomi Broady plays Coco Vandeweghe on court four. British number one Andy Murray is scheduled to face 37-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek in the fourth game on Philippe-Chatrier Court, but, with more rain expected, it is likely they will play on Tuesday. Australian Nick Kyrgios and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova both progressed before the rain delays on Sunday. Kyrgios overcame a first-set code violation to beat Italy's Marco Cecchinato 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (8-6) 6-4. The men's 17th seed picked up the warning for screaming at a ball boy for a towel during the first-set tie-break and then accused umpire Carlos Ramos of "unbelievable bias" for his punishment. Tenth seed Kvitova needed three sets to get past Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-2 4-6 7-5. Lucie Safarova, last year's losing finalist, breezed through to the second round with a 6-2 6-0 victory over Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko.

Summary: Britain's number two Heather Watson fought back against American Nicole Gibbs at the French Open before play was suspended because of rain.


The Jacksons Landing site has been disused since 2004 and was purchased by Hartlepool Borough Council in 2013. The funding was granted at the council's meeting to approve the 2016/17 budget on Thursday. Critics have said there are still no firm plans for the site and demolishing the mall is a waste of money and that it should be redeveloped. The council said the demolition, which was approved in July, would save the cost of maintaining the building and could help with wider regeneration. It added that there were developers interested in the site and the area but none of them wanted the mall. Councillor Paul Thompson, who is opposed to the demolition, said: "Nobody is saying this area shouldn't be redeveloped. What people are objecting about at the minute, is pulling it down without any plan. "If we pull it down we limit the options we can put on here. A developer may come along and say they'll develop the existing site, that would be great because we've just saved the taxpayers of Hartlepool £40,000." The council bought the former retail unit at the town's marina for £1.5m in 2013 after it stood empty since 2004. The five-acre site was previously owned by investment company Schroders. Demolition is expected to start in the next few weeks.

Summary: Funding for the demolition of a shopping mall owned by a council has been approved at a cost of £40,000.


But Shiv Chanderpaul then led the Red Rose rearguard action at Headingley, as he made an unbeaten 43 in partnership with Dane Vilas to help the visitors close on 141-4, just nine in arrears. Lyth hit a round 100 as Yorkshire posted 273, Jordan Clark and Saqib Mahmood each taking three wickets. But, after another failure for England opener Haseen Hameed, Lancs rallied. Lyth's 22nd career first-class century, his first in the Championship since last September, was his third in this fixture, but a long way short of his career-best 251 at Old Trafford in 2014. After resuming on 93-2, with help from captain Gary Ballance (28) and Jack Leaning, Lyth looked set to steer Yorkshire to a much bigger score on 178-3. But they lost their last seven wickets for only 95, Lancashire being held up at the end when Jack Brooks, fresh from his record-breaking ton from number nine in the last Roses match at Old Trafford just a fortnight ago, threatened to do more damage. This time, however, after putting on 24 with last man Ryan Sidebottom, he had made just 18 when he was caught at deep backward square-leg by Hameed off Tom Bailey. After losing fellow opener Alex Davies cheaply, Hameed then went for 10 - to continue the bad trot which has brought him just 26 runs in his past six Championship innings. Luke Procter (23) and visiting skipper Steven Croft (27) both offered dogged resistance before Chanderpaul and Vilas (22 not out) joined forces to give their side hope. Lancashire, without the injured Jimmy Anderson, were further weakened without Liam Livingstone, who was summoned for England Lions against South Africa A. And he impressed with his maiden List A century - a blistering 129 from 83 balls at Wantage Road, Northampton. Yorkshire's Adam Lyth told BBC Radio Leeds: "I'm very pleased with how it's gone for me in this game. I was delighted to get a hundred in tough conditions against a good attack. The next ball, I was disappointed to get out. "But, if we can get a couple of early wickets tomorrow, we can drive it home and win. "I've had a tricky few games opening the batting, but I'm really pleased to get a hundred in a Roses match and hopefully in a match-winning performance as well." Lancashire's Saqib Mahmood told BBC Radio Manchester: "It was a difficult day. We got shafted a bit after winning the toss and batting. Today was about bowling them out as quick as we could and not letting them get too far ahead. "If we went bang, bang this morning we were right in the game. It was a case of going hard at them. We stuck with it and got the rewards and the back end of the session. "They ended up with a 150-0run lead. All we had to do after that was bat well. There's still plenty of time left in the game, and we'll see what happens."

Summary: Adam Lyth's third century in a Roses Match helped earn Yorkshire a 150-run first-innings lead against Lancashire.


The chorus of Taylor's new single Look What You Made Me Do follows the same rhythmic pattern as I'm Too Sexy. After the song was released overnight, the duo tweeted: "Thank you Taylor Swift, what a marvellous reinvention!" The group's spokesman confirmed to the BBC they were approached by Taylor's team in advance of the release.

Summary: Right Said Fred have been credited as writers on Taylor Swift's new single in one of the most bizarre musical combinations of the year.


Strictly speaking, though, it is not a tax at all. The government says it is simply removing the "spare room subsidy" which put social sector tenants in a better position than those in the private rental sector. Ministers argue the changes will encourage people to downsize to smaller properties, and in doing so, help cut the £23bn annual bill for housing benefit, free up living space for overcrowded families, and encourage people to get jobs. But housing charities have warned that the result will be higher levels of rent arrears and greater homelessness. The government estimates that over half a million tenants are affected by the new rules, which took effect in April this year. More than half of those affected have a disability causing them "significant difficulty in one or more areas of the individual's life", the Department for Work and Pensions has said. The government predicts that savings to the taxpayer will amount to £505m in 2013-14, and £540m in the year after. What has changed? The new rules affect housing benefit, which is paid to less well-off tenants to help with rent. Typically claimants receive between £50 and £100 a week. But since April 2013 families deemed to have too much living space by their local authorities receive a reduced payment. Under the government's so-called "size criteria", families are assessed for the number of bedrooms they actually need. Who is affected? This change affects council tenants, and those who rent from housing associations, who are housing benefit claimants. It does not affect private sector tenants who are already subject to certain rules. The government estimates that 660,000 households will have their benefit cut, roughly a third of social sector claimants. Only those of working age will see reduced payments. But there are some other exemptions too. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said the 5,000 approved foster carers in the UK would continue to receive rent payments towards an "additional room" as long as they have fostered a child or become an approved foster carer in the previous 12 months. And families with adult children serving in the armed forces will also be exempt from the changes, even when they are on overseas deployment. They will be treated as if they were continuing to live at home. How much have people lost? If tenants are deemed to have one spare room, the amount of rent eligible for housing benefit will be cut by 14%. If they have two or more spare rooms, the cut will be 25%. The government says that means an average loss of about £14 a week for council tenants. Those who rent from housing associations are facing an average loss of about £16 a week. Tenants can downsize, but problems have arisen in some areas where there is a shortage of smaller homes. Campaigners say those affected face being forced to move long distances to find a property, or move into the private sector, where rents could be higher. How many bedrooms are you allowed? The new rules allow one bedroom for each adult

Summary: A change in housing benefit rules, introduced in April 2013, has been dubbed the "bedroom tax" by Labour and, for many, the name has stuck.


A small group of people ran on to the M4 spur road and laid down in front of oncoming traffic on Saturday, causing temporary disruption. People aged between 21 and 67 have been charged with wilful obstruction of the highway, according to the Met Police. They have all been bailed to appear at Ealing Magistrates' Court on 22 December. Among the accused are seven Londoners. They are: Isabelle Anderson, 30, of Stratford; Madeleine Allis-Petersen, 24, of Ealing; Joanne Louise Bodimeade, 28, of Lambeth; Alexis Delage, 25, of Lewisham; Sophia Lysaczanko, 28, of Haringey; Tom Venner-Woodcock, 29, of Southwark; and Tess Lotter, 30, of Camden. The others charged are: Antoine Thalmann, 25, and Henry Owen, 23, both of Oxford; Simon Bramwell, 44, of Stroud, Gloucestershire; Ian Bray, 49, of Kirklees, West Yorkshire; Graham Lewis, 53, of Wells, Somerset; Thomas Harford, 26, and Margaret Charnley, 67, both of Bristol; and Sibi Moore, 21, of Sidmouth, Devon.

Summary: Fifteen people have been charged after campaigners against airport expansion staged a protest near Heathrow Airport.


The 44-year-old Scot beat 16-time world champion Phil Taylor 7-6 in a thrilling final in January. Taylor will play Japan's Keita Ono or Filipino Alex Tagarao in the first round, while world number one Michael van Gerwen has been drawn against Thanawat Gaweenuntawong or Rene Eidams. A field of 72 players will compete for £1.5m in prize money from 17 December. Boulton, ranked 73 in the world, was runner-up in Monday's PDPA Qualifier in Coventry meaning he will face Laursen in the preliminary round at Alexandra Palace. Ricky Evans, who beat Boulton in the final at the Ricoh Arena, goes straight into the first round to play Australian Simon Whitlock. Paul Lim, the first player to hit a nine-dart finish in the BDO World Championships - in 1990, will play Russia's Aleksandr Oreshkin in the preliminary round with the winner facing Mervyn King. Elsewhere, five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld meets fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode, world number four Peter Wright will play former world youth champion Keegan Brown and Adrian Lewis, champion in 2011 and 2012, will take on Jan Dekker. The final takes place on 3 January. First-round draw in full: Wes Newton v Cristo Reyes John Henderson v Darren Webster Mervyn King v Aleksandr Oreshkin/Paul Lim Peter Wright v Keegan Brown Vincent van der Voort v Loz Ryder Kevin Painter v Kim Viljanen/Sven Groen James Wade v Warrick Scheffer/John Michael Stephen Bunting v Jyhan Artut Robert Thornton v Alan Norris Mark Webster v Qiang Sun/Mick McGowan Jamie Caven v Michael Rasztovits/Rob Szabo Gary Anderson v Andy Boulton/Per Laursen Benito van de Pas v Max Hopp Jelle Klaasen v Joe Cullen Jamie Lewis v Daryl Gurney Ian White v Dimitri Van den Bergh Phil Taylor v Keita Ono/Alex Taragao Simon Whitlock v Ricky Evans Dave Chisnall v Rowby-John Rodriguez Brendan Dolan v Kyle Anderson Justin Pipe v Christian Kist Michael Smith v Jeffrey De Zwaan Adrian Lewis v Jan Dekker Michael van Gerwen v Thanawat Gaweenuntawong/Rene Eidams Raymond van Barneveld v Dirk van Duijvenbode Kim Huybrechts v David Pallett Dean Winstanley v Ronny Huybrechts Steve Beaton v Koha Kokiri Andrew Gilding v Gerwyn Price Terry Jenkins v Darin Young Mensur Suljovic v Jermaine Wattimena Andy Hamilton v Joe Murnan

Summary: PDC world champion Gary Anderson will start the defence of his title against Denmark's Per Laursen or Andy Boulton.


Kent Police are set to prioritise fresh produce hit by problems in Calais, following weeks of disruption by migrant activity and French strikes. Scottish ministers said it would help protect Scotland's seafood exporters. They have been looking at ways to help Scottish firms hit by the ongoing migrant crisis in France. Earlier this week, it said the seafood industry was in need of urgent help, following talks with Scottish exporters. The Scottish government said the move by Kent Police followed representations by ministers. Scottish Food Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "The Scottish government has repeatedly called for action from the outset of this disruption, and so I welcome this move to prioritise key consignments - including fresh produce - through the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover. "At last we are seeing common sense prevail and a recognition of the impact on food exporters. "Agreement of this protocol to prioritise a quick-to-market route is real progress and we will, of course, monitor its introduction and effectiveness." He added: "While it is by no means a solution to the wider and on-going complex situation in Calais, it will be welcomed by Scottish seafood exporters who have seen orders plummet by up to 80% in some categories in recent weeks." "With seafood exports worth five times as much in Scotland as the UK as a whole, we have been determined to find a way forward. "With no end in sight to the situation at Calais, we will continue to look at options around alternative routes which could be used by hauliers."

Summary: The Scottish government has welcomed plans to pilot a "quick-to-market" route for vehicles hit by delays at the Channel Tunnel.


A preliminary investigation by the National Coalition found atracurium was given to the children instead of a solution used to mix measles vaccines. The packaging for the drug is said to be similar to that of the solution. All of the children who died on Tuesday were between six and 18 months old. Their parents initially accused the opposition health authorities of not storing the vaccines properly or using out-of-date medication The National Coalition meanwhile said it suspected a "security breach by vandals" linked to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The three-year-old conflict in Syria and the resultant breakdown in state institutions have meant that diseases such as measles and polio have been spreading. In response, UN agencies and NGOs have launched immunisation campaigns in rebel-held parts of the country's north and east. The children who died were among tens of thousands living in Idlib and Deir al-Zour provinces who had been given a second round of measles vaccines since Monday. A doctor at a clinic in the town of Jarjanaz said the infants had exhibited signs of severe shock about an hour after they had been given the injections, with many suffocating to death as their bodies swelled. On Wednesday evening, the National Coalition said a preliminary investigation had found atracurium, a muscle relaxant used in surgery, was administered. The error was believed to have occurred because the packaging of the atracurium was similar to that of the solution used to mix the measles vaccine, the Guardian newspaper reported. The immunisation programme was suspended following the incident and the health minister of the opposition interim government resigned. Officials said the investigation was continuing to find out who was responsible, with inquiries now reportedly focused on clinical negligence. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had "provided a team of experts to provide assistance in investigating this event" but that it was vital that immunisation efforts resumed in Syria as soon as possible. The charity Save the Children, which provides aid to northern Syria, meanwhile warned on Thursday that education had become one of the deadliest pursuits for children and teachers, as the country's schools were increasingly being damaged and destroyed. Across Syria, at least 3,465 schools have been destroyed or damaged, and many have been occupied for military purposes. A new report by Save the Children found that from almost 100% enrolment, Syria now had the second worst rate of school attendance in the world, with 2.8 million children out of school. Enrolment in the hardest hit areas such as Aleppo has fallen to just 6%. Up to half of the children surveyed said they were "rarely" or "never" able to concentrate in class. Syrian refugee children in neighbouring countries were meanwhile facing disturbing rates of abuse, bullying, corporal punishment and marginalisation, the report said. "It is absolutely shameful that the obligation to protect schools is not being respected in this conflict, endangering the lives of innocent children and dedicated teachers and forcing millions out of education," said Save the Children's regional director Roger Hearn.

Summary: Medics carrying out a vaccination programme in rebel-held northern Syria accidentally administered a muscle relaxant to up to 75 children, killing 15 of them, the opposition says.


Each image, a billion light-years across, shows evidence of dark matter clumps scattered through the cosmos. The team from the Canada-France Hawaii Telescope inferred the dark matter's existence by the way it bends light. The images were presented at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, US. The four images were taken at four different seasons of the year, each capturing a swath of the sky about as large as a palm held at arm's length. They are a big step forward in understanding both dark matter itself, and the means by which dark matter influences the way normal matter clumps into the galaxies we see in the night skies. Together, they represent the images of more than 10 million galaxies, whose light gives the only hints of the large-scale structure of dark matter. BBC Universe: Dark matter BBC Universe: Dark energy "Light coming toward us from a distant galaxy is bent by the gravity of a lump of matter in the middle," explained Catherine Heymans of the University of Edinburgh. "Einstein's theory of general relativity tells us that mass bends space and time, so when light comes toward us through the Universe, if it passes some dark matter, its light gets bent and the image we see gets bent and distorted," Dr Heymans told the meeting. "Dark matter is leaving its signature on the images of very distant galaxies." The survey is some 100 times larger than the previous largest map of the web of dark matter, gathered by the Hubble telescope's Cosmic Evolution Survey, or Cosmos. In the new image, the full-scale distribution of vast clumps of dark matter can be seen around galaxy clusters, connected by wispy filaments of dark matter and trailing off to enormous voids where no matter exists. Thankfully for theoretical astrophysicists, these images line up neatly with theory. "Our theories of dark matter say that it should form a giant intricate cosmic web and that's exactly what we see in this data, a cosmic web that's housing the galaxies that we can see," Dr Heymans told BBC News. Dark matter at these huge, cosmological scales is only one part of the story, however, and Sukanya Chakrabarti of Florida Atlantic University presented work showing how the "dark matter halo" that surrounds individual galaxies can be characterised. Building on work first presented at last year's meeting, Dr Chakrabarti showed how the ripples in the gas trailing behind spiral galaxies are giving an ever-better view of how dark matter is distributed around galaxies, and how it may influence how they form. Rachel Mandelbaum of Princeton University said that the findings were significant, tackling the mystery on two fronts. "Both of these results represent two important ways of studying dark matter but in very different regimes," she told the meeting. "They're important in themselves, but they're also important as a proof-of-concept for the future, allowing us to see how powerful these methods will be with other data sets to do additional work." And a great deal of work is still needed. Dr Heymans conceded that we

Summary: Researchers have released the biggest images yet detailing dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up 85% of the Universe's mass.


The claim: Jeremy Corbyn had youth on his side. Reality Check verdict: If the YouGov poll is accurate there was a big swing of young people to Labour and a considerable increase in their turnout. It estimates that voters aged between 18 and 29 voted about 63% for Labour and 22% for the Conservatives, having polled more than 50,000 people online since election day. The figure it gave in its poll after the 2015 election was that 36% of 18 to 29 year olds had voted Labour with 32% voting Conservative - if correct that is a huge swing among young voters. Lord Ashcroft's much smaller exit poll puts support for Labour among young people even higher, with 67% of 18 to 24 year olds voting Labour and 18% voting Conservative. YouGov also gives figures for the turnout among younger voters, finding that about 58% of people between the age of 18 and 24 voted. If accurate it would be considerably higher than recent elections, but is in contrast to the widely-quoted but poorly sourced figure of 72%, which Reality Check wrote about last week. Remember that there is no definitive figure for turnout broken down by age groups because the election is a secret ballot, so we rely on polling organisations to give us an idea of who voted. We don't have YouGov polling figures from the 2015 election to compare these with, so we'll have to compare them with those from other companies. Ipsos Mori estimated that turnout for 18 to 24 year olds was 43% in 2015 and 44% in 2010, so a 58% turnout would be a considerable increase. Ipsos Mori is due to release its figures for this election later in the week. The overall turnout (and these are actual figures - not based on polling) was 69%, compared with 66% in 2015, so if YouGov is to be believed then the youth vote increased by considerably more than the overall turnout. Among the other findings of the YouGov poll was that 49% of graduates voted Labour compared with 32% voting Conservative. In 2015 that figure was 34% Labour and 35% Conservative. That compares with people with no academic qualifications above GCSE, who in 2017 split 33% for Labour and 55% for the Conservatives and in 2015 split 30% for Labour and 38% for the Conservatives. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter

Summary: YouGov has released the first big poll of how different groups voted at the general election - we will update this article as more figures are released.


About 30 protesters refused to leave Pantycelyn at the end of term on Sunday and five climbed on the roof on Monday. The campaigners said they would also go on hunger strike on 21 June, the day before a decision is due on whether the accommodation will close indefinitely. The university recommended the halls close to make them "fit for purpose". It said the building would still be used for Welsh language services. But campaigners have accused the university of not placing enough value in the Welsh language. Student Bethan Roberts said: "We are here occupying the building with students and people from all over Wales to ensure this stays as a Welsh halls of residence."

Summary: Students at Aberystwyth University have climbed on the roof of a Welsh language hall of residence to protest its proposed closure.


A two-day conference is taking place in St Andrews on how to address slow play across all levels of golf. R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers says the pace of play is an important issue for golf as it attempts to boost its appeal. "Time is a key issue and has been for a number of years," he said. "We want to examine it and come out with practical guidance that we can give to players and courses to really get on top of it. "There are lots of very practical things that can be done." Moves to speed up play come after more than 56,000 golfers from 127 countries took part in a survey on the state of the game carried out by the R&A between September 2014 and March of this year. And Slumbers, who succeeded Peter Dawson at the start of last month, believes some of the suggested measures could work straight away. "Maybe we need some marshals out on the course to help find balls," he added. "Maybe we need to play over shorter formats, nine-hole golf; playing off tees that are further forward, not cutting the rough as thick and deep as possible. "But the key thing is getting people aware and recognising that playing reasonably quickly and getting a move on isn't just good for their game but fair to everybody out on the course." Scottish golfer Alastair Forsyth, who has spent 15 years on the European Tour, feels the R&A may have to consider "radical" measures to combat slow play. "Something has to be done because it's only going to get worse," he told BBC Scotland. "I think the professionals maybe have to take a bit of responsibility and find a way of getting quicker. Unless we do something radical then I don't see it changing an awful lot. "It's a serious issue in the game at the top level and at golf club level. We used to go round a golf course in a three-ball in three to three-and-a-half hours. It's now five hours; even club medals are taking four-and-a-half hours. "It's putting people off the game. I've been reading some stuff this week about saying, 'right, you've got four hours, if you're not round the course in four hours then you're not finishing your round'. A bit harsh, but is it going to take something like that to make people speed up?"

Summary: Shorter holes and marshals helping to find lost balls in the amateur ranks could help to speed up golf, says the sport's governing body.


Ivor Miller, 27, who has learning difficulties, was chased by the group after one member called him "a beast". The 27-year-old sought refuge in a derelict flat and jumped out a second floor window suffering severe injury. At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Norman Ritchie QC ordered a 17-year-old man to be detained for six months. The judge told the eight accused: "This whole incident, some of which was captured on CCTV, is extremely disturbing. "The group, like a pack of animals, turned on an entirely innocent young man for no good reason other than he behaved differently because he has learning difficulties." Three of those who pursued Mr Miller were originally charged with attempted murder. Michael Clare, 21, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, and two 17-year-old youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had their guilty pleas to charges of assault accepted. All three admitted attacking Mr Miller by chasing him into the common close at 52 Howard Street, Glasgow, on 4 August last year. All three, and another 17-year-old youth, a 16-year-old girl, a 16-year-old youth and 23-year-old David Newlands, from Maryhill, Glasgow, admitted committing a breach of the peace and placing Mr Miller in a state of fear and alarm. Newlands also pleaded guilty to punching Mr Miller on the head in the Hootenanny pub in Howard Street. Jade Park, 19, from Glasgow, who sparked the incident by falsely calling Mr Miller "a beast" admitted punching him in Jamaica Street and in the Crystal Palace pub. Judge Ritchie sentenced a 17-year-old male to six months detention for assault. He deferred sentence on Park, who is about to give birth, until June for good behaviour and imposed a community payback order on all the others and ordered then to perform 150 hours unpaid work in the community.

Summary: Eight people who chased a vulnerable man until he threw himself out of a flat window in Glasgow have been called a "a pack of animals" by a judge.


The 32-year-old began a third spell at Fir Park on Friday after training there since the summer. "I've been getting fitter every day and it just made sense," he said. "It is a good fit for me and for the club. "It is short term, hopefully everything works out and I will be off to Philadelphia in the new year." McFadden has been without a club since being released by Well's Scottish Premiership rivals, St Johnstone, at the end of last season. The former Everton, Birmingham City and Sunderland striker has travelled to see the set-up in Philadelphia, where former Dunfermline Athletic and St Mirren defender Tommy Wilson is director of the youth academy and former Scotland full-back Iain Munro is a coach. "I went over, I had a trial, they were very happy with how it went and at the time they couldn't sign me even if they wanted to," said McFadden of the club that finished second bottom of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference this year. "It is a case of just waiting. They've got a few things going on in terms of getting rid of some players and then hopefully we'll get round the table to agree a deal for January. "I held off signing anywhere until I knew what was happening as that's what I wanted to do." McFadden made half of his 20 St Johnstone appearances from the bench last season but is hopeful of breaking into Mark McGhee's Motherwell side. "The manager's been impressed with what he saw, so it just made sense," the striker said of his short-term contract. "I just want to help the team push up the league and help the younger players - that was another part of the conversation I had - to try to help the younger players the manager is trying to introduce to the first team. "The motivation for me is purely for the love of the game. I love playing, I love turning up for training, but anybody who knows me knows I am never happy sitting on the bench." McFadden came through the youth ranks at Fir Park to win a move to Everton and he returned in 2013 during a successful spell under Stuart McCall. "The year and a half I was there, we had two second-place finishes and realistically it was never going to be any better than that," he added. "If it turns out to be the last team I play for Scotland, and I don't know if it will be, it will be ideal for me to finish where I started and then go and do something new.".

Summary: Former Scotland forward James McFadden hopes to make a short-term impact with Motherwell before completing a move to Philadelphia Union in January.


Goth Girl author Chris Riddell says in a letter to Justine Greening that many lack investment and need funding via a central government grant. Supported by eight former children's laureates, Riddell is asking Ms Greening to set out required standards. The government said it was up to schools to spend as they saw fit. In his letter, Riddell, supported by authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Quentin Blake, said: " I have seen personally, in my school visits up and down the country, how they promote reading for pleasure and in doing so, turn pupils into avid readers. "I am deeply concerned that this role is not fully appreciated and, worse, is being undermined through lack of economic and intellectual investment. "In recent months two major school library services closed in Dorset and Berkshire, and year after year the School Library Association loses members as school library provision shrinks through lack of funding." He said he had seen how library provision was "wildly inconsistent", with great examples of well-funded and staffed libraries. He said the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries had asked the DfE to gather statistics on school library provision so that the extent of this problem could be understood, but this had not yet happened. Riddell also said: "While schools face insidious pressure on budgets and staff, things cannot change. "That is why, with the backing of my fellow laureates, I am now calling on Justine Greening and the Department of Education to act on the all-party group's request and then set out clear standards of library provision, and put into place the necessary funding." This way, every school would have a library service it could be proud of, with books to borrow and, wherever possible, a school librarian to help children choose, he said. A Department for Education official said reading was a key part of a child's education and ultimately helped them to reach their full potential. "That's why we've strengthened the curriculum to focus on developing their reading and writing skills, and teaching phonics helps children acquire the basic building blocks of reading," the official said. "We want all children to have the opportunity to read widely - school libraries play a role in this, and schools are responsible for deciding how to provide this service for their pupils. "This is backed up by a record Â£40bn schools budget this year, and it is up schools to spend their funding as they see fit."

Summary: The children's laureate and eight well-known children's authors are calling on the education secretary to ensure school libraries are preserved.


Neil Patterson, 55, of Horsham, West Sussex, was jailed for four-and-a-half months suspended for two years. Exeter Crown Court heard he repeatedly threatened to kill Samantha Millson. Charges of assaulting his ex-partner, Katherine Hooper, were dropped after she fell 80ft (24m) from Haytor. Exeter Crown Court heard that when Ms Millson told Patterson their relationship was over he grabbed a 9in (23cm) kitchen knife and thrust it towards her. "You and I are going to die tonight," he told her and then stabbed the knife into his leg and withdrew it covered in blood. The court heard from a probation worker that Patterson was deemed to be "low risk". But Jacinta Wainwright of domestic abuse charity Stop Abuse For Everyone told the court: "I find it extremely concerning that the view is that someone who would use a knife as a weapon and threaten to harm them is low risk. "It's well known that when someone is behaving in that way it's a very high risk situation." Three years ago Patterson faced an assault charge against his then partner Katherine Hooper, 24, which he denied. Ms Hooper later jumped off Haytor on Dartmoor with the couple's eldest son Joshua on her back. A coroner said she took her own life. Both died and charges against Patterson were dropped by prosecutors. Former Det Sgt Andy James, who led the investigation into the deaths, said: "It's an opportunity lost. The accused should go there and face that accuser and if for whatever reason that is thwarted that is disappointing. "I would have liked to have seen Kat in court. I think she would have been robust, honest and truthful." Patterson was also handed a restraining order protecting Ms Millson.

Summary: The ex-partner of a mother who jumped to her death from a Dartmoor tor with her five-year-old son has been spared jail after admitting threatening a subsequent girlfriend with a knife.


Lawyers for David Turner had argued the doll was not covered by a law banning the importation of obscene items. But a judge dismissed that, saying "any right-thinking person" would find the doll obscene. Turner, 72, of Ramsgate, Kent, had already admitted possessing more than 34,000 indecent images of children. He will be sentenced in September. Other men have been convicted for importing child sex dolls, but this was the first case where the question of whether a doll is indecent or obscene had been tested by the courts. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it was "the first ruling of its kind". Under the 1979 Customs and Excise Management Act it is against the law to import obscene or indecent items. NCA officers arrested Turner - an ex-church warden - in November last year after Border Force officers intercepted a 3ft doll that he was attempting to import from China. He claimed that it was intended to be a "companion" for him and his wife. Investigators said Turner already had two other child dolls at his home, one of which they claimed he had "sex" with. The charge was brought over a 3ft 10in sex doll already in his possession, which he bought clothes for. In an earlier hearing, Turner also admitted possessing more than 34,000 indecent images of children, aged from three to 16, contained on 17 pen drives. Of the images, 138 were of the most serious kind, Category A. When interviewed, he also admitted "secretly" taking photographs of girls aged six to 11 in public places. Judge Simon James said the importation of a child sex doll was an "unusual offence" and that it "adds a degree of complexity" to the sentencing. Turner was freed on bail and will be sentenced on 8 September. The maximum sentence is seven years. By Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent More than 100 child sex dolls have been seized in the UK as part of a special operation set up by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Border Force. Investigators believe the dolls, which are made to be as life-like as possible, are being imported by people who have a "sexual interest" in children. Advertised as "adult dolls" on sites including EBay and Amazon, they are manufactured in the Far East and sent to Britain via courier, fast parcel and other delivery services. Hazel Stewart, operations manager for the NCA, said when people have been questioned by police about the dolls some have claimed they were bought for a "joke", others say they for "companionship". "If it was a Marks and Spencer mannequin I wouldn't be stood here," she said. Read more from Danny Shaw. Hazel Stewart, from the National Crime Agency, said: "We know [child sex doll] purchases can indicate other offences against children, as was the case against Turner who had a sickening stash of abuse images. "Importers of such obscene items should expect to have law enforcement closing in on them." Jon Brown, head of development for the NSPCC, welcomed the ruling, but wants more to be done

Summary: A judge has ruled that a child sex doll imported by a former primary school governor is an obscene item.


Molly-Mae Wotherspoon was attacked by an American pit-bull at a house in Daventry, Northamptonshire in 2014. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said the RSPCA had reported concerns about the dog but the officer failed to take appropriate action. Northamptonshire Police said officers have received further training. Live updates on this story and more in Northamptonshire The IPCC said a second officer, who also allegedly failed to act on the intelligence received, was found to have no case to answer. A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "The officers identified by the Professional Standards investigation have since received the appropriate management words of advice "Within weeks of the tragedy, we instigated new and robust operational procedures around dangerous dogs. "Now, nearly two years on, the public should be reassured that officers have far greater awareness around this issue." Molly-Mae's mother and grandmother were jailed for two years each on Thursday. Claire Riley, 23, admitted owning a dangerously out of control dog and Susan Aucott, 55, admitted being in charge of one. Jailing them, judge Mrs Justice Carr told the pair Molly-Mae was savagely attacked by the pit bull in "a tragic and totally avoidable incident". James House, prosecuting, said the pit bull broke free from his cage in the kitchen and opened the door to the lounge to reach baby Molly-Mae on the floor. The court heard that the baby's cries made it "an object of prey". A vet who treated the American pit bull - a breed banned in the UK - said the dog, named Bruiser, was one of the most dangerous dogs she had seen.

Summary: A police officer has a case to answer for misconduct after a six-month-old girl was killed by a dangerous dog, an investigation has found.


The White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and Alice all feature in artist Grahame Baker-Smith's illustrations. The story was made up by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a young don at Christ Church in Oxford, to entertain children on a boat trip in 1862. It was published under Dodgson's pseudonym, Lewis Carroll, three years later. One of the children on the Thames boat trip was Alice Liddel, the daughter of the dean of the college. Alice later asked for the story, originally entitled Alice's Adventures Under Ground, to be written down. Dodgson did so as a Christmas gift in 1864 with his own illustrations. It went on to become one of the best known works in children's literature, with numerous TV and film adaptations. The stamps feature famous scenes from the book including the Mad Hatter's tea party and Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Illustrator Grahame Baker-Smith said he had based the images of Alice on the stamps on his own daughter. "The most difficult thing was consistency and working on such a very small scale. They all have to work as a set, so you want to have a range of colour and tone across the 10 stamps. "The Royal Mail has a rich history of illustration on stamps, so the chance to have a go at that is a great opportunity." Andrew Hammond, Royal Mail director of stamps and collectibles, said: "The story of Alice in Wonderland remains a perennial favourite of children, and indeed adults, around the world. "It is fitting that in its 150th anniversary year it is celebrated with a wonderful set of stamps featuring striking images that do justice to such an iconic tale."

Summary: A set of 10 stamps is being issued to mark the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.