Blackman, 39, from Taunton, Somerset, has been told he will spend at least 10 years in prison. It comes after one of the UK's highest-ranking Royal Marines pledged his "full support" for Blackman, saying he had been "tainted" by the "impact of war". The Ministry of Defence said it respected the court's decision. By Jonathan BealeDefence correspondent, BBC News In the words of his commanding officer, Sgt Al Blackman, the man until recently known just as Marine A, had a proud career and promising future. That was until a momentary and fatal lapse of judgement that not only prematurely ended the life of the injured Afghan fighter he shot, but also altered his own forever. His commanding officer said that Blackman was not a bad man, but a "normal citizen" tainted by the impact of war. But while the Judge Advocate General said there were mitigating circumstances to this unusual case, Blackman had treated the injured Afghan with contempt and murdered him in cold blood. He said his reaction to the murder caught on tape was chilling. The sentence passed was always going to be controversial - this was a murder carried out by a man who was serving his country in a war with a ruthless enemy. But those who criticise must also reflect that the sentence was approved by a group of Blackman's peers - those in uniform who've also experienced combat. In the words of Judge Blackett, it's their reputation too that's been tarnished. While there will be sympathy, there's also anger. On Thursday, three judges at the High Court lifted an anonymity order allowing Blackman to be named. Lt Col Simon Chapman, in a letter read to the judge and board at the court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, described how Blackman's promising career had been shattered in a "momentary" lapse of judgement. The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said: "Throughout this case the Ministry of Defence has followed the independent legal process and a sentence has now been delivered. "We respect the authority and decision of the court and it would be inappropriate of us to comment on the sentence." The trial - during which Blackman was referred to as Marine A - was the first time a member of the British armed forces had faced a murder charge in relation to the conflict in Afghanistan, which began in 2001. Two other marines were cleared. The murder took place after a patrol base in Helmand came under attack from small-arms fire from two insurgents. One of them was seriously injured by gunfire from an Apache helicopter sent to provide air support, and the marines found him in a field. Officer's letter defends marine The incident was inadvertently filmed by one of the cleared marines - known as Marine B - on his helmet-mounted camera. That footage, taken on 15 September 2011, was shown to the court during the two-week trial. It showed Blackman shooting the Afghan prisoner with a 9mm pistol. Sentencing Blackman, Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett told him he had disgraced the name of the

Summary: Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman has been sentenced to life by a court martial for murdering an insurgent in Afghanistan.


The Northern Irishman carded a third-round 68 for a 16-under-par total, with American Rickie Fowler his nearest contender on 10 under. McIlroy, 25, won from seven back at the PGA Championship at Wentworth in May. "I know leads can go quickly," he said. "That's why you can't let yourself think about winning." McIlroy was tied with Fowler on 12 under after 13 holes but eagles at the 16th and 18th helped him to the biggest 54-hole advantage at the Open since Tiger Woods led by six at St Andrews in 2000. But McIlroy - whose father Gerry and three friends placed a bet £400 at 500-1 10 years ago that he would win the Open by the time he was 25 - is well aware what the pressure of leading a major tournament can do to a player, having blown a four-shot lead on the final day of the Masters in 2011 and eventually carded an 80. Media playback is not supported on this device "I've been on the right side of it and I've been on the wrong side of it," said the 25-year-old, who has led from the opening day. "You've just got to stay completely in the moment and that's what I'm going to do for all 18 holes tomorrow." Fowler will tee off with his old rival in the final pairing on Sunday, having carded a third-round 68, and has not given up hope of overhauling him. "If I can get off to a good start and put pressure on, there is a lot of golf to be played," said the 25-year-old American, whose rivalry with McIlroy dates back to when they faced each other in the 2007 Walker Cup. "Being alongside Rory is an advantage. We are going to have a good time, so much can happen so quickly." Fowler drew level at one stage on Saturday but stumbled down the back nine before also carding a 68. Sergio Garcia is one shot behind Fowler and level with American Dustin Johnson but the Spaniard also held out hope of landing his first major title. Media playback is not supported on this device "I am a little bit disappointed with the way I played the last two holes," said Garcia, whose third-round 69 would have been better but for a bogey at the 17th and a scratchy par at the par-five 18th. "It is never easy being in the position of leader. Rory is a great player but you never know, anything can happen. "But you can't just attack everything because you are not going to hit good shots. You have to attack where you feel comfortable attacking." Meanwhile, world number one Adam Scott has not ruled out the possibility of somebody setting a record score for a major championship on the final day. The Australian carded a third-round 69 to finish 10 shots behind McIlroy but believes a score of 62 is achievable, if Sunday delivers good weather. "If we have similar conditions to today, there are low scores out there," said former Masters champion Scott. "If

Summary: Rory McIlroy is taking nothing for granted despite carrying a six-shot lead into the final round of the Open at Royal Liverpool.


Media playback is not supported on this device One day, for Great Britain? Hell, in one hour, around one small oval of track in east London, British athletes won three golds in such dizzying, dreamlike succession that all context and precedent disappeared off into the dark London sky. You tried to grab a record book before they all got thrown on the bonfires. In the 16 Olympics from 1928 to 1996, only once did Britain win more than five golds in an entire Games. Not since 1908 had GB won five in a day, and that was an event so unrecognisable it included tug-of-war and real tennis. The greatest single hour, the best night, unarguably, in the long history of British athletics. The best day in British sport? It sounds like hyperbole, so apply what logic you have left. Saturday's medal count, taken just on its own, would constitute Great Britain's ninth most successful Olympic Games tally in 118 years of competition. In three different sports, by men and women, on water and on dry land, the golds kept on rolling in, roared on by partisan crowds at stadiums across the city and its hinterland and by millions on television, radio and electronica. From Eton Dorney to the velodrome at the north end of Stratford's Olympic Park to within toasty distance of the Olympic flame itself, there was the same expression on British faces: I can't believe I'm here, I can't believe I'm watching this. What do you have to compare it to? England's World Cup win in 1966 was precisely that - England's. So was Jonny Wilkinson's iconic drop-goal in Sydney nine years ago. Media playback is not supported on this device This one truly belonged to Britain - a collective grin of national pleasure, a domino-chain of sporting success that had you clapping and cheering new heroes like you'd loved them all their lives. The rowers had started the celebrations with gold in the men's four and the women's lightweight double sculls before track cycling's women team pursuiters added track cycling gold. That was quite good enough. But those lucky enough to be among the 80,000 at the athletics were about to hit the jackpot in quite unprecedented fashion. We knew after the morning's long jump and javelin that Jess Ennis would, barring pestilence and plagues of locusts, be crowned Olympic heptathlon champion. We hoped that Mo Farah might do what no British male had ever done and win a global 10,000m title. A few even lumped some cash on Greg Rutherford to win the long jump, although a gamble was exactly how it felt. That all three came off in 46 minutes left you laughing with disbelief at the madness of it all. When Britain failed to win a single track and field title. Having waited 104 years for an athletics gold, three arrived in the city in such quick succession that the waves of noise barely stopped rolling. When you looked up at one point and saw the women's 100m was about to start, there was genuine surprise.

Summary: There was a point in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening, at about 9.20pm, when you wanted to put the world on pause and just revel in it all for a moment before the next wonderful thing caught you round the chops.


The Scot, 30, was set to be in the British line-up to defend the title in Brazil but has been ruled out after his top two rides picked up injuries. Hello Sanctos and Hello M'Lady picked up minor injuries at the start of the season and will not be fit for Rio. Brash was the top-ranked showjumper in the world last year and is still GB's leading rider in the global standings.

Summary: Scott Brash, part of Team GB's Olympic gold-medal winning showjumping team at London 2012, will miss the Rio Games.


Residents said that at the height of the flood, about 3ft (1m) of water was lying in parts of the Wester Inch estate, Bathgate. About 20 homes are thought to have been affected. A senior Scottish Water official later told 150 local residents at a public meeting that the water main was "absolutely not" fit for purpose. Chief operating officer Peter Farrer also gave an "unreserved apology" for the incidents. At the time of the flooding, some of the residents were at a local hotel having a meal paid for by Scottish Water following the previous incident. The flooding affected homes in Meikle Inch Lane, and supplies to parts of Bathgate, Blackburn and Livingston were disrupted. The first incident happened on Wednesday when "extensive flooding" closed Meikle Inch Lane and Leyland Road for seven hours. A total of 17 properties were affected. Resident Mark Snedden told BBC Scotland there was a sense of panic when the rising water was seen. "We ran out of the house to move our cars to safety based on how high the water had got on Wednesday," he said. "We then rushed to some of our neighbours' homes, neighbours that had been flooded, to let them know that the water had returned because they were actually walking in their flood-damaged homes." Scottish Water apologised unreservedly for any inconvenience caused and said it wanted to reassure customers that the company was "committed to gaining a full understanding as to why these bursts have occurred". A statement said: "We have teams on site in the Meikle Inch Lane area that have isolated the burst and introduced backfeeds into our network. "This has enabled us to restore normal supplies to the majority of customers who were affected in some parts of Bathgate, Blackburn and Livingston. Water tankers are also available if needed to support the network. "We have staff on site in the area to help support affected customers and we are liaising with other agencies such as West Lothian Council and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service." The statement said incident teams had been working through the night. "Our main priority is to do everything that we can to help customers affected by flooding and loss of water supply, for some, the second time this week, and to provide the necessary support they require," it added. "We will also investigate whether we can isolate this section of main whilst maintaining supplies to ensure that there is no repeat of this burst." Scottish Water representatives addressed a public meeting at Simpson Primary School.

Summary: Homes in West Lothian have been flooded for the second time in four days, after the same water main burst again.


The show's winner will get Â£30,000 towards 'musical education' and a VIP trip to Disney Land Paris. It's the first time that a junior equivalent of The Voice has come to the UK, although there have already been 30 versions of the show in other countries including Australia and France. The show opened with will.i.am promising us laughter and tears - so did it deliver? Here are five things we learned... This was made clear right from the start, as the very first act, 13-year-old Jessica belted out 'Somebody to Love' by Queen. By her last note, all three judges had turned around, and will.i.am joked that the police might be on their way "because you just killed it". Meanwhile, 12-year-old Courtney might have seemed quiet and shy while she waited to perform, but she transformed into a rock star when the music started, wowing the judges with moves she'd learned from Youtube. We probably could have guessed this, but just in case you were in any doubt the show opened with a 'story time' sequence including childhood photos and videos of Pixie, Danny, and will.i.am, and honestly they looked pretty cute! They chatted about childhood memories off-stage, and were clearly imagining how they would have felt appearing on a show like this back then. Did it look this scary in the adult version? The silence when the singers walk out onto the stage is deafening - you can hear the contestants and the judges breathing nervously, and even rustling in the audience adds to the tension. You can practically hear their heart-beats! The stage somehow looks bigger as well - you suddenly realise what a massive space it is for one person to fill. The relief when the music starts makes it all worth the build up! We're quite glad about this to be honest - all the contestants were really good, so there wasn't really any reason for the judges to find their inner Simon Cowell. Even when none of the judges turned around, they had loads of lovely things to say in feedback. In fact, contestants seemed equally worried about upsetting the judges when they had to pick a mentor. Will.i.am didn't take it well when Leah, the youngest contestant, picked Pixie Lott as her coach instead of him. Danny was the most buzzer-happy, and got a couple of acts without challenge, but it didn't take long for the judges to start competing to win their favourite acts. Will.i.am *really* loved the show's first rapping entrant. He was so into the performance that he jumped up onto the stage to join him mid-performance! Attention-seeking? maybe... but Little T seemed happy about it, and he picked Will to coach him. And Will wasn't the only one to perform - Danny burst into song to prove he could sing in Italian to Italian-born contestant Riccardo. All three judges were desperate to win Riccardo over after his beautiful rendition of 'Hallelujah' and even resorted to listing their favourite Italian things. Ultimately, Pixie won the act. Was it because she has (sort of)

Summary: The Voice Kids kicked off on Saturday night with singers aged 7-14 facing blind auditions in front of judges Danny Jones, Pixie Lott, and will.i.am.


Media playback is not supported on this device Three tries in the space of 10 first-half minutes by Micky Higham, Sam Hopkins and Ben Crooks had put Leigh in control. But Tom Johnstone, Jacob Miller and Ben Jones-Bishop crossed to turn the game around for the hosts after the break. Leigh saw a second-half score for Matty Dawson ruled out for a forward pass. Had Ryan Hampshire's long floated pass to Dawson not crept ahead of play, Leigh could have stretched their lead to 12 points going into the last quarter. But within two minutes, a clever grubber from Wakefield scrum-half Liam Finn allowed Miller to score under the posts and level the scores. Sam Williams then executed a pin-point cross-kick for Jones-Bishop to collect out wide and, after the video referee eventually awarded a try, Wakefield reclaimed a decisive lead. Trinity's third victory of the season takes them level on points with Leigh, who have now lost four matches away from home. Wakefield coach Chris Chester: "It was a tale of two halves. We looked in control after 23 or 24 minutes, but then came up with a poor play and we struggled to contain them. "We need to be a lot better defensively because we conceded some really soft tries, a couple of dive-overs. "But I'm pleased with the way we stuck at it and I thought we were worthy winners. "We were a totally different team in the second half, very dominant, I thought we got back to where we were a couple of weeks ago. "I'm proud we got the two points but we're certainly not getting carried away." Leigh coach Neil Jukes: "I'm just really disappointed with our second-half performance. We were like chalk and cheese. "For 40 minutes we were on fire and, if we'd have had a half-decent second half, I'd have thought fair play, but we were garbage in the second half. "We lost (Josh) Drinkwater but that's no excuse for trying to cling onto a 12-point lead. "I'd like to have given the guys a long weekend off and kick on on Monday but we'll be in tomorrow and we'll fix it up. "We've got to find that away form." Wakefield: Allgood, Arona, Arundel, Ashurst, Batchelor, Fifita, Finn, Grix, Hadley, Hirst, Huby, Johnstone, Jones-Bishop, Kirmond, Miller, Tupou, Walker, Williams, Wood. Leigh: Naughton, Brown, Higson, Crooks, Dawson, Drinkwater, Hock, Higham, Weston, Hansen, Pelissier, Tickle, Vea, Hampshire, Reynolds, Green, Hopkins, Acton, Burr.

Summary: Wakefield scored three second-half tries as they came from behind to beat Leigh Centurions and deny the visitors a first Super League away win.


Global prices have fallen by more than 60% since 2014. The New Zealand-based company said in a statement that the employment cuts were to result in savings of up to NZ$60m ($39m; Â£25m) per year. The company said the measures were needed to remain strongly competitive in today's global dairy market. "Reducing the number of roles in our business isn't about individual competency; it is about continually improving the way we deliver performance," said Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings in a statement. The layoffs are part of an ongoing business review and will come at a one off cost of NZ$12m - $15m, the company said. Mr Spierings did not give a breakdown of which part of the business the job losses would be in. Consultations on further restructuring measures were announced for August. The dairy co-operative is the world's largest milk exporter and Fonterra products are popular across Asia, particularly in China. The company's profits have been falling for nearly two years in the face of volatile dairy prices. Shares dropped by 1% in Thursday trade.

Summary: The world's largest dairy producer, Fonterra, said it plans to cut 523 jobs in the face of tumbling dairy prices.


Neil Brand's Sound of Song - exploring the secret behind popular songs - will launch the year-long season on Friday. In May, Strictly judge Darcey Bussell will lend her dance expertise to BBC Young Dancer 2015's Grand Final, broadcast live from Sadler's Wells. The former Royal Ballet principal said she was "delighted to be involved". Brand's Sound of Song, on BBC Four, will explore the elements that come together to create great songs, from Elvis Presley's 'slapback' echo in Memphis to the tape loops used by The Beatles at Abbey Road. Other highlights of the year include: "Over the next 12 months we'll be offering everyone extraordinary access to some of today's great artists and performers," said the BBC's director general Tony Hall. "When the BBC gets behind something, working closely with lots of others, we can offer opportunities like no one else."

Summary: The BBC has launched The Year of Song and Dance 2015, which will include new programmes and live performances on BBC Two, BBC Four and Radio 3.


Eighteen people were arrested during the four-day operation and 63 vehicles were seized. Forty-two of the vehicles had no insurance and/or licence. A further 21 had no Vehicle Excise Licence, the Hampshire and Thames Valley operation discovered. Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police said the joint operation earlier this month aimed to make the roads safer for people living and working in the region. The "large quantity" of the substance believed to be cocaine was discovered in a car in the Iver and Denham area, officers said. Other items seized included a stolen digger worth £12,000. The lorry driver asleep in his cab was in a vehicle "piggy-backing" another vehicle in Portsmouth. Both drivers were given fines totalling £1,000.

Summary: A lorry driver asleep at the wheel and a car thought to be carrying £100,000 of cocaine were among the discoveries made during a police crackdown on motoring offences.


The 25-year-old has agreed a three-year deal with the European champions from the start of the 2017-18 season. The switch - announced last month - will end a six-year association with the Scarlets which has seen Williams score 26 tries in 102 appearances. "It was an opportunity I couldn't turn down," said Williams, who lines up for Wales against Scotland on Saturday. "Hopefully, I'll go there and be part of a side that wins a couple more trophies. "Saracens are European champions and were in another final two or three years ago. They've been English champions for a couple of years running." The 40-time capped wing or full-back added that living closer to his girlfriend Sophie Harries, a London-based model, was another factor in his decision. "It's a new chapter. I'm ready to try something different and looking forward to it," he added. "I still have some games left for the Scarlets. We're looking to make the top four in the Pro12 and get into the play-offs and I want to help them achieve that. "It would be brilliant if we could win a trophy this season." Williams has not given up on adding the 2017 Six Nations title to his trophy cabinet. The 21-16 defeat by England leaves Wales third in the table on five points, but Williams believes a win against Scotland - also on five points - could rekindle their challenge. After Scotland, Wales play Ireland at home before rounding off their tournament with a trip to France. "We have three tough games to play," said Williams, who has scored against Italy and England. Media playback is not supported on this device "We have to get our performances right and make sure we win our next three games. There's still a chance we could win the championship." Williams' versatility in the back three make him a potential candidate to tour with the British and Irish Lions in the eyes of some pundits. "It's always been a dream of mine to make a Lions tour," added Williams. "It would be the pinnacle if I could get there, but I've learned during my career you should never look too far ahead. "So all I'm concerned about at this point is the Six Nations." Williams has played most of his international rugby on the wing despite being a full-back for Scarlets. But any rivalry with Wales and 2013 Lions number 15 Leigh Halfpenny is in the minds of fans, with Williams saying he and the Toulon player are on the best of terms. "I prefer to play at 15 but Leigh is doing an immense job and so I'm happy to slot in on the left wing or the right wing - anywhere in the back three," he said. "We are good mates. At the weekend his local team, Gorseinon, played my local side, Waunarlwydd, and Waun won with the last kick of the game, so I have the bragging rights."

Summary: Wales back Liam Williams hopes to win "a couple more trophies" after his move to Saracens in the summer.


Play was called off by umpires Nigel Cowley and Billy Taylor at 18:00 BST. A day-and-a-half has now been lost, play having been abandoned on Tuesday, when the rain arrived just in time to prevent Durham starting their second innings 170 runs adrift. If play resumes on Thursday, Durham and Worcestershire will both have replacements playing. Durham's Keaton Jennings and Worcestershire's Joe Clarke are now on England Lions duty, meaning call-ups for Michael Richardson and Tom Fell respectively. Durham will delay a decision about their choice of captain for the forthcoming Twenty20 Blast until they discover whether Jennings, an England Test candidate, will be available to them.

Summary: No play was possible on day three of Durham's County Championship Division Two meeting with Worcestershire.


At every border along the refugee trail, through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the welcome is cooling, the checks are getting tougher, and people are being turned back. Here at Idomeni there is just one small gate, right by the railway line, where refugees can pass. A Macedonian policeman, with a magnifying glass in hand, stands by it, scrutinising the documents of every single person attempting to cross. The refugees wait in line for their turn. "You, you can pass," the policeman says to a family with small children. They shuffle through. "You. No," says the policeman to a young Middle Eastern man. He turns back. Young men in particular are facing more scrutiny. Those fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are supposed to be allowed through. Everyone else is being stopped. Just a couple of seconds are spent peering at each set of papers. "You. No valid documents," says the policeman to an old lady in a headscarf. "This is fake," he adds, holding her identity card. It says she's Syrian. She speaks no English and looks confused. Migrant crisis explained in maps and graphics More than one million migrants reach Europe by sea in 2015 Cologne sex attacks and their profound effect on Europe Macedonian soldiers lean against a vehicle watching, guns slung from their shoulders. A UN refugee agency staff member standing nearby does not intervene. Many who are not from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are now trying to get through with forged papers. Sifting the genuine refugees from impostors isn't easy. One group showed their Syrian passports, but their identity papers obtained in a Greek refugee camp did not have the proper stamps. Among them was a man, limping, his leg set in a metal brace. "You have to go to Athens, get papers there," a Greek policeman told him. Athens is 500km (310 miles) to the south. But those denied passage are not deterred easily. In the woods near the border we found dozens of migrants, camping out. They were outside in freezing temperatures, hiding from the police, preparing to skirt the official crossing, to enter Macedonia illegally. There were Libyans, Iranians and Moroccans, along with Indians, Somalis, even a refugee from Western Sahara who had crossed North Africa hanging on to the underside of a truck. They were all wrapped in blankets to protect themselves from the cold. One man, singing a lament, was from Afghanistan. But he was darker-skinned than most Afghans, so the Macedonian border guards had refused to believe his papers and turned him back too. Among a group of Pakistanis warming their hands by a fire we found Sami from Lahore. He'd worked as a chef in a restaurant. But, he said, his boss rarely paid him, so he had left his wife and three-year old son behind to make this journey. "It's very hard," Sami told me. "It's cold. I have no food, no drink, no money in my pocket, all finished." He has spent $4,000 (Â£2,770; â‚¬3,700) and 15 days in jail in Turkey to

Summary: Running in looping coils, razor-wire now stretches along part of Macedonia's border with Greece.


Robert Huey was speaking after a suspected case of "mad cow disease" was identified in the Republic of Ireland. Further tests are being carried out, but if confirmed, it would be the first case of BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in Ireland since 2013. Mr Huey said despite the development, it was business as usual for the Northern Ireland beef industry. "The controls we have in place are robust and ensure that beef from the north is safe to eat," he said. "It's very much just business as usual. We have our controls, we have our controls in meat plants, we have our controls in meat and bone meal, we have our surveillance and those are robust. "They're the same controls that are protecting public health and animal health across Europe and I'm confident that those are sufficient to ensure that, if instances do happen, that they are sporadic and only a one-off." The animal involved in the incident in the Republic of Ireland is a five-year-old cow from a dairy farm in County Louth. The Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said the cow was not presented for slaughter and did not enter the food chain. Mr Huey said that showed that the existing safeguards were effective. "It does prove that the surveillance that's in place across Europe actually works," he said. "We've always suspected that there might be an occasional sporadic outbreak in an individual animal and that's what we seem to have here."

Summary: The chief veterinary officer for Northern Ireland has said NI beef is safe to eat.


Perry, 19, made his first team debut in the Football League Trophy in August before playing in the 1-0 win over Grimsby in the FA Cup in November. The Liverpool-born midfielder came through the Wanderers' academy and was a regular in the club's Under-23 side. However, Bolton, who were promoted from League One last season, have released full-back Callum Spooner.

Summary: Young midfielder Alex Perry has signed a first professional contract with Championship side Bolton Wanderers.


On Monday, Rick Maddison fatally shot Senior Constable Brett Forte after the police officer intercepted his car in Queensland. He fled to a nearby farmhouse and spent the night in a stand-off with police. Maddison was killed by authorities after fleeing the house and firing on police, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Wright said. "He has been challenged by police at that point in time - he has fired at those police," he told reporters on Tuesday. "Specialist police have returned fire. The male person has been shot and that male person has been declared deceased at the scene." Mr Forte was killed after intercepting Maddison, who police had described as a "wanted person", about 14:20 local time (04:20 GMT) on Monday. Authorities had set up an exclusion zone around the farm and began negotiating with Maddison at midnight. The confrontation happened just after 11:00. On Monday, Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said he wanted to resolve the siege "as peacefully as humanly possible". Residents nearby residents were ordered to evacuate their homes on Monday evening. Mr Forte was a husband and father who had been a police officer for more than 15 years, authorities said. "It is so distressing - not just to the police service - but to the community, that we have lost a fine police officer," Mr Stewart said. Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the officer was shot "simply trying to apprehend a wanted person". "It could have been any one of us anywhere in Australia," he told the Seven Network. "Our thoughts are with his wife and his three children. He has got a daughter and two sons."

Summary: A man who killed a policeman before holding authorities at bay for 18 hours has been shot dead in Australia.


The Kemp's Ridley turtle was found in Aberystwyth's North Beach suffering with hypothermia and septicaemia. Although the female juvenile seemed to recover for a few days, her condition deteriorated and she died on 25 December. Bristol Aquarium described the turtle as "incredibly unwell", and in "bad shape" despite medical help. The post on the aquarium's website added: "We hope that the valuable experience of the past 12 days and knowledge gained from working with this turtle will enable us and others to help future stranded sea turtles." Kemp's Ridleys live in the Gulf of Mexico, but the juveniles spend their time in the Atlantic, travelling about 6,000 miles on ocean currents until they mature. In 1985, their population fell to a few hundred nesting females. Since then numbers have risen, with about 10,000 nests laid at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, annually. The aquarium has advised that any sea turtles found washed up on the beach should not be put back in the water, but for people to contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

Summary: A rare sea turtle found washed up on a Welsh beach has died despite medical treatment at Bristol Aquarium.


It's about 700km (430 miles) from Delhi to Islamabad - less than the distance between London and Geneva. A short hop in aviation terms. But you can't fly non-stop from the Indian capital to the Pakistani capital. There are no direct flights at all. It is only one of the legacies of seven decades of mutual suspicion and tension. Take another example: cricket. India and Pakistan played each other a few weeks ago in the final of the Champions' Trophy. Both countries are cricket crazy. However, the game was played not in South Asia, but in London. India and Pakistan don't play cricket in each other's countries any more, although they have met in one-day matches around the world, including in countries in their region like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. But it is almost 10 years since they faced each other on South Asian soil in a Test match. Despite a lot of shared culture and history, they are not simply rivals, but more like enemies. In the 70 years since India and Pakistan gained independence, they have fought three wars. Some would say four, although when their armies last fought in 1999, there was no formal declaration of war. The simmering tension between India and Pakistan is one of the world's most enduring geopolitical fault lines. It has prompted both countries to develop their own nuclear weapons. So the uneasy stand-off is much more than a regional dispute: it is fraught with wider danger. India and Pakistan gained their independence at the same moment. British rule over India, by far its biggest colony, ended on 15 August 1947. After months of political deadlock, Britain agreed to divide the country in two. A separate and mainly Muslim nation, Pakistan, was created to meet concerns that the large Muslim minority would be at a disadvantage in Hindu-majority India. This involved partitioning two of India's biggest provinces, Punjab and Bengal. The details of where the new international boundary would lie were made public only two days after independence. Partition triggered one of the great calamities of the modern era, perhaps the biggest movement of people - outside war and famine - that the world has ever seen. No one knows the precise numbers, but about 12 million people became refugees as they sought desperately to move from one newly independent nation to another. Amid a terrible slaughter in which all main communities were both aggressors and victims, somewhere between half a million and a million people were killed. Tens of thousands of women were abducted, usually by men of a different religion. In Punjab in particular, where Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs had lived together for generations and spoke the same language, a stark segregation was brought about as Muslims headed west to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs fled east to India. This was not a civil war with battle lines and rival armies - but nor was it simply spontaneous violence. On all sides, local militias and armed gangs planned how to inflict the greatest harm on those they had come to see as

Summary: As India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years of independence, Andrew Whitehead looks at the lasting legacy of the Partition of British India, and the turmoil and trauma which marred the birth of the two nations.


The facility is powered by a set-top box, which also lets content broadcast over the past 24 hours be replayed, even if recordings were not scheduled. The service is included in the price of EE's broadband and landline packages. One expert called the move "hugely significant". EE TV includes more than 70 Freeview channels, including BBC One, ITV, Channels 4 and 5, Sky News and Al Jazeera. In addition, it offers apps for YouTube, Daily Motion and Rakuten's subscription TV and movie service Wuaki.tv, among others The set-top box contains a one terabyte (TB) hard disk, which the firm said could store up to 25 days worth of standard definition content and five days worth of high-definition shows. Mobile customers of the UK network who did not previously subscribe to another service from the firm but who want EE TV will need to sign up for a broadband package. The cheapest one on offer is Â£9.95 a month plus a further Â£15.75 a month for a required telephone line, all for a minimum of a one-and-a-half year duration. The company hopes this will provide them an incentive to switch to its service. "With EE TV, not only can you watch different streams of live and recorded content, on multiple screens simultaneously, but your mobile becomes the remote," said EE's chief executive Olaf Swantee. "This gives each viewer the chance to watch, queue and view what they want, when they want." When I ask EE's chief executive Mr Swantee what potential customers are getting if there isn't any unique content, his answer is "a user interface that stands out." Somehow I doubt that viewers across the land are going to be wowed by that promise. Technology firms, from Microsoft to Google to Apple, have all been trying to change the way we use television for a decade or more. But the viewers have been stubbornly resistant to change. Read more of Rory's thoughts on the EE TV launch on his blog. One industry watcher said he expected the firm's competitors to respond in kind. "It's a logical move from EE and one that's in direct response to BT launching its mobile service next year," said Paolo Pescatore from the consultancy CCS Insight. "With EE's broadband business posting good quarterly subscriber growth it has a strong subscriber base to cross-sell to, and puts it in a far stronger position than other quad-play providers - Virgin Media and TalkTalk. "Today's announcement [also] puts the pressure on others to accelerate their own quad-play plans." However, he added that he believed EE TV needed to offer a better range of content if it wanted to succeed. "EE has taken a sensible approach with its TV service as it doesn't want to be embroiled in bidding wars for premium content," Mr Pescatore said. "However given the exclusion of Netflix, EE must strongly consider forging agreements with other key rights owners including BSkyB for its Now TV service. "The company must also strengthen the range of on-demand services as this is becoming increasingly important to consumers as underlined by

Summary: Mobile network EE has announced a TV service that lets up to three phones or tablets be used to watch different live programmes in the home simultaneously, while a television screens a fourth.


It will be one of the main topics under discussion at a global conference of lawyers getting under way in Belfast this week. More than 400 lawyers from around the world are taking part. The Law Society and International Bar's Norville Connolly said Brexit was a huge issue for the profession. "All UK lawyers at the moment can either establish or go into Europe to provide legal services," Mr Connolly said. "Between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there are a huge amount of lawyers who conduct business and create jobs and all that follows from that. "If there's a hard Brexit, to use that expression, what will happen is that ability to travel abroad, to establish firms abroad, may well be lost. "That's the fear that the lawyers who practise in Europe, or practise in some country other than their own country, that's their huge fear . "So there's a lot riding on the hard Brexit v the soft Brexit."

Summary: A hard Brexit could have drastic consequences for the legal profession in Northern Ireland, according to the International Bar Association.


Media playback is not supported on this device Kris Boyd opened the scoring after nine minutes, breaking clear of the static Dee defence to knock the ball beyond the advancing Scott Bain. It was all square before the half hour when Kevin Holt calmly finished, helped by keeper Freddie Woodman's bizarre decision to race from his line. Dee's Henrik Ojamaa and Killie's Rory McKenzie went close to winning it. This was the day's only Premiership match due to the Scottish Cup, meaning both sides knew a win would allow them to move further away from the drop zone. There was plenty at stake and Killie started the brighter, earning their reward in nine minutes. A hopeful ball forward caught the Dee defence out and Boyd got the better of Kevin Gomis before knocking the ball beyond Bain. Killie keeper Woodman then made a fine stop with his legs to deny Mark O'Hara but the visitors' glove man was badly at fault when Dee levelled. Cammy Kerr launched a high ball into the box and Woodman raced from his line but got nowhere near it, allowing Holt to calmly fire the ball under him for 1-1. Henrik Ojamaa went close to a second for the home side but Woodman was up to the task this time, touching the striker's fierce low shot around the post. Ojamaa was the first to threaten after the break with a curling effort from distance that sailed narrowly over before Conor Sammon drew a decent stop from Bain at the other end. Dundee's Tom Hateley showed great skill on the right before firing in a cross-shot that Woodman stopped well. And the keeper had to repeat the feat soon after to deny Kostadin Gadzhalov with a back-post header. Both sides continued to press for the winner with the excellent Jordan Jones trying his luck for Killie before Rory McKenzie forced Bain into a fine acrobatic stop with a dig from distance. Dee substitute Faissal El Bakhtaoui could have secured all three points at the death but after cutting in from the right his shot drifted wide of the far post. Dundee manager Paul Hartley: "I think it was (a fair result). We didn't play as well today, I though we were sloppy in possession, kept giving it away, and our decision making was really poor. "They started better than us but we came into the game more and had some opportunities. But we have to play a lot better. "We had opportunities but we sort of snatched at a couple of things and need a little more calmness and composure in the final third and in the box. "Now it's about points. We do want to play well but it's so tight down at the bottom of the table, we want to get into the top six. We feel we've missed opportunities - last week we were 2-0 up and it was another home game today but we didn't perform the way we should have." Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark: "It was frustrating, very similar to the game last

Summary: Kilmarnock moved into the top half of the Premiership courtesy of an entertaining draw at Dens Park.


The crash happened early on Monday in the city of Bareilly, 251km (155 miles) from the state capital, Lucknow. A senior police official said all 22 victims had been charred badly and could not be immediately identified. The passenger bus had caught fire following the collision. Police are searching for the driver of the truck. The AFP news agency quoted police as saying the doors of the bus jammed after the collision, trapping passengers inside. A few people managed to escape by breaking open the windows of the vehicle. The chief spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh police, Rahul Srivastav, said the bus was carrying 41 passengers, and that those who were injured had been rushed to hospital. The condition of many of them is said to be serious, and officials warn that the toll is likely to rise. India has the world's highest number of road deaths, with an accident taking place every four minutes. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.

Summary: At least 22 people have been killed after a bus they were travelling in collided with a truck in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.


Around 40 people were said to have been watching the stream at one point but nobody reported the incident to police. A police spokesman said authorities first learned of what happened after the girl's mother approached the head of police as he was leaving a station. Detectives have questioned several people but no arrests have been made. The video has since been removed. The girl, who had been missing for a day, has now been found by detectives and reunited with her family. Her mother, whom the BBC is not naming, said her daughter appeared to be scared in the footage, adding "it's so disgusting". "It's just terrible. I know they'll get their day coming," she said on Tuesday morning, before her daughter was found. Chicago police chief, Supt Eddie Johnson, was said to be "visibly upset" after the girl's mother showed him screenshots of the video. A relative of the girl, Reginald King, says he was the last to see her before the alleged attack, after the two attended church together on Sunday. "Nobody deserves that. No human being deserves for that to happen to them," he told local media, adding that he suspects local "thugs" committed the attack. After the girl was found, she was taken to hospital with injuries to her face, he told the Chicago Tribune. A spokesman for Chicago police tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that police are "making good progress" in identifying the assailants. "Interviews ongoing but no formal suspects named yet,", Anthony Guglielmi added. "Crimes like this are hideous and we do not allow that kind of content on Facebook," a spokeswoman for the company said. "We take our responsibility to keep people safe on Facebook very seriously and will remove videos that depict sexual assault and are shared to glorify violence." In January, Chicago police arrested four people following a separate incident in which a man's alleged assault was live streamed, also on Facebook Live.

Summary: The alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl by five or six males was streamed on Facebook Live, according to Chicago Police.


The monarch was speaking as she formally opened the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament. She stressed the need for political leaders to make "room for quiet thinking and contemplation". It was her first major address since the UK voted for Brexit in last month's referendum. The result has ignited calls for a new referendum on Scottish independence, with Scotland facing the prospect of having to leave the European Union despite voting by 62% to 38% in favour of remaining. The Queen told the Holyrood chamber that the world was "increasingly complex and demanding" and that developments can take place at "remarkable speed". She added: "Retaining the ability to stay calm and collected can at times be hard. "As this parliament has successfully demonstrated over the years, one hallmark of leadership in such a fast-moving world is allowing sufficient room for which can enable deeper consideration of how challenges and opportunities can be best addressed." The chamber also heard from Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who said MSPs had been given the "precious opportunity to contribute to building a better country - and build it we will". Ms Sturgeon added: "To do so we must be bold and ambitious. We must show courage and determination. Our collective commitment to the people of Scotland today is that we will not shy away from any challenge we face, no matter how difficult or deep-rooted." If you are the first minister, you can make your point directly. And so Nicola Sturgeon concluded her remarks at Holyrood today by urging MSPs and Scotland more generally "to play our part in a stronger Europe and a better world." If you are the presiding officer, you can say what you mean to say, without challenge. And so Ken Macintosh, in a notably well-structured speech, urged optimism in these troubled and uncertain times. However, if you are Her Majesty the Queen, you have to be more circumspect. The palace reacted furiously when one newspaper purported to know the views of the monarch upon the EU referendum question. Further, although she is the sovereign, she operates within a careful power balance in which she is not supposed to interfere in decisions taken by elected representatives. Did she interfere today? She did not. Did she, however, contrive to convey an overview upon the events of the past week? She did, albeit in the context of urging calm, cool heads. Read more from Brian The first minister, who has pledged to do all she can to maintain Scotland's place in the EU, also spoke of the parliament's duty to "enhance and never diminish our place in the world", and said Scotland was determined to remain "open and inclusive". She said: "Whether we have lived here for generations or are new Scots, from Europe, India, Pakistan, Africa and countries across the globe we are all of this and more. We are so much stronger for the diversity that shapes us. "We are one Scotland and we are simply home to all of those who have chosen to live here, that is who and

Summary: The Queen has acknowledged the difficulty of "staying calm and collected" in an "increasingly challenging world".


Lord Lisvane took his seat in the House of Lords this morning. He is perhaps better known as Sir Robert Rogers, whose familiar bewigged and bewhiskered features were until late last year seen in the House of Commons, where he was clerk and chief executive and sat in front of the Speaker John Bercow. He has chosen Lisvane as his title from the city of his birth, having satisfied Garter King of Arms of his links to that northern suburb of Cardiff. Lord Lisvane is descended on his mother's side from the Cardiff construction company E Turner and Sons, who built, among other things, City Hall and Cardiff Royal Infirmary. You may recognise a family resemblance in this painting which hangs in City Hall. The firm also built a rather smart family home in Lisvane that was on the market last year for Â£3m. Ty Gwyn passed through the Turners to the Reardon Smiths and then Julian Hodge - a family tree of notable Cardiff names. Lord Lisvane lives in Herefordshire now but chose to reflect his upbringing in his title. In his former Commons role, he is said to have clashed with John Bercow. It was noticeable how he was introduced into the Lords by former Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd and how many MPs made the short journey to watch him take his seat from the steps of the throne.

Summary: Wales has a new cross-bench peer.


Five others were injured in Monday evening's blast at the Eagle Fireworks factory in Sangli district. It was not immediately clear how the fire started. Accidental explosions are common at Indian fireworks factories, which provide fireworks for weddings, festivals and other ceremonies. In 2012, 34 people were killed and 30 others injured in a massive blaze at a fireworks factory in the southern Tamil Nadu state. The BBC Hindi's Devidas Deshpande in Pune says that the latest explosion in Kavathe Ekand village was so powerful that it was heard at least five kilometres away, and the debris of the factory was scattered far and wide. The mother and the son of the factory owner were among the dead, while his brother and three workers were seriously injured. The village has many households making firecrackers for local religious festivals and such incidents have been reported before. Some 25 people have been killed in at least six such incidents in the village in the past few years, our correspondent says.

Summary: At least nine people have been killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, police say.


Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) chief executive Liz Cameron highlighted the need for 11,000 new roles each year in Scotland's digital and IT sector. She warned that the vacancies could not be filled entirely by British workers. Ms Cameron also called for a migration system that responded to Scotland's lower population growth rate. She said Scotland's projected population growth to 2024 was only 3.1%, compared with a projected 7.5% increase for England over the same period. She warned that could leave the economy growing more slowly and unable to sustain public service levels. Ms Cameron's comments came as the prime minister prepares to get Brexit negotiations under way. Theresa May has set a deadline of 31 March for invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, getting official talks with the EU started. In a statement, Ms Cameron said: "It is time to make the case for a new migration system that works for the UK, works for Scotland and, above all, works for business. "Free movement of people across Europe may have led us to become complacent about the effort that is required to target the talents that our businesses need across all sectors and all parts of the UK. "We need to plan now for a system that will be focused on sourcing the right talent, wherever in the world that exists, and in the numbers that meet the demands of our economy." Giving greater control over immigration to Holyrood has been a key demand of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the wake of the Brexit vote. However in January the home secretary appeared to rule out the possibility of Scotland being handed powers over immigration after the UK leaves the EU. Amber Rudd said introducing different rules "would complicate the immigration system, harming its integrity" and cause problems for businesses.

Summary: A Scottish business leader has stepped up calls for a migration system that can fill skills gaps after Britain pulls out of the EU.


Drinking alcohol is often associated with the Punjabi culture, but is prohibited in Sikhism. Baptised Sikhs are forbidden from drinking but some non-baptised Sikhs do consume alcohol. Whilst the vast majority of those who do drink have no problem, a small number of Punjabi Sikh women are affected. Data collected by Birmingham-based charity Aquarius showed 16% of service users who received help for alcohol misuse in 2011-2012 identified as Asian or Asian British. A small survey carried out by the charity found 57% of people from this community, the majority of whom were Sikh, said shame was a reason for not getting help. Professor Sarah Galvani from Bedfordshire University, who carried out the research, said younger women's drinking was seen to be increasing. "The reason for that was primarily that these women were growing up in much more westernised communities, where women's drinking was acceptable," she said. "They were adopting some of those behaviours of the community they were growing up, but still living within a community that had quite traditional views about women's drinking." Jennifer Shergill from the Shanti project, which encourages people to get help with their addictions and offers services in Punjabi, says the issue seems to be religion versus culture. "Culture is kind of the thing that we need to focus on when we're talking about Punjabi alcohol misuse, the kind of culture that's prevalent in media, when people get together, in weddings and birthday parties, that kind of drinking in social groups," she said. Pardip Samra, from Edgbaston, Birmingham, is setting up a women-only support group, helping Asian women who may be addicted to alcohol. She said she also had an issue with drinking. "I became dependent on it almost every day. I blamed it on work, I blamed it on family but it was never the drink, it was always something else," she said. Ms Samra believes alcohol dependency-related issues need to be spoken about more and wants other women to know there is help available. Mandeep - not her real name - is a Punjabi Sikh in her 30s. She started drinking alcohol with her friends when in college and 10 years ago realised she had a drinking problem. "I subconsciously knew my drinking wasn't normal because I could easily consume more than those around me. It's like just drinking to shut off your head and make yourself numb again," she said. When she told her family she was an alcoholic, some of her relatives were in denial. "They were like, 'No you haven't, no you haven't'. They didn't really react because they didn't really believe in the fact that it's a problem." In the past, Mandeep has relapsed but this time, with the help of the Shanti project, she is hopeful about her recovery and wants to help other Punjabi Sikh women like herself in the future. You can hear the full documentary, The Hidden Alcohol Addiction: Punjabi Sikh Women Speak Out, on the BBC Asian Network iPlayer.

Summary: Punjabi Sikh women with drinking problems are less likely to come forward for help because of the fear of stigma and shame, a West Midlands alcohol support group says.


Penarth Pier Pavilion's Room 617 has been opened, which marks the resort's links to Dambusters and local hero Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Other test events will follow until the pavilion reopens fully in December. Director Dr David Trotman says the pier's community use would help it survive in the future. The launch of the Room 617 was attended by members of the armed services and representatives from the current 617 squadron who flew down from Scotland especially. The honour has been given to the revamped pavilion's seaward facing Observatory Room and in part remembers Gibson, who led the famous Dambusters' raids on two German dams in World War II. Gibson married a local woman and lived in Penarth before the raids. "He was one of those iconic figures who a lot of people still recognise," said Dr Trotman. "One of his favourite pastimes when on leave was to play golf at Penarth's Glamorganshire Golf Club. "It was here that he heard the news that he had been awarded his Victoria Cross (for the Dambusters' raids)." The room will also have a future use in helping those from the services with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The event on Friday was also attended by members of local support groups for PTSD. Dr Trotman said the reception showed their commitment to support service veterans of conflicts ranging from WWII to the current day Afghanistan who have the condition. Plans to restore the art deco-style pavilion on Penarth pier were given the go-ahead in March 2011. The pier originally opened in April 1895, and drew hundreds of visitors, many of whom arrived there by paddle steamer. A wooden pavilion was built originally but burnt down and the current structure first opened in 1929. In WWII the pavilion played matchmaker to the US troops who met their partners there. In the 1950s and 1960s, it became a nightclub hosting acts like Tom Jones, Petula Clark and Gene Vincent. But in the 1970s, the pavilion's fortunes began to wane and a campaign later started for public funding for the current revamp. Dr Trotman said at the heart of the new pavilion which will be serving the community of Penarth, the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff. He also has plans to reignite the kind of old fashioned tourism which Penarth, and neighbouring Barry, used to be famous for, with visitors arriving there by train. A community based cinema will have silver screening and Saturday morning cinema. There will also be a gallery for hosting exhibitions and events like concerts and musical evenings and a learning space which will provide a programme of work with local children, young people and disadvantaged groups, among them people with Alzheimer's and dementia. The target is for 50,000 visitors to the pavilion in the first year. "I suppose you could say we are bucking the trend of what's happened to many piers around the country," said Dr Trotman. "But there's an amazing amount of good will and I'm confident it can work."

Summary: A first event has been held at a Victorian pier pavilion in the Vale of Glamorgan after a £4.2m refurbishment.


Jiang Jiemin was removed from office due to "suspected serious disciplinary violations", state-run news agency Xinhua said, citing authorities. The term is commonly used to refer to corruption. Mr Jiang has not commented publicly on the allegations. Chinese authorities announced they were investigating Mr Jiang on Sunday. Mr Jiang was head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac). Formerly, he headed the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). Four CNPC executives are also under investigation for corruption. Mr Jiang is the first member of the current 205-strong Communist Party Central Committee to face such charges and state media is presenting it as proof of the new leadership's resolve to clean up public life, the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai reports. However some observers suggest that, whether guilty of corruption or not, there may be a political edge to Jiang Jiemin's downfall, as vested interests in state-owned industries have long been seen as opposed to economic reform, our correspondent adds. Chinese President Xi Jinping has described fighting corruption as a priority, warning that "bribe-taking by some party members and cadres" poses "severe challenges" to the Communist Party's rule. Several high-profile officials have been felled in recent months. In July, former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun was given a suspended death sentence for corruption and abuse of power. Liu Tienan, formerly deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, was sacked in August and is the subject of an investigation, state media say.

Summary: China has sacked a top official responsible for overseeing state-owned companies amid a corruption probe, Chinese media say.


Ten incidents of possible police misconduct have been found by investigators looking into the killing of Jacqueline Oakes. Marcus Musgrove was jailed in July 2014 for killing the 51-year-old. A review was launched over her death, including contact she had with various agencies at the time. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it had issued notices to 26 serving West Midlands Police officers and seven police staff, advising them they are subject to investigation. Notices have also been sent to an officer who has retired and to one who now works at another force. An IPCC spokesman said its initial assessment had identified ten potential misconduct issues relating to incidents between April 2013 and January 2014. "Our independent investigation is looking at whether the police officers and staff involved resourced, recorded and risk assessed the incidents in line with force domestic abuse policy," the spokesman said. A domestic homicide review is also being carried out by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership. Ms Oakes was discovered in a bedroom at Century Tower, Dollery Drive in Edgbaston, in January 2014. The mother-of-four died from multiple blunt force injuries. Musgrove, of Lichfield Road, Aston, aged 40 when sentenced, was told he would serve a minimum of 18 years. At the time, West Midlands Police said he carried out the fatal attack after weeks of subjecting her to controlling and abusive behaviour.

Summary: Thirty-five members and former members of West Midlands Police are being investigated over events that led to a woman's murder in Birmingham.


Police found the man in Blackshots Lane, Grays, at about 00:35 BST. The 24-year-old from Stanford-Le-Hope had been stabbed in the chest. Officers had been called to reports of men fighting, Essex Police have confirmed. Two men, aged 22 and 21, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police said the three injured men are being treated at Basildon Hospital with stomach and chest wounds. It is believed the incident is related to another in nearby Chafford Hundred. In that incident, an 18-year-old was knocked unconscious on Fleming Road at about 01:55 BST. He was taken to hospital for treatment and later arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing in Grays, police said.

Summary: A man was stabbed to death and three others suffered "life-threatening injuries" during a disturbance in Essex.


Vertu was known for its high-end, jewel-encrusted handsets, but recently faced financial difficulties. The company's liquidation will result in the loss of nearly 200 jobs. One technology analyst said Vertu would have faced competition from companies offering to customise other smartphones with precious materials. Vertu phones carry hefty price tags - its Signature range starts at £11,100, and one model featuring 18-carat red gold costs £39,100. When contacted by the BBC, an external spokesman for the firm said: "Well it's gone into liquidation and I'm not being paid by them any more." In March, the company was sold by its former Chinese owner to Hakan Uzan, a Turkish exile in Paris. The Daily Telegraph reports that he had planned to pay £1.9m to bring the company out of administration, but it had an accounting deficit of £128m. Mr Uzan will retain the Vertu brand, technology and licenses. "It is very unusual, they hand make the phone at incredibly low volumes and they were incredibly high-priced," said Ian Fogg, an analyst at IHS Technology. He pointed out that some of Vertu's recent phones had used synthetic sapphire for its screens - something that Apple had considered for its iPhones but later abandoned because of production issues. "It is a difficult material to work with," Mr Fogg told the BBC. "One practical benefit is that the smartphone screen is made incredibly difficult to break." He also pointed out that other businesses that offered to customise consumer smartphones with precious stones or metals offered an alternative. That meant that wealthy customers could choose the handset they wanted but add the desired "bling" later. Vertu was founded by Nokia in 1998, but it was sold in 2012, and the following year Vertu switched from using Nokia's Symbian operating system on its devices to Google's Android.

Summary: A British-based company that made smartphones costing thousands of pounds will be liquidated after a plan to save it failed.


The flight from Gatwick to Newquay was an estimated 300ft (90m) off the ground when the wild animal was spotted. Passenger Pete Atkinson said there was a tense five-minute gap between the aircraft climbing sharply away from the runway and the pilot announcing the badger's presence. The airport said it was a case of being "cautious in the interest of safety". Mr Atkinson, a freelance cameraman, said: "We were on the final approach when all of a sudden the under-carriage was lifted back up and the engines revved up. "People went quiet and started to look out of the window as we headed out over the sea." About five minutes later, the pilot announced the diversion of the aircraft carrying about 60 people was due to a badger being seen on the runway. Mr Atkinson said passengers then laughed and made jokes about roadkill. FlyBe flight 806 was due to land at 21:15 GMT on Sunday was delayed by around 15 minutes. A spokesman for Cornwall Airport Newquay said there was "a suspected badger sighted on the runway by the bird control unit". The spokesman said the aircraft landed safely following a full check of the runway.

Summary: A badger on an airport runway forced a passenger plane to abort its landing.


The international team analysed 77 genes. Individually they each had a low impact on cancer risk, but were a powerful combination. The findings, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, could eventually transform screening, preventive treatments and even HRT. Cancer charities said the field was developing rapidly. The genetic tests that have already been developed are restricted, in the UK, to those women with the very highest risk of developing breast cancer. They look for changes such as mutations in the BRCA genes that led the Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie to have her breasts and ovaries removed. They can give up to a 90% chance of cancer in a woman's lifetime, but are rare. The team, led by the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the University of Cambridge, looked at the parts of the genetic code that have a more subtle effect yet will influence every woman's chance of cancer. Of the 77 cancer-risk sites in the DNA inherited from the mother and the matching 77 from the father, an average woman would have 66. It allowed the team to calculate the probability of women developing breast cancer. "These are quite substantial risks," said Prof Montserrat Garcia-Closas, of the Institute of Cancer Research. She told the BBC News website: "I think it's very exciting at the moment. The discovery of these variants has progressed very quickly in the last five years and I think it's reaching a plateau. And at that point it's time to start designing a genetic test that includes all these elements. That's likely to be reached within a year." The ability to accurately predict the risk of breast cancer could have a powerful impact on medicine. It could clearly show which women need drugs, such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, to reduce the risk of breast cancer. The lowest-risk women may not need breast cancer screening, while those at highest risk might need to start earlier. Hormone replacement therapy has many benefits, but it does increase the risk of cancer. So knowing the background genetic risk could also inform who should and should not have HRT. But one of the great challenges will be to combine these tests with current techniques. Prof Douglas Easton, of the University of Cambridge, said: "We've now reached a crucial stage at which all this research can be combined to help target screening and advice to those women who need them the most. "There's still work to be done to determine how tests like this could complement other risk factors, such as age, lifestyle and family history, but it's a major step in the right direction that will hopefully see genetic risk prediction become part of routine breast screening in the years to come." Dr Matthew Lam, of the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "In recent years we've learnt so much about genetic risk factors of breast cancer. What's great to see now is that these findings are starting to be translated into practical methods to predict risk." Nell Barrie, of Cancer Research UK, said: "This study shows how the genetic

Summary: Scientists have predicted the odds of women developing breast cancer by looking for tiny errors in their DNA.


The crash happened at about 08:00 near Whitburn in West Lothian. The drivers sustained minor injuries, Police Scotland said. Traffic was backed up between junctions four and five eastbound, causing long delays. The route was fully reopened after more than two hours. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service cut one of the drivers free from a Peugeot van. The drivers are being treated at Wishaw General Hospital.

Summary: Four drivers are being treated in hospital after being injured in a crash involving three lorries and a van on the M8.


Oliver Park, 51, ignored safety signs and warnings from wardens and went into a restricted area close to the edge of a cliff on Wednesday, officials say. They say he tried to pose for a photograph of himself leaping as if in flight but lost his footing. Rescuers found the body on Thursday and took it to a local police station. Police said his body would be taken to a morgue in the city of Cusco.

Summary: The body of a German tourist has been recovered from a ravine after he fell while visiting the ancient site of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes.


Cristiano is now just one award behind Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who took the Ballon for the fifth time last year. Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann finished third. Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to win the Champions League last season and scored three goals for Portugal who went on to win Euro 2016. The 31-year-old has won the Ballon d'Or in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016. "I never thought in my mind that I would win the Golden Ball four times. I am pleased. I feel so proud and happy," said Ronaldo.

Summary: Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the world famous Ballon d'Or footballer award for a fourth time.


The newspaper had reported allegations that Melania Trump once worked as an escort, but later retracted the claims. The story was published during the US election campaign last year. Mrs Trump accepted damages and an apology from the newspaper at London's High Court. The article was published by the Daily Mail newspaper, and subsequently the paper's digital operation Mail Online. In a statement, Mrs Trump's lawyer said that she is "very pleased" and "will remain vigilant to protect her good name and reputation from those who make false and defamatory statements about her". Mrs Trump filed a lawsuit against the Daily Mail in the UK, and filed against Mail Online in the US. The payout settles the case both in New York and the UK, despite London's High Court having no jurisdiction in the US. The US suit, filed last year, sought damages of $150m (Â£120m). The amount accepted by Mrs Trump in London was not disclosed in court. However, reports suggest the payout was closer to $3m, including legal costs and damages. In its apology, the Daily Mail acknowledged it had published "allegations that she provided services beyond simply modelling". The article also claimed that Mr and Mrs Trump may have met three years before they actually did, and later "staged" their first meeting. "We accept that these allegations about Mrs Trump are not true," the newspaper said. A lawyer for Mrs Trump told the London court the allegations "strike at the heart of the claimant's personal integrity and dignity". Her lawyer said the double-page spread in August last year, titled "Racy photos and troubling questions about his wife's past that could derail Trump", featured an old nude photo of Mrs Trump from her modelling career. "Readers of the newspaper that day could not fail to miss the article," he said. And so the mighty Mail titles have been Trumped. Well, almost. There are people in the legal profession flabbergasted at the size of the damages that Melania Trump has received from Associated Newspapers. But given some of the figures bandied about when this case first arose, that isn't as bad as some at the Mail group may have feared. Moreover, the Mail are pointing out that they stick by some aspects of their original story, but accept error on the most salacious: that the First Lady was an escort. It will be interesting to see if this settlement encourages others to be more aggressive toward UK papers, and also whether it helps to spread the trend for legal action across multiple jurisdictions. Charles Harder, Mrs Trump's lawyer, also acted for Hulk Hogan when the wrestler brought his $140m (Â£112m) case against Gawker Media, forcing its sale. Compared to that, this action is small fry. Mrs Trump's lawsuit initially said that Mrs Trump had the "unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... to launch a broad-based commercial brand in multiple product categories, each of which could have garnered multi-million dollar business relationships for a multi-year term during which [she] is one of the most photographed women in the world". Critics used the phrasing to question

Summary: The UK's Daily Mail newspaper has agreed to pay damages and costs to the first lady of the United States over an article about her modelling career.


The aye-aye is a kind of lemur, and looks a bit like a cross between a mouse and a bat. There are as few as 1,000 aye-ayes left in the world. At one point they were thought to be extinct due to hunting in Madagascar, an island off the southeast coast of Africa. Lynsey Bugg, from the Zoo said: "Their mother was very secretive and we didn't realise she'd had twins straight away." "It's a world first, so it wasn't what we were expecting but it's amazing, really amazing. "We wanted to monitor them and make sure they were putting on weight before we announced their arrival." Aye-ayes have been born in captivity in Britain before. A girl called Kintana was born in 2005, and a boy called Raz was born in 2008. But this is the first time that twins have been born. Lynsey said that the twins' mother Sabrina was doing a "great job with her young". "The twins are physically demanding and it is testament to Sabrina that she and the twins appear to be doing really well," she said. "Whilst we are keeping a close eye on the group, we try to adopt a hands-off approach and encourage a family dynamic close to one they would experience in the wild."

Summary: Twin baby aye-ayes have been born in captivity at Bristol Zoo for the first time.


Kun Shan Chun, a naturalised US citizen born in China and known as Joey, admitted in court to sending sensitive information to a Chinese official. US Attorney Preet Bharara said he had threatened the country's security through a "duplicitous" betrayal. Chun "deeply regrets" what he did and loves the US, his lawyer said. While he could face a sentence of up 10 years in prison, the government and defence agreed a sentence of between 21 and 27 months "would be appropriate", the New York Times reports, citing the plea agreement. The Chinese Embassy in Washington is yet to comment, the Associated Press reports. Chun, 46, worked for the FBI as an electronics technician from 1997 until his arrest in March. He was introduced to a Chinese government official during a trip to Italy and France in 2011, the Department of Justice says, and they continued to meet privately abroad. He is accused of having covered up his connections with at least one Chinese government official and a Chinese technology company, Zhuhai Kolion, in which he had an "indirect financial interest", according to the justice department. Court papers in New York said in 2013 he sent an unnamed Chinese official a chart showing the FBI's organisational structure and two years later sent photos of restricted documents about surveillance technologies. Chun also provided the identity and travel schedule of an FBI agent, Assistant US Attorney Emil Bove said. He was rewarded financially and through perks such as holidays and hotel stays, according to authorities. According to the complaint, he was caught after offering to help an undercover agent transmit sensitive government information to his Chinese associates.

Summary: An FBI employee with top secret security clearance has pleaded guilty to acting as an "agent of the Chinese government", the US says.


The pair were sued after making fun of a video by another film-maker, Matt Hosseinzadeh, in which he pursued a love interest using parkour. They had used clips of his film, which he claimed was copyright infringement. But a judge ruled the Kleins' video criticising his work was "fair use as a matter of law". Ethan and Hila Klein have an audience of more than 4 million subscribers on their YouTube channel. In February 2016, they posted a video in which they watched Mr Hosseinzadeh's parkour video and made fun of it. Their video included several clips of his original video, interspersed with their own commentary and jokes. Mr Hosseinzadeh - known online as Matt Hoss - said in his original complaint that the pair had reproduced "virtually all of the work" as "nothing more than a prop" in their comedy routine. But on Wednesday, New York district judge Katherine Forrest rejected the claim. "Any review of the Klein video leaves no doubt that it constitutes critical commentary of the Hoss video," she wrote. "There is also no doubt that the Klein video is decidedly not a market substitute for the Hoss video." The ruling is significant since so-called reaction videos, in which YouTubers use clips of others' work and react to them, are a popular genre on the platform. Forrest warned that while the Kleins' video was fair use, other reaction videos were often "more akin to a group viewing session without commentary". "Accordingly, the court is not ruling here that all 'reaction videos' constitute fair use," she said. Mr Klein said the ruling was a "huge victory for fair use on YouTube". He told the BBC: "All of our work for the past four years is validated, as there has never been a court opinion about reaction videos. "The judge called our method of criticism 'quintessential', which is a huge win for us and the YouTube community. I'm extremely grateful to everyone who supported us along the way."

Summary: Videomakers Ethan and Hila Klein, who run the YouTube channel h3h3 Productions, have won a legal battle over copyright in online video.


The UK has a "lamentable" record on FGM, and "someone, somewhere is not doing their job properly," a report by the Home Affairs Committee said. There have been no successful prosecutions of people who perform FGM in the UK in the last 20 years. The government said it was bringing in civil orders to protect at risk girls. The committee described FGM as an "abominable practice" and a "horrendous form of child abuse". Female genital mutilation, often abbreviated to FGM is also known as female circumcision. It involves procedures that include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for cultural or other non-medical reasons. It can also include stitching up the genitals. It is practised in 29 countries in Africa and some countries in Asia and the Middle East, but is illegal in the UK. Carrying out female genital mutilation carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Anatomy of female genital mutilation In one hospital alone - Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham - 1,500 recorded cases of FGM were recorded over the last five years, with doctors seeing six patients who have undergone the procedure each week, the report said. "There seems to be a chasm between the amount of reported cases and the lack of prosecutions. Someone, somewhere is not doing their job effectively," the report concluded. MPs accused the authorities of "passing the buck", with prosecutors saying they needed evidence, police saying they needed doctors to refer cases to them, and doctors saying they were not properly trained. The committee recommended that doctors should be prosecuted if they repeatedly fail to report suspected cases to the police. Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "While agencies play pass the parcel of responsibility, young girls are being mutilated every hour of every day. "This is deplorable. This barbaric crime which is committed daily on such a huge scale across the UK cannot continue to go unpunished." Source: Home Affairs Select Committee report on Female Genital Mutilation The committee also said police, midwives and campaigners wanted clarification as to whether or not cosmetic female genital surgery was prohibited under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. "We cannot tell communities in Sierra Leone and Somalia to stop a practice which is freely permitted in Harley Street," it said. Crime Prevention Minister Lynne Featherstone said the government was introducing a mandatory duty on professionals to report FGM, which would "provide clarity for professionals on their responsibilities and give them the confidence to confront FGM". "The coalition government is bringing in new civil orders to protect girls before they can be subjected to FGM, through the Serious Crime Act, and measures to punish parents who fail to prevent their daughters being cut," she added. "Our cross-government FGM unit is listening carefully to campaigners and those living with the effects of this harmful practice." Last month, NHS doctor Dhanuson Dharmasena was cleared of performing FGM on a young mother after she gave birth. The director of public prosecutions defended the decision to prosecute the case, which was the first of its kind in

Summary: MPs have criticised the "chasm" between the number of reported cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK and the number of prosecutions.


Newcastle University said the killing of its students Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, was a "huge shock". Malaysian police said the men were killed at about 04:15 local time on Wednesday. There had been an argument between a man and one victim before the killings, and four men have been arrested over the murders, police added. Mr Dalton, from Ambergate, Belper in Derbyshire, and Mr Brunger from Hempstead, Gillingham in Kent, were in the final week of a six-week work placement at a hospital in Kuching, a city in one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. In a statement, Malaysian police said the two victims had a drink in a tea shop, where one man rebuked them for being noisy. "This gave rise to an argument," police said, between the man and one of the victims before they left the shop. Police said four men then pursued the students in a car, before one man got out and attacked them with a knife. The police added three suspects were arrested at about 06:00 local time and a knife was also found, and a fourth suspect was arrested at 16:45. "The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction," the police statement said. The area is said to be known for its popular nightlife among tourists. Police said Mr Dalton and Mr Brunger had been due to complete their placement in Kuching on Friday. Professor Tony Stevenson, acting vice-chancellor of Newcastle University, said: "We were informed this morning of the very sad news that two of our fourth year medical students working at a hospital in Kuching, Borneo, have been tragically killed. "Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, were on a six-week work placement along with five other medical students to put the skills they had learnt during their time here at the university into practice. "This has come as a huge shock to us all and our thoughts are with their families and friends at this very difficult time. "Two of our members of staff are flying out to Kuching as soon as possible and we are working closely with the British High Commissioner to support the other students and to co-ordinate their return to the UK." The Foreign Office said it was aware of the deaths of two Britons and was "providing consular assistance to their families at this difficult time".

Summary: Two British medical students have been stabbed to death in Borneo, local police have said.


The authorities in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain carried out the arrests and seized 250 items of IT equipment and mobile phones, Interpol says. Those arrested are aged between 17 and 40. The operation follows cyber attacks on Colombian and Chilean websites. Interpol says the websites of the Colombian Ministry of Defence and the presidency, Chile's national library, and the Chilean electricity company Endesa were attacked. Spanish authorities say four people were arrested as part of the operation in Spain, in Madrid and Malaga. Two of them remain in custody, while the other two, including a minor, were released on bail. Spain's interior ministry said that one of the four arrested was the alleged manager of Anonymous' computer operations in Spain and Latin America. Anonymous is a loose international network of online activists which describes itself as an "internet gathering". Its protests often take the form of disrupting websites and services. Many Anonymous protests tackle issues of free speech and preserving the openness of the net.

Summary: Police in Latin America and Europe have arrested 25 suspected members of the Anonymous hacking group, according to Interpol.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 8 October 2014 Last updated at 08:47 BST Their parents Lucy and Andy Keher, of Blundellsands in Merseyside, heard giggling after bedtime and filmed them when they found the pair playing the game in their cots. Mr Keher posted the video on Facebook and it soon went viral, with fans sharing it all over the world.

Summary: Twins Molly and Megan Keher have become internet stars after nearly two million people watched a video of them secretly playing peekaboo.


A Guardian article claims Al Hasawi, who has said he is close to selling the club, wants wages that could rise to £1m a year, as well as bonuses. A United States consortium is on the verge of a £50m deal, which would see Al Hasawi retain a 20% stake. Al Hasawi said "the information published was inaccurate". "The terms of any potential investment deal are, and will remain, confidential and the club will not be making any comment in relation to this issue," a statement on the club website continued. "The matter has now been passed to my legal team, as such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time." The takeover would see millionaire John Jay Moores, the former San Diego Padres owner, take an 80% stake in Forest.

Summary: Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi has denied reports he is demanding a large annual salary and huge bonuses as part of any takeover deal.


South Africa's Equality Court fined Jon Qwelane $14,450 (Â£8,920) and ordered him to apologise for promoting hatred in the column published in 2008. Headlined "Call me names but gay is NOT OKAY", it caused an uproar at the time. Mr Qwelane, who was appointed last year to Uganda where homosexual acts are illegal, did not mount a defence. Correspondents say the outcome of the case is particularly significant in the light of the recent attacks and rapes of lesbian women in South Africa. Unlike in many African countries, homosexual acts are legal in South Africa and discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned, but activists say gay and lesbian people are often attacked in townships. "We are hoping really that this finding will send a message to community members, a message that says gay and lesbian people have an equal right to the protection of their dignity," said Vincent Moaga, spokesman for the South African Human Rights Commission, which initiated the complaint against Mr Qwelane. The Sunday Sun officially apologised for the column following complaints after its publication, but Mr Qwelane refused to make an apology. The court agreed with commission's argument that Mr Qwelane's article, and the cartoon accompanying it, had promoted hatred against homosexuals, causing them emotional suffering. Mr Moaga said the money from the fine would be donated to gay rights organisations. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says Mr Qwelane was appointed as ambassador last year, raising concerns that he would fuel tensions in Uganda which has come under intense international pressure over plans to tighten laws against homosexuality. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, first introduced in 2009 and yet to be voted on in Uganda's parliament, seeks to increase the penalties for homosexual acts from 14 years in prison to life. It also proposes the death penalty for a new offence of "aggravated homosexuality" - defined as when one of the participants is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a "serial offender".

Summary: The South African ambassador to Uganda, a former columnist for South Africa's Sunday Sun paper, has been found guilty of hate speech for an anti-gay article.


Hurricane Harvey has produced high winds and extensive flooding forcing thousands of people from their homes. The closures are expected to cause a temporary spike in US gas prices. Analysts expect the economic impact of the storm to hit $40bn (Â£31bn; 33bn euros), with direct losses of $20bn. The storm's path through southeast Texas and the Gulf of Mexico has hit the heart of the US energy industry, an area home to almost half of US refining capacity and a fifth of its oil production. Houston, where water has overwhelmed the streets, is also the base of one of America's largest ports. US gas prices rose around 10% ahead of the storm, said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US. He expects prices to jump by another 20-30% over the next two weeks in the Texas region, with less significant increases elsewhere, he said. Food prices could also be affected, as shipments of wheat and soybeans are delayed, he added. Globally the impact is likely to be smaller, since the US is not a major source of energy exports and supplies remain historically high. Assuming the current weather forecast holds, Mr Brusuelas said he expects US prices to subside, as operations restart over the next two weeks. Over the longer term, the havoc wreaked by the storm on businesses and households is likely to reduce energy demand in the US, analysts from Goldman Sachs predicted. Houston is the fourth largest city in the US, and produces more than $500bn in economic activity annually. US economic growth could slow by about a tenth of a percentage point in the quarter as a result of the storm, said Mr Brusuelas. The economy should rebound in the following six months, as spending increases on reconstruction and other efforts. So far, oil and gas companies are focused on the immediate emergency and the safety of their personnel, without reports of major damages, said Bruce Jefferis, chief executive of Aon Energy, who is based in Houston. About 18% of oil and natural gas production in the Gulf has stopped, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. About 11% of all US refining capacity has also shut down, with others operating at reduced rates according to the most recent update from the US Department of Energy. Goldman Sachs put the figure higher at almost 17%. While big oil and gas companies are well-prepared for such abnormal weather, Mr Jefferis said the effect on families - many of whom are likely to be uninsured - and smaller businesses is likely to be far more significant. "Truly this is an unprecedented storm for the Texas area," he said. Hurricane Ike is estimated to have caused more than $12bn in insured damage when it hit Texas in 2008, with overall damages as high as $29bn. Mark Hanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas, said it's clear that damages caused by Harvey are more significant, but he cautioned that numbers for damages that are surfacing now - as rain continues to fall - are premature. "Nobody can put a

Summary: Many refineries have shut and almost a fifth of oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been suspended amid the largest storm to hit in the US in more than a decade.


Rory McWhirter has admitted collecting identity details from people he had deceived into applying for fake jobs at a Glasgow hotel. He used the details to obtain their marriage certificates before using them to register the fake births. McWhirter, 29, then used the birth certificates to claim benefits. He claimed tax credits amounting to £14,222, child benefits of £19,658 and a Sure Start maternity grant of £500. McWhirter, from Edinburgh, will be sentenced on 21 March. Dundee Sheriff Court was told that McWhirter was caught after returning to the scene of one of his early false birth registrations at Aberdeen registry office where he was recognised by staff. Around the same time, an "organised attack" on HMRC's computer systems - which showed that about 350 requests had been received for tax credit application forms from an address in Dundee and others in Campbeltown linked to McWhirter - triggered other alarms. Depute fiscal Vicki Bell told the court that McWhirter presented letters to registrars at various offices throughout Scotland purporting to be from doctors confirming the births of children at home. During the meetings he acted as if he was the male named on the marriage certificate while registering the birth, the court was told. Miss Bell said: "Four of the names used as claimants were traced and they advised they didn't make the claims. "They had all, however, applied for the same job for front-of-house staff at a four-star hotel in Glasgow advertised on Gumtree on March 2015. "The ad required a CV and a national insurance number. "It was then discovered that 14 claims for tax credits had been made by persons residing in Perth Road, Dundee, and in Campbeltown at flats related to the accused's company." After being traced, McWhirter said he considered the registration system in Scotland "archaic and easy to create false registrations." McWhirter admitted a charge of fraud committed between 1 June 2014 and 22 October 2015 at addresses across Scotland. His solicitor John McLeod told the court his client was under no illusion that imprisonment was likely to be "at the top of the list".

Summary: A businessman travelled around Scotland to register the births of 26 non-existent babies as part of a benefit fraud scheme, a court has heard.


Police said the 20-year-old victim was hit by a silver Vauxhall Vectra at 04:30 BST as he crossed Anderson Street, in South Shields. He died at the scene. The accident happened near the junction with Beach Road, police said. Northumbria Police said a 20-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He remains in police custody.

Summary: A man died after being struck in a suspected hit-and-run crash in South Tyneside.