Known as the New Jersey Nets for 35 years, the team will start the new season in the famous New York borough, and in a new stadium, the Barclays Center. Jay-Z, who owns shares in the club, has been a prime mover behind the NBA team's reincarnation, advising club executives, as well as designing club logos and apparel. He also stars in a series of eight sold-out concerts, starting on Friday, 28 September, to open the multi-purpose venue, which will be used for everything from sporting events, to concerts, to family shows. The music star, real name Shawn Corey Carter, was brought into the Nets fold in the mid-2000s by then-owner, and current minority stakeholder, property developer Bruce Ratner. It was Mr Ratner who also came up with the idea of moving the team to sports-mad Brooklyn, without a major professional sports team since the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team moved to Los Angeles in 1957. Ownership 'vision' "When Bruce Ratner first bought the team he brought Jay-Z into the ownership structure - that showed foresight," says Brett Yormark, Brooklyn Nets chief executive. "Jay-Z is from Brooklyn, he is of Brooklyn. So he recognised the vision when Bruce first announced his intention to come to Brooklyn." Mr Yormark says: "Jay-Z's role with the team has evolved." And the rapper worked closely with club executives on the two new club logos - one with a shield and one with a large B - and colours. "He is a confidant that I can reach out to - he has a tremendous understanding of current consumer trends," the Mr Yormark, 45, adds. The move completes a near eight-year battle for Mr Yormark to get the team into its new $1bn (Â£0.6bn) home, having to overcome the global financial crisis on the way. "We are very excited - I honestly think the Barclays Center, and the move of the Nets, has exceeded people's expectations," he says. "It has taken time to get to Brooklyn, but on 30 April we turned the page." That was when the red, white and blue of the New Jersey Nets was exchanged for the black and white Brooklyn look. The Brooklyn borough is roughly 10 miles (16km) across the Hudson from Newark, New Jersey, last home of the Nets. "It has been an incredible time since April - the public has really connected with the 'Brooklyn-isation' of our offer," Mr Yormark says. If its population was counted separately from that of New York, then Brooklyn would be the fourth biggest city in the US, offering a large potential fan-base. Mr Yormark says that sales of merchandise are going very well, and doing better than some long-established teams. Demand has exceeded expectation, and Mr Yormark was also pleased to see club merchandise on sale in London during a recent visit, given that the Nets are looking to create a global fan-base. Like all NBA teams, China is a major potential market, but for the Nets there is another specific nation they are targeting, the homeland of club majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov. "We have

Summary: Few, if any, leading sports clubs can say that a top rap star has played a role in their rebirth, but that is the case with the newly founded Brooklyn Nets basketball team.


Bates, 29, will feature for the county in the 50-over competition alongside former England captain Charlotte Edwards, who joined them in December. The right-hander will also rejoin Southern Vipers in the Women's Super League after the World Cup. She scored 232 runs at an average of 42 as the Vipers won the inaugural Super League title last season.

Summary: New Zealand women's captain Suzie Bates will play for Hampshire women ahead of the Women's World Cup in June.


McMahon, 27, can also be deployed in an attacking midfield role. An employment tribunal recently ordered Portadown to pay £7,000 in unpaid wages to McMahon, an outcome the Shamrock Park club say they will appeal. In June, an Irish FA disciplinary hearing ruled that McMahon had been paid while registered as an amateur. The registration case led to a 12-point penalty being handed down to the Ports, a decision which they are also in the process of appealing. Swifts head coach Rodney McAree described McMahon as "a wonderful talent". "The fact the Swifts play good football really made me want to join the club. I watched last season and anytime I saw them play I thought 'they play the game the right way' and that has attracted me to the club without a doubt," McMahon told the Dungannon FC website. Dungannon lie fifth in the Premiership table and travel to Seaview to face champions Crusaders on Saturday.

Summary: Dungannon Swifts have completed the signing of former Portadown and Bohemians forward Peter McMahon on a one-year deal.


Bedene, 27, forced eight break points in the match, converting three to beat the world number 77 in 65 minutes. The event is Bedene's first grass-court outing after a good clay campaign took him from 94th to 52nd in the world. He will play either fourth seed Gilles Muller or Italy's Andreas Seppi next. British and world number one Andy Murray will start his grass-court campaign at the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club next week alongside national number two Kyle Edmund. Davis Cup team-mate Dan Evans withdrew from the Nottingham Open on Monday with injury and is having treatment before the start of Wimbledon on 3 July.

Summary: British number four Aljaz Bedene made the quarter-finals of the Ricoh Open tournament in the Netherlands with a comfortable 6-3 6-4 win over the United States' Ernesto Escobedo.


The mother had intended for her son to look like his idol, AFL player Nic Naitanui, for his school's book week. But her Facebook post caused a huge outcry from those who saw it as racist. In a statement, the player said the boy's attempt to emulate his hero "hurts my heart". The Australian Football League player, who plays for West Coast Eagles, said children were "unaware of the painful significance" of blackface. Mr Naitanui, who is of Fijian heritage, said on Twitter that he didn't believe the mother had "any intention to cause harm". But he said she should "reflect and choose an alternate method next time". "It's a shame racism coexists in an environment where our children should be nurtured not tortured because they are unaware of the painful historical significance blackface has had previously." The Western Australian mother had originally made her post on the Facebook page of popular blogger Constance Hall. The woman, who is not being named by the media to protect her child, said her son regarded Mr Naitanui as his idol and he wanted to dress up as him for Book Week. She said she was worried about "politically correct extremists" but decided to dress him up as he wanted anyway, in an AFL strip, dreadlock wig and with body paint. "He is pastey white and if I just sent him in a wig and footy gear, no one would tell who he was. "So I grew a set of balls and painted my boy brown. After being told by everyone not to do it, my son won the parade!" The post, which has since been deleted, went viral amid widespread debate online. The mother later posted on her Facebook page that she had been "called every single name under the sun, had my words twisted into other people's negative interpretations". But she also said she had received messages of support from "amazing women all over the world". Mrs Hall later said she had also received a backlash, including death threats, for hosting the photo on her page. In an emotional post, she said she had "never received so much abuse" in her life, and that some was from the woman's family. "I didn't think I was shaming her at all, I clearly stated that I don't believe she is racist at all, she has a beautiful son with a great hero. I just don't think we should paint our kids in blackface if it offends and hurts people. " In an earlier post justifying her decision to delete the mother's post, she had said blackface was "hurtful to our indigenous brothers and sisters". The incident has also sparked furious debate on social media, between people who saw it as racist and people who thought it a child's innocent tribute. "How is blackface still happening in 2016?" a Twitter user said. "Dear white people. Please stop trying to defend #Blackface you're making us all look bad," said another. Briggs, a prominent Indigenous Australian rapper, said on Twitter: "Colour is not a costume." "All these white

Summary: An Australian footballer has called for better education about race, after a mother painted her son's skin brown as a tribute to him, drawing widespread criticism.


Guardiola had won his previous six games and 10 of his previous 11 matches in charge, but City were outplayed by a vibrant Spurs who moved second in the table and are now the league's only unbeaten team. Spurs dominated from the start and were in front early on when Aleksandar Kolarov sliced Danny Rose's cross into his own net after nine minutes. Dele Alli confirmed their superiority eight minutes before half-time with a cool finish from Son Heung-min's pass. Spurs could even afford the luxury of seeing Erik Lamela's second-half penalty saved by City keeper Claudio Bravo, and even though Sergio Aguero twice brought Hugo Lloris into action, once when he turned a shot on to the post, Mauricio Pochettino's side fully deserved a convincing win. If Liverpool are being touted as potential title winners after their fourth successive Premier League win at Swansea City on Saturday, then it is positively insulting to Tottenham not to elevate them to the same bracket after this pulsating performance. Spurs took charge from the first whistle against a City side many felt were shaping up to run away with the title - barely allowing Guardiola's side a second to breathe and refusing to allow them any time to impose their passing game. And it was all done without main marksman Harry Kane, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. In many respects this was the first time Spurs have fully hit their stride this season, and what a time to do it. On days like this the team that pushed Leicester long and hard for last season's Premier League title look the complete package from back to front. They have a reliable keeper in Hugo Lloris, strength in defence in the shape of Jan Vertongen and Toby Alderweireld allied to the midfield power of Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko plus the creation of Christian Eriksen, Alli and Son. This was a big statement. Media playback is not supported on this device Guardiola prides himself on the high pressing style of his side and work on the ball once they gain possession - they were beaten in all aspects of this by Spurs. One moment early in the second half summed up the way Spurs went about their business. Keeper Bravo was hurried into a clearance and when Nicolas Otamendi received the ball seconds later, he was surrounded and sliced the ball into touch to the obvious delight of Pochettino. It is City's first defeat under Guardiola, so hardly time for a mass inquest - but Spurs may have shown there is a way to unsettle his multi-talented side. Spurs and Manchester City were both missing big players in Kane and Kevin de Bruyne respectively - and there was no doubt who coped better. Pochettino understandably maintained faith in the revitalised South Korean Son. His energy in attack, while also acting as their first line of defence, typified Spurs and suited their style more than the physical presence of £17m summer signing Vincent Janssen. City showed the odd flash from Aguero but Raheem Sterling could

Summary: Tottenham deservedly ended Pep Guardiola's perfect Premier League start and underlined their own title credentials with a thrilling victory over Manchester City at White Hart Lane.


Media playback is not supported on this device Caley Thistle need to beat Well to stand a chance of Premiership survival. Victory, coupled with Hamilton Academical dropping points to Dundee, would see Inverness avoid finishing bottom, and automatic relegation, at the expense of a two-legged play-off. "The players need to look after themselves the next couple of days," Foran said. "We must go into details: what are you eating, what are you drinking? Don't get off your sofa, find babysitters for your kids - it's worth it, it's worth it. We need you to give your all now. "It's a massive game, but it's one you go and enjoy, one you take to Motherwell, whereas the Hamilton dressing room before their game will be very, very nervous." Inverness remain one point behind Accies at the foot of the table, heading into the final round of league fixtures. Their outlook seemed bleak when they were thumped by rivals Ross County in the first of the post-split matches, leaving Caley Thistle five points adrift. But wins over Accies, then Dundee on Wednesday night, have kept alive the Highlanders' hopes of retaining their Premiership status. "It was a wonderful, wonderful performance (against Dundee) and we need it again on Saturday against a top team," Foran added. "Motherwell have got two really good strikers, a strong midfield, defensively we'll have to be right at it once again. "All the pressure that was on our shoulders goes straight to Hamilton. We can't influence what happens at Hamilton but I do know, I've been in football a long time, they'll be feeling a hell of a lot of pressure right now. "There's no sugar-coating it, no hiding it, that pressure's lifted off our shoulders and goes straight onto the Hamilton players. It's a huge game for them, and we need the same passion, hunger, desire, as we had last night, and what will be will be." Foran insists he has no interest in keeping tabs on Accies' progress at New Douglas Park, as his side do battle with the Steelmen in Inverness. The former Caley Thistle stalwart, who made over 150 appearances for the club, has painful memories of their last top-flight exit, when a 1-0 defeat by Falkirk in 2009 sealed their relegation. "I missed a few great chances, so that haunts me to this day," Foran said. "We gave 100% effort and that's all you ask from the players now, 100% effort and commitment for the jersey. "The supporters were magnificent last night, I'm sure they'll be down in their droves again. We're going well, we're full of confidence and we can't wait for it now."

Summary: Inverness boss Richie Foran has urged his players to rest ahead of Saturday's seismic clash with Motherwell.


David Wotherspoon gave Saints the lead on the rebound from a Graham Cummins header that had hit the post. Josh Magennis levelled before the break as Killie recovered. Rory McKenzie's cross deflected off Brian Easton and deceived Alan Mannus to put Killie ahead and they held on for a maiden home win of the season. The Rugby Park side draw level on points with seventh-place Saints, who must pick themselves up for a Scottish League Cup tie at Rangers on Tuesday. Killie and Saints were chasing their first home and away wins of the campaign, respectively. And after last week's morale-boosting Tannadice triumph over Dundee United, Gary Locke sent the same team out again, resisting the temptation to throw in new signing Conrad Balatoni. Last week's hat-trick hero Steven MacLean was forced to sit out the match on the artificial surface with John Sutton plugging the gap up front for St Johnstone. Kilmarnock have toiled at times on their own patch and have twice been bludgeoned at home this season. Dundee and Ross County both left Killie licking their wounds with 4-0 butcherings. The match opened in quiet and even fashion with Saints striker Cummins claiming he had been hauled down just inside the box but referee Willie Collum was not interested. The visitors did not have to wait long to get in front, however. After excellent play by Liam Craig, Easton crossed for Cummins, whose header beat Jamie MacDonald and rebounded off the post allowing the on-hand Wotherspoon to slot home. It was just Wotherspoon's second goal in more than two years. Saints had been the better team and looked the more dangerous; despite Killie seeing more of the ball they struggled to break down their visitors' defence. As the match drew closer to the interval, the hosts began to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Killie's best bet appeared to be in the wide areas and it was from there they would level proceedings. Greg Kiltie exhibited what he can do with a superb cross for Magennis, who stretched his neck to loop a header past Mannus and equalise. Killie had won just one of the previous 15 meetings with Saints and it was Magennis who scored both that day. While Killie lost Daryl Westlake to injury in the first half, Darnell Fisher was withdrawn at the interval for Saints with Mark O'Hara and Steven Anderson the respective replacements. MacDonald has been inspirational for Kilmarnock this season and one of Locke's worst nightmares became reality when an early second-half collision saw him succumb to the injury. Ulsterman Conor Brennan replaced him at the end of a week that saw him recalled from a loan at Stranraer after fellow keeper Devlin McKay left for Derby County. However, it was his opposite number Mannus who was left watching in horror as Killie turned the game on its head. McKenzie's cross from the touchline nicked off Easton and looped over the Northern Irishman. The St Johnstone supporters would look on aghast again moments later when Michael O'Halloran was denied by

Summary: Kilmarnock made it back-to-back wins for the first time since January as they came from behind to beat St Johnstone.


All 18 centrally contracted England players will appear in the competition, running from 10 August to 1 September. Hazell, 28, moves from Yorkshire Diamonds, with all-rounder Danielle Wyatt, 25, the only other England player to change clubs. Wyatt, who played for Lancashire last season, has joined the Southern Vipers. Meanwhile, four overseas players are set to make their Super League debuts, with two more to be announced at a later date. South Africa's Sune Luus and New Zealand's Sophie Devine have joined Yorkshire, West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews has been allocated to Southern Vipers, while New Zealand bowler Lea Tahuhu has signed for Lancashire Thunder. England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor, 27, has been named in Lancashire's squad after taking a break from cricket to deal with anxiety. (all England unless stated) Lancashire Thunder: Kate Cross, Danielle Hazell, Sarah Taylor, Jess Jonassen (Aus), Amy Satterthwaite (NZ), Lea Tahuhu (NZ). Loughborough Lightning: Georgia Elwiss, Amy Jones, Beth Langston, Kristen Beams (Aus), Ellyse Perry (Aus), Elyse Villani (Aus). Southern Vipers: Tash Farrant, Danielle Wyatt, Suzie Bates (NZ), Hayley Matthews (WI), Dane van Niekerk (SA). Surrey Stars: Tammy Beaumont, Alex Hartley, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Rene Farrell (Aus), Marizanne Kapp (SA). Western Storm: Heather Knight, Anya Shrubsole, Fran Wilson, Rachel Priest (NZ), Stafanie Taylor (WI). Yorkshire Diamonds: Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn, Lauren Winfield, Sophie Devine (NZ), Sune Luus (SA), Beth Mooney (Aus).

Summary: England spinner Danielle Hazell has been named Lancashire Thunder captain as part of the player allocations for the Women's Cricket Super League.


PC David Norman, 52, of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, made the false statement after being called to a dispute between neighbours in Milford Haven. Swansea Crown Court heard he was "caught out" by a CCTV recording. He denies carrying out an act tending or intending to pervert the course of justice. The court heard PC Norman, who worked for Dyfed-Powys Police, arrested the man for a public order offence on 21 January, 2016. He later wrote a statement saying he had became "extremely abusive, shouting and screaming" and was swearing. But John Hipkin, for the prosecution, said PC Norman was "caught out" because the man had CCTV on his house which recorded images and sound and showed he spoke only in a normal voice. Mr Hipkin said that what PC Norman later told investigating officers might be the reason for the false statement. According to Mr Hipkin, he said: "I have been in situations with him before when he has been incredibly hostile to me and I have listened to him spouting out abuse and was shocked by his language." The man was arrested and spent two days in custody before being released, the court heard. Mr Hipkin added PC Norman "was adamant that he had not done it deliberately nor had he intended to pervert the course of justice". PC Norman added that he was having personal problems at the time of the incident. The trial continues.

Summary: A police officer "deliberately lied" in a witness statement claiming a man had behaved in an "extremely abusive" way, a court has heard.


Gwynedd council is a considering charging a premium on holiday homes. Councillor Jason Humphreys, however, fears the authority will lose out as people sidestep the charge by classing their second homes as self-catering businesses. Gwynedd said it was powerless to stop owners making the change. Some Welsh councils have voted through hikes in council tax charges for second homes, including Anglesey and Pembrokeshire, with other councils still consulting on a change. Since 2006, the number of self-catering units in Gwynedd has risen from 78 to 968. Changes to the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 mean councils have the ability to charge a premium on top of the existing council tax payments for second homes from the 2017-18 financial year. But self-catering units are classed as businesses and so their owners pay business tax to the Treasury rather than council tax. According to the law, self-catering units have to be made available for letting for 140 days a year, and owners have to prove they have been let for at least 70 days. Mr Humphreys, chairman of the council's corporate scrutiny committee, told the Post Cyntaf programme there was no mechanism for monitoring the situation. He called for AMs and MPs to demand a law change to make it compulsory for anyone seeking to reclassify their holiday home as a self-catering unit to apply for planning permission. But Peredur Jenkins, cabinet member responsible for resources, said the council had no power to stop owners from designating their properties as self-catering units. The council previously warned the potential "loophole" could leave authorities worse off. Mr Jenkins said Gwynedd was pressing the Welsh Government to consider changing the planning regulations to give local authorities the power to determine whether owners could re-classify their properties. The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the second home tax as an unfair "money-spinner", with shadow local government minister Janet Finch-Saunders calling it a "spiteful wealth tax". She said it was a "a direct tax on people with second homes, many of whom already pay twice for services they rarely use". An estimated 23,000 homes in Wales are empty or used as second homes.

Summary: Calls have been made for a law change to stop second home owners avoiding additional council tax by turning their properties into self-catering lets.


Dozens more bodies were retrieved from the ruined eight-storey Rana Plaza on Sunday. Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster has sparked nationwide anger. A preliminary government investigation said this week vibrations from four generators on the upper floors triggered the collapse. Main Uddin Khandaker, head of a government inquiry team, said the generators started up after a power cut, sending powerful vibrations throughout the building, which - together with the vibration of thousands of sewing machines - triggered the collapse. The building had been constructed with weak materials, such as sub-standard steel rods, Mr Khandaker added, which meant it could not withstand the vibrations. The architect of the building has said it was designed to house shops and offices rather than factories or industrial equipment, and that three floors had been illegally added to the original building. On Sunday evening, police working at the site of the collapse in Savar, outside the capital Dhaka, put the death toll at 610. But they would not say how many more bodies were likely to be recovered from the area. Profile: Rana Plaza owner Nine people have been arrested in connection with the collapse: the building's owner Mohammed Sohel Rana, his father Abdul Khalek, four owners of garment factories that operated inside the building, and three engineers. Factory workers have held daily protests demanding improved safety regulations and calling for tough punishments for those responsible for the disaster. But Bangladeshi Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said on Friday he did not think the collapse would have a "really serious" impact on the country's garment industry. Steps had been taken to prevent future accidents, he added. Bangladesh has one of the largest garment industries in the world, with factories supplying Western retailers such as Primark in the UK and Italy's United Colours of Benetton. The EU has said it is considering "appropriate action" to encourage an improvement in working conditions in Bangladesh's factories, including the use of its trade preference system, which gives Bangladesh duty- and quota-free access to markets in member states.

Summary: More than 600 bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a Bangladeshi clothing factory complex that collapsed last week, police say.


2 March 2016 Last updated at 15:49 GMT Being in space weakens your muscles so the pair needed to be helped from their capsule after it landed at around 4.30am this morning. Their 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station was twice the length of a normal stay. Now that they're back home they'll take part in studies to learn about the effects of spaceflight on the body. American space agency Nasa says the research will help them prepare to one day send humans to Mars.

Summary: The US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko have returned to Earth after spending almost a year in space on board the International Space Station.


For years the Necurs botnet has distributed junk mail and malware for many different groups of cyber-thieves. But the amount of malicious traffic emerging from Necurs has now dwindled to almost nothing. It is not clear what has caused the slowdown and whether traffic will return to previously high levels. One of the first signs of the disruption was seen earlier this month when email messages spreading the Dridex banking trojan and Locky ransomware caught by security firms dried up. Typically, millions of messages bearing these malicious programs are sent out every week, Proofpoint said in a blogpost. However, the flood of messages "essentially stopped" last week, it said. Investigations revealed that these messages typically travelled via the Necurs botnet which was found to have gone largely offline. The Necurs botnet is believed to be made up of about six million compromised Windows machines, many of which were enrolled when their owners inadvertently fell victim to a form of malware known as a rootkit. Analysis of some of the machines known to be part of Necurs shows that its core administration systems have disappeared, said Proofpoint. "Data from a variety of sources show that Necurs bots are actively looking for a new command and control (C&C) system, but we have no evidence that the Necurs botmaster has been able to retake control of the botnet." A botnet's C&C system helps the network keep running and co-ordinates the distribution of any spam or malware being sent out via the global collection of computers. Security researchers who monitor botnets and the groups that operate them said the cause of the shutdown remained a mystery. "We cannot confirm how the botnet was brought down yet," Joonho Sa, a researcher for FireEye, told tech news site Motherboard.

Summary: One of the biggest networks of spam-sending computers in the world has gone quiet, puzzling experts, internet security firms have said.


Set in a grand retirement home for ageing musicians, Quartet marks the 75-year-old's debut as a film director. The film has its gala screening at the London Film Festival on Monday night. Based on Ronald Harwood's play, Quartet is set in a home for retired musicians, where old rivalries are stirred up by the arrival of former opera singer Jean Horton (Dame Maggie Smith). She is joined in the cast by British heavyweights Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins and Michael Gambon. But Hoffman, who says the the story is about people in their "third act", hired a supporting cast of real-life elderly performers to give his film authenticity. "For these people the phone hadn't rung for 20, 30 or 40 years, even through they can deliver," he said on Monday. "These people in their 70s, 80s and 90s came with such verve every day - and that in itself made this an extraordinarily special occasion for all of us." Released in the UK in the new year, the film follows the box office success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, another ensemble piece about a group of British pensioners in a retirement hotel in India. "I think a lot of grown-ups would like films for grown-ups and about grown-ups," said Dame Maggie, who also starred in Marigold Hotel. "I don't think films about elderly people have been made very much, but they always seem to be fairly successful." The youngest member of the principal cast is Sheridan Smith, who plays the retirement home's medic, Dr Lucy Cogan. The actress said it had been "overwhelming" to be part of the film. "I tried to be like a sponge and take it all in." Hoffman's movie breakthrough was as Benjamin Braddock in 1967's The Graduate, for which he was Oscar nominated. He has also had nominations for Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Tootsie and Wag the Dog. He won the Oscar in 1979 for his role in Kramer vs Kramer and again in 1988 for Rain Man. Asked about Hoffman's skills as a debut director, Pauline Collins said: "Dustin is a dynamo and a darling. He's one of the most inspiring and kindest directors I've ever worked for because he understands how actors work because he is one." Explaining why it hadn't taken him so long to step behind the camera, Hoffman said: "Sometimes it takes you 40 years to get around to doing something."

Summary: Dustin Hoffman has sung the praises of the retired opera singers and musicians who appear in his new film, Quartet.


It praises the "strong leadership" of the service's new chief executive, with a turnaround in emergency response times for two months in a row. But a letter to the deputy health minister urges progress in eight areas. The ambulance service said it was committed to building on "the considerable good work that is already under way". The committee held an inquiry into the ambulance service, which has only hit the target figure for responding to emergency calls once in two and a half years. The Welsh government target is for 65% of ambulances to respond to emergency calls within eight minutes. In February crews hit the target 51.2% of the time but last December's figures - just 42.6% - were the worst on record. New chief executive Tracy Myhill said the latest figures were encouraging and she hoped ongoing improvement initiatives would start to bear fruit in the coming months. Health and social care committee chairman David Rees said he acknowledged her leadership and the practical actions taken "to bring about cultural change and drive up performance". But he insisted there needed to be "rapid and sustained improvement". "Despite this, the committee is not yet persuaded that performance is improving quickly enough." The committee's 10-page letter to Vaughan Gething sets out areas where progress was needed: After summoning health bosses to explain what has been going wrong, the assembly's health and social care committee, perhaps unsurprisingly, has called for several improvements. The committee wants ambulance bosses to make sure that enough staff are available in the right places to deal with "spikes" in demand. Assembly members also want changes made to prevent ambulances from being "pulled away" from remote areas resulting in "clustering" around emergency departments. A pilot project is currently underway in the Cwm Taf health board area where no vehicles are dispatched to calls outside of the Cwm Taf boundary, except for highest-priority Red 1 calls and major incidents. The chair of the committee David Rees has told BBC Wales that if the pilot is successful in improving response times similar programmes should be adopted across Wales. The committee has acknowledged recent progress in improving staff morale and building relationships with the unions. Mr Rees added: "Individually, frontline ambulance service staff fulfil challenging roles to high standards and provide help and support to people in times of need, but overall the ambulance service's response time performance is not where it should be." Mick Giannasi, chairman of the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust, said they were pleased the hard work of ambulance staff had been acknowledged. "What is important now is that we continue to drive our change agenda with pace and energy and retain our focus on doing the right thing for patients by providing high quality emergency unscheduled care in a timely way," he added. The Welsh government said Mr Gething would respond to the letter "in due course".

Summary: The ambulance service in Wales is not improving quickly enough, a cross-party committee of AMs has warned.


And its launch event could possibly be the biggest press conference. It's the bun-fight at the Hurlington Club, London, as each of the six captains and coaches complete a round of at least eight different interviews and conferences. Then there's the photo calls, a launch press conference, live television and general pressing of the flesh. With less than two weeks to go before the kick-off there were a number of issues which dominated the questioning. Bonus points will be awarded for the first time in the history of the tournament. A team scoring four tries will get a bonus point, as will a losing team who get within seven points of the winners - with a special three-point bonus for a team winning all five of their matches. Wales interim coach Rob Howley believes it could make for exciting rugby in the closing stages of games. "The history and the legacy of the Six Nations is about winning the game," he said. "There's no doubt there will be a mindset change in terms of the last 20 minutes of matches. If you find yourself near a bonus point you're more likely to go for it." Meanwhile, England head coach Eddie Jones says he is unfazed by the change to the points system. "I've grown up with bonus points. I was coaching Super Rugby when they first came in," he said. "It's always been the fact that if you play well you win and if you play really well you win with a bonus point. It's as simple as that." Media playback is not supported on this device New rules on high tackles have led to a number of yellow and red cards in domestic rugby and some fear the same could happen in the Six Nations. Howley says Wales have taken special measures in their preparations as a result. "I suppose it might open it up in terms of encouraging a more offloading game," he said. "We've got referee Nigel Owens coming in to give us a presentation and feedback from a meeting between the referees which will be a great insight and I'm sure the high tackle will be mentioned. "I'm sure players and supporters and coaches don't want Six Nations games turned on red card." England captain Dylan Hartley has not played a game since being shown a red card while playing for Northampton for a head-high tackle on Leinster's Sean O'Brien in a Champions Cup in December. "I've been working on the much-publicised tackle technique," he said. "I've been working very hard on that. We always want to tackle low but there are times in the game when if you're the second man low isn't an option. "The sanctions for a high tackle have changed to look after player safety. We're seeing a lot more cards and penalties and the players have to adapt." Wales go into the tournament with lock Alun Wyn Jones appointed as captain ahead of Sam Warburton, and Howley says it's already had an impact on training. "We've got a new captain and that changes

Summary: The Six Nations championship is often described as the biggest annual rugby tournament in the world.


Turkey midfielder Turan slotted in the first goal at the Nou Camp from Messi's through pass in the 10th minute. Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo then saved Vicente Iborra's penalty after Samuel Umtiti handled. Turan chipped in his second shortly after the break, with Messi guiding in a sublime header for the third. It is the first time Barcelona have won the Spanish Super Cup since 2013. The two-legged match usually pitches the league champions against the Copa del Rey winners. However, as Luis Enrique's team won both trophies last season, Sevilla took part as Copa del Rey runners-up. Both sides begin their La Liga season on Saturday, with champions Barcelona at home to Real Betis, while Sevilla, who finished seventh last May, host Espanyol.

Summary: Arda Turan scored twice and Lionel Messi once as Barcelona earned a 3-0 second-leg victory over Sevilla to win the Spanish Super Cup 5-0 on aggregate.


Ewan claimed his first Grand Tour stage victory by beating John Degenkolb and Peter Sagan in a sprint at the end of the 167.3km Rota-Alcala route. Giant-Alpecin's Dumoulin finished two seconds later in a pack for a one-second advantage over Esteban Chaves. Britain's Chris Froome was 12th and is 35 seconds behind overall. The Team Sky rider is aiming to become the third rider to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who started as one of the favourites for the title, dropped to fifth overall, 29 seconds adrift of Dumoulin. Stage five result: 1. Caleb Ewan (Aus/Orica)- three hours, 57 minutes and 28 seconds 2. John Degenkolb (Ger/Giant) Same time 3. Peter Sagan (Svk/Tinkoff - Saxo) Same time 4. Jempy Druecker (Lux/BMC Racing) Same time 5. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa/Movistar) +2secs 6. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita/Team MTN) +2secs 7. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/AG2R) +2secs 8. Daniel Moreno (Spa/Katusha) +2secs 9. Tosh Van der Sande (Bel/Lotto) +2secs 10. Nikolas Maes (Bel/Etixx - Quick-Step) +2secs 11. Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel/LottoNL) +2secs 12. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2secs 15. Tom Dumoulin (Ned)/Giant) +2secs General classification after stage five: 1. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Giant) 17 hours, nine minutes, six seconds 2. Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica) +1sec 3. Nicolas Roche (Ire/Team Sky) +16secs 4. Daniel Martin (Ire/Cannondale) +25secs 5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +29secs 6. Daniel Moreno (Spa/Katusha) +31secs 7. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +35 secs 8. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) +36secs 9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +37secs 10. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +48secs

Summary: Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands became the new Vuelta a Espana leader after Wednesday's fifth stage, won by Australian Caleb Ewan.


Marc Martin, 22, and Matt Preece, 21, died after the BMW hit a tree and flipped on to its roof in High Beeches Lane, Handcross, on 17 December. Two other passengers, a girl aged 16 and the 20-year-old driver, were hurt. The crash happened at about 22:00 GMT. Sussex Police said the man was being questioned on suspicion of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Summary: The driver of a car involved in a single-vehicle crash in West Sussex in which two men died has been arrested.


Reports say supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have booed Congress party chief ministers at three different official functions in the last few days. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's speech was repeatedly disturbed on Tuesday during an event in Mr Modi's presence. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, an ally of the Congress party, and Maharashtra's Prithviraj Chavan were also "heckled by BJP supporters" at different functions. Newspapers and websites feel such incidents are dangerous for India's federal structure. Such behaviour "is hardly reassuring for any leader who plans to share the stage with his PM", says an article on the First Post website. The article says that "at first blush, this may seem like a minor spat driven by political egoâ€¦ but it underlines a certain Jekyll and Hyde quality that Mr Modi's leadership has acquired..." "It's just bad precedent that will, in the end, undermine Mr Modi's own credibility when he talks of working with the opposition - or when he visits an opposition-ruled state and can't find a single chief minister who will share a stage with him," it adds. Following the incidents, several Congress leaders have declared that they will no longer share stage with Mr Modi. The Tribune says such anger is "manufactured" and is "directed only at the rival party's chief ministers". "The BJP is well aware that any protest in the presence of the PM would get wide publicity and thus serve the party's political strategy of creating an anti-Congress wave [in the upcoming state elections]," it says. However, the Congress party's decision to not attend any official events with Mr Modi has also attracted criticism in the media. "The Congress really appears to be losing the plot. This is evident from the childish reaction of some of its chief ministers who have refused to share the dais with Mr Modi," says the Hindustan Times. Meanwhile, the federal government has set a target of three years to clean the heavily-polluted Ganges river, reports say. Mr Modi had promised to clean up the river during his poll campaign speeches earlier in the year. The Ganges, India's longest river, is revered by Hindus and supports a third of the country's 1.2 billion people living on its floodplains. And finally, the Grand Prix will not make a comeback to India in 2015 after Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone declared that the troubled event has "run out of time" due to tax irregularities. "It is too late for 2015. We (Formula One Management and Jaypee) are looking at 2016 now and hopefully the tax issues in India will also be sorted out by then. The organisers also need to settle the existing contract before we get back," the Deccan Herald quotes Mr Ecclestone as saying. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.

Summary: Media in India are criticising the booing of opposition chief ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


Fe ddaw'r cyhoeddiad fis yn unig ers cyhoeddi canlyniadau profion rhyngwladol PISA, sydd yn awgrymu bod disgyblion 15 oed yng Nghymru ar ei hôl hi mewn pynciau gwyddonol. Bydd yr arian yn cael ei wario ar gynlluniau i wella sgiliau athrawon sydd yn dysgu gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg. Y nôd, yn ôl y llywodraeth, fydd helpu athrawon i fanteisio ar arferion da mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru ac yn rhyngwladol. Bydd ymgais hefyd i wella cysylltiadau rhwng ysgolion ag adrannau gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg mewn prifysgolion. Yn ôl yr Ysgrifennydd Addysg Kirsty Williams mae'r profion PISA wedi tanlinellu'r angen i godi safonau. Dywedodd: "Mae dealltwriaeth o wyddoniaeth yn hanfodol i'n pobl ifanc, o'r dechnoleg maent yn ei defnyddio a'r ffordd maent yn cyfathrebu i'r ynni maent yn ei ddefnyddio mewn byd sy'n newid yn gyflym. "Mae hefyd yn hanfodol i Gymru a sut rydyn ni'n datblygu ein heconomi. "Mae ein nod mewn gwyddoniaeth yn fwy na'r gallu i ymgymryd ag arbrofion syml neu gofio cysyniadau sylfaenol. "Yn hytrach rydyn ni am weld ein pobl ifanc yn gallu rhesymu'n wyddonol a deall gwerth dulliau gwyddonol o weithredu. "Mae hyn yn allweddol yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain a hefyd yn destun profion PISA." Dywedodd Kirsty Williams hefyd y bydd y cwricwlwm newydd "yn integreiddio'n well y dulliau hyn o fynd ati i addysgu a dysgu".

Summary: Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwario £4 miliwn mewn ymdrech i wella safonau dysgu gwyddoniaeth mewn ysgolion.


Former shadow minister Helen Goodman had tweeted: "If China is so great, why did @Jeremy_Hunt's wife come to England?" She has since deleted it. It comes after Mr Hunt said the UK had to become as hard working as Asia. The Labour Party said the tweet did not represent its views and that the Bishop Auckland MP would be reminded of her responsibilities. Issuing an apology on Twitter, Ms Goodman wrote: "Wish to absolutely totally apologise for earlier tweet." Several other MPs had replied to her original message, with former Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles saying he was surprised she could "send out something so vile". Fellow Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi even asked if Ms Goodman's account had been hacked, writing: "Helen that is a terrible thing so say. I hope you delete and apologise to Mrs Hunt." And Lib Dem leader Tim Farron wrote: "Clearly she missed the 'kinder politics' memo", pointing to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's call for an end to personal attacks in politics. Mr Hunt had made the comments at a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference last week. He said: "My wife is Chinese and if we want this to be one of the most successful countries in the world in 20, 30, 40 years time there is a pretty difficult question that we have to answer which is, essentially, are we going to be a country which is prepared to work hard in a way that Asian economies are prepared to work hard, in a way that Americans are prepared to work hard? "And that is about creating a culture where work is at the heart of our success." In a statement, issued before Ms Goodman deleted the tweet, a Labour spokesman said: "This does not represent the views of the Labour Party. Helen will be reminded of her responsibilities as an elected Labour politician." Labour's leader in the House of Lords Lady Smith said Goodman's tweet was "absolutely bizarre". She told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: "Presumably Mrs Hunt lives in the UK because she's married to Mr Hunt and she's in love with him and wants to be with him so end of story. "There's a lesson for all here, our partners and families are not in the public domain to be criticised or commented on." Mr Hunt married his wife, Lucia, in July 2009 and the couple have three children.

Summary: A Labour MP has apologised after making comments about Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's Chinese wife.


The Kyrgyz National Security Committee (GKNB) named the prime suspect as Akbarzhon Jalilov, a 22-year-old with Russian citizenship, born in the Kyrgyz city of Osh in 1995. He is thought to be among the dead. The hunt is on for possible accomplices. Russian officials suspect that he had links to so-called Islamic State (IS). So far few details have emerged about Jalilov. There are unconfirmed reports that he was an ethnic Uzbek. Russia's State Investigative Committee said "an explosive device could have been detonated by a man whose body parts were found in the third carriage of the train." "The man has been identified but his identity will not be disclosed for now in the interests of the investigation," the statement added. The bomb blew up in a train carriage which had just left Sennaya Ploshchad station. The driver managed to continue to Tekhnologichesky Institut station. Later a similar device was found propped up against a wall at another city metro station, Ploshchad Vosstaniya. The Russian news website Gazeta.ru reports that the bombs were concealed in car fire extinguishers, with ball bearings taped to the outside. The one which exploded is said to have been carried in a rucksack. Reports say Jalilov had been living in St Petersburg for six years and had used several passports. He had worked as a chef in a St Petersburg sushi restaurant, Gazeta reported. Kyrgyz investigators are working with Russian authorities on the case. Reuters news agency spoke to people in Osh who said Jalilov was from an ethnic Uzbek family. They said they knew his parents but had not seen him for years. They said his father worked as a panel-beater in a car repair shop. IS has recruited many Islamist militants from Central Asian republics and from Chechnya in the North Caucasus. Russian aircraft and cruise missiles have targeted IS and other rebel groups in Syria - a vital intervention for embattled Syrian government forces. Osh - Kyrgyzstan's second-largest city - was the scene of inter-ethnic clashes between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in June 2010, in which hundreds of people died. Home to a large ethnic Uzbek community, the city was the power base of former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was overthrown in April 2010.

Summary: The home-made bomb that killed 14 people aboard a St Petersburg metro train is believed to have been set off by a suicide bomber born in Kyrgyzstan.


Newcastle-based Out of the Kitchen had denied the unauthorised sale of nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas", through its Toon Whip brand. Although it is used legally in the catering industry, it can be fatal when used as a drug. The case followed an undercover investigation by the BBC in which a reporter was sold two canisters. Toon Whip advertised a "whipped cream delivery service", but the reporter was given instructions by the firm's staff on how to inhale the gas using a balloon. Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard Out of the Kitchen Limited made a profit of £40,000 in 2015-16, with £10,000 of that figure coming from Toon Whip. The fine must be paid within 14 days. Directors Jonathan Lawrence, 30, of Stamford, and David Jenkins, 29, of Newcastle, are also charged with the unauthorised sale of nitrous oxide. They have entered not guilty pleas. The case against them was adjourned until 23 January.

Summary: A catering firm has been fined £7,620 for selling gas used as a recreational drug.


The pound also strengthened against the dollar and euro, while Wall Street's rally continued for a second day. Some investors say last week's sell-off was overdone, while others are betting on central banks to rescue the global economy if needed with more stimulus. "It never was the end of the world," said strategist Jeff Weniger. The senior portfolio strategist at BMO Private Bank in Chicago. said: "To have these kinds of reactions was ridiculous." The FTSE 100 share index closed up 3.6% at 6,360.1 after a flurry of last-minute trading. At the close of trade on Thursday last week, before the referendum vote, the FTSE 100 ended the day at 6,338.10. "The plethora of bargains on offer, plus a welcome period of calm in the UK/EU relationship has provided the opportunity for markets to recover in impressive fashion," said Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at spread betting firm IG. he added. However Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital, warned reality was likely to bite soon. "What we're seeing in the FTSE is hope in Britain being able to ride it out by remaining part of the single market. This looks like wishful thinking." The FTSE 250 - which contains more UK-focused companies - closed 3.2% higher on Wednesday, but still remains more than 7% below its pre-Brexit level. Germany's Dax index ended the day 1.8% higher while France's Cac 40 closed up 2.6%. The pound rose 1.2% against the dollar to about $1.35, although it also remains well below levels reached before the referendum. The pound had risen as high as $1.50 on Thursday as traders anticipated a 'Remain' vote, but by Monday it had plunged to a 31-year low against the dollar. Sterling rose 0.8% against the euro on Wednesday to â‚¬1.2159. Before last week's referendum it had been trading around â‚¬1.30. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rose 1.64% and the broader S&P 500 was up 1.7% in the strongest two-day rally since February. The indexes have recovered more than half the losses suffered last week after the UK's referendum vote. Shares in Asia had also posted gains. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said investors had been reassured by hopes that Britain's EU exit wouldn't happen immediately, meaning the status quo was unlikely to change in the short term. "Whilst that doesn't remove the uncertainty with respect to the eventual outcome, it also means that markets are going to have plenty of time to settle into their new-found reality and equilibrium," he said. But Adam Jepsen, founder of Financial Spreads, urged caution: "Any investors who think the markets have calmed down should think again. It is far more likely that we are in the eye of the storm." Shares in the UK's financial sector - which had been particularly hard-hit in the wake of the referendum - continued to recover, with Prudential up 5.5% and Barclays 4.9% higher. The increases came despite credit rating agency Moody's cutting its outlook on the UK banking sector to "negative" from "stable" late on Tuesday. Moody's also downgraded

Summary: The FTSE 100 has surged through the level it closed at last Thursday, recovering all of the ground it had lost in the wake of the Brexit vote.


Kirsty Maxwell, from Livingston, died on Saturday in the tourist area in south east Spain. It is thought that she was part of a group of more than 30 women who had travelled to the resort for a hen weekend. A British man was arrested by police in Benidorm in connection with the incident, before being later released. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of a British national who sadly died in Benidorm on 29 April." He added: "We are in contact with the local authorities following the arrest of a British man." Mrs Maxwell's body is understood to be found near the swimming pool at the Apartamentos Payma on Saturday.

Summary: A West Lothian woman has died at a holiday apartment block in Benidorm during a hen party.


Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union will walk out on 19 May. In a ballot, 96% of the 150 affected members voted for strikes on a 53% turnout. 247 people are employed at the office in St Paul's Place. BIS said it will provide "comprehensive support" to affected staff. The government announced plans to shut the office by 2018 in January. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: "This vote sends the clearest possible message to BIS ministers and senior officials that these plans are wrong and must be reversed. "The closure of this office is precisely the opposite of what the government claims to want for the North and the wider civil service." He said the union was also considering a timetable for further walkouts. Announcing the plans, permanent secretary Martin Donnelly said it was part of a move to create a combined central HQ and policy centre in London and establish six business centres across the UK. He said the decision was taken in an effort to "modernise the way we work, reduce operating costs and deliver a simpler, smaller department that is more flexible and responsive". A BIS spokesperson said: "Whenever a proposal such as this is made, people's livelihoods and families are directly affected, and these decisions are never easy. It remains our top priority that all our staff are fully briefed and consulted during the process. "We take their future and the contribution they have made very seriously, and will provide comprehensive support to all those facing a potential change or loss of job."

Summary: Civil servants at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have announced plans to stage a 24-hour strike in protest at plans to shut the department's Sheffield office.


The 52-year-old, a former international in both sports, took 2-24 after turning out for Scotland veterans in their 125-run defeat by Lancashire over-50s. The match was played to commemorate 30 years since Scotland beat Lancashire - their first win over county opposition. Goram had a 23-year football career and played four times for Cricket Scotland. He remains the only person to have played in a first-class cricket match and a full international football match for Scotland. In 1989, he played against the touring Australians but went wicketless as Mike Veletta and Tom Moody hit centuries.

Summary: Andy Goram is known as one of Scotland's greatest goalkeepers, but on Wednesday he reminded people he was also a dab hand with the cricket ball.


The crash at Meenaduff, between Buncrana and Clonmany in July 2010 was Ireland's worst ever road accident. Hugh Friel, 66 and seven men, aged between 19 and 23, died in the crash. Shaun Kelly, of Hill Road in Buncrana, had previously pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving. Seven of the victims were travelling in the same car. They were 21-year-old Mark McLaughlin, from Fahan; Paul Doherty and Ciaran Sweeney who were 19 and from Ballyliffin; Patrick McLaughlin, 21, from Burnfoot; 22-year-old Eamonn McDaid and 21-year-old Damien McLaughlin, both from Buncrana, and James McEleney, 23, from Clonmany. Father Michael Sweeney said the end of the court case would "bring a little closure to the families". "It will take years for them to come to terms with their great loss, but this court case has been pending for the last four years," he said. "For them, each time it came up for review, it was like revisiting the scene of the whole bad experience and trauma of the terrible event. Kelly was driving a black Volkswagen Passat with the seven passengers when it collided with the car driven by Mr Friel. He was the only survivor of the crash and sustained serious injuries. He changed his plea as the jury was being sworn in at Letterkenny Circuit Court on Tuesday. Fr Sweeney said: "It was a brave thing for him to do, to plead guilty to dangerous driving, and I feel sorry for him that he has to live with the consequences of that for the rest of his life. "The whole community was totally shocked - it was one funeral after another, and each one of those traumatised the whole community who turned out to support those people."

Summary: A man's guilty plea to causing the deaths of eight men in a road crash in County Donegal has spared their families further trauma, a local priest has said.


There are growing divisions in the right-wing party over Mr Orban's steps to turn Hungary into an "illiberal democracy", despite a third election victory this year: Even though a majority of Hungarians oppose their policies - 2.8 million against to 2.3 million in favour in April - opposition parties are weak and divided, with the exception of the radical nationalist Jobbik movement, which has emerged as the main rival to Fidesz. But the mood in the corridors of power is wretched. In a country where backbench rebellions are almost unknown, politicians contend themselves with hints of dissent in anti-government media, and more open attacks on Viktor Orban's policies in pro-government media. A new, pro-Russian foreign policy sits particularly awkwardly in a party which rose to fame in 1989 as the first to demand publicly that Soviet troops leave Hungary. It began with a photograph of Viktor Orban shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in January, after signing a highly controversial nuclear expansion deal. When the Russians annexed Crimea in March, the Budapest government criticised the beleaguered Ukrainian government in Kiev, and stated publicly that all it cared about was the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine. In July, Hungary's embassy in Estonia was closed down at a moment when the Baltic states - Hungary's Nato allies - felt under most pressure from Moscow. Mr Orban has consistently opposed EU and US sanctions against Russia, on the grounds that "we should be doves in economic policy, and hawks in defence". In an August speech to Hungary's ambassadors, he called openly for an unprincipled foreign policy, placing foreign investment in Hungary above any moral considerations such as a trade partner's human rights record. And in September, within an hour of Mr Orban meeting with the chief of Russia's state-owned gas giant, Gazprom, the reverse flow of gas to Ukraine in Hungary's pipelines, which had been annoying Russia, was stopped. Dismay is growing within Fidesz at his domestic policy too: at government corruption, the playboy lifestyle of numerous party officials, and an economic policy which consistently suppresses the value of the Hungarian currency, the forint. There is also increasing rivalry between the oligarchs: the rich men who fund the party from behind the scenes, on a model learnt from the former communists. "Unprincipled decisions cause harm, even if that is not visible in the short term," parliament speaker Laszlo Kover, a founding member of Fidesz and close friend of Mr Orban said in August in the main pro-government weekly newspaper. This was in reply to a question on the rise of communist-era secret service loyalists and businessmen with offshore accounts in government ranks. The editor of the same weekly, Gabor Borokai, himself a former Fidesz government spokesman, lambasted what he called a "self-assured and arrogant social group" of young Fidesz leaders who believed they were beyond the law. This was apparently a reference to 36-year-old Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his friends. Another intra-Fidesz dispute has broken out over the extensive power of Janos Lazar, 39, the minister in charge of Mr Orban's office, who

Summary: Hungarians are commemorating the anniversary of their 1956 revolution against Soviet rule but many senior figures in the ruling Fidesz party believe Prime Minister Viktor Orban is steering the country back to its authoritarian past.


following a breach of club discipline at Posh. Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson has said he does not see a future for the forward at London Road. "Obviously I'm contracted there so that is my parent club," Barnett told BBC Radio Suffolk. "But if I could get away I would be delighted." Barnett's Posh exit came after he and winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, now on loan at Portsmouth, were "There's always regrets because I didn't want to leave the club in the way that I did," he said. "I'd rather it be on good terms. But that's life. You take it, get on with it and hopefully I can move on." Barnett has said supporters at his new club should not base their perception of his character on the manner of his Peterborough exit. "I'd say take it with a pinch of salt. The lads and people who know me know I'm not a troublemaker or whatever people want to come up with," he said. "When you get to know me I'm an all right guy." The former Macclesfield frontman switched to Peterborough from Crawley in a club-record £1m move in February and went on to score four goals in 13 games. But, after netting just once in 10 this term, he hopes to contribute the goals Town need to haul themselves out of the Championship relegation zone. "I want to play as many games as I can and hopefully prove myself at this level," he said. "I'm fairly confident I can get goals. I just need to get a few more games under my belt, get to know the lads a bit better and I'm confident in my ability. It's got me this far."

Summary: Ipswich Town striker Tyrone Barnett has said he would be "delighted" if he never returned to Peterborough United.


On Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron said Crewe could lose HS2 investment in a post-election Labour-SNP deal. But SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie described the comments as "utterly meaningless" and "preposterous". Crewe's Labour candidate Adrian Heald said he would "not support any move to jeopardise the HS2 line at Crewe". A report last year into the route of the high-speed rail line running north from London recommended a new station be built in Crewe. But Mr Cameron said a minority Labour government, backed by the SNP, means schemes could be dropped. The prime minister said projects linked to HS2 that could be jettisoned include Crewe's planned University Technical College and the Railway Exchange Training Academy. Also speaking on Monday, Chancellor George Osborne said: "The SNP deputy leader has said in the last couple of days, if there was a minority Labour administration that needed SNP help to get their legislation through 'we might well say let's not have HS2 go to Manchester and Birmingham, let's have it start in Edinburgh and Glasgow'. "That is tearing up the plan for huge investment in Crewe. That is cancelling the thousands of jobs and businesses that will come to this town. "That is a billion pound blow to Crewe and is the price tag of voting for Labour and Ed Miliband here." While Labour has ruled out a coalition with the SNP, Scottish nationalists for their part have said they could support a minority Labour government on an "issue-by-issue" basis. Echoing the SNP's manifesto, Mr Hosie said he would like to see a Scottish section of HS2 built "at the same time" as the first phase planned between London and the West Midlands, allowing the line to "meet in the middle" of the country. "Why would that put investment in Crewe at risk?" he said. "What would put Crewe investment at risk is the Â£30bn cuts presented by Cameron and friends." Meanwhile, Labour candidate Mr Heald said: "HS2 is the best opportunity to generate prosperity in Crewe and South Cheshire." He said Labour is "fully supportive" of the HS2 line. Crewe and Nantwich in Cheshire is a marginal Conservative constituency. Roy Wood, Liberal Democrat candidate, confirmed his party were "strong supporters of HS2 even when other parties were wavering" and that David Cameron's comments were "scaremongering from someone who is getting desperate." UKIP is the only party standing in Crewe and Nantwich to reject plans for HS2. Richard Lee, the party's candidate, said UKIP believed the line was "an unaffordable white elephant" and that money could be better spent on upgrading the local and regional rail network. "The benefits to Crewe, if any, will not be felt in Crewe for a number of years anyway, and it sounds as though David Cameron is merely scaremongering," he said. "UKIP are fully committed to technical colleges and practical apprenticeship training in schools regardless of HS2." The candidates standing in Crewe and Nantwich are:

Summary: Conservative claims that Labour and the Scottish National Party (SNP) could reduce high-speed rail investment in Crewe have been dubbed "preposterous".


The first leg of the Champions League qualifier at Windsor Park in Belfast was marred by incidents. Play was held up when a bottle was thrown at Griffiths and there was an attempted pitch invasion at full-time. Linfield have been charged by Uefa with the "throwing of objects" and a "field invasion". Scottish champions Celtic have also been charged with "improper conduct of the team" after they picked up more than five bookings. One of the players booked was Griffiths, who was shown a yellow card by referee Alejandro Hernandez as he picked up a bottle that had been thrown at him while he was taking a corner. Police with dogs were deployed at full-time to stop a pitch invasion. European football's governing body Uefa will deal with the case on 20 July, the day after the return leg in Glasgow. Celtic had decided not to take up an allocation of tickets for the game because of security concerns - but around 300 fans watched. Speaking after the match, Celtic manager Brendan Rogers said: "Players go onto the field and it should be a safe environment for them. You want the passion from the stands to stay in there - but if you take that away from it, it was a good evening." Police Scotland released a statement urging fans to remain "focused on the football" during the return leg. Superintendent Craig Smith said a "robust policing plan" had been put in place following co-operation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He added: "Anyone who is intent in causing disorder or hate crime can expect to be arrested by police."

Summary: Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has been charged with "provoking spectators" after he tied a scarf to the goal following Friday's 2-0 win at Linfield.


London Street in Norwich was pedestrianised on 17 July 1967. The pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre is often referenced by fans of the fictional DJ, played by comedian Steve Coogan. The Norwich Society said the city had "pioneered pedestrianisation in the UK". Alan Partridge posed the question "what do you think about the pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre?" during an intimate scene. In the episode from 1997, Partridge said: "I'll be honest, I'm dead against it. People forget that traders need access to Dixons. "They do say it will help people in wheelchairs." Norwich City Council approved plans to pedestrianise more parts of the city in 2015. Paul Burall, vice chairman of the Norwich Society, said: "Norwich pioneered pedestrianisation in the UK and continues to extend the benefits, with another two streets being pedestrianised in the last two years. "While a few local people agree with Alan Partridge and still want to be able to drive everywhere, the vast majority welcome the ability to walk around without the noise, pollution and potential danger from traffic, and the great majority of traders recognise the benefits as well." Norwich is far from being the only town or city whose profile has been raised by its television connections. During the pedestrianisation ceremony, the then Lord Mayor of Norwich CH Sutton tied - rather than cut - a ribbon across London Street to signify its closure to traffic. Although other shopping areas - such as those in new towns like Stevenage - were made pedestrian-only long before London Street, the Norwich road was the first to be closed to motorised traffic and given over to pedestrians.

Summary: A city whose traffic plans were made famous by Alan Partridge is marking 50 years since one of its roads became the first to be pedestrianised in England.


Garry Barlow, 49, from Liverpool, was one of six Britons killed by Islamist militants in the siege. Lorraine Barlow told the BBC she had been given no information about the progress of the investigation or whether there was sufficient security. The siege ended after Algerian forces stormed the site. Mrs Barlow first learned about the attack on the gas facility when her husband called and said he had been taken hostage by extremists who had strapped explosives to his body. She had two more increasingly frantic calls but was later told he had been killed. In an interview with the BBC, Mrs Barlow said she was shocked and distressed at the attitude of BP - which is part of the joint venture that runs the site - after her family were not invited to a memorial service. The company said her husband was employed by an agency and not BP. In a statement, BP said: "The terrorist attack at In Amenas was an unprecedented and horrific criminal terrorist act which has profoundly impacted the lives of many people. "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families of all those who were killed. "The In Amenas plant is run by a joint venture between Sonatrach, (the national oil company of Algeria), BP and Statoil. "The joint venture has its own management and operates independently. Some personnel are seconded by the shareholders to the joint venture, which also engages contractors and international agency personnel directly, including through Garry Barlow's Swiss employer IOTA." The investigation into the attack is being led by the Algerian authorities. Officers from Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist squad have been to Algeria to gather evidence for the British inquests. A lawyer representing 30 bereaved relatives and survivors of the attack said they feared the process may not address the wider questions about how their loved ones died. Forty-eight foreign workers were killed following the siege at the In Amenas plant. Twenty-two British survivors were flown back to the UK and reunited with their families, while Algeria said 29 militants were killed and three captured alive. Mr Barlow was a system supervisor at the In Amenas plant.

Summary: The widow of a British hostage killed in an attack on an Algerian gas plant in January has said she still does not know how her husband died.


The doubles pair lost Monday's third-round match 6-3 4-6 6-4 3-6 14-12 to Jonny Marray and Adil Shamasdin. The first code violation came after umpire Aurelie Tourte refused Cuevas a toilet break; the Uruguayan then showed his frustration at double-faulting. "You have to take bad calls on the chin at some point," said Britain's Marray. The earlier code violation was handed to Cuevas for unsportsmanlike behaviour when he threatened to wee into a ball can after being told he could not leave the court to visit the bathroom. He then angrily smashed a ball out of the court following a double fault and the 15th seeds were docked a point, resulting in Cuevas and his partner sitting down and refusing to play the final game. A supervisor had to be called. "I went to the bathroom twice during the match and obviously the fifth set was a long one. I think you should be allowed an extra toilet break if it's five sets," said Marray. "You have to respect the officials regardless of whatever happened in the match. You can have a word or two but they're trying to do a job and you have to respect that." Shamasdin added: "I don't think the chair umpire really had the match controlled. She made a few mistakes early on at both ends. We were all on her and she was definitely flustered. I don't think she handled it correctly." You can now add tennis alerts in the BBC Sport app - simply head to the menu and My Alerts section

Summary: Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers held a sit-down protest after receiving warnings for threatening to wee in a can and hitting a ball out of court.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 1 September 2015 Last updated at 17:31 BST Alister Colley, who has a studio in Pateley Bridge near Harrogate, said to hear he had won was "almost unbelievable". The title means he has become the most sought-after and collected artist in the country. Colley said creating the official picture for the Grand Depart had put him on "a whole new international platform". He has now been asked to be official artist for next year's Grand Depart.

Summary: An artist who painted the official picture for the Tour de France's Grand Depart from Yorkshire in 2014 has won the accolade of Best-selling Published Artist 2015.


A UKIP MEP complained about the pictorial instructions on how to vote, which show a pencil hovering over the Remain box. The election watchdog said the graphic "shouldn't have been used". Bristol City Council said it would amend the form and insisted it was not trying to influence the vote. Follow the latest developments on our live page Mike Hookem, a UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said a constituent of his had been alerted to the Bristol area postal voting packs. "Any ballot papers which have gone out with marks showing either remain or leave boxes being ticked in the example need to be recalled and the person responsible needs to be investigated" Mr Hookem said. "It may be an isolated incident around Bristol but in the interests of democracy we cannot take that risk." The Leave.EU campaign tweeted images of the postal ballot instructions and called on supporters to tell them if they had received the packs. Both sides in this referendum campaign are on high alert for any hint of bias, particularly in official documents. So it is, perhaps, no surprise that Bristol City Council's leaflet has caused such a row. The council insists the graphic is entirely innocuous - but UKIP says it is a clear example of establishment bias in favour of the Remain campaign. There is even a suggestion that it could leave the result of the referendum open to legal challenge. The Electoral Commission has told Bristol council not to use it again. But with reports of similar leaflets dropping on doormats around the country it may be too late to do anything about it. A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said: "While it is unlikely that postal voters in Bristol might be persuaded to vote a different way because of the graphic in these instructions, clearly it shouldn't have been used. "We are following up with the counting officer for Bristol City to ensure that it is amended before any further postal voting packs are issued to voters in the area." A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: "This form is designed to explain the logistics of voting by post and not to suggest how someone should vote. "The placement of the pen graphic was entirely incidental and we do not believe that anybody could reasonably be influenced by such a graphic. "However, given current sensitivities, for all future postal vote dispatches the form and graphic will be amended."

Summary: The Electoral Commission has called on Bristol city council to scrap an EU referendum how-to-vote guide over claims it favours the Remain campaign.


McDowell has dropped to 89th in the world rankings and as is stands, is not in the field for the Masters or the WGC Match Play in Mexico in early March. "The Masters is not something I'm going to beat myself up about," said the 2010 US Open champion, who is now 37. "If come Bay Hill (mid-March) I'm not in, I'm not going to add more events." However, McDowell believes with him playing in Qatar and Dubai on the European Tour and the Genesis Open and Honda Classic in America over the coming five weeks, he is capable of putting himself in contention to earn spots at the World Match Play and Augusta. "I'm more motivated than I have been for a while. I still have the belief that my good is good enough (to compete at the very top). I have just got to work hard and get out and be calm and believe in myself," added McDowell, who missed out on a fifth Ryder Cup appearance last year. McDowell says his watchword in the early weeks of the season will be "patience" as he focuses on the whole campaign rather an obsession with ensuring a ninth Masters appearance. "World ranking is very important but it's a step by step process. Getting back in the top 50 is goal number one and then back into the top 25 and competing in all the major championships. "How long is the road going to be? It could be a long road or a short road but I'm going to be patient with it. "The Masters is not going to be the be all and end all for me as my record around Augusta is not great. "Things like the World Match Play and getting ready for the British Open are also on my radar." McDowell did achieve five top-10 finishes in 2016 but he admits he "struggled for consistency" for much of the season. "I felt like when I played well, I did play well and posted some decent finishes but I was inconsistent and missed a lot of cuts." The Northern Irishman accepts that becoming a father for the second time during the year may have allowed his focus to drift away from his golf. "Getting married and having children are big steps in life. You never really understand what they are going to do to you from a priorities points of view, a mental point of view and a desire to play golf point of view. "I think they affected me more than I thought they were going to but I wouldn't change anything for the world. I've got two very healthy and beautiful young kids at home and I'm enjoying that stage of my life."

Summary: Graeme McDowell says he will not frantically chase a spot at this year's Masters as he prepares to begin his season at this week's Qatar Masters.


Media playback is not supported on this device Champion jockey AP McCoy was denied a fairytale Aintree farewell, finishing fifth on favourite Shutthefrontdoor. Aspell, who won in 2014 aboard Pineau De Re, steered his 25-1 shot to the front three fences from home and then held off the challenge of Saint Are to win by a length and three-quarters. Monbeg Dude finished third and Alvarado came in fourth. Aspell, 38, becomes the first jockey since Brian Fletcher on Red Rum in 1973 and 1974 to win back-to-back Nationals, while it was a third success for 79-year-old owner Trevor Hemmings, who has previously won with Hedgehunter and Ballabriggs. Aspell said: "It was wonderful and we will certainly celebrate tonight. I asked some big questions, but he dug deep. "We really refreshed and recharged his battery and I tried to conserve energy. He is all heart. All season, he has had hard races. Win lose or draw, that's the best ride I have had in the National. I just hoped his battery life lasted out and it did." McCoy appeared well placed in the latter stages, but Shutthefrontdoor tired badly from the elbow. "I thought from the third-last fence I was running on empty," McCoy said. "I will miss riding horses and races like that. I thought for a long way he could win. It was my last National but was a very enjoyable one." The Northern Irishman had said he would retire immediately if he had won, but the 40-year-old could now race on until the Sandown meeting at the end of April. Winning trainer Oliver Sherwood was in tears after his decision to run Many Clouds was vindicated. The eight-year-old was a disappointing sixth in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup after winning the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November and scoring at Cheltenham in January. Many Clouds becomes the youngest winner of the National since Bindaree in 2002 and at 11st 9lb, the heaviest winner since Red Rum. He also won £561,300 for Hemmings out of a total prize fund of £1m. About 72,000 spectators turned out on a sunny day at Aintree to watch the 168th running of the National. McCoy had been strongly backed in the lead-up to the race - with more money wagered on this National than any other horse race - and bookmakers had feared a £50m pay-out if he had claimed his second victory over the 30 National fences. Nina Carberry, the only female jockey in the race, finished 16th on First Lieutenant. Balthazar King, one of the favourites, had a heavy fall at the Canal Turn and was taken to University of Liverpool Equine Hospital (Leahurst) for further assessment. Top six: 1. Many Clouds (25-1) 2. Saint Are (25-1) 3. Monbeg Dude (40-1) 4. Alvarado (20-1) 5. Shutthefrontdoor (6-1 fav) 6. Royale Knight (25-1). Nineteen of 39 starters finished - click here for the full finishing order.

Summary: Many Clouds won the 2015 Grand National to give jockey Leighton Aspell his second consecutive victory in the race.


Kids Company shut its doors in early August, just days after Matthew Hancock and Oliver Letwin, ministers at the Cabinet Office, told officials to pay it £3m. This payment would always have been controversial: a senior civil servant had used a rarely-deployed formal process ("seeking a ministerial direction") to publicly note his reservations about plans to fund the charity. The NAO, Parliament's spending watchdog, however, reveals that civil service worries were very longstanding. The document will bolster concerns that the charity was, indeed, extremely poorly run: civil servants complained for more than a decade about its management under Camila Batmanghelidjh, its former chief executive, and Alan Yentob, the charity's chair of trustees from 2003 until it closed (he is also the BBC's creative director). The fundamental question that the NAO sought to address is why, given concern about the charity for more than a decade, Kids Company was able to raise more than £40m from government departments. The document provides some evidence that the answer to this question is that the charity followed what Ms Batmanghelidjh referred to in an internal 2002 strategy document as a "bully strategy" to get money: threatening ministers "with the outcomes of failing to deliver care to children". The NAO says that the charity "followed a consistent pattern of behaviour that we observed in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015, each time Kids Company approached the end of a grant term... Kids Company [would] lobby the government for a new funding commitment." It continues: "If officials resisted, the charity would write to ministers expressing fears of redundancies and the impact of service closures. "Around the same time, Kids Company would express the same concerns in the media. "Ministers [would] ask officials to review options for funding Kids Company. Officials would award grants to Kids Company." The document includes concerns noted by officials which recurred in part or in full throughout its life: officials told ministers in 2002 that Kids Company had been weakly managed, was not well regarded at a local level, that government funds would be put at risk if the charity failed, that a bail-out would set an unhelpful precedent and that there were other investments that could offer better value for money. The NAO published a large table setting out which of these and other concerns were subsequently raised by officials in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2015. Meg Hillier, chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: "It is unbelievable that over 13 years taxpayers' money has been given to Kids Company with little focus on what it was actually achieving for the children it was supporting. "Government repeatedly raised concerns about Kids Company's finances but little action was taken. Despite this, government gave it further grants - funded by the taxpayer." And so, after a lot of analysis of the charity, the focus of the Kids Company saga now passes to Whitehall and Westminster. As the charity's constant champions, ministers have something to fear. In mid-November, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) expect to question Mr Hancock and Mr Letwin

Summary: Kids Company won public funding for 13 years from government ministers despite grave reservations repeatedly being raised by civil servants, according to a new report into the now-closed charity by the National Audit Office.


The Pentagon chief also said Pyongyang would be "grossly overmatched" in a war against the US and its allies. His stark warning comes a day after President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to assure Americans there was no imminent threat. In Wednesday's strongly worded statement, Mr Mattis called on Pyongyang to halt its arms programme. "The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) must choose to stop isolating itself and stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons," the US Marine Corps general said. "While our state department is making every effort to resolve this global threat through diplomatic means, it must be noted that the combined allied militaries now possess the most precise, rehearsed and robust defensive and offensive capabilities on Earth." Pyongyang's actions "will continue to be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates", Mr Mattis added. Mr Trump - who has said he will not allow Pyongyang to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the US - boasted earlier on Wednesday of America's atomic arsenal. In early morning tweets from New Jersey where he is on holiday, the president said the US nuclear stockpile was "more powerful than ever before". He added that he was hopeful "we will never have to use this power". End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump End of Twitter post 2 by @realDonaldTrump The tweets come amid escalating rhetoric between the two sides. North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency said on Wednesday that Pyongyang was "carefully examining" a plan to strike the US territory of Guam. The Pacific island is home to US military bases, strategic bombers and about 163,000 people. Stopping in Guam to refuel after a trip to South East Asia, Mr Tillerson said he was hopeful a global "pressure campaign" involving Russia and China could lead to new dialogue with Pyongyang "about a different future". America's top diplomat also defended President Trump's language. He said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not understand diplomatic language, and a strong message was needed that he could understand. Mr Tillerson added the situation had not dramatically changed over the last few days, and that Americans "should sleep well at night". China has urged calm, describing the situation as "complex and sensitive". Anthony Zurcher, BBC senior North America reporter As Donald Trump made his "fire and fury" threat against North Korea, the lone camera in the room zoomed in for a tight shot. It would have been telling to see the effect those words had on his advisers. Did they nod knowingly or look surprised? Was this part of the plan or an off-the-cuff presidential remark they'd have to clean up? A day later and thousands of miles away, Rex Tillerson had out his mop and broom. The secretary of state said Mr Trump was merely reasserting that the US would defend itself if attacked, using language North Korea would understand. That's not exactly what the president said, however. He warned of retribution if Kim Jong-un continued to make

Summary: US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has told North Korea to avoid actions that could usher in the "end of its regime and the destruction of its people".


10 June 2016 Last updated at 08:36 BST Chris Horn, from Newbury in Berkshire, came up with the idea whilst on his tractor and hopes the idea could spread across the UK. He says the business model could help other young farmers but adds that 40% of their revenue goes on licensing fees.

Summary: A fourth generation farmer has found a novel way to diversify his business by showing movies in his fields.


Pollard bowled a big no-ball when Lewis was on 97 off 32 balls, with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots needing one run to beat Barbados Tridents in the Twenty20 competition. The no-ball gave 25-year-old Lewis' side the win but saw him miss out on the chance of a ton after he and captain Chris Gayle reached 129-0. Cricket statistician and journalist Mazher Arshad said: "So Kieron Pollard bowls a no-ball to deny Evin Lewis a hundred in CPL. Suraj Randiv was suspended for a match when he did that to [Virender] Sehwag in 2010." Cricket supporter Mainraj Paudel called Pollard's actions a "shameless act" on Twitter, while another spectator, Abhishek Chaturvedi, accused Pollard of showing "zero sportsmanship". Lewis, however, was more diplomatic. In a televised post-match interview, he said: "It hurts [missing out on the hundred], but hitting 97 not out off 33 balls? I'll take that any day. "I've been hitting the ball long and hard in the nets. I'm confident now and looking forward to the play-offs." If Lewis had completed his century in 33 balls, it would have been the second fastest of all time - just behind Chris Gayle's 30-ball IPL knock in 2013.

Summary: Kieron Pollard has been criticised on social media after bowling a no-ball which denied opposition batsman Evin Lewis the chance of a century in a Caribbean Premier League match.


The Glasgow number 10 has played just 12 minutes of the championship, coming off the bench in the defeat by Wales. But in the absence of the injured Finn Russell, he has been preferred to Peter Horne, who impressed against France. "It's tough on him not being selected but it's an opportunity for me," said Weir, who wins his 23rd cap in Dublin. "The coaches have given me confidence this week. They have watched my Glasgow footage and are happy where I am and my development over the last month or so. "I feel confident in my game at the minute and just need to back it up come Saturday. "It is a huge honour getting back into the side. I have been here training, so I know the calls and structures, so it is not being thrown in to the deep end as I have been here throughout the championship." With Russell still going through concussion return-to-play protocols after receiving a head knock five minutes into the France game, Cotter had the option of continuing with Horne - who he called "probably a 12-10 rather than a 10-12" - after he stepped into the fray with aplomb. "I was just hugely proud of his performance," Weir said of his Glasgow team-mate. "A guy who has not run a rep pretty much the whole tournament at 10 steps up and shows how natural a ball player he is. "It was great for me to go on and see him run the attack. Being a playmaker at 12, he is always chatting and orchestrating play anyway." Having played second fiddle to Russell at club level as well as with the national team, being left out of the match-day 23 for the last two Tests against Italy and France has allowed Weir more game time with Glasgow. He duly delivered two Pro 12 man-of-the-match displays against Newport Gwent Dragons and Cardiff Blues. "I have been getting a run of games so I feel confident in my form," he added. "Moving onto the ball you have to make better decisions when you have a run of games going. I feel really excited about the opportunity." Weir will be tasked with directing an attack - featuring Glasgow team-mates Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour and Alex Dunbar - that has produced eight tries so far, only one less than Scotland's best Six Nations tally of nine in 2000. But he is under no illusions that the keys to a third straight victory, which would match Scotland's best-ever Six Nations tally and likely equal their joint-best finish of third, may lie elsewhere. "Our defence and set-piece will be huge again," he added. "That will be at the front of our minds. Ireland are playing with a lot of width in their attack so we have to be cautious of that and get our spacing right in defence and shut things down and not be too aggressive at times. "Once we get the ball we have to play at a tempo they can't live with."

Summary: Fly-half Duncan Weir says he is ready to repay the confidence of the Scotland coaches as he prepares for a first Six Nations start of the year in Ireland.


Some 1.5 million vapers are ex-smokers, compared with 1.3 million who still use tobacco, a survey of 12,000 adults for Action on Smoking and Health found. But Ash said the message that vaping was much less harmful than smoking had not yet got through to all smokers. Some nine million still smoke in the UK despite a big rise in e-cigarette use. In 2012, there were 700,000 vapers in the UK; now there are 2.9 million. The main reason ex-smokers give for vaping is to help them stop smoking. Current smokers say they do it principally to reduce the amount they smoke. Scientists say current evidence suggests that the risks of exposure to toxins for e-cigarette users are likely to be low - and much lower than with tobacco. Deborah Arnott, the campaigning health charity's chief executive, said the figures on vapers who had quit smoking were "excellent news" but that the rate of people switching to electronic versions had peaked. "The rapid growth in e-cigarette use has come to an end," she said. This is because more than a third of smokers have still never tried e-cigarettes, as a result of concerns about the safety and addictiveness of e-cigarettes. But research suggests that 26% of people think e-cigarettes are more - or equally as - harmful as smoking tobacco while only 13% believe they are a lot less harmful. "It's very important smokers realise that vaping is much, much less harmful than smoking," she added. Ann McNeill, professor of tobacco addiction at King's College London, said: "The message for the 1.3 million vapers who still smoke is that they need to go further and switch completely." People who combine electronic and standard cigarette smoking are still being exposed to the cancer-causing substances in tobacco smoke, increasing their risk of lung cancers, bronchitis and other diseases, although Public Health England believes levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes are unlikely to pose any significant health risk. But critics say there is no convincing evidence that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking and argue they could even encourage non-smokers to start. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

Summary: For the first time, more than half of the UK's electronic-cigarette users have since given up smoking tobacco, a study suggests.


The company, which is based in Stokesley, is building a third fermenter at its site in Billingham to increase production by up to 50%. The deal will create about 100 new jobs during construction then a further 300 to operate the facility. Stockton North Labour MP Alex Cunningham said it was "tremendous good news" for local people. The company employs about 600 people and exports to 13 countries around the world including Australia and the USA.

Summary: About 400 jobs are to be created across Teesside and North Yorkshire thanks to £30m of investment from Quorn Foods.


The 26-year-old, who has not featured for Sunderland this season, could make his debut for the Championship side against QPR on Saturday. The former Chelsea trainee is the first player to join Leeds since Steve Evans was appointed head coach last month. Meanwhile, the Black Cats have recalled winger Will Buckley, 26, from his loan spell with the Elland Road side. Buckley joined the club on a three-month loan in October, but has not played in any of the club's last four matches.

Summary: Leeds United have signed Sunderland midfielder Liam Bridcutt on loan until the start of January.


In a nerve-stricken performance, Boreham Wood struggled to create anything at a quiet Meadow Park. The Silkmen had the game's best chances, as Chris Holroyd tested Boreham Wood's James Russell before Kristian Dennis fired wide. Harry White had the Wood's best chance, shooting over the bar as neither side could break the deadlock.

Summary: Boreham Wood's 0-0 draw at home to Macclesfield saw them fall into the National League relegation zone.