Bertie Acheson, who was 72, died after a confrontation with the intruder at his home in Glenmore Gardens, Coleraine, in April 2012. Paul James Manolito Toland, originally of The Cedars, Antrim, had pleaded guilty to Mr Acheson's manslaughter. After his release he must serve a further four and half years on licence. Toland, a father of four, has 18 previous convictions for burglary. He was confronted by his victim after he broke into the couple's home to steal money. There was a struggle and Mr Acheson, who cared for his disabled wife Sheila, suffered a heart attack and died on his kitchen floor. Speaking after the sentencing, the senior investigating officer in the case said the Acheson family had been left "devastated" by his loss, particularly his widow. Det Ch Insp Ian Harrison said the fact that Toland was sentenced on what would have been Mr Acheson's 75th birthday had a "double impact" on the pensioner's loved ones. "A person who I deem to be dangerous has now been taken off the streets and people can now feel safe in their homes," the officer said. "Paul Toland was a predator. He preyed on the vulnerable and elderly and equally infirm couple who had been married for 44 years. His actions resulted in the death of Bertie Acheson, for just over Â£300." An earlier court hearing was told that the couple were woken up by the sound of breaking glass in the early hours of 20 April 2012. Mr Acheson went to investigate. His widow later told police she overheard a verbal altercation between her husband and an intruder, during which money was demanded. Mrs Acheson claimed she also heard the sound of a scuffle and gasping for breath. She managed to raise the alarm, but when ambulance personnel and police arrived at the scene, her husband was already dead. Toland had originally been charged with Mr Acheson's murder, but at a court hearing in October, a defence lawyer asked that his client be re-arraigned. Toland told Belfast Crown Court that he was not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. He also admitted the robbery of Mrs Acheson, who had Â£335 stolen from her purse during the burglary. Det Ch Insp Harrison paid tribute to the courage and resilience of the pensioner's family throughout the "long and protracted inquiry". The officer said that Toland had been in the couple's house the previous month to repair a vacuum cleaner and had been paid in cash. "We believe that Toland's greed brought him back to the house in the expectation that he could break in and steal whatever cash he could get his hands on," Det Ch Insp Harrison added. He appealed to the public not to store cash at home saying they were exposing themselves to "unnecessary risk". "In memory of Bertie Acheson, and to avoid the pain still being suffered by his family, please do not keep large amounts of money at home," the officer said.

Summary: A man has been jailed for four and a half years for killing a pensioner during a botched burglary at an elderly couple's home in County Londonderry.


Mourners stopped in ones and twos by the building on the Rue Nicolas-Appert, where a plaque was unveiled on Tuesday. Seventeen people died in January last year when gunmen targeted the magazine and a Jewish supermarket. No official events are planned for Thursday, although President Francois Hollande is due to address the police. Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right opposition party Front National, is also expected to speak at some point during the day. Charlie Hebdo lives on but 'in darkness' Paris attacks January 2015: Who were the victims? Three days of terror - how events unfolded How the world was changed by the slogan 'Je Suis Charlie' As well as the memorial at the magazine's former office, a second plaque was installed where a police officer was shot, and a third at the Jewish supermarket. On Saturday, a fourth plaque will be unveiled in the southern suburb of Montrouge, where one of the gunmen shot a policewoman. The commemorations will culminate in a public event on Sunday in the Place de la Republique, where Parisians gathered in the wake of the attacks. A 35ft (10m) oak "remembrance tree" will be planted in the square and veteran French musician Johnny Hallyday will perform Un Dimanche de Janvier (One January Sunday), a song recalling the vast march in Paris that followed the attacks. Amid the commemorations, Charlie Hebdo has once again courted controversy with the cover of its special anniversary edition. It depicts God, bloodied and carrying a gun under the headline "One year on: The assassin still at large".

Summary: Parisians have laid flowers and lit candles at the former office of Charlie Hebdo ahead of the anniversary on Thursday of the attack on the magazine.


Earlier this week, the administration certified to Congress - as it must every 90 days - that Iran was abiding by the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name given to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. But the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, later underlined that his country's policy towards Iran was under full-scale review. And in a message that will be heard loud and clear in Tehran, he castigated Iran's "alarming and ongoing provocations" and described the country as "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism". There was a broader warning, too. "An unchecked Iran," he said, "has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea". So is the Trump administration behaving inconsistently? Well, probably not. Certifying that Iran is upholding its end of the bargain does not preclude a fundamental US policy review - one that would be normal for any incoming administration, and, given the personnel surrounding US President Donald Trump, is likely to be far from sympathetic to Tehran. The Iran deal of course was famously characterised by then candidate Mr Trump as one of the worst deals ever negotiated. For now it is still there and for all we know it may have considerable life in it yet. The problem for US policy is to grapple with three aspects of Iran and its behaviour. Firstly, there is the nuclear issue, and whatever the controversy surrounding the nuclear deal, it does impose constraints on Tehran's nuclear programme in return for tangible economic benefits. Iran at the moment is not "unchecked", to use the term mentioned by Mr Tillerson. Many western experts back the deal even if they have little enthusiasm for it. Even senior security figures in Israel - who opposed the Obama administration's negotiation of the agreement - have tacitly accepted that it does provide a framework to manage the problem. Reports suggest that even the Saudis - also long-time opponents of the agreement - have counselled Mr Trump not to abandon it. Of course it will not last for ever. And one of the strongest arguments of the deal's critics has always been: What will happen 15 years after the implementation of the deal, when some of the key provisions restricting Iran's nuclear activities expire? One hope was that it would provide a platform for improved relations between Washington and Tehran. Well that has not proved to be the case. Tensions are rising in the Gulf; the wider chaos in the region which finds Washington and Tehran almost always on different sides has seen to that. Indeed Mr Tillerson's tough rhetoric may inevitably influence the ongoing presidential election campaign in Iran - and not in a positive way, at least as far as western interests are concerned. The hope that by the end of the JCPOA's term, Washington will be dealing with a different Tehran, seems as fanciful as ever. Beyond the nuclear issue and bilateral relations there is the thorniest problem of all, Iran's regional role. Iran is now a crucial player, from Syria to Lebanon;

Summary: Once again rhetoric and reality in the Trump administration appear to be at odds with each other.


The drugs, worth an estimated £831,000, were found in a factory near Bridgend's main custody suite in November. Christopher Bennett, 61, of Port Talbot, Dale Hart, 53, of Pencoed, and Michael Smart, 37, of Pencoed were bailed until 29 April. They will appear at Cardiff Crown Court. Mr Smart also faces a second charge of possessing cocaine.

Summary: Three men appeared in court jointly charged with producing 692 cannabis plants - yards from South Wales Police's headquarters.


The My Dentist practice in Dolgellau will close on 31 March and the town's other practice is private. A spokesman for the NHS practice said it had been unable to recruit a permanent dentist in the last two years The deputy mayor of Dolgellau, Delwyn Evans, told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme more needed to be done to get dentists into rural areas. My Dentist clinical director Steve Williams said: "There is a shortage of dentists in parts of rural Wales where long-term unfilled vacancies persist over a significant period of time. "We have tried unsuccessfully to recruit a dentist for the last two years and, regretfully, can no longer provide services at the Mervinian House Family Dental Practice." A spokesman for Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board said it intended to re-commission dental services in the area as soon as possible. "However, there is likely to be a gap between the date of termination of the existing services and the completion of the tender exercise and the re-establishment of new services," he said. "We are therefore making arrangements for the provision of dental services on a cover basis until a permanent solution can be put in place. "This will include exploring options for short-term support from the other nearest practices, as well as a dental out-of-hours clinic to operate from Dolgellau Community Hospital for patients requiring urgent unscheduled care." A Welsh Government spokesman said: "When a dentist decides to reduce or end their NHS commitment, the associated funding remains with the health board to re-commission the service. "Betsi Cadwaladr UHB has invited applications from dental contractors to help ensure there are NHS services available in the area. "We expect the health board to continue to review and improve access to NHS primary care dental services through the targets set within its 2016-17 Operational Plan."

Summary: Nearly 4,500 patients will lose their only NHS dentist in a Gwynedd town from the end of the month.


Earlier this year we asked where the centre spots of various cities around England were - these being the points distances on road signs are measured to. Google identifies the centre spot of Newcastle as being in a cafeteria in the King George VI building at Newcastle University, while the city council believed it might be Grey's Monument. Philip James, a senior lecturer in geographical information science (GIS) at the university, has been doing some investigating, and the answer is fairly simple - it depends who you ask. "Different providers give different answers depending upon what method they are using," said Mr James, who specialises in mapping people's use of places through their online activity, such as where they tweet from. Facebook marks the centre point as being near Exhibition Park in the Town Moor, Michelin next to the Haymarket Metro station and the Ordnance Survey places it close to the Manors Metro station. Twitter marks it as being on Nuns Moor in the north-west of the city while Open StreetMap places the centre point near Kenton in the north of Newcastle. Why such a division of opinion? "The Newcastle administrative area is not a simple shape so determining the centre is not easy," said Mr James. "One method is to draw a boundary box around it then use the centre of that rectangle as your centre point. "Of course that will give you a different centre to the methods others might use." One answer that is probably as good as any other is to take the mean of all these various sources and see where that leads, which is what Mr James did. This approach shows the centre point as being outside the front of the Civic Centre. But if you ask people where they think it should be, which we did, they invariably gave the same answer as the council - Grey's Monument at the top of Grainger Street. Comments varied from "it's the biggest thing and can be seen from anywhere" to "it's where the shops are". And even Mr James said he would consider that the centre in any meaningful way. "It's the point most people know and where they arrange to meet," he said. Ultimately, does knowing the centre point even matter? "I don't think it causes us any real issues in a practical sense," Mr James said. "Most people will know where they are going, either from knowledge of the area or by searching for actual addresses, I can't really see any scenarios where knowing the absolute centre of Newcastle is very important. It's just an interesting question though. "A lot of arbitrary decisions will have been made in the past, probably for good reasons at the time, and they will simply still be used today to determine things like distances for road signs and city centre spots."

Summary: An academic at Newcastle University has been taking a closer look at a question we posed a short while ago - where exactly is the centre point of Newcastle?


Mucky Boots Nature Kindergarten will be based at Kirkton of Maryculter woods. It will have space for 15 children between the ages of three and five. Manager Dawn Ewan told the BBC Scotland website there were many benefits and explained: "It is a massive woodland and children are generally happier to be outside." There have been outdoor nurseries across Scotland - including in Glasgow, Fife and Perthshire - for many years, but Mucky Boots is understood to be the first such venture in that part of Scotland. The idea originated in Scandinavia several decades ago. Mrs Ewan, a mother-of-two in her 30s, said: "My background is teaching. This outdoor nursery has been a pipedream for about 15 years and then we found this woodland. "We have visited various ones in Scotland and were really impressed." On the benefits of an outdoor nursery for children, she said: "We are looking to build up their confidence, and that's the feedback we've had from the pilot sessions. "It increases their resilience, they are able to problem solve better, and it's good for emotional development and physical health too. "Children will have freedom to explore, with a true connection to the natural world. "They will be more ready for school." Climbing hills and using open fires are among the type of activities at the nursery. There will be three staff for the 15 children due to what Mrs Ewan accepted was a "higher-risk environment". She said: "We want to do this right - it needs to be good quality." For adverse weather situations, there is a teepee and sheltered areas, and they also have use of a Scout hut for extreme weather situations. Mrs Ewan added: "We have only used the indoor space twice in two years. "As the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad weather, but inappropriate clothes. That's our motto." She said the nursery had registered with the Care Inspectorate and would work with Aberdeenshire Council.

Summary: A fully outdoor nursery, believed to be the first in Aberdeenshire, is due to open in April after a successful two-year pilot.


It follows a refusal by ministers to underwrite the Ebbw Vale project. The Heads of The Valleys Development Company said it has put forward two alternative options with revised commercial terms for its backers Aviva and two local councils. Ministers were asked to provide a 100% guarantee but rejected it as too risky. The Heads of The Valleys Development Company, behind the project, said it had put forward two alternative options with revised commercial terms. "These alternative arrangements will reflect a more balanced financial support package for both the public and private investment parties," said chief executive Michael Carrick, who added private financiers would take a share of the risk. So a guarantee by Welsh Government could be less than 80% of the project compared to the 100% that was rejected on Wednesday. He said no public money would be tied up underwriting the circuit while it was being built. In the worst scenario afterwards, the Welsh Government would own the land and the assets. Mr Carrick said the deal was already there with leases, construction contracts and guarantee agreements "ready to go". "This is a small nuance on an existing deal that we can look to put in place relatively quickly," he told BBC Wales. "There are challenges around internal and government approvals to a structure like this - it's not something we can do imminently. We're not looking months but four, five or six weeks to be able to do this." The race track and related developments aims to eventually create 6,000 jobs. On Wednesday, Economy Minister Edwina Hart said there was a "significant question around the viability of the project" and an "unacceptable risk" to the government underwriting the entire project. Mrs Hart said she had "reluctantly come to the conclusion" not to proceed with the guarantee after legal advice. The Welsh Government has already in effect spent around £9m in supporting the development, which Mrs Hart said had not been wasted, and included feasibility studies. The minister said she "did not want to close the door to it all, just close the door on this stage of it". The stumbling block came when ministers were asked to underwrite the whole of the private sector investment. First Minister Carwyn Jones said the problem emerged in the "last few days" and they could not take on board an enormous risk to taxpayers. "It would mean effectively a bill of £100 for every man, woman and child if things went wrong," he told BBC Wales. "Any rational government is going to ensure there is not an unacceptable risk to the people of Wales." All sides seem to still want to make this happen, as part of regenerating the area. Earlier in the day, Circuit of Wales said it would continue working with Welsh Government, local authorities and Aviva investors to take the project forward in a way that is acceptable to all sides. Blaenau Gwent Nick Smith MP said there had been major difficulties since the project was first unveiled past four and a half years ago but he still hoped

Summary: The team behind the £357m Circuit of Wales has said it hopes to have a new deal agreed to allow the project to go ahead within six to eight weeks.


Like-for-like cycle sales fell 4% in the three months to 1 July, which chief executive Jill McDonald blamed on poor weather and the timing of Easter. Halfords hopes that new bike ranges designed with Sir Bradley Wiggins and Laura Trott, who are both competing in the Rio Olympics, will boost demand. In the year to March, bike sales at Halfords had fallen by 0.9%. Halfords said that sales of premium bikes, which are priced between Â£500 and Â£5,000 and include the Pinarello model ridden by Team Sky, performed well over the first quarter. However, wet weather and the timing of Easter affected sales of mainstream models and accessories. Overall, Halford's like-for-like sales fell 0.6%. Its retail division gained from strong demand in car maintenance and for child safety seats, but declining sales of sat navs dragged revenues at its car enhancement sector down 4.2%. Halfords said in June that it expected the weak pound to knock Â£3m off its profits. Following the steep fall in sterling against the dollar since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the company said it may have further small impact in the financial year. Commenting on Brexit, Ms McDonald said: "While the recent decision to leave the EU does create uncertainty, we are well-positioned as a business and focused on delivering sustainable long-term growth."

Summary: Halfords is hoping for an Olympics bounce to stem a slide in bike sales, which have continued to fall.


Seven of the group at Pembroke Comprehensive School fell unwell at about 14:00 BST. Police believe they experienced a poor reaction to the substance they had taken. Some were treated at the scene while others were taken to Withybush hospital in Haverfordwest as a precaution. None are believed to be in a life-threatening condition. A Pembrokeshire council spokesman said parents have been informed. A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: "At approximately 14:07 this afternoon, the ambulance service informed Dyfed-Powys Police of an incident they were dealing with at Pembroke Comprehensive School, where a group of pupils had become unwell. "Officers attended the scene and established that a number of pupils were affected - some were treated at the scene and released, but others were conveyed to A&E in Withybush as a precaution." The spokesperson said air ambulance also attended the school as a precaution and none of the pupils are believed to be in a life-threatening condition. "Enquiries have commenced into the circumstances, but early indications are that the group may have reacted to a type of legal high." Ambulance staff confirmed that they had sent four emergency ambulances to the school and an ambulance officer. "Though the cause is yet to be confirmed, it is believed the pupils may have reacted to an unknown substance," added a spokesperson for the Welsh Ambulance Service.

Summary: A group of pupils have been treated at a Pembrokeshire school after experimenting with a 'legal high'.


Following Canadian research linking the vitamin with a small rise in cancer, the study in the Lancet journal looked at data from 50,000 people. It found no significant differences in those taking folic acid. Taken in early pregnancy, it reduces the chances of certain birth defects and there have been calls to add it to food in the UK. Many countries, including the US and Canada, South Africa and Australia, already add folate - also called folic acid or Vitamin B9 - to all flour. It is proven to reduce the number of babies born with "neural tube defects" such as spina bifida. One of the original reasons behind this more cautious approach in western Europe was the risk that folic acid supplementation could disguise anaemia symptoms in a small number of older people. However, another more pressing concern was prompted by the 2007 study that found the incidence of colorectal cancer, which had been falling in the US and Canada, rose temporarily just after the vitamin was automatically added to flour. One theory suggested that folate had boosted the growth of tiny, as-yet undetected cancers or pre-cancers, allowing them to be diagnosed earlier and giving the impression that cancer rates had increased. The Lancet study compared cancer rates over a five-year period in 50,000 people from several countries, some taking a folic acid supplement and some a placebo. The doses of folate tended to be much higher than those proposed for mandatory fortification of flour, but a slight increase in cancer incidence recorded in this group did not reach statistical significance, meaning it could be the product of chance alone. One of the report authors, Dr Robert Clarke, from the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford, said that the findings were "reassuring". "If there was a substantial effect, we would expect to have seen it by now," he added. He said that while the doses proposed for mandatory fortification of flour were much lower than those in the study, a small proportion of people were known to combine this with extra supplements. He said: "If there is any caution now, this is the group of people involved." New restrictions on the availability of high-dose supplements are one possible solution. The UK's chief medical officers have already recommended that folate be added to flour, and the decision now rests with government ministers. A Department of Health spokesman said: "This is a complicated issue, with a balance of risks and benefits which ministers need to consider very carefully. We already advise women thinking of starting a family and pregnant women to take folic acid supplements." The British Dietetic Association says that fortification would be a "simple way" to increase folic acid intake across the population. Spokesman Dr Sarah Schenker said that while there was still some caution over anaemia in the elderly, overall the benefits would outweigh the risks. She said: "It can certainly be recommended to pregnant women and those who may become pregnant. "Fortification may well be a good idea because our health messages about healthy eating aren't

Summary: Worries that taking extra folic acid might increase the risk of cancer have been played down by a major study.


The international charity says nine out of 10 schools have been destroyed in the worst-affected districts. Almost 24,000 classrooms were damaged or destroyed in the disaster that hit the country 12 days ago, it adds. Unicef is attempting to set up temporary learning spaces for children. Currently, all schools are closed in Nepal, although many of those still standing are being used as emergency shelters. They are due to reopen on Friday, 15 May. As the humanitarian and clear-up efforts continue, the charity says there is a desperate need to set up alternative learning spaces for children, not just for education but for their safety as well. Unicef spokesman in Kathmandu Kent Page told the BBC: "We know that children need to go to school not only to learn, but schools are places of protection for children who have been through the trauma of an earthquake. "It protects them from exploitation and abuse because everybody knows what they are doing and where they are. "Unicef has already set up 30 child-friendly spaces in temporary camps and settlements in Kathmandu. "These are places where in children can play and learn and sing and dance in a protected environment." Mr Kent said he had visited children in the settlements in the past few days, and all those he had asked whether they wanted to return to school had said they did. "They want to be in school, they want to be learning, they want to get back to normal as much as their parents do," he said. Unicef's representative in Nepal, Tomoo Hozumi, said temporary learning places needed to be provided as soon as possible to avoid a massive school drop-out. He said: "Almost one million children who were enrolled in school before the earthquake could now find they have no school building to return to. "There is a desperate need to set up alternative learning spaces, assess and repair buildings, and mount a public awareness campaign encouraging families to send their children back to school and pre-school. "Prolonged interruption to education can be devastating for children's development and future prospects," he added. In Nepal, children aged between five and nine are given free education between 09:30 and 15:00 daily. There has been a large increase in the number of children enrolled in school in Nepal in the past three decades. In 1990, 64% of children attended school. This had risen to 95% of children by this year, Unicef said.

Summary: Nearly a million children in Nepal will not be able to return to school in the wake of last month's earthquake unless urgent action is taken, says Unicef.


About 50 weddings due to take place after 10 April at Manor Barn in Buriton have been cancelled. Owner Bob Camping said he was "so very sorry". His other firm The Village Inn/Goosebumps Weddings Ltd is currently in receivership. One affected couple described it as a "nightmare". Mr Camping has vowed to sell his home and the business "and pay people back immediately". Nicholas Pettit and Gemma Brown were due to marry at the barn in September and said they had been left "devastated" by the news. "We are now having to come to terms with not having our wedding where we initially wanted and being £2,000 out of pocket," Mr Pettit added. Mr Camping said other weddings due to take place before 10 April, including that of Jade Nias and Kyle Hillman, would be honoured. But Miss Nias and Mr Hillman said they had now chosen another venue. Mr Hillman said he had worked "countless hours of overtime" to pay the £2,000 deposit for Manor Barn, adding: "It just feels like that time has been wasted." Claire Moulder and Jason Ledwith are due to marry at the venue in March and said uncertainty surrounding the venue had caused them "great stress, worry and sleepless nights, and is a sheer nightmare". Manor Barn's licence is also being reviewed by East Hampshire District Council over noise complaints. One of the proposed conditions at the venue in Buriton is for a "sound limiting device" to be installed, the council said. Mr Camping said this would cost £500,000, which he added was unaffordable and unrealistic.

Summary: Dozens of couples have had their weddings at a luxury Hampshire venue cancelled with the owner admitting the company is "in trouble".


The European Tour's 'links swing' of seaside golf begins with the Irishman's home open at Portstewart. After this week's Irish Open, it is the Scottish Open at Dundonald before The Open itself at Royal Birkdale. Three consecutive weeks of golf in its most traditional form, which demands shot-making skills, imagination, power and touch. Over the years, Harrington has been blessed with all these attributes and this forthcoming spell concludes at the venue where he won the second of his two Opens, a place where he played the golf of his life. Now 45, this most articulate of golfing ambassadors is one of the senior figures on tour, blessed with rare intelligence and perspective. He thinks golf is harder than ever for the younger generation because of the depth of talent around these days. But he still believes Rory McIlroy, whose charitable foundation backs this week's Irish Open, can win up to 10 majors. And for someone who has practised tirelessly his entire career, Harrington says he will return to Birkdale later this month feeling a sense of contentment, happy for the memories of 2008 to come flooding back. Indeed, he has already returned to the Southport course with his club sponsors to help reignite thoughts of what was a remarkable title defence after initially winning it at Carnoustie in 2007. "Content is the word. I come back here and I know that I've done it," Harrington told BBC Sport over a cup of tea in Birkdale's distinctive art-deco clubhouse. "When I come back for The Open I have to make sure I take time to take a deep breath and look round and enjoy everything. I'm not saying I'm retired now but anything I do now in the game of golf will be a bonus. "I'm on the ultimate busman's holiday at this stage and I intend to embrace that." It was a different story in 2008, when it took generous assistance from rival Phil Mickelson to help Harrington be fit enough to tee up for his title defence. The Irishman injured his wrist practising at home the weekend before The Open. "I was doing some speed work, hitting an impact bag one-handed," Harrington told me. "I'd just hit a golf ball at 177mph one-handed and then hit into the bag and tweaked something in my wrist. "I couldn't swing the golf club Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday without some pain. I was getting physio all day, every day, and in the evening I was going over to Phil Mickelson's hotel. "He had one of these laser-like treatment machines and I was leaving no stone unturned. "We'd have this 45-minute chat every night as I sat there lasering my wrist in his hotel. It was a small room too," Harrington added, with his infectious giggle. "Phil is that type of guy. He's got a good sense of the game. He wants to beat the hell out of you on the golf course but he'd like you to be playing your best while he's doing it." Despite his lack of practice, Harrington was able

Summary: Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington will be relishing the prospect of this phase of the golf season probably more than any of the other top stars in the game.


The seven-time Tour de France winner was charged last month with using performance-enhancing drugs, and had until Saturday to contest or accept sanctions. However, that deadline has now been extended by 30 days. Armstrong, who could lose his Tour titles and faces a lifetime ban, denies the charges. "This extension will allow the court sufficient time to evaluate Mr Armstrong's amended complaint," read a statement from Tim Herman, counsel to Armstrong. The 40-year-old's initial 80-page complaint was thrown out on Monday, but he has submitted a shorter, 25-page suit asking a federal judge in Austin to prevent the case from going forward. Three of the six men named in the doping conspiracy case were given lifetime bans on Tuesday. Doctors Luis Garcia del Moral and Michele Ferrari, plus trainer Jose "Pepe" Marti, from the rider's US Postal Service team failed to answer charges before the USADA's deadline and were promptly banned. Armstrong's latest lawsuit argues: US District Judge Sam Sparks said the original lawsuit seemed more of an attempt to win over public opinion than to focus on legal argument. "This court is not inclined to indulge Armstrong's desire for publicity … by sifting through 80 mostly unnecessary pages [for] factual material relevant to his claims," Sparks wrote on Monday. USADA charged Armstrong with doping last month and claimed 10 of his former team-mates will testify against him. Armstrong, who dominated the Tour de France between 1999 and 2005, has never tested positive and says he has taken more than 500 drug tests in his career. In his original submission, he accused USADA, its chief executive Travis Tygart and FBI agent Jeff Novitzky of waging a personal vendetta. Armstrong has already urged USADA's review board to dismiss allegations brought against him, claiming they are "stale allegations disproved long ago and short on evidence". His legal team argue their client is unable to mount a legitimate defence until he is able to see the evidence against him, although USADA has said it is withholding witnesses' identities to protect them from intimidation. Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer prior to his record-breaking Tour wins, retired after the 2005 race, but made a comeback in 2009. He retired for a second time in February 2011, taking up the triathlon.

Summary: Lance Armstrong's deadline to appeal against charges from the United States Anti-Doping Agency has been extended.


It said the scale of footpath erosion was "threatening Snowdonia's fragile nature". The number of walkers climbing Snowdon has doubled since 2007 and more than four million people visited Snowdonia last year. But the trust said grass species move in when pathways are eroded, strangling some plants. Rhys Thomas, National Trust ranger for Snowdonia, said: "I've been building and rebuilding paths in the area for eight years. "It's tiring, time-consuming and back-breaking work - involving hundreds of hours of volunteer time which requires shifting tonnes of stone by hand, vehicle and helicopter. "But it's vital if we want to protect the delicate upland habitats that make Snowdonia a special place for wildlife." Plants which could be at risk include purple saxifrage, moss campion and roseroot. It is also home to the endangered Snowdon beetle - which in the UK are only found in Snowdonia. The trust is trying to raise Â£250,000 to repair two-and-a-half miles of path. It comes as concerns grow over the amount of litter being left on Snowdon, with some calling for a walker's charge to be introduced. The appeal is supported by Hollywood actor Matthew Rhys, National Trust Wales's Snowdonia Ambassador. Mr Rhys, who is from Cardiff, but has strong family connections to the national park, said he had seen the "trail of destruction left by the eroded paths" during visits to the area. "There's a delicate balance to be struck between man and nature," he added. National Trust Wales looks after almost 58,000 acres of mountain and farmland across the Snowdonia National Park.

Summary: Snowdonia's pathways need to be preserved or plants and wildlife will be lost, National Trust Wales has said.


Beginning in July, Oregon residents who do not identify as male or female can mark X for sex on driver's licences, learner's permits and state IDs. The state's Transportation Commission approved the new rule, which was hailed by LGBTQ rights groups. The shift comes a year after an Oregon judge ruled a retired Army veteran could legally identify as non-binary. The June 2016 landmark decision allowed Jamie Shupe to change her gender to non-binary, which refers to gender identities that do not fall into the binary categories of male and female. It was believed to be the first decision of its kind in the US. That decision prompted Oregon officials to examine how they could recognise a third gender in its computer systems and affect the state's gender laws. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which held public hearings to debate the issue, said they received little opposition to the policy change, according to the Oregonian newspaper. "I very much plan to head to the nearest DMV and ask for that ID to be corrected on July 3rd," Jamie Shupe said after Thursday's decision. "And then I'll no doubt stand out front of the building, or sit in the car and cry." About 20,000 Oregonians identify as transgender, according to The Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles. Oregon is the only US state to allow an unspecified gender, but other countries including Germany, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand also allow a third gender option. The Canadian province of Ontario also implemented the X option earlier this year. California is also considering a similar policy change. The state senate in May passed a bill to add a third gender option to official state documents, including birth certificates, sending the measure to the state assembly. Commissioner Sean O'Hollaren told the Oregonian the decision was the "right thing to do". "I hope those who will use X as an identifier will feel an element of comfort moving forward," he said. "It's something we're not only doing because legally our hand is forced. It's something we should do because it's the right thing to do." Gender identity has become a major flashpoint across the US in places like North Carolina, which passed a bill forcing students to use toilets according to the sex listed on their birth certificates. The state passed a bill easing some of those restrictions in March, but Texas is considering a similar measure. US President Donald Trump in February also rescinded his predecessor's guidance to US public schools that allowed transgender students to use toilets matching their gender identity.

Summary: Oregon has become the first US state to include a third gender option on state-issued identification cards.


Family and friends of a young couple had hired the boat for an engagement party and were sailing north of Cairo hit was hit, according to eyewitnesses. An Interior Ministry statement said 15 bodies had been found and six people were still missing. The captain of the cargo boat has been arrested. Five people were rescued, but at least two children died. It is not clear if the couple thought to be celebrating their engagement were among the dead, said AFP news agency. Traffic had been heavy along the Nile, where many Egyptians had been celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Summary: At least 15 people have been killed in a crash between a cargo vessel and a passenger boat on Egypt's River Nile.


Rio the red kite was found near Leitrim, County Down, with an infection in her foot. It meant the bird could not flex her talons, which affected her ability to feed. She became weak and unable to fly. She was reintroduced to the wild after being treated by a vet. Rio was one of 80 red kites introduced to Northern Ireland and has raised five chicks. She is important to the programme because she has bred consistently since her release. The red kite has been under pressure in south Down since its reintroduction in the years between 2008 and 2010. Three birds have been shot, a further 12 have been poisoned and 12 more have been found dead with no clear cause. There are just 12 breeding pairs, well short of the 50 pairs experts say are required for a sustainable population. Claire Barnett is a senior conservation officer with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). She said they have tried hard to get the message across that the birds do not pose a threat to livestock - especially lambs. "The bird actually has small, weak feet so there's no way they're going to be able to pick up anything bigger than a small rabbit. "Their main diet is made up is things like mice and worms and rats and road kill," Ms Barnett said. There is some good news though - the breeding pairs have produced 71 chicks and RSPB staff said there is evidence that the birds have begun to spread out. They are asking the public to send them details of any sightings. Red kites are quite distinctive. They have a five and a half foot wingspan and a deeply forked tail.

Summary: A key member of a breeding programme, designed to reintroduce an impressive bird of prey in Northern Ireland, has been returned to the wild after being found injured in a field.


Military sources told Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper the soldier was a member of Joint Task Force 2, and made the shot from a high-rise building. It took the bullet almost 10 seconds to hit its target, it reports. The Canadian Special Operations Command confirmed to the BBC the sniper "hit a target" from that distance. The shot, which sources tell the paper was filmed, is thought to be a record for the longest confirmed kill. The sniper worked in tandem with an observer, who helps to spot targets, and used a standard Canadian military issued McMillan TAC-50 rifle. "The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [so-called Islamic State] attack on Iraqi security forces," a military source told the paper. "Instead of dropping a bomb that could potentially kill civilians in the area, it is a very precise application of force and because it was so far away, the bad guys didn't have a clue what was happening." The source described the difficultly of the shot, which required the shooter to account for wind, ballistics, and even the Earth's curvature. Military experts believe the successful shot may have set a record. The previous record was held by British sniper, Craig Harrison, who shot and killed a Taliban attacker from 2,475 metres in 2009 using an L115A3 long range rifle. The government of Canada's Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau halted air strikes against the so-called Islamic State in 2016. But at the same time, Mr Trudeau announced plans to treble the number of special forces on the ground, as well as increase the number of Canadian Armed Forces members who are tasked with training and assisting local forces.

Summary: A sniper in the Canadian special forces shot and killed an Islamic State (IS) fighter from a distance of 2.1 miles (3,540m) in Iraq last month.


Damien Reeves broke the deadlock by finishing via the crossbar from James Lawrie's cross before Josh Ginnelley doubled the lead after a 50-yard run. Jake Moult ended the game as a contest, converting a penalty after the lively Lawrie was fouled by Omar Beckles. And Jordan Sinnott completed the Shots' miserable afternoon, scoring after good work from Ginnelly. Media playback is not supported on this device Aldershot Town boss Barry Smith told BBC Surrey: "We didn't defend properly and their front four caused us so many problems. "It was down to us not defending properly for the first goal. It comes from a centre-back not being dominate and we couldn't get a grip in the game. "We lost battles all over the park today. Once you cross that white line it is down to the players to make sure they are doing the jobs that they've been asked."

Summary: Altrincham moved out of the National League relegation zone with an impressive victory over Aldershot.


It will cover a 14.7km (nine-mile) stretch of the A6 from Randalstown in County Antrim and Castledawson in County Londonderry, either side of the Toome bypass. Upgrading the stretches of road to dual carriageways is expected to cost Â£160m. Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard said the work would "strengthen the links between Belfast and Derry". He added that it would help to address an "infrastructure deficit" west of the River Bann. The route will replace the existing road from Castledawson to the M22 motorway to Belfast, which sees lengthy tailbacks during peak hours on a daily basis. "Road users and the local community will directly benefit from this new all-purpose dual carriageway as it will reduce journey times and improve road safety," he added. "I am determined to contribute towards economy growth in a regionally-balanced way, and I believe it is vital that infrastructure projects such as this are prioritised." On occasions during the morning rush-hour on the current route, traffic grinds to a complete standstill, resulting in traffic jams stretching for miles. The scenario is reversed during evening rush-hour as commuters return to the north-west from the direction of the M22 motorway. Earlier this year, Northern Ireland's roads authority said the proposed route would affect about 120 landowners. The Department for Infrastructure said ground investigation work has begun and archaeological investigations along the route will start this week. Construction is expected to begin in October. Mr Hazzard added the project was "welcome news" for the construction industry.

Summary: Four years of roadworks are to begin on the main road between Belfast and Londonderry road this autumn.


Bethan Rhys Roberts hosts Ask the Leader on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST on Thursday. Leanne Wood was the outsider who broke the Plaid Cymru mould when she won the party's leadership election in 2012 to succeed Ieuan Wyn Jones. She is Plaid's first female leader, the first to be a non-fluent Welsh speaker and the first from outside the party's heartlands in north and west Wales. Quite simply, she embodies the kind of person Plaid needs to win over if it is ever to become Wales' largest party. Born and raised in the Rhondda Valleys - where she still lives - her political awakening came during the miners' strikes of the 1980s. But, unlike many of her peers, Ms Wood turned to Plaid Cymru rather than Labour. The former probation officer and lecturer in social work was hired as a researcher by MEP Jill Evans. In 2003, Ms Wood realised her own political ambitions as she entered the Welsh Assembly as a regional AM for South Wales Central. Nine years later, the staunch republican - considered to be on the left of her party - was elected leader after promoting her economic vision for an independent Wales. Ms Wood says her focus as Plaid leader has always been on May's Welsh Assembly election, but the 2015 general election debates put her in the spotlight. Previous Plaid leaders could only dream of the media coverage she enjoyed, but a high public profile did not translate to any increase in seats at Westminster. Party officials and members say the public like Leanne Wood and respond to her on the doorstep. But questions remain as to whether they want her to lead the country. Friday 15 April - Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones in Llangollen Monday 11 April - Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in Swansea Tuesday 12 April - UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill in Swansea Wednesday 13 April - Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams in Aberystwyth Ask the Leader can be seen on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST each day and on the BBC iPlayer. You can also follow the programmes on Twitter - @walespolitics

Summary: Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood faces questions from an audience in Aberystwyth in the fourth of a daily series of live TV election specials.


The firearms were found packed in individual boxes aboard a Dutch-registered truck that arrived on a ferry in the port city. Although customs rules were not broken, the Turkish driver did not have licences for the weapons, police said. Controls at Italian ports have been stepped up in the wake of the 13 November Paris terror attacks. EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels last week agreed to tighten security and share more information about the gun trade to prevent trafficking of illegal weapons. It came after attackers with automatic rifles and suicide belts killed 130 people at a number of sites in Paris. Some of the attackers had lived in Belgium. The 781 weapons seized in Trieste on Tuesday were pump-action Winchester SXP shotguns, according to a police statement (in Italian). Prosecutors are investigating possible charges. The Turkish manufacturer of the weapons was cited for breaching national security regulations, Ansa news agency reported. Belgium has historically been a European hot spot for the arms trade - legal and illegal - due to its relatively liberal domestic gun legislation. Even though Belgian legislation is now stricter and more solid, the country has retained this reputation.

Summary: Italian police in the northern city of Trieste have seized nearly 800 shotguns en route from Turkey to Belgium.


SPF chairwoman Andrea MacDonald said it was "deeply worrying" that no armed officers were dispatched. The attacker in Thursday's incident injured two people before inflicting fatal injuries on himself. Police Scotland has insisted that the incident did not require the presence of armed officers. One of the victims of the attack was reported to be in a stable condition in hospital with injuries to his shoulder and arm. The other victim, a community warden, was allowed home after treatment. Ms MacDonald said: "Had the assailant been intent on harming large numbers of the public, he could have done so with impunity and the police would have been largely powerless to stop him. "Whilst not detracting in any way from the courage of the police officers who attended, the fact no armed officers were dispatched to a man attacking others with knives and an axe should be deeply worrying. "Glasgow is a city with an almost permanent armed police presence but they were not dispatched and they did not attend." She added: "This lays bare the myth that the service adequately risk-assesses incidents prior to deploying resources and that as a service we are capable of protecting the public from spontaneous incidents of extreme violence." The SPF annual conference - last month - heard calls for all officers to carry Tasers and for there to be an increase in the number of armed officers. Police Scotland has rejected these calls and stressed the value of retaining a largely unarmed police service. Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson said: "Police Scotland, along with the rest of the UK, prides itself in being an unarmed service with access to specialist firearms support whenever required. "Yesterday's incident in Glasgow city centre was a dynamic and fast-moving incident. Local officers responded rapidly and contained and dealt with it quickly. "This was not a random attack. It was planned and targeted, and armed officers were not required to attend on this occasion." Detectives have appealed for information about what they said was a "targeted" and pre-planned attack. The incident has been referred to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC).

Summary: The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has said a violent incident in Glasgow raised questions about whether officers can protect the public.


The national chain, based in Langholm, is accused of committing the offence on two occasions in 2014. A trial began at Dumfries Sheriff Court last month but reporting restrictions prevented publicity. Lawyers for the company argued it could have affected witnesses and voiced concerns about the business impact but the ban has now been overturned. The alleged offences, brought under the Textile Products Regulations 2012, are said to have taken place at the company's store in Church Place, Dumfries, one of 265 high street shops. When the trial began at Dumfries Sheriff Court on 15 September, Susan Duff QC, for the accused, argued against an application on behalf of the BBC and ITV Border to revoke the ban, arguing that publicity could affect the evidence of witnesses who are yet to come to court. She also said: "The accused has a legitimate concern about its business and employees. "Now is the busiest time of year for the purchase of cashmere." She said reporting that scarves were not 100% cashmere could be "prejudicial to the legitimate interests" of the firm. But Ronnie Clancy QC, for the BBC, argued that this being "the busiest time of year for Christmas orders" was simply a reputational issue, not covered by the Contempt of Court Act under which the ban was made. Sheriff George Jamieson agreed to revoke the interim order he had previously made, and allowed the case to be reported. Previously, Alison Irving, 52, a trading standards officer at Dumfries and Galloway Council, told the court she had test purchased a blue tartan scarf in February 2014 and a red one four months later. Both scarves were reduced to Â£30 from Â£60 and were labelled as 100% Lochmere cashmere, the court heard. Ms Irving later cut the scarves into pieces, bagged and sealed them and sent them off to be analysed at two different test labs - SGS UK and Intertek UK. It emerged that she was acting on information from the Cashmere and Camelhair Manufacturers Institute (CCMI). On receiving reports back from the test labs, Ms Irving said she sent a letter in August 2014 cautioning EWM. She said she notified the business that one scarf had been found to contain 84.4% cashmere, while the other was found to have 61.6% cashmere, with the remainder made up of other wool fibres. Under cross-examination from Ms Duff, the witness said it was "odd" that the results received back from each of the labs had been different from each other. "They were different from each other but neither said they were 100%," she said. The witness confirmed that after sending EWM a sample, the company sent back results from another test lab showing that both scarves were found to be 100% cashmere. Ms Duff also challenged the evidence of a textile analyst Liqin Zhang who gave evidence saying she identified wool and yak in the scarf samples. Ms Duff told Ms Zhang that EWM had sent a DNA tested 100% cashmere sample for her to analyse in August 2016. The lawyer said the fabric had been

Summary: Edinburgh Woollen Mill has denied a charge of mislabelling scarves as 100% cashmere in a store in Dumfries.


Angus Laughland, who did not know the girl, exchanged text messages with her after getting hold of her number by chance through a third party. Perth Sheriff Court heard that Laughland's messages to the girl became sexually explicit. The 62-year-old was jailed for 220 days after admitting the offence. The court was told that one of the first texts received by the girl read: "I'm not a person as such, just call me cyber buddy." Shortly after Laughland started sending the messages, he guessed the girl was around "13 or 14" and she confirmed that she was. The court was told the messages became sexually explicit, with one making reference to the girl's private parts. On 11 October Laughland sent a message saying he taught guitar and that he wanted to meet the girl to give her a guitar as a gift. The meeting took place the following day. When the girl got home, her mother asked her about the guitar and they discussed the issue with the girl's grandmother. The teenager's family then contacted the police, Laughland admitted sending explicit texts to a 13-year-old girl between 16 September and 12 October 2014. Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: "It started as a grave error of judgement. "It developed so far beyond that, that it's very difficult for us to really describe how he got himself into that situation." Sheriff Fiona Tait said: "We ought not to lose sight of what this offence was. "He described sexual intercourse in detail and also met the child. The difficulty he faces is the gravity of the offence. "He met the child and gave her the guitar. That shows precisely how vulnerable she was."

Summary: A Blairgowrie music teacher who groomed a 13-year-old girl and met her after promising to give her a guitar has been jailed.


Mr Trump called it a "very precarious" issue for the party and said that Mr Cruz's nomination could be challenged in court. Mr Cruz was born in Calgary to an American mother and a Cuban father. Most legal experts believe Mr Cruz meets the requirements to be president. The Cruz campaign responded by saying Mr Trump had "jumped the shark" - a pop culture reference to when a TV show or fad has overreached and fallen into decline. The Texas senator is performing well in polling in the early voting state of Iowa. While Mr Trump leads most polls, several surveys show Mr Cruz is the top choice of likely Republican voters. Much of Mr Trump's support comes from independents, disillusioned Democrats and people who have never voted before. Some analysts are predicting that Mr Cruz will win because of how the voting process is structured in Iowa. The caucus format requires more time and dedication from voters than a typical US primary election. Before Mr Trump became a presidential candidate, the New York businessman had repeatedly questioned President Barack Obama's citizenship. Mr Obama was born in Hawaii to an American mother and a Kenyan father. Authorities in Hawaii and Mr Obama both provided detailed birth records after some conservatives such as Mr Trump questioned where he was born. Mr Obama's allies have said the "birther" movement was a racist effort to discredit the county's first black president.

Summary: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has questioned whether rival candidate Ted Cruz is eligible to become his party's nominee because he was born in Canada.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 28 January 2015 Last updated at 07:43 GMT But apart from sounding impressive - the train in this clip has a really important job. It's used to clear away old 'ballast', the rocks and stone that support the train tracks, and replace it with new stuff. It's travelling overnight between Norwich and London at the moment to make sure the train line is in good shape. You can see it in action above.

Summary: At half a mile long, it's Britain's longest ever train - and can be found travelling through the night with a small army of workers onboard.


The uncapped duo will start Saturday's Six Nations match at Twickenham. "They don't lack for enthusiasm and they are both incredibly excited about the stage they're going to be playing on," said the Ireland head coach. Schmidt said it was a "tight decision" whether to name McCloskey or his Ulster team-mate Luke Marshall at centre. Both have impressed at provincial level this season, forming a dynamic midfield partnership for Les Kiss' side. "Luke has been robust and had a really good season, but Stu spent last week training at 12 with us and we felt he might be a little bit more comfortable in there," said Schmidt. "He has some important elements in his game which we want to get the most out of and it's a great opportunity for him to express himself. "It's also a responsibility to make sure that we are as watertight as we can be in what will be a tough area to defend. "The bottom line is we have confidence in Stu and Robbie (Henshaw) in there." Media playback is not supported on this device Schmidt is also excited by the prospect of Leinster flanker Josh van der Flier making his debut, with Connacht's second row Ultan Dillane also expected to earn his first cap off the bench. "We are all excited by something new," said Schmidt. "Josh has an opportunity to go and really capture that seven jersey in what will be a really tough test for him. "This is a step up that they haven't been to before and you never know how quick it's going to be, how physical it's going to be. "That's always a challenge for players coming in for the first time and these guys have been rewarded with the opportunity."

Summary: Ireland coach Joe Schmidt says he has gone with "form and balance" in picking debutants Stuart McCloskey and Josh van der Flier to play against England.


With its well-preserved historic buildings and a typical south Florida small-town atmosphere, Krome Avenue is one of the most important landmarks in the city of Homestead. The clean and peaceful street bears no resemblance to the way it looked on 25 August 1992, a few hours after Hurricane Andrew - a powerful category five storm - made landfall. Striking in the dead of night, the storm wrought unprecedented havoc on the area. At the time, Andrew was considered the most costly tropical Atlantic cyclone in US history. With damages amounting to $25bn (£15.8bn), it left up to 250,000 people homeless and claimed 26 lives, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Twenty years on, BBC Mundo's Jaime Gonzalez and Thomas Sparrow return to Homestead to find out how residents remember that day, and how have they recovered from the ordeal. Andrew was devastating. Ten thousand people left in the first 30 days. My house was 50% destroyed and my business took a good hit too. I remember the morning I [found] looters in my warehouse. They were walking out with the generator and some other tools and things. Martial law was imposed. Everybody was carrying a gun. The military was brought in and there was a curfew. You were not allowed out after dark, and if you were you were arrested. For the first three months we did nothing but go from house to house, supporting friends to get back some quality of life, getting water out of their homes and ripping up the carpets. I think Homestead should be remembered for its tenacity, its willingness to hang on and fight to get back on its feet. We are now much better prepared for hurricanes. After Andrew, the construction standards changed tremendously. We now have one of the most stringent building codes in the country. Everybody will tell you that a hurricane sounds like a train hurtling towards you and you feel like it is going to hit at any moment. And that's how it sounded to me. I had four grandchildren with me at the time and I just kept telling them that everything was going to be all right. At the time, I was part of the city council, which was turned into the main communication centre. The most important thing was answering questions: Where can I get fuel? Where can I get ice? Ice was the most precious thing those days! Later we had one of the biggest outdoor barbecues ever to cook our food. We already knew we wouldn't get electricity back for a while. It was like being on an island full of trash. There were piles at the roadside and it was weeks before it was cleared up. The city manager said that it could take up to two years to recover. Can you imagine? That's how dumb we were! We thought that all will be over in two years. That thought really made us feel good. It was really a good 10 years. There was so much to do. My brother came over the day

Summary: Twenty years after Hurricane Andrew, residents of Homestead, Florida, recall the storm that changed their life.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 19 November 2013 Last updated at 14:24 GMT Engineers have used a tunnelling machine called Phyllis to dig through 6.8km (4.2m) of earth from Royal Oak in west London to Farringdon on the edge of the City. BBC London's Chris Rogers took a look around the tunnel and spoke to the project manager of Western Tunnels, Andrew Alder.

Summary: Crossrail has completed its first train tunnel 18 months after work began.


The Home Affairs Committee said ministers were not working properly with their own expert drug advisers. The MPs also said past governments' spending on education about the dangers of so-called legal highs had been "shockingly inadequate to date". Policing minister Mike Penning said the government would consider the committee's criticism. New psychoactive substances (NPS) are products chemically designed to mimic drugs that are already banned. Some 67 deaths in England and Wales last year were linked to their use. The substances have been typically known as "legal highs", but in most cases they had only remained lawful because there had been no scientific testing and advice leading to a ban. One hundred new NPS products were identified across the EU last year and legislation going through Parliament will create a blanket ban on all of them and their successors. These measures, based on a law from Ireland, will replace the current system of banning substances one at a time. But the MPs said that the Psychoactive Substances Bill was being rushed amid a lack of clarity over whether it could actually work. The committee also said it opposed plans to ban "poppers", a substance often used recreationally and referred to as a "party drug". Poppers, the name given to a group of chemicals called alkyl nitrites, are normally sniffed from a bottle producing a short head-rush. The Home Office has said they will be covered by the new laws. But the committee referred to the conclusion of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) that the misuse of poppers was "not seen to be capable of having harmful effects sufficient to constitute a societal problem". Keith Vaz, the committee's chairman, said: "Britain uses more psychoactive substances than any other country in Europe and is at risk of being overwhelmed by the sheer scale of this problem. "Legislating on this issue is the right thing to do, however doing so at speed without any consultation may be counter-productive. "The concerns expressed have been dealt with in a piecemeal manner and there has been unsatisfactory communication with the Advisory Council [on the Misuse of Drugs], the very body that the ministers should rely on for advice." The MPs said there had been no clarity on the relative harm of different types of NPS - and therefore what kind of sentences courts should impose on future offenders. And they also attacked ministers for failing to do enough to warn young people of the dangers of the substances. "Successive governments' spending on education on the dangers of NPS has been shockingly inadequate to date," said the report. "Action must be taken now, to educate young people about NPS, through stronger and wider public information campaigns. "There is substantial evidence that the market for NPS is already moving online, which, due to the anonymity that the internet can provide, is a challenge for prosecuting authorities to monitor and control." Mr Penning said: "The landmark Psychoactive Substances Bill will fundamentally change the way we tackle new psychoactive substances - and put an end to the game

Summary: Legislation to ban new psychoactive substances in the UK is being rushed, MPs have warned.


However, Health Minister Michelle O'Neill said no such plan was being considered. Charles and Elma Hamilton's son, Ian, took his own life in 2013. He was 38 and a father of two children. He had suffered from mental health problems for many years. An inquest heard that 24 hours before his death, Ian had been to three hospitals in two different health trusts. Ian was first diagnosed with depression in 1998. He was deeply troubled and had problems with alcohol and drug addiction. However, his post-mortem showed no sign of substance abuse. His parents said the establishment of a single trust to deal with people with psychiatric conditions could help other people in the future. The couple believe a single system would help ensure that a patient's notes, capturing their full history, would be accessible to all medics, no matter where they showed up for help. Charles Hamilton said part of the problem for Ian was that he moved between health trusts. "I think if they had a single mental health trust, where everything was collated together, all the information concerning the people presenting with mental health problems would be there there at the push of a button," he said. "That way, professionals can access the patient's history and there are no delays in getting that patient treatment." Elma Hamilton said Ian's final hours were very distressing. "He went to three hospitals in two trusts inside 24 hours, trying to get help, pleading with people trying to get his point across," she said. "He was frustrated and hopeless - he just couldn't get the answers he needed. In one hospital, he was waiting 10 hours to see someone from a mental health team. "In a different hospital, he self-harmed. He was tired having to go through the same story so many times to different people." His story highlights how, too often, there is a lack of joined up thinking between mental health services and how sometimes an emergency department is not the best place to treat those with a serious psychological disorder. Their call for a single service across the trust is one of eight recommendations that was made in a recent report into mental health in Northern Ireland by the former Chief Executive of England NHS Lord Nigel Crisp . "I think it is an argument - there is also an argument in keeping mental and physical health closely aligned," he said. "I also understand in Northern Ireland there are lots of issues about people wanting local services and local control but even if you kept five trusts you could still run it as a single service, still have a single leader, the same standards. "You could still have the facilities in five different places but run it across the entire system." The family do not blame the northern or the south eastern health trusts but they are appealing to them to act on the findings of their son's inquest. Elma added: "We don't want a stigma - depression is a health condition. "But they need somewhere to go to feel

Summary: The family of a man who took his own life have called for the establishment of a single mental health trust in Northern Ireland.


John Ashton, professor of banking at Bangor University, studied 17 years of bank account data to examine the costs faced by customers. He told the BBC that it was well documented that overdrafts were an expensive form of borrowing. What was overlooked was the "cost" of keeping large deposits in an account. By doing so, customers were missing out on much higher levels of interest that would be paid in a better home for their savings. "It is a surprise how large these amounts can be [in current accounts] - many thousands of pounds," he said. It might be possible to manage a current account to make the most of the system but, for many, the best way to get value for money is by switching to another current account altogether. Bank customers could save £70 a year on average by switching their account to another provider, an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded. Why? The CMA explains: "We looked at the average charges for a customer who was £500 in credit and had a number of foreign exchange transactions in a year, and tried to work it out, if they switched to a different type of account, and we found that, if they switched to a reward account under which they received cashback rewards and interest on their credit balances, they would make the £70 saving." For those who go into the red, the savings made by switching would be even greater, the CMA suggested. The average overdraft user could save £140 a year. Heavy overdraft users could save £260. Switching is relatively simple. It is a seven-day process and all existing regular payments, incoming and outgoing, are automatically diverted to the new account. Customers, for the most part, remain unmoved despite the simplicity of the system. Last year, 1.03 million current accounts were switched last year, compared with 1.15 million the previous year. That is a fraction of the 68 million active current accounts in the UK. Commentators suggest, despite a big advertising campaign, customers do not swap owing to a lack of trust in banks to ensure direct debits are automatically switched to the new account. They also say that the complexity of these accounts and the lack of a clear "price" make it enormously difficult to decide between the options. There are 269 different current account options to choose from for UK consumers, according to financial information service Moneyfacts. One of the High Street giants - Barclays - has 69 different options on its own, although they are not all available to everyone. Customers who do attempt to find a better deal are met by a blizzard of numbers when comparing the charges levied by each account. For overdrafts, there may be authorised overdraft fees, overdraft arrangement fees, overdraft review fees, as well as the same again for going into the red without prior authorisation from the bank. To add an extra layer of complexity, the cost of an overdraft is not always clear from the interest charged. For example, two banks charge 15.9% interest

Summary: The most affordable way of holding a bank current account, an academic has concluded, is to keep small sums in it but to never go overdrawn.


In a letter to the PM, the group of 27 charities - including Oxfam and Amnesty International - say the UK should take a "proportionate" share of refugees. They praise the commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years but say more needs to be done. A government spokesman said the UK has a "long and proud history of offering sanctuary" to those in genuine need. The letter, coordinated by the British Refugee Council, asks Mr Cameron to show a "new resolve" to deal with the crisis, which saw nearly 4,000 people drown last year and hundreds of thousands more face danger and hardship while fleeing violence. The group, which also includes the International Rescue Committee, Liberty and ActionAid, wrote: "Last year's announcement that the UK will resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years was a welcome first step, but given the numbers of people searching for safety across the globe, this response is clearly inadequate: it is too slow, too low and too narrow. "The UK can and should be doing much more to ensure that refugees are not compelled to take life-threatening journeys or forced into smugglers' hands." They endorse principles set out by 350 former judges and lawyers in October which include taking a fair share of refugees and establishing safe and legal routes to the UK for those seeking protection. Refugee Council chief executive Maurice Wren said: "There are no easy answers to a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude. "However, the solution must not be to spend another year impassively watching on while desperate people drown or are forced to endure a march of misery across the continent as they try to find a safe haven or to be reunited with their loved ones. "This year the prime minister must open his heart and show true statesmanship by welcoming far more refugees to the UK, enabling them to travel here safely and legally to live lives free from violence, tyranny and oppression." The government spokesman said: "The United Kingdom has a long and proud history of offering sanctuary to those who genuinely need our protection, with each claim for asylum judged on its individual merits. "The terrible images we have seen in the last year have moved us all, strengthening our resolve to help prevent more people suffering such a fate. "That is why we are resettling people directly from the countries neighbouring Syria, to which so many refugees have fled, and we have already met our target of welcoming 1,000 of the most vulnerable before Christmas." He said the government was also providing "life-saving aid to those most in need", both in and around Syria and in Europe, and working with other countries to "ensure systems are in place which properly address unfounded claims for asylum".

Summary: David Cameron's response to the refugee crisis is "clearly inadequate", leading aid and refugee agencies claim.


Christine Lagarde said she had "not seen anything that's positive" about Brexit and warned that it could "lead to a technical recession". She echoed similar comments made on Thursday by Bank of England governor Mark Carney. Vote Leave said the IMF had been wrong in the past and was "wrong now". The IMF said in a report on the UK economy that a leave vote could have a "negative and substantial effect". It has previously said that such an outcome could lead to "severe regional and global damage". The Fund said a Brexit vote would result in a "protracted period of heightened uncertainty" and could result in a sharp rise in interest rates, cause volatility on financial markets and damage London's status as a global financial centre. Ms Lagarde said the IMF had a duty to assess the risks of Brexit. It has a mandate to oversee the international monetary and financial system. The Fund is expected to publish detailed estimates of the economic impact of a vote to leave the EU in the week before the 23 June referendum, the timing of which has been criticised by leave campaigners. It was not just a domestic issue but an international one as well, Ms Lagarde told a briefing at the Treasury attended by the Chancellor, George Osborne. EU referendum issues guide: Explore the arguments The UK's EU vote: All you need to know EU referendum campaign latest "I don't think that in the last six months I have visited a country anywhere in the world where I have not been asked 'what will be the economic consequences of Brexit?" she said. How trade and the UK's economy are affected by membership of the EU. Asked if the Treasury had had any input into the IMF's conclusions, Ms Lagarde responded: "Heck no! If you are suggesting that, you don't know the IMF." Priti Patel MP, who is backing the leave campaign, said the IMF was "wrong then and they are wrong now. It appears the Chancellor is cashing in favours to Ms Lagarde in order to encourage the IMF to bully the British people." Lord Lamont, a former chancellor, said: "This daily avalanche of institutional propaganda is becoming ludicrous and pitiful. Important institutions are being politicised and used to make blood-curdling forecasts. "There are plenty of respected individual economists, plenty of respected professional investors, and plenty of entrepreneurs who take a very different view from Christine Lagarde and who have probably been better at foreseeing the future than the IMF." Britain Stronger in Europe chairman Lord Rose said: "This is yet another economic expert that agrees Britain is stronger in Europe, adding to the comments of the Bank of England." Former Treasury minister Lord Myners, who backs staying in the EU, added: "Every major independent economic institution, from the Bank of England to the IMF, has made it clear that leaving the EU would damage the UK economy. This is yet more evidence that leaving is a risk we cannot afford to take." The Fund said it expected UK growth to fall below

Summary: The International Monetary Fund chief has said a vote by the UK to leave the European Union would have "pretty bad, to very, very bad" consequences.


American forces entered the camp on 11 April 1945, bringing an end to the ordeal of 21,000 prisoners being held there by Nazi troops. Former inmates and war veterans returned to the site, near the German city of Weimar to mark the anniversary. It was the first major camp to be liberated by the Americans at the end of World War II. Survivor Henry Oster said his memories of Buchenwald would last "forever". "When someone asks how Buchenwald was, you immediately see the dead bodies again," he told AP. More than 250,000 men, women and children were held at Buchenwald from its opening in 1937 until its closure eight years later. About 56,000 people, including Jews, Roma and Soviet prisoners, died within its walls. Crowds laid flowers at a memorial for the victims on Saturday and held a minute's silence at 15:15 - the time US troops entered the site. Mr Oster, 86, recalled the day the soldiers arrived to free prisoners. "We had no idea the Allies were in Europe. When we heard noises at about 15:30, we looked out of the window, which took a great effort," he said. "One of my friends said with a weak voice, 'I think we are getting liberated'. We thought he had lost his sense of reality like so many people there." Mr Oster, a German Jew from Cologne, was taken to an orphanage in France and emigrated to the United States in 1946. Former army medic James Anderson, 91, also attended the commemoration ceremony. "The devastation was so tremendous," he said. "The prisoners were so glad to see us, they would hug us and everything.''

Summary: Survivors have returned to the Buchenwald concentration camp 70 years after it was liberated by US soldiers.


The move was confirmed after JTI Gallaher turned down the plan to save about 500 of those jobs. Unite had proposed turning the factory into a centre of excellence for pouch tobacco and cigar production, meaning about 370 redundancies. JTI Gallaher employs about 870 staff, but will shut down completely by 2017. The union had said the redundancies would be voluntary, under its proposal. Unite balloted its members last year, and they voted to support the plan. On Wednesday, Unite regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said he was angry at the rejection of their plan. He described the decision to close the factory as "an extreme case of social dumping where employers seek to minimise costs through chasing lower cost alternatives". "The choice to close JTI's plant at Ballymena but leave production in Trier, Germany, reflects the fact that social protections for workers in Northern Ireland, and the UK as a whole, are substantially weaker than in Germany," he said. "It boils down to the fact that it is much cheaper for the company to make a UK worker redundant than a German one." Mr Kelly called for immediate action from political leaders to put in place increased protection for UK workers and said Unite would now focus on securing compensation for its members at the Ballymena factory. North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said it was disappointing that the closure of the factory had been confirmed. He said he had continued to lobby the UK government to reconsider the introduction of plain-packaging and delay the European Union's Tobacco Products Directive. However, he said "the die has been cast and the tentacles of european bureaucracy have reached in and stripped this factory bare". He said it was now the responsibility of the relevant government departments to reskill the workers. In a statement, JTI Gallaher said it was working in a challenging regulatory and operating environment and that it had "fought very hard" against plain packaging proposals in the UK, the EU's Tobacco Products Directive 2 (TPD2) as well as the trade in smuggled cigarettes. It said its business must "prepare for the negative consequences of these". The firm added that around 80% of cigarette production at its factory in Ballymena was for the UK and the Republic of Ireland and that from 2009 to 2014, cigarette production there had declined by 27%. "These declines will be exacerbated by the implementation of TPD2 which bans small packs - 81% of our current pack formats will be prohibited, which means that 40% of the overall production at Lisnafillan will be affected," it said. The factory has been a major employer in Ballymena, but in October, the firm began consultations on proposals to close its facilities in Northern Ireland and Belgium, with production possibly moving to Poland and Romania. The firm said at that time its restructuring would be phased in, with factory closures completed between 2016 and 2018. When Unite first unveiled its alternative plan in November, it warned it would mean "significant concessions in terms and conditions", as well as the large-scale redundancies. However, it

Summary: A trade union proposal aimed at saving jobs at a tobacco factory in Ballymena, County Antrim, has been rejected.


Anglesey council's contract for 17 toilets ends in 2017 and they face being scrapped due to budget cuts. A letter has been sent to councils to see if there is interest in taking them over from 1 April. Councillor John Roberts said: "We don't want to reach a situation where we'll have to close toilets and sincerely hope that we can find a solution."

Summary: Public toilets on Anglesey are being offered to town and community councils in a bid to stop them being closed.


The men, one of whom was carrying a suspected firearm and another a knife, forced their way into a house in Burneys Mews about 02:25 GMT on Sunday. The gang threatened the occupants before leaving. Nothing was taken during the incident. Although those in the house were not injured, they were left shaken by their ordeal. Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Summary: A number of people have been threatened by a gang during an aggravated burglary in Newtownabbey, County Antrim.


29 June 2016 Last updated at 02:24 BST Well, the BBC has been around the region looking for people who are living the dream, and fulfilling their career ambitions. This week, we find out how Australian actor Eamon Flack landed his dream job as artistic director of Sydney's Belvoir theatre company. Produced by the BBC's Katie Beck. All stills by Brett Boardman.

Summary: Most of us work to make money - and if it happens to be by doing something we love, we're considered lucky.


He doesn't do Facebook. He doesn't do Twitter. More than that, the 41-year-old Brummie, reared from the school of hard knocks, believes in serving a proper apprenticeship as a manager - just as he did as in his 20 years as a player, at almost every level of the professional game. The boyhood Birmingham City fan released as a teenager by his favourite team played in non-league for Telford United and Kidderminster Harriers. He then found his way back into the professional game with Crewe Alexandra, Bristol Rovers, QPR, Rushden & Diamonds and Millwall. And, before he became manager of National League new boys Solihull Moors, he helped to cut his teeth in women's football, coaching Birmingham City Ladies. But it is as manager of Solihull, where he has worked for the past five years without a contract, that he has done most to enhance his growing reputation - and all at a time when Telford and Kidderminster have gone in the opposite direction. So much so that when the Moors went up in April, it was actually the Harriers they swapped places with, in the process becoming the top non-league side in the Midlands. "Why," asks Bignot, "do these things happen? Why did the fates decide that we go up at the expense of Kiddy? I wanted to manage Kiddy, I could have managed Telford. Instead, I'm at Solihull." Although he retains an interest in Blues Ladies, purely on the coaching side, it is as manager of the Moors that Bignot is currently most preoccupied as he prepares for life in the fifth tier of English football after winning the National League North title last season. Solihull were the first of the National League's four newly-promoted clubs to go up last season, following a highly satisfactory campaign in which the Moors won 25 of their 42 league games, to go up by nine points. A successful conclusion to his fifth season in charge. But it was not always like that at Damson Park, the home of the club created in 2007 by the merger of two under-achieving non-league local rivals Solihull Borough and Moor Green. Having taken over following the death of long-serving boss Bob Faulkner and the departure of his assistant Micky Moore to Mansfield, Bignot's managerial career did not start well. "I didn't know the level," he said. "I didn't know the players. I lost my first seven games and I was suspended for five of them." The Moors turned it around to avoid relegation. But worse was to come off the field the following season when the financially-challenged club were close to going under. "We nearly folded," he winces. "It never got reported. That's how tightknit we had the dressing room. "There's a reason why two clubs merged and it wasn't because they were doing well. I remember the chairman saying we had a £30,000 deficit and that we might struggle to reach the end of season. "A friend of the club, Ian Atkins [the former Birmingham City and Everton midfielder] introduced us to Mike Turl, who we

Summary: Solihull Moors manager Marcus Bignot is old school.


Scientists using Europe's Cryosat radar spacecraft are now routinely mapping variations in height on a fine scale, both in time and in area. The UK-led team's analysis shows that Greenland is shedding ice to the ocean. Their preliminary assessment is very close to that produced from gravity satellites, which currently see losses of over 250bn tonnes of ice each year. But while the headline numbers may be similar, Cryosat brings important additional detail to the picture. It allows the team to study changes across the entire ice sheet at fine resolution, meaning the scientists are able to monitor the behaviour of individual glaciers. Cryosat is also helping them to track seasonal variations in the elevation of the ice sheet, which will permit the researchers to investigate how the ice sheet changes from year to year. "These results allow us to identify key glaciers which, in the last few years, are showing signs of rapid change," said Dr Malcolm McMillan from the NERC Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) at Leeds University. The new study updates a previous assessment by the Alfred Wegener Institute, and complements existing measurements made by the US space agency's GRACE gravity satellites. These are spacecraft that can essentially "weigh" the ice sheet from orbit. Dr McMillan and colleagues are presenting their work this week in San Francisco at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, the largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. Researchers have previously used space- and plane-borne laser altimeters to produce the kind of maps now coming from Cryosat. But their data was often very sparse, making it difficult to achieve a comprehensive and up-to-date picture. The earlier radar missions, too, struggled to get to grips with Greenland. In part, this was because their measurement footprints were too large to really see even the biggest glaciers, but also because they were sometimes frustrated by surface conditions. "Radar altimeters bounce their signals off a horizon that is below the top of the snow, where the ice becomes compacted," explained Leeds co-worker Prof Andy Shepherd. "But if there is a big melt, as we saw in the middle of Greenland in 2012, the snowpack conditions change and this scattering horizon is re-set, making it appear as if the ice sheet has gained one to two metres in height. "With these new results, we have been able to correct for this, and that allows us to confidently map changes in elevation." The CPOM study means Cryosat has now produced a "report card" on all three of the polar ice domains it was tasked by the European Space Agency to investigate. A similar assessment has been done for Antarctica, and the spacecraft is also now consistently monitoring the thickness of Arctic sea-ice, its primary mission goal. In addition, as a secondary objective, the Esa spacecraft's radar has managed to make the most precise map of the shape of the global ocean floor. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

Summary: It is one of the clearest views we have yet had of the recent changes occurring across Greenland's ice sheet.


Sixty-one percent of nearly 3,000 responses agreed to a change of name, with nearly three-quarters backing Welsh Parliament as the best option. A law to change the name is expected to pass before the 2021 election. Presiding Officer Elin Jones hoped people would "more fully understand the powers of the assembly and the role it plays in their lives". But Neil Hamilton, UKIP AM, expressed concerns over potential costs. The assembly was given the power to rename itself under the 2017 Wales Act. Assembly members had unanimously backed the idea last July after which it was put out to public consultation. Publishing the responses on Tuesday, Ms Jones said: "Our role today is as a full parliamentary body, with the power to pass laws and agree taxes, and we must continue to work hard to inspire the confidence, trust and pride in the people we serve." Speaking to BBC Wales, Ms Jones said the Welsh Parliament name will "reflect directly the will of the people of Wales in giving us the mandate to have the powers to create legislation on their behalf". "We are a parliament in all but name," she said. Sixty percent of people responding to the consultation said they did not agree that the role of the assembly was well understood. Just over a fifth of respondents - 22.6% - who responded to the survey said they strongly disagreed or disagreed with the assembly's name changing. Legislation on assembly reforms - including the change of name - will be published by the Assembly Commission in 2018. They will include rules on disqualification of assembly members and the design of the committee system. The commission proposes that assembly members will in future be known as Welsh Parliament Members (WPMs), in keeping with the current title of Assembly Members. The option was the second least-favoured option according to a summary of the survey conducted for the consultation - with 11.1% of respondents preferring it over other suggestions. Member of the Welsh Parliament was preferred by 30% while 28.4% liked Member of the Senedd. Tory AM Suzy Davies, Assembly Commissioner with responsibility for budget and governance, said the assembly would not "waste resources by rushing to make the change", noting that some people responding to the consultation were worried about the cost. She said until legislation is passed the institution will continue to be known by its current name in order to avoid confusion and to minimise cost. There have long been calls to call the assembly a Welsh Parliament, with Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies having made the suggestion in 2012. On Tuesday, Mr Davies said: "The assembly has clearly evolved into a parliament, and it's only right that this is now reflected in its name." First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "The name Welsh Parliament / Senedd Wales will help to enhance understanding of the assembly and reflect its status as a national parliament, on a par with the other legislatures in the UK." Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood also welcomed the name change, saying the assembly's stature and confidence

Summary: The National Assembly for Wales is set to be renamed the Welsh Parliament after it was backed in a consultation.


Hampshire can still qualify for the quarter-finals if results go their way in Wednesday's last group games. Bailey struck an unbeaten 145 against Surrey on Sunday but in a losing cause. "I don't think we've played a great game of one-day cricket yet, but we're breaking some records and the tide should turn at some stage," he said. Bailey and Kyle Abbott (56) set a Hampshire List A record partnership for the eighth wicket of 152 against any county in the defeat by Surrey. The game before, James Vince hit a county record 178 against Glamorgan, also in a losing cause. If Hampshire beat Sussex at home and Surrey lose to Gloucestershire, they could finish in the top three of the South Group. "I'm not sure we deserve to qualify," Bailey admitted to BBC Radio Solent. "But, that's the nature of the South Group where everyone seems to beat everyone. "If we don't make it, we'll rue games like the one against Glamorgan (who chased 333 with a ball to spare). "But if we play well against Sussex, you never know."

Summary: Hampshire captain George Bailey is unsure if his side deserve to qualify for the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup after inconsistent results.


A report published by the organisation said there were 116 deaths worldwide in 2014, including 29 in Brazil, 25 in Colombia and 15 in the Philippines. Activists also faced abduction and other threats if they interfered in corporate or state interests, it added. Last year saw a spike in killings related to hydropower programs. Fourteen people died defending their land and rivers against dam projects. Global Witness named Honduras as the most dangerous country for environmental activists, because of "regressive laws" and a climate of "near total impunity". It has the highest number of killings per capita, with 111 deaths recorded since 2002. Members of indigenous groups were increasingly involved in the "scramble for land and natural resources" and accounted for 40% of all deaths last year, it said. In September four Peruvian tribal leaders were murdered on their way to a meeting to discuss ways to stop illegal logging. Berta Caceres, an indigenous Lenca woman, told the report's authors that she had received numerous death threats because of her opposition to a dam that would force her community off their ancestral land. She claims she has been forced to live a "fugitive existence". Activists are often portrayed as enemies of the state, with some countries using anti-terror legislation to target them. The campaign group urged governments and the international community to monitor, investigate and punish those behind what it called a hidden crisis.

Summary: Killings of environmental activists have risen by 20% in the last year, according to campaign group Global Witness.