The Perth club have finished in the top half of the league in each of the past five campaigns. Saints open their Premiership campaign at home to Aberdeen on Sunday. "If we were to finish seventh and miss out on the top six I wouldn't see that as a failure for our club," Wright told BBC Scotland. "Probably our fans expectations get higher and higher each season but we don't really put any demands on the players. "We want to finish top six if we can and we think we know that over the course of the season we can do that, but we certainly don't say at this stage we will finish top six." Wright feels the promotion of Rangers, who St Johnstone defeated 3-1 in last season's League Cup, will stiffen competition at the top end of the table. The Saints boss thinks Rangers will add quality to the league and that Mark Warburton's side could put in a title challenge to champions Celtic. "If you look at the players they have signed, they have improved the squad in depth," said the Northern Irishman. "They have a stronger squad than what they had last season. I think with the squad they have assembled they could mount a challenge." Saints beat Aberdeen twice last season with a 5-1 win at Pittodrie and a 3-0 victory the last time the two faced each other in April. Wright says this weekend's match, along with their next few games, means they will have to be at their best from the first whistle. "We have a difficult start to the season in terms of who we are playing," he said. "We have the top three teams in the opening few weeks. "First up Aberdeen then Hearts in the Cup, Celtic in two weeks with Motherwell a top six side next Saturday. It's a great start for us playing some of the top teams."

Summary: Manager Tommy Wright says St Johnstone once again have ambitions of a top six spot but realises competition will be fierce this season.


Around 30 Peruvian and Brazilian rally car drivers did exactly that to mark a new stretch of a road that connects their nations. The two countries have historically had their figurative backs to one another with their shared border running through the Amazon rainforest, but are now trying to forge stronger links. Setting off from Nazca, in Peru's coastal desert on 19 January, the drivers traversed the Andes cordillera to Cusco, rising to 4,725m (15,500ft) above sea level. They then descended into the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios, the frontier region that borders Brazil and Bolivia. The race over some 2,200km (1,367 miles) involved a brief break to cross a river by ferry as a key bridge is still not finished. Competitors then continued on to Inapari on the border, reached first by Peruvian professional rally car driver Nicolas Fuchs. Vehicle registration problems meant most of the drivers could not cross into Brazil to complete the last 200km or so to Rio Branco, capital of Acre state. Bureaucratic problems aside, the dramatic route was the main challenge. "The road doesn't just have curves, it has big drops, places where if you make a mistake, you die," said Luiz Facco, a Brazilian driver who raced alongside wife and co-driver Cristina, told the BBC in Cusco's main square. Apart from being a symbol of South American integration, the road links will also boost - potentially hugely - trade with Asia. China has already replaced the US as Brazil's number one trading partner. With this road, Brazil will eventually have paved access to five Pacific-facing Peruvian ports. For its part, Peru is strategically sandwiched between two of the world's largest emerging economies - China to the west and Brazil, to the east. "This road is a dream," says Miguel Vega, president of the Peru-Brazil Chamber of Commerce. "As we say in football, the midfield dominates the game. This road will put Peru in the midfield between Asia and South America." But the road is also proving to be an environmentalists' nightmare. "Asphalting the road itself doesn't do any real harm," says Rob Williams, Peru research co-ordinator for the Frankfurt Zoological Society. "It's the secondary roads which come off the main road in a fishbone pattern which do the damage. These continue to fragment the Amazon until the whole strip along the Interoceanic highway is deforested." Widely viewed by scientists as the most bio-diverse corner of the Amazon rainforest, Madre de Dios is bisected by the road. Where the Andes meet the Amazon, the Interoceanic highway passes directly through the town of Quince Mil. In its main square is a statue of an old man panning for gold. "Everyone knows how to pan for gold here but nowadays miners are coming with heavy machinery and mercury," says Quince Mil resident Ozwaldo Escobar. "They are polluting our water supply, killing the fish and destroying the forest. "There's little we can do because they bribe the police and the local authorities," he alleges. A young man, known just as Renzo, told the BBC he gets weekly visits

Summary: What better way to celebrate the opening of a road than by racing cars on it?


Police are urging Prof Wyndham Lathem, 42, and Andrew Warren, 56, to "do the right thing and turn yourself in". Arrests warrants were issued after Trenton Cornell-Duranleau, 25, was found dead in Prof Lathem's flat in Chicago on 27 July. "The victim had several lacerations to the body," the police said. Wyndham Lathem is a microbiology professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, who specialises in the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague. Andrew Warren is a senior treasury assistant at Oxford's Somerville College. The police warned that the suspects were believed to be "armed and dangerous", and were possibly driving a Hyundai sedan. Chicago Police chief communications officer Anthony Guglielmi said on Twitter the search for the two men "will only intensify". End of Twitter post by @AJGuglielmi Mr Cornell-Duranleau, originally from Michigan, worked as a cosmetologist in Chicago. Oxford University issued a statement saying it had been in contact with the police in the UK about Mr Warren and was "ready to help the US investigating authorities in any way they need". It added: "Andrew Warren's colleagues at Somerville College have now all been informed and are shocked to learn of the case. "Whatever the circumstances, we would urge him to contact the US authorities as soon as possible, in the best interests of everyone concerned." A Thames Valley Police spokesman said Mr Warren was reported missing on 25 July after having left the UK the day before.

Summary: A US-wide hunt has intensified for an American professor and an Oxford University employee suspected of stabbing a man to death in Chicago.


The state's media watchdog said the press had a duty to cover a story about the supposed offshore dealings of opposition politician and recent presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso. The investigation was published in an Argentine newspaper in March. The watchdog and the media companies have accused each other of censorship. Appeals are under way. The ruling was made against newspapers El Comercio, La Hora, Expreso and El Universo, and television channels Televicentro, Teleamazonas and Ecuavisa. The watchdog, known as Supercom, has fined the companies $3,750 (Â£3,000), the equivalent of 10 journalists' basic salaries, it said. Supercom's superintendent Carlos Ochoa called the fines both a punishment and a motivation for improving journalistic practices. Pedro Valverde, a lawyer for El Universo newspaper, told the BBC he will be "exhausting all administrative and judicial options to annul this absurd sanction". The report, "Lasso: the offshore tycoon", was first published by Argentina's left-wing Pagina 12 newspaper, and was picked up by various other Ecuadorean news outlets ahead of the country's election on 2 April. Local free speech organisation Fundamedios said the government should not be fining the media. "It is an act of censorship designed to give the government the role of editor of all media, deciding what to publish or not," said director Cesar Ricaurte. Supercom acts under the controversial communications law,. Introduced by President Rafael Correa in 2013, the law gives officials the power to sanction media outlets. The recent complaint against the media was filed by an organisation called the Citizen's Observatory for Quality Communications, on 27 March, after President Correa raised a complaint on his television show. The organisation said the various media organisations - some of the country's biggest - had failed to publish or investigate the offshore banking claims, which "affected the voting rights of Ecuadoreans, since the possible crimes involved someone who aspired to be president". However, some of the affected media have come forward to say they were bound by contradictory legislation. Mr Valverde referred to the Code of Democracy, which does not allow the media to publish works that might be seen as actively working for or against a candidate during an election period. Representatives of El Comercio newspaper also said the communications law has another clause - article 22 - which states that journalism must be verified, and it could not vouch for the Argentine investigation. Mr Lasso planned to revoke the communications law, had he won the election. The former banker narrowly lost to left-wing candidate Lenin Moreno. President-elect Moreno has also expressed reservations about the law, including after the seven fines were announced. He said he would like to speak to the press directly about it, according to media reports. President Correa has praised his law repeatedly, including in reference to this latest incident.

Summary: Ecuador has fined seven media companies for not publishing a story that it deemed of public interest.


Grégory Villemin was four when his body was found in the Vologne river. His killer has never been found. All three held by police were described as relatives of the boy's father. The murder has continued to haunt France ever since, but advances in DNA technology have helped police shed further light on the case. It was on 16 October 1984 that Grégory Villemin's body was found and a magistrate opened what became one of the biggest mysteries in French criminal history. Hours before the boy was discovered, his hands and feet tied, his uncle said he had received a phone call from someone claiming to have kidnapped him. The following day, the child's parents received a letter that said: "Your son is dead, I have been avenged." The next month, a cousin of the boy's father, Bernard Laroche, was arrested when his sister-in-law, Muriel Bolle, testified against him. He was released in 1985 when she retracted her statement, but shot dead by Jean-Marie Villemin, the boy's father, weeks later. The father went to jail for Laroche's murder for several years. The boy's mother, Christine Villemin, was also jailed for her son's murder but later cleared. Both were later given compensation by the state for miscarriage of justice. The anonymous phone-calls and poison-pen letters continued over the years, and the case was reopened first in 2000 and then again in 2008 in an attempt to identify the DNA on the letters. Three separate traces of DNA were found but not identified. Little news has been heard in the "Grégory affair" since police said in 2013 that DNA tests had brought the investigation no further. That was until about 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday, when investigators from Dijon detained a couple in their 70s in the village of Aumontzey, in the Vologne river valley. Sources told French media that they were the father's uncle and aunt. They were placed in police custody on suspicion of complicity in the murder, failing to report a crime or helping a person at risk, according to L'Est Républicain website. A third person reported to be the father's half-sister was also being held. A fourth, said to be the victim's grandmother, was taken in as a witness. Her husband was also questioned. Prosecutor Jean-Jacques Bosc said investigators had targeted "people very close to the heart of this case" and hoped to provide answers to the questions they had. Local reporters covering the case pointed out that none of those held on Wednesday was suspected of the boy's murder. They also said that Muriel Bolle, who as a teenager had initially blamed the killing on Bernard Laroche, had been asked to provide a DNA sample on Wednesday before later being released.

Summary: A couple in their 70s and a woman have been detained for questioning by police, 32 years after a crime that horrified France.


Nobel prize-winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse told BBC Newsnight experts "are being derided and pushed back". Mr Gove says he had economists mostly in mind when he said "people in this country have had enough of experts". But he admitted some people may have felt "licensed" by his remarks to challenge all forms of expertise. Mr Gove made the controversial remarks in an interview with Sky's Faisal Islam three weeks before last year's EU referendum. Michael Gove was justice secretary at the time and a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign. Critics claimed Mr Gove was whipping up an anti-intellectual mood with parallels to Donald Trump's assault on media and other sources of information. Mr Gove said his remarks were taken out of context because Mr Islam interrupted him before he was able to clarify that he was referring to "organizations with acronyms who had got things wrong in the past". He told Newsnight he had failed to express himself more carefully because it was "a high profile, high intensity, high tension, high nervousness, encounter". He insisted he did not regret using the word "expert" but added: "One of the things that is occasionally irritating is that people assume that what I was saying was a blanket rejection of facts, evidence, rigour - when in fact what I was trying to do was to say look let's simply not take arguments at face value, just because someone works for a prestigious organisation." He conceded that some people may have felt encouraged by his comments to cast doubt on all forms of expertise. "It may be that there are some people out there who think that that I'm giving them licence to operate in that way. Who's to say?" He added: "I would hope that people looking at my career would say whatever that phrase may have encouraged or licensed, actually the man uttering it was someone who believed in more knowledge and more critical thinking - not less." But Sir Paul, a former president of Britain's top scientific body, the Royal Society, said even if Mr Gove had meant to cast doubt primarily on economics, he had been "irresponsible" not to clarify his remarks. He said the comment "spilled over into all sorts of other areas where experts have an enormous contribution to make to the proper running of society". "The fact that experts have been derided in this way does have an effect in undermining science and scientific evidence." Sir Paul said the British public still has high levels of trust in scientists but we are living in a period where "opinion is on the front foot". "Those who are expert, who have the knowledge, who have the intellectual ability to dissect these difficult problems, are being derided and pushed back," he said. "My view about this is that it cannot last for very long, because opinion is not built on firm foundations and it rapidly falls apart. And I think we're seeing that already with, for example, Mr Trump. "Science is built to last. Opinions are not built to

Summary: One of the UK's leading scientists says Michael Gove's attack on experts during the EU referendum risked undermining science and scientific evidence.


Hearings, opened days after the 1974 attacks, were not continued after the jailing of six men, whose convictions were later quashed. After the men's release in 1991 the families of those who died began a campaign to get the inquests heard. Coroner Louise Hunt is expected to deliver her decision later. Birmingham pub bombings inquests: What we know A total of 182 people were also injured in the bombings, on 21 November 1974 - then the worst terrorist atrocity on English soil. At 20:17 GMT, a device exploded in a duffel bag in the Mulberry Bush pub in the Rotunda, in the city centre, killing 10 people. Pub bombers 'will not be jailed' Ten minutes later, a second bomb went off in the Tavern in the Town, leaving 11 more dead. The IRA was believed to have carried out the bombings, although responsibility has never been claimed. West Midlands Police said the investigation is still open but there has not been enough evidence for a prosecution. Ms Hunt, the Birmingham and Solihull coroner, has reviewed a huge body of police evidence and heard submissions from the victims' relatives and other interested parties in February. She is expected to deliver her decision at Solihull Council house, during a hearing that is due to start at 10:00 BST. Julie Hambleton, whose 18-year-old sister Maxine died in the attacks, said she was "cautiously optimistic" about the inquests resuming.

Summary: A coroner is due to rule on whether the inquest into the deaths of 21 people in the Birmingham pub bombings will resume.


Aisha told Time her nose and ears had been cut off - with the approval of a Taliban commander - by her abusive husband as punishment for running away. The front cover generated debate over the headline "What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan" and over the use of the photo itself. Her surgery was done in California. The Grossman Burn Foundation, which carried out the work, campaigns on the issue of violence against women, as well as doing free plastic surgery work. Foundation surgeon Peter Grossman carried out the reconstruction surgery. Aisha was widely photographed and filmed earlier this week receiving the Enduring Heart award at a benefit ceremony staged by the foundation. She was given the award by California first lady Maria Shriver, the wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "This is the first Enduring Heart award given to a woman whose heart endures and who shows us all what it means to have love and to be the enduring heart," Ms Shriver said. Aisha - whose surname has not been revealed - replied: "Thank you so much." The 18-year-old was reportedly given away by her family in childhood as a "blood debt" and was subsequently married to a Taliban fighter. His family abused her and she ran away but was recaptured and mutilated by her husband. Aisha's case has been used in the West to illustrate the fear of what will happen if US, British and other international forces leave prematurely. Some critics questioned the tone of the Time cover arguing that it was using emotional blackmail and gender politics to justify continued US involvement in Afghanistan.

Summary: The Afghan girl featured on a controversial Time magazine cover in the US has been given a new prosthetic nose.


Taylor beat Van Gerwen in the opening contest, but Lewis then struggled in losing to Van Barneveld, before the Dutch won the pairs. But Taylor's defeat of Van Barneveld forced a decider, in which Lewis beat Van Gerwen 4-1. Victory in Frankfurt gave England their fourth World Cup of Darts crown. After losing both of his matches in the final, world number one Van Gerwen seemed to take exception to Lewis' celebrations on sealing the trophy. "MVG got the the hump with me because I gave it large, but I said to him that he does that every week, so he has to expect some back," said Lewis. Taylor and Lewis, both from Stoke-on-Trent, had earlier defeated Northern Ireland duo Brendan Dolan and Daryl Gurney in the semi-finals. Scotland, represented by world champion Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton, lost in the quarter-finals to Belgium.

Summary: England pair Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis retained the World Cup, beating the Netherlands' Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld in the final.


Twenty tonnes of pasta covered the A5 near Shotatton, forcing police to close the road between the A483 at Oswestry and the A458 at Shrewsbury. A spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, which attended just after 11:30 BST, said it was not clear how the pasta had ended up on the road. No-one was arrested and no-one was injured. A Highways England spokesman said: "We sent people there with high pressure hoses to clean it up but it does seem that it got everywhere. "All of it has needed sucking up and taking away. "It's been quite a clean-up job."

Summary: A major road in Shropshire was closed after a lorry shed its load of pre-made spaghetti bolognese.


He called Friday's gun attack in Aden an "act of senseless and diabolical violence". Reports said the attackers pretended they were visiting their mothers to gain access to the home. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Yemeni officials have blamed so-called Islamic State. In a statement, the Vatican said two of the nuns killed were Rwandan, one was Indian and one was from Kenya. They were working as nurses at the home and had been serving breakfast to its 80 residents when the attack occurred. All the victims were shot in the head and had been handcuffed, the Associated Press reported, citing the brother of a victim. The nuns were from the Missionaries of Charity congregation, which runs the home and was founded in Calcutta by Mother Teresa. Pope Francis "prays that this pointless slaughter will awaken consciences, lead to a change of heart, and inspire all parties to lay down their arms and take up the path of dialogue", Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said. "He sends the assurance of his prayers for the dead and his spiritual closeness to their families and to all affected from this act of senseless and diabolical violence." Missionaries of Charity spokeswoman Sunita Kumar said members were "absolutely stunned" by the killings. The nun in charge managed to hide and escaped unharmed. Yemen is engulfed in a brutal civil war between Iran-backed Zaidi Shia Houthi rebels in the north and the Saudi-Arabia backed government in the south. Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have both taken advantage of the war to gain ground in the country. More than 6,000 people have been killed and 2.4 million people displaced in Yemen's war, the UN says. Forces loyal to the government and southern militias regained control of Aden in July, aided by Saudi-led coalition air strikes and troops.

Summary: Pope Francis has condemned the killing of 16 people, including four Catholic nuns, at an old people's home in Yemen.


It said there was a "high threat from terrorism", with stadiums, fan zones and transport hubs possible targets. UK counter-terrorism officers have been "a key part" of security planning and a team is in France, police said. Officers will also be stationed at Eurostar terminals and on some cross-Channel trains. It comes after officials in Ukraine arrested a Frenchman apparently inspired by extremist right-wing beliefs to plot a series of attacks. In his car he was carrying two rocket launchers, explosives, detonators, five Kalashnikovs and 5,000 rounds of ammunition, intelligence officials said. The advice from the Foreign Office was updated on Monday, although officials said this was not linked to the Ukrainian arrest. 'Concern' over Euro 2016 terror threat Move 'to shut Paris Euro 2016 fan zone' Commander Dean Haydon, the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terror squad, said they were working with French police and security and intelligence agencies across the world to establish whether there was a threat to the Euros. "We have seen propaganda, Islamic State (IS) and potential talk of plots against the Euros, but we're working with all those various different agencies to police and make the Euros a safe event and a safe games," he said. "Although the ultimate policing of the event and the planning is for the French, we are all involved in properly trying to understand the threat, if there is one." French ambassador to to the UK, Sylvie Bermann, said her country was well-prepared. Last November, 130 people were killed in Paris when gunmen and suicide bombers linked to IS attacked the Bataclan concert hall, restaurants and bars, and the Stade de France. Three explosions occurred outside the Stade de France stadium on the northern fringe of Paris where France were playing Germany in an international football friendly. One bomber and a passer-by were killed. Earlier in the year, two gunmen killed 12 people in an attack on the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. A further five people were killed when a third attacker took a Jewish supermarket hostage. Matches at Euro 2016, which begins on Friday, will be played across several stadiums including in Bordeaux, Lille and Toulouse. There are also a string of fan zones for thousands of supporters to watch the matches - including several in London. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have all qualified for the tournament, with thousands of fans expected to travel to France for matches. The England Supporters Club told the BBC the warning to fans would not stop one single fan from going to the tournament. Fans had been waiting for two years for the Euros - this threat was not going to stop them, it said. But Gavin Montgomery, from Guildford, Surrey, who has tickets for a match in the knock out phase of the tournament, said he was contemplating not going. "The threats have ruined it for me. I will not be able to relax in the stadium and I definitely won't be wearing my England shirt as I fear this will attract unnecessary attention," he said. Some told the BBC

Summary: Football fans travelling to France for Euro 2016 should be "vigilant at all times" in the face of terrorism threats, the Foreign Office has said.


In one attack, gunmen disguised as soldiers fired on a crowd in a church compound, local MP Peter Biye said. He said he had warned the army that the area was at risk after troops stationed nearby were withdrawn three months ago. The latest attacks come as the army denied that several generals had been found guilty of aiding the militants. Nigerian media reported on Tuesday that 10 generals and five other senior military officers had been tried before a court martial for supplying arms and information to the Islamist militant group. However, a military spokesman called the reports "falsehoods". This contradicted Interior Minister Abba Moro who in a BBC interview on Tuesday said it was "good news" that the army had identified soldiers who were undermining the fight against the insurgents, and that it sent a strong message to other serving officers. Boko Haram has waged an increasingly bloody insurgency since 2009 in an attempt to create an Islamic state in Nigeria. The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says the attacks on six villages over the last few days have been near the Mandara Mountains - a known Boko Haram hideout by the border with Cameroon. Residents who managed to flee Attagara said that their village church first came under attack on Sunday when reportedly 20 people died. Villagers retaliated and some militants were allegedly killed. This seemed to prompt a revenge attack on Tuesday when militants dressed as soldiers pretended they had come to protect the village, Mr Biye said. "They came in mass in military uniform with about 200 motorcyclesâ€¦ they said they came to rescue them [and] they should not run away," he told the BBC's Newsday programme. Villagers were urged to come to the church, and people gathered believing it was the military, the MP said. "They surrounded them - they started shooting them," Mr Biye said, adding that the gunmen then burnt many buildings. Those who had fled into nearby hills reported seeing many dead bodies, he said. When troops were based in nearby Chinene village, the area was calm but since their withdrawal three months ago the area had become the insurgents' "base", Mr Biye said. Nigeria's government has been facing growing pressure both at home and abroad to do more to tackle the group and bring about the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the group in April. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in May 2013 in the three northern states where Boko Haram is most active - Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Boko Haram retaliated by stepping up its bombing campaign in cities and launching mass attacks on small towns and villages. Correspondents says since the kidnapping of the girls, the attacks have become an almost daily occurrence. Who are Boko Haram? Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram

Summary: Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed dozens of villagers in fresh attacks in Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria, the BBC has learnt.


If true, it would solve one of aviation history's biggest mysteries. Earhart vanished during a 1937 flight over the Pacific - and her disappearance has been a breeding ground for speculation ever since. A photograph from the 1930s shows a figure that could be her, taken on the then-Japanese Marshall Islands. However, at least one prominent expert has poured cold water on the claim, saying he was "astounded" it had taken off. The new material - presented as evidence for an old theory - is a black-and-white photograph found in the vaults of the US National Archives. It shows a group of people standing on a dock. The label on the photograph says it was taken on Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands, presumably by a US spy. The link might seem thin, though, to the legendary pilot who five years before her disappearance had risen to fame as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. The claim is that one seated person with her back to the camera could be Earhart, while another figure on the far left in the photo is said to be Fred Noonan, her navigator on that last flight. On the very right of the picture is a blurry section which, it is claimed, shows Earhart's plane. Ric Gillespie, author of Finding Amelia and executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), is certainly unconvinced. He told the BBC: "This photograph has people convinced. I'm astounded by this. I mean, my God! Look at this photograph... Let's use our heads for a moment. It's undated. They think it's from 1937. Okay. If it's from July 1, 1937 then it can't be Amelia, because she hadn't taken off yet. "If it's from 1935 or 1938 it can't be her.... This photograph has to have been taken within a very narrow window - within a couple of days of when she disappeared." He notes that the photograph came from an Office of Naval Intelligence file, saying it was "very natural" the US would want a picture of this Japanese naval asset. "And what does the photo say that it shows? ... Jaluit Atoll - Jaluit Island. It doesn't say 'Amelia Earhart in Japanese custody'! "If this is a picture of Amelia Earhart in Japanese custody, where are the Japanese? There are no soldiers in this picture. Nobody in uniform," he observes. The photograph was released by the US-based History channel ahead of a documentary to run this weekend. If the goal was to drum up attention - and hence audience numbers - it appears to have paid off. A preview of the programme has two experts backing up the claim by looking at the torso measurements of the woman alleged to be Amelia Earhart in the photo, and teeth and hairline of the figure claimed to be Fred Noonan. A far stretch? After all, the heroine has her back to the camera and it's debatable how much of a hairline let alone teeth can really be made out reliably on a faded photograph from

Summary: A newly-discovered photo suggests legendary US pilot Amelia Earhart might have died in Japanese custody - and not in a plane crash in the Pacific.


Media playback is not supported on this device The horse, a daughter of Finsceal Beo, was bought at Goffs sales by Dermot Farrington for an unnamed Irish client. It is the highest amount paid for a foal at public auction in Ireland. Frankel was retired in 2012 after winning all 14 of his races, while Finsceal Beo (which means 'Living Legend' in Gaelic) won the 1,000 Guineas in England and Ireland in 2007. The first foal of Frankel to be sold at auction went for £1.15m in London in June. The European record for a foal belongs to My Typhoon, a half-sister to Galileo and Sea The Stars, who sold for 1.8m guineas (£1.89m) at Tattersalls in 2002. Six foals were initially due to go through the sales ring on Thursday, but there were two late withdrawals. Two of the remaining foals went unsold with bidding at 350,000 and 650,000 euros respectively, while another fetched 550,000 euros. Another four Frankel foals will go on sale next week at Tattersalls in Newmarket, just a few miles from where the stallion was born and now stands at stud for a breeding fee of £125,000 a time.

Summary: A filly foal of racing legend Frankel has sold for an Irish record of 1.8 million euros (about £1.45m).


The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said demand for property continued to outpace supply last month. This was despite a rise in the number of homes coming on to the market. The growth of interest in the Scottish property market bucked the trend across the rest of the UK. Demand for homes in the UK fell back for the first time in over a year, which Rics attributed in part to uncertainty over next month's European Union referendum. The latest Rics UK residential market survey found sales remained steady across Scotland last month, with growth in activity expected to continue. A net balance of 36% more respondents predicted an increase in Scottish property sales over the next quarter. More surveyors also said they expected prices to rise over the next three months. Rics in Scotland director Sarah Speirs said: "We are seeing a welcome increase in properties coming on to the market and we hope this will continue in coming months. "However, as demand also continues to grow, this supply will not meet market needs and we call on the newly-elected Scottish government to make the increase of housing supply across all tenures a priority."

Summary: Scottish house prices are expected to continue rising over the next few months after climbing in April, according to surveyors.


Earlier, France and Germany complained that the Minsk peace deal for Ukraine was still not being fulfilled. Russia's military interventions, first in Ukraine, then in Syria, were high on the EU summit agenda in Brussels. But Italy and Slovakia want sanctions, that have cost EU exporters billions of euros, eased. The summit focused on the crises in Europe's neighbourhood. The destruction of Aleppo and the exodus of Syrian refugees, migrant pressure from Africa and Ukraine's conflict with Russia were key themes. Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 triggered the first round of sanctions. They have been ratcheted up, targeting Russian arms exporters, banks and individuals - many of them close to President Vladimir Putin - blamed for the pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine. But this summit will also be remembered for its new language on ties with Ukraine - setting limits to EU support. Other stories: The far-reaching EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was stalled in April when Dutch voters rejected it in a referendum. So the leaders addressed Dutch anxieties with a new, legally binding EU text. "The Agreement does not confer on Ukraine the status of a candidate country for accession to the Union, nor does it constitute a commitment to confer such status to Ukraine in the future," it said. The EU will not offer Ukrainians the right to reside and work in the EU, nor offer EU military assistance. Any such help is a matter for individual governments. The leaders also sought to defuse EU tensions over the many boatloads of migrants still crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. A plan to relocate 160,000 refugees from overcrowded camps in Italy and Greece has been opposed by Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Only a fraction of those refugees have been moved. Italy says record numbers of African migrants have reached its shores this year. Nigeria and Eritrea are the top countries of origin. Dire poverty drives many towards Europe. "It's a structural problem that 80% of the arrivals [in Italy] have no right to asylum, so they cannot be relocated inside the EU," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. The EU sees its controversial March deal with Turkey as a model for similar deals in Africa. One with Niger is the most advanced. A key goal is to break the business model of the people-smuggling gangs who prey on migrants' misery. Since March the migrant influx to Greece has fallen dramatically, but Turkey accuses the EU of blocking its EU ambitions and failing to meet funding pledges. Mrs Merkel voiced solidarity with Turkey as it is hosts 2.7m Syrian refugees - far more than any EU country. She said all the EU leaders "recognised that even if there are very critical remarks, it is still our close neighbour". The suffering of Syrian civilians in devastated Aleppo overshadowed the talks. The EU strongly condemned the bombardment by Syrian government forces and Russian warplanes. Mrs Merkel called the bombing of hospitals "really awful". "We don't lack the will to help," she said - but she deplored the failure of UN mediation in Syria. As

Summary: EU leaders have agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia for six more months.


Dr Tom Frieden, head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), was testifying before politicians in Washington. He said that data from the cases of two infants in Brazil who died soon after birth indicated the virus had passed from mother to child. However, he said the suspected link was still not definite. There are thought to have been more than 4,000 cases in Brazil alone of babies born with microcephaly - abnormally small brains - and where the transmission of Zika virus from mother to child is suspected of being the cause. Dr Frieden said intensive research was under way to find out much more about the mosquito-borne virus and to develop a vaccine for it, although he warned that that could still be years away. "We will likely see significant numbers of [Zika] cases in Puerto Rico and other US territories," Dr Frieden warned. He said the CDC would issue grants to US states at risk of Zika to better control mosquitoes. Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO), which has called the outbreak a "global public health emergency", issued guidance for women on how to protect themselves. It said that until more is known on whether sexual contact can transmit Zika, "all men and women living in or returning from an area where Zika is present - especially pregnant women and their partners - should be counselled on the potential risks of sexual transmission and ensure safe sexual practices". "These include the correct and consistent use of condoms, one of the most effective methods of protection against all sexually transmitted infections," the WHO said. The use of contraception is a controversial issue in the region because of the Catholic Church's stance against it. However, the Church has rejected calls from liberal Catholics for a softening of its position on the issue in light of the outbreak. "Microcephaly has been occurring in Brazil for years. They are taking advantage of this moment to reintroduce the abortion topic," Bishop Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, secretary general of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference, told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper. The WHO said it was not advocating travel restrictions to the area but advised pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant, to seek medical advice before travelling to areas where Zika is present. Microcephaly: Why it is not the end of the world What you need to know Key questions answered about the virus and its spread Travel advice Countries affected and what you should do The mosquito behind spread of virus What we know about the insect Abortion dilemma Laws and practices in Catholic Latin America

Summary: One of the US's most senior public health officials has revealed the "strongest evidence to date" of the effect on babies of the Zika virus.


Richard Kemp, who has delivered letters in Kentisbeare, Devon for 25 years, was told by Royal Mail he would be moved to a walking shift in the nearby town of Cullompton. But, the community rallied to save its postie with an online petition that attracted 450 signatures. Royal Mail has confirmed Mr Kemp would be "staying on his original round". Click here for live updates on this story Leanne Perkins, the landlady of the Wyndham Arms pub, set up the petition, saying Mr Kemp was a "huge part of the village". "He keeps an eye on people, the older generation of the village, he would be the first one to spot if there's anything not quite right, all of these kind of thing that when you live in a rural place like we do here, is vital," she said. "He knows everybody, everyone knows him." In 2014, Royal Mail performed two U-turns over the reinstatement of a postman of 17 years in the village of Lympstone in Devon, following a campaign by local residents. Ms Perkins said the community was "just ecstatic" when Royal Mail abandoned its plans, adding there were "a lot of tears". Kentisbeare on the edge of the Blackdown Hills only has 320 homes, but its postal round is spread across the countryside. Mr Kemp has declined to comment.

Summary: A veteran postman who was "too slow" to keep his village job has been saved after local outcry.


The singer was diagnosed last year after two tumours - including one the size of a golf ball - were found at the back of his tongue. "You can imagine to get rid of that with radiation - the inside of my head has been cooked pretty effectively," he told the BBC. He added although his voice was fine, it will take a while "to heal up". "I can sing, I can talk - I haven't gone out and done the equivalent of trying to run 100 metres in the same way I used to sing before," he told the BBC's Colin Paterson. "I only finished coming out of treatment two months ago and the doctor said it will take a year to be better. "We've beaten that by about six months so far, but I'm not going to push things to prove a point." Iron Maiden announced in May the band would not be touring or playing any shows until next year when Dickinson will be "back to full strength". The singer said since he was given the all clear by doctors, he was now "looking forward to having a bit of a knees up" because "it's a good excuse to celebrate a wonderful thing". "I've been through what a load of people go through every day," he said. "There's thousands of people every day in the UK and around the world who have treatment for this kind of thing. In that respect the only thing that's special about it is that I'm quite a well-known person. I've been very fortunate. I've had a really good bounce back." Talking about when he was first diagnosed with cancer, Dickinson said the only symptoms he had noticed was a lump in his neck - cause by the second, smaller tumour. "I went to the doc and he went 'oooh that's a bit weird'," he said. "He took a scan of it, had a look, had a poke around, and went 'you have head and neck cancer'. So I went 'that's a bit of a blow' - but you crack on and you get on with it." Dickinson was speaking at the Silver Clef Awards in London, where Iron Maiden were honoured for their outstanding contribution to UK music. Other winners at the event - in aid of charity Nordoff Robbins - included Rita Ora, who was named best female, best male Jake Bugg and James Bay who won best newcomer. Arctic Monkeys were also voted best live act of the year, Kasabian won best group, Gladys Knight collected the international award and Duran Duran were honoured with the lifetime achievement award.

Summary: Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has said he is healing well since being treated for cancer earlier this year.


This son of a Suffolk trawlerman has ruled Formula 1 for nearly 40 years with a combination of astuteness, cunning, sharp practice and sheer intellectual power arguably unmatched across business and sporting worlds. He has turned what was essentially a minority activity for enthusiasts into the most-watched global sport outside the Olympics and football's World Cup. Along the way, he has made enemies and won admirers - sometimes in the same person - but standing trial on bribery charges in Munich in August presented him with one of his biggest challenges yet. A challenge that could have seen him imprisoned for a decade. In the event, Ecclestone paid a German court £60m to end the trial, in which he was accused of paying a German banker £26m to ensure that a company Ecclestone favoured could buy a stake in F1. Under German law Ecclestone was able to pay to end the trial. His personal wealth is put at $4.2bn by Forbes. In the normal business world, any chief executive who is the subject of such serious criminal charges cannot hope to hold on to his position. But this is not the normal business world and Ecclestone is most certainly not a normal businessman. Any chief executive who has referred to women as "domestic appliances" or praised Adolf Hitler for being "able to get things done" would have been shown the door with a haste to match the indecency of the remarks. Not Ecclestone, who survived those particular storms - and many more. Why? Probably because of his remarkable achievements, his all-pervading influence in F1 and, since the sport began trading as a commodity, his success in making money for his bosses. That last attribute may yet keep him in a job, now that the criminal bribery case has ended, which was more serious than a related civil case in London's High Court, which has now been dismissed. His boss - CVC chairman Donald McKenzie - has, before now, told the High Court that Ecclestone would have to be sacked if he was convicted of a criminal offence. There is another case pending - and related - in the United States, where financial firm Bluewaters has sued him, claiming it was the highest bidder in the sale of F1 in 2006. Whether any of this is the end of the road for a man of rare influence and notoriety or not, it has been a long one. Ecclestone's journey began in the 1950s, when he was a less-than-successful racer and then a manager of promising British F1 driver Stuart Lewis-Evans. When Lewis-Evans died in a fiery accident in 1958, Ecclestone disappeared off the motor racing radar for the best part of a decade, re-emerging in the late 1960s as the manager of another promising driver, Austrian Jochen Rindt. By then, Ecclestone was already very wealthy, although some way off the billionaire he is today. A former used-car salesman, he has a standard answer to anyone wondering where the money came from: "Property." But many have speculated whether he might have earned the money

Summary: With Bernie Ecclestone, the myth is so much wrapped up in the man that it is often hard to separate fact from fiction.


US officials described the intercept by the SU-27 jet on Wednesday as "dangerous and unprofessional". Russia's defence ministry said the US plane had been approaching Russian territory and the SU-27 pilots had adhered to international rules. Russia is currently carrying out military exercises in the Black Sea. Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said the US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft had been conducting routine operations in international airspace when the Russian fighter made the unsafe manoeuvre. "These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions, and could result in a miscalculation or accident," he said. A US defence official quoted by AFP news agency said the Russian plane had flown within 30ft of the P-8A before closing to just 10ft. However, the Russian defence ministry said fighters intercepted the US plane because it was heading towards Russian territory with its transponder signal - which helps others identify it - switched off. "After the Russian fighters got close to the spy planes for visual confirmation and to determine their wing numbers, the American aircraft changed course sharply and flew away," a statement said. "The Russia pilots acted in strict accordance with international rules for flights." Relations between Russia and the West have been strained since the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. In April, the US complained that Russian jets had confronted one of its reconnaissance planes over the Baltic Sea in an "unsafe and unprofessional manner". In that incident, Russia also said that the US plane had turned off its transponder signal.

Summary: The Pentagon says a Russian fighter plane flew within about 10ft (3m) of one of its reconnaissance aircraft operating over the Black Sea.


Sean McLauchlan, 25, stabbed 29-year-old Scott Gillies outside a flat in Glasgow on 16 May 2015. A jury unanimously cleared him of murder and assault after hearing that both men were armed with knives and Mr Gillies had already slashed him. There were angry scenes involving the dead man's family following the verdict at the High Court in Livingston. Furious relatives and friends of Mr Gillies, described as a "gentle giant", stormed out of the court with one woman shouting: "This is what you call justice?" Judge Lord Burns formally acquitted Mr McLachlan, who was led out a back door. The court heard that both men had been at an all-night party in the flat in Benalder Street, Partick, The jury heard that Mr Gillies and his girlfriend Cheryl Dawson had been thrown out just before 08:00 because he had allegedly made offensive comments to the host and her sister. He had earlier shown other guests an open razor and a flick knife which he had taken out with him that evening. The couple kept trying to get back in to the party and clashed aggressively with female guests after kicking the door of the flat three times. The third time, Mr McLachlan went out past the women onto the landing and got involved in a fist fight with Mr Gillies who slashed his top lip. Giving evidence, the accused said he ran back inside and was attending to the wound in the kitchen when he heard the door being kicked in for a fourth time. He told the court: "I was scared, terrified. Then I heard Scott saying: 'Get Sean out here. He's going to get stabbed...He's getting done.' "He was talking about me. I was terrified. That's when I turned around and grabbed two knives from the sink." He added: "The minute I stepped out the kitchen I seen Scott Gillies coming up the hall. "Scott ran towards me. He had a knife in each hand and he struck us on the head. The blood started to run into my eyes and onto my face from my head. "At that point I was just scared for my own life. I thought I was going to be killed. "I swung back to try and get him off us. I was swinging my hands to get him away from us." The jury was told that during the fight, Mr McLauchlan plunged an eight-inch kitchen knife up to the hilt in Mr Gillies left shoulder. The blade cut a major artery in his lungs, and went into his chest. He died shortly afterwards from massive blood loss. A post-mortem examination found that he had a blood/alcohol count almost six times the drink-drive limit at the time of his death and had taken ecstasy. Following the fatal stabbing, Mr McLaughlin fled the scene and asked a man arriving for work at a nearby building site to phone the police. The trial heard from witnesses who had attended the party. Mikey Gillen, 22, said the victim and accused were drunk and Mr Gillies had stated

Summary: A man who claimed he acted in self defence after killing a fellow partygoer has been cleared of murder.


But her awkward moment also had a second act. Exelby had been gazing at a pen in her hands, unaware she was live, when a broadcast cut back to her in an Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) studio. She gave an alarmed reaction when she realised the error, but settled quickly to read the next story. A clip of the blooper was widely shared online, with most observers appearing to sympathise with Exelby. She addressed the subject in a tweet. The saga might have ended there, but on Monday night, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported Exelby had been sidelined from her newsreading duties. It did not quote the ABC, but a spokesperson soon told local media: "Natasha Exelby is a casual contributor, not a staff member. She has been booked for occasional on-air shifts when needed, and also does other occasional shifts for the ABC News channel." Commentators noted the ABC did not directly address whether Exelby had been benched, fuelling a backlash online. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and actor Russell Crowe were among many who criticised the report. "Give her a break," one of Mr Shorten's senators, Sam Dastyari, told Fairfax Media. "The idea that someone would be punished for what is a very innocent mishap is extraordinary." It was not long before a petition began calling on the ABC to "reinstate" Exelby. Other journalists began telling their own embarrassing stories in solidarity, many under the hashtag #PutYourBloopersOut. The Project, a light-hearted news programme on another network, also joined in. On Tuesday, ABC Director of News Gaven Morris denied Exelby had been punished, but said she was not currently scheduled for any news reading shifts. "Media reports that Natasha has been 'banned', 'barred' or 'fired' are untrue," he said. "While she is not currently doing any on-air shifts, this will be subject to normal performance management. I have spoken to Natasha and conveyed our regret that this has attracted such attention." The broadcaster was committed to offering Exelby "various shifts" in the future, he said.

Summary: Caught in a blooper on live television, Australian newsreader Natasha Exelby was always likely to become an internet star.


Friday marks 12 year since 52 people died and hundreds were injured when four suicide bombers attacked the city's transport system in 2005. Sadiq Khan said Londoners "always pull together" in light of recent attacks in London Bridge, Westminster and Finsbury Park. A wreath-laying ceremony took place earlier in honour of the victims. "As well as grieving those we have lost, we also pay tribute to the heroic efforts of our emergency services and transport colleagues on that darkest of days", Mr Khan said "Our firefighters, paramedics, police and public transport staff fought to save lives in the most horrific and harrowing of circumstances. "The way our city stood together in the aftermath of the 7/7 attacks inspired the world. "When Londoners face adversity, we always pull together." Suicide bombers Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, Hasib Hussain, 18, and Jermaine Lindsay, 19, brought horror to London on July 7 2005. Travelling from Luton, they took a train to King's Cross in London, hugged and separated to carry out the atrocities. Within three minutes of 08:50 BST, Tanweer detonated his bomb at Aldgate, Khan set his device off at Edgware Road and Lindsay blew himself up between King's Cross and Russell Square. Hussain detonated his device on a bus at Tavistock Square at 09:47 BST.

Summary: The victims of the 7 July attacks will "never be forgotten", the mayor of London has said.


Di Maria, 28, said if he had not played in his side's 2-1 win over champions Chile in the Copa America he was afraid "she was going to get mad". Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said he was unaware of what had happened when picking the Paris St-Germain forward. "Not all people respond the same in those situations," said Martino. Di Maria scored the opening goal before setting up Ever Banega for his side's second as Argentina, without injured captain Lionel Messi, won their opening game in the tournament in the United States. "I am so happy because I was able to score," said the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player. "It was for my grandmother and my family that are having a difficult time. "In the morning when I knew what happened I knew that I would score today." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Angel di Maria paid an emotional tribute to his grandmother after scoring for Argentina on the day she died.


Cyber criminals took Stuart Kettell's wedding and corporate videos hostage, along with his own family albums. He did not answer the demand for $1,000 - about Â£700 - and paid the price with irreplaceable memories lost forever. Mr Kettell's work was backed up on a separate drive so although the attack cost him precious time, his clients' videos were safe. But photographs of his late parents and his children were wiped out. The managing director of Kettell Video Production in Coventry saw the files on his computer "ghosting" - being copied elsewhere. He said: "They were going to white squares with an encryption code at the bottom and and every minute another file was ghosting out. "I clicked on this help file and at the top it said I had to pay in Bitcoin, and there was no way I could retrieve my files unless I paid this ransom. "It really shocked me, I couldn't believe it. "Pictures of my mother and father who have passed away and all the children, all the family portraits [are gone]. "All the precious memories it started worming its way through." He said he felt "really angry" and "had no idea" why he did not go to the police. "It's a ransom, you know. If you get someone come to your front door and kidnap your child and demand a ransom - that's a massive police inquiry and this is the same thing - they're taking away precious memories and hard work and I didn't think of going to the police - when I look back I think that's crazy." An experiment by BBC Inside Out showed how people's personal details could be stolen when they logged on through a public wi-fi connection. It showed a so-called man-in-the middle attack - using a device that can be bought online for about Â£100. Volunteers were visibly shocked to see their personal details being hacked in minutes. It took technology expert Madeline Cheah just 10 minutes to log the personal details of a roomful of people. Their usernames and passwords were then revealed to them by presenter Qasa Alom. Tips on how to keep web hackers at bay Police are treating cyber crime as seriously as terrorism, says Det Insp Rob Harris who heads up the new cyber crime unit in the West Midlands. He said: "Criminals are morphing and actually changing the way they commit criminality and more and more now they are turning to online to scam people out of their money, so of course we are changing with it. "The government declared [cyber crime] a couple of years ago as a tier one issue for the UK. That puts it up there on the same sort of footing as terrorism." Det Insp Harris added: "This is a global problem. The police aren't going to be able to arrest their way out of this issue. "It's actually everybody in society playing that little part to make sure they do something to help themselves." Dr Siraj Shaikh, a lecturer at Coventry University, is teaching the next generation

Summary: A videographer has told of how online hackers held him to ransom.


The Shepherd's Bush Green blaze affected five floors of the 18-storey Shepherds Court building, resulting in its evacuation. London Fire Brigade said at least 120 firefighters tackled the blaze, now under control, from 15:45 BST. Hammersmith and Fulham Council tweeted: "Rest areas and housing are being arranged for those affected". London Ambulance Service said it treated two patients at the scene, but neither required hospital treatment. One person was treated for smoke inhalation, LFB said. Fire crews are now investigating the cause of the blaze. Ella Zwart, a talent acquisition consultant, who lives on the 15th floor, has told BBC London she was at work when the fire took hold. She does not know yet if she can return to her home tonight, but said she was "hugely impressed" with the fire crews who battled the blaze. She said: "I'm grateful for my support network here in London and happily staying with friends for the time being." The fire was under control by 17:32 BST but crews remain at the scene and have been "damping down". The blaze damaged around a quarter of a four-room flat on the seventh floor, half of a flat on the eighth floor, around a quarter of a flat on the ninth floor, half of a flat on the tenth floor and a small part of the flat on the eleventh floor, LFB said. Shadwell fire station manager Paul Hobbs said: ""The fire spread from the seventh floor via the outside of the building. "Crews wearing breathing apparatus used jets to extinguish the fire on each floor of the building. They worked quickly in difficult conditions to tackle the fire." At the height of the blaze, nearby Shepherd's Bush station was closed and the adjacent West 12 shopping centre evacuated. Shepherd's Bush Green remains closed in both directions, leading to queues in surrounding areas including Holland Road and Uxbridge Road. Wood Lane is also closed southbound from its junction with South Africa Road. Witness Helena Noifield told BBC Radio London: "Everyone's standing around not knowing where to go. "It's all pretty horrible really. There's ash everywhere, smoke everywhere... it's like something out of a horror film. It's ghastly." An air ambulance and several ambulance crews were on Shepherd's Bush Green. Natasha Wills, assistant director of operations at London Ambulance Service, said: "We sent multiple resources including ambulance crews, single responders in cars, our hazardous area response team and an incident response officer. "We treated two patients on scene, but they were not taken to hospital. We remain at the scene." Fire crews from Hammersmith, Kensington, Acton, Chiswick, Paddington and Fulham were at the scene. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

Summary: About 50 people will spend the night away from their homes following a blaze in a west London tower block.


Media playback is not supported on this device Keetels, a member of the victorious 2014 World Cup team, fired low past Maddie Hinch in the fourth quarter after two shots had been blocked. England won several penalty corners, but were frustrated by a resilient Dutch defence. Alex Danson did go close though with a shot saved by keeper Anne Veenendaal. Danson's team-mate Sophie Bray also went agonisingly close to scoring as she failed to convert Zoe Shipperley' low driven pass. Keetels said: "It was amazing. I'm so happy. The English attacked and defended well. "We are enjoying the pressure. The crowd is all orange so it feels like an extra player on the field." The home nation will play neighbours Belgium in Saturday's final. England will take on Germany for the bronze medal prior to that match. England play Netherlands again, this time in the men's semi-finals on Friday (19:00 BST).

Summary: England's hopes of defending their EuroHockey title were thwarted at the semi-final stage as Marloes Keetels' strike sent hosts Netherlands through.


The 79-year-old died at Ashworth Hospital, a secure psychiatric unit in Merseyside where he had been detained since 1985. Brady, who was jailed in 1966, buried four of his victims in graves on Saddleworth Moor, Greater Manchester. One victim's brother said Brady's death would not end their "nightmare". A Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said Brady had died at 18:03 BST on Monday. Brady, who was born in Glasgow but later moved to Manchester, was jailed at Chester Assizes 51 years ago for the murders of John Kilbride, aged 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17. In 1985 he also admitted to the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, and Keith Bennett, who was 12. The children had been abducted by Brady and his lover Hindley, who died in prison in 2002, between 1963 and 1965. Brady never revealed where Keith's remains were buried. The boy's mother Winnie Johnson, who died in 2012, had repeatedly pleaded for Brady to do so. Brady and Hindley were caught when her brother-in-law David Smith, who was a petty criminal, phoned the police after seeing Brady abuse and strangle Edward Evans. The officers caught Brady and Hindley at home, retrieving Edward's body from the bedroom, along with Brady's library of volumes on perversion and sadism. Martin Bottomley, the head of Greater Manchester Police's cold case unit, said the force would never give up the search for Keith and Brady's death did "not change that". He said: "Our aim, as it always has been, is to find where Keith is buried and give closure to his surviving family members so they can give Keith the proper burial they so desperately want. "Whilst we are not actively searching Saddleworth Moor, we will act on credible and actionable information that will help lead us to him." Brady's lawyer Robin Makin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was with his client in hospital less than two hours before his death. "I got a call that he wanted to see me - he was obviously well aware that his death was imminent," he said. He described the encounter as "quite a moving sort of situation", where the pair discussed Brady's legal affairs and funeral arrangements. He said the whereabouts of the remains of Keith Bennett did not come up in conversation. "I would be very surprised if he really had information that was useful. "He did go to the Moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided, he would have provided it then." Describing coverage of the search for Keith's body as a "frenzy", he said: "I would very much hope that the remains can be found, but unfortunately I haven't got any information that's going to assist." Keith's brother Alan runs a website, Searching for Keith, in an ongoing attempt to locate his body. John Kilbride's brother, Terry, told the Sun newspaper: "It's been years and years of anguish and pain for us and the families of the victims. "He's dead but we will

Summary: Moors Murderer Ian Brady, who tortured and killed five children with Myra Hindley in crimes that shocked the nation, has died.


Charlie Clift, 56, was last seen buying outdoor clothing on Tuesday 30 January in Fort William town centre. Highland and Islands Police said they were increasingly concerned about Mr Clift's welfare. Lochaber Insp Andrew Bilton said they were asking hikers to keep an eye out for him. He said: "Given the lack of contact from Mr Clift and the decline in weather conditions, his family, friends and officers are understandably increasingly concerned for Mr Clift's welfare."

Summary: Police are searching for a man from south Wales who went missing while hiking in Scotland.


Maureen Greaves, a Church Army lay preacher, received the honour in recognition of her services to the community in north Sheffield. She said: "I couldn't believe the work I do would warrant such an honour." Alan Greaves was attacked in 2012 as he walked to his church in Sheffield, dying a few days later. Despite her loss Mrs Greaves said she had been determined to keep her up the charity work among the community. "Being involved in a murder and a trial, it was good to come back to work, it took my mind off it." Mrs Greaves said: I have a strong Christian faith and that enabled me to do it." She and her husband set up a food bank for families with limited income in the garage of the couple's home. They then took over a shop to improve distribution to those most in need just weeks before his death. Mr Greaves suffered "catastrophic" injuries when he was battered with a pick-axe handle. The retired social worker was walking to St Saviour's Church to play the organ for the service, something he had done for 40 years, when he was attacked. The father-of-four died three days later in hospital from serious head injuries. Jonathan Bowling, 22, was jailed for life after pleading guilty to the murder. Ashley Foster, 22, of Wesley Road, High Green was sentenced to nine years for manslaughter after a jury cleared him of murder.

Summary: The widow of a church organist beaten to death on Christmas Eve has been appointed MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.


It said the measure, following UN and Amnesty International recommendations, would keep sex workers safe. It is also promising to end asylum detention, starting with the release of vulnerable female detainees. Deputy leader Amelia Womack said detention was "inhumane, costly and totally unnecessary". In England, Wales and Scotland, selling and paying for sex is not against the law but many activities linked to it, such as brothel-keeping, kerb-crawling and soliciting sex in a public place, are outlawed. In 2014, Northern Ireland became the first part of the UK to pass legislation making the purchase of sexual services illegal, following other countries such as Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Amnesty International's support for the decriminalisation of prostitution sparked a fierce debate, and criticism by several women's groups But the Green Party said that "making sex work illegal only reduces safety". It said it would also amend sex workers' existing criminal records and have "zero tolerance of coercion, violence or sexual abuse". The party launched its women's manifesto outside Yarl's Wood detention centre for female asylum seekers, ahead of a demonstration at the Bedfordshire facility. Other measures included preserving women's healthcare facilities, reinstating sexual health services and ending pay freezes for public sector workers. The party would also roll out a UK-wide strategy to tackle domestic violence, scrap the so-called "rape clause" for child benefit claimants and restore legal aid so that victims do not have to face their abusers in court. "The bold policies we're announcing today show that the Green Party is committed to standing up for everyone, and we are not afraid to speak out about issues other parties would rather shy away from," Ms Womack added. Her party, meanwhile, has accepted an invitation to take part in a BBC Election Questions programme on 4 June, in a change from the original scheduling. BBC head of newsgathering Jonathan Munro told the News Watch programme the BBC had reflected on its proposed initial format, announced earlier this month, and decided the "gap" between the participation of UKIP and the Greens in the overall schedule was "too great". He said that, based on its performance in general, local and European elections since 2010, the Green Party could not have "equivalence" with the larger parties. But he said the BBC had listened to those who expressed concerns about its level of representation and come up with a "good compromise" which he said he was "really pleased" had been accepted by the party.

Summary: The Green Party of England and Wales says it would decriminalise the sale and purchase of sex as part of its manifesto for women.


Police said 38-year-old Alexander Vinnik was held on a US warrant near the northern city of Thessaloniki. The gang is believed to have used the digital currency to launder at least $4bn (Â£3bn) over several years. Mr Vinnik is said to be the "brain" behind the illegal operations. He has so far made no public comments. Laptops, mobile phones, credit cards and tapes were found in the hotel room in the tourist resort of Halkidiki, where the suspect was arrested. Local media reports say that Greece will soon begin negotiations with the US about Mr Vinnik's extradition. Bitcoin is a digital currency that operates completely online. Each Bitcoin is basically a computer file which is then stored in a "digital wallet" app on a smartphone or computer. Unlike traditional currencies such as the US dollar, Bitcoin has no central bank and is not backed by any government.

Summary: A Russian national has been arrested in Greece suspected of being member of a gang that has allegedly laundered billions of dollars using Bitcoin.


The RMT union is disputing plans to bring in more driver-only-operated (DOO) trains. Northern said it would run about 40% of its normal timetable if the walkout goes ahead. Southern rail and Merseyrail, which are due to strike on 13 March, have also altered their services. The RMT announced the walkouts in a dispute with rail operators over plans to remove the responsibility of opening and closing train doors from guards. General secretary Mick Cash said the measures would make trains potentially dangerous. Northern, which operates across the north of England, said it expected to run about 980 services "carrying more than 100,000 customers across many but not all of its routes". More than 100 trained managers and other colleagues would be taking on some of the conductor duties on the day of the action, the train operator said. Deputy managing director Richard Allan said: "We have focused our planning efforts on maintaining a train service on our busier routes between 07:00 and 19:00 GMT, and are looking to provide replacement bus services on some routes where trains won't run." He said he was disappointed at RMT's decision to take action "because there is lots of time to talk and agree how we modernise the way we provide customer service". He added: "As part of our proposals we are prepared to offer guarantees on jobs and pay to our people." RMT described it as a "scab timetable" and said it "comes at the price of passenger safety". Merseyrail also said it would run a reduced service on Monday with trains running every half hour between 07:00 and 19:00. It also said timetables were likely to change during the walkout. Southern said a number of its train services would not run including those between Clapham and Milton Keynes, London and Brighton.

Summary: Rail company Northern has released details of a reduced train service in preparation for industrial action planned for Monday.


The director of the BAFTA Cymru award-winning bilingual BBC and S4C crime drama does not think Wales is producing enough behind-the-camera talent. BBC Wales and S4C said they are trying to grow TV's production pool in Wales. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said continuing to help finance film and TV productions was vital. The final episode of the third series of Y Gwyll, the Welsh language version of Hinterland, was broadcast on Sunday night on S4C and the English language show is due to be broadcast on the BBC in the new year. Mr Thomas, creative director of independent TV production company Fiction Factory, which is behind Hinterland, wants the broadcasters and the Welsh Government to create a strategy to nurture producing and directing talent. "When I started off, I wasn't interested in a career," he told BBC Radio Cymru. "I wanted to say something and challenge people - and I'd like to see the next generation doing the same. "If we really want to produce and export Welsh work in the future outside of the Hinterland crime genre, we have to nurture voices that look on Wales in a different way. "I would like to think that the next generation challenge us more. They don't do so at the moment, there doesn't seem to be great talent coming through. "I'd like to see the Assembly being aware there's a need to work with the BBC, maybe, and S4C and ask the question 'What kind of content do we want and how are we going to make it?'. "I'd like to think that it's a challenge for all of us to nurture new talent and show that it can be good for the nation that there's different Welsh stuff out there, that can be exported and that is made by youngsters." Hinterland and Y Gwyll were mainly filmed in Aberystwyth and surrounding Ceredigion and initially received repayable government support. An S4C spokesman said: "We are determined to expand the pool of directing and producing talent in Wales and have been developing talent in this sector since S4C began. "We have two ambitious plans in place to promote new talent in producing, directing and writing, called Labordy and Sinematic." BBC Wales said it "provides opportunities for new talent" producing programmes such as Pobol y Cwm and Casualty through apprenticeships, work traineeships and work experience. A spokesman added: "Since the beginning of the apprenticeship scheme in 2012, more than 50 individuals have taken advantage of the scheme and 80% of those have chosen to stay in the field and continue to contribute to the industry." Ken Skates said: "Ultimately, for the long term, it's the availability of skills and the infrastructure that will determine whether or not the creative industries thrive in Wales. "Where we are right now, we have great technical skills, we have great facilities as well. Between the two, I'm confident that the creative industries have a very strong future."

Summary: Hinterland co-creator Ed Thomas has called on BBC Wales, S4C and the Welsh Government to help inspire more TV producers and directors in Wales.


Lily Catherine Butterfield-Godwin and Abbey Rogers, both 19 and from Lyndhurst, were passengers in the Mazda RX8 and died at the scene in Gosport Lane on 13 December. A third passenger and the driver were also treated in hospital. Police said the driver, 21, from the Southampton area, had not been arrested.

Summary: A driver has been interviewed under caution after two teenagers died when a car hit a wall in the New Forest.


Bartosz Gloskowski, 23, of West Granton Road, Edinburgh, admitted growing 1,991 plants at the Queens Head Inn in Selkirk between March and October 2014. A court heard how a woman phoned police to report the smell from the property. Sentence was deferred at the High Court in Glasgow until 10 May and Gloskowski was remanded in custody. The court heard how on 8 March 2014 he was stopped by customs as he drove through the Channel Tunnel with two pallets full of scales, lights, vents, fans, chemicals and trays. The items are typically used in the cultivation of cannabis. Customs seized £4,800 worth of Polish Zloty under the Proceeds of Crime Act and allowed Gloskowski and his cargo into the UK. Advocate depute David Taylor, prosecuting, said that he had rented a flat above the disused pub in the Borders town. Police were sent to check out the area after a woman phoned to say she had noticed the smell of cannabis coming from there for a couple of weeks and the smell was growing stronger. She told police she believed that someone was growing cannabis plants. Mr Taylor said: "When police arrived they could smell cannabis in the street. "They then saw the accused open the front door of his flat and noticed an overpowering smell of cannabis from within the property." A search of the property revealed that, by using the attic space, the flat next door could be accessed. In the second flat there was a wooden panel screwed into the floor which gave access to the disused pub. That flat also contained 50 bags full of stripped plant stalks. When police officers entered through the hatch in the Queens Head Inn they found a large cultivation of cannabis plants. It was clear that the electricity supply had been bypassed. Mr Taylor added: "It would appear that virtually all of the available floor space within the Queens Head Inn had been given over to an industrial-scale production of cannabis. "In total 1,991 cannabis plants recovered." Gloskowski told police he rented the property for £500, but refused to answer any other questions. His fingerprints and DNA were found on the inside of four pairs of disposable gloves and bottles of beer and water. Police drug experts said the maximum street value of the cannabis obtained from the plants would be £1.66m.

Summary: A man caught red-handed at a £1.66m cannabis farm was caught after a passer-by recognised the pungent smell coming from a disused Borders pub.


On Tuesday, Bana Alabed posted the picture on Twitter saying she was "happy to be alive". Bana, who tweets in English with the help of her mother, said her family had come under fierce bombardment. Aleppo, once Syria's largest city, has been divided by clashes between government allied and rebel forces. On Monday, government forces captured large swaths of rebel-held territory in the east of the city, following heavy bombing. Meet the seven-year-old tweeting from Aleppo Over the weekend, Bana's mother Fatemah, fearing for her life, had bid farewell to her Twitter followers. But hours later, more tweets emerged saying the family was alive but their home had been destroyed. Fatemah and her family were on the run following heavy bombings. "We are fighting for our lives. Still with you," she said. Fatemah, who studied journalism and politics, has been active on Twitter with her daughter since September and has posted details of daily life in the besieged city. In a conversation with the BBC, she explained that she had taught her daughter English and that Bana's tweets were genuine. "[Bana] wants the world to hear our voice," she said. The family has dealt with constant food shortages, a lack of medical care, and continual bombardments. Fatemah told the BBC bombs are dropped "without any mercy". Since the government's advancements in Aleppo over the weekend, some 16,000 civilians have been displaced according to the UN. Aleppo was Syria's commercial and industrial hub before the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. It has been divided in roughly two for the past four years, with the government controlling the west and rebels the east.

Summary: A seven-year-old girl who became internationally renowned for tweeting about life in East Aleppo has posted a photo of her destroyed home.


The dog's owners witnessed the incident at Bonna Point, a popular off-leash beach, said Sutherland Shire Council. "We were pretty traumatised, it was horrific," one owner, named only as Nigel, told the Sydney Morning Herald. Authorities have installed warning signs since the attack on Sunday and advised beachgoers and pet owners to avoid the water. "New South Wales Department of Primary Industries advises people to avoid swimming or surfing when it is dark or during twilight hours," the council said in a statement. The American Staffordshire Terrier, named Molly, was fetching a stick at the time and did not resurface, the owners said. "It was very quick. It just took her under the water," Nigel was quoted as saying. The incident was reported to involve a bull shark, but authorities could not confirm the species to the BBC. The incident follows a recent series of shark sightings at nearby beaches this month. On 9 February, a kite surfer was recorded on video riding towards a shark at Brighton Le Sands. A few days later, a shark was spotted 10km (6 miles) inland at Alexandra Canal, near Sydney Airport, while another shark was seen in shallow water in Botany Bay. Two people were killed by sharks in Australia last year - both in Western Australia - according to Sydney's Taronga Zoo.

Summary: Swimmers have been warned to avoid a Sydney beach after a pet dog was taken by a shark in shallow water.


American businessmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan lead a consortium that is in talks to buy a 60% stake. Swansea City Supporters' Trust will retain its full 21.1% holding, but former player Nurse, 78, is worried the club could lose its identity. "I'm concerned because it's going out of the hands of local people," he said. "I'm not going to say they're not going to advance the club, because we don't know what the future is going to hold. "But up until now the club has been run by Swansea people." Nurse was speaking after being given the freedom of the city in Swansea on Thursday. He played more than 250 games for the club and made 12 appearances for Wales. After retiring as a player Nurse invested in property in the city and emerged as a key character in saving the club from insolvency in 2002. He led the consortium that acquired the the Swans from then-owner Tony Petty. In addition to their financial problems Swansea were struggling in the bottom tier of the Football League, but have since climbed through the divisions and are in their fifth season in the Premier League. Nurse stood aside before the club's meteoric rise. Swansea's success means the value of shares is understood to have increased tenfold since the current board took charge in 2002, with the club now valued at about £100m. More than 70% of the shares are currently held by supporters and directors from south Wales. Swansea's directors have been impressed by Levien and Kaplan's plans, with chairman Huw Jenkins stating when news of the takeover first broke that additional investment would help the club "progress both on and off the field". Levien, the managing general partner of Major League Soccer side DC United, has been in Wales for discussions He and Kaplan, principal of Oaktree Capital investment fund and vice-chairman of NBA franchise Memphis Grizzlies, had initially been negotiating a deal which would have seen them acquire more than 75% of Swansea's shares. That would effectively have given the American consortium complete control, including the power to issue more shares. However, the modified acquisition of 60% will see the trust retain its 21.1% stake and ensure continuity at board level with the retention of Jenkins and vice chairman Leigh Dineen. They hope to complete a deal before the end of the Premier League season. *Martin Morgan resigned from his post as a director of OTH Ltd on 4 April 2016 **Brian Katzen and Jeffrey Crevoiserat own one more share than the Swansea City Supporters' Trust, giving them less than 0.1% more of a share.

Summary: Mel Nurse, who led the group that helped save Swansea City from bankruptcy in 2002, has concerns over plans for a US takeover of the club.


The production of the Ambassador was, however, suspended in May 2014 due to weak demand and finance issues. But the factory where the car used to be manufactured, just outside Kolkata (Calcutta) in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, is still home to more than 1,000 auto workers who were laid off. They say they have not received their dues from Hindustan Motors, complain that they live in "inhuman conditions" and have called for a "vote boycott" during the ongoing state assembly elections. The area votes on 30 April. Photographer Ronny Sen meets some of the workers and documents their stories. Sima Rai (left) lives on the factory premises with husband 40-year-old Munshi Rai and their four children. "We don't have money to do anything. I can't afford to cook on gas anymore so I use a wooden stove now. My husband used to work in the factory and is looking for jobs. No one is giving him any work. "He is working as a car driver right now. We have no hopes from any political party and we will see to it that the elections don't happen here in our area." Birender Singh joined Hindustan Motors in 1986 and worked there until the production was suspended. "The situation is very difficult here, the factory is shut and there is no production. I am trying to get some work from outside and somehow manage. I have a child who is studying in school. "We can't sleep inside the house in this scorching summer, so we sleep outside. We haven't received support from anyone for the past two years. We have boycotted the elections this year. It doesn't make any sense to us at all." Om Prakash Giri, now 52, joined Hindustan Motors as a welder in 1988 and worked there until production of the Ambassador was suspended. He was paid a monthly salary of 12,000 rupees ($180; Â£126) on which he would support his six-member family, but now finds it hard to get work. "All of us have called for a complete boycott of the upcoming state elections. Even people who have left these quarters due to a lack of water and electricity will not vote. We have approached the government so many times and tried everything we could. "Not even the trade unions or political parties have helped us so far." Sharda Devi Sharma's husband Nandalal Sharma was a welder with Hindustan Motors and the sole breadwinner of his family. "If they don't help us and give us these basic rights to survive, then what's the point of this election? Why should we vote? When the tankers come we have to run like dogs for water. We don't have money to maintain these quarters. We have to travel almost 3km (1.8 miles) to fetch water. "Even a beggar on the street has a better life than us," she said. Nirmal Kumar Ram, who worked at the factory's engine plant, says he has not yet left his job because Hindustan Motors has still not told workers that they were fired. "I

Summary: Hindustan Motors was once India's largest car manufacturer, and its iconic Ambassador car, modelled after the British Morris Oxford, was a national icon.


Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is likely to receive the money from the city and county councils, along with Rushcliffe Borough Council. Alan Rhodes, leader of the county council, said the money would be raised from a low-interest loan, which would be repaid by the club at a higher rate. England beat Australia at Trent Bridge in August to regain the Ashes. The city and borough councils have both already agreed to lend £2.7m each with County Hall due to make a decision on a similar figure at a meeting in October. Two years ago the then Conservative-led County Hall came under fire for giving the club £900,000 towards a scoreboard. At the time, Labour councillor Mr Rhodes described it as "insensitive" to be giving money while making cuts to services. Since then, Mr Rhodes has become leader of the council but said this time it was different. "We are providing that loan via our own lendings," he said. "We are able to borrow money at a very low rate from the banks and we are able therefore to help Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club to be able to upgrade their facilities and they will pay that loan back with interest." He added that the council could not take out similar loans to pay for ongoing costs such as care homes. City council deputy leader Graham Chapman said the authority would get a higher rate of interest back on the loan than the current bank rate. "We are going to get some money, they're going to save some money and we're going to get some very nice stands out of it," he said. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club would not comment before the final loan is agreed but it is understood the money would be used to revamp a stand and some facilities. Work could start this winter.

Summary: Trent Bridge cricket ground is set for a £8.1m revamp thanks to loans from three councils.


He attended a service near Bayeux with US President Barack Obama, who said the US commitment to liberty was "written in blood" on French beaches. The Queen laid a wreath at a ceremony nearby. They will gather at Sword Beach, one of five landing points for Allied troops. The landings were the first stage of the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. By the end of D-Day on 6 June 1944, the Allies had established a foothold in France - an event that would eventually help bring the war to an end. As the sun rose over Normandy shores this morning, a veteran watched, lost in memories, from the deck of HMS Bulwark. The Royal Navy flagship had sailed the English Channel overnight at the head of an international task group of ships. For former Royal Marine Corporal Bill Bryant, 89, the sight of the beaches brought back emotional recollections of the same time exactly 70 years ago, as he prepared to drive his landing craft to the shores - carrying his colleagues to their fate on land, amid a barrage of noise and chaos. The contrast with today could not have been greater as he joined many other veterans on "Gold" Beach, amid a festival atmosphere. The sunshine sparkled on the waves, and French families and tourists from across Europe gathered to watch military bands on the main square at Arromanches. This doughty but dwindling band of brothers know this may be the last time they meet on these shores. For the veterans, and those who've come to honour them, the ceremonies at Bayeux cemetery are a poignant but powerful reminder of courage and endurance, as D-Day slowly passes from living memory into history. During his speech at a US war cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer near Bayeux, President Hollande said every man who took part in D-Day was a "hero". He said France would never forget what it owed them, nor would it forget its solidarity with the US. Also at Colleville-sur-Mer, President Obama said: "America's claim - our commitment to liberty, to equality, to freedom, to the inherent dignity of every human being - that claim is written in blood on these beaches, and it will endure for eternity". Speaking earlier in the city of Caen, President Hollande said: "This day, which began in chaos and fire, would end in blood and tears, tears and pain, tears and joy at the end of 24 hours that changed the world and forever marked Normandy." In nearby Bayeux, the Queen laid a wreath at a remembrance service at Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, where she, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall also met veterans. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall attended a Royal British Legion service at Bayeux Cathedral. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend events in Arromanches, near Gold landing beach where thousands of British troops came ashore on D-Day. In other events: The day's commemorations began at midnight with a vigil at Pegasus Bridge near Ouistreham, marking the first assault of the D-Day invasion when British

Summary: French President Francois Hollande has led the D-Day 70th anniversary tributes by remembering those who died on a day that "changed the world".


The first minister outlinedt details of new funding for those hit by recent severe weather during a visit to Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. She said more than £12m would be made available to help areas struck by storms and flooding. Businesses whose trade was affected can also apply for an extra £3,000. Hundreds of people were evacuated in Aberdeenshire after the Rivers Dee, Don and Ythan burst their banks in the early hours of Friday. It followed Storm Frank at the end of last month which saw flooding hit Tayside and the Borders. The first minister said the new funding was in addition to £4m announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney in December. Ms Sturgeon said: "In the face of devastation Scotland's communities have rallied together and shown real strength. I have met with some local business owners who have made a real difference by offering vital support and once again I am amazed by the determination and dedication of all of our emergency services who are working around the clock to save homes and livelihoods. "We do not yet have confirmation of consequentials coming from UK Government flood funds - however, now that the picture of those who need support is clearer, the Scottish government is acting now to make sure that the people who need help get it." This money is in addition to almost £4m (announced in November) shared between these councils, plus Stirling and South Lanarkshire Have you been affected by the recent floods? You can share your comments by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us via WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971; send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk; Upload your pictures / video here or tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay Scottish Labour welcomed the funding announcement but repeated its call for an urgent review of the country's flood prevention infrastructure. The party's environment spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said: "It is vital that those affected receive this money as soon as possible. Families and local businesses can't wait for months for this support to actually arrive. "Questions also need to be asked about how local authorities are expected to shoulder the burden for flood defences when the SNP plan to slash council budgets across the whole of Scotland." The Scottish Conservatives welcomed the new funding. A spokesman added: "The UK government has made around £9m available through the Barnett Formula, and that alongside today's announcement will be of great assistance." NFU Scotland said funding to help the farming community was "much appreciated" but that discussions should also now take place on protection for homes and businesses in the future. President Allan Bowie said: "The damage seen on Scottish farms up and down the country has been extensive and the job of restoring flood banks and clearing up the debris will be costly and time consuming. "The full picture will not be known until the waters recede but it goes without saying that, for a good number of farmers, the effects will be felt for much longer." Water levels on the

Summary: Every household, business or charity in Scotland directly affected by flood water will get a grant of £1,500, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.