David Cameron said the UK government had delivered on the so-called ''Vow'' and was now moving ahead with the Scotland Bill at Westminster. Speaking to BBC Scotland ahead of the Conservative conference, he said the SNP had to stop arguing about process. He said: "The SNP cannot point to a part of the Vow that hasn't been kept." Mr Cameron said the tangible benefits of last year's referendum and the vote against independence were that the UK was ''stronger together'' and that Scotland was benefitting from a growing economy. He said 175,000 jobs had been created in Scotland over the past five years. "There was clear result in the referendum but as we said during that campaign, people in Scotland would get the best of both worlds - part of the United Kingdom but with a powerhouse parliament in Edinburgh", he said. "That is what we are delivering, and the Scotland Bill as promised has been making its way very, very swiftly through parliament to fulfil all those pledges in full." Ahead of his party's conference, which begins in Manchester this weekend, Mr Cameron said it was "crucial" that the Scottish Parliament took up the powers it will get in April and when the Scotland Bill gets through. He said: "I think what we now need to hear from the Scottish National Party is how they intend to use the powers. "I get frustrated sometimes that the debate is always about the process. We have delivered on every aspect of the process, the SNP cannot point to a part of the Vow that hasn't been kept. "We promised there would be power to have welfare powers - it is there. "We promised there would be power to have tax powers - they are there. "The Vow has been delivered. Now we need to hear from Scotland's politicians - well, how do you use these powers? What sort of different taxes, different welfare arrangements do people want to put in place? "It is the outcome that matters rather than the process." The prime minister also defended plans to curtail the voting rights of Scottish MPs at Westminster, so-called English votes for English laws, saying it was a matter of fairness. He said: "What we are planning to do is just have a fair system where, when it is English issues, that the English MPs have the decisive say. "I think it is only fair in a devolved system where you have a powerhouse parliament in Scotland where quite rightly on Scottish housing, on Scottish health, Scottish education, English and Welsh MPs have no say whatsoever." Mr Cameron re-affirmed that the UK government would go ahead with a ''like-for-like'' replacement for Trident with four new nuclear submarines. The submarine fleet and missles are based at Faslane on the Clyde. He said it was the ''only way for a credible deterrent''. Mr Cameron said what Labour and the SNP did was up to them, but he described new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's stance as ''complete and utter chaos''. He said: "Britain's national secuirty would be

Summary: The prime minister has said that Holyrood can become a ''powerhouse parliament'' but the SNP must spell out how it plans to use its new powers.


Gunmen stormed the al-Jawhara shopping centre in Baghdad al-Jadida on Monday evening, after setting off a car bomb. When security forces stormed the building, two assailants detonated explosive belts, while two others were shot dead, police sources say. At the same time, 20 people died when two bombs exploded north of Baghdad. Security sources said an improvised explosive device was detonated at a tea shop in the town of Muqdadiya, which is some 80km (50 miles) from the capital. A second device blew up as medics rushed to the scene to treat the wounded. Later, five civilians were killed when a car bomb exploded in exploded in the south-eastern Baghdad suburb of Nahrawan, police and medics say. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombings in Muqdadiya and Nahrawan, but IS said in a statement posted online that it was behind the attack on the Baghdad shopping centre, which is located in a predominantly Shia district. The Sunni Muslim jihadist group, which controls large swathes of northern and western Iraq, said it had targeted "rejectionist heathens" - its derogatory term for Shia. Seven people, including two policemen, were killed by the car bomb blast at the start of the attack, police and medics told the Reuters news agency. Another five were shot dead as the militants stormed the building, while six died when two of the assailants detonated their explosive vests, the sources said. Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan denied initial reports that people had been held hostage by the militants, according to Reuters. An interior ministry source meanwhile told the BBC that several attackers might have escaped, contradicting a claim by a police source that four had been arrested.

Summary: The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) says it targeted Shia Muslims in an attack on a Baghdad shopping centre, which reportedly killed 18 people.


He was addressing thousands of people in the capital, Kigali, as Rwanda began a week of official mourning to mark the 20th anniversary of the genocide. Many people were overcome by emotion during the ceremony, with some suffering fits. At least 800,000 people - mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus - died at the hands of Hutu extremists. The killings ended ended in July 1994 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi-led rebel movement, marched into Kigali and seized control of the country. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Mr Ban lit a torch which will burn for 100 days - the length of time the genocide lasted. A diplomatic row has prompted Rwanda to bar France's ambassador, Michel Flesch, from attending the event, AFP news agency reports. By Charlotte AttwoodBBC Africa, Kigali It began with just one, and then scores of chilling screams echoed around the stadium. It may be 20 years down the line, but for many here, the wounds are still too fresh to bear. Paramedics went up and down the terraces, comforting and removing those who could not cope with the memories. I saw one man being carried out during the dramatisation of the recent history of Rwanda. The play itself was a very clear depiction of the government's interpretation of what caused the tragic episode in the country's history. Half-way through, a jeep drove in carrying the "colonialists" who marched onto the stage. They swapped their colonial straw hats for the blue helmets of the UN and then deserted the people, leaving a bloodbath in their wake. Soldiers - representing the governing RPF - troop in to rescue a devastated population. The week of mourning began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the national genocide memorial, followed by the lighting of a flame at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, where UN peacekeepers protected thousands of people during the genocide. The torch has been carried across the country for the past three months, visiting 30 districts and passing from village to village. Thousands of people packed the stadium, having queued for hours through the fog, reports the BBC's Charlotte Attwood from the scene. Many of them reacted with uncontrollable emotion to the stories, speeches and performances recalling the genocide, our correspondent says. Some of them had to be led out of the stadium while others had fits, she adds. Traditional mourning songs were broadcast over the sound systems. There was also a dramatisation of Rwanda's recent history, which our correspondent says was a clear depiction of the government's interpretation of events. In the play, a jeep carrying "colonialists" arrives, who swap their straw hats for UN blue helmets. They then desert the people, who are saved by the governing RPF. UN personnel in Rwanda during the genocide showed "remarkable bravery", Mr Ban told the crowd, according to AP. "But we could have done much more. We should have done much more," he said. "In Rwanda, troops were withdrawn when they were most needed," he added. "One year later in Srebrenica, areas proclaimed 'safe' by the United Nations were filled

Summary: The UN is still ashamed over its failure to prevent the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said.


Steyn left the pitch mid-over twice on day three and was taken for scans but they showed no sign of a muscle tear. The world's top-ranked bowler had a morning fitness test at Kingsmead but again felt discomfort. The 32-year-old will have more tests to see if he will be fit for the second Test, which starts on 2 January. The doubts over Steyn's fitness added to the problems for South Africa, who trailed England by 261 runs before the fourth day of the series opener and were facing a struggle to save the game. The right-arm bowler had only just returned to the Proteas side after missing the majority of their tour of India with a groin injury. South Africa have also been disrupted by speculation about the future of star batsman AB de Villiers. The 31-year-old, who is also keeping wicket during this Test, said on Monday that he was looking to ease his workload amid rumours he is considering retiring. "There are a lot of rumours flying around I hear, but for the last two to three years the only talk I've been doing is to keep myself fresh and to have a bit of rest here and there," said De Villiers, who is ranked the number three Test batsman in the world. "It's always been the most important thing for me to enjoy my cricket. It's just important to look at the schedule and for me maybe not to play all kinds of cricket. "That's the only thing that I've been talking about. To keep myself fresh and to keep enjoying the game. I love representing my country and nothing has changed."

Summary: South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn will not bowl again in the first Test against England because of a right shoulder spasm.


A wet outfield caused a delayed start and after a failed inspection at 11:30 BST, lunch was taken early. Rain put paid to a planned inspection at 13:00 BST, and the umpires confirmed there would be no play after a further check two hours later. Play will resume on Sunday with Lancashire 123-4, trailing by 57 runs.

Summary: There was frustration for Lancashire and Middlesex as rain prevented any action on day two, with play at Southport abandoned at 15:00 BST.


Totton College, in Hampshire, has been seeking a merger partner to tackle its "growing financial challenges". Green, Labour and Lib Dem candidates in the local and parliamentary elections have set up petitions calling for help in securing the college's future. The Conservatives said the petitions were a bid to score political points. Funded by central government's Education Funding Agency the college, near Southampton, announced last week it would scrap A-Levels, focussing instead on vocational courses. It would not comment on speculation ex-offenders charity NACRO was a potential merger partner. The first petition, against the transfer of college facilities to NACRO, was launched by David Harrison, a Liberal Democrat councillor and campaign manager for New Forest East parliamentary candidate Bruce Tennent. It has been signed by more than 800 people. A counter-petition, by New Forest East Labour Party and candidate Andrew Pope, signed by about 40 people, accused Mr Harrison of "scaremongering". Last week, New Forest district candidates Joanna Tidbury and Helen Field launched their own petition, although it did not mention their Green Party affiliation. "We didn't want it to be party political," Ms Field said. Conservative parliamentary candidate Julian Lewis said: "The Education Funding Agency have been working tremendously hard to find a viable partner to enable the college to continue. "I deplore any attempt to make party political propaganda points or to start scare stories at such a sensitive and difficult time." Mr Tennent admitted he was "apprehensive" about a potential NACRO merger, but added: "I would want Totton College to offer the community as wide a range of vocational qualifications as possible and not narrow that offering to a core audience. "It may well be that with the help of NACRO... that this can happen, so I welcome their potential financial support of the college." Green Party parliamentary candidate Sally May said: "I know Hampshire County Council has got a huge amount of money and I think this is a case where they could bail them out. "I've been told by a county councillor that's not possible but I don't see why. Maybe I have a simplistic view of money." UKIP's Roy Swales said: "I will support any effort to retain this college and maintain its links as a community educational asset." The college's acting principal Jo Landles said the decision to scrap A-Levels had been taken "with great regret". "We believe that by making a clear decision now, we are giving prospective students sufficient time to consider their options," she said.

Summary: A financial crisis faced by a sixth-form college is the result of coalition cuts, according to petitions launched by the local Labour and Green parties.


The Hatters are currently fifth in the fourth tier under the 43-year-old, who is in his first managerial job. "I'm not a fly-by-night. I want to build something here," the Welshman told a Supporters' Trust evening. "I want to be here long-term. I love the club. I love you the fans." The former Brighton and Yeovil defender added: "I promise you we will do you proud. I'm not here as a stepping stone. The club is too big for that." Jones replaced John Still at Kenilworth Road in January 2016, and has won more than half of his games in charge to push Luton towards League One for the first time since 2007-08. The club recently bought land to build a new stadium at Power Court, and are also moving to a new training ground, which Jones has likened to "going from a tent to the Ritz". "We have a top Championship environment at the club in terms of how we train and our infrastructure," he said. "We will achieve what we want to do. We will go to the next level and the one after that. It won't be long until we're a Championship club." And ahead of Saturday's match against play-off rivals Stevenage, he said his ambitions and those of the club were concurrent. "I want to be the best manager in the world, and until I get there I won't stop trying. I may never get there, I might not get anywhere near. But until I exhaust every resource then that's what I want to do. It's ambitious, but you have to have ambition. "With God's will, I've been able to choose a career path and not had to go to certain places I didn't want to, and I've moved because I've wanted to. "So far I did that here and I picked a wonderful club, and a wonderful club picked me and trusted me and took a gamble on me because a year ago, who knows what could have happened. But it's been a good fit. "I love the club and I want to take the club forward. I want to move forward myself and look, if I'm here in 20 years' time and we're a Premier League club, that'll be fine by me."

Summary: Luton Town boss Nathan Jones has set his sights on becoming "the best manager in the world", but insists he is not using the League Two side as a stepping stone.


However, much of the attention will fall on Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, who recently tried and failed to win the role currently held by Mr Higgins. Mr McGuinness, a former IRA man and life-long republican, will be among the monarch's guests at Windsor Castle. He met the Queen in 2012, but the visit still holds challenges for Sinn Féin. The UK state visit marks another significant milestone in Anglo-Irish relations and further fascination for those who have followed Mr McGuinness' long journey from paramilitary to politician to palace guest. BBC News looks back at the significant events and political choreography affecting Sinn Féin's relationship with royalty. The government deploys the Army to Northern Ireland following widespread civil unrest and violent sectarian clashes between Catholics and Protestants. The deployment, known as Operation Banner, was to become the longest continuous campaign in the Army's history. Martin McGuinness, aged about 20, joins the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and quickly becomes an influential figure within the paramilitary organisation in his native Derry. Interviewed by the BBC during a walkabout in the city, a baby-faced McGuinness does not correct the correspondent when he described him as the "Officer Commanding for the Derry part of the IRA Provisional operation". Martin McGuinness is sentenced to six months in prison by the Republic of Ireland's Special Criminal Court, after he was caught in a car containing large quantities of explosives and ammunition. He tells the court he is "very proud" of his IRA membership. The Queen's cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, is killed by an IRA bomb while on holiday in County Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. Two of his relations and a 15-year old local boy are also killed in the explosion. Hours later, 18 soldiers are killed in a double IRA bombing at Warrenpoint, County Down. It is the highest death toll suffered by the Army in a single incident in Northern Ireland. Martin McGuinness is elected to the British House of Commons as a MP for Mid Ulster. Adhering to Sinn Féin's long-standing policy of abstentionism, he refuses to take his seat or swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen. The Good Friday Agreement is signed in Belfast following years of intensive peace talks between political parties in Northern Ireland and the British and Irish governments. Martin McGuiness was Sinn Féin's chief negotiator during the deliberations. The accord paves the way for devolution through a new power-sharing coalition of unionists and nationalists at Stormont. Martin McGuinness, who left school at the age of 15 without any formal qualifications, is appointed as education minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly. The IRA releases a statement saying it has "formally ordered an end to the armed campaign". The paramilitary organisation, believed to be responsible for more than 1,700 deaths over a 35-year period, says it it now committed to "exclusively peaceful means". Martin McGuinness becomes deputy first minister of Northern Ireland after an election that followed a power-sharing agreement between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party. He forms an unlikely political relationship with his former foe Ian Paisley,

Summary: The Queen is hosting the first ever UK state visit by an Irish president, as Michael D Higgins begins a four-day diplomatic mission to Great Britain.


Spectacular photographs of the solar phenomenon have been shared around the world, but how do you know when it's going to appear and how do you capture it for posterity? Grabbing that perfect shot of the lights is a combination of luck, timing and a bit of know-how, according to David Costley, a keen amateur photographer who took a time-lapse video of the skies above the medieval ruins of Dunluce Castle on the north coast of County Antrim. "It's really about timing, making sure the clouds are clear and that there's no light pollution," he says. "That's why Dunluce is such a good place - you've got a direct view north and it's good to get that clear line of sight." He says he has seen people take good shots of the lights using just their mobile phone camera, but better equipment is needed to get the best results. "In terms of equipment, any DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera will do with eight-second exposure settings to get the nice detailed structures in the aurora," he says. "Because it's moving, if you have any longer exposure it all becomes one big green blur so it's good to get a short exposure and put the sensitivity settings up as high as you can." Images of the light show along the north coast have travelled around the world, according to Eoin McConnell, a tourism ranger who was one of many amateur photographers chasing a glimpse of the aurora. "The photos have gone mad on the internet, which is good as it promotes tourism here which is why I do it - Discover NI and Tourism Ireland retweeted and shared them so they have gone worldwide," he says. "You need a tripod to take aurora photos as you can't hold a camera steady enough for the long exposure. "You also need plenty of practice, as night photography is quite tricky - it's hard to focus on anything in the dark." It's not just the hardened aurora chasers who managed to get great photos of the Northern Lights at Dunluce Castle, according to Maureen Kane, who says she has only begun learning about night photography. "When the lights started to dance, so did I - it was just amazing to watch," she says. How the Aurora Borealis occurs The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of the solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere. Find out more While the phenomenon is not a new one, social media and websites devoted to forecasting its intermittent appearances have made it easier than ever before to experience the light show close to home. Ronan McLaughlin says he set up the Aurora Alert Ireland Twitter account (@Aurora_ireland) because there was a lot of misinformation on the internet. A veteran aurora-spotter, he is from the most northerly point in Ireland, Malin Head in County Donegal, and first saw the lights in 1988 when he was aged 12. "I remember when I wrote an article in 1994 for a

Summary: The Aurora Borealis - better known as the Northern Lights - have once again been providing a light show above the skies of Northern Ireland.


Arjen Robben opened the scoring for the champions when he drilled home after good work on the wing from Franck Ribery. David Alaba made it 2-0 in first-half injury time when he curled a free-kick in. Max Kruse pulled one back when he shook off Alaba before finishing, but the 15th-placed hosts could not equalise. Bayern remain three points above RB Leipzig, who beat Hoffenheim 2-1. Match ends, SV Werder Bremen 1, FC Bayern München 2. Second Half ends, SV Werder Bremen 1, FC Bayern München 2. Attempt missed. Thomas Delaney (SV Werder Bremen) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München). Florian Kainz (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen). Attempt saved. Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Renato Sanches. Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Fin Bartels. Maximilian Eggestein (SV Werder Bremen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Maximilian Eggestein (SV Werder Bremen). Foul by Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München). Fin Bartels (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Offside, SV Werder Bremen. Felix Wiedwald tries a through ball, but Lamine Sané is caught offside. Foul by Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München). Florian Kainz (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Xabi Alonso following a fast break. Foul by Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München). Niklas Moisander (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, SV Werder Bremen. Florian Kainz replaces Santiago García. Attempt missed. Serge Gnabry (SV Werder Bremen) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right misses to the left. Assisted by Fin Bartels. Foul by Renato Sanches (FC Bayern München). Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, FC Bayern München. Douglas Costa replaces Franck Ribéry. Foul by Xabi Alonso (FC Bayern München). Santiago García (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Offside, SV Werder Bremen. Niklas Moisander tries a through ball, but Serge Gnabry is caught offside. Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen). Santiago García (SV Werder Bremen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Santiago García (SV Werder Bremen). Attempt blocked. Joshua Kimmich (FC

Summary: Bayern Munich remain three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after beating Werder Bremen.


Cafodd yr heddlu a pharafeddygon eu galw yn dilyn adroddiadau o ffrwgwd ym Mynwent y Gorllewin yn Nhrelái am 14:45 ddydd Llun. Fe wnaeth tri dyn ddioddef anafiadau yn ystod y digwyddiad rhwng unigolion oedd yn "adnabod ei gilydd" meddai Heddlu De Cymru. Nid yw'r anafiadau'n rhai sy'n golygu fod eu bywydau mewn perygl ac nid yw'r heddlu wedi arestio unrhyw un. Dywedodd Cyngor Caerdydd fod staff yr awdurdod yn cynorthwyo'r heddlu ond nid oedd y fynwent wedi ei difrodi. Cafodd dau ddyn eu cludo i Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru yn y brifddinas, ac fe gafodd dyn arall ei gludo i Ysbyty Frenhinol Morgannwg.

Summary: Mae tri o bobl wedi eu hanafu yn dilyn digwyddiad mewn mynwent yng Nghaerdydd.


The 5 June game was cancelled despite a vote in favour of it going ahead. Out of nearly 12,000 fans, 52% were in favour and 48% against the idea, a fundraiser for the Ladies' team said. The club said it was responding to supporters' comments and fan feedback on social media. The Hammers are moving to the Olympic Stadium after 112 years at Upton Park. The club said in a statement: "West Ham Ladies played under the lights at the Boleyn Ground back in March when they faced Tottenham Ladies and dialogue remains open between West Ham Ladies and the club with regards to the hosting of future fixtures." The match, between West Ham Ladies and a West Ham 'All Stars' team, was the brainchild of Jack Sullivan, the son of West Ham co-chairman David. West Ham Ladies Joint-Chairman Stephen Hunt said: "Obviously the Ladies are disappointed but myself and Jack Sullivan will get together over the summer to see what else we can do in the future." West Ham beat Manchester United 3-2 on Tuesday, 10 May and then held a 45-minute celebration after full-time, involving fireworks and former players. Eastenders actor Danny-Boy Hatchard, who plays Lee Carter in the BBC One soap opera, was among those backing the Ladies' game.

Summary: A West Ham Ladies' match has been called off so that the men's win over Manchester United can remain as the last public fixture played at Upton Park.


But the government wants the economy to pick up speed or risk missing its target of becoming a developed nation by 2020. Malaysia's economic performance has been "relatively sluggish" over the last decade, a government report stated. It blames this poor performance on low labour productivity. The problem was identified more than a decade ago when the country began to face stiff competition in exports from low wage countries like China. At that time, Malaysian leaders said they had to move towards a knowledge-based economy. This led to the construction of a hi-tech city near Kuala Lumpur called Cyberjaya. Billed as the "Silicon Valley of the East", this was the first city to be fully connected with high-speed internet using fibre-optic cables. Officials also hoped that tax incentives and an English-speaking workforce would lure foreign companies to help turn Malaysia from a low-cost to a hi-tech producer. US computer maker Dell was one of the companies that took up the offer. Pang Yee Beng, managing director of Dell Cyberjaya, says it makes sense to be based there. "Ultimately we are looking for a place where we can get consistent service in terms of IT infrastructure," he says. "We needed a place where politically or security-wise it was stable, and then when you set up a complex facility like this you really need government support to make it happen." Today, Dell's operations in Cyberjaya include a customer call centre and a technical support team for its global operations. The four-storey complex sits in the same cluster as other multinational companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard and AMD. But critics say Cyberjaya hasn't become the success that Malaysian leaders had in mind. An advisor to the Cyberjaya project, TJ Singh, says the government originally wanted to attract innovative global giants who could in turn mentor Malaysian companies, especially in the area of software. "What they wanted were local companies that were world class," says Mr Singh. But that didn't happen. Mr Singh says more and more multinational companies took advantage of Cyberjaya's cheap land and set up back offices for their global operations. It has succeeded in creating a big service industry, says Mr Singh, but not exactly the type of innovation that government leaders wanted to take place in Cyberjaya. Analysts say many companies end up doing their research and development overseas, partly because they cannot find the right talent. In 2010, a World Bank report estimated that about one million Malaysians were living abroad. A third of them are well educated and mainly ethnic Chinese and Indians. Economists with the World Bank say ethnic minorities feel discriminated against by the government's preferential policies for the Malays. Malaysia practices affirmative action for the Malay-majority, granting them priority in university scholarships and government jobs. These are efforts to redistribute wealth to the Malays, who are historically poorer than other ethnic groups. But in a bid to help Malays catch up, Malaysian politicians have also flip flopped on the language of instruction for sciences and maths, switching from Malay to English and then back again. Opposition lawmakers

Summary: Malaysia's central bank is forecasting economic growth of between 5% and 6% this year, which in the current global climate is better than other economies in South East Asia.


Patrick Sookhdeo, 68, of River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire, is accused of one count of indecent assault on a woman aged 16 or over in Plaistow, east London, in 1977. The Metropolitan Police said Mr Sookhdeo was arrested following an investigation by Newham detectives. He was bailed to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on 4 April.

Summary: A man has been charged with carrying out a sexual assault on a woman almost 40 years ago.


BBC Wales has learned an agreement has been struck to end the dispute. It had been claimed a spelling error by officials at Companies House in Cardiff had led to the demise of engineering firm Taylor & Sons. Companies House records had been amended to show Taylor & Sons had been wound up in 2009. But the failing business was another firm called Taylor & Son - with "Son" in the singular. Taylor & Sons dated back to 1875 and more than 250 people lost their jobs when it went under, and former co-owner, Philip Davison-Sebry, claimed Â£8.8m in damages over the mix-up. In January 2015 the High Court judge ruled in Mr Davison-Sebry's favour and found Companies House, when entering a winding up order, owed reasonable care to ensure the order was not registered against the wrong company. Companies House began an appeal against the ruling in January last year, arguing the case set a "dangerous precedent". A full appeal was listed for this month, but BBC Wales has learned an agreement was reached last spring. A spokesperson for Companies House said: "We have agreed confidential terms of settlement and this case has now concluded." No further details are being disclosed by either party.

Summary: A multi-million pound court battle over a spelling mistake said to have led to the collapse of a Cardiff company has been settled.


The pair were said to have fallen on to tracks at Ealing Broadway at 18:10 BST on Tuesday. Police said they were treating the deaths as "unexplained" and had not yet identied the victims. Heathrow Express services were suspended, while First Great Western said there were delays of up to 90 minutes to and from Paddington. British Transport Police said: "We were called at 6.10pm to Ealing Broadway station following reports that someone had been hit by a train. "We attended along with the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade and discovered two people had been struck and killed by the train. "We're still working to determine the identities of the deceased or how they came to actually be on the tracks." The force said the train was London-bound. Last night, commuters took to Twitter to express their concern. Girl_about_town tweeted: "Just changed at Ealing Broadway. Rammed with firemen and policemen. Sadly two deaths, apparently." Thomas Clements wrote: "Forensics still on the track at Ealing Broadway. Just witnessed an utterly horrific scene. Feel for the people who have to deal with it now." Tom Kimber tweeted: "So the train I'm on has hit two people at Ealing Broadway. A sad business." A spokesman for First Great Western said: "We are doing all we can to help the police with their investigation into this terrible incident."

Summary: Two people, one believed to be a child, died when they were struck by a First Great Western train in west London.


Police, councils and the NHS recorded scores of missing items, including computers, mobile phones, Blackberries and USB data sticks. The call for action came from the Lib Dems who obtained the information. The Scottish government said public services were responsible for storing their own information. The Lib Dems said that between December last year and June, seven NHS areas recorded a range of missing equipment, including patient files and details of more than 100 people on a needle exchange programme. Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS board reported the theft of eight laptops, six hard drives and three PCs. This included two laptops stolen from the paediatrics department at Yorkhill Hospital in March of this year and a PC stolen from the X-ray viewing room at the Western Infirmary in April. Meanwhile, Strathclyde Police reported an unencrypted USB stick containing investigation files as missing. Lost or stolen equipment among local authorities included five laptops from a children and families establishment in Edinburgh which contained the details of 10 people. West Dunbartonshire Council also lost 60 personal computers from schools. Most equipment missing from councils was either encrypted or contained no personal details. Last January, the Lib Dems called for an urgent review into data loss after reporting that scores of laptops, PCs and memory sticks containing confidential data had been lost by councils and health boards in recent years. The party said that while almost all files were encrypted, the public would be rightly worried that their personal data was at risk. Lib Dem justice spokesman Robert Brown said: "Central government, local councils, NHS boards and the police hold a great deal of information on all of us. Our data is in their hands and we need to know they are taking this responsibility seriously. "The government is not in control of the situation. They need to get a grip on this right now." A Scottish government spokesman said it took data security "very seriously" and had set robust standards for the storage and transmission of data. He added: "We expect the same high standards of public sector bodies. However, it remains the responsibility of individual police forces, local authorities and health boards to ensure that personal or sensitive information is stored securely."

Summary: Scottish ministers have been told to "get a grip" of data control as new claims emerged of equipment being lost or stolen from the public sector.


The 36-year-old from Carrickfergus had been level on 15 with the late Robert Dunlop going into Thursday's races. Seeley broke away to win the opening Supersport race ahead of runner-up Ian Hutchinson and Martin Jessopp. The Supertwins race was abandoned after a two riders were injured in a high-speed crash. Dungannon rider Ryan Farquhar and Dan Cooper from Stroud came off at Black Hill and were taken to hospital. Forty-year-old Farquhar sustained chest and pelvic injuries, while Cooper, 28, had shoulder injuries. Record-breaker Seeley has won at least one event at the North-West for nine years in a row. He has also won at least one Supersport race in each of seven consecutive years from 2010 to 2016. The Supersport event provided a thrilling start to racing at the 2016 North West. Ballymoney's Michael Dunlop, a four-time winner at the North West, did not make it off the grid because of mechanical problems. Seeley surged into an early lead but some exillerating action saw Fermanagh rider Lee Johnston, Yorkshire man Hutchinson and Michael's brother William Dunlop all take turns at the front. Seeley, Hutchinson and Jessopp all broke the class lap record on the final circuit. "The North West put me on the map when I first came here and now to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Dunlops is unbelievable," said an elated Seeley. "It was a typical Supersport race. We managed to get a break and clinch the 16th win."

Summary: Alastair Seeley has broken the record for wins at the North West 200 road races by achieving his 16th career win at the international meeting.


Donkeys have been "over-exploited" and their numbers needed to be kept at a sustainable level, the government said. China is a big importer of donkey skins from Burkina Faso, using them to make traditional medicines. In Burkina Faso, donkeys are commonly used to transport goods, though some communities eat their meat. The surge in exports has put pressure on the local market, with the price of donkeys rising, says BBC Afrique's Abdourahmane Dia. The price of the animal's hide has risen from about $4 (Â£3) a few years ago to $50, he adds. Gelatin made from donkey skin is highly prized in China as a medicinal tonic, thought to nourish the blood, boost the immune system and act as a general pick-me-up. It is sometimes referred to as one of the "three nourishing treasures" (zi bu san bao), along with ginseng and the antlers of young deer. The most famous donkey gelatin is produced in Dong'e County in north-eastern Shandong Province, where it is traditionally made with the local well-water. Donkey gelatin is sometimes mixed with walnuts, goji berries and other tonic foods and sold in dark, gummy slabs that can be eaten as a snack. Health and longevity is a Chinese national obsession, and tonic foods like this are often lavishly packaged and presented as expensive gifts. Aside from gelatin, donkey meat is a delicacy in some Chinese regions, especially in the north of the country. Here, the lean meat is often simmered in a richly-spiced broth, and then cooled, sliced and served with a refreshing dip of chopped garlic and vinegar. The meat has a fine, dense texture and a marvellous flavour that's a little reminiscent of beef. In northern Hebei province, one famous snack is the lu rou huo shao, in which chopped, spiced donkey meat is mixed with fresh green chilli and stuffed into a layered pastry - its name is sometimes translated into English as a "donkey burger". Donkey meat may also be made into soups and stews. As the Chinese middle classes have grown richer, demand for donkey gelatin and other tonic delicacies has soared - in January the New York Times reported that a shortage of donkey gelatin had encouraged a boom in imitation products. The ban also covers the hide of horses and camels, Burkina Faso's director for public veterinary health Adama Maiga told the AFP news agency. The government would also be "regulating" the slaughter of the animals, he added. Last month, an abattoir set up by French and Chinese businessmen in a village on the outskirts of the capital, Ouagadougou, was ransacked by residents protesting against the stench coming out of it and the air, water and land pollution it was causing, AFP reports. Burkina Faso, a poor West African state, has about 1.4 million donkeys. Exports of the skin rose from 1,000 in the first quarter of 2015 to more than 18,000 in the last quarter, the Burkinabe authorities say. Nearly 65,000 skins were exported in the first six months of this year, mostly to China. Its donkey population has been

Summary: Burkina Faso has banned the export of donkey skins as a sharp increase in sales to Asia is threatening the animal's population.


About 200 people have been killed in the protests since November, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. The unrest began over government plans to expand the capital's administrative control into the region. The government later dropped the plan, but protesters dismissed the decision as "too little too late". Oromia is Ethiopia's largest region, surrounding the capital, Addis Ababa. Many people in the region complain of being politically and economically marginalised in a country where the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition has ruled since 1991. New York-based HRW said, in a report, that anti-government protests had decreased in the last few weeks, but the "crackdown continues". "Almost daily accounts of killings and arbitrary arrests have been reported to Human Rights Watch since 2016 began," it added. HRW said thousands of people had been detained without charge since November. But Ethiopia's Communications Minister, Getachew Reda, told the BBC that it was a "stroke of magic" for HRW to release a report "from half way across the world". He acknowledged that there had been trouble, but said attacks on public buildings were carried out by armed gangs "who are trying to stir up emotions in the public". Mr Getachew said that HRW has been "churning out report after report" on Ethiopia without a presence in the country, and its allegations against the security forces were an "absolute lie". At the last census in 2007, the Oromo made up Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, at about 25 million people out of a population at the time of nearly 74 million.

Summary: Ethiopia has dismissed allegations it is violently suppressing protests in its restive Oromia region as an "absolute lie".


FW Capital, a subsidiary of Finance Wales, wants to manage part of a Â£400m fund for firms in the north of England. Plaid Cymru's Shadow Economy Secretary Adam Price was critical, claiming it could boost Welsh companies' rivals. But FW Capital said any profit it makes in England would help cover Finance Wales's overheads back in Wales. The firm has had a team of fund managers operating from offices in the north west and north east of England since 2010. Finance Wales said its board and management in Cardiff were fully aware of FW Capital's decision to bid for a slice of the Northern Powerhouse work, for which it has been shortlisted. Mr Price said it was "perplexing to say the least that this practice [of work outside Wales] is continuing", following a Welsh Government review in 2013. "The whole purpose of creating this lever, this additional bit of institutional fire power, is to give Welsh businesses a competitive advantage," he added. "If you're doing the same on the other side of the border you're potentially negating your work in Wales." The 2013 review by business expert Prof Dylan Jones-Evans questioned whether Finance Wales was doing enough to help the Welsh economy, and recommended the creation of a development bank. Ministers have pledged to set one up, and Finance Wales has submitted plans. Despite Prof Jones-Evans's criticism, the assembly's finance committee approved FW Capital's work in England in a separate report in 2014, saying Wales benefited from the profit it generated. Finance Wales chief executive Giles Thorley said the group's priority "is and will always be supporting businesses in Wales". He said FW Capital was run "on a profitable basis by local fund managers" and "brings valuable management fees to the Finance Wales Group making a sizeable contribution to central overheads in Wales". "We're looking forward to working with Welsh Government on the plans to become a Development Bank for Wales," he said. "Our focus remains on helping businesses in Wales to grow and succeed," Mr Thorley said.

Summary: A Welsh government-owned investment company has defended a decision to compete for business as part of England's Northern Powerhouse.


At close, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 27.47 points, or 0.4%, at 6,772. The price of Brent crude slid fell 3.57% to $46.52 a barrel on worries that oil producers would fail to agree limits on output. Shares in oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell were both down by about 2%. Shares in UK housebuilders were trading higher on the back of stronger-than-expected mortgage lending figures. Bank of England figures showed 67,518 mortgages were approved in October, a seven-month high. Barratt Developments shares rose 2.28% while Persimmon climbed 1.95%. Shares in BT Group saw big moves after telecoms regulator Ofcom ordered it to make its Openreach business legally separate. BT shares fell 1.4% in early trade, but then recovered to stand about 1.16% higher by close. Ofcom said BT had failed to voluntarily address competition concerns, adding it would notify the European Commission of its plans to force the legal separation of Openreach, which runs the UK's broadband infrastructure. The regulator wants Openreach to become a distinct company with its own board, with non-executives and a chairperson not affiliated with BT. However, it has resisted calls to split Openreach off entirely. "Ofcom isn't really saying anything radically different today in terms of the actual meat of the changes," said Neil Wilson, from ETX Capital. "What's concerning investors is the detail of the separation, such as the transfer of pension liabilities and budget autonomy - BT's pension black hole has ballooned to top ??10bn and this is a concern for investors." On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.64% against the dollar to $1.2497, and was 0.67% higher against the euro at ???1.1774.

Summary: Oil companies weighed on the London market as energy shares were hit by a fall in oil prices ahead of the meeting of Opec oil producers on Wednesday.


In the Commons, the Conservative majority of 12 looked paper-thin, and susceptible to all manner of rebellions from a variety of different quarters: in the Lords, the Conservatives, for the first time in their history, faced the prospect of governing without a majority of peers behind them. But as 2016 dawns, those whips may be breathing just a little easier. By normal standards, the government should be having rather a hard time at the moment, with its somersault with triple salko over tax credit cuts, its latest postponement of a decision on Heathrow expansion (supposedly a vital infrastructure issue), not to mention the increasingly nasty internal sniping over David Cameron's EU membership renegotiation. But sitting on a double-digit opinion poll lead, ministers can, instead, contemplate Labour's disarray, the Lib Dems' near disappearance and the SNP's enthusiasm for sniping at Labour, as well as them. When ministers come to propose the renewal of Trident, for example, they can expect a number of Labour MPs to support them, or at least abstain. And if Jeremy Corbyn seeks to overrule his MPs on this issue, by polling Labour Party members, the internal bitterness in the Parliamentary Labour Party will doubtless deepen, and a couple of shadow cabinet members could well depart. It's an example of how a controversial decision will be masked by a Labour split. The most troublesome issues for government should be those where most opposition parties are united against them and where 10 or more Conservative MPs are prepared to break ranks. Take the Investigatory Powers Bill, where Tory civil libertarians like David Davis are deeply unhappy about the internet data powers the government wants to take. Mr Davis is a seasoned parliamentary guerrilla, capable of causing real trouble with a combination of tactical streetsmarts and a proven ability to work with opposition MPs - he has an excellent working relationship with one Tom Watson, now deputy leader of the Labour Party. They might be able to engineer a Commons defeat for the government on some aspect of the Bill, perhaps to require judicial warrants for intercepts, but this is only possible if Labour can present a united front. Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham at first seemed to welcome the draft Bill, which is being scrutinised by a special parliamentary committee, and then raised questions afterwards - a performance that smacked of internal disagreement. And that in turn raises questions about whether Labour has the flexibility to support the Bill in general while attempting to defeat the government on a key part of it. We shall see. And what about their lordships' House? The government is attempting to re-write the rules on secondary legislation, after its stinging defeat on tax credits in October. But that defeat masked an interesting fact - that the government is starting to win a few more contentious votes in the Lords. Shortly after that tax credit vote, it defeated a move to postpone a switch to individual voter registration, largely because a few Labour peers failed to turn out. More recently the government whips have seen off

Summary: After the election, the numbers in both Houses of Parliament looked pretty daunting for the government whips.


Muhammadu Buhari's second coming as Nigeria's president one-and-a-half years ago was greeted with a lot of hope and excitement. There was a collective sigh of relief when he took over from the lacklustre Goodluck Jonathan, who symbolised everything that was wrong with the then ruling party. Eighteen months down the line, many Nigerians are openly asking whether the 73-year-old president has what it takes to lead Africa's most populous state, given the enormous challenges that the country faces. While the president has gained some kudos for his efforts to tackle corruption and for the fact that the military now has the upper hand in the fight against militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which at one point held large swathes of territory in the north-east, little success has been recorded in other areas. As President Buhari has said, he had the misfortune of coming to power at a time when very low oil prices meant the import-dependent and oil revenue-reliant country was paying a high price for its expensive habits. "Nearly halfway into his four-year term, Mr Buhari is yet to make some key appointments to drive his vision" Nigerian leaders, and especially Mr Jonathan's government, never planned for the vagaries of oil prices, which have plummeted from more than $100 (£79) a barrel in 2014 to just above $30. Mindless corruption ensured that the extra income was carelessly spent and even money allocated for purchasing arms to counter Boko Haram's insurgency was allegedly pocketed by individuals or diverted to political campaigns. Mr Buhari admitted he felt like absconding from the job when he found how bad the situation was when he took office in May 2015. Having won the election on his fourth attempt, Nigerians expected the former military ruler to have an idea or two about how to fix the country's main challenges: Poor infrastructure, lack of electricity and high unemployment. Now some of his supporters are beginning to lose patience. Even his wife took the unprecedented step of criticising him publicly in a BBC interview where she said she might not support him again if he ran for another term in 2019. Nearly halfway into his four-year term, Mr Buhari is yet to make some key appointments to drive his vision. It took him six months to assemble a cabinet and, eight months after the death of one government minister, that post remains vacant. With many key officials yet to be replaced, there is an air of tentativeness in the operations of many government departments. It is in the area of the economy that there is even more dissatisfaction given the recession that the country is experiencing. The unofficial devaluation of the local currency, the naira, higher food prices and job losses have all made life more difficult for families. Many people just manage to have a meal a day. The following phrase trended among Nigerians on social media recently: "We are no longer asking President Buhari to develop Nigeria. At this point we are only asking him to return Nigeria to the state it was before he became president."

Summary: In our series of letters from African journalists, Mannir Dan Ali, editor-in-chief of Nigeria's Daily Trust paper, looks at why the Nigerian president is finding it hard to please anyone.


East Lindsey council introduced charges at 13 sites in 2013 in a bid to offset government funding cuts. The authority is now consulting on the introduction of an overnight parking charge across all its managed sites. Deputy leader Graham Marsh said free parking was re-instated after feedback from businesses and the public. More on this and other local stories in Lincolnshire He said: "I can see the logic for it [charging] - trying to get a consistent strategy across the district - but it didn't work and different areas have different needs." Mr Marsh said it was hoped the changes would be a permanent measure. The council announced in December it was considering a Â£2 overnight parking charge on all paid car parks in the district, but this is yet to be implemented. Mr Marsh added: "We need to assess what impact it will have, and realistically will it raise sufficient money for what it costs?" The authority is currently trying to make savings of Â£6m by 2019/20.

Summary: Free all-day car parking has been re-instated at 10 sites in Lincolnshire, three years after it was scrapped to save money.


Sexual orientation details are stored by the MoD but kept anonymous, and recruits have the option to "prefer not to say". A spokesman said the MoD, which introduced the new measure in November, "encourages diversity at all levels". Openly-gay soldiers have been allowed to serve since 2000. The spokesman said: "The MoD proudly encourages diversity at all levels. Service personnel are now encouraged to declare their sexual orientation. "Although this is not mandatory, collecting this data will give us a better understanding of the composition of our armed forces and help ensure our policies and practices fully support our personnel." Recruits are also invited to say how open they feel they can be regarding their sexual orientation. The gathered information is not visible on individual personal records or to chain of command or managers, with names removed before the data is collated to make sure no one can be identified. The MoD said there was no specific drive to recruit more lesbian, gay or bisexual personnel.

Summary: The Ministry of Defence is now asking recruits to the armed forces whether they are gay in a bid to improve diversity in the military.


Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram created the work called Maya using more than 5,000 photographs of his daughter. Mr Jerram said he was inspired by the "billions of images uploaded to the internet every year". The piece has been installed on platform three, where Mr Jerram's daughter saw it for the first time. 'Coloured stickers' Mr Jerram, who is the artist behind Play Me I'm Yours, which has seen pianos appear on city streets around the world, said: "From a distance, people coming through the station may be almost concerned to see what looks like a young girl stood by herself, but as they move closer, she will pixelate just like a computer image does. "There's a certain distance when standing in front of the sculpture that the pixels disappear and the image of the girl comes together. "The sculpture goes ping - it's really fun." The artwork was made by scanning Mr Jerram's daughter using an Xbox Kinect. Her head was scanned at the Machine Vision Laboratory at the University of the West of England where Mr Jerram is a visiting Senior Research Fellow. Both scans were then combined and pixelated into cubes, called voxels. The model was then made from precision-cut sheets of aluminium. Finally more than 5,000 coloured stickers were printed and fixed on to the aluminium. The sculpture is part of a series of Bristol Temple Quarter Commissions, designed to engage people with the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. The aim is to encourage artists and audiences to explore the area, engage with its history and its future.

Summary: A sculpture of a girl which appears to fragment as the person looking at it moves closer has been installed at Temple Meads railway station.


The 29-year-old has been offered wildcards into the WTA tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. She will need another if she is to play at Roland Garros, and unless she makes a flying start when her career resumes, her presence at Wimbledon will be in the hands of the All England Club. The reputation of the Grand Slams is linked intrinsically to the integrity of the sport. Will they take the view that once a ban is served, a decorated former champion like Sharapova should be entitled to unlimited invitations to the world's best events? Or will they share the view of Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki that, after a doping ban, players should not be offered shortcuts into tournaments? A former Grand Slam champion is currently free to accept as many wildcards as they wish, but that is a rule which is likely to be reviewed, according to the WTA's chief executive. Steve Simon has also said - in an interview for BBC Sport in Los Angeles - that he is not personally in favour of changing the rule, as a doping ban "should not wipe out a career's worth of work". Murray believes that ideally a player should be made to work their way back after a ban by accumulating ranking points in smaller tournaments. Wozniacki was even more direct with her language when she addressed the subject here in Indian Wells. "When someone has been banned for drugs and something that is performance enhancing, I think that you deserve a second chance like everybody else. People make mistakes, but I think you should fight your way back from the bottom," the former world number one Wozniacki said. Other players, like Venus Williams and Simona Halep, believe Sharapova is deserving of wildcards, but it may be that a Grand Slam champion who serves a doping ban loses the right to unlimited wildcards in the future. "Every rule gets looked at and reviewed, and I'm sure this may be one of them," WTA chief executive Simon told me. "If the members wish us to look at the rule, we will - that's how our system works. "My personal opinion is that it shouldn't be adjusted unless we decide to not provide it at all and change the entire wildcard rule. I think the suspension is in place to deal with an action that occurred - I don't think it should wipe out a career's worth of work, and in essence that's what people are saying. "Maria has served a 15 month suspension, has had no income, has lost all of her ranking as well as her Australian Open winnings from 2016 - so she's served a significant penalty for her actions." Media playback is not supported on this device Sharapova will make her return in Stuttgart on Wednesday 26 April, which is the very day her ban expires and two days after the tournament begins. This has upset Angelique Kerber, the German who has won the title for the past two years and will return to the top of the world

Summary: Maria Sharapova will return from her doping ban in Stuttgart in six weeks time, but her participation at the French Open and Wimbledon remains in significant doubt.


"This was a pretty shameful day for Washington," Mr Obama said at the White House. "But this effort is not over." Fifty-four senators backed the plan, but that was six short of the 60-vote hurdle needed to clear the chamber. Gun rights groups hailed the defeat of the measure, arguing it would violate the right to bear arms. The proposal, put forward as an amendment to a broader gun bill, sought to widen the current checks to include online and unlicensed gun show dealers. President Barack Obama is campaigning for tighter gun laws after 26 people died in a school shooting in Connecticut in December. In remarks at the White House with a family that lost a son in the Newtown massacre by his side, Mr Obama vowed to continue efforts on tighter gun restrictions. "If this Congress refuses to listen to the American people... then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters," Mr Obama said, calling on those who supported the plan to let their senators know how disappointed they were. Mr Obama argued those who voted against the Manchin-Toomey plan had been led only by politics. "Most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun." Meanwhile, former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a vocal supporter of gun control after she was shot in the head in 2011 while meeting constituents in Tucson, in an attack that killed six people, accused lawmakers of "cowardice". "These senators made their decision based on political fear and on cold calculations about the money of special interests like the National Rifle Association, which in the last election cycle spent around $25 million on contributions, lobbying and outside spending," Ms Giffords wrote in the New York Times. The expanded system of background checks, which had been the centrepiece of the president's agenda, was blocked by most Senate Republicans and some Democrats. The New York Times accuses the Senate of failing Americans, saying for 45 of them the carnage of Sandy Hook Elementary School is a forgotten tragedy. Commentator Charles Krauthammer tells Fox News in video carried by National Review Online that the amendment would not have stopped Sandy Hook happening. The Washington Post says the Senate has "misfired badly". "An inglorious conclusion," is the view of the Huffington Post. Plans for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines have already been removed from the gun-control bill, amid lack of political support. Similar measures failed as amendments on Wednesday. A recent poll by CNN/ORC suggests that 86% of Americans support expanded background checks, but recent AP opinion surveys show support for generally stricter gun laws has dipped from a high of 58% in January to 48%. Patricia Maisch, a survivor of the 2011 Arizona shooting that killed six people and severely injured former Representative Gabby Giffords, shouted "Shame on you!" from the Senate gallery as the bill was blocked. The plan was considered as an amendment to a larger gun-violence bill

Summary: President Barack Obama has lashed out at senators who blocked a bipartisan plan to support expanded background checks on firearms.


South Wales Police has confirmed that the matter is closed and that the three complainants have been told. The force said it has informed Operation Hydrant, which oversees allegations of historical child sex abuse against high-profile people. Lord Tonypandy, who was born in Port Talbot, died of cancer in 1997 aged 88. Then known as George Thomas, he was a Labour MP in Cardiff from 1945 to 1983. The methodist preacher was also Secretary of State for Wales from 1968 to 1970 and was Commons Speaker between 1976 and 1983. Allegations of historical child sexual abuse were made against him four years ago. A man, now in his fifties, living in Australia, alleged that Lord Tonypandy had sexually assaulted him in Cardiff when he was nine years old while he was staying at the boy's parents home in the 1960s and 1970s. Other allegations against him included that he sexually assaulted a 16 or 17-year-old boy on a train between Newport and London in the 1960s. There were also claims he inappropriately touched someone on a train from London to Aberystwyth in 1959. On Wednesday, South Wales Police said its investigation has come to an end and that no further action would be taken. "These allegations have been investigated proportionately by South Wales Police in line with national guidance," it said in a statement. "The force takes all allegations of sexual abuse seriously no matter when the alleged offence took place and encourages any victims of sexual abuse to come forward, in the knowledge that they will be listened to and their allegations taken seriously." Friends and people who knew Lord Tonypandy have previously said they found the allegations difficult to believe.

Summary: An investigation into sex abuse claims made against the former Speaker of the House of Commons Viscount Tonypandy has ended.


A US law prevents the government from selling arms to countries which fail to tackle human rights abuses. Mr Buhari met President Barack Obama in Washington on Monday to seek further assistance. Boko Haram has killed some 10,000 people since 2009 and has also kidnapped hundreds of girls and women. Last month, human rights group Amnesty International said that some 8,000 men and boys had died in Nigerian military custody after being detained as suspected militants. The military rejected this allegation, Nigeria's president promised an investigation but there have been no further details. The US has previously promised some $5m (Â£3.2m) in military assistance to the regional coalition helping to fight Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. However, Mr Buhari heavily criticised the US, especially the Leahy Law, which links military sales to human rights. The Nigerian military did "not possess the appropriate weapons and technology which we could have had if the so-called human rights violations had not been an obstacle," he told the United States Institute of Peace on Wednesday. "Unwittingly, and I dare say unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law Amendment by the United States government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorists." In the latest suspected Boko Haram attack, at least 29 people were killed in bomb blasts at two bus stations in the north-eastern city of Gombe on Wednesday. At least 11 people were earlier killed in the Cameroonian town of Maroua, just over the border from Gombe. Boko Haram last year seized a huge area of north-eastern Nigeria, before being beaten back by a regional coalition, including Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Mr Buhari was elected in March, partly on a pledge to defeat Boko Haram. Why Boko Haram remains a threat Who are Boko Haram?

Summary: The US has "aided and abetted" the Boko Haram Islamist militant group by refusing to provide weapons to Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari says.


While many elderly and disabled people in the UK are used to visits of just 15 minutes from a carer, Buurtzorg employs qualified nurses who stay as long as they think is necessary. "We focus on craftmanship," said the founder and director of Buurtzorg, Jos de Blok. "If you, as a nurse, have a good education then you know how to organise your work yourself. In a team with 10-12 nurses you can be responsible for all the patients in a neighbourhood." There are no managers and patient satisfaction is the highest for any care organisation in the country. The costs per client are 35% less than the Dutch average. Buurtzorg has also been voted the Netherlands' best employer three years in a row. "Before they introduced me to Buurtzorg, I was with another organisation and that was rubbish," said 83-year-old Fred de Smet, from Utrecht. He has been receiving care from Buurtzorg nurses for several years following a stroke, heart problems and leukaemia. "They treat me well, they take care of me. You are a human with them and they don't start saying, we only have X amount of hours or so many minutes to change my support stockings or shower me." As well as organising social care, some of the nurses in Amsterdam run a radio show, called Radio Steunkous - which translates to "radio support stocking". "Our motto is that everyone can be each other's support stocking," said nurse and presenter Ellie Lakerveld. "Our goal is to provide another form of healthcare. A lot of people we visit are bound to their houses or their beds, and radio plays an important part in their lives." Radio Steunkous runs features which might be of interest to those receiving care, mingled with classic songs from previous decades. Buurtzorg itself recreates a system from a past era. "This is the way I worked in the 80s," says Jos de Blok, who was a community health nurse. "We didn't have management then. We were responsible for everything. Give trust to the nurses, they have intrinsic motivation." Mr de Blok hopes to encourage other countries to adopt his model. He arrives in Scotland only a few days after returning from Japan, which also has a care system based on short visits. "I understand how these systems developed through the years because it's what we had in Holland. "But it becomes more and more difficult for nurses to do the work in a way they are satisfied. The way it's organised with many management layers makes it even worse. Then you get this vicious circle. Control becomes more. The pressure on costs becomes higher. It's not the solution." Buurtzorg started in 2007 with four nurses but now has 9,300 nurses in 800 locations across the Netherlands. "They make full use of the time they've got with you," said Mr de Smet. "They have time to have a coffee with you. It's very cosy and very good. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Summary: The founder of a Dutch care system has travelled to Scotland to speak to health professionals and the Scottish government about his not-for-profit care company.


Mr Barroso headed the EU executive from 2004-2014 and will help the bank deal with the impact of Brexit. It is a powerful player in the City of London. European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has written to Mr Barroso's EU successor, Jean-Claude Juncker, raising concerns. The City is a key hub for EU business. French politician Michel Barnier, the man who pushed through major EU reforms in financial services after the 2008 financial crash, will head the European Commission team in the Brexit negotiations. Mr Barnier was financial services commissioner under Mr Barroso and some reforms, including caps on bankers' bonuses, met with British resistance. The UK government is preparing for painstaking talks on the terms for withdrawing from the EU. There are fears that Brexit could harm the City's pre-eminent role in European finance. Prime Minister Theresa May insists that "Brexit means Brexit" and is widely expected to trigger Article 50 - the withdrawal mechanism - next year. Mr Barroso joined Goldman Sachs in July, in a highly controversial move. He respected the EU's mandatory 18-month cooling off period before moving. Critics say it exposed once again a Brussels "revolving door", in which elite EU officials move to lucrative jobs in business, deploying their inside knowledge and expertise. Transparency campaigners have launched an online petition, signed by more than 62,000 people. The petitioners want Mr Barroso to lose his Commission pension. Goldman Sachs donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to pro-EU campaigners, and said last month that Brexit could force it to restructure some of its business. Ms O'Reilly told Mr Juncker: "Public unease will be exacerbated by the fact that Mr Barroso has publicly stated that he will be advising on the UK's decision to leave the EU. "In this context, has the Commission considered issuing guidance to current Members, to Chief Negotiator Barnier and to staff in relation to how and whether they will engage with the former Commission President in his new role? "Such advice is important given the need to ensure that their work is not affected by any possible failure on Mr Barroso's part to comply with his duty to act with integrity." Ms O'Reilly investigates complaints about EU maladministration, and can order the release of documents, but cannot impose penalties.

Summary: A top EU official has questioned the European Commission's ethical standards over the new role of ex-Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at US investment bank Goldman Sachs.


It comes after the special rapporteur on torture said some aspects violated the convention against torture. Australia detains all asylum seekers who arrive by boat, holding them in offshore processing camps. Rights groups have criticised conditions on Manus Island, where asylum-seekers are held. In a new report to be tabled to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, the rapporteur, Juan Mendez, investigated allegations of torture and abuse in more than 60 countries. In Australia, he highlighted some cases where the authorities had failed to provide adequate detention conditions, end the detention of children, or prevent escalating violence and tension at Manus Island. This meant Australia had violated the right of the asylum-seeker to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the report said. The Australian government has rejected the report. When asked about the UN's findings, Mr Abbott told reporters: "I really think Australians are sick of being lectured to by the United Nations, particularly, given that we have stopped the boats, and by stopping the boats, we have ended the deaths at sea." He said hundreds had drowned at sea as the people-smuggling trade flourished under the previous government. Mr Abbott said stopping the flow of people coming to Australia by boat, mostly through Indonesia, was the "most humanitarian, most decent, the most compassionate thing you can do". "We have stopped the boats and I think the UN's representatives would have a lot more credibility if they were to give some credit to the Australian government for what we've been able to achieve in this area," Mr Abbott said. When asked about conditions on Manus, Mr Abbott said: "All of the basic needs of the people on Manus Island are being met ... everyone's needs for food, for clothing, for shelter, for safety are being more than met." One of the allegations investigated by Mr Mendez is the intimidation and ill-treatment of two asylum-seekers after they gave statements about violent attacks at Manus. He found their rights were in fact breached. He also found that two government changes to immigration legislation risk violating international laws prohibiting torture. The report found violations in more than 60 other countries including in the US for the 30-year imprisonment of a mentally ill man on death row. It also raises alarm at the proposed deportation of several individuals from the UK to countries that engage in torture. Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?

Summary: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the country is "sick of being lectured" by the UN over its treatment of asylum seekers.


Rescuers earlier ended efforts to find the body of Jeffrey Bush, 36, whose bedroom was engulfed by the 6m (20ft) hole on as he slept on Thursday night. Sinkholes are common in parts of Florida, although most are quite small. Experts are trying to ascertain how far the underground cavity reaches and whether more homes are at risk. All homes near to the house in Seffner - a suburb of 8,000 people 25km (15 miles) east of central Tampa - have been evacuated. Officials have created a 100ft-wide safety zone fearing the top of the sinkhole is growing. The house covers most of the hole, and a local official said crews would try to move the building forward to enable surviving family members to retrieve their belongings from it. "We don't know, in fact, whether it will collapse or whether it will hold up,'' said Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill. On Sunday, the demolition crews left standing only a few walls of the house. They were proceeding as carefully as possible to salvage at least some of the home's contents for five survivors. A Bible, family photos and a woman's purse were among the items saved. The demolition is expected to be completed on Monday and experts would then examine the hole. Just before the crews started their work, 35-year-old Jeremy Bush, who had tried to save his brother, was seen praying outside the house. Five people escaped unharmed, after hearing a loud crash and Jeffrey Bush screaming as the earth crumbled below the house. Jeremy Bush said he jumped into the chasm to dig his brother out but failed. He was later rescued by police. Rescuers then used listening devices and cameras at the scene, but found no signs of life. "There's no way of possible survival," said fire rescue spokeswoman Jessica Damico on Saturday. Mr Bush told reporters that someone had visited the four-bedroom house some weeks ago to check for sinkholes and other issues but found nothing wrong. "And a couple of months later, my brother dies. In a sinkhole," he said. Florida state law requires home insurers to provide coverage against sinkholes. Experts say much of Florida sits on a system of limestone caverns which are subject to water erosion, causing them to collapse.

Summary: Demolition crews have partially razed the home of a man presumed dead after he was swallowed up by a sinkhole in Florida.


The freeze will cost £640m over four years, less than the £1.9bn over five years cost projected by Transport for London during the election campaign. Mr Khan will review TfL's layers of management, cut agency staff, review projects and freeze salaries of top managers to make savings. Travelcards, monthly Oyster cards and daily caps are exempt from the freeze. The Liberal Democrats have criticised the mayor for breaking his fares freeze promise as the benefits will not be felt by passengers using travelcards. "Not what he said in his campaign," said Lib Dem London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon. Conservative group leader Gareth Bacon said: "Sadiq Khan was asked about his fares freeze thousands of times during the mayoral campaign. "Not once did he mention that this freeze would not include travelcards." Mr Khan said he could only freeze TfL fares, not those under the control of Department for Transport. "Londoners currently pay some of the highest public transport fares anywhere in the world," the mayor said. "My fares freeze on TfL services will make life easier for millions of people and will ensure that London becomes a more affordable city for all." London's transport commissioner, Mike Brown, said the savings needed to deliver a fares freeze for two years had been found, and the rest of the money could be found in the autumn. "For the first two years it is enshrined. The money is there. "Over the summer... all the money will be found. We will achieve this." The new mayor will:

Summary: Most passengers will pay the same fares in 2020 as they do now, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced.


Dean Price went into the River Esk at Longtown after his seven-year-old daughter, Delilah, slipped and fell into the water on 30 June. The 32-year-old, from Walsall, got into difficulties and disappeared. His body was found hours later following an extensive search of the river. The South Cumbria coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. Geoff Maxwell, an off-duty retained firefighter who was working nearby, managed to rescue the girl. He was praised by coroner David Roberts, who said: "On behalf of the public generally, I would like to thank you for your selfless act."

Summary: A man drowned while trying to rescue his daughter from a river in Cumbria, an inquest has found.


Detectives realised the scale of the online library after a drugs raid on his home in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff. The 36-year-old Lostprophets singer had encrypted files to cover his trail as a "determined" paedophile. But experts from GCHQ, the UK government's intelligence headquarters, accessed the files allowing police to present evidence so "overwhelming" that Watkins had no choice but to plead guilty rather than face a trial, says the officer whose team brought him to justice. South Wales Police Det Ch Insp Peter Doyle revealed that officers recovered a total of 27 terabytes of data storage from computers and devices found in Watkins's possession. In addition, the "very multi-media and computer savvy" Watkins made extensive use of cloud-based storage to hide his paedophile images from prying eyes. Watkins had used a reference to child abuse as his password. On average, one terabyte drive is capable of holding 472 hours of broadcast quality video or 150 hours of high-definition recording. The 27 terabytes Watkins held dwarfed the data storage held by South Wales Police, which has 2,862 officers and 1,631 support staff. Watkins has begun a 35-year sentence after admitting 13 offences including the attempted rape of a baby. His two co-defendants - mothers of the abused children - were also jailed for 14 and 17 years. He had "furiously denied" the charges before changing his plea at the last minute. In mitigation, the singer has claimed that his substance misuse had left him with no memory of his "prolific" abuse. But police say the scale and nature of his online paedophile collection suggests the judge's description of him as "committed and determined" is accurate. Det Ch Insp Doyle said: "Clearly he was man who used encryption tools. He was a man who went to some lengths to conceal what he was storing. "He went to some considerable lengths to try and hide his wrongdoing. "That takes some time to unravel and unfold but unravel it, we did. Which is why we are where we are today." A link-up with Interpol has led to police following Watkins's trail overseas along the route of Lostprophets tours, he said. Officers are also liaising with counterparts in the Boston and Los Angeles offices of the US department of homeland security. He added: "It would be true to say that we have used high-level experts to assist us when it was needed. "The bottom line is that if we need someone to crack a password for us then people, at a high level, have said 'Yes, we will help you'. "There is a message there to people. That message is: you can encrypt away as much as you like. But do not think you are safe. "There are people who will find a way into the device and you will be brought to book." As Watkins was led away to begin his sentence - 29 years in jail followed by six years on licence - Det Ch Insp Doyle said he could not explain Watkins's change of plea, so avoiding a trial. He said: "I have

Summary: Jailed paedophile Ian Watkins was so "tech savvy" his collection of child abuse photos and films amounted to data almost five times the size of the police force that arrested him.


Developers Extreme said the Â£55m scheme for the Peak Parkway site would also provide an ice rink, other leisure facilities and housing. The site has been confirmed as North East Lincolnshire Council's preferred location for the stadium. One opposition councillor said the development is too large and in the wrong area. Ian Barfield, Liberal Democrat councillor, said: "It just makes my heart sink. "It is not a question of the town not needing economic development. It just does not need it on what should be an area of green space dividing the town." Read more about this and other stories from across East Yorkshire and Humber Extreme Leisure said a number of consultations will be held before any planning application is submitted. Alistair Gosling, the company chairman, said: "This will provide inbound investment, local employment and better facilities for the locals and visitors of North East Lincolnshire." About 320 full-time jobs could be created, excluding construction jobs, he added. John Fenty, from Grimsby Town FC, said he was delighted with the proposals and was looking forward to the day "when the ground was broken". The Labour leader of North East Lincolnshire Council said news of the deal was "very positive". Councillor Ray Oxby added: "We have made it clear from the start that where there's the potential for public assets and resources to be involved, we must follow a strict and proper process to make sure we get the right result for the whole area."

Summary: Grimsby Town Football Club has signed a deal with a leisure provider to build a new 14,000-capacity stadium.


The club are close to appointing the former Ajax and Inter Milan boss, 47, to succeed Sam Allardyce, who led Palace to 14th in the Premier League in May following a relegation battle. "The Champions League is not realistic but with good organisation you can stay in the middle," De Boer said. "With a great season, maybe you could sneak European football." Between 2010 and 2016, De Boer coached Ajax, winning the Eredivisie for four consecutive seasons between 2011 and 2015. But the former Netherlands international has been out of work since he was sacked by Inter Milan in November 2016 after only 85 days in charge. "It's always been one of his desires to come to the Premier League," added Ronald. "It's the biggest league in the world - not necessarily the best - but the most exciting for sure. Frank wants to be part of that and hopefully he gets that opportunity with Crystal Palace. "As it stands now, I know that both sides want to go with each other but there are just little things to discuss." De Boer was appointed as Inter boss two weeks before the start of the 2015-16 season after Roberto Mancini left by mutual consent. He had never previously coached or played in Italy and led Inter to just four league wins in his opening 11 games, leaving them 12th in the Serie A table. "Falling down on your face sometimes helps you to move forward," said his brother. "It's so difficult to step into a team who are not at all fit and have an average age of 28, just two weeks before the start of the season. It is very difficult to change the philosophy. "But he learned he needs a good pre-season to get a proper idea of what his squad is about. "He is more than capable of doing well with any team and also with Crystal Palace if he decides to sign with them."

Summary: Frank de Boer could help Crystal Palace to the Europa League if he takes charge at Selhurst Park, says brother Ronald.


The object was found in the Velsheda Way and Alliance Avenue area in Ardoyne. Police closed the Ardoyne Road and Alliance Avenue during the alert. Sinn FÃ©in councillor Gerry McCabe told the BBC that he had been informed by the PSNI that a device had been thrown at a police vehicle. "They have informed me that families have been evacuated though I can't confirm exactly how many families have been evacuated." Mr McCabe added that "there are some people in the area who are sick and elderly and they need some serious medical attention". "It's unacceptable to think that these people are going to be disrupted by mindless idiots who think it's OK to throw a device at a police vehicle in a built-up area like Ardoyne."

Summary: A security alert in north Belfast has reportedly ended after a suspicious object was declared a hoax.


Media playback is not supported on this device Haskins was awarded the belt after Randy Caballero was stripped of his title after weighing in five and a half pounds over the limit for last Saturday's fight, which had been due to take place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Bristol-based manager, Chris Sanigar, told BBC Points West about his future hopes for 32-year-old Haskins.

Summary: Britain's Lee Haskins could return to Las Vegas for a big pay day after winning the IBF world bantamweight title without throwing a punch.


Grimsby Town said it "fully supports the letter" issued by fan group the Mariners Trust to Stevenage FC. The Mariners Trust made the allegations about the treatment of some fans after the two sides met on Saturday. Stevenage FC said it implemented "a full, 100% compliant, searching regime" after fears of "the potential for anti-social and un-cooperative behaviour". More on this and other Grimsby stories In response, Grimsby Town said that after being contacted by the Hertfordshire club it reassured them "that risk issues would be minimal". The club added: "It was suggested to Stevenage that positive engagement would result in a fun and issue-free day and that the only small risk they faced was a chance of smoke bombs from a small section of younger supporters aged 15-25, as this happened at Chesterfield." "GTFC does not condone searching of minors (under 13s) or the questioning of females about the contents of their underwear." The letter from the supporters' group alleged stewards asked some female fans "if they could feel their bras" if they told them they were were underwired. It claimed the searches were "in full view of male stewards, fans and police" and described them as "a gross invasion of privacy". The fans group also said children as young as five were subjected to full body searches and supporters had items confiscated that were not listed as being banned, such as "contact lens solution, cough sweets and medication". Stevenage FC said the searches were implemented because "after liaising with Grimsby Town's safety officer, the police and others, it was indicated that prohibited items were likely to try to be brought into the grounds and could be passed onto those deemed less likely to be searched, such as women and younger supporters". Grimsby Town said it would be raising the issue with Stevenage.

Summary: A football club has criticised searches of its female supporters who were asked to show their bras to security staff.


Parliament President Martin Schulz urged Saudi King Salman "to free him, so he can accept the prize". Mr Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes in Saudi Arabia for "insulting Islam". Earlier this month he also won the Pen Pinter Prize for championing free speech. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded by the European Parliament since 1988 to individuals or organisations for their contribution to the fight for human rights and democracy. It is named after the Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. Mr Badawi, author of the website Free Saudi Liberals, was convicted of insulting Islam in 2012 and fined Â£175,000. He received the first 50 lashes of his sentence in January, but subsequent floggings have been postponed. In June, Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court upheld the verdict despite a foreign outcry. "This man, who is an extremely good man, an exemplary man, has had imposed on him one of the most gruesome penalties," Mr Schulz told a packed European Parliament assembly in Strasbourg, France. "I call on the Saudi king to immediately free him. Relations depend on human rights being respected by our partners... they are not only not being respected but are being trodden underfoot." Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the European Parliament's Liberal bloc, said: "The European Parliament has sent today a strong political and humanitarian message to Saudi Arabian authorities." Mr Badawi's wife Ensaf Haidar, now living Canada with their children, said the award was a "message of hope and courage". "I thank the European Parliament," she told AFP news agency. Mr Badawi was one of three nominees for this year's prize along with assassinated Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and the Venezuelan opposition movement Mesa de la Unidad Democratica. Previous winners include Nelson Mandela, Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi and Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai.

Summary: Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose flogging sentence caused an outcry, has been awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov human rights prize.


Italian diplomat Filippo Grandi, who took over the post from Portugal's Antonio Guterres this year, was speaking on a visit to Lebanon. Mr Grandi also urged the EU to do more for Syrian refugees outside Europe. EU leaders have warned of a crisis after more than a million migrants entered illegally last year. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told the BBC this week: "If Europe can't protect its own borders, it's the very idea of Europe that could be thrown into doubt." On Friday, his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, warned: "When spring comes and the numbers quadruple, we cannot as the EU cope with the numbers any longer." The new UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been meeting refugees in camps in Lebanon and Jordan. Speaking to the BBC's Quentin Somerville, Mr Grandi said: "Europe can absorb more genuine refugees if it would be better organised among the different member-states. "However, we understand the predicament. It is a social and political predicament which is very serious." The EU is drawing up plans to share the "burden" of refugees more evenly among member states, scrapping a controversial rule that means they must claim asylum in the first country they arrive in. Hungary, one of the most vocal critics of migration policy, has dismissed the crisis as a "German problem" since Germany is where those arriving in the EU "would like to go". Mr Grandi also urged the EU to "do more for the countries of first asylum" so there would be "less motivation for people to flee further away". Katya Adler: Germans struggle to cope with influx Teaching migrants how to behave Migrants feel chill of tighter borders Europe's migrant crisis

Summary: EU states could take more genuine refugees from Syria if they worked together better, the new head of the UN refugee agency has told the BBC.


The UK government announced in the Queen's Speech in May last year that it would bring forward a bill. Two Scottish sites have announced plans to bid for the spaceport licences - Prestwick airport and Machrihanish. However, the government said there was currently no timetable for the introduction of the bill. There is a growing market for launching small or nano satellites which could be used for communications such as broadband. The Scottish sites want to tap into this market and also lay down the infrastructure for future developments such as space tourism. Legislation concerning space is reserved to Westminster. The UK's government's Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for the Modern Transport Bill, which would set regulations for driverless cars as well as allowing UK aerodromes to access space. It told BBC Scotland that it had been working hard on the bill but parliamentary time had been limited by events such as Brexit and the discussions over triggering Article 50. A spokeswoman for the DfT said: "The final date for the introduction of the Modern Transport Bill will be announced in due course. "We are creating the legislative and regulatory framework to allow the development of spaceports in the UK. It will be for the market to decide where the first spaceport will be established." Prestwick airport's director of spaceport development Richard Jenner said it had done a lot of work in preparation for applying for a spaceport licence. He said the airport was now waiting for the regulations to "clarify" what was needed to become a spaceport. He told BBC Scotland: "If the delay's only short I don't think it's a big problem at all. "As I understand it, the UK government are still very committed to launching the first rocket by 2020 and they are very keen for us to progress so I don't think there's any change in their intent. "I think it's just a delay due to the parliamentary process." Prestwick commissioned a report in 2015 which said it would cost between Â£1m and Â£3.5m to get the airport to the standard to meet US spaceport regulations. Mr Jenner said the airport would need to make some modifications but it was confident it already had most safety measures in place. Also based at the South Ayrshire airport is a company called Orbital Access, which is developing a hybrid aeroplane and rocket system. It plans to use a wide-body carrier aircraft, with special modifications to carry a rocket under its body. The launcher rocket would be released at altitude and fired into space to deliver the payload. This system could be used at any of the spaceports which get a licence. Campbeltown airport at Machrihanish on the Kintyre peninsula has also announced a technical partnership which is looking at how to develop a spaceport. The Machrihanish plan is being put together by DiscoverSpace UK, which has signed a memorandum of understanding will tech firms QinetiQ and TelespazoVEGA. DiscoverSpace UK's managing director, Tom Millar, told BBC Scotland it would look to develop its plans over the next six months.

Summary: Plans for legislation to enable the development of the UK's first commercial spaceports have been delayed by Brexit, BBC Scotland understands.


The Saracens winger, 28, was cited for making contact with the eyes of Ulster's Luke Marshall in a European Champions Cup game. The suspension came just a week after he was recalled to the England squad, 18 months after his last appearance. Ashton pleaded not guilty at a hearing on 20 January and is appealing against the level of the sanction. He received the full written decision of the independent disciplinary hearing judicial officer on Friday, 22 January. England begin their Six Nations campaign in Scotland on 6 February and end it on 19 March in France, with Ashton's ban finishing on 28 March. Head coach Eddie Jones said he would wait for the outcome of any appeal before naming a replacement. However, Bath wing Semesa Rokoduguni has been called up as cover and the 28-year-old will join up with the England squad until a final decision is made on Ashton's case.

Summary: Chris Ashton will appeal against a 10-week ban that would rule him out of England's entire Six Nations campaign.