Robert Norman, 54, is charged with misconduct in a public office while working at Belmarsh, a top-security prison in south-east London. He was allegedly paid more than Â£10,000 for 40 tips to reporter Stephen Moyes between 30 April 2006 and 1 May 2011. Mr Norman, of Swanscombe, Kent, denies the charge against him. Opening the case at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Julian Christopher QC said Mr Norman was an "extremely experienced" prison officer and a member of the Prison Officers Association, acting as union representative to colleagues. The court heard Mr Norman first phoned the Daily Mirror in 2006 and gave Mr Moyes a story about staff cuts at the prison, for which he was paid Â£400. The exclusive story described Belmarsh as a "terror prison" and ran alongside a photograph of one of its most notorious prisoners, radical preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri, the court heard. As the relationship developed, it became a "two-way affair" and Mr Norman carried on dealing with Mr Moyes when the journalist moved to the News of the World, the court heard. Mr Christopher said: "Sometimes Robert Norman would approach Stephen Moyes with something he thought would be of interest, at other times Stephen Moyes would approach Robert Norman for inside information about a topic in which he was interested, or for confirmation which he would not be able to get for free from the official channels at the Ministry of Justice press office. "Effectively, Robert Norman became the journalist's paid mole within HMP Belmarsh." The court heard that when Mr Norman was arrested in 2013 he maintained he had acted in the public interest as a whistleblower. Cheques for the stories were made out to Mr Norman's son Daniel and the money was then transferred into Mr Norman's account, showing he was "worried about the trouble he would get into" if found out, Mr Christopher said. The trial continues.

Summary: A prison officer became the "paid mole" of a reporter working at the Daily Mirror and News of the World over five years, a court has heard.


24 June 2015 Last updated at 14:21 BST But this is a hoverbike - one of the world's first flying motorcycles, that travels in the air at low levels. It's makers Malloy Aeronautics say it's based on drone technology and has been developed over many years. It can be flown by a driver or remotely. The first version was made in 2011 using a 1200cc BMW motorbike engine. The latest prototype is powered by four bladed fans. It's still not clear when the first ones will be ready to buy but there's a lot of interest, including from the US Military. Watch the hoverbike in action.

Summary: It's billed as having the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter.


The 24-year-old full-back has signed a two-year deal, having turned down the offer of a new deal with the Pilgrims. "The last couple of years at Boston I've always wanted to make the step up," said Mills. "I'll be jumping two steps, but I'm sure I will pick it up quite quickly." Mills' arrival follows the signing of fellow full-back Danny Andrew from League One side Fleetwood Town.

Summary: Promoted Grimsby Town have made their second signing since returning to the Football League by bringing in defender Zak Mills from National League North neighbours Boston United.


The "Co-bikes" are currently available from five sites in Exeter, including the central train station, the university and Sowton Park and Ride. It's hoped that by spring 2017 there will be eight hubs around the city. The initiative has been launched with support from Department of Transport, while Devon County Council has helped to fund the scheme. Mark Hodgson, Managing Director of Co-bikes, said: "After years of planning, we're very excited to be launching Co-bikes in Exeter. "The Co-bikes electric bikes are changing the way that people travel around the city and are affordable and easy as well as being great fun to ride", he added. For people who choose to become members, the service will cost 75p for 30 minutes, while non-members will pay double. The bikes have small electric motors which can travel distances of between 40 and 60 miles, and allow speeds of up to 15mph.

Summary: The UK's first city-wide electric bike scheme has been launched in Exeter.


Thousands upon thousands of local council jobs look like getting the axe due to the spending squeeze, yet 270 jobs rolling steel slabs get a task force, all hands are on deck to find a buyer, while the opposition calls for nationalisation. It's not hard to see why. Nostalgia is part of it, these being the remnants of a once great and noble industry, around which large parts of Lanarkshire was built. It's partly because Clydebridge and Dalzell are symbolic of the impact of globalisation, forcing transition on workers and communities at a local level as the price of enriching the broader economy. Other parts of Britain and Europe feel the strain of in-migrating people. In Motherwell and Cambuslang, the concern is about out-migrating jobs. But it's also because there's discomfort that the new economy and the new labour market is unplanned and haphazard, buffeted by market forces and lacking in the security of big plants with jobs-for-life. It is not always easy to appreciate that Britain has grown quite successfully in recent years by retreating from the making of things. The service sector makes up 75% of the economy, and while it ranges from high-value finance and professional roles to burger-flipping and care homes, it lacks that noble quality with which the old heavy (and dirty) industries are seen in hindsight. There is widespread agreement that Britain needs to think again about manufacturing. On the freer market end of things, George Osborne coined the evocative ambition for there to be a "march of the makers". The rhetoric hasn't always matched the policy outcomes. Industrial policy at Westminster now consists of a push towards a more technically literate workforce, and incentives aimed at 11 chosen sectors, ranging across aerospace and automotive to nuclear and wind power, life sciences and professional and business services. There are also 'catapult centres' for propelling ideas towards the market in robotics, synthetic biology and better batteries. If you want to see what British manufacturing looks like these days (under German management and with a lot of robots), I'd highly recommend 'Building Cars Live' on the BBC iPlayer for two more weeks. We could do worse than make it required viewing for all secondary school pupils, particularly those with a bad experience of work placements. Meanwhile, the recent success of Jeremy Corbyn in winning the Labour leadership points to a desire, in some quarters, for a more interventionist government, willing to take control of strategic industries to serve a social purpose in addition to the shareholder one. So is this time to think again about an industrial policy? Even the Confederation of British Industry, which was closely aligned with the free market orientation of recent governments, wants to see a lot more intervention. Without it, Mr Osborne may find the makers are marching backwards. Wood Mackenzie, the economic consultancy based in Edinburgh, this week issued its projection of future manufacturing sectors in Europe. Largely because oil and gas is in decline, it showed Britain as one of only two countries, with Italy, where production is on track to

Summary: There's a retro vibe afoot: the planned mothballing of two steel plants in Lanarkshire brings back the 1980s as if it were... well, 30 years ago.


Yn ystod cyfarfod mis Mawrth, â hithau'n ddiwedd blwyddyn ariannol, y cafodd y syniad ei drafod gan aelodau o bwyllgor Ymddiriedolaeth James Pantyfedwen. Yn ôl y Parchedig Ddr R Alun Evans, un o'r ymddiriedolwyr, y nod yw gwneud y defnydd gorau o'r arian sydd ar gael. "Trafod fu ynglŷn â'r posibilrwydd o edrych ar waith eglwysi sydd â chenhadaeth amlwg a phendant ganddyn nhw oddi fewn i'w henwad neu yn gyd-enwadol - gorau oll os mae hynny yw e - neu oddi fewn i'r gymuned. "Beth 'ych chi'n chwilio amdano yw elfen o fywiogrwydd a gweithgarwch yn hytrach na brics a morter yn unig felly. "Oherwydd mae e wedi digwydd, dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, lle 'dan ni wedi dyfarnu grantiau a chael, gyda siom wir, bod y capeli yn peidio â bod mewn rhyw bum mlynedd. "Gwastraff arian yw hynny." Nod Ymddiriedolaeth James Pantyfedwen yw "hybu a hyrwyddo crefydd, addysg, y Celfyddydau ac amaethyddiaeth a phwrpasau elusennol eraill". Mae'r elusen yn cael £450,000 bob blwyddyn ac nid capeli ac eglwysi'n unig sydd yn gallu elwa ond gwyliau fel eisteddfodau ac elusennau hefyd. "O ran capeli ac eglwysi, falle bod ni yn gallu rhoi mwy o arian i lai o eglwysi wrth edrych eto ar amodau'r ymddiriedolaeth," meddai R Alun Evans. "Yn hytrach na gallu rhoi £1,000 neu £2,000, rhoi £7,000, £8,000 i £10,000 dywedwn, fel bod gwaith pwysig o genhadu yn y cymunedau yn gallu digwydd." Dyw R Alun Evans ddim yn pryderu y byddai'r newid pwyslais yma yn golygu prinder llefydd i bobl fynd i addoli yn y dyfodol, gan ddweud eu bod yn edrych yn ofalus iawn ar bob cais gan ystyried a oes yna gapeli o'r un enwad yn gyfagos. Ac mae ystyriaeth yn cael ei roi, meddai, i adeilad sydd yn bensaernïol bwysig neu o bwysigrwydd diwylliannol. "Yn ddiweddar iawn mi oedd 'na gapel yn Nyffryn Ogwen, sydd yn gapel ac iddo hanes gloyw iawn, iawn ond mae trafferthion i gynnal a chadw'r adeilad hwnnw. "Ond am ei fod o'n adeilad eiconig mi oedd o'n haeddu cefnogaeth." Er bod nifer y ceisiadau ar gyfer grantiau gan gapeli ac eglwysi wedi lleihau yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf wrth i fwy ohonyn nhw gau, mae mwy o geisiadau gan fyfyrwyr sydd eisiau gwneud gradd bellach mewn gwahanol feysydd. Mae'r ymddiriedolaeth wedi penderfynu felly rhoi mwy o arian iddyn nhw. Ond ers rhyw flwyddyn dyw elusennau mawr ddim yn derbyn grantiau. "Er bod nhw yn gwneud cais, dywedwch, am gyfrifiadur i swyddfa rhywle yng Nghymru, o'ch chi yn dweud, wel, mae digon o arian gyda chi wrth gefn," meddai R Alun Evans. "Mae gennych chi yn llythrennol filiynau wrth gefn ac felly mae'r elfen o gyfrannu at elusen, am y tro, wedi cael ei rhoi i'r neilltu."

Summary: Mae elusen sydd yn cynnig grantiau i gapeli ac eglwysi yn ystyried rhoi'r arian i'r rhai sydd â "chenhadaeth amlwg" yn hytrach nag i drwsio'r adeiladau pan fo yna beryg iddyn nhw gau.


Jones, 39, and Cardiff Blues pair Danny Wilson and Matt Sheratt have been added to Wales' staff for the Pacific Islands tour in June 2017. Wales head coach and assistant Rob Howley are away with the British and Irish Lions next summer. "Stephen will obviously get a lot out of it but I think there'll be more going the other way," said Pivac. Jones played well over 200 matches for Llanelli and Scarlets and returned to west Wales as a backs coach in 2015 after a spell as part of Dai Young's coaching team at Wasps. Pivac believes he has a future at international level. "He's been identified as a coach with a lot of potential and someone I believe will be a fine international coach going forward. He's going to be world class," said the New Zealander. "Wales are talking about playing an attacking game so I think Stephen will be able to add something there. He's taken a lot of his qualities he showed as a player into his coaching." Jones scored 917 points in 104 appearances for Wales and played fly-half in six Test matches for the British and Irish Lions. He is now sharing his expertise with Scarlets stand-off Rhys Patchell, a combination Pivac says is key to the team's success. "The relationship between the two is blossoming and that's great for Welsh rugby going forward," he added. "Technically Stephen is very very sound, tactically very switched on. We're in a pretty good place as a result of the hard work he's been doing."

Summary: Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac says Wales will gain when Stephen Jones joins their coaching team next summer.


Owen Lane's two tries set Wales on their way with Reuben Morgan-Williams and Phil Jones also crossing for the hosts. Robbie Smith, Blair Kinghorn and Ben Appleson were Scotland's try scorers. Wales begin their World Rugby Junior Championship campaign in Georgia against Australia on 31 May, They will also face England and Samoa in Pool A, while Scotland are in Pool B with Ireland, New Zealand and Italy.

Summary: Wales Under-20s warmed up for the 2017 World Rugby Junior Championship with a 29-22 victory over Scotland at Bridgend's Brewery Field.


The star, who had a string of pop hits in the 1960s before presenting TV shows like Blind Date and Surprise Surprise in the '80s, died on Saturday, aged 72. A book of condolence has been opened in her home city at Liverpool Town Hall. Childhood friend Terry McCann said Black told him she knew she was going to die and her beloved late husband Bobby Willis was "waiting for me". A post-mortem examination has been carried out. The results may not be officially published for several days or possibly weeks, but Spanish police have said the indications point towards natural causes. BBC News correspondent Robert Hall - who is in the resort of Estepona where Black lived - said she was found on her balcony by her son who was staying nearby. He said paramedics arrived at around 18:00 local time (17:00 BST) but were unable to save her. Mr McCann said he had seen the star in Spain during the last year. "I wasn't surprised when I found out she had died," he told BBC News. "The last thing she said to me was she was going blind, she showed me her hands, she had arthritis," he said. "She willed herself to die. She said, 'Bobby's waiting for me.' "Her mother went the same way. I don't know what her mother died of but it seemed she associated it with her mother's death and she just knew it was going to happen. "She just said, 'Look at me, I'm a wreck.' I was trying to cheer her up. She knew something we didn't. "She knew she was going to die and she said she wasn't going to linger like her mother. "Her mother was ill for two years and she had the same complaint and she said she was never going to linger like that." Liverpool City Council say that between 400 and 500 people have so far left messages in a book of condolence at the town hall, where the flag is also flying at half mast. The book will be open to the public until Friday. Fans signing the book on Monday included: Sylvia Lewis (above): "Occasionally I used to work on the cloakroom at the Cavern with her. One Saturday, when I wasn't [working], Cilla was the cloakroom girl. When it came to the end of the evening my coat had gone. Cilla had given it away to somebody else! I met Cilla at the Pride of Britain Awards every year and she always used to come up to me and say 'Girl, do you remember your coat? And we never found it, did we?'" Ann Stalker: "I absolutely love her. She was an icon from my era. I just wanted to pay my respects. I wrote: 'Ta-ra Cilla. You were a credit to us all. Rest in peace.'" Cheryl McFarlane: "She's somebody I remember so much and love very much. She's got a beautiful family and she was so wonderful to Liverpool. I just wanted to come and visit and say rest in peace." Since Black's

Summary: Cilla Black was ailing and "willed herself to die", according to a long-time friend.


Lawrence, who competed for Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, finished her swim, bike and run in a total time of four hours, nine minutes and 11 seconds on the Sunshine Coast. The 26-year-old was nearly two minutes ahead of Australian two-time winner Melissa Hauschildt. Fellow Welsh competitor Leanda Cave won the same title in 2012.

Summary: Swansea triathlete Holly Lawrence has won the women's half ironman 70.3 World Championship in Australia.


The Premier League team, who are on a two-game post-season tour of the United States and Canada, are scheduled to play Houston on Friday. Several people have died and dozens have been injured following record rainfall over the weekend. On Monday, hundreds of basketball fans were trapped inside an arena after an NBA basketball game. Supporters were advised to stay in their seats overnight following Houston Rockets' win against Golden State Warriors in the NBA Western Conference Finals. Many spent almost 11 hours at the Toyota Center, until the early hours of Tuesday morning. Manchester City are currently in Canada, ahead of their match against Toronto FC on Thursday.

Summary: Manchester City's friendly trip to face Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo is in doubt after flooding in the city.


The 22-year-old, who scored 20 goals last season, has started in both of the Baggies' league games this season. "We have no interest in selling Saido which is what I have told Spurs chairman Daniel Levy," said Albion chairman Jeremy Peace. "I know we are living in an age where no club can say 'never' about the possibility of selling a player." He added: "However, the prospect of selling Saido is simply not on our agenda. "We are going forward with Saido very much in our plans and still striving to add players to improve the balance of our squad." The Daily Telegraph reports the offer from Spurs is worth £15m, with Albion valuing Berahino at £25m. In February, Baggies boss Tony Pulis said he put Berahino "on the naughty step" after the forward said that "he hoped to move on to bigger things". Berahino, with 14 strikes, was the third top English scorer in the Premier League last season behind Spurs' Harry Kane and QPR striker Charlie Austin.

Summary: West Brom have rejected an offer from Tottenham for England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino.


A report for ministers called for Literature Wales to have much of its funding and responsibilities removed. Literature Wales then described the review as a "dud", filled with "inaccuracies", which its funder, the Arts Council of Wales, also criticised. Mr Skates said he had been surprised to see "personal statements" that could undermine his response to the report. The review by Prof Medwin Hughes found the board of Literature Wales was "lacking the skills and experience" to spend public money. It said there was no evidence of strong governance at Literature Wales and its mission and goals were "unrealistic and vague". In response, Mr Skates announced that several responsibilities would transfer from Literature Wales to the Welsh Books Council. They include the Wales Book of the Year award, bursaries for writers and literary events. Mr Skates has now written to the Arts Council of Wales and Literature Wales to tell them he notes the "concern" they have with elements of the report. He has asked Prof Hughes and his panel to consider their criticism of the report and to respond during the summer break. In the letter, Mr Skates assured the organisations that their "concerns are being looked at" but criticised their public responses. "Some of you clearly perceive serious issues with the report," he wrote. "You have raised these with me and have agreed with me that the review panel should consider your concerns and respond to them. "I have therefore been surprised in recent days to see personal statements appear online which could be seen as seeking to undermine the process we have all committed to, without awaiting the panel's response. "This is not helpful." In the letter, Mr Skates adds: "I hope and expect that we will move forward in a way that allows this work to be completed in good faith and in doing so maintain productive and positive working relationships, both now and in the future."

Summary: The way arts bodies responded publicly to a critical review was "not helpful", Economy Secretary Ken Skates has said.


The man cycled towards the girl in Enfield saying she had been caught shoplifting and he would search her. As he did so, he raped her and threatened her with a knife, the Met Police said. A 32-year-old man has been arrested. The attack in Sandhurst Road at 17:30 GMT on Wednesday has been linked to an earlier incident with a 12-year-old. The 12-year-old girl was approached by a man on a bike on Shirley Grove, near Sandhurst Road, at about 16:30 on the same day. He told the girl he was a police officer and that she fitted the description of a girl he needed to arrest. He told her she needed to go to a van with him and when she refused he grabbed her by the wrists. He eventually let go and she managed to run off. The arrested man remains in custody. Det Insp Tracey Cormack urged anyone who "may have witnessed these offences or think they may have been approached by this man" to contact the police.

Summary: A man claiming to be a police officer raped a teenager at knifepoint after stopping her on a street in north London and accusing her of shoplifting.


South Korea has returned from a public holiday. At the end of the session, the Kospi index closed up 1.75% at 2,015.93. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended the Thursday session higher by 3.2% at 16,911.05. That is the highest closing level for the index this month. The Japanese currency has steadily weakened to a one-week low against the US dollar. Overnight, the yen was at 109.21 against the US dollar, after trading at about 107 earlier in the week. A weaker Japanese currency would be welcomed by many Japanese exporters, as that would make their goods cheaper and more competitive overseas. Shares in electronics giant Panasonic closed up by 4.1%. Shares of car manufacturer Toyota gained 3.25%, while its rival Nissan saw a 2.5% gain at the close of trade. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index added 0.89% or 187.71 points to 21,346.42. On the mainland in China, the Shanghai Composite index edged up 0.06% to 3,068.58. In Australia, the benchmark S&P ASX 200 closed up 1.3% - or 63.95 points - at 5,118.6, rounding off three days of gains. Mining stocks led the rally in Australian markets, following a jump in iron ore prices. Shares of BHP Billiton surged by 5.3% at the close, while shares of rival Rio Tinto were up by 2.5%. Data from Australia showed the economy added 26,100 jobs in March. That led to a dip in the unemployment rate to 5.7% - the lowest rate since September 2013. In February, the unemployment rate was at 5.8%. The latest data could ease pressure on the Australian central bank to lower interest rates further, to help spur economic growth. The central bank's key lending rate is currently at a record low of 2%. The last rate cut was in May 2015. US markets closed positive overnight, led by gains in shares of financial institutions. JPMorgan shares surged by more than 4% after it reported a quarterly profit that beat market expectations for the three months to March. JPMorgan is the biggest US bank by assets.

Summary: Asian stock markets held on to gains in Thursday trading, following the positive trend from US and European markets.


Mokhtar Belmokhtar was killed in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, a statement from Libya's government said. The US says Belmokhtar was targeted and the strike was successful, but it is assessing the operation's results and would give details "as appropriate". Mokhtar Belmokhtar's death has been reported many times in the past. Born in Algeria, Belmokhtar was a former senior figure in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), but left to form his own militia. He gained notoriety with the attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in 2013, when about 800 people were taken hostage and 40 killed, most of them foreigners, including six Britons and three Americans. The US has filed terror charges against him and officials said they believed he remained a threat to Western interests. "Belmokhtar has a long history of leading terrorist activities as a member of AQIM, is the operational leader of the al-Qaeda-associated al-Murabitoun organisation in north-west Africa, and maintains his personal allegiance to al-Qaeda," said Pentagon spokesman Col Steve Warren. The Libyan government said the strike came after consultation with the US. Their statement said it resulted in the death of the "terrorist Belmokhtar". Libya has been in chaos since the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Its internationally recognised parliament is operating in exile in the eastern port of Tobruk. A rival parliament, the Islamist-dominated General National Congress, is nearly 1,000km (620 miles) to the west in Tripoli. Rival militia have been battling to fill the power vacuum, with Islamic State militants battling other Islamists in the east.

Summary: A top Islamist militant who ordered a deadly attack on an Algerian gas plant two years ago has been killed in a US air strike in Libya, officials say.


The Times reported that telecoms firms AT&T and Verizon, as well as car rental company Enterprise and pharmaceutical giant GSK, have withdrawn all non-search advertising. An investigation by the newspaper found major brands were appearing next to YouTube videos promoting extremist views - generating revenues for the creators. The company has apologised and promised better tools for advertisers. Despite Google’s efforts to contain the row, which began in the UK earlier this week, it appears to have now caught the attention of the US advertising industry - creating a huge problem for Google as it seeks to reassure brands their ad spend is not funding hate groups. According to The Times, Verizon’s advertisements were appearing along side videos made by Wagdi Ghoneim, an Egyptian cleric who had been banned from the US over extremism, and Hanif Qureshi, whose teachings inspired the assassination of a Pakistani politician. “We are deeply concerned that our ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate,” AT&T said in a statement on Wednesday. "Until Google can ensure this won’t happen again, we are removing our ads from Google’s non-search platforms.” The UK-based investigation led more than 250 brands to pull their advertising. In a blog post published on Monday, Google’s chief business officer Philipp Schindler announced the company was expanding its policies on hate speech to include videos targeting vulnerable groups. In response to the latest boycott from the US brands, Google said on Wednesday: “We’ve begun an extensive review of our advertising policies and have made a public commitment to put in place changes that give brands more control over where their ads appear.” “We’re also raising the bar for our ads policies to further safeguard our advertisers’ brands.” Google is the dominant player in online advertising, and ads are by far the company’s biggest source of money. In 2016, the firm generated $80bn in ad revenue - accounting for almost 90% of the firm’s total income for the year. Of the boycotts announced on Wednesday, both Verizon and AT&T have major online advertising ambitions of their own. Verizon in particular recently agreed to purchase embattled web portal firm Yahoo for $4.48bn - a deal it hopes will help it compete with Google for ad sales. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC. You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370

Summary: At least four major US firms have pulled millions of dollars in advertising from Google’s platform amid rows over extremist content.


Scientists found that the long dry spell that year - the UK's most intense drought between 1914 and 2006 - killed off many drought-sensitive beech trees. Growth of the trees is still restricted more than 30 years later, a study in the journal Functional Ecology said. The more drought-tolerant Sessile Oak survived better and is now dominating the beech. The scientific work was carried out at Lady Wood Park in the Wye Valley. This 45 hectare (111 acre) site is a national nature reserve and is attractive to researchers because it has been deliberately unmanaged since 1945. Detailed forest surveys have been carried out in the park over the past 70 years and the ecologists were able to use these along with tree ring data to discover how the different tree species fared over the period. Before 1976, beech was the dominant species in this area. But that summer's drought has permanently changed the makeup of the forest. That dry spell was the most exceptional drought in the years between 1914 and 2006 - it was 30% more intense than the next driest year, 1921. The researchers found that in the period immediately after 1976, there was a significant growth in beech mortality. Between 1977 and 1992, 17% of these trees died, while there were no deaths among the oaks. "The beech growth dropped very suddenly," said Prof Alistair Jump from the University of Stirling who carried out the work along with researchers from Joint Nature Conservation Committee. "The Sessile Oak which is slightly less competitive but is more drought tolerant took advantage and grew much better - and beech has never fully recovered in the system." The researchers say the oaks increased their growth rate by approximately 20% in the years immediately after 1976. The beech trees eventually stabilised their growth rate but only at around 75% of pre-drought levels. The scientists say that beech trees can appear to tolerate drought without a long term impact until a threshold is reached. "I think tipping point is a key idea, and that's something that we see very clearly in the work," said Prof Jump. "They are resistant up to a point and then we hit a tipping point and the system shows very severe impacts. The problem is we don't know where these tipping points are for other species." The researchers say they expect the changes that they recorded at Lady Park Wood to have been replicated across the UK. This perspective is echoed by Ray Townsend, arboretum manager at the Royal Botanic Gardens, at Kew. He lived through the drought of 1976 and owns a home in the New Forest and he has been spending a good deal of time among the beech trees there in recent months. "Quite clearly you can see that the beech aren't happy," he told BBC News. "You can see evidence of the restriction of growth - I've seen that, the beech don't look as they should look - The oaks seem to be growing well, I'd never really thought about the reasons, but reading the

Summary: The sizzling summer of 1976 caused permanent changes to British forests, new research suggests.


"Ma Kali", as she is popularly known, is the Hindu goddess of destruction. Since it was uploaded a day ago, the Instagram post has received more than 11,000 comments, most of them abusive and by Indians. Many called for her to take down the picture. Perry has not responded to the comments and has left the image as is. The image she has used is commonly found on calendars and posters in India. Although some of her fans have tried jumping to her defence, they are far outnumbered by angry and emotional Indians. Indians tweet 'Who is Maria Sharapova?' Amazon sorry over India flag fiasco Perry is not the first international celebrity to offend Indian sensibilities online. Tennis star Maria Sharapova was mercilessly trolled for not knowing who cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was and Hollywood actor Richard Gere had a police case registered against him for kissing actress Shilpa Shetty on the cheek. More recently, online retail giant Amazon got into trouble for retailing doormats with the Indian flag emblazoned on them. The company was forced to apologise after India's foreign minister threatened action.

Summary: Pop star Katy Perry is facing the wrath of Indians online after uploading an image of the Hindu goddess Kali with the caption "current mood".


The rescue means that nine people have been recovered alive from the Rigopiano hotel in the eastern Abruzzo region. At least 15 people are still missing after the avalanche that came after several earthquakes and heavy snowfall. While one more survivor has yet to be rescued, Italian media said other voices may have been heard in the ruins during the night. Five people have been confirmed dead. The first five survivors were taken to safety on Friday, some 40 hours after the avalanche hit on Wednesday. They had reportedly taken refuge beneath a collapsed portion of ceiling, where they were able to light a fire to keep warm for two days. The rescue has been hampered by deep snow blocking an access road. There are also concerns that further avalanches could follow, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported. The first person pulled out on Friday was an eight-year-old boy, the son of a holidaymaker, Giampiero Parete, who had gone to his car when the avalanche struck and first sounded the alarm by calling his boss. The boy's mother, Adriana, was pulled out next, telling rescue workers her six-year-old daughter was still trapped inside. The little girl was also later saved and the family was reunited at a hospital in the coastal town of Pescara. Hospital officials told the Associated Press news agency they had symptoms of hypothermia and dehydration, but were otherwise in good health. Reports said all four children who survived did so because they were all playing in the same games room, that avoided the worst of the damage. The latest rescues, of two men and two women, took place at about 03:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Saturday. Wednesday's earthquakes included four stronger than magnitude 5, in a region already struggling with heavy snowfall that buried phone lines and took out power cables. Many of the guests had gathered on the ground floor of the hotel to await evacuation following the earthquakes. But the avalanche completely buried the hotel at about 17:00 (16:00 GMT) on Wednesday. The force of the snow partially brought down the roof and, according to some reports, shifted the building 10m (32 feet) off its foundations. Rescuers, who were forced to ski and shovel their way towards the site of the avalanche, were reportedly only dispatched hours later. Rescuers are unsure of the exact total of people - guests and staff - who were at the hotel, but say it could be as many as 35. Italy has seen a wave of damaging earthquakes in recent months. The Apennines region saw three magnitude-6 tremors between August and October. It is believed that the geological stress is spread across a number of fault lines in Italy's mountain ranges - with recent earthquakes as the result.

Summary: Four more people were rescued overnight from a hotel in Italy destroyed by an avalanche three days ago.


The BBC found a disregard for health and safety on an estate in north-east India owned by Assam Company. The Rainforest Alliance, an ethical certification organisation, has now stripped a group of Assam Company's plantations of its green frog seal. The Assam Company said it was appealing against the decision. A group of Assam Company's estates lost its certification because "it was found to be in breach of critical criteria relating to the use of personal protective equipment", the Rainforest Alliance said in a statement. The Assam Company said the loss of its certification was because of a "minor error" on one estate - Hajua - while spraying a plant extract, which it understood did not require personal protective equipment. It said that because the Assam company estates operate in a "single cluster", the other estates were automatically decertified. Twinings, Taylors of Harrogate and Fortnum & Mason have suspended business with the company while Harrods took the tea off its shelves shortly after the investigation, which was broadcast in September. Workers at the company's Hajua estate were seen spraying agrochemicals without the protective equipment employers are required to provide, when the BBC visited. Men spraying reported breathing difficulties, numbness of the hands and face, a burning sensation on the skin and profound loss of appetite. The Rainforest Alliance said its auditor confirmed the BBC's evidence of unsafe spraying and the organisation had tightened its rules on the subject. Taylors of Harrogate said it will maintain a relationship with the estates and support efforts to improve standards. Twinings plans to continue working with the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) - an organisation set up by UK tea companies to improve workers' lives - to monitor the working and living conditions on all the tea estates from which it buys. It also plans to conduct a review of the Assam estates it sources from in the next few months. Because of the way ETP and the Rainforest Alliance work together, a Rainforest suspension automatically results in a suspension of ETP certification. Fortnum & Mason says it will not buy from Assam Company until its "problems have been successfully resolved and they are once again Ethical Tea Partnership certified". The original investigation also found workers on a number of Assam estates and plantations belonging to other producers living in broken houses with terrible sanitation. The Assam Company said it was "committed to the practices of sustainability and work to this end is in progress, with most of the work on housing, latrines and creche being planned after the closure of the plucking season, in December to March." It said this had been company practice for "many years". The Rainforest Alliance has ordered improvements to living conditions on two other plantations, owned by the world's biggest tea producer, McLeod Russel. The Moran and Behora tea estates supply the companies that own PG Tips and Tetley, as well as Twinings. Many workers were found to be living in leaking homes, without electricity. Many of the latrines had been blocked or broken for many years and families said they

Summary: Three of the UK's top tea brands have stopped buying from a group of Indian plantations after a BBC investigation exposed dangerous working conditions.


Media playback is not supported on this device He once again helped rescue England's flaky batting as he hit an unbeaten 107 at a sun-kissed Lord's. Together with 85 from skipper Alastair Cook, Bairstow's third ton in six Tests dragged the hosts out of a hole in near-perfect conditions for batting. Rash strokeplay mixed with disciplined bowling from Sri Lanka had reduced Cook's men to 84-4 just after lunch. But Bairstow profited from a dropped catch and then the most marginal of lbw decisions to continue his wonderful early summer run of form. Not since beating India 4-0 in the summer of 2011 have England whitewashed a Test opponent in a series of three or more matches. And while the weather forecast for the remainder of the match is uncertain, Bairstow's fightback has given them a hold in a contest that had been drifting Sri Lanka's way. Media playback is not supported on this device While England have improved both in style and substance over the course of the last year, serious flaws remain - and the vulnerability of the top order is the most pressing of all. On a true pitch and under benign skies, they once again lost key wickets cheaply - four this time for 28 runs, having chosen to bat and looked completely untroubled in the first hour of play. First Alex Hales lost patience, having been kept runless for 22 balls, heaving unnecessarily at Rangana Herath to send a looping edge to Angelo Mathews at slip. Then Nick Compton, mired in a horrible trot of form and seemingly bereft of confidence, chased a wide half-volley and edged Suranga Lakmal behind for just one. Joe Root followed four runs later, pinned lbw by the same bowler after the initial not-out decision was correctly overturned by the third umpire, and when James Vince had his bail removed by Nuwan Pradeep for 10 just after lunch, England had slumped from 56-0 to 84-4. Compton's dismissal was the most chastening of all: to a ball that should have been routinely driven away for four, greeted by a ghastly silence from the near capacity crowd, followed by a slow walk back to the old pavilion, Lord's suddenly the loneliest place in London. It could have been worse had Shaminda Eranga held on to a straightforward chance at mid-wicket when Bairstow was on 11, the ball flying straight into his hands and out again. But the Yorkshireman, a stark contrast to Compton this summer in terms of sweet touch and confident animation at the crease, continued to play his shots with Cook in more sedate style at the other end. Cook reached his fifty off 89 balls - his first half-century of the series - and the only surprise was that his unflustered progress ended on 85, Pradeep trapping him lbw with a fine inswinger from round the wicket. Bairstow then had his second life, given not out to an lbw shout from Eranga on 56 when the review indicated that the ball appeared to be hitting enough off leg stump to send

Summary: Jonny Bairstow's second century of the series helped England recover from another top-order collapse to reach 279-6 on day one of the third Test with Sri Lanka.


Southgate was delighted with aspects of England's display in defeat in the friendly against Germany in Dortmund on Wednesday while the unspectacular win against Lithuania was all about getting three more points towards World Cup qualification. So what will Southgate take away from the last week as England look ahead to their next qualifier in Scotland on 10 June? Southgate set the normal rules about strikers and age aside to bring 34-year-old Jermain Defoe back into the England fold four years after his last goal for his country, scored in a victory against San Marino. Injuries to main striker Harry Kane and all-time record goalscorer Wayne Rooney forced Southgate's hand but he was able to call on the hard evidence provided by Defoe's 14 Premier League goals in a Sunderland side renowned for not making chances and rooted to the bottom of the table. Defoe has always traded in the game's most important currency, goals, throughout his lengthy career. This was a performance designed to demonstrate to doubters and Southgate he has not outlived his usefulness at international level. He was sharp and saw one chance saved before he demonstrated his poacher's instinct in the penalty area to slide in Adam Lallana's pass in the 21st minute before flashing another shot narrowly off target. In many respects he is an old-fashioned attacking operator in that his first thought is always the back of the net and shooting at it. No extra touches or passes are required. Defoe had two shots on target, one off target and one blocked with very limited opportunities - but most significantly made England's breakthrough. He is selfish in just the right way and in a World Cup qualifying group where England will be confronted by the sort of mass defence Lithuania presented here, it is unlikely this will be a temporary return to the colours. Dele Alli was given heavy-handed - or more precisely heavy-footed - treatment from Lithuania as they tried to light the short fuse that has brought Tottenham's 20-year-old some unsavoury headlines in his short career. It meant Alli was nowhere near as influential as he was in Dortmund on Wednesday, where his efforts will have imprinted his importance for both the present and the future in Southgate's mind. With Alli subdued, this was the chance for Liverpool's Adam Lallana to step forward and confirm his progression into a fully-fledged first-choice member of this England side. The 28-year-old is a late developer for England but his rejuvenation under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool is now reaping dividends for Southgate as a very important spin-off. Lallana has been directly involved in four goals in his last five England appearances, three goals and one assist, and was unlucky to strike the post in Germany. He combined natural energy and creation with subtlety at Wembley, the qualities needed to make a difference in an attacking framework with England - with his beautiful, imaginative touch inside a crowded penalty the perfect invitation for Jamie Vardy to make the game safe against Lithuania. If his Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and

Summary: Gareth Southgate will feel a sense of cautious optimism after his first two matches as permanent England manager in succession to Sam Allardyce - but some familiar questions remain.


The 1.9-million-year-old fossils were first described in 2010, and given the species name Australopithecus sediba. But the team behind the discovery has now come back with a deeper analysis. It tells Science magazine that features seen in the brain, feet, hands and pelvis of A. sediba all suggest this species was on the direct evolutionary line to us - Homo sapiens. "We have examined the critical areas of anatomy that have been used consistently for identifying the uniqueness of human beings," said Professor Lee Berger from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg "Any one of these features could have evolved separately, but it is highly unlikely that all of them would have evolved together if A. sediba was not related to our lineage," the team leader informed BBC News. It is a big claim and, if correct, would sideline other candidates in the fossil record for which similar assertions have been made in the past. Theory holds that modern humans can trace a line back to a creature known as Homo erectus which lived more than a million years ago. This animal, according to many palaeoanthropologists, may in turn have had its origins in more primitive hominins, as they are known, such as Homo habilis or Homo rudolfensis. The contention now made for A. sediba is that, although older than its "rivals", some of its anatomy and capabilities were more advanced than these younger forms. Put simply, it is a more credible ancestor for H. erectus, Berger's team claims. The sediba specimens were unearthed at Malapa in the famous Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, just to the northwest of Jo'burg. They were pulled from a pit - a depression left in the ground by a cave complex that had lost its roof through erosion over time. Identified as an adult female and a juvenile male, the two individuals were quite possibly mother and son. What seems certain is that they died together in some tragic accident that saw them either fall into the cave complex or become stuck in it. After death, their bodies were washed into a pool and cemented in time along with the remains of many other animals that got trapped in the same way. In the months since their 2010 announcement, Professor Berger and colleagues have subjected the remains to further detailed assessment. X-ray scans reveal ape-man's brain Age: The latest dating technologies were applied to the sediments encasing the fossils. Whereas original estimates had put the age of the remains at somewhere between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old, the new analysis has narrowed this window of uncertainty to just 3,000 years. The new age is now between 1.977 and 1.98 million years old. The refined dating is important, says the team, because it puts A. sediba deep enough in time to be a realistic ancestor to H. erectus. Dr Robyn Pickering, from the University of Melbourne, Australia, who led the dating, told BBC News: "This is a very interesting time in human evolution because it is when we think we should be seeing the

Summary: The ancient remains of two human-like creatures found in South Africa could change the way we view our origins.


An explosion was reported at the Cheesecake Factory at about 18:00 local time on Thursday, according to police. Diners were safely evacuated and no one was injured in the reported blast. The man tossed a "homemade pyrotechnic device" containing gunpowder inside the restaurant before fleeing, a police official said. Garrett Gunkle, who was sitting with his wife at the bar, told KNBC-TV there was chaos as customers ran for the exits in the Los Angeles suburb. "People were jumping over one another, fighting to get over bar stools," he said. "It was very chaotic." The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department bomb squad joined Pasadena Police Department at the scene. Police Lt Mark Goodman said the device was not a pipe bomb or a Molotov cocktail, and no shrapnel or projectiles were ejected. Investigators say the suspect was described as Latino or Middle Eastern, about 6ft tall (1.82 metres), with a heavy beard and wearing all-black clothing. No getaway car was seen. A motive for the incident was unclear. "It could be a dissatisfied customer, a disgruntled employee," Lt Goodman added. Federal authorities were alerted to the incident, police told KABC-TV, but local authorities are handling the investigation.

Summary: Authorities are searching for a suspect who hurled a homemade incendiary device into a crowded restaurant in Pasadena, California.


Page, 20, has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract at The Valley. He made three first-team appearances for West Ham, all in the Europa League, and has previously been on loan at Coventry City and Cambridge United. "He's quick, likes to get forward and is a good crosser. I really like that in a full-back," Charlton manager Karl Robinson told the club website. "I got a chance to see him during his loan spell at Coventry and he's a left-back that fits in well with our system. "We're building a squad here to get into that top six and Lewis will be an important part of what we are trying to do." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: League One club Charlton have signed left-back Lewis Page from West Ham for an undisclosed fee.


Groups of tourists, fresh off the ferry from Cape Town, pass by with barely a glance. But for Mr Mandela, the garden held a special value. And if you stand inside the tiny cell where South Africa's struggle icon spent 18 years hidden from the world, and peer through the barred window into the high-walled courtyard, you can just make out the thin strip of green and brown foliage where he once tended tomatoes and chillies. "A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could controlâ€¦ The sense of being the custodian of this small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom," Mr Mandela wrote in his autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom - an early draft of which, incidentally, he tried to hide from the prison guards by burying in the garden. Today, the garden's weeds - and the rotting stump of an apple tree - hint at the alleged mismanagement and corruption that have blighted Robben Island for years. But along one wall, two grape vines now stand out in sharp contrast - the lush green foliage of a promising harvest suspended on a wooden frame. "They're still growing, thriving, regardless of the difficult conditions on the island. They're very much a symbol of the resilience of the leaders imprisoned here," said Philip Jonker, a South African wine maker as he and two colleagues carefully pruned the vines by hand. It is seven years since Mr Jonker first spotted the two plants on a family visit to the island. It is not clear whether Mr Mandela himself tended the vines or whether, as seems more likely, they were planted shortly after he was transferred to another prison on the mainland. But Mr Jonker sees them - there are seven vines around the prison in total - as part of the island's heritage, and a way of preserving "South African history in a bottle". After four years of petitioning, he finally secured permission to tend the vines, and, last year, to take the first harvest - previous ones had been devoured by the island's ravenous birds - back to his Weltevrede family wine estate two hours' drive east of Cape Town. At this moment - leaving aside the current headlines about low pay and grim conditions in the local wine industry - you may be wondering if this is simply another potentially uncomfortable attempt to exploit the Mandela "brand". The short answer is no. Although Weltevrede will surely not mind the publicity. "Mandela is my grape father," said Weltevrede worker Jan Blaauw, with a broad grin, as he and Mr Jonker pulled away some dead branches. The staff make regular trips to the island - their progress with the vines offering an increasingly sharp contrast with the visible neglect seen elsewhere here. Mr Mandela "brought us everythingâ€¦ Freedom. This is my way to pay him back for all he has done for me," said Mr Blaauw. Thirty workers at Weltevrede have been given their own small vineyard to farm as part of an empowerment scheme designed

Summary: In the sun-bleached corner of Nelson Mandela's old prison yard on Robben Island, the desiccated remains of a tiny, weed-ridden garden lie exposed and sadly neglected.


Margaret Loughrey, 50, from Bridge Street, Strabane, admitted a number of offences. She was ordered to pay £559 for damaging the driver's glasses and £200 compensation to the driver. Ms Loughrey's win was the largest ever jackpot win in Northern Ireland. As well as assaulting the driver, Ms Loughrey also pleaded guilty to causing criminal to his glasses and SatNav during the incident in his taxi at Chestnut Park in Strabane on 14 May. Ms Loughrey's solicitor said she had come to court with a clear record and had been drinking vodka with friends all night before the incident. He described her behaviour as shameful and said it was unfortunate her reputation was now blemished. The deputy district judge at Strabane Magistrates' Court said he believed it was a "one-off incident" caused by Ms Loughrey consuming a lot of alcohol. "You have had more advantages than most people in the last number of years, but they have obviously brought some problems," he said. "I accept you have made a major contribution to the local community, but you will be treated as anyone else will be treated coming before the court with a clear record."

Summary: A County Tyrone woman who won £27m in the Euromillions draw in 2013 has been ordered to complete 150 hours of community service after pleading guilty to assaulting a taxi driver.


Nadal faced a match point but the 18-year-old German missed an easy volley - admitting: "On match point I sucked." Three-time champion Nadal plays Japan's Kei Nishikori next and could face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. Serena Williams beat defending champion Simona Halep 6-4 6-3 to reach the last four in the women's draw. The world number one now plays Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Petra Kvitova 6-2 7-6 and will reclaim the world number two ranking when the new list is released on Monday. "She knows how to play in big stadiums and big matches, big games," Williams said of Halep. Zverev has been widely tipped as the teenager most likely to make the breakthrough among the game's elite and he went agonisingly close to a landmark win over Nadal. The 6ft 6in German, the younger brother of tour player Mischa Zverev, led 5-3 and 40-30 in the final set, only to make three straight unforced errors. Nadal, 29, battled back impressively, but had glowing praise for the teenager, who is set to rise to a career-high ranking of 52 next week. "He is amazingly talented," said Nadal. "He is probably going to be the number one in the world. "With his second serve at 120mph, with a lot of spin and at 124, 123, 120mph, it was impossible. If he puts the first serve in at over 130 mph then you are in big trouble. "So I think that I'm here, and still alive." The world number one beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-3 to set up a quarter-final with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. Djokovic had not been at his best in the previous rounds but saw off Lopez with little trouble. "I was very solid. I didn't allow him to come to the net too many times," said the Serb. "It was a good performance." David Goffin beat French Open champion and third seed Stan Wawrinka 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-5), while Milos Raonic knocked out sixth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4 7-6 (9-7). In the doubles, Jamie Murray will rise to the top of the world rankings if he wins his quarter-final later on Thursday. Murray and partner Bruno Soares face Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez from 22:00 GMT.

Summary: Rafael Nadal reached the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals in Indian Wells after winning the last five games to beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 6-0 7-5.


Brash? Arrogant? Ostentatious, perhaps? Hold on a minute, did someone say introverted? "I've got this reputation of being confident, yet I go and do all these psychology tests and I'm an introvert," Pietersen tells his former team-mate Andrew Flintoff in an interview to be aired on BBC Radio 5 live on Tuesday at 20:30 BST. Source: ESPN Cricinfo "I'm very much an introverted person. I like my own company, my own family. I don't really go out much. "I think the confidence has grown from what I've achieved on the cricket field but I'm not as confident as anybody thinks." The disarming revelation is one of many in Pietersen's fascinating chat with Flintoff, a player with whom he occasionally clashed during the years they shared an England dressing room. In it, Pietersen talks about growing up in South Africa unaware of what the Ashes were, his see-saw relationship with Shane Warne, his ill-fated spell as captain and his regret over the silly shots that have left him looking "a complete mug" at times. He opens up about England captains past and present, relives the anguish of injuries and loss of form and reaffirms his ambition to clock up 10,000 Test runs. Like many top sportsmen, Pietersen is public property, someone we think we know much better than we actually do. This interview goes behind the bling and the bravado to reveal an insecurity over his image, a recognition of his faults, a light-heartedness - he calls Flintoff "chubby" at one point - and perhaps less surprisingly, an absolute obsession with his performance on the field of play. After leaving South Africa in protest against the racial quota system - which insisted on a certain number of non-white players in every team - and qualifying to play for England through the Kolpak rule, Pietersen announced himself with three one-day centuries against the country of his birth in early 2005. He went on to play a decisive role in England's historic Ashes victory over Australia later that year, making back-to-back fifties on his Test debut at Lord's and sealing the series with a breathtaking 158 at The Oval. The sheer audacity with which Pietersen took on the team that had dominated the game for more than a decade was jaw-dropping, but as he reveals to Flintoff, his close relationship with Australian talisman Warne - they were team-mates at Hampshire - was one of the major reasons why he settled so quickly into Ashes cricket. Media playback is not supported on this device "Having the great Shane Warne as my mate, walking onto the field and not having him hammer me from first slip, but just laugh and have a joke helped a lot," says Pietersen. "I think I could have been fearful playing Australia but because this huge figure was a mate of mine, it calmed things down." There was nothing calm about the celebrations that followed England's Ashes win as the players famously partied the night away before arriving at a Downing Street reception the next morning somewhat the worse for wear. One

Summary: What adjective would you use to describe England batsman Kevin Pietersen?


The award for Age Concern Jersey is the highest given to voluntary groups by the Queen. The charity, which supports the elderly and campaigns on their behalf, said it was "absolutely thrilled" volunteers had been recognised "by the most prestigious award". It will receive the accolade at the Queen's birthday reception at Government House later this month. Daphne Minihane, from the charity, said: "We couldn't manage without our volunteers. "Not just the present ones, but the ones who have been with us since we started 26 years ago. They've all been fantastic. "It is indeed a great honour." The charity has dozens of volunteers helping in its charity shop, as well as drivers delivering meals to elderly people.

Summary: A charity has won a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in Jersey.


Pro-democracy activists have staged huge protests, the most recent on the 1 July anniversary of the day Hong Kong was handed back to China from Britain. They have threatened to occupy parts of the city if their demands are not met. Public discontent in Hong Kong is at its highest for years with concern over Beijing's influence over elections. The city's police estimated Sunday's turnout at more than 110,000 people, but a specialist polling group based at the University of Hong Kong put the figure at around 80,000. "We want to let the world know that we want peace, we want democracy, but please, do not threaten us, do not try to turn this place into a place of violence," Robert Chow, co-founder of the pro-government Alliance for Peace and Democracy told AFP. Political rallies are a common sight in Hong Kong, a special Chinese city with a high level of freedom. But large-scale demonstrations supportive of the Chinese government in Beijing are extremely rare. The demonstrators -- much older than their pro-democracy rivals and clearly mobilised by dozens of pro-China clan organisations -- carried signs opposing the civil disobedience movement called Occupy Central. Questions have been raised about the legitimacy of the demonstration. Hong Kong media reports have suggested some companies and business groups had asked their employees to take part. Despite those controversies, Johnson Yeung, a pro-democracy activist who organised the recent 1 July protest, told BBC News the rally was indeed an historic event. "For the first time since the handover in 1997, the central government has organised a mass rally of this scale. It really shows their commitment against Occupy Central." The large turnout is a reminder there is still no consensus in the battle for Hong Kong's political future. In the other camp, pro-democracy activists from the "Occupy Central" group have said they would mobilise protesters to take over some of the busier areas of the central business district if electoral reform is not put in place. City authorities say such an occupation would be illegal however, and argue that it could tarnish Hong Kong's reputation. Hong Kong's next elections will take place in 2017, and China says it will introduce universal suffrage for the vote. However the current Chief Executive of Hong Kong CY Leung was elected by a committee largely loyal to the Chinese government. The pro-democracy protesters fear that the shortlist of candidates to replace him will be a similar group also loyal to Beijing. The chief executive is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee. A majority of the representatives are viewed as pro-Beijing. The Chinese government has promised direct elections for the leader, known as the chief executive, by 2017. However, voters will only have a choice from a list of candidates selected by a nominating committee, and Beijing has said all candidates must be "patriotic". Activists fear China will use the committee to screen out candidates it disapproves of.

Summary: A major pro-government rally in Hong Kong is drawing in thousands of supporters, in response to civil disobedience campaigns by activists.


The Pioneering Spirit, owned by Allseas, used its vast lifting capacity for the first time to remove a platform for scrappage. It carried out the operation on Monday, and is taking the platform to a Norwegian yard. The ship's first lift was in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. After the fitting of additional lifting equipment in the Netherlands, the ship is booked later this year to start work on platforms in the UK North Sea. Its arrival begins to open up the market for scrapping ageing North Sea equipment, which is estimated as being worth around Â£40bn in the next four decades. The Pioneering Spirit was built in Singapore and fitted out in Rotterdam. It is also capable of lifting the steel jackets on which platforms have been sitting since the 1970s.

Summary: One of the world's biggest ships has begun a new era for the North Sea oil and gas industry.


Haigh, 39, left Leeds in April 2014 after Massimo Cellino bought the club. "Penzance is a great grounding of a club, with an awful lot of potential to grow in the community," Haigh told BBC Radio Cornwall. Penzance are bottom of the South West Peninsula League Division One West, the 11th tier of English football. "The club contacted me through Twitter asking if I could help out," Haigh said. "I'd had one or two offers since Leeds, and I said no to them. "But, the reason why I said yes to Penzance is because of the potential. They're at the bottom, so they can only go up. "What I liked when I chatted to the committee was the passion. They're without debt, they can build on that and that's why I was really interested." After leaving Leeds, Haigh moved to Dubai where he was acquitted in March over charges of sending an offensive tweet about a business partner. But, he served a two-year sentence on separate charges of financial misappropriation. Haigh, who grew up in Cornwall and has relocated to the county since leaving Dubai, will be sponsoring Penzance rather than financially backing them. "There's no reason why clubs in Cornwall can't play at a higher level," he added. "But, it's going to take some investment in terms of infrastructure."

Summary: David Haigh, the former managing director of Leeds United, has been appointed as a committee member at Cornish non-league side Penzance AFC.


Selby was ringside in Brooklyn to see Frampton beat champion Leo Santa Cruz on points to win the title. Frampton wants to defend the title in his home city of Belfast and did not rule out a rematch, although he also has Selby in his sights. "He's mentioned me a few times, sounds like he wants the fight," Selby said. "I want the fight and it shouldn't be too difficult to make." Selby said any possible meeting could be held in Belfast or Cardiff's Principality Stadium. Barry-born Selby insisted before the fight there was no chance of him meeting British rival Josh Warrington, who beat Patrick Hyland to retain his WBC International featherweight title. Selby accused Warrington of 'running scared,' after talks fell through over arranging a summer contest at Leeds' Elland Road. Frampton inflicted the first defeat of 27-year-old Mexican Santa Cruz's career to become the first Northern Ireland fighter to win a world title in two weight divisions. It was Frampton's first pro bout at featherweight, having moved up a division after unifying the IBF and WBA super-bantamweight titles by beating England's Scott Quigg in Manchester in February. Selby said he was not surprised by Frampton's majority verdict over Santa Cruz, who has held world titles at three weights. "I thought it was a brilliant fight and very competitive from the first bell to the last," Selby added. "Carl Frampton boxed excellent and he surprised me with his tactics. I thought he would box on the back foot and use his range and jab. "But at times he held his feet, stood in the middle of the ring and went toe to toe and beat Santa Cruz at his own game."

Summary: IBF world champion Lee Selby is confident his next fight will be against new WBA world featherweight champion Carl Frampton.


Met Police officers are also searching a property in Southwark, London, where they have found human remains. Westminster officer Gordon Semple, 59, from Greenhithe, Kent, was last seen on 1 April in the London Bridge area. Police said his family had been informed about the "significant development". A spokesman said: "We are unable to make formal identification at this stage, but this is devastating news for all those involved in the search for Gordon." Police who were called to an address on the Peabody Estate on Thursday afternoon found human remains, he said. He said forensic work was under way at the scene which may take some time. A post-mortem examination would be held in due course, he added. He said police would not speculate about what had happened or any possible motive at this stage, and would not speculate on the cause of death until post-mortem tests had taken place. On 1 April, PC Semple, who is originally from Inverness, had a work meeting at the Shard's Shangri-La hotel and left at about 12:30 BST. He was seen on CCTV in Great Guildford Street at 15:00 BST and his partner reported him missing later that night. PC Semple has no children but still has family in Scotland. The man under arrest is being held in custody.

Summary: Detectives searching for a serving police officer who has been missing for six days have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of murder.


Wiggins, 36, had hinted the race in the city of his birth could be his last, but afterwards said he was "not sure yet" what his plans are. "I don't know, I've still got really good legs," he said. "This might not be my last race. This for sure is my last ever race with Mark Cavendish, though." The 2012 Tour de France winner added that he "just wants to enjoy this moment". Wiggins' admission follows his comments after last month's London Six Day, when he hinted he could be tempted to race there again next year. Wiggins and Cavendish claimed overall victory in Ghent after winning the final madison event. The pair also contested the Ghent Six in 2007 and won madison gold together at the World Track Championships in London in March. They competed together in the madison at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, finishing joint eighth. "We've had an incredible 12 years and have achieved so much together. It's been a pleasure," Wiggins added.

Summary: Sir Bradley Wiggins refused to confirm whether he plans to retire after winning the Ghent Six Day event alongside fellow Briton Mark Cavendish.


It is understood the pilot reported problems with the hydraulics system. The issue was reported within minutes of the plane taking off from Belfast International Airport. The plane has now landed safely.

Summary: A United Airlines flight from Belfast to Newark has been diverted to Manchester Airport.


The Liverpool singer, whose 1987 single Wonderful Life was a top 10 hit around the world, suffered head injuries in the crash in Ireland on 10 January, and was placed in an induced coma. He died on Tuesday surrounded by his family in hospital, his publicist said. His wife Camilla said she was "deeply grateful" to staff who cared for him. The father-of-three, who was in intensive care at Cork University Hospital, "died peacefully" with his family at his side "who were singing him on his way", a statement said. "Colin received the best possible care from the expert and highly professional staff there and we are deeply grateful for everything they did," his wife and three sons said in a statement. Fellow Liverpool musician Pete Wylie of 80s band The Mighty Wah! paid tribute to his friend on Twitter, saying the news was "just so very sad". "I want to send all the love I can muster to Colin's parents, brother & partner + to all who loved him, and who he loved too," he wrote. "I could still sing the very first song Colin recorded with me in the WAH! studio. I remember it that clearly. And that voice!" Born in Liverpool in 1962, Vearncombe had his first top 10 hit with the single Sweetest Smile in June 1987 when he was 25 years old. His second hit song Wonderful Life, which he had previously released but only got to number 72 in the charts, made the top 10 in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy. However, despite having found fame, Vearncombe later said "the pop star life" was not as he had imagined it. "I was frustrated by how few of the people in the music world I respected. Maybe I just didn't go to the right clubs. I've never been a great schmoozer or networker and the idea of setting out to meet a certain type of people is anathema to me," he said. "It was two years of disappointment - I didn't have any wild sex, I'm not a druggie, so I was just digging a hole for myself." Wonderful Life has since been used in numerous advertisements and films, and has been covered by artists including Tina Cousins and Katie Melua. The album of the same name sold more than 1.5 million copies and peaked at number three. Although he is best known for Wonderful Life and another 1980s single Sweetest Smile, Vearncombe released 15 albums under his own name. Last year, he returned to his original stage name for a crowd-funded album, Blind Faith, which received positive reviews. He has also published poetry and staged exhibitions of his paintings in south-west Ireland, where he lived in later life. Hundreds of fans wrote messages of support on the musician's Facebook page following the crash. His publicist said there would be a private funeral, as well as a memorial service for him in Liverpool "as we know there are many, many people who will want to celebrate Colin's life and work".

Summary: Singer-songwriter Colin Vearncombe, who performed under the name Black, has died at the age of 53, two weeks after being injured in a car crash.


Greater Manchester Police said the corrosive liquid hit a man and a woman in the eyes on Ashton Old Road, Openshaw, Manchester on Friday evening. Shortly afterwards, bleach was thrown at a second man on the same road by a passenger in a silver Ford Fiesta heading towards Audenshaw. Police said those affected were "lucky" to escape serious injury. Insp Cherie Dunn, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "I am so thankful that none of the victims of these senseless attacks has been seriously injured. "We could easily have been dealing with life-changing injuries. "Anyone thinking that throwing bleach at people is funny or that a crime like this does not have consequences couldn't be more wrong. "The victim's here were lucky. Bleach attacks could have had catastrophic consequences."

Summary: A pregnant woman was among three people targeted when bleach was thrown from a car in two separate attacks.


A woman fell from a bridge over the motorway at junction three, near Nursling, and died at the scene. No-one else was injured. Thousands of motorists were caught up in the resulting chaos as the westbound carriageway was closed during the evening rush hour. The motorway fully reopened at 01:00 on Friday.

Summary: Nine people had to be treated in hospital for shock after witnessing an incident on the M27 at Southampton.


14 May 2015 Last updated at 08:26 BST The goslings needed to leap from the first floor onto tarmac, so crash mats were placed below to create a soft landing. It seemed to do the trick as the little birds made it safely down, bounced on to the mat and waddled off with their parents across the campus. Finlay Macniell from the University of Calgary said: "I was just answering some emails in my office, and a goose flew up onto the roof outside my office window, and was honking loudly, and strutting back and forth, and tapping on my window." He added: "I wasn't sure what was going on at first but then a gosling dropped from a higher level roof above my office down next to mum, and then it was quite clear what the fuss was about." The video, posted by Calgary University, has already been viewed more than 100-thousand times. Pictures from the University of Calgary

Summary: When a group of baby geese got stuck on the roof of a university building in Canada, fast thinking staff decided to help.


It said the investigation following complaints from price comparison websites had failed to understand the "reality" of online shopping. It blamed a drop in traffic for price comparison sites on Amazon and others. Europe's competition commissioner first accused the firm of abusing its dominance in search in April 2015 and made further claims in July 2016. Google's shopping results appear as a box of images and links displayed alongside other search results. In 2015, the EU competition commissioner claimed these results gave prominence to Google's own services and advertisements, to the detriment of price comparison websites, which may have lost visitors. Google responded that the EU had failed to take into account the significance of online shopping giants such as Amazon, which it said also competed against price comparison websites. In its updated claim, the EU said Amazon could not be considered a rival to price comparison websites because it sometimes paid such sites to be included in search results. Google's latest response says websites such as Amazon get a "tiny fraction" of their visitors from price comparison websites, "hardly enough to support the idea that they don't compete" with one another. It also pointed out that Amazon provides its own price comparison tools for its customers. "The commission's revised case still rests on a theory that just doesn't fit the reality of how most people shop online," the company said in a blog. "It's not surprising that when Amazon and other new competitors arrived in European countries, traffic to sites offering only price comparison went down." The company said it would "look forward" to continuing discussions with the commission. FairSearch Europe - a lobby group that was one of the complainants against Google - said Google's actions were "anti-consumer". In a statement, the group said: "We believe it is the European Commission that has the interests of consumers in mind, not a private company that makes money by using its market power to charge high prices to advertisers. "When consumers look at Google ads they do not get the best, most relevant results. Instead, they get results from advertisers willing to pay Google the most money."

Summary: Google has again rejected the EU's objections to how it displays shopping links in its search results.


The Seasiders, who started with five debutants, took the lead after 19 minutes when new signing Kyle Vassell was played through by another debutant Colin Daniel and netted from 12 yards via a deflection from keeper Bobby Olejnik. But Exeter should have been level five minutes later as Lee Holmes picked out Ollie Watkins, who could only put a diving header on to the post from two yards with the goal gaping. The woodwork denied Exeter for a second time after 44 minutes, as Jake Taylor's flick came back off the inside of the far post before Watkins had a header saved by Sam Slocombe. Blackpool's new keeper Slocombe produced a sensational reflex save to prevent an Andy Taylor own goal six minutes after the break but, straight down the other end, Troy Brown was not so fortunate as he deflected Brad Potts' cross past Olejnik to ensure a Blackpool victory. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Blackpool 2, Exeter City 0. Second Half ends, Blackpool 2, Exeter City 0. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Brad Potts. Attempt blocked. Ryan Harley (Exeter City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Liam McAlinden (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Will Aimson (Blackpool). Attempt missed. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Attempt blocked. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Will Aimson. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Will Aimson. Attempt blocked. Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Danny Pugh (Blackpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Ryan Harley (Exeter City). Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right. Attempt missed. David Wheeler (Exeter City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by Brad Potts (Blackpool). Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Kelvin Mellor. Foul by Jim McAlister (Blackpool). Lee Holmes (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Jim McAlister (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Ryan Harley (Exeter City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Ryan Harley (Exeter City). Danny Pugh (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by David Wheeler (Exeter City). Attempt missed. Brad Potts (Blackpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Jamille Matt (Blackpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Summary: After successive relegations, Blackpool won their first game in the fourth tier since 2001 with victory at home to Exeter.


With the windows down, I sang along to cheesy Mediterranean songs on the radio, watching the scenery flash by. But I was there to make a documentary about Europe dancing to a worrying tune - popular discontent, fear, anger and, in many corners, an absence of hope. There is always a section in society that feels abandoned or ignored by their government, but after the 2008 crash, the bank bailouts, the migrant crises and a string of terror attacks, a growing number of Europeans have felt unprotected, exposed and worried for the future of their families. And the answer to their fears? Well if my Fiat 500 were Europe - bear with me on this one - it would be hesitating at a crossroads. The signpost pointing one way reads Angela Merkel. And in the opposite direction, Marine Le Pen. These two determined women, tough and seasoned politicians, both standing for election this year, hope to drag their own countries and Europe as a whole down dramatically different paths. A passionate European and Christian Democrat, mindful of the horrors of her country's Nazi and Cold War past, Ms Merkel is increasingly viewed as the continent's number one defender of liberal values. Barack Obama pointedly chose to visit her in Berlin on his last official trip abroad before handing over the presidency to Donald Trump. Ms Le Pen, on the other hand, is the poster child of Europe's new wave of populism. She demands what she described to me in an interview as a "new world order". A new France, a new Europe, free, she says, of the "prison" of the European Union and the "artificial" joining of European nations. She laughed at those wringing their hands on both sides of the Atlantic over the Trump Presidency. Brexit, Trump and Europe's new "patriotic leaders" in Ms Le Pen's words, are merely the end of one world and the start of a new one where, in her opinion, the people and the nation state are strong and don't answer to what she called "Globalisationists". Gone are the days in the not so distant past when national elections met a wall of public indifference - 2017 has been dubbed 'Election Year' in Europe, with key EU nations Germany, France, the Netherlands and possibly Italy heading to the polls. With populist parties standing strong, those for and against them feel motivated to vote. And not just with their pockets in mind. The famous campaign slogan, "it's the economy, stupid", associated with Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential bid, is no longer pertinent. Look at the Netherlands - holding an election next month. The economy there is on the up and unemployment is down. But rather than flocking around their centrist prime minister, voters are flirting with anti-immigration, Eurosceptic populist, Geert Wilders. Wherever you look at the moment in Europe - north, south, east and west - there are populist parties shouting loudly from the sidelines. The Five Star Movement is Italy's most talked-about political party right now. They listen to people, they say, not Big Business, and

Summary: My shiny red rental Fiat 500 wound its way up and round the narrow, olive-tree lined lanes like a ladybird humming through the Tuscan countryside.


The state oil firm's technicians discovered one of the world's largest oil reserves deep beneath the seabed - under miles of layers of salt. And then two years later, it struck gold again, finding yet another giant oil reserve. Optimism was running high. The firm went to the markets and raised over $70bn - the world's largest share issue ever. Brazil's economy was at cruising speed too, finally taking off after years of meagre growth. But the good times did not last long - for neither the company nor the country. A massive corruption scandal last year eroded much of Petrobras's market value. Brazil's economy too has been on a downward spiral - with high inflation, slow growth and low confidence. So how did it all go so wrong, so fast? Petrobras's oil bonanza and Brazil's emerging star status are fairly recent phenomena. Just a few decades ago, prospects were dire for both. In the early 1990s, Brazil was a young democracy in deep economic trouble. Annualised inflation was running close to 5,000%. Decades of protectionism meant there was little competition in most sectors and many national firms had become inefficient. Petrobras was seen as part of that landscape by many who wanted to privatise it. One critic used to refer to it as "Petrossauro" - a large, outdated structure that moved slowly and was doomed to extinction in the modern world. Brazil's fortunes started to change in the mid-1990s - both internally and externally. Through reforms, successive governments were able to defeat hyperinflation, open up Brazil's economy to the world and redistribute growth, lifting millions out of poverty. A decade of global economic boom favoured Brazil's champion exports - commodities like coffee, soya, beef and oil. Brazil's oil sector was opened to foreign companies, but local laws made sure Petrobras kept its role at the top of every major project. A decade of high international oil prices helped give a great boost to the firm's investment plans. By 2010 - after all oil discoveries - it felt like Brazil and Petrobras had finally "arrived" at the top. But then things took a turn for the worse. One problem was Petrobras's desperate need for cash. Brazil's treasure trove is buried deep below the pre-salt layer and can only be extracted with expensive methods. President Dilma Rousseff was adamant that Petrobras should play a major role in all fields, although it did not have the resources to do it alone. So the company sought to attract partners and raise money abroad by selling many of its assets. Just as it was taking on its biggest financial challenge ever, Petrobras was hit by a recurrent obstacle in Brazil's history: corruption. An investigation by Brazil's Federal Police revealed that the state oil giant was being used illegally as a cash cow for most parties in the government coalition. Its top executives are all politically appointed by the government. They allegedly handed out Petrobras contracts in exchange for party donations and bribes. A string of high-profile arrests were made - from top Brazilian CEOs to the

Summary: In 2008, Petrobras and its main stakeholder - the government of Brazil - hit the jackpot.


Mr LaBeouf was arrested following a confrontation at his live-streamed video project in New York, and was charged with assault and harassment. Those charges have now been dropped. A spokeswoman for the district attorney in New York's Queen's district told US media the case would be dismissed because of insufficient evidence. Mr LaBeouf's art project, a 24-hour live stream called He Will Not Divide Us, encouraged members of the public to say those words into a camera outside New York's Museum of the Moving Image. But Mr LaBeouf and a member of the public allegedly entered an altercation during a live broadcast in January. The museum later said the site had become "a flashpoint for violence". The live stream was planned to continue for the four years of Mr Trump's presidency, but the museum pulled support for the project in early February. The project was forced to move location twice in the US, after opponents tried to disrupt it. It then arrived in a new form in Liverpool in the UK - but faced similar problems. Liverpool's Fact arts centre had been live-streaming a flag with the words, but cancelled the project after people climbed on the roof to try and remove the flag. In addition to his performance art, LaBeouf is best known for films like Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

Summary: Actor-turned-artist Shia LaBeouf will no longer face assault charges over a January incident at his anti-Donald Trump art installation.


Scott Diver, 16, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, was last seen at home on 17 September. His father, who is also called Scott, said he was not in any trouble and he just wanted to know he was OK. The teenager, who is 5ft 7in tall, with a slim build, dark hair and blue eyes, is said to need regular medication. When Scott last seen, he was wearing a navy blue Adidas tracksuit with light blue stripes down the arms and legs, a white T-shirt and navy Adidas training shoes with grey stripes. Speaking at a police news conference, Mr Diver said: "Scotty, if you see this please get in touch. You are not in any trouble we just want you home or at least let us know you're safe. "All the family are missing you especially me and nana and your family in Isle of Man. "Can I ask anyone who might be helping Scott stay away from home to remember he relies on daily medication which he hasn't had for at least 10 days." Mr Diver added: "Scotty, we love and miss you and want you home. "You can contact us on the missing person's text service on 116 000 through phone or text even if you have no credit." Mr Diver's comments came after police made a public appeal at the weekend in a bid to trace Scott. On Saturday, one week after he went missing, officers carried out a "stop and speak" operation in the teenager's home town. They spoke to about 1,000 people at Clydebank's bus station, shopping centre and near Scott's home. The operation has also seen an air support unit deployed in the area along with a search team. Insp John Mullen said that anyone with information could contact police at a dedicated email address: scottdiverinquiry@scotland.pnn.police.uk He added: "Scott is a vulnerable young boy who has just turned 16. "His family are devastated at his disappearance and I would urge anyone who knows where he is to contact police."

Summary: The father of a vulnerable teenage boy, who has been missing from his home for more than a week, has appealed for him to get in touch.


Polish national Daria Pionko, 21, was found seriously injured in Springwell Road, Holbeck, on 23 December and died later in hospital. Det Supt Simon Atkinson said Miss Pionko had been the victim of a "sustained and vicious attack". A 38-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident was released without charge. A post mortem examination found Miss Pionko died as a result of head and facial injuries. She was found in a defined managed area where sex workers operate during set hours. Mr Atkinson said: "This was a sustained and vicious attack and it is absolutely vital that the person responsible is caught and taken off our streets." The managed area has been in operation since 2014. It was introduced by the police, council and other agencies in an effort to reduce the impact of prostitution on residents and better engage with sex workers. Speaking last week, Supt Sam Millar said it had seen some "significant successes", including improving relationships between sex workers and police.

Summary: Detectives investigating the "brutal" murder of a sex worker in Leeds have released a picture of the victim.


Jonathan Tran, 26, was in the grounds for more than 16 minutes before he was detained, it said. He now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. In a statement, the Secret Service said it was "extremely disappointed and angry" about the events of 10 March. Mr Tran did not gain entry to the White House, where President Donald Trump was staying at the time. However, Congressman Jason Chaffetz - whose House Oversight Committee oversees the Secret Service - claimed the intruder had managed to rattle a door-handle at the South Portico entrance. According to court documents, Mr Tran told federal agents that he was a friend of the president and had an appointment. He was carrying two cans of mace, a US passport, a computer and one of Mr Trump's books, authorities said. The president praised the Secret Service for doing a "fantastic job" in apprehending the intruder. Mr Tran had managed to climb a 5ft (1.5m) fence near the US Treasury Department, which is next to the White House. He then scaled an 8ft vehicle gate, and a shorter fence near the east wing of the White House grounds. CNN reports that he set off several alarms after jumping the fence, but was able to avoid other sensors. Mr Tran, who comes from Milpitas, California, had reportedly been spotted "looming around" Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue, where the White House stands, nearly six hours before his arrest. The Secret Service said it had taken immediate steps to avoid further security lapses, and that over 50 people had been interviewed about the incident. The intrusion was the latest in a series of breaches at the White House in recent years. Security has been enhanced. In 2015, sharp spikes were installed on top of the black iron fence that circles the property.

Summary: The US Secret Service has released new details of last week's White House fence-jumping incident, in which an intruder was discovered just steps from the main building.


The Taliban attacked from the mountains as the convoy was travelling through Laghman valley, officials say, and at least 22 insurgents were also killed. The Sar-e-Pol provincial governor said that a number of security force vehicles were destroyed. Earlier a civilian was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. Villagers also accused Nato of killing seven civilians, including a nine-year-old child, in an air strike in eastern Paktia province. They were the first people reported killed in air strikes since the new government was installed at the end of September. However, Nato said Sunday's strike had killed "eight armed enemy combatants". The issue of Nato air strikes was the most contentious of the many disputes that former President Hamid Karzai had with the international community, reports the BBC's David Loyn in Kabul. The violence comes ahead of the withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year, with Afghan security forces increasingly taking over from Nato-led forces in the fight against the militants. Officials say that at least seven security force members were wounded in the Sar-e-Pol ambush. Correspondents say that the early morning attack highlights Afghanistan's fragile security structure as Nato withdraws all of its combat troops. The ambush took place as security forces were travelling to reinforce colleagues in another district of Sar-e-Pol, officials say. "They called for foreign forces' air support, but they arrived very late," provincial governor Abdul Jabar Haqbin told the AFP news agency. He said the attack triggered a gun battle that lasted several hours. The Taliban were not immediately available to comment

Summary: Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan have killed at least 22 security force members in an ambush in Sar-e-Pol province north of Kabul, officials say.


Ednane Mahmood, of Plane Street, Blackburn, is accused of disseminating a terrorist publication. The 19-year-old, who was arrested after allegedly trying to travel to Syria, is also accused of engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism. At Manchester Crown Court he denied both charges and was bailed until his trial date on 26 October. The teenager is accused of providing a service to others to enable them to obtain, read, listen to or look at a terrorist publication between 1 June and 25 November 2014. He is charged with providing links to poems and other propaganda, and at the time of doing so was allegedly reckless as whether his conduct would be a direct or indirect encouragement to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Mahmood is further charged with the intention of committing acts of terrorism on 21 September 2014 in that he planned to travel to Syria in order to engage in acts of terrorism.

Summary: A teenager from Lancashire has denied trying to travel to Syria to engage in acts of terrorism.


Lorraine Kirkwood, 37, was last seen with a man as they got on to a bus in the East Dunbartonshire town. Police had appealed for other passengers to contact them.

Summary: A Kirkintilloch woman reported missing, after last being seen on Saturday night, has been found safe and well.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 25-year-old Englishwoman finished nine seconds ahead of Australia's Ashleigh Gentle, with Wales' Helen Jenkins seven seconds adrift in third. Stimpson and Jenkins, 31, will vie for Britain's third Olympic place at next month's World Series event on Australia's Gold Coast. Non Stanford and Vicky Holland have already secured their places in Rio. Both missed the race in Abu Dhabi, as did world champion Gwen Jorgensen. Stimpson said: "I am extremely motivated to make one of the Olympic spots and my winter couldn't have gone any better. "Me and Helen are great rivals. She is a fantastic athlete and I've got a lot of respect for her. We couldn't have made it harder for the selectors." Stimpson, who won the first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, clawed her way back after a modest 1500m swim to join two-time world champion Jenkins in the leading group for the 40km bike section. The two Britons led from the front as the challengers were gradually whittled down, before Stimpson used her greater power to pull away in the final kilometre of the 10km run. Jenkins, who has had a catalogue of injuries in the past two years, said: "Everything is moving in the right direction for our selection race at the Gold Coast. "It is just a pity Britain could not get four Olympic spots. We will just have to fight it out and do our best." Britain's selectors have chosen the Gold Coast race as the decider because it most resembles the Olympic course in Rio. In the men's race, Mario Mola made it back-to-back World Series victories after winning last year's final race in Chicago in September. Adam Bowden, in 11th, was the highest-placed Briton. Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have already qualified for this summer's Olympics and will not compete until later this season. Britain's selectors will decide who will get the third spot by the Yokohama race on 14 May - the fourth event of the year. The second of the nine World Series events takes place at the Gold Coast on 9-10 April.

Summary: Commonwealth champion Jodie Stimpson won the opening race of the 2016 World Triathlon Series in Abu Dhabi.