First, will the Bundestag, the German parliament, back the proposed bailout, absent support from the IMF? The behaviour of Mrs Merkel, in forcing the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras against his wishes to accept future IMF involvement in the bailout, suggests she believes IMF endorsement and involvement is the sine qua non of Bundestag approval. And if the Bundestag says "Nein", we are back in the territory of Greece careering towards the euro door marked exit and penury. Second, if the IMF is saying - as it effectively does in its debt sustainability update - that Greece is insolvent without a massive debt write-off, and a write-off that eurozone governments show no sign of embracing, can the European Central Bank in good conscience increase emergency lending to banks, or Emergency Liquidity Assistance? Now Greek banks have been led to believe by the Bank of Greece that the ECB would increase ELA by around 2bn euros either today or tomorrow. If this happens, it will be a significant fillip to the Greek economy. Because the banks are planning to re-open their doors in those circumstances - either tomorrow (now unlikely) or Monday. It would not be banking and business as usual. But some of the economically devastating effects of capital controls - most of which would be retained - would be limited. Here is what the banks will do if the ECB provides just a bit more emergency lending. First, the government committee currently approving - or more accurately not approving - requests by businesses for the banks to finance imports would have its powers transferred back to the banks. Subject to rules, the banks would then start to provide finance again to companies wanting to import goods and raw materials deemed vital to Greece's economic interests. Which means the twin dangers would recede of the economy grinding to a halt for want of imports and of a humanitarian crisis caused by a shortage of medicines and foods. Second, cashiers would start to receive cheques again, and people could withdraw their maximum of 60 euros per account over the counter, and not just at cash machines. To be clear, the 60 euro limit on withdrawals would remain, perhaps for months. And transferring money abroad would remain heavily restricted. But the banks could start to provide some basic support to the economy, rather than almost none as at present. But, to repeat, this limited restoration of banking services is possible only if the ECB turns on the emergency lending tap a small amount today. Absent that, the current draconian controls will remain in place. As it happens, and despite earlier fears at the banks, the existing controls should not need to be tightened for up to 10 days, even with the ECB sitting on its hands. The reason is that the banks have a bit more cash today than they expected last week - because some cash, from supermarkets and petrol stations for example, is being recycled back into the banking system. Although the instinct of every Greek person or institution is to hoard

Summary: So two more questions about the ramifications of the IMF's trenchant opposition to the current planned structure of a Greek rescue.


His comments were captured in a recording of a closed-door meeting, the Daily Beast reported. The current round of direct peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians appear to be at an impasse. But President Barack Obama has said the US will not abandon its peace efforts. By Paul DanaharBBC Washington bureau chief The US state department is telling everyone that it's no big deal that John Kerry used the 'A' word to describe the impact on Israel if the two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict collapses. A spokeswoman has pointed out that senior Israeli politicians have also referenced apartheid before when talking about the risks to Israel's reputation. This point though is frankly spin. It is one thing for Israeli politicians to use provocative language in their own political arena. When used by the US secretary of state it adds legitimacy to the debate about whether there is an equivalence between the old South African regime and the situation on the West Bank. Whether the "apartheid" reference was a gaffe or deliberate there is no doubt that Secretary Kerry believes Israel's government is stubbornly ignoring his warnings that a failure to agree a peace deal will feed a campaign trying to delegitimise their state. Mr Obama has previously rejected the use of the term "apartheid" in discussion of the Middle East peace process, calling it unhelpful and inaccurate. But in remarks before a group of high-ranking officials from the US, Europe and Japan known as the Trilateral Commission, Mr Kerry used the word. "A two-state solution will be clearly underscored as the only real alternative," Mr Kerry said, according to the Daily Beast. "Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second-class citizens - or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state." Mr Kerry also reportedly suggested a peace deal was more likely to come with a change in Israeli and Palestinian leadership, and strongly criticised Jewish settlement construction on occupied territory. The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) condemned his comments as "deeply troubling". "Any suggestion that Israel is, or is at risk of becoming, an apartheid state is offensive and inappropriate," it said in a statement. In a statement to the BBC, the US state department noted that Israeli leaders had used the term "apartheid state" before, to warn of the consequences of the failure of the peace process. "Secretary Kerry, like Justice Minister [Tzipi] Livni, and previous Israeli Prime Ministers [Ehud] Olmert and [Ehud] Barak, was reiterating why there's no such thing as a one-state solution if you believe, as he does, in the principle of a Jewish state," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. "He was talking about the kind of future Israel wants and the kind of future both Israelis and Palestinians would want to envision. The only way to have two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two-state solution. And without a two-state solution, the level of prosperity and security the Israeli and Palestinian people

Summary: The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has warned that Israel risks becoming "an apartheid state" if a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians does not emerge soon.


The monument, at White Brae, Ligoneil, commemorates three fusiliers from Scotland who were killed in March 1971. John MacVicar, from the local Royal British Legion branch, said paint has been poured over the memorial and on wreaths that had been left by mourners. He said vandals also tried to break the granite in the attack on Tuesday night. The memorial was erected three years ago at the site where the bodies of teenage brothers John and Joseph McCaig, and their 23-year-old colleague Dougald McCaughey, were found more than three decades before. Mr MacVicar, who helped raise funds to build the monument, is the secretary of Oldpark/Cavehill Royal British Legion branch. He said he believed it was a "sectarian hate attack". "This is now the fifth time the memorial has been attacked since it was unveiled in 2009. The damage caused the last time cost in excess of Â£1500 to repair," he said. Mr MacVicar claimed: "There is absolutely no doubt that this is a further attempt by republicans to remove from history the fact that the IRA murdered three young boys, two brothers aged 17 and 18 and the third aged 23 who were unarmed and out for an off duty afternoon in Belfast in 1971 simply because they were in the British Army." A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they had not yet received a report of the attack. Last July, sectarian graffiti was scrawled on the memorial stone. Corner posts, and the surrounding rope were also broken.

Summary: A memorial to three soldiers murdered by the IRA on the outskirts of Belfast has been vandalised for a fifth time, a local fundraiser has said.


The excluded New York Times said the move was "an unmistakable insult to democratic ideals". The bar came hours after President Donald Trump delivered another attack on the media, saying that "fake news" was the "enemy of the people". The BBC has asked the White House to clarify its exclusion. BBC bureau chief in Washington, Paul Danahar, said: "We understand that there may be occasions when, due to space or circumstances, the White House restricts press events to the established pool. However, what happened today did not fit into that pattern." He added: "Our reporting will remain fair and impartial, regardless." Friday's briefing had been scheduled as an on-camera event in the briefing room but was changed to an informal off-camera event, known as a "gaggle", in Mr Spicer's office. Explaining the move to go off-camera, he said: "We don't generally do, we haven't done briefings when the president's had a major event." Mr Spicer said an "expanded" pool of journalists had been invited to the gaggle. Pools are not uncommon - the journalists attending then share their reporting with the White House press corps. However, the choice of those attending, including groups seen as friendly to the Trump administration, and the fact that other journalists who asked to attend were refused entry drew condemnation from media groups. White House Correspondents' Association President Jeff Mason said it was "protesting strongly". The BBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, Buzzfeed, the Daily Mail and Politico were among those excluded. Those allowed into the room included ABC, Fox News, Breitbart News, Reuters and the Washington Times. The Associated Press, USA Today and Time magazine refused to attend as a protest against the move. Both the Washington Post and McClatchy said they were unaware of the exclusions at the time and that had they known, their reporters would not have attended the gaggle. Both said they would not participate in future briefings if the exclusions continued. An anchor for Fox News, seen as supportive of the Trump presidency, also revealed opposition to the move. Bret Baier tweeted: "We joined w/all networks in a complaint to WH about the incident." When asked at the gaggle, Mr Spicer denied CNN and the New York Times had been denied access because the White House was unhappy with their coverage. But he said: "We are just not going to sit back and let false narratives, false stories, inaccurate facts get out there." CNN anchor Jake Tapper said the exclusion was "not acceptable, in fact it's petulant. And indicative of a lack of basic understanding of how an adult White House functions". Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron said the White House move was "appalling". In an editorial, the LA Times said: "If the intent was to intimidate reporters into writing fewer things that the administration does not like, and more things that it does, it is doomed to failure." The New York Times editorial said: "That First Amendment can be inconvenient for anyone longing for power without scrutiny. Mr. Trump might want to brush

Summary: Media groups have reacted angrily after several, including the BBC, were barred from an informal briefing with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.


Mr Coulter died after being shot in the head as he and a friend left Jerky Chicken restaurant in Walham Grove, Fulham. The Met said "it would appear the gunman had been lying in wait" for the pair to return to their car. Detectives believe the gunman made off on foot towards North End road after shooting Mr Coulter. The victim was shot as he was getting into the front passenger seat of the silver and black Renault Captur. No arrests have been made. A post-mortem examination has been arranged for Thursday. Det Chf Inspr Noel McHugh said Mr Coulter's murder had "shocked the local community".

Summary: Detectives investigating the murder of a 24-year-old man shot in a suspected ambush have named him as Salim Coulter.


England, who have never won the competition, were knocked out at the group stage this year. "We were a long way off the pace. Unless we focus on it, we will sleep walk our way into the next one," Strauss told BBC Test Match Special. "If we have a core of specialists we can prioritise both teams." Test skipper Alastair Cook was removed as one-day captain and replaced by Eoin Morgan less than two months before the World Cup started in February. England won only two of their six group games, against minnows Scotland and Afghanistan. Former England captain Strauss said: "Our country is generally is quite red-ball focussed, but that doesn't mean it has to be at the expense of white-ball cricket. "That's one of my focuses - to re-balance it and give more importance to it." Only four England players involved in the current one-day series against Pakistan featured in the recent 2-0 Test series defeat. Strauss said one-day specialists would have "opportunities" to compete in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), which clashes with the start of the English season in April and May. Asked about the IPL and the Big Bash, Australia's Twenty20 tournament, Strauss said: "I'm a massive fan. "If you are an overseas player, what those Twenty20 competitions do is put you under real pressure. "You have to stand up and deliver and that's a really good experience."

Summary: England director of cricket Andrew Strauss says "more separation" of the Test and one-day teams will improve their chances of winning the World Cup.


In 2010, the 34-year-old Englishman was going to meeting after meeting in California's Silicon Valley, trying to secure funding for his business idea - Nutmeg, an online-based investment management business. And the first 45 wealthy investors he pitched to all said no. "It was horrible," he says. "The feedback was very personal. "Some investors said they liked the idea, but that I couldn't do it. Others said they didn't like the idea, and some simply said I wasn't good enough. "It was really brutal, I hugely questioned myself." At the time Mr Hungerford, who was in Silicon Valley after completing a Master of Business Administration from nearby Stanford University, was sleeping on the floor of a friend's house, and working out of his garage. "I was living the entrepreneurial dream that had turned into a horrific reality," he says. It was the autumn of 2010 at this point, and Mr Hungerford was running out of money, maxing out his credit cards to cover his living expenses. He says: "I drew a line in the sand, and said that if I haven't got a 'yes' by December I would go and get a job." Then Mr Hungerford secured another investment meeting, his 46th, this time with a man called Tim Draper. Mr Draper may be little known outside of technology circles, but he was an early investor in Hotmail and Skype, and is worth an estimated $1bn (Â£620m). After listening to Mr Hungerford's pitch, Mr Draper was quick to say yes. Other wealthy investors soon followed suit. "I felt so vindicated," says Mr Hungerford. With "tens of millions of dollars" now behind him, he never did need to look through the job advertisements. Instead, he was able to start Nutmeg in early 2011, choosing to return to the UK to launch the firm in London. Nutmeg itself is an investment management business. You give it your savings, and it will invest them on your behalf in everything from shares to property, and bonds to currencies. While there are thousands of such firms around the world, Nutmeg's difference is that it claims to have been the very first to base itself online. So instead of having to phone your investment manager at some big bank in the City of London, or relying on a statement sent to you in the post every six months, you simply log into Nutmeg's website, and you can instantly see your portfolio and how it is performing. In analysing small business growth it is sometimes useful to distinguish between "lifestyle firms" and "growth firms". The former are set up by individuals who prefer being self-employed to working for someone else, but are essentially looking for a stable income. Growth firms, on the other hand, such as today's successful online firms, are founded by traditional risk-taking, innovative entrepreneurs. They respond positively to new opportunities and incentives to undertake risk, and they are focused on process and product innovation. Joseph Schumpeter - a famous inter-war economist - described these growth firms as the agents of "creative destruction". For him they were

Summary: Nick Hungerford knows a few things about dealing with rejection.


No batsman from Bapchild Cricket Club was able to get off the mark against Christ Church University in Canterbury. "We couldn't believe it, all they needed to do was hit a wall to get one run," Christ Church player Mike Rose told the Crawley Observer. Somerset club Langport set the record for the lowest score when they were dismissed for zero in 1913. Wirral CC were bowled out for three in a Cheshire League Division Three fixture in 2014 - though they had 11 players and were 0-8 at one stage. And Kent village team Saltwood CC scored 216 before bowling Martin Walters out for zero in 8.2 overs during a match in 1964. In first-class cricket, the lowest score ever made is six - by "The B's" against England at the old Lord's ground in 1810 - while New Zealand's 26 against England in 1955 remains the lowest total scored in a Test match.

Summary: A cricket team was bowled out for 0 in just 20 balls in a county six-a-side indoor championships match.


Matthew Llewellyn, 27, of Gilfach Goch, Rhondda Cynon Taff, previously admitted failing to stop at an accident and other offences. Tye Hawkins was left with life-changing injuries after the crash in Mountain Ash, in September 2015. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Llewellyn went on to dump the bike and said he was in Scotland at the time. The court heard Tye was crossing the road with his mother from behind a school bus when he was hit by Llewellyn's 600cc Suzuki motorcycle. Llewellyn failed to stop and drove 11 miles (18km) away before ditching the bike and hiring a car to get away. When he was eventually traced two weeks later, he denied any involvement and claimed to have been in Scotland at the time. The court heard another man was arrested as part of the investigation as a result of the false information he gave police. He eventually admitted owning the motorcycle but claimed he had sold it, before later admitting his part in the crash. The court heard Tye suffered a blunt head injury which caused bruising to his brain, along with other fractures and lacerations. He spent 17 days in intensive care and is preparing to spend three months at a specialist brain injury recovery centre in Surrey, which it is hoped will help him regain movement. In a victim impact statement, his mother Clair told the court the months since the crash had been "the worst of my life". "Seeing him struck has haunted me. I have seen changes in Tye, he finds it difficult to concentrate, he hallucinates and needs help to dress," the statement added. The court was told Llewellyn had written to Tye's family to express his remorse and admitted leaving the scene was "totally reprehensible". Sentencing Llewellyn, Judge Daniel Williams, said he had showed "no concern for this young lad and every concern for your self preservation". Llewellyn was sentenced for attempting to pervert the course of justice, driving without insurance and failing to surrender in relation to the crash. He was also banned from driving for 12 months.

Summary: A motorcyclist who left a 10-year-old boy with brain injuries after a hit-and-run has been jailed for 15 months.


Irishman David Agnew, of Carby Heights in Keady, County Armagh, was arrested at his home on Friday. Police officers entered his house with a warrant and asked him if there was anything they needed to know about. The court heard he indicated there was but when questioned further, he replied "you'll have to find it". A police officer told Newry Magistrates' Court that, during the subsequent search, officers found between €190,000 (£160,000) and €200,000 (£170,000) in a footstool in the living room, and between £40,000 and £50,000 sterling wrapped in bundles of £1,000 in a bedroom. In the roof space, they discovered 2.5kg of white powder, which tested positive as cocaine. Police also found a handgun in the roof space, a magazine loaded with five or six bullets and a silencer. A second silencer was found elsewhere in the house along with a plastic container containing a substance that also tested positive for cocaine. A police officer told the court that during three interviews over the weekend, Mr Agnew had made no comment. Mr Agnew spoke only to confirm his name and address and date of birth. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to appear again via video link next month.

Summary: A 39-year-old man has appeared in court charged with having cocaine, a handgun and bundles of cash which the police believe were the proceeds of crime.


But most of the Somerset batsmen failed to exploit good batting conditions, Keith Barker and Chris Woakes both picking up three wickets, backed by two from Jonathan Trott, After rallying from 117-4 in a stand of 110 with Peter Trego, Abell made 104. Despite Trego's 94, Somerset missed a third batting point but did take two wickets as the Bears closed on 27-2. Having proved generally below par with the bat on a lovely early summer's day at Edgbaston, the visitors then came out firing with the ball in a lively seven-over session. First they had former Bears skipper Ian Westwood lbw to Lewis Gregory before nightwatchman Boyd Rankin was brilliantly caught off Craig Overton at leg gully by James Hildreth, who had earlier been the only other worthwhile Somerset contributor with 38. After Barker knocked back Marcus Trescothick's off stump and Chris Rogers was caught behind fourth ball inside the first hour, eight batsmen failed to reach 15. An attack which persevered to keep the pressure on all day, was boosted by Trott taking 2-26 in 10 overs. Warwickshire captain Ian Bell, who left the field in mid-afternoon with a hamstring twinge, is expected to be fine to bat on day two. Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott told BBC WM: "They've not got a huge score but it's a decent score on this wicket. There's a bit in it for the bowlers. We've got to fight to get on top. We're going to have to bat well. "It's been a while since my last Championship wicket, so I was as surprised as everyone else in the crowd. We just needed someone to do a job from that end - the wind was tricky because we've got a lot of bowlers who like to swing the ball away, so I said I'd bowl gun-barrel straight for a bit. A little bit of seam movement helped too. It's always nice to help. "Tom Abell looks a very talented young player. He's a good all-round sportsman. I've heard he's a good hockey player as well. You can certainly see that in his game. He looks an organised player. He's certainly one for the future, for Somerset and beyond hopefully. Somerset batsman Tom Abell: "I probably haven't been pulling my weight so far this year if I'm brutally honest, so it was really pleasing to score a few runs. I don't want to be relying on the likes of Tres and Hildy and Chris Rogers at the top of the order. "It was a real challenge against Barker and Woakes with the new ball. I was just looking to stick in and try and weather the storm. "It was a big relief for me after the start I've had. I can't speak highly enough of the contributions of Hildy and Tregs, just taking the heat off me a little bit, both being natural strokeplayers."

Summary: Somerset youngster Tom Abell made his second first-class century to help his side post 295 against Warwickshire.


The move comes as part of a campaign by President Xi Jinping to show that the ruling Communist Party (CPC) is cracking down on corruption and waste. Glitzy new government buildings, sometimes in impoverished areas, have been a source of public outrage. The directive forbids luxury makeovers and expansions done under the guise of repair work, Xinhua news agency said. The notice says some departments and local authorities have built huge government office compounds against regulations, tainting the image of the CPC. Among the buildings that have attracted widespread disapproval in recent years is the western-style government office building in the city of Fuyang in Anhui province, in eastern China. It reportedly cost 30 million yuan ($4.89m, Â£3.19m) to build and is referred to as the 'White House' by residents. A state-owned drug company also caused outrage after photographs emerged apparently showing a building decorated to mimic France's Versailles palace, complete with gold-tinted walls and chandeliers. Some government agencies have reportedly built luxury offices in seaside resorts where officials can stay for free or at deeply discounted prices. The ban - described as an "across-the-board halt" - includes training centres, hotels or government motels, Xinhua said. It also says government organisations should not receive sponsorship or donations towards construction projects, or collaborate with private companies. "Banning the building of new government buildings is important for building a clean government and also a requirement for boosting CPC-people ties and maintaining the image of the CPC and the government," Xinhua quoted the directive as saying. Tackling corruption has been President Xi Jinping's most high-profile policy since he became China's leader earlier this year. He has warned that "corruption and bribe-taking by some party members and cadres" pose "severe challenges" to the Communist Party's rule.

Summary: China has banned the construction of government buildings for five years, according to state media.


Mustakim Jaman, 23, of Hudson Road, Southsea, has been charged under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. He is the brother of Ifthekar Jaman, who was killed in Syria in December. Mr Jaman is due at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday. Another brother, Tuhin Shahensha, 26, has also been charged with terrorism offences. Mr Shahensha, also of Hudson Road, appeared in court on Friday accused of planning to fight in Syria. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 14 November. The two men, of Hudson Road, Southsea, were arrested along with a number of other people in Hampshire and London on 14 October by the South East Counter Terrorism Unit (SECTU). A 57-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman have been released on bail. A 23-year-old woman from Farnborough and a 29-year-old woman from Greenwich, south-east London, have been released without charge.

Summary: The brother of a Portsmouth man killed while fighting for Islamic State (IS) in Syria has been charged with preparing terrorist acts.


The South African struck 24 boundaries, sharing century partnerships with Luke Wright (60) and Ben Brown (67), as Sussex moved their score on from 74-1. Jofra Archer then smashed four sixes and three fours to score 42 off 14 balls as Sussex declared on 443-6. Leicestershire openers Paul Horton and Arun Harinath reached stumps unbeaten, leaving 389 runs to score on day four.

Summary: Sussex's Stiaan van Zyl scored an unbeaten 166 as Leicestershire ended day three 36-0 chasing 425 to win.


"What the co-leader has done is treason, provocation," Mr Erdogan said, referring to Mr Demirtas, co-leader of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). At the weekend the HDP and other pro-Kurdish groups called for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish south-east. Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into those comments. The Turkish military has stepped up operations against the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is fighting for Kurdish self-rule. The army says it has killed more than 200 PKK militants in the latest fighting. The PKK is regarded as a "terrorist" organisation by Turkey, the US and EU. The HDP won 59 seats in Turkey's 550-seat parliament in the 1 November elections. It came third, behind Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP). Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Erdogan said Mr Demirtas and other Kurdish leaders would be "taught a lesson" by the people and the law. He accused Mr Demirtas of challenging Article 14 of the constitution, which bans activities deemed to "violate the indivisible integrity of the state". On Sunday Mr Demirtas backed a declaration by a Kurdish umbrella group - the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) - which called for "autonomous regions" and "self-governance bodies". After 30 years of fighting between Turkish security forces and PKK militants, there has been little progress on the Kurdish issue. The AKP has taken some steps towards improving the cultural rights of the Kurds, including on the official use of the Kurdish language, during its 13-year rule. But many of the Kurds' demands, such as the right to an education in Kurdish, have not been met. Self-rule has been discussed for decades. The idea is now being promoted by a legitimate political party, the HDP, and the umbrella organisation DTK. But with the recent upsurge in fighting in Turkey's mainly Kurdish south-east - with government-imposed curfews and Kurdish militias fighting in the streets - there is little room to talk about rights. The declaration, issued in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, said the "rightful resistance" of Kurds against Turkish state policies "is essentially a demand and struggle for local self-governance and local democracy". It called for the "formation of autonomous regions, to involve several neighbouring provinces in consideration of cultural, economic and geographic affinities". The PKK has been battling the Turkish military for three decades, in a separatist conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.

Summary: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned as "treason" a call by prominent Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas for Kurdish autonomy.


The firm, one of the world's biggest fashion retailers, reported net profits of 3.6bn Swedish kronor ($423m; Â£284m), up 36% from a year earlier. The company said its collections had been "well-received" in the December-to-February period. H&M plans to open about 400 new stores in the 2014-15 financial year. "We have made a very good start to 2015 - in terms of both sales and profits," said H&M chief executive Karl-Johan Persson. "Our attractive customer offering and strong expansion both through stores and online, as well as our work on continuous improvement, are among the reasons for increased market share gains and good profits," he added. However, the company warned that it could be hit by currency movements, noting that "the strong US dollar will affect our sourcing costs going forward". H&M makes most purchases in US dollars, and has a large share of sales in euros, so some analysts are concerned that margins will be affected by the dollar's appreciation against the euro. In the first quarter, sales increased by 15% in local currencies, and by 25% in Swedish kronor, to 40.2bn kronor. The company said it planned to open new stores in Taiwan, Peru and Macau in the first half of 2015, and in South Africa and India in the second half. H&M also said it planned to open online markets in Portugal, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Belgium in the spring, and Switzerland in the autumn.

Summary: Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has said "strong" store and online expansion led to improved sales and profits in the first quarter.


The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued dozens of warnings, most of them in Tayside. People in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway have been asked to pay close attention to the weather forecast over Christmas Day into Boxing Day. Warnings were also in place on Christmas Eve covering Strathglass and Callander. Storm Eva is expected to bring further bad weather to areas which have already been badly affected. A weather warning of heavy rain is in place for much of southern Scotland from 15:00 on Christmas Day through to 23:45 on Boxing Day. Many roads across Dumfries and Galloway were affected by surface water or flooding on Christmas Eve and drivers were asked "slow down and take care". The A76 Dumfries to Kilmarnock road near to Drumlanrig Castle was reported as "flooded but passable". The B724 Annan to Dumfries "low road" was flooded with a road closure in place west of Cummertrees. In Dumfries itself, the Whitesands car parks were closed due to flooding in the area. High winds also affected the north of Scotland on Christmas Eve with gusty of 60mph to 70mph forecast and up to 80mph over the Western Isles. Eleven out of 26 Caledonian MacBrayne routes were disrupted but the situation was improving. Passengers were asked to check on the website, on Twitter @calmac_updates and also on the freephone number 0800 066 5400 for regular updates.

Summary: Many parts of Scotland are at risk of flooding over Christmas after more heavy rain affected the country.


The 16 part-time service personnel have been training alongside about 100 regular troops at the Army Medical Services Training Centre near York. The reservists, from all three armed services, trained in a mock-up field hospital in preparation for flying to Sierra Leone on 20 December. More than 6,000 people have died in the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The UK reservists were joined by Canadian military personnel and Danish health workers for their nine-day training at Strensall Barracks. They will take over from clinicians attached to 22 Field Hospital, who have been in country since October, manning a 12-bed facility reserved to treat health workers with the Ebola virus. Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois said UK forces had "already played a leading role supporting the UK's efforts to tackle Ebola". "During my visit to Sierra Leone last month, I witnessed the impressive contribution the military has provided to the fight against Ebola thus far; by treating infected healthcare workers, providing protective equipment training at the Ebola Training Academy, assisting in the build of six treatment units and providing logistical support," he said. The number of UK military personnel in Sierra Leone will remain at about 800. The Ministry of Defence said the UK had built facilities in the country for about 700 beds for Ebola patients. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are the countries worst affected by the current outbreak, which was identified as Ebola in March 2014.

Summary: British military reservists are to join regular troops in Sierra Leone to help tackle the Ebola outbreak.


Recent online leaks showed some officials were receiving over 100 times more than an average public sector worker on about $400 (Â£305) a month. The cap for government officials is now set for $2,630 and $5,250 for those in the mixed state-private sector. Public anger has already led to the sacking of several bank directors. One of them was paid about $60,000 a month, according to leaked payslips. However, it was not clear whether it was the director's monthly salary or total earnings, including a bonus. Any payment beyond the new limits would now be seen as "a violation and crime", government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht said on Tuesday. The row has also given conservative critics of President Hassan Rouhani new ammunition to attack him ahead of his likely bid for re-election next year.

Summary: The Iranian government says it will cap salaries of public officials after a row over the high level of pay of some employees.


The Create Your Space programme will allow groups to apply for grants to make changes to their local areas or conserve existing sites. The money comes from the Big Lottery Fund and dormant accounts' funding from bank and building societies. Applicants will be able to seek grants from between £500,000 and £2m for a seven-year project. The total grants available come to £8.8m. The council areas are Caerphilly, Conwy, Flintshire, Anglesey, Newport, Monmouthshire, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham.

Summary: Nine councils in Wales are to share nearly £9m to improve natural environments used by local communities.


Molanna angustata is a type of caddisfly that inhabits Wales and England up to the Lake District and Yorkshire. RSPB Scotland trainee ecologist Genevieve Dalley discovered and identified two males caught in a moth trap at Insh Marshes near Kingussie. The flies' larvae live in water and create protective cases. These tubes are made from tiny particles of sand and stuck together with silk. When they have grown to a winged adult they chew their way out of the case and swim up to the surface where they eventually fly away. However, this journey has to be done quickly or predators, such as fish, will eat them. Ms Dalley said: "It is fantastic to have discovered this new species, especially since it is the first ever record of its kind in Scotland. "However, there is still a lot of work to be done if we want to fully understand this interesting little creature. "We don't know why it's never been found in Scotland before - it could be that the species is starting to move north, or it could be that this type of caddisfly has simply gone unnoticed until now."

Summary: A species of insect not previously recorded in Scotland has been found at an RSPB reserve in the Highlands.


Ivor Gifford from Abertillery sent explicit messages to fake profiles set up by a group called The Hunted One, which claims to "hunt sexual predators". He claimed he believed everyone on the site was over 18, but a jury at Newport Crown Court found him guilty. Sentencing will take place on 2 June. The court heard two profiles 'Jessie' and 'Jodie' were contacted by Gifford. He repeatedly sent messages and made comments which were of a sexual nature despite being told several times by those behind the profiles they were 11 and 12. Owen Williams, prosecuting, said: "He was persistent in his attempts. In over 100 pages of messages, you will see that the vast majority refer to a sexual act. "Mr Gifford graphically describes sexual acts. He sent images of himself naked." The court heard the chat logs described Mr Gifford asking if the person he was speaking to had reached puberty yet, and if she would "dress sexy" if they met. Mr Williams continued: "He then went a stage further, having groomed online he made arrangements to meet her. "Directing a child, who doesn't know how to get from Cardiff to Abertillery, how to get a bus then a train." Two members of The Hunted One confronted Gifford at Llanhilleth train station, where he had arranged to meet his online contact. The police were then called and Gifford was arrested. He had denied inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and a charge of online grooming but a jury deliberated for around an hour before finding him guilty. Det Supt Leanne Brustad, head of public protection for Gwent Police, said while officers relied on members of the public to detect crime, it was important not to cross the line into vigilantism. "Revealing the identity of suspected paedophiles gives the suspect the opportunity to destroy evidence before the police can investigate them," she said. "It also leads to people who have been identified going missing or raising concerns for their safety. "This can divert significant resources into protecting suspects, which would be better invested in investigating and, where there is evidence, prosecuting them."

Summary: A 92-year-old man has been found guilty of using a chatroom to incite what he believed were 11 and 12-year-old girls to engage in sexual activity.


The weapons were intended for Syrian Kurdish fighters. Small arms, ammunition and other weaponry were dropped in 28 bundles on Monday by the US to help those defending the town of Kobane from IS. A US spokesman said 26 of the dropped equipment ended up in the right hands. The Pentagon says one bundle of weapons was taken by IS fighters while a second stray bundle was destroyed in an air strike. So how did it happen? And could the same mistake be made again? Dr David Betz from the Department of War Studies at King's College London is an expert in strategy, insurgency and counter-insurgency. Newsbeat put these questions to him. Air dropping supplies to forces on the ground is never a first choice. It's costly relative to other means, and though it is a well-established and a long-practised technique, it is also relatively inaccurate, for obvious reasons. It's done when there is no other alternative, most often as in this case, because the supported force is effectively beleaguered. It would seem that Turkey is not permitting supplies to the Kurds fighting in Syria to cross its border. If it were it would be much simpler, more efficient, and effective to do it that way. Often. That is why it's a last resort. Military history is full of instances of surrounded forces being supplied from the air. Think of the Germans at Stalingrad surrounded by the Russians in the winter of 1942-43, the British paras at Arnhem in the Netherlands surrounded by German forces in 1944, American marines at Khe Sanh surrounded by North Vietnamese forces in 1968. Or in a slightly different way the Allied supply of the French Resistance throughout the war. Sometimes it works - often it doesn't. As noted above, it is a well established skill and no doubt armed forces have gotten a lot more accurate over time but there are inherent limitations of accuracy when dropping things on pallets dangling from parachutes into an active combat zone where forces are intermixed in close proximity. Undoubtedly they are deriving propagandic value from it, as the article suggests, but that is not to say they are making it up. I would say all of the above, of course. Weather, enemy action, pilot or navigational error, equipment failure... War is inherently chancy and it makes the simplest things difficult. I wouldn't necessarily characterise the drop as not going as planned. The planners would have known quite well that there was a strong possibility of some items going astray. In fact, they'd know to a good deal of precision what the per cent would be. It goes back to the previous point of having no better option. If the only way of getting however many tonnes of military supplies to the Kurdish forces was to drop them in a way that IS got its hands on a fraction of them it might still be judged worthwhile to do so. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: An Islamic State video which shows militants with US weapons is being investigated by defence experts at the Pentagon, the US defence headquarters.


The matter will be discussed at the International Football Association Board (Ifab) annual meeting at Wembley. Ifab are keen to reach a decision in principle at Friday's gathering. "The captain should be more than somebody who has a piece of material on their arm," Ifab technical director David Elleray told BBC Sport. "Can we consult them more about how the game should be played? Should we encourage much better relationships between the captains and players? Should the captain also bear more responsibility?" Former Premier League referee Elleray believes the measures may stop players crowding around referees, as only the captain would have the authority to talk to officials after what he describes as "major incidents". "If that stops six players from each team going to talk the referee that will enhance respect and improve respect for the game," he said. "When I was refereeing, sometimes you could say to a captain 'have a word with Freddy because he's getting quite close to a yellow card' and he could calm him down. "You could explain decisions to a good captain and he could pass that on." Elleray confirmed that discussions have already taken place with an expert panel of players, coaches and referees and that there is widespread support for the plans. Other items on the agenda include a proposal to introduce sin-bins for yellow-card offences. The measure has been tested in Uefa development competitions and some amateur leagues in recent years. If approved, sin-bins will come in at youth and amateur levels and could be introduced to the professional game within two to three years. Ifab will also talk about allowing national associations more freedom to decide on the number of substitutions in a game. The move is intended to help the development of the game at lower levels, "by promoting and encouraging more people to take part". Ifab is made up of Fifa and the four British home associations - the FAs of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and is responsible for making the final decision on law changes.

Summary: Captains would be the only players permitted to speak to referees about "major incidents", should a proposal from football's lawmakers be adopted.


Cafodd y gwasanaethau brys eu galw i'r digwyddiad rhwng Gwesty Penygwryd a Chapel Curig am tua 07:00 fore Iau. Bu farw'r bachgen ac mae dynes 18 oed hefyd wedi dioddef anafiadau difrifol yn y gwrthdrawiad. Mae pedwar arall hefyd wedi'u cludo i Ysbyty Gwynedd ym Mangor gydag anafiadau llai difrifol. Mae Heddlu Gogledd Cymru wedi apelio am dystion, ac yn awyddus i siarad ag unrhyw un welodd gar Renault Clio du yn teithio rhwng Beddgelert a Phenygwryd rhwng 06:30 a 07:00.

Summary: Mae bachgen 17 oed wedi marw a dynes ifanc wedi'i hanafu'n ddifrifol yn dilyn gwrthdrawiad rhwng car a bws mini ar ffordd yr A4086 ger Capel Curig.


Kieran Davies, 28, had denied murdering Ashley Hawkins, 32, from Barry in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, who was found dead in a flat in Scotland Street on 2 December 2016 at 05:30. Sentencing was deferred for background reports at the High Court in Edinburgh. Lord Boyd told jurors: "Murder cases are always difficult." He added: "They are emotionally draining for everybody involved in it." Police who were called to the second floor flat at 7 Scotland Street and forced entry found Mr Hawkins dead with catastrophic head injuries. Unemployed Davies was the only other occupant of the locked property and was found topless, wearing jogging bottoms and trainers extensively stained with the dead man's blood. A Reebok top, which Davies had earlier been seen wearing, was found in a washing machine, saturated with the victim's blood, along with brain tissue. The court heard Mr Hawkins had suffered at least 24 blows to the head and a metal pole and broken hammer recovered from the flat could have been used as weapons in the fatal attack. Davies, a prisoner in Edinburgh, was found guilty of murdering Mr Hawkins by repeatedly striking him on the head with weapons and repeatedly stamping and kicking him on the head and body. Police were alerted to the incident in the early hours of the morning after neighbours heard banging and shouting coming from the flat. One teenager was aware of 15 to 20 bangs and screaming which had stopped by the end of the disturbance. The witness was confident that no one left the premises from the end of the banging until the arrival of officers. Police found the front door of the flat was locked and entry was forced and an attempt was made to resuscitate the victim who was lying face down covered with a blanket and surrounded by a pool of blood. Prosecutor David Taylor told jurors: "When police came into that locked flat there were two people there - one alive, covered in blood and one dead, violently murdered. There is no mystery in this case." He said Davies and Mr Hawkins had come to Edinburgh from Wales "as best of friends" but added there was evidence that changed and there was friction between them. Davies told police that he had taken Valium and claimed that he also had a needle of heroin and ecstasy. A blood test later proved negative for ecstasy and opiate drugs but gave an indication that he had taken diazepam and cannabis. Mr Stewart told the court that previously consideration had been given to Davies' fitness to stand trial and a psychiatrist who had seen him reported that he suffered from a delusional disorder. Det Insp Stuart Alexander, of Police Scotland's major investigation team, said: "Davies continued to maintain his innocence throughout the investigation and trial, despite significant evidence of his guilt. "When officers found him in the flat, he claimed to have no recollection of Ashley's death and has given no explanation for why he took the life of a friend. "Davies subjected Ashley to a brutal

Summary: The former best friend of a man found bludgeoned to death in one of the most exclusive streets in Edinburgh has been found guilty of the murder.


Stephen Downing, 55, was jailed for five years after he and his partner Claire Holmes, 26, both of Marsh Green, earlier pleading guilty to supplying the class A drug Downing also admitted mortgage fraud and six counts of money laundering. Holmes, 26, was jailed for two years and six months. Downing, who owned seven houses, a strip of land and business premises in Wigan, has been ordered to pay back nearly Â£400,000 and Holmes more than Â£5,000. Police searched their home in October 2012 and found cocaine and drug-dealing paraphernalia and large amounts of cash. Officers returned in 2013 and found more cocaine, about Â£45,000 in cash, debt lists and details of drug deals. In 2005 Downing had illegally remortgaged his home and used the money to purchase other properties, the police investigation also revealed. The pair tried to blame the drug dealing on Downing's son and he was charged as a result of this false testimony, Greater Manchester Police said. He was acquitted in January when they changed their pleas. Constable Peter Jackson from Greater Manchester Police said the pair were "reprehensible". "Downing and Holmes were determined to live a lifestyle funded entirely by nefarious means. They made their money by dealing drugs and Downing then tried to hide this by fraudulently purchasing and leasing out a string of properties which supplied him with rental income." He said when they blamed Downing's son. it was a "a perfect of example of the phrase 'no honour amongst thieves'"

Summary: A couple have been jailed for dealing cocaine from their home in Wigan and ordered to pay back the money they made illegally.


"We are on top of it." In his time, Hum has worked with Sir Alec Guinness, Joyce Grenfell and Sir Jonathan Miller. He did not share the stage with those greats but instead, as a lighting technician, he was responsible for throwing the spotlight on some of British theatre's leading stars. Now Hum is finally stepping into the spotlight himself - albeit with the aid of a walking stick. He is appearing in Anniversary at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds with four other local people of advancing years from the theatre's senior citizens group Heydays. They are joined by five seasoned professional dancers whose ages range from the 50s to 70s - a section of the population rarely seen in the lithe world of professional dance. What the show's routines lack in athletic abandon they make up for in playful spirit and poignant suggestion. As well as dancing, the participants deliver monologues that reflect on aspects of their lives. "The memory's not what it was," Hum says of learning his lines. "At one time I'd swallow chunks of texts like a rabbit, but these days I have to hammer it in." When Anniversary director Alan Lyddiard left his job as artistic director of Northern Stage in Newcastle in 2005, he thought there would be no shortage of theatre work. But, after returning from travelling as the financial crisis hit, he realised he was wrong. "I decided I had to create my own work," he says. "I was then approaching 60 and I thought, why don't I try and start a company of people like me - people that were feeling that maybe their careers were sort of coming to an end? "I thought maybe I could say that their careers were just beginning. "I thought of myself as an emerging artist at the age of 60, trying to create a new type of theatre. A theatre that was specifically to be created by older people, but for everybody." Lyddiard founded Performance Ensemble two years ago and Anniversary is the theatre company's biggest production to date. At 67, does he feel that older performers and artists are neglected by the mainstream? "A little bit. I feel slightly patronised at times. You know, 'Dear old thing, is he still around?' I feel slightly that people forget. "I think there is a feeling in the arts that you've always got to be looking for the new, looking for the young, looking for the new ideas. This is why I call myself an emerging artist, because I want to be new." Older performers can bring qualities to a show that bright young things simply do not possess, he believes. "They have an incredible experience of being on a stage, being seen by an audience, having lived a long life and knowing that they have an internal knowledge, an internal understanding, of what is possible. "They're not necessarily able to stretch their legs quite as high as they used to, but [they are] able to present in performance quality something rich and deep and something that's

Summary: "We are not over the hill" declares 87-year-old James Humphrey Haslem Crawshaw - known to all as Hum - from the stage during rehearsals for his theatrical debut.


How long does it take to drive from Scotland to Russia? James Parker took his camera and found out by driving 9,898 miles in a classic 1972 Morris Minor, raising money for charity on the way. Passing through 19 countries, across three deserts and over two seas, Parker spent 53 days on the road. He particularly focused on capturing male subjects, wanting to find out if gender expectations changed from the West to East. On his journey, Parker realised: "I was being quite reflective with who I was photographing... I was focusing on situations that I recognised myself in." As a result, many of his subjects are young men like himself. He bonded with them over their transportation, "the bike being a universal object that no language barrier detracts from using." Driving such an unusual car was also often a benefit. "We would stop for a rest and to stretch the legs, next thing we knew, coffee sprung out from nowhere," he remembered. "Ten 'mechanics' turned up, the bonnet was open and it was like a Formula 1 pit crew... albeit with a few more bellies!" The journey had many highlights for Parker, although he soon realised that driving for up to 10 hours a day could be extremely tiring. Another struggle he encountered was finding fuel and food in remote places. Furthermore, they were stopped by the police regularly, although he said: "Our lowest bribe was a couple of smokes and a handshake." Despite this, "camping under the stars in the Gobi Desert, getting lost in Istanbul during the attempted coup," as well as "riding a hot air balloon over Cappadocia (Central Anatolia) during the sunrise" were particularly memorable. Plus - the car never got a puncture.

Summary: All photographs by James Parker.


Bauer Media, which operates the main regional franchises, cited a 10% growth in the reach of its Clyde 1 station since last summer. The industry figures, known as RAJAR, reported that April to June saw an annual rise for Clyde 1 to 643,000 listeners for part of the average week. That was the highest share of the radio market since 2004. The total number of hours during which people listened to the station, which covers west central Scotland, was up by nearly 7% to almost five million hours in total. Forth 1, covering east central Scotland, had 366,000 listeners in the average week, up 5%, and representing nearly 18% of listeners in the area. It saw a rise of nearly half in the number of hours of listening. Tay FM had 135,000 listeners, and achieved a market share of 21%, its highest since 2011. There was a similar market share for MFR, based in Inverness, and Westsound, covering south-west Scotland. Graham Bryce, managing director of Bauer City Network, said: "These fantastic results demonstrate our ongoing commitment to, and passion for, local radio across Scotland. "Our station talent, along with our rich heritage of over 40 years in this sector, guarantee an unparalleled understanding of the market which is particularly reassuring for listeners in times of uncertainty. "Continuing to grow our listener figures in such a competitive space is a real achievement and allows our advertisers to access highly-engaged and relevant local audiences." The RAJAR figures were up for Capital and Heart FM stations. The commercial sector has to compete for audiences with the BBC, from which Radio 2 has continued to have the biggest reach in Scotland. The industry figures, based on a continuing survey of a sample of radio listeners, found that BBC Radio Scotland continued to reach more than a fifth of adults in Scotland. At 20.5% of the audience, that means 929,000 listeners in the average week listening for an average of six hours and 14 minutes. The head of Radio Scotland, Jeff Zycinski, said the share of the audience had remained stable, but that "time spent with the station, or hours per listener, seems to have taken a bit of a dip". He linked this to the end of the football season, and said there would be a marketing effort to increase the retention of audiences through the listening day.

Summary: Scotland's main commercial radio broadcaster has welcomed significant increases in listener figures.


The logo, called Harmonized Chequered Emblem, replaces the first choice which was thrown out last year after the designer was accused of plagiarism. The designer denied stealing the idea. Organisers said the new design used traditional Japanese colours and patterns to represent the intercultural themes of the Games. "It incorporates the message of 'unity in diversity'," they said, and the idea that the Games "seek to promote diversity as a platform to connect the world". When designer Asao Tokolo found out he had won the re-opened contest he said "my mind has gone blank". "I put a lot of time and effort into this design as though it was my own child." The first design was rejected after Belgian artist Olivier Debie alleged it copied his design for a theatre logo. The Games organising committee never agreed to the allegation of plagiarism but said there were too many doubts over the emblem for it to be used. The logo dispute came shortly after Tokyo decided to scrap the designs for the main Olympic stadium because of spiralling construction costs. A cheaper design, by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, was chosen in December last year.

Summary: Japan's Olympic organisers have unveiled the new official logos of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.


At least 48 people died in Nepal and 1,100 were hurt in Tuesday's 7.3 magnitude quake, with fears the figures could rise. At least 17 died in India. A US aid helicopter is also missing, with eight people on board. Thousands of Nepalis spent the night in the open. Many have not returned to their homes since a 7.8 magnitude quake on 25 April that killed over 8,000. Tuesday's earthquake was centred about 76km (47 miles) east of the capital, Kathmandu, near the town of Namche Bazaar. A second tremor of 6.3-magnitude hit Nepal 30 minutes later and numerous other aftershocks continued into Wednesday morning. The main quake was felt in northern India, Tibet and Bangladesh. India's home ministry said 16 people had been killed in the state of Bihar, and one more in Uttar Pradesh. Officials in China said one person was confirmed dead in Tibet. Read eyewitness accounts of the quake Nepal's districts of Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk, east of the capital, were initially listed as the worst hit, with officials confirming 26 fatalities, 20 of them in the town of Charikot. But the true extent of the casualties and damage remains unclear. Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam said: "Many houses have collapsed in Dolakha... there is a chance that the number of dead from the district will go up." Regine Kopplow, a German aid worker in Charikot said: "I saw a woman in the building opposite jump from the third floor who suffered injuries to her leg, elbow and hand. "People stayed outside, the shaking continued. Some people were crying, hugging each other." The US military said a Marine Corps Huey helicopter involved in disaster relief efforts had gone missing while working in the vicinity of Charikot. The Pentagon said there were six US Marines and two Nepali soldiers on board. It said there was as yet no sign of a crash and the craft may have landed safely, amid reports of fuel issues. The Red Cross said it had received reports of many casualties in the town of Chautara in Sindhupalchowk, where it has a hospital and which has become a hub for humanitarian aid. Spokeswoman Nichola Jones said: "Hundreds of people are pouring in. They are treating dozens for injuries and they have performed more than a dozen surgeries." At least two major buildings collapsed in Kathmandu, with at least three people rescued. But there have been other reports of landslides and fallen buildings in towns and villages outside the capital. Save the Children said Gorkha, close to the epicentre of the 25 April quake, had been hit by new landslides. A spokeswoman told the BBC its staff had been "dodging huge rocks rolling off the hillside". Residents of Namche Bazaar said there was some damage there but no reports of deaths. The BBC's Navin Singh Khadka says local officials in the Everest region report very few tourists are still in the area following the 25 April quake. Many residents of the capital and other towns spent Tuesday night outdoors, too scared to return to homes. Dipak Koirala,

Summary: Rescue work is set to resume to find victims and survivors of the latest deadly earthquake to hit Nepal.


Burton, 62, worked briefly as Albion coach under Roy Hodgson before returning to the club in May 2014, to work alongside the club's sporting and technical director Richard Garlick. Day, 60, recruited in July 2014, was with Albion less than a year. "It was felt changes were required," said Albion chairman Jeremy Peace. Since appointing Garlick in January 2013 as 'sporting and technical director' to replace the FA-bound Dan Ashworth, Albion have had four head coaches - Steve Clarke, Pepe Mel, Alan Irvine and Tony Pulis. "We are looking ahead positively to a new beginning under Tony Pulis after two gruelling seasons," Peace told the Albion club website. "All our focus now is on preparing the squad for a stronger performance. "I am on record as saying we would be engaged in an on-going review at all levels. In Tony, we have a very experienced and hands-on operator." Former West Ham keeper Day was head of scouting and recruitment at Championship side Brighton prior to join Albion, while Burton left his post as Arsenal's head of youth coaching to return to the Midlands.

Summary: West Bromwich Albion technical director Terry Burton and head of recruitment Mervyn Day have left The Hawthorns as part of an expected summer reshuffle.


Conservative MP Justin Tomlinson has written to the Metropolitan Police after the publication of a photo online by the Guido Fawkes website. Mr Tomlinson told the BBC that road safety was an important issue and the matter should be investigated. Mr Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, is a former transport minister. The MP, who is thought likely to seek the Labour nomination for London mayor in 2016, was given a national award by road safety charity Brake this year. Mr Khan told the BBC: "Allegations have been made that I glanced at my phone whilst in my car. "I understand that a Conservative MP has now reported this matter to the Metropolitan police. Of course I will be fully cooperating with any investigation." Mr Tomlinson has written to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe about the alleged incident, reported to have taken place on Monday. "I would be very grateful if you could investigate this further - road safety is a serious issue and those who make the laws should certainly not be above them," he wrote. The Met confirmed it had received Mr Tomlinson's complaint. A spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that today we have received a letter. We are currently assessing its content."

Summary: Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan has said he will co-operate with any investigation over claims he used his mobile phone while driving.


All 33 crew died when the El Faro disappeared sailing from Florida to Puerto Rico in October 2015. Its wreckage was discovered a month later but search crews were not able to retrieve the black box until now. It is hoped the data will help determine what happened in the final hours before the boat's sinking. "The recovery of the recorder has the potential to give our investigators greater insight into the incredible challenges that the El Faro crew faced,'' said Christophe Hart, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The black box was found in April this year but only recovered after search crews drove a remotely operated vehicle down to the ship's resting place to remove it. Hearings earlier this year looked at Captain Michael Davidson's decision to leave port with a huge storm brewing, and the safety record of the ship's owner, Tote Services. A panel found that Davidson was aware of the hurricane and had planned a safer route but may have had out-of-date weather advice. The El Faro sent out a distress signal on 1 October, saying it had lost power and was taking on water The ship was eventually found 15,000 ft (4,570m) under the sea. A body wearing a survival suit was recovered shortly after the sinking, as was a heavily damaged lifeboat with no one aboard.

Summary: Search teams have recovered the black box data recorder from a cargo ship that sank last year near the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin.


The pilgrims congregated from sunrise at the site and the vast plain which surrounds it, about 15km from Mecca. Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon at the location. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which all Muslims are called upon to perform at least once. On Saturday it emerged that Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, would not deliver the traditional Hajj sermon for the first time in 35 years because of health complications. It follows controversy sparked by his remarks that Iranians were "not Muslims". The comments came after Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Saudi Arabia's management of the Hajj. Iran has boycotted this year's pilgrimage., instead endorsing an alternative event on Saturday at the holy city of Karbala in Iraq. Tensions between the two countries have risen after a crush in last year's pilgrimage killed at least 2,426 people, including 464 Iranians, according to an unofficial count. Saudi Arabia and Iran do not have diplomatic relations and are at loggerheads over a series of regional issues including the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. But news of the Ayatollah's absence has not diminished the enthusiasm of the pilgrims. "It's marvellous," Egyptian pilgrim Louza, 45, was quoted as saying. "I'm here closer to God. It's an indescribable feeling." Against a backdrop of other mountains the pilgrims squatted, stood, or climbed up steps constructed into the hill while reciting incantations. "We feel at ease and are totally benefiting from our pilgrimage," Soumaya, 30, from Mali, told the AFP news agency. Her friend, Khadija Bechir, 23. agreed, praising the event for being well organised. Pilgrims come from all over the world to the Hajj but Indonesia - the most populous Muslim nation - has the largest quota. Official figures issued late on Saturday revealed that more than 1.3 million pilgrims attending the Hajj are from outside Saudi Arabia. A vast expanse of white fireproof tents has been pitched at Mina, to accommodate in excess of 2.5 million pilgrims. The stampede in Mina last September is considered to be the worst disaster in Hajj history. It took place as pilgrims were going to the Jamarat Bridge for a stoning ritual which this this year will start on Monday, officials say. Saudi Arabia has consistently downplayed the number of casualties. It has announced an investigation but no conclusions have been released.

Summary: The annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has reached its climax with 1.5 million Muslims gathering at Mount Arafat to offer day-long prayers and recitations from the Koran.


The 33-year-old suffered several broken bones after suffering an accident while leading the Superbike race at the Ulster Grand Prix last weekend. Despite his injuries it has been reported that Martin has already signed himself out of hospital in Belfast. A spokesman for Triumph said Martin was "central" to their record attempt. The TT racer and television personality from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, is planning to beat the current 376.363mph record (605km/h) in Triumph's 1,000 bhp Rocket III Streamliner. A spokesman for Leicestershire-based Triumph said: "Guy is a unique talent and having such a pilot is absolutely central to our attempt. "We wish him a full and speedy recovery and will confirm a new date for our 2016 bid as soon as we can." On Monday, Martin tweeted: "I'm on the mend - few upgrades to me hand& back but feel right enough. All part of the job. Thanks very much for the support as always." He is reported to have fractured a vertebrae, his sternum, and a number of ribs in the 100mph crash as well as damaging his throttle hand.

Summary: A British team has postponed its bid to break a 400mph land speed record after pilot Guy Martin crashed during the world's fastest road race.


The ex-Middlesex captain moved to Lord's from Essex in 2009 and has scored 5,977 first-class runs since making his debut for Kent in 2005. Dexter, 31, has taken 28 wickets in all formats this season and is two scalps short of his 100th first-class wicket. "It's a bit of a coup for the club," elite performance director Andrew McDonald told BBC Radio Leicester. "It is nice to have someone of Dexter's experience, leadership qualities and skill set join the club. "What he will offer in all three formats of the game is going to be superb. We felt that the little bit of extra experience was needed for this group to be the real deal next season. "It is a good sign when players like Dexter approach us. It shows the steps forward we are taking on and off the field."

Summary: Leicestershire have signed Middlesex all-rounder Neil Dexter on a three-year contract from the start of next season.


The 1954 Hague Convention was set up after World War Two but has never been adopted into law by the government. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale says destruction and looting in Syria and Iraq by Islamic State militants shows it is now essential. The UK is the only major nation not to have endorsed the convention. More than 115 countries are party to the agreement, including all United Nations Security Council members, except for the UK. The Hague Convention was meant to ensure nations and armies would not target cultural treasures. The UK was one of the original signatories to the convention but it was never ratified. The 1990s conflict in the Balkans saw the agreement revised and in 2004 the UK said it would ratify when time allowed. Mr Whittingdale says the convention will now become law in the UK "at the first opportunity". He said: 'While the UK's priority will continue to be the human cost of these conflicts, I am in no doubt we must also do what we can to prevent any further cultural destruction. "The loss of a country's heritage threatens its very identity." A fund to support future intervention by archaeologists to recover at-risk monuments in Iraq, Syria and Libya is also reportedly to be set up by the government at a summit in September. Professor Peter Stone, a leading campaigner for the convention's adoption, says it was "fantastic news... as long as there are no further delays". Shadow culture secretary, Chris Bryant, who says Labour is committed to prompt ratification, said earlier this month that he was "at a loss to understand" why the government had not yet acted. The director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, is also among those to have called on the UK to ratify the convention. IS militants have been accused selling Syria's cultural heritage to raise funds, leading to a UN ban in the trade of artefacts from the country. There are fears the militants may destroy the 2,000-year-old Roman-era ruins in Palmyra in Syria, while in Iraq the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud is among the sites they have targeted.

Summary: A major international agreement designed to protect cultural property during military conflict is to be finally ratified by the UK.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 27 August 2015 Last updated at 00:00 BST That's the good news. The bad news is that the Zano drone which the company hopes to start sending to backers next week will not at first deliver what was promised last year. BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones travelled to Pembroke Dock to find out just how challenging it is to deliver on the promises you make in a crowdfunding project.

Summary: Europe's most successful Kickstarter project is finally ready to deliver the tiny drone that won more than Â£2.3m in backing last November.


The Central Hotel, often frequented by politicians, was hit by a car bomb and a suicide attack. Gunmen then stormed the hotel mosque and opened fire during Friday prayers. An MP and Mogadishu's deputy mayor were among the dead, the government says. Islamist militant group al-Shabab has said it was behind the attack. The al-Qaeda linked group has been driven out of the country's major towns but still controls many rural areas in the south. The BBC's Mohamed Moalimu in the city says the area around the hotel has been cordoned off. "First the car bomb exploded at the gate of the hotel, then a suicide bomber blew himself up in the hotel compound," police Major Nur Mohamed told Reuters. Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir Mareeye told the BBC that Somalia's deputy prime minister and other ministers had been at the hotel at the time but had survived the attack. An al-Shabab spokesman told BBC Somali analyst Mary Harper it had killed the officials while they were praying because they were "apostates". It has previously said it would target members of the government. Earlier this month, al-Shabab shot dead an MP in a drive-by shooting in Mogadishu.

Summary: Some 20 people, including senior officials, have been killed in an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital, witnesses have told the BBC.


Scrum-half Rhys Webb returns after injury, while former captain Sam Warburton is named on the blind-side flank by interim coach Rob Howley. Props Nicky Smith and Samson Lee come in to the team, with Jake Ball in for the injured Luke Charteris at lock. Bath number eight Taulupe Faletau has failed to recover from a knee injury. Media playback is not supported on this device Scott Williams is preferred at centre to Jamie Roberts, who is on the bench, while Dan Biggar will partner Webb at half-back. The Ospreys scrum-half missed the autumn Tests against Argentina, Japan and South Africa after injuring a knee against Australia on 5 November. Lock Alun Wyn Jones leads the team for the first time since taking over from Warburton as skipper. None of the uncapped players in the extended squad have made the match day 23, with interim coach Rob Howley saying it was important to start the tournament with a win. In fact Howley's starting XV averages more than 45 caps a man. "We've gone with a lot of experience with 10 out the XV who started against South Africa," he said. "It's important to start well hence the selection you see. "We've been there as coaches and some of the players have - 2009 comes to mind - when we made a number of changes and given opportunities but we just feel for the start of the campaign we want to start well. "We believe the Six Nations is going to be about momentum and we wanted to pick a rather experienced team to start the tournament." Meanwhile Italy coach, Conor O'Shea, has made five changes from the team that beat South Africa in November for the Wales clash. There are no uncapped players in the Italian squad as captain Sergio Parisse returns to lead the side and win his 122nd Test cap. Italy: Edoardo Padovani (Zebre); Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Luke McLean (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Edoardo Gori (Treviso); Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Ornel Gega (Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Bayonne), Marco Fuser (Treviso), George Biagi (Zebre), Abraham Steyn (Treviso), Maxime Mata Mbanda (Zebre), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais Paris, capt). Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini (Toulouse), Sami Panico (Calvisano), Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Zebre), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Giorgio Bronzini (Treviso), Tommaso Allan (Treviso), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs). Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon); George North (Northampton), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys); Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester). Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Cory Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins).

Summary: Wales have made five changes from the team that beat South Africa in November for Sunday's Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome.


The Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute says boosting the number of skilled jobs would stop the north falling further behind the south. Author Tom Hunt said manufacturing was a "good base to build on". The government said the research, commissioned by BBC Sheffield, backed the case for its Northern Powerhouse. The findings come from a review of the economies of Sheffield, Brighton and surrounding areas, and Oxfordshire. Published in the week Chancellor George Osborne will deliver his Autumn statement, and just over a month after political leaders in the Sheffield City Region put pen to paper on a devolution deal, the report for BBC Radio Sheffield lays bare the challenge facing the chancellor in kick-starting the Northern Powerhouse. The report compared areas such as employment, wages and economic output in the Sheffield City Region, Oxfordshire and the Coast to Capital (stretching from Brighton to south London) Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP). It concluded Sheffield's weaker performance since the 2008 financial crisis is an "indication that the decades-long trend of the South of England significantly to outperform the North persists". The report added: "In the context of austerity politics and the prospect of further reductions in government spending, the economy of the South of England looks set to continue significantly to outperform the North of England." Mr Hunt said the research had used economic indicators including employment and unemployment rates, weekly pay and economic output to see how the three economies performed since the global financial crisis hit in 2008. He said: "What we saw over the last 10 years is that the Sheffield City Region economy had consistently higher unemployment than the two areas in the south. "We also saw that pay on average was lower in Sheffield City Region than in the two southern regions and we saw that the economic output for the Sheffield City Region was lower throughout the whole of the last decade." He said: "One of the more surprising elements was when you look at the economic output [gross value added (GVA)] of Sheffield City Region. "This is an economy which contributes £30bn to the overall UK economy a year, but when you break that down into economic output per person Sheffield City Region comes out 38th out of 39 regions in England. "The figure per person is around £17,000 a head - only Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have a lower figure." He said he one of the main reasons for the low GVA was the number of people in Sheffield employed in low wage and low skilled employment, such as retail, hotels and the restaurant sector. "Those areas in the south have seen the percentage of people working in that sector decline in the last ten years, but in Sheffield City Region they have stayed flat," he said. "Since 2012 when the economic recovery began to take place most new jobs in Sheffield City Region have been in that retail, hotels and restaurant sector, so what we need in Sheffield City Region are jobs in the higher value sectors such as finance, such as professional

Summary: An increase in manufacturing jobs in the Sheffield City Region could help close the economic gap between northern and southern regions, a report says.


Speaking in a debate in London, Richard Ashworth MEP said "we're making ourselves look pretty darned unattractive" as a partner in the EU. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has not ruled out a British exit if the EU fails to reform. Many Conservatives want a straight "in-out" referendum on the UK's membership. Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to make a key speech on the UK's role in Europe on 22 January. He has not yet given details about the speech, but there is speculation that he will propose a referendum, to be held after the UK election in 2015. Referring to the Conservative ambition to repatriate various powers from Brussels, Mr Ashworth said "an evolutionary solution" was the way to proceed, not "the nuclear option" of withdrawal. He warned that strident Euroscepticism was giving the impression of a Britain "snarling like a pitbull across the Channel". He went on to say that a lot of nations were on the UK's side, including Sweden, Finland and Denmark. In recent days senior politicians in the US and Germany have warned against Britain leaving the EU. But Chancellor Osborne did not rule out a British exit in an interview with Germany's Die Welt newspaper on Friday. "I very much hope that Britain remains a member of the EU," he said. "But in order that we can remain in the European Union, the EU must change. "The British people are very disappointed with the EU and people have the feeling that too many decisions are made too far away in Brussels. Our citizens are asking themselves if Europe can really solve their most pressing problems and create jobs and prosperity." Mr Cameron's coalition government is now studying areas of EU legislation where the UK may be able to claw back powers. One of its chief concerns is to ease the regulatory burden on small businesses, especially the Working Time Directive and other EU labour and welfare legislation. The government is also considering activating a clause in the Lisbon Treaty that allows the UK to opt out of areas of EU justice and policing next year. Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom is involved in that review, called the Fresh Start project. Speaking in Friday's debate, organised by the pro-EU lobby group Business for New Europe, she said the UK "needs to be at the heart of the EU", but also "needs to articulate a new relationship" with its EU partners. She said it would be feasible to negotiate a new "multilateral" arrangement on justice and policing with the rest of the EU, though conceded that it could be difficult. A leading Conservative Eurosceptic MP, Bill Cash, told the debate participants that "the people don't know what they've got in terms of legislation" from the EU. "There hasn't been a focused debate on the pros and cons [of EU membership] since 1975." He said even the widely praised EU single market was "not working, because new things have been added, increasing the burdens on business". In the debate former Labour Party leader Lord Kinnock attacked the

Summary: The leader of the UK Conservative MEPs says stridently Eurosceptic opinions give the wrong impression that Britain is one against the rest in the EU.


JJ McMenamin, 30, had failed to attend court for alleged driving offences. Officers searched Leyburn, North Yorkshire, for the suspect over the weekend, calling in the force helicopter and sniffer dogs. Earlier Mr McMenamin filmed himself walking up to Harrogate police station dressed as the character. Mr McMenamin shared his arrival at the police station on Facebook Live, saying at one stage: "I'm right outside the cop shop now, let's see how it goes." He had previously taunted police in a series of posts and videos on his Facebook page, including sharing a photo of his head superimposed on an image of children's book character Where's Wally with the caption, "Dude... I'm right here." In another video, Mr McMenamin sang along to Kenny Rogers' The Gambler on the car stereo and laughed as he played Lionel Richie's Hello, which contains the line "is it me you're looking for?", and the Spencer Davis Group's Keep On Running. In another Facebook post the 30-year-old, originally from Middlesbrough, shared a picture of Where's Wally in a police mugshot, with the caption "Hide Seek Champion 2016-2017". A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "A 30-year-old man from Middleham has been arrested after he handed himself in to officers at Harrogate police station. "The arrest comes after extensive police searches for the man over the weekend." A warrant was issued for Mr McMenamin's arrest after he failed to appear at Northallerton Magistrates Court on 19 December to face charges of driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. He was due to attend a hearing at the same court on Monday.

Summary: A wanted man who taunted police by dressing as Where's Wally handed himself in while broadcasting the event on Facebook.


More than 500 complaints have been made to the Environment Agency about the site in Cormongers Lane, Redhill. It said it was monitoring gas emissions and would consider formal action against operator Biffa if it was found to be breaching its permit. Biffa said if did not believe levels of hydrogen sulphide detected posed a threat to human health. Residents have been complaining about the smell from the site, described as like rotten eggs or sewage, for several weeks. Green Party councillor Sarah Finch said it reached its worst levels earlier in the week. "It smells like normal household gas, sometimes with a tinge of sewage smell," she added. "It is a very unpleasant smell which catches in your throat and can make you gag." Paul Bennett, from the Environment Agency, said officers were at the site at least once a day to collect data. The information will be sent to Public Health England to assess whether it poses a risk. "If Biffa don't keep the gas within the site and we find that they are breaching their environmental permit, then we are going to consider formal action against the company," he said. Biffa said it had installed a flarestack as a temporary measure, which would burn off the excess gas. It said a blue or yellow flame may be visible at night. "This action is being taken with the knowledge of the Environment Agency and is a tried and tested method to increase gas extraction capacity," it said. "Biffa has undertaken monitoring of the odours and provided the results to the Environment Agency. "Biffa's interpretation of these results is that the levels of hydrogen sulphide detected do not pose a threat to human health."

Summary: The operator of a Surrey landfill tip could face legal action over a smell of rotten eggs coming from the site.


Inspectors said the "innovative and radical" work with prisoners' children at HMP Parc, Bridgend, was "probably the best we have seen". It opened a 60-bed family interventions unit in 2010. The Prison Officers Association (POA) said more staff and resources would help continue the work. Prison inspectors reported on two unannounced visits they made at G4S-run Parc prison late in 2015 and early this year. They found its work with families encouraged prisoner involvement with the lives of their child. The family interventions unit at the privately-run prison, one of the largest in Wales and England, provides a range of programmes and activities for inmates aimed at helping them to maintain and improve their family relationships. The prison has also worked with Barnardo's Cymru for about 10 years with the aim of making a visit to the jail less challenging for the children of fathers inside. Inspectors said: "A prison analysis suggested that 69% of prisoners at Parc received regular visits compared with an average of 48% across the rest of England and Wales." HMP Parc, which is also a young offenders' institution, houses more than 1,600 prisoners. BBC Radio Wales current affairs programme Eye on Wales was given access to one intervention - a nursery rhyme session for fathers with young children hosted by the prison's charity-sector partner. The men on the Rhyme Time session are inside for a range of offences including violence and drugs. One of them told the programme: "My daughter was born while I was here, so I haven't had the chance to get a bond with her apart from being on groups like this. "Through all these visits, the bond has come. Looking to when you actually get out the gates, from me never seeing my daughter on the outside, ever, I know she already knows that I'm her father and someone special in her life." The head of the prison's family interventions programme, Corin Morgan-Armstrong, said: "It's about reducing reoffending and it's about improving the future outcomes of these children, most of whom will have negative, pre-determined outcomes because of their parental situation." Prisons Minister Mr Selous said: "It's important we remember that the families of prisoners have done nothing wrong; partners, wives and children in particular. "The evidence is that if prisoners manage to maintain strong family relationships they commit less crime when they come out. "Parc has led the way but we really need to embed this as best practice across all prisons in Wales and England." Mark Fairhurst, of the POA, said: "We welcome any new ideas in to how we can rehabilitate offenders and improve everybody's life, but that comes at a cost and the cost is resource, investment and staff training. " Eye on Wales is on BBC Radio Wales at 12:30 BST on Sunday, 12 June

Summary: Using family bonds to promote the rehabilitation of fathers in jail is an idea that should be run in all prisons, minister Andrew Selous has said.


The man was walking along Onslow Road, near the railway bridge at Drumry Railway Station, at about 05:30 on New Year's Day when he was attacked by a group of people. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he is being treated in the high-dependency unit. Police said there was no apparent motive. Officers have been reviewing CCTV from the area and discovered that there were a number of people in the area at the time. Det Insp Grant MacLeod said: "This appears to be a totally random attack, with no apparent motive, leaving a man seriously injured. "Our inquires have revealed that despite it being fairly early in the morning, there were various people in the vicinity at the time of the attack and I am appealing to these people to get in touch. "It's possible you can provide information on the suspects which would assist our investigation in locating those responsible for this violent attack."

Summary: A 40-year-old man has serious injuries after being stabbed by a gang in a "random" attack in Clydebank.


The neighbours announced on Thursday that they had agreed to re-schedule peace talks which were postponed after the attack on an Indian air base. Islamabad has arrested some members of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group, which India blames for the attack. Pakistani papers say the arrests saved the talks from breaking down. The four-day assault on the Pathankot air force base in Punjab, close to the Pakistan border, started on 2 January, when a group of gunmen - wearing Indian army uniforms - entered residential quarters on the air base. Some Pakistani papers urged Islamabad to take "tough decisions", adding that the arrests of some JeM members was "just the start". The Express Tribune commended Pakistan's "constructive" response after the attack. Echoing similar views, The Nation said the "efficiency" of the Pakistani government's investigation into the Pathankot attack was "unprecedented". It added that India was still not ready to "trust" Pakistan despite the arrests of some JeM members, but this situation must "change" to establish lasting peace. Pakistan Today wondered if Pakistan's "zero tolerance for terrorism will continue with the zeal being presently displayed". Some papers argued that both India and Pakistan needed to work together to defeat terrorism. The Daily Times remarked that militants were acting as "spoilers" in the India-Pakistan peace process. It added that despite Islamabad's crackdown on JeM, it "had failed to dismantle the organisation which continues to operate openly in various districts". Some Pakistan papers urged India to act "positively" after Pakistan's decision to investigate the Pathankot attack. The News said the arrests of JeM members was an "important" step to improve Pakistan's ties with India. However, it added that it would be good to see some "cooperation" from India in "detecting outfits [groups] on its soil that operate within Pakistan". Urdu daily Nawa-i-Waqt said India should react in a positive manner to the overtures made by Pakistan. It added that the onus was now on India to work towards the complete restoration of peace talks between the neighbours. Another Urdu daily, Jang, argued that Pakistan had swiftly acted against the suspects of the Indian air base attack. It added the move showed the "political and military establishment's pledge that the Pakistani soil won't be used for terrorism against India", and the neighbour must do the same.

Summary: Pakistani papers have praised Islamabad for overcoming diplomatic tensions with India to continue peace talks efforts.


It is not known who shot Ansar Beit al-Maqdis commander Shadi el-Menei. But several other members of the al-Qaeda-inspired group, which is suspected of a string of recent attacks, were also reportedly killed. The deaths of more than 200 Egyptian soldiers and officials have been blamed on Ansar Beit al-Maqdis since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in July 2013. Profile: Ansar Beit al-Maqdis There are conflicting reports as to who was responsible for the killing of the militants. Unnamed officials were quoted by AFP news agency as saying security forces opened fire on the men as they were about to carry out an attack on a gas pipeline in central Sinai. A different account came from officials who told the Associated Press that Shadi el-Menei and at least three associates were killed by 15 attackers in revenge for the killings of tribesmen by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. Islamist groups in the Sinai have stepped up their attacks against Egypt's army and police forces in the past year. The Egyptian army launched a major operation against militants in the Sinai but attacks have continued. However, the security operation has come at a cost to authorities. A police officer died of his wounds on Friday after being shot the previous day by militants near the border with the Gaza Strip. Last week, two army officers and five militants were said to have died in a gunfight during a raid on a warehouse linked to Islamist militants north of Cairo. Officials said the militants in that attack were from Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. The US state department designated the group a "foreign terrorist organisation" earlier this year.

Summary: Egyptian security officials say a key leader of a militant group has been shot dead in the Sinai peninsula.


The Tories took six seats more than at the last election in 2013 despite a high-profile defeat for council leader John Osman. Mr Osman lost his Wells seat to former Liberal Democrat MP Tessa Munt by 95 votes. However, the Lib Dems lost six seats overall compared to 2013. Election 2017: Full results from across England Despite the Somerset losses, Ms Munt told BBC Radio Four she thought her party was "in full-on bounce back". UKIP lost all three of its seats on the council, while Labour retained its three seats. Along with the remaining 12 Lib Dem councillors, three Independents and two Greens complete the new council. The Green party took the Frome East and Frome West wards previously held by the Lib Dems. Following Mr Osman's defeat, deputy council leader David Hall is expected to take on the responsibilities of leader until a full council meeting on 24 May.

Summary: The Conservative Party took 35 out of 55 available seats to retain control of Somerset County Council with an increased majority.