"For all its faults", it said, "another Lib-Con Coalition would both prolong recovery and give our kingdom a better chance of continued existence". But it hoped it would be "much less conservative, and much more liberal". The Guardian has backed Labour and the Sun the Conservatives - with its sister paper the Scottish Sun backing the SNP. Other papers which have declared support for a specific party so far include the Mirror, which is backing Labour, and the Financial Times, which called for another Conservative-led administration. The Independent said it was not telling its readers how to vote but it said it believed democracy was precious and must be revitalised. It said the Greens had been a "disappointment", while UKIP were against "globalisation and modernity, both of which we welcome". "The SNP is an agent of change, with impressive leaders in both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. But they are a wrecking ball poised to hit Westminster and, unlike us, want to abolish Britain," it said. It said Ed Miliband had had an impressive campaign, but criticised him on various policies - and warned of any partnership between Labour and the SNP. "For all his talk of no deals with the SNP, Miliband is bound to rely on that party to get his legislative programme through," it said. "This would be a disaster for the country, unleashing justified fury in England at the decisive influence of MPs who - unlike this title - do not wish the union to exist." On the Conservatives, it criticised areas such as "excessive austerity" but said the economy "is now growing reasonably well". "Many of the good things the coalition has done are owed to the Liberal Democrats," it said. It particularly picked out "raising the income tax threshold, the pupil premium, early years learning and apprenticeships" as areas where the Lib Dems had been a force for progress. It concluded: "For all its faults, another Lib-Con coalition would both prolong recovery and give our kingdom a better chance of continued existence. "This title casts no vote. "But we prize strong, effective government, consider nationalism guilty until proven innocent, and say that if the present coalition is to get another chance, we hope it is much less conservative, and much more liberal. " The Sun - Conservatives Scottish Sun - SNP Mirror - Labour Express - owner Richard Desmond has given Â£1m to UKIP Financial Times - has called for tactical voting to produce another coalition between the Conservatives and Lib Dems The Guardian - Labour Daily Mail - backed the Conservatives in 2010 - as did the Mail on Sunday Telegraph - both daily and Sunday editions backed the Conservatives in 2010 Observer - backed the Liberal Democrats in 2010 The Times - backed the Conservatives in 2010 Independent on Sunday - said it is not advising readers how to vote in 2015 The best of BBC News' Election 2015 specials

Summary: The Independent newspaper has given its backing to another coalition of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties after the general election.


SDLP and Alliance Party ministers voted against the Northern Ireland Executive's budget on Thursday. "People give more consideration to their family's Christmas budget than the executive gave to Northern Ireland's budget," said Mr Ford. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it had "five years of undeliverable promises, five months before an election". "There's no clear indication of where funding beyond this year comes from for any of the flagship projects," he said. "What's worse is that it was agreed on the nod just 20 minutes after the final draft was received by ministers, without consultation. "Far from opposing austerity or making the most of the more limited devolution powers that we now have following the disastrous trade off on welfare, this budget treats families across Northern Ireland with contempt." In the budget, health spending will rise by about 1% in real terms, while to a lesser extent, education and policing also have their budgets protected. However, the new Department of Agriculture and Environment will face a cash cut of almost 6%. Of the £60m that had been allocated to mitigate tax credit cuts, half will now go to protected departments. The other £30m will be held until the outcome of the Evason review of welfare reform mitigation, but it is not certain that this money will be used for that purpose. In announcing the budget on Thursday, Stormont Finance Minister Arlene Foster said they had "created a stable, balanced platform for the new incoming executive to take its time in constructing a multi-year budget". "Although the outcome may prove challenging, the position is significantly better than previously anticipated." Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin said the budget was "an immediate investment in jobs, in our quality public services and in our long-term economic growth". "We believe that investment in public services and in economic growth will increase employment and the quality of life of all our people," he said. "That is why the full powers to grow and invest in our economy should be in the hands of the people here." However, Mr Ford, who is Stormont justice minister, said that "year after year, DUP and Sinn Féin ministers cobble together a deal just to get their departments through the next 12 months". "Opportunities for even modest, progressive forms of revenue raising remain ignored, leaving us yet again relying on cuts to public services to balance our budget," he said. "To compound this, the DUP and Sinn Féin retain funds for them to spend on pet projects at a time when there is a clear need for spending in strategic areas. "Perhaps most alarming, the budget includes no supporting investments in preparation for the planned reduction in corporation tax - another critical opportunity missed to plan properly for what is the biggest financial decision an executive will ever take." Stephen McCully, president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "We have spent a number of months emphasising the importance of investment in skills and our message has not been heard. "It is also disappointing that the Department of

Summary: Stormont's 2016/17 budget is "bereft of strategic planning", Alliance Party leader David Ford has said.


Lawro's opponent for this weekend's Premier League fixtures is England cricket star Stuart Broad. Media playback is not supported on this device The Ashes hero is a Nottingham Forest fan who saw his team beaten 8-1 by Manchester United on his first trip to the City Ground in 1999. "I remember the guy who was sat in front of us arrived late and left early to avoid the traffic, and he missed about five goals," Broad told BBC Sport. "So it was a bit of a learning experience - now I always make sure I get to a game early and stay until the end." Make your predictions now, compare them to Lawro and other fans and try to take your team to the top of the leaderboard by playing the new BBC Sport Predictor game. Our scoring system has changed this season and a correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is now worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points. Last weekend, Lawro got five correct results from 10 Premier League games, including one perfect score. His score of 80 points saw him beat ex-F1 driver Mark Webber, who picked five correct results with no perfect scores, for a total of 50. We are keeping a record of the totals for Lawro and his guests (below), and showing a table of how the Premier League would look if all of Lawro's predictions were correct (at the bottom of the page). All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Broad's prediction: It is time for Chelsea to bounce back. 2-0 Match report Lawro's prediction: 1-2 Broad's prediction: 2-2 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 3-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 1-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 1-0 Match report Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Broad's prediction: 1-2 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 3-0 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 2-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 3-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-1 Broad's prediction: 0-0 Match report Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. Lawro's best score: 140 points (week three v Jack Whitehall & week four v Darren Campbell) Lawro's worst score: 20 points (week one v Graeme Swann)

Summary: BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season.


The drug Perjeta can reduce the need for mastectomies among breast cancer patients. But the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recommended it was not routinely used by the NHS amid concerns about long-term survival benefits. Campaigners branded the move "the ultimate postcode lottery". The drug, which is also known as pertuzumab, can treat an aggressive type of breast cancer known as HER2-positive. Around 15% of people diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have HER2-positive tumours. Perjeta was approved for use in England and Wales in September 2015, where it is used to shrink and control tumours before surgery. After announcing its decision, the SMC said it would meet the pharmaceutical company behind the drug, Roche, to discuss "next steps". Nicolas White, of Breast Cancer Care, told BBC Radio Scotland that the drug could have benefited around 400 people in Scotland. Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, he said the regulator's decision was "disappointing and confusing". "If you're diagnosed with this particular type of breast cancer and you live in Gretna, you wouldn't benefit from this treatment," he added. "Yet only a few miles down the road in Carlisle, if you were given the same diagnosis, you would benefit from this treatment. "It's the ultimate postcode lottery, really, a cross-border postcode lottery." It follows a similar controversial decision in September 2014, when the SMC decided not to approve Kadcyla, another breast cancer drug. More than 3,400 women in England have used Perjeta and Kadclya via the Cancer Drugs Fund, according to Roche. The drug company's general manager Richard Ewin said: "Today's decision is a devastating blow to women in Scotland with this very aggressive form of breast cancer. "This means that these women will be denied this early-stage treatment which allows for reduction of large tumours to a size that is operable, potentially enabling breast conservation surgery instead of mastectomies." Perjeta was one of four drugs the SMC rejected for routine use on the NHS, although it did back a new treatment Jevtana - also known as cabazitaxel - for patients with advance prostate cancer. SMC chairman Professor Jonathan Fox said he knew some decisions would be "hard for patient groups and clinicians". "However, when we considered all the evidence in front of us, it was not strong enough for us to be able to accept these medicines for routine use," he added. Jevtana was initially rejected by the SMC in 2011 and again earlier this year. The move was welcomed by Prostate Cancer UK, which has campaigned to give men in Scotland access to the drug. Heather Blake, the charity's director of support and influencing, said: "Today's approval of cabazitaxel chemotherapy is welcome news, and represents an important milestone for men with prostate cancer in Scotland. "This is the last in a string of drugs which we have had to fight to be made available throughout the UK to those who would benefit. "It means men in Scotland will now be routinely offered the same suite of treatments as those in other parts of the UK, ending variation in access which has been

Summary: Breast cancer sufferers in Scotland have been denied routine access to a treatment which is available to patients south of the border.


Shelly Wu, six, and Lily Wu, seven, were hit by Michael Junior in Handsworth, Birmingham, last June. Junior, 35, had admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and three charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The sisters were hit by his car while holding hands as they crossed the road on their way to Chinese classes. Judge Murray Creed told Junior he had ended two young children's lives and injured two other children along with the girls' mother, Zhulan. Mrs Wu had been left with "significant psychological trauma", the judge told him. The court heard she had to be sectioned earlier this year. The other two children have since recovered. More on this story and others Birmingham and Black Country The court heard Junior accelerated to get around a bus just before a blind left-hand bend, leaving him no time to react as the family crossed in front of him. He also ignored road signs warning of elderly pedestrians crossing, a sign reading "Slow" and chevron markings indicating a crossing ahead. Prosecuting, Gareth Walters told Birmingham Crown Court Junior's speed was an estimated 47mph (75kmh) in a 30mph (48.3kmh) zone when he struck the family on Grove Lane. Two of the four children survived but Lily and Shelly suffered fatal head injuries. Judge Creed said Junior hit the pedestrians as they reached a central reservation. "Mrs Wu [and the other children] hit the front and were thrown to the floor. But unhappily, the two smaller children were carried a short distance along the bonnet before being left to lie in the road, both fatally injured," he said. Outside court, family friend Alex Yip read a statement on behalf of the family, saying: "Four years is not long enough - for us this is a life sentence." He added: "We have had ripped from us two beautiful daughters, two sisters to our two eldest, two granddaughters, two lives taken from us all, from each and every day for the rest of our lives. "We have lost the wife and mother we once had, the heart of the family, strong, independent, who we depended on, and who will never be that way again." In mitigation, Timothy Harrington said Junior, of Copthall Road, Handsworth, wished to apologise to the Wu family but asked the judge to regard the incident as a "one-off", a single moment of bad driving. Junior was also disqualified from driving for five years. The sisters both attended Wilkes Green Primary School in Handsworth. The school said it had been raising money to create a peace garden in their memory.

Summary: A driver who knocked down and killed two sisters on a pedestrian crossing has been jailed for four years.


Police said the 30-year-old was being treated for serious injuries at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. His condition has been described as "stable". The incident, which happened in the Maryhill area at about 20:25 on Saturday, is being treated as attempted murder. It involved between six and 10 men and women carrying weapons. It is not thought to be gang-related. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "A 30-year-old man sustained serious injuries after being stabbed on Hathaway Lane at around 8.25pm. "Hathaway Lane and Avenue Park Street remain closed and we are carrying out CCTV and door-to-door inquiries."

Summary: A man has been stabbed during an incident in Glasgow which involved up to 10 people.


The paper apologised for "insensitive language" in its report that linked the accident to previous "drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments". Five of the six people who died were Irish students temporarily in the US as part of a work exchange programme. In a letter, Mrs McAleese said the report used "lazy tabloid stereotype". She said she had been part of the same visa programme more than 40 years ago and out of tens of thousands of students who had visited the US, "the vast majority have been a credit to Ireland". In the letter published by the Irish Times, Mrs McAleese said the report had "heaped deliberate injustice on top of the most awful grief". The newspaper said in a blog that the article was intended to explain in greater detail why the young Irish students were in the US, and many of the complaints it had received were valid. New York Times spokesperson Eileen Murphy said in an email: "It was never our intention to blame the victims and we apologise if the piece left that impression." Read more: Tributes to Berkeley balcony victims The incident happened during a 21st birthday party in the early hours of Tuesday in the city of Berkeley. Engineers say water damage may have caused the structure to give way. An initial investigation found that the balcony support's wooden beams may not have been sealed properly at the time of construction, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said. However, he later stressed that this was not an official conclusion and that an investigation was still under way. Authorities said 13 people were on the fourth-floor balcony when it collapsed. People left flowers and other tributes at the scene on Wednesday as flags on both sides of the Atlantic flew at half-mast. Irish students held a candlelit vigil in a park close to the scene of the tragedy on Wednesday evening, and a memorial church service was held in Oakland.

Summary: The New York Times "should be hanging its head in shame" over a report on the California balcony collapse, former Irish President Mary McAleese has said.


Mark Avis and Aaron Saddleton produced the rare feat while playing on the Royal Norwich Golf Club course. Bookmaker Paddy Power gave the odds of two amateur golfers scoring aces at the same hole as 25 million-to-one. Morgan Thompson, assistant professional at the club, said the achievement, reported first in the Eastern Daily Press, was "remarkable". Mr Saddleton, 29, from Norwich, was the first to tee off at the 135-yard hole and was delighted to sink an ace. But he had little time to celebrate as Mr Avis, 43, of Attleborough, quickly stepped up and repeated the feat. Mr Thompson said: "I was working in the shop at the time and suddenly saw everybody celebrating. "I don't think they could quite believe it and it was all they were talking about afterwards." Mr Thompson said the course averaged one hole-in-one every six months. The players were on opposing sides in a 2v2 game during a Norfolk Handicapped League match between Sprowston Manor Golf Club and Royal Norwich Golf Club.

Summary: Two golfers from Norfolk have achieved a 25 million-to-one double hole-in-one at the same hole.


The laws establish special courts and offer additional protection from legal consequences for military and police officers who have used force. They also impose the death penalty for anyone found guilty of setting up or leading a terrorist group. Rights groups say the legislation will be used by Mr Sisi to crush dissent. Jihadist groups stepped up their attacks after the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi two years ago and launched a deadly crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. President Sisi vowed to bring in tough new counter-terrorism legislation in June, following the assassination by car bomb of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat. Under the new laws introduced on Monday: Last week, Amnesty International warned that the legislation would vastly expand powers that would usually only be invoked during a state of emergency, and that it would effectively ban the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Many Egyptians reacted negatively on social media to the new anti-terrorism law approved by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Many users said its measures were too harsh or excessive. Human rights activist Jamal Eid tweeted: "Midnight laws mark the republic of darkness. A law which has been passed, and considers all criticism or dissenting voice or acts that are not to the state's liking... terrorism." His sentiments were echoed by the editor-in-chief of pro-Islamist newspaper Al-Misriyun, Mahmoud Sultan, who wrote: "The anti-terrorism law signed by Sisi clearly tells journalists and anyone with an opinion: Very dark days lay ahead." But some pro-government figures lauded the new law. Mustafa Bakri, a nationalist journalist and former MP who is a staunch supporter of Mr Sisi, tweeted: "The law includes deterrent procedures to face terrorism." Muhammad Abu Hamid, another former MP, wrote that the legislation "will help dry out the sources of terrorism and extremism". Egypt law ushers in 'republic of darkness' "This new law will become yet another tool for the authorities to crush all forms of dissent and steamroll over basic human rights," said the group's acting Middle East and North Africa director, Said Boumedouha. Hundreds of members of Egypt's security forces have been killed by militant attacks in the restive Sinai peninsula. The insurgency has intensified since Mr Sisi, then commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ousted Mr Morsi after mass protests against his rule. The most active insurgent group - known now as Sinai Province and before that as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis - has pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State (IS). Mr Sisi has overseen a crackdown on Islamists in which hundreds have been killed, tens of thousands detained and scores sentenced to death, including Mr Morsi. The government claims that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist group, while it says it is committed to peaceful activism. In February, Mr Sisi signed off on anti-terrorism laws that gave authorities sweeping powers to ban groups on charges ranging from harming national unity to disrupting public order.

Summary: Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has approved stringent new counter-terrorism laws to fight a growing jihadist insurgency.


She said, if the party was re-elected in May's Scottish Parliament election, it would introduce a more "progressive" local tax from April 2017. The reforms could see councils given a share of income tax revenues in an effort to give them an "incentive" to boost economic growth. Last year, a commission on reform called for a "more progressive" tax. The Commission on Local Tax Reform did not recommend a single alternative but it suggested there could be merit in combining a property-based levy with an element of income tax. The current council tax charges householders on the value of the property they live in. The rate it is charged at has been frozen by the Scottish government since 2007. Speaking at the David Hume Institute in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said: "The report from the cross-party Commission on Local Tax Reform made clear that now is the time to reform local taxation. "The commission argued for measures which will make council tax more progressive, and which will give greater assistance to people on lower incomes. "So next week we will set out details of how we intend to achieve this from April 2017 onwards. "These changes will be part of a longer term plan to increase the accountability of local councils to the populations they serve." Discussions with local authorities are expected to determine how the Scottish Parliament can gain more power over income tax and local authorities can secure a share of income tax revenues for their area. Asked if councils should be given power over sales and tourism taxes, as recommended by the commission, Ms Sturgeon said priority would be given to the assignation of income tax and other council tax powers would be considered. "Scotland is a small country and I think it is right that we take steps to incentivise local authorities to boost economic growth in their own areas, but equally I think we have got to be careful about creating a postcode lottery in terms of tax rates in different local authority areas."

Summary: The SNP will set out details of its plans on council tax reform next week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.


Jimmy Geddes was waiting outside the Manchester Arena when the suicide bomber struck on Monday night. His daughter Annalyse, 14, was inside with a friend, listening to Ariana Grande. Twenty-two people died in the attack, including Eilidh MacLeod, from Barra. Fourteen-year-old Eilidh's friend Laura MacIntyre, 15, was seriously injured. Mr Geddes told the BBC how he had heard the explosion as he waited in his car and rushed inside to try to find his daughter and her friend. "I was just texting a friend then the bomb went off," he said. "I then rang him and said 'a bomb's gone off'. I need to go and get my kids. "As I entered the foyer area it was just carnage. There were just bodies lying everywhere. It was just horrific. And I'd told the kids to come out that way. "I was mainly looking at the footwear on the bodies as it would be easy to recognise my daughter by her footwear as she had these big pink, glittery boots on." Mr Geddes believes he saw the suicide bomber Salman Abedi among the bodies. He said: "At first I was describing him as being an animal but animals wouldn't do things like that to themselves - only some sort of evil type form this person is. I wouldn't even call him a person." Mr Geddes managed to make his way to the section of the arena where his daughter's seat was. "People started flooding out, all smiles, they'd just taken in a really great concert," he said. "Everyone was laughing and joking and I was stopping them from going down towards the main entrance. "All of the people coming out hadn't really clicked. They didn't know what had happened. So there wasn't that much screaming," he said. "I think they all knew something was wrong but not the extent of what had happened." "I saw my girl and her wee pal coming out of the door. I gave them the biggest hug ever. " I didn't see any security or stewards. I was worried about a second device." Mr Geddes got the girls out of the venue through a different exit. "Even as we got into the car I was thinking something could still happen," he said. "Everybody was just desperate to get out of the car park. "I told the kids what had happened. I didn't phone my wife until I had the kids safely in my arms." Mr Geddes said he thought it was "a miracle" that he found his daughter and her friend 10 minutes after the bomb went off. He got back to Wishaw at about 02:30. "My wife and mother in law were so relieved to see us," he said. "If I had been at the arena by myself I would have done more to help but I was just making sure my own kids were all right." Meanwhile, the parish priest on Barra is urging the island community to come together and pray this weekend, following "a devastating week". Ahead of Mass on Sunday, he said: "A

Summary: A father from Wishaw has told BBC Scotland of his shock at witnessing the immediate aftermath of the Manchester bomb attack - as he desperately tried to find his daughter.


The Duke of Rutland - who lives in Belvoir Castle - was caught speeding twice in Nottinghamshire, once in North Yorkshire and again in Derbyshire in an eight-month period. He was banned for a year and 15 points were added to the nine he already had. He was also ordered to pay £3,025 in fines and costs. The Duke, who was named in Northallerton Magistrates' Court as David Charles Rutland, failed to respond to the fixed penalty notices and a trial was set until his lawyers indicated he would plead guilty. Rutland did not appear at the hearing which was told he was driving a Land Rover Discovery at the time of the offences. His solicitor Lisa Wilson said: "He does not wish to minimise the offences. He does not wish to put forward an argument of exceptional hardship. "The court may consider that with the title he has and the property he resides in the defendant is of considerable means." Rutland, whose wealth was estimated at £140m by the Sunday Times Rich List, lives in the family seat of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, set in 18,000 acres of land. It has been the backdrop for several films including The Young Victoria and the Da Vinci Code while Haddon Hall in Derbyshire - also owned by the family - featured in Pride and Prejudice in 2005. The offences: Rutland was ordered to pay £2,550 in fines, £400 in costs and a £75 victim surcharge.

Summary: One of the wealthiest aristocrats in the UK has been banned from driving after amassing 24 points on his licence.


Richard Glossip's execution was delayed on Wednesday after officials discovered they did not have the correct drugs to perform the procedure. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt had requested the freeze on executions to give the state time to investigate. The Oklahoma's highest criminal court agreed on Friday. In addition to Glossip, the executions of inmates Benjamin Cole and John Grant have also been indefinitely delayed. State prison officials said they were posted potassium acetate instead of potassium chloride, the third drug used in Oklahoma's lethal injection formula. The court ordered the state to provide status reports every 30 days. Executions have been delayed recently in the US amid problems buying drugs as many firms have refused to sell them. The state has overhauled how it carries out the death penalty after the botched execution of Clayton Lockett in 2014. Lockett struggled and took more than 40 minutes to die. Typically, inmates become sedated and are declared dead within minutes. Glossip's boss Barry Van Treese, the owner of the Oklahoma City motel, was beaten to death in 1997. His colleague Justin Sneed was convicted of the killing but said Glossip had ordered him to carry it out. Glossip and his family have maintained his innocence for nearly 20 years, saying that Sneed acted alone. He was first convicted in 1998 but that was overturned in 2001, only for Glossip to be convicted again three years later. In the most recent appeals, his lawyers said they had an affidavit from another inmate who said Sneed admitted to setting Glossip up. British billionaire Richard Branson took out a full-page ad in The Oklahoman newspaper on Wednesday that argued Glossip is innocent. Pope Francis had urged Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin to halt Glossip's execution. Ms Fallin said she did not have the authority to do so.

Summary: Three impending executions in Oklahoma have been halted after prison officials nearly administered the wrong lethal injection drug to a death row inmate.


Special Report: The Technology of Business Lotus F1 Team looks to tech to win Hey you, get on to my cloud Domain shift sends cyber world dotty How to cash in with off-the-peg apps Taj Mahal comes to your living room Good question. After all, we've always had large amounts of data haven't we, from loyalty card schemes, till receipts, medical records, tax returns and so on? As Laurie Miles, head of analytics for big data specialist SAS, says: "The term big data has been around for decades, and we've been doing analytics all this time. It's not big, it's just bigger." But it's the velocity, variety and volume of data that has merited the new term. Most traditional data was structured, or neatly organised in databases. Then the world went digital and the internet came along. Most of what we do could be translated into strings of ones and noughts capable of being recorded, stored, searched, and analysed. There was a proliferation of so-called unstructured data generated by all our digital interactions, from email to online shopping, text messages to tweets, Facebook updates to YouTube videos. And the number of gadgets recording and transmitting data, from smartphones to intelligent fridges, industrial sensors to CCTV cameras, has also proliferated globally, leading to an explosion in the volume of data. These data sets are now so large and complex that we need new tools and approaches to make the most of them. Nobody really knows because the volume is growing so fast. Some say that about 90% of all the data in the world today has been created in the past few years. According to computer giant IBM, 2.5 exabytes - that's 2.5 billion gigabytes (GB) - of data was generated every day in 2012. That's big by anyone's standards. "About 75% of data is unstructured, coming from sources such as text, voice and video," says Mr Miles. And as mobile phone penetration is forecast to grow from about 61% of the global population in 2013 to nearly 70% by 2017, those figures can only grow. The US government's open data project already offers more than 120,000 publicly available data sets. The first computers came with memories measured in kilobytes, but the latest smartphones can now store 32GB and many laptops now have one terabyte (1,000GB) hard drives as standard. Storage is not really an issue anymore. For large businesses "the cost of data storage has plummeted," says Andrew Carr, UK and Ireland chief executive of IT consultancy Bull. Businesses can either keep all their data on-site, in their own remote data centres, or farm it out to "cloud-based" data storage providers. A number of open source platforms have grown up specifically to handle these vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently, including Hadoop, MongoDB, Cassandra, and NoSQL. 1,000 bytes = one kilobyte (kB) 1,000 kB = one megabyte (MB) 1,000 MB = one gigabyte (GB) 1,000 GB = one terabyte (TB) 1,000 TB = one petabyte (PB) 1,000 PB = one exabyte (EB) 1,000 EB = one zettabyte (ZB) 1,000 ZB =

Summary: As Technology of Business begins a month-long series of features on the theme of Big Data, we kick off with a Q&A backgrounder answering some of those basic questions you were too afraid to ask.


It has estimated that Â£5bn will have been spent in Britain's shops over the weekend, as millions of people stocked up on food, drink and presents. The BRC says many shoppers waited until the last minute to pick up a bargain. Meanwhile, several retailers are reportedly bringing their online sales forward to Christmas Eve. High streets, shopping centres and supermarkets were reportedly packed with shoppers on the last few trading days before Christmas. Many retailers have already started discounting products in advance of the traditional "Boxing Day" sales. Saturday was expected to have been the busiest day of the year on the high street, with credit card company Visa Europe predicting more than 31 million transactions. Richard Dodd, head of media and campaigns at the BRC, said: "People have left it very late this year because of their reluctance to spend. They are holding out for bargains. "It's been a very busy weekend which will be crucial to delivering a Christmas that is acceptable, rather than exceptional," he added. Supermarket chain Sainsbury's said the hour between 12:00 and 13:00 GMT on Sunday was its busiest hour ever in terms of the number of customers served. The company said it expected to sell 225,000 bottles of champagne, 56 million mince pies, 52 million Brussels sprouts and 6,500 tonnes of potatoes over the festive period. Traders in London's West End had predicted that one million people would shop in the area during the three days leading to Christmas Eve, spending an estimated Â£100m. At Brent Cross shopping centre in north London, centre manager Tom Nathan said the weekend would be their busiest period because schools had broken up late and Christmas Day was on a Tuesday. Elsewhere, Bluewater shopping centre in Kent expected more than 275,000 shoppers to pass through in the days before Christmas Eve, while Birmingham's Bullring centre predicted it would welcome about 340,000 consumers. Bullring general manager Tim Walley said: "This Christmas we essentially have an extra weekend of trading in comparison to December 2011, so we're expecting a bumper weekend." But despite optimism in some quarters, the Local Government Association (LGA) said confidence on the high street remained low. Its annual Christmas survey found that 84% of town centre managers said confidence among shoppers had either not improved or worsened compared to Christmas 2011. A cold and wet start to the winter could also be taking its toll on the number of shoppers visiting town centres, the LGA concluded.

Summary: Christmas sales figures are likely to be "acceptable" rather than "exceptional", the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has predicted.


Officers were called to the house in Willowbrook Park, Celbridge, at about 20:50 local time on Tuesday. The man, who was in his 30s, was pronounced dead shortly before 22:30. A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and has been taken to Leixlip Garda (police) station for questioning. The body remains at the house, which has been cordoned off pending the arrival of the deputy state pathologist.

Summary: Police have made an arrest after the death of a man who was found with head injuries at a house in County Kildare.


Emergency services told the AFP news agency that the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device. It occurred at the Malkohi camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) on the outskirts of Yola in Adamawa state. Yola has been seen as a relative safe place for those fleeing the violence. The BBC's Chris Ewokor in Abuja says this is the first attack on a camp for IDPs in the north-east. The explosion happened in a warehouse, emergency services say. There are reportedly more than 1,000 children in the camp. Two million people have been forced from their homes since the militants launched their insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria in 2009. According to Amnesty International, at least 17,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Although the militants have been forced out most of the territory they had seized, they are still active and there has been an upsurge in suicide attacks since President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May. Teaching Boko Haram militants to play football Who are Boko Haram?

Summary: At least three people have died when a bomb exploded at a camp in north-eastern Nigeria for people who have fled their homes because of the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency.


The motto Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, which means "nothing but the best is good enough", dates back 75 years but disappeared as part of a redesign. The club apologised in May after 22,000 fans signed an online petition condemning the "awful" 2013-2014 badge. Fans can vote on three new designs on the club website from Monday. Club communications director Alan Myers said: "There were clear messages that have come out from fans as to what they want. "The motto Nil Satis Nisi Optimum will be on the new crest because 95% to 96% of fans said they want it and that's what we wanted." Everton consulted more than 200,000 fans and also players following criticism of the "embarrassing" new crest. The club said one fan travelled from Spain to Goodison Park to have his say about the redesign - even though he was advised an online form was available. The new crest ideas will be unveiled on Monday 23 September.

Summary: Everton FC are to restore the club's motto to their crest after its removal prompted outrage from thousands of fans.


The Markinch-based firm has seen European exports suffer from the value of sterling in relation to the euro. It has also been hit by rising raw material costs and by a major customer becoming insolvent. Only last month, a new biomass plant was officially opened at Tullis's Markinch site. The Â£200m facility was built by German energy firm RWE and was designed to meet all of the paper maker's electricity and steam requirements. RWE said in a statement that the power plant could run independently of Tullis Russell, and would continue to operate. Administrators KPMG said 325 Tullis employees were being made redundant with immediate effect, while the remaining 149 have been retained to complete some orders. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later announced a task force had been set up to look at ways of supporting the Fife economy and jobs, in the wake of the company's collapse. The task force is being jointly chaired by Enterprise Secretary John Swinney and Fife Council leader David Ross. Employee-owned Tullis was founded in 1809 and produced high quality paper board for use in cards, covers and premium packaging. The paper maker has incurred cumulative losses of Â£18.5m over the last five years, largely as a result of weakening demand and pressure on its margins. Tullis directors had sought a buyer for the company last autumn, but failed to find one. Joint administrator Blair Nimmo said: "This is a sad day for the employees of Tullis Russell Papermakers, who have worked hard against the significant headwinds facing the global papermaking sector. "Whilst we will be exploring whether a sale of all or part of the business and asset of the company can be achieved, we have had to take steps to significantly reduce the company's overheads. "Unfortunately, with trading effectively ceasing, we have had no option but to reduce the size of the workforce. "We will be working with government agencies to minimise the impact on employees. "We would encourage any party with an interest in acquiring all, or parts, of the business to make contact with us as soon as possible." Tullis Russell Papermakers is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tullis Russell Group Ltd. The group's Cheshire-based coating division and its image transfer business based in Ansan, Korea, are not affected by the administration and continue to trade as normal. Tullis Russell Group said it was announcing the administration move "with great sadness". Group chief executive Chris Parr said: "It has become clear to the board that Papermakers is no longer a viable business. "Recognising this situation, the group and Papermaking boards concluded that the best chance of protecting jobs would be through a trade sale of the papermaking company to a buyer capable of, and committed to developing the Markinch site. "The group engaged KPMG to run a comprehensive sales process, and between October 2014 and March 2015 over 72 trade parties have considered and subsequently rejected the opportunity to acquire the business. This has unfortunately only confirmed that the business is no longer viable. "This difficult position finally became untenable with the papermaking

Summary: Fife-based paper maker Tullis Russell has gone into administration with the loss of 325 jobs, and putting a further 149 at risk.


Belfast man Frampton, 28, outpointed Scott Quigg on Saturday to add the WBA world title to his IBF belt. On Wednesday, WBA bosses said that their former champion Rigondeaux, 35, must be Frampton's next opponent. Frampton's manager Barry McGuigan has consistently ruled out the Cuban as a possible opponent for his fighter. "He's amazing on the back foot but he's negative," McGuigan said of Rigondeaux, who fights Briton Jazza Dickens in Liverpool on 12 March. "What do we gain by fighting him?" McGuigan's view is that Rigondeaux, who was stripped of both the WBO and WBA belts last year for inactivity, brings little to the table in terms of television or fan appeal. After Rigondeaux was stripped of the title, the world governing body promoted Quigg from interim WBA super-bantamweight belt holder to champion. However, the WBA have now said that unbeaten Rigondeaux's "impressive record and accomplishments" mean that he must be Frampton's next opponent. The WBA said it was "honoured" to have Frampton as its champion, adding: "We congratulate him on a performance that was as intelligent as it was effective." In spite of the WBA's directive, it is far from certain that Frampton will agree to the Rigondeaux fight, so there appears a strong possibility that the Northern Irishman may give up the WBA belt. After Frampton's win on Saturday, McGuigan said that a contest with Mexico's WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz was an "obvious fight". Rigondeaux has won all 16 of his professional bouts.

Summary: Carl Frampton must fight Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux by 27 July to avoid being stripped of one of his two world super-bantamweight titles.


Carl Marsh, 46, of Knutsford, Cheshire suffered fatal injuries at Black Knights Parachute Centre in Cockerham, near Lancaster on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The British Parachute Association (BPA) said the jump Mr Marsh was executing could only have been attempted by an experienced parachutist like Mr Marsh. Tony Butler, the BPA's chief operating officer, is leading the probe into the death and said it was his "top priority". He estimated it would take about a month to complete his investigation and he would send his findings to the Civil Aviation Authority, the police and the coroner as well as the BPA's training committee. Lancashire Police, which is supporting the BPA's investigation, said there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Mr Marsh's relatives said he was a "much-loved" family man with an "enormous heart".

Summary: A parachutist who died performing a jump in Lancashire was attempting a "complicated manoeuvre", the man investigating his death has said.


Brighton and Hove City Council has set up a cross-party panel to look into the issue of the "party houses". There are about 300 in the city, with concerns about the problems they cause most evident in the Queen's Park area. Chair of the panel Geoffrey Bowden said: "We don't want to be killjoys... but there are responsibilities." The councillor said the properties were houses "which sit cheek by jowl with families which live there all the time". "There are some really superb operators, and they do certainly take care "We need to bottom-out whether these are businesses or not, because if they are businesses then they should be paying business rates, and they should be paying for commercial waste to be taken away," Mr Bowden said. The panel plans to gather evidence from as many people as possible, including the owners of "party houses", before reporting back to the full council. Mr Bowden said: "People having a decadent weekend is one thing, but if you live next door and have to get up for work in the morning you might take a more hardline approach."

Summary: Houses let out to groups for stag and hen weekends are to be the subject of a council investigation amid complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour.


The 25-year-old former Ipswich Town youngster has made more than 230 appearances for the U's, but was hampered by injury last season. Contract options have also been taken up for defenders Lewis Kinsella, Kane Vincent-Young and winger Drey Wright. Wright, 22, has featured 101 times for the U's, while Kinsella, also 22, joined from Aston Villa last summer. Vincent-Young, 21, featured 23 times last season for the U's.

Summary: Colchester United defender Tom Eastman has signed a new two-year contract with the League Two side.


The result saw the Cumbrians slip to 10th in the table, but they remain just one point outside the play-off places with two games remaining. Carlisle, 2-0 down after 25 minutes, were level before the interval and led through Reggie Lamb before Smith had the final say. Carlisle midfielder Jamie Davitt fired against the post and Jamie Proctor put a good chance wide before Crawley took the lead in the 11th minute. Leading marksman James Collins opened the scoring in superb style by smashing a tremendous shot into the top corner from 20 yards. Collins was on target again after 25 minutes from the penalty spot, sending Mark Gillespie the wrong way after the goalkeeper had brought down the striker. Striker Jabo Ibehre, put clean through by Danny Grainger, reduced the deficit four minutes later with his fourth goal in four games. Crawley keeper Glenn Morris was then hurt as Ibehre put the ball in the net and had to be replaced by Yusuf Mersin. Carlisle were level three minutes before the break when Proctor, on loan from Bolton, struck with a bullet header following a Gary Liddle cross. United seized the lead on the hour through Lambe, who clipped the ball past replacement keeper Mersin after latching onto Proctor's cross. Josh Payne fired just wide late on for Crawley and Collins also headed over before the hosts levelled in the second minute of stoppage time when Smith fired in following a pass from Joe McNerney. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Crawley Town 3, Carlisle United 3. Second Half ends, Crawley Town 3, Carlisle United 3. Attempt missed. John O'Sullivan (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Goal! Crawley Town 3, Carlisle United 3. Jimmy Smith (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Joe McNerney following a set piece situation. Josh Payne (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ben Tomlinson (Carlisle United). Hand ball by Josh Payne (Crawley Town). Substitution, Carlisle United. Shaun Brisley replaces Reggie Lambe. Hand ball by Ben Tomlinson (Carlisle United). Attempt missed. James Collins (Crawley Town) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a set piece situation. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Lewis Young (Crawley Town) because of an injury. Lewis Young (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United). Attempt saved. Josh Payne (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. James Bailey (Carlisle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by James Bailey (Carlisle United). Substitution, Carlisle United. John O'Sullivan replaces Jamie Devitt. Delay in match Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United) because of an injury. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Josh Yorwerth. Attempt missed. Luke Joyce (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the

Summary: A stoppage-time equaliser by captain Jimmy Smith denied Carlisle a crucial victory in their play-off challenge as Crawley salvaged a draw at home.


Media playback is not supported on this device They added 96 for the third wicket at Chester-le-Street after Alastair Cook (15) fell five short of reaching 10,000 Test runs and under-pressure Nick Compton (9) continued his poor run. Hales, seeking his first Test hundred, was caught at slip, while Root spooned to cover as Sri Lanka fought back. But Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali added 70 to give England the upper hand. Bairstow was caught behind for 48 to give the excellent Nuwan Pradeep his third wicket, but Moeen remains unbeaten on 28. The hosts won the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 88 runs. Despite some superb catching from Sri Lanka on a cold day, England will be confident of amassing the sort of first-innings total that will put pressure on the tourists' inexperienced batting line-up. Hales made 86 at Headingley and picked up where he left off with another sizeable contribution at the top of the order. After a circumspect start, he accelerated after lunch in partnership with Root, scoring heavily down the ground on the off side. He looked poised to become the first Englishman to make an international century in all three forms of the game before he swung hard at the part-time left-arm spin of Milinda Siriwardana and was brilliantly caught at slip by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. Nonetheless, Hales is beginning to look like he could be the reliable opening partner for Cook England have been looking for since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012. For England's other top-order batsmen, it was a tale of familiar flaws as once again the team made a stuttering start to their innings after Cook won the toss. The skipper was first to fall, in characteristic fashion, fiddling needlessly outside off stump and offering a sharp catch to Dimuth Karunaratne at second slip. Compton failed to dispel the question marks over his place during another scratchy and underwhelming innings, grinding his way to nine off 34 balls before before top-edging to long leg. Even Root could reproach himself for a poor shot, offering a simple catch to cover as he attempted to work a short ball from Pradeep to leg. It was the seventh time in the past eight innings in which Root has passed 50 that he has failed to go on to three figures. Although England ended the day narrowly on top, this was a fine performance in the field by Sri Lanka. Their catching was magnificent - as well as Mathews and Karunaratne, Suranga Lakmal produced a brilliant tumbling effort at long leg to dismiss Compton and Lahiru Thirimanne flung himself to his right at cover to end James Vince's innings. They also performed strongly with the ball, despite missing two of their best pacemen, Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad, through injury. Pradeep and Lakmal bowled a disciplined line and length, Siriwardana chipped in with two wickets, and they conceded only four extras in 90 overs. England opener Alex Hales on BBC Test Match Special: "I'm pleased with the form I'm in. When you get

Summary: Alex Hales hit 83 and Joe Root 80 as England reached 310-6 against Sri Lanka on day one of the second Test.


Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last month, after a rally against the execution of a Kashmiri separatist convicted over the 2001 Indian parliament attack. A panel from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) probing the incident reportedly recommended the expulsion of five students, including Mr Kumar. Mr Kumar was released from jail after being granted bail earlier this month. His views have been divisive in India with some calling him "anti-national". Kanhaiya Kumar: India's most loved and loathed student The Press Trust of India news agency reported that the university panel had found the students guilty of "violating university rules and discipline norms". Apart from Mr Kumar, the panel has also reportedly recommended the expulsion of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, two other students who remain in custody. Reports say a final decision on the panel's recommendation will be taken by the vice chancellor of the university. Authorities allege Mr Kumar and others shouted anti-India slogans at the 9 February rally on the campus. Critics have condemned the charges against the students as an assault on freedom of expression, but government ministers have refused to back down, vowing to punish what they describe as "anti-national elements". The rally that prompted the arrests was to mark the third anniversary of the 2013 hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru. Guru was one of those convicted of plotting the 2001 parliament attack - charges he always denied. The attack, which left 14 people dead, was blamed on Pakistan-based militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. Indian opposition parties see the affair as an attempt by the BJP to push its Hindu nationalist agenda, correspondents say. There have also been counter protests by those who say JNU is a hotbed of "traitors" and should be "cleaned up".

Summary: A student leader from a top university in India charged with sedition may be expelled from campus, reports say.


She had been widely tipped as the politician who would take over from the former deputy first minister, who retired partly due to illness. The 40-year-old County Tyrone woman is the current health minister having previously been agriculture minister. She paid a warm tribute to Mr McGuinness and said she was "following in the footsteps of a political giant". She said "no-one can replace Martin" but said she would continue the work he started. Mrs O'Neill will have just five weeks to prepare for an election after Stormont's power-sharing coalition fell apart over a botched energy scheme scandal. The fallout from the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, which is approximately £490m over budget, led to Mr McGuinness' quitting after DUP leader Arlene Foster refused to stand aside as first minster while an investigation was carried out. As they hold a joint office, his resignation automatically put Mrs Foster out of her job and prompted the calling of snap elections on 2 March. Mrs O'Neill described her new role as "the biggest honour and privilege of my life". "I have never been afraid of challenge and I have never been afraid to act," she added. She referred to her first act as health minister last year, when she ended Northern Ireland's blanket ban on gay men donating blood. Mr McGuinness said he was "overjoyed" at her appointment, which he said was part of a "generational change" within his party. He said that as health minister she had already taken on one of Stormont's toughest portfolios, adding that Sinn Féin did not appoint people to such ministerial posts unless they had the "all-round ability to manage very difficult situations". Tackling mounting hospital waiting lists has been a huge task for Mrs O'Neill since she was appointed health minister last May. In October, she launched a 10-year plan to transform the health service, saying it would improve a system that was at "breaking point". Opposition politicians questioned the lack of details in the plan, which was not costed. But it set out a range of priorities, including a new model of care involving a team of professionals based around GP surgeries. Mrs O'Neill was first elected to the assembly in Mid Ulster in 2007 and has held various senior positions within Sinn Féin. She has worked for the party since 1998, initially as political adviser to MP and former MLA Francie Molloy, before being elected to Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council in 2005. In 2011, she was appointed as minister for agriculture and rural development. The following year, she announced the department would move to a former British army barracks in Ballykelly, County Londonderry. After the announcement, it came to light that Strabane had been chosen as a more suitable location by an internal DARD assessment, a decision that Mrs O'Neill then overruled. In February 2013, it was also revealed that the decision had been questioned by then Finance Minister Sammy Wilson.

Summary: Sinn Féin has announced that Michelle O'Neill is to replace Martin McGuinness as its leader north of the border.


The DUP says up to 90% of the PSNI legacy investigation branch's caseload is focused on killings by the Army. The PM, secretary of state and other unionist and Conservative politicians also say there is an imbalance. But PSNI figures show investigations into killings by the Army account for about 30% of its legacy workload. The police legacy branch will re-investigate 1,118 deaths not previously reviewed or completed by the now defunct Historical Enquiries Team (HET). Of those killings, 530 were carried out by republicans, 271 by loyalists and 354 by the security forces. It is not known who was responsible for the other 33 killings. Team A consists of 12 detectives They are working on On The Runs (OTR) enquiry and are seeking to confirm the "wanted" status of 228 republicans, not all of whom received OTR letters. The number of incidents the individuals are linked to may run to several thousand. The team is examining whether there is evidence that would provide grounds for them to be prosecuted. Team B consists of 19 detectives Its caseload includes investigations into the killings of Jean McConville and former IRA member Eamon Collins, both attributed to republicans. The team is also investigating the activities of the Military Reaction Force (MRF). Team C consists of 13 detectives They are investigating the killings of 13 civilians by members of the Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday, and the murders of 10 Protestant men by the IRA at Kingsmills in 1976. Team D consists of 11 detectives It is investigating seven killings by republicans. The officer who leads the PSNI legacy branch, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, said he did not believe the police were disproportionately focusing on any one group. "I do understand that there is a public perception that there is a disproportionate focus on military cases but they form part of what we are doing," he said. "I have a full team who are doing reviews against a list of cases, at the minute, none of those are military. "I've a full team working on the On The Runs review and that doesn't relate to the military at all. "I do appreciate that in the public domain, the big profile cases that we've been working on have been in the area of military-related killings. "We're carrying out our duties according to the law and according to what we've been asked to do and required to do." The HET previously completed reviews of 1,625 cases, which related to 2,051 deaths. The majority of the cases, 1,038, were attributed to republican paramilitaries, mostly the Provisional IRA. Of the others, 536 cases were attributed to loyalists, 32 to the army, and it's not known who was responsible for the remaining 9. There are no plans to re-investigate cases described as completed by the HET at this stage unless new evidence is uncovered.

Summary: Figures obtained by the BBC challenge claims that investigations into Troubles killings are unduly focused on those committed by the Army.


The incident happened at about 23:00 on Wednesday. The 21-year-old victim was walking along the road from the top of Baker Street when an unknown man shouted racially-aggravated abuse at him. The suspect is white, in his late teens or early 20s, between 5ft 7in and 6ft tall, with red or blond short hair. He is of a stocky build and was wearing a red or orange hoodie. Officers are urging anyone who can assist them to come forward. Insp Mike Bennett said: "For this young man to be subject to such unprovoked abuse as he went about his daily business is shocking. "This behaviour is absolutely unacceptable in our community and I'd urge anyone who witnessed this incident, or has information which can help with our inquiries, to come forward."

Summary: Police are appealing for witnesses after a young man suffered "shocking" racial abuse while walking on Hawick's High Street.


Andrew Buchanan, 46, from Inverness, died at Raigmore Hospital on Monday. The crash, involving a black Seat Altea car, happened at about 18:15 on Saturday 4 March at the junction of Kenneth Street and Tomnahurich Street. Police Scotland said a report had been sent to the procurator fiscal.

Summary: A 46-year-old pedestrian has died nine days after being struck by a car on the A82 in Inverness.


The 20-year-old made his Warriors debut in the win against Leigh and his start at Wolves was just his second outing. He scored 20 tries in 22 games on loan at Championship side Swinton in 2016 on a dual registration deal, while also working as a trainee accountant. "I'm really, really pleased for Liam," Wane told BBC Radio 5 live. "His effort in training has been fantastic. With the pre-season he's had, he earned the right to play. "I thought they were four quality tries and quality finishes. "It is a shot in the arm for our youth system as it shows to everybody that a first-team start is never that far away. You just take your chances when they come and he's taken his." Wane also confirmed that England forward John Bateman is expected to be out for three months with a shoulder injury.

Summary: Wigan Warriors head coach Shaun Wane has praised the finishing of Liam Marshall after he scored four tries in Thursday's 38-16 win at Warrington.


The 28-year-old failed to make a appearance for the Australian side after joining on a two-year deal from St Helens at the start of the season. Turner, a title winner with Saints in 2014, did however play in the NRL All Stars game earlier this year. "I'm excited to be returning home to the UK with Huddersfield," he said. "Last year I took an opportunity that was given to me to head out to Canberra knowing how difficult it would be for me and my partner on the other side of the world and was keen to stick it out. "In the last few months I have had plenty of opportunities to return home but turned those chances down." Giants head coach Rick Stone said Turner comes in to replace Ryan Brierley who joined League One side Toronto in April. "We have been looking to fill a gap ever since Ryan moved on and I am delighted that our patience has been rewarded with such a good acquisition," Stone said. Turner, who played more than 100 times for Saints and also previously featured for Salford and Hull FC, joins a Huddersfield side third-from-bottom in Super League, with his deal announced after they were beaten 28-26 at Wakefield.

Summary: Huddersfield have signed Super League Grand Final-winning utility back Jordan Turner on a three-and-a-half-year deal after he was released by Canberra.


Greece is now part way through its third eurozone bailout programme, worth up to 86bn euros (Â£74bn). The programme has encountered repeated delays as the lenders monitor compliance with policy conditions. Technical officials are expected to return to Athens soon to complete the negotiations. The "in principle" deal, as European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici called it, was agreed at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Malta. The main elements in the latest agreement are commitments to reduce spending on pensions from 2019 and to collect more income tax from 2020 by lowering the tax-free threshold. Together the two measures are intended to improve the Greek government's finances by the equivalent of 2% of the country's economic activity, or GDP. To sweeten a pill that will be unpopular in Greece, the other eurozone countries agreed that Athens would be able take other measures to stimulate the economy, if the government finances perform better than expected. The next step is that technical experts from three European institutions and the IMF will return to Athens to try to negotiate the remaining details. The Dutch Finance Minister, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs eurozone ministers' meetings, called for them to put the last dots on the i's and reach a full agreement as soon as possible at staff level - that's the staff of the institutions involved in monitoring the programme. That is needed before there is political decision to make that delayed payment. Once there is a staff agreement, Mr Dijsselbloem said that the Eurogroup ministers would also look at the targets Greece would need to aim for in the government finances after the last bailout payments are made (due in 2018) and the question of debt sustainability - which means debt relief beyond what the eurozone has already provided. Debt relief previously has been in the form of reduced interest rates and longer payment periods, rather than reducing the amount of the principal sum that must ultimately be repaid. Further debt relief is likely to be in a similar form. Eurozone ministers have said it many times and it's politically more difficult for them with domestic political audiences if they were to explicitly write off a chunk of what they have lent. The International Monetary Fund has long argued that Greece needs more debt relief. That has been behind its reluctance to contribute financially to the third bailout. (It did chip in to the first two). Its involvement in the third so far is as an adviser and monitor of Greek performance. The rest of the eurozone, but especially Germany, would like the IMF to put some money in. That's not so much for the sake of reducing the eurozone contribution as for the better credibility they think the programme would have if the IMF did stump up some money. But IMF staff are so far unwilling to even recommend it to their board, which is made up of representatives of the agency's member countries. After the Malta meeting, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said: "We are at a point where we think there are

Summary: Eurozone finance ministers say they have agreed with Greece the main elements of a deal to unlock a delayed bailout payment.


Mrs Banda came to power two years ago after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. Her reputation has been dented by a corruption scandal, known as Cashgate, which has led donors to cut aid. Her main challengers are Mr Mutharika's brother, Peter, Atupele Muluzi - the son of another former president - and a former preacher, Lazarus Chakwera. By Chakuchanya HarawaBBC Africa, Blantyre Competitive election Mr Chakwera is the candidate of the Malawi Congress Party, which governed from independence in 1964 until the first multi-party poll in 1994. Voting was delayed in parts of the largest city, Blantyre, due to a shortage of election material. "There's no ink. We're still waiting for the consignment," one of the officials told the crowd, reports the Reuters news agency. There are reports of angry scenes at some polling stations. But in the capital, Lilongwe, voting mostly started on time, Reuters reports. Mrs Banda has denied any wrong-doing in relation to Cashgate and last week told the BBC that the fact the affair has gone to court was her "greatest achievement" because in the past, such scandals would have been covered up. Scores of officials, including former ministers, have been arrested over the scandal, often with large amounts of cash. Up to $250m (Â£150m) may have been lost through allegedly fraudulent payments. Analysts say that despite the close race, she is likely to win because of her popularity in rural areas. The candidate with the most votes is declared the winner of the presidential race - there is no run-off. There is a total of 12 presidential candidates. Parliamentary and local elections are being held at the same time. Malawi is one the poorest countries in the world and is heavily dependent on aid, with donors proving 40% of the budget.

Summary: Malawians have voted in a tight election, with President Joyce Banda facing three strong challengers.


Eoin Farrell and his friend died in the single-car collision in Rostrevor just before midnight on Monday. Another of their friends was critically injured. They all attended courses at the Southern Regional College in Armagh. Eoin's father, Gerard Farrell, paid tribute to all three, adding he had lost a "great son" who "loved life". He described the fatal crash as an "awful tragedy" which had come as a terrible shock to their family. The car his son was travelling in struck the wall of a house and crashed into a field on the Kilbroney Road. The other teenager who died at the scene has been named locally as James Miskelly, from Mayobridge, County Down. Eoin, who was 17, lived at his parents' home in Rostrevor. In addition to attending to studying motor vehicle maintenance at the college's Armagh campus, he worked as a trainee lorry mechanic in Newry, County Down. "Eoin was just fun-loving, easy-going, loved working," Mr Farrell told the BBC. "He came home in the evenings, he was only in the house five minutes and he was away with the other boys... working at cars or doing a bit of farming or fishing, always on the go, always enjoying life, always with his cheeky smile. "There wasn't a bad bone in him. Great son, just a great, great son. We all loved him." He described how he was woken in the early hours of Tuesday morning by news of his son's death. "It was an awful shock at four o'clock yesterday morning. I was texting him and ringing him to see where he was, was he coming home, because he was going to Tech on Tuesday morning with James in Armagh. "The week before he stayed in James' house and I thought that's where he was going. I rang him at five to twelve, and his phone was flat since eight o'clock. But then we got the knock at the door at five to four, and we knew something wasn't right." Mr Farrell also expressed his sympathy to the families of the other victims killed and injured in the collision and said his "thoughts and prayers" were with them. "An awful tragedy, I wouldn't wish it on anybody," he said. The chief executive of the Southern Regional College, Brian Doran, said it was "absolutely tragic news" that had left staff and fellow students in "a state of shock". "Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the Miskelly and Farrell families at this time," Mr Doran said. "Two young men cut down in the prime of their lives, it's been an absolute shock to everyone here at the college and, most notably, to their classmates." He added: "The students, as you will appreciate were in a state of shock and we've been working with the students to provide them with support."

Summary: The father of one of the two teenagers killed in a County Down car crash has said they lived life to the full and had become inseparable friends.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 22 September 2015 Last updated at 16:42 BST The pupils, from Sussex, have designed and built their own high-tech vehicle and will now compete in the three thousand kilometre race. Only solar-powered cars are allowed in the competition, which involves the teams driving from Darwin to Adelaide. Watch Hayley's report to see how the team are preparing.

Summary: A group of school students will be the first team from Europe to take part in a big solar powered car race in Australia.


The engine was driven from Larne fire station at about 04:00 GMT on Saturday and crashed into cars and houses a short time later. Robert Duffin, 66, from Green Link in Larne, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday facing five charges linked to the incident. Ross Clarke, 19, from Fairway in Larne, also appeared, accused of 14 offences. He faces charges including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, causing damage and various motoring offences. The pair were remanded in custody to appear again on Thursday at Ballymena Magistrates' Court, when it is expected a bail application will be made.

Summary: Two men have been remanded in custody over the theft of a fire engine in County Antrim.


They told the militants "to kill them together or leave them alone", a local governor told Kenyan media. At least two people were killed in the attack, near the north-eastern village of El Wak on the Somali border. The Somali based al-Shabab group is the main suspect for the attack. It has not said if it was responsible, but often carries out attacks in Kenya's north-east. The bus was travelling from the capital Nairobi to the town of Mandera. When al-Shabab killed 148 people in an attack on Garissa University College in April, the militants reportedly singled out Christians and shot them, while freeing many Muslims. Last year, a bus was attacked near Mandera by al-Shabab militants, who killed 36 non-Muslims travelling to Nairobi for Christmas celebrations. "The locals showed a sense of patriotism and belonging to each other," Mandera governor Ali Roba told Kenya's private Daily Nation newspaper. The militants decided to leave after the passengers' show of unity, he added. An employee of the Makkah bus company, who had spoken to the driver involved in the attack, confirmed to the BBC that Muslims had refused to be separated from their fellow Christian passengers. One of the victims was shot dead after trying to run away from the militants after passengers had been forced off the bus, the same employee told the BBC's Bashkas Jugsodaay in Nairobi. Al-Shabab has been at war with Kenya ever since Kenyan forces entered Somalia in October 2011 in an effort to crush the militants. Kenya's north-eastern region has a large population of ethnic Somalis.

Summary: A group of Kenyan Muslims travelling on a bus ambushed by Islamist gunmen protected Christian passengers by refusing to be split into groups, according to eyewitnesses.


India-born Rajat Gupta had leaked boardroom secrets to Raj Rajaratnam, a former hedge fund manager who is serving 11 years in prison. Gupta, 67, was released on Friday, the Press Trust of India said, quoting his record at Federal Bureau of Prisons. The US court has agreed to re-hear his appeal against his 2012 conviction, reports say. Gupta completed the last two months of his jail term at his home in Manhattan, after being released in January from a correctional facility. He was confined to his apartment and was required to wear an ankle bracelet that monitored his movements, the Press Trust of India reports. During the court case, which resulted in Gupta being found guilty in June 2012, the jury heard secret recordings of conversations between him and Rajaratnam. The trial focused on a phone call made to Rajaratnam on 23 September 2008, minutes after Gupta had listened to a private conference call discussing a $5bn (Â£3.4bn) investment in Goldman Sachs by Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway. The deal was due to be made public after stock markets closed that day. According to phone records, Rajaratnam bought $40m in Goldman Sachs stock moments after the phone call, earning nearly $1m. Apart from the two-year prison term, Gupta was also fined $5m. Gupta, who was born in India and educated at Harvard, also served on the boards of Procter & Gamble, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Summary: A former Goldman Sachs board member has been released after serving a two year sentence for insider trading in the US.


The Intercontinental Cup loss drops Ireland from first to second in the table with two matches to go, Ireland next playing the Netherlands in August. The winner of the group will play off against the lowest ranked Test side (currently Zimbabwe) in 2018 for full status. The three-day loss is only Ireland's third in the 13-year history of the tournament. Resuming their first innings on 170-7 - still 367 runs in arrears - John Anderson showed the necessary application as he scored an unbeaten 61 from 175 balls. He has now passed the 50 mark in all five matches he has played in the competition. He received admirable support from the tail, sharing stands of 43 with Andrew McBrine (18) for the eighth wicket and 41 for the last with Peter Chase (18) as Ireland added 91 to their overnight total. The determination with which the Irish tail had resisted Afghanistan and leg-spinner Rashid Khan - who failed to add to his five-wicket tally - offered hope the Irish could mount a spirited resistance with the bat. It was not to be, however, as Mohammed Nabi took six wickets in Ireland's second innings, and teenage leg-spinner Rashid 3-44, leaving both with a match haul of eight wickets apiece. The dismissals of Anderson and Joyce in the same Nabi over seemed to knock all resistance out of the Irish, with Niall O'Brien and Gary Wilson the joint top scorers with only 15 apiece. Ireland's next match in the competition is against Netherlands at home in August before they finish with a clash against Scotland in the UAE. They will now have to rely on results elsewhere - hoping either Hong Kong or UAE can do them a favour - if they are to have any hope of retaining their title and going forward to the Test Challenge. Before then, they will face England in two one-day internationals at Bristol and Lord's on 5 and 7 May.

Summary: Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the Test Challenge - and the chance to become a full-member nation of the ICC - suffered a serious blow as they slumped to an innings and 172-run defeat by Afghanistan in Greater Noida.


He was a reserve player at Derby before his career was ended by injury. Guthrie became the Rams' trainer and then kit manager, working with more than a dozen managers including Brian Clough over the course of six decades. He was appointed an MBE in 2009 for services to football and has a stand named after him at the iPro Stadium. Despite falling ill four years ago, he was still a regular on match days and usually sat in his familiar seat in the home dugout until very recently. "It goes without saying everyone at Derby County is saddened to learn of the passing of Gordon," said Sam Rush, the club's president and chief executive. "Our thoughts and condolences are with Gordon's family and friends at this time." A minute's silence will be held in memory of Guthrie prior to Derby's EFL Cup third-round tie against Liverpool on Tuesday. Former striker Andy Garner, who began his career at Derby and more recently was part of their coaching staff, said Guthrie was like a father figure to youngsters at the club. "I found it quite daunting, being a young man and coming to Derby from a small village," Garner told BBC Radio Derby. "Although I was a big, strong lad, I needed somebody like Gordie. I was lonely at times and he definitely helped me. "It was a joy for me. I absolutely loved my two-year apprenticeship and Gordie was always there for us. The players and the staff all loved him being there."

Summary: Derby County's longest-serving staff member Gordon Guthrie MBE, who spent more than 60 years with the club, has died at the age of 86.


William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the first episode, said he would be "so desperately missed". Coronation Street executive producer Kieran Roberts called Warren "a pioneer, a revolutionary, a true genius [and] a giant of British television". Warren, who started the Granada Television show when he was 24, died on Tuesday after a short illness. Born in Lancashire in 1936, he wrote episodes for the ITV soap until the late 1970s. Roache described the writer, who continued to visit the soap's set in Trafford until recently, as the "father" of the soap. "When I first met Tony, I couldn't quite believe he'd created and written Coronation Street, because he was no more than a young boy," he said. He added the writer had a "boyish energy" that never left him: "I loved Tony's energy. He was the father of Coronation Street and he gave us all so much." Helen Worth, who worked alongside Warren for 42 years as the character Gail McIntyre, said Warren was "a genius of our time [and] the dearest, funniest and most inspirational man of his generation". "He brought real life into our homes for us all to relate to and enjoy. He will, of course, live on forever through Coronation Street," she said. Coronation Street actors Kym Marsh, Anthony Cotton and Samia Ghadie were among those who paid tribute to Warren on Twitter. Cotton said the writer left "the greatest legacy", while Ghadie said he had been "a truly wonderful man" and Marsh described him as "amazing". Tributes were also paid to Warren from actors on other soaps, including from EastEnders' Jessie Wallace and Adam Woodyatt, and Emmerdale's Gemma Oaten. Warren was born Anthony McVay Simpson in Eccles, Salford, in 1937, and took the stage name of Warren during his career as a child star. He trained at Liverpool's Elliott Clarke Theatre School and was a regular on the BBC radio show Children's Hour, before acting in radio plays alongside some of the actors who would become household names because of Coronation Street, including Violet Carson and Doris Speed. His idea for Coronation Street was commissioned for 13 episodes by Granada in 1960 and the show has gone on to be one of the UK's most successful ever, reaching viewing figures of 26.6 million for the departure of the much-loved Hilda Ogden in 1987. The writer was made an MBE in 1994 for his services to television drama and remained a consultant on the soap until his death, with his creator credit appearing at the start of the closing credits of every episode. A drama based on his life and the creation of the show, The Road to Coronation Street, was broadcast on BBC Four in 2010. Daran Little, who wrote for Coronation Street before penning the show about Warren, said on Twitter that "Tony was my dad in TV". "Without his encouragement, I would never had a career," he said. In 2007, Warren spoke to the Manchester Evening News about the prejudice he faced as a gay man writing the soap before decriminalisation in

Summary: Tributes have been paid to Tony Warren, the Coronation Street creator and writer who has died aged 79.


Police support unit vehicles and officers wearing protective clothing have been seen at the scene. The reports were made at about 10:50 on Friday morning. Police officers are at the scene and inquiries are continuing. It is understood that police were responding to reports of a man barricading himself in a flat.

Summary: Police have confirmed that they are currently responding to reports of a disturbance in Ashburn Gardens, Gourock, Inverclyde.


State media said rebels shelled a mosque in the government-held district of Bab al-Faraj, killing 15 people. In the rebel-held east, government air strikes reportedly left at least 11 dead and destroyed a medical facility - the second to be hit in a week. The military meanwhile said a "regime of calm" would begin elsewhere at 01:00 on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday). A statement said it would last for 24 hours in Damascus and the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital, and for 72 hours in the northern countryside of Latakia province. It did not explain why the halt was only temporary, nor was there any mention of Aleppo, where a week of escalating violence has left more than 200 civilians dead. State television said rebels unleashed a barrage of rocket fire into the government-held western part of Aleppo just as people were coming out of Friday prayers. The Malla Khan mosque in Bab al-Faraj was hit, it said, causing heavy casualties. Some of the injured were in a serious condition and were likely to die, it added. Activists meanwhile reported that government aircraft carried out more attacks on rebel-held parts of the city, after hostilities had eased for a short time overnight. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said 11 people were killed, while the Local Co-ordination Committees, an opposition activist network, put the death toll at 14. The LCC reported that six died when government helicopters dropped barrel bombs - large cylindrical containers filled with explosives and shrapnel - on the Firdous district and four others in a barrel bomb attack in Mughair. The Syrian Civil Defence, whose volunteer emergency response workers are known as the "White Helmets", said that among the sites targeted by warplanes was a clinic in the Marja area. A nurse was among several people hurt. On Wednesday night, the al-Quds Hospital in the rebel-held Sukkari district was destroyed in air strikes that US Secretary of State John Kerry said appeared to have been "deliberate". Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which supported the hospital, said on Friday that 50 people, including six members of staff, were now believed to have been killed. "The attack on al-Quds Hospital has destroyed one of the last remaining places in Aleppo in which you could still find humanity. Aleppo is already a shell of what it once was, this most recent assault appears determined to eliminate even that," said MSF's head of mission in Syria, Muskilda Zancada. Ms Zancada also expressed concern at reports that government forces were preparing for a major offensive to encircle rebel-held areas of the city. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that Aleppo was being "pushed further to the brink of humanitarian disaster". Large parts of the city have been destroyed and its infrastructure has been severely damaged, leaving civilians without water and electricity for months. In an interview with the BBC, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Syria's leaders had to "go beyond their narrow personal perspectives" and call a halt to the destruction of their

Summary: Syria's divided second city of Aleppo had endured another day of deadly clashes.


More than two million spectators watched the three-day Tour de Yorkshire, won by Thomas Voeckler. Christian Prudhomme said: "The Tour de Yorkshire is on the podium for being one of the best bike races in the world and for me the best public for cycling in the world." Frenchman Voeckler said the crowd "makes me want to come back next year". The Direct Energie rider added: "When you see all the crowds on the road, I am sure that in 20 to 30 years there will still be a Tour de Yorkshire so I am really happy that my name is on the winner's list." An estimated 2.5m people watched the opening two stages of the Tour de France when they were held in Yorkshire in 2014. Voeckler clinched overall victory in the Tour de Yorkshire on Sunday by beating Team Sky's Nicolas Roche in a sprint finish to win the third and final stage over 123 miles from Middlesbrough to Scarborough. The race is in its second year and Prudhomme said: "There have been huge crowds, huge enthusiastic crowds who respect the riders. "The people of Yorkshire have passion and pride. I love what the Tour de Yorkshire has done for children who are watching this on the route and at the start and finish lines. "These are memories that those children will never forget. The passion is growing and growing."

Summary: Yorkshire is "fast becoming the heartland of cycling", according to the director of the Tour de France.


They need new content to feed their 560 million avid gamers, who contribute to the biggest gaming market in the world - worth an estimated $24.4bn (Â£19.8bn) in 2016, according to Newzoo. And this market is growing at around 15% a year. Chinese firms have already spent more than $111bn on foreign acquisitions this year, according to Dealogic, with some of the biggest deals involving gaming companies. Internet giant Tencent - which owns the WeChat and QQ Games platforms - bought Finnish Clash of Clans mobile games maker Supercell for $8.6bn earlier this year. Tencent already owns League of Legends maker Riot Games, and has minority stakes in Epic Games and Activision Blizzard, the World of Warcraft maker. Activision itself bought Candy Crush Saga maker King Digital Entertainment for nearly $6bn last year. Chinese online games publisher Youzu Interactive snapped up German free-to-play games maker Bigpoint for â‚¬80m (Â£71.5m; $88.7m) early in 2016. And this summer, Zhongji Holding bought venerable UK games maker Jagex, famous for its 15-year-old RuneScape fantasy role-playing game, for about $400m. Analysts believe there are several more acquisitions to come. Lisa Pan, director of Shanghai Zhongji Enterprise Group, Zhongji Holding's parent company, tells the BBC: "Chinese investors are attracted to the creative sector in the UK. We're also looking at Europe and the US for good gaming assets. "The games sector is a fast-growing industry and we're interested in building a portfolio of gaming companies." The firm expects to make further acquisitions this year, she says. One reason why successful Western games companies are attractive to Chinese investors is that they generate cash but are relatively cheap compared to the valuations of domestic companies listed on China's stock market, says Affan Butt, partner at Code Advisors, a technology and media investment banking specialist. But what's in it for the games companies - apart from a big payday? Rob Moffat, partner at investment firm Balderton Capital, says medium-sized developers realise that to access the fast-growing Asian market they need to form strategic partnerships with Chinese firms. "If you're a developer dependent on just a few games, you're vulnerable, so you need to scale up to about 10 games a year in the hope that one of them is a big hit. That means getting bought essentially," he says. Developing a new game from scratch can cost anything from $5m to $100m, says Jagex chief executive Rod Cousens - a games industry veteran who previously ran Codemasters, maker of the popular F1 motorsport game. "This is why all eyes are turning East right now - it's the biggest market in the world - and Chinese companies are looking beyond their borders." Amongst mobile gamers, average revenue per user is now higher in China than in the US, UK, and South Korea, according to a recent report by AppAnnie, proving that this really is a market that cannot be ignored. But what are the technical challenges facing a British games company like Jagex - primarily known for a visually rich desktop-based game - as it tries to expand into China where

Summary: The Chinese are coming and they're hungry for games companies.


The big difference is that the numbers from which you make your six selections will go up in October from one to 49 to one to 59. While this doesn't sound like it will make a huge difference, it actually takes your odds of winning the jackpot from one in 14 million to one in 45 million. Camelot, which runs the lottery, says that the new system will create bigger, rolling jackpots, which is true. Because it is so much less likely that anybody will win the top prize, there will be many more rollovers. It also says that the chances of winning a prize have increased, which is true, because people who match two numbers will get a free go on the game the following week. The chances of winning a cash prize, however, have fallen considerably. There will also be a raffle that will give prizes of £1m and £20,000, for which the odds of winning depend on the number of entries, but the organisers estimate that you have a one in 10 million chance of winning either £1m on the raffle or the jackpot. This change comes only two years after the last set of changes, which doubled the price of a ticket to £2 but introduced the raffle with £20,000 prizes. At the time, the prize for matching three balls increased from £10 to £25. The odds of matching three balls were unchanged, but of course the cost of entry had doubled, which effectively doubled the odds (because £2 would previously have bought two tickets). The estimated prize for matching five balls plus the bonus ball fell from £100,000 to £50,000 while the prize for matching five balls went from £1,500 to £1,000. It appears that the Lotto organisers have discovered that what persuades people to buy lottery tickets is rollovers to create enormous prizes. Camelot's commentary in its financial reporting about the effect that Euromillions rollovers (or the lack of them) have on ticket sales is very clear about that. The company is clearly counting on the lengthening odds of winning both vast amounts of money and small and middling sums having less effect. Because honestly, who can cope in their head with the difference between odds of 14 million to one and odds of 45 million to one? It's like comparing the odds of flipping a coin and getting 22 consecutive heads with the odds of getting 24. They both represent staggeringly unlikely events - it's just that in the case of a lottery it happens to someone every now and then.

Summary: There has been outrage on some front pages about the shake-up to the Lotto game announced this week.


HIV, which causes Aids, emerged in humans in the 20th Century, but scientists have long known that similar viruses in monkeys and apes have existed for much longer. A genetic study shows HIV-like viruses arose in African monkeys and apes 5 million to 12 million years ago. The research may one day lead to a better understanding of HIV and Aids. HIV affects 34 million people worldwide. The disease emerged during the 20th century after a HIV-like virus jumped from chimps to humans. Scientists have long known that similar viruses, known as lentiviruses, are widespread in African primates. Past genetic research has suggested these "cousins" of HIV arose tens of thousands of years ago, but some experts have suspected this is an underestimate. Scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle, US, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, also in Seattle, looked at the genetic signatures of HIV-like viruses in a number of primates, including chimps, gorillas, orang utans and macaques. Changes in genes that have evolved in the immune systems of monkeys and apes in Africa suggest the viruses arose between 5 and 16 million years ago. The research, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, gives clues to how the immune systems of our closest relatives evolved to fight infection. Dr Michael Emerman of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said: "Our study reveals that, while primate lentiviruses may have modern consequences for human health, they have ancient origins in our non-human primate relatives." Commenting on the study, Dr Sam Wilson of the MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in Glasgow, said: "This kind of research helps us understand how the virus works. "The hope is that one day this will translate into therapy."

Summary: The origins of HIV can be traced back millions rather than tens of thousands of years, research suggests.


Police are treating the death of the pupil - named locally as Bailey Gwynne - at Cults Academy as a murder inquiry. Officers said a 16-year-old male had been detained after emergency services were called to the school at about 13:30. Head teacher Anna Muirhead said the victim was "very gentle" and "caring" and pupils and staff were in a "state of total shock". She added: "I think it is fair to say the whole school community is totally devastated but at the moment, of course, our thoughts are with the boy's family." Ch Insp Graeme Mackie said: "This is a shocking and extraordinary incident for Aberdeen and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the boy." He added: "A full and thorough inquiry is under way." First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter: "All my thoughts are with the family and friends of the young man who has tragically died at Cults Academy." Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing said: "I am deeply saddened by the news that one of our pupils has died following an incident at Cults Academy today. "I am sure that I speak for everyone across the city when I say how shocking this is. "I would like to offer my sincere sympathy to the boy's family and friends at this most difficult time." Council chief executive Angela Scott added: "It is hard to find words to describe this tragic event. We are thinking first and foremost of this boy's family and friends at this extremely difficult time. "At this point, it is too early for us to get into any further details. "We will, of course, continue to work closely with Police Scotland and assist with their investigation as required. We will also initiate a full internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident." Aberdeen South MP Callum McCaig is a former pupil at Cults Academy. He said: "I know the school extremely well and there is no precedent for anything like this happening. "It's incredibly sad." Mr McCaig added: "It's absolutely devastating news. I don't think words can really do justice to something like this. "It's an incredibly sad moment for the family involved and our thoughts go out to them." Aberdeen City Council has set up a dedicated support number - 01224 264299 - for those affected, from 08:00 on Thursday. The school will be closed on Thursday and Friday. Counselling is being offered to anyone affected by the incident. Cults Academy is a secondary school with 1,050 pupils from age 11 to 18 and is said to have a good reputation. Any child who has been affected by this incident can also call ChildLine on 0800 1111.

Summary: A 16-year-old pupil has died after being stabbed at an Aberdeen school.


Steven Knowles' tweets were described by a hearing as "threatening" and "extremely offensive". The Health and Care Professions Council heard in December 2014 and January 2015 he also called Mr Hunt a murderer and wished health problems on his family. Mr Knowles said the issue had meant he could not find work in the NHS. The panel heard Mr Knowles sent six messages while working as a operating department practitioner at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, Nottinghamshire. Before the decision Mr Knowles told the panel he had devoted 30 years to his job and wanted to go back to providing a valuable service. But the panel criticised his behaviour, finding he "lacked a full appreciation of the wider impact of these threatening tweets on his intended target, his colleagues and members of the public, or the wider effect of such misconduct on public confidence in the profession". Mr Knowles said he would not appeal against the decision.

Summary: An NHS employee who tweeted "I would gladly blow your brains out" to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been suspended for 13 months.