She said equality for women was "at the heart of the Scottish government". More details about the competition, which is being run by the Young Scot organisation, will be released at a later date. Ms Sturgeon has also called on women in leadership roles to follow her example and become mentors. Speaking at a diversity event in Edinburgh, the first minister said: "My ambition for all our young people is that they will have a fair chance to succeed, and if they work hard and have the ability, there's nothing to stop them realising their dreams. "It is not acceptable in 2017 for women to be under-represented in senior positions, including in the boardroom." Ms Sturgeon insisted that her government offered "ambitious commitments" in support of women's equality which included; She explained that one of her first moves as first minister was to appoint a gender-balanced cabinet. The chief executive of the Young Scot charity, Louise Macdonald, said that supporting young people in realising their career potential and meeting their ambitions was the responsibility of every leader in Scotland. She added: "Mentoring is a powerful way of helping young people achieve their goals and will help to create a new generation of positive role models to inspire other young women in the future. "We're delighted to support the first minister and the Scottish government with this new mentoring programme and we are encouraging as many young women from across Scotland as possible to apply for this amazing opportunity." "I hope that my election as first minister does indeed help to open the gate to greater opportunity for all women. "I hope that it sends a strong, positive message to girls and young women, indeed to all women, across our land - there should be no limit to your ambition for what you can achieve. "If you are good enough and if you work hard enough, the sky is the limit and no glass ceiling should ever stop you from achieving your dreams."

Summary: Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has launched a competition to find a woman aged between 18 and 23 to mentor for a year.


The Portadown Times published results from what it said was an "independent" poll ahead of May's general election. But it failed to acknowledge that the survey had actually been commissioned by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Mr Nesbitt said the article "appears to have skewed" the election result. The article suggested that the gap in support between the DUP and Sinn Féin had narrowed. The results put the DUP candidate David Simpson in first place with 30.7% of the vote, with Sinn Féin in second place on 28.1%. The Ulster Unionist candidate, Jo-Anne Dobson, was third in the poll, with 25% of the vote. Mr Simpson held his House of Commons seat for Upper Bann in the election with 15,430 votes, with Mrs Dobson polling 13,166 votes to finish in second place. The Ulster Unionist Party said the publication of the article suggested to readers that a vote for Mrs Dobson would have would "split the pro-union vote, and risk the seat being taken by Sinn Féin". The Independent Press Standards Office (IPSO) upheld Mr Nesbitt's complaint that the newspaper's description of the poll as "independent" had misled readers. IPSO said the Portadown Times had also failed to inform readers that the poll had been conducted six weeks before it was published. Mr Nesbitt said his party's canvassing team felt the publication of the "out-of-date" survey had "provoked a dramatic mood-swing on the doorstep". "I have no doubt David Simpson will do the decent thing and call a by-election, so the people of Upper Bann can vote without the artificial shadow of fear hanging over their ballot papers," he added. But DUP MLA Sydney Anderson said the Ulster Unionists needed to "accept the verdict of the people". "Every candidate is entitled to disappointment following an election defeat," Mr Anderson said. "What we are witnessing from the Ulster Unionist Party, however, is sour grapes on an industrial scale."

Summary: Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has called for a by-election in Upper Bann after a press standards body ruled voters had been misled about a poll published in a local newspaper.


19 December 2016 Last updated at 16:54 GMT

Summary: RHI at Stormont - Watch the key moments in 60 seconds.


Regulator Ofwat has named Southern Water as an "underperformer" after discharges from sewage treatment works and flooding to properties. Southern Water, which serves customers from east Kent to Hampshire, has an £806m annual turnover. The company said it was in discussions with Ofwat over the proposed penalties. A shortfall levy of £150m could be imposed on Southern Water for the "non compliant" discharges from sewage systems and flooding to properties caused by blockages since 2010, an Ofwat spokesman said. This could be added to an adjustment to the company's revenue of £26m for poor customer service, he said. The Ofwat spokesman said: "We are currently in the process of setting prices for Southern Water over the next five years. "As part of that process, we need to look at whether the company has delivered what customers have paid for over the last five years. We have challenged Southern and, in particular, still have questions over how they have operated their sewerage network and treatment works. "We have therefore proposed clawing back money for customers, so they are protected." He said the regulator was proposing that Southern's average bills would go down by 8.5% between 2015 and 2020, before inflation. A final decision will be made in December. A shortfall levy is different to a fine, in that the company is forced make customer bills cheaper or shareholders have to put more money in to make up the deficit, Ofwat said. The previous largest shortfall levy for a water company was £69m imposed on Northumbrian Water in 2009, the watchdog said. A Southern Water spokesman said the regulator had responded positively to parts of the company's plans for 2015-2020. "[Ofwat] details further areas for us to address, including the 'penalties' it is proposing, which relate to our operational and customer service performance since 2010," he said. In August, beach-goers in Littlehampton were warned to avoid swimming after Southern Water pumped sewage into the sea following the failure of a valve at the West Sussex town's Sea Road pumping station. In July swimmers were warned not to enter the sea at nine beaches around Thanet in Kent, following discharges from Southern Water pumping stations. Southern Water said it had done nothing wrong by releasing storm water from its stations at Foreness Point and Broadstairs. Thanet District Council previously warned swimmers about entering the sea in the area in May following a discharge of raw sewage. In Monday the Consumer Council for Water announced that Southern Water had reported drops in complaint numbers but the company remained "too far adrift" of the rest of the industry.

Summary: A water company could face a financial penalty of £176m for failings in customer services and managing sewerage systems, BBC South East has learned.


The Tigers, two-time winners of the previous incarnation as the Heineken Cup, went out in the group stage of last year's inaugural Champions Cup. Racing have never before made it to the last four. The winners will play Saracens in the final in Lyon on 14 May after they beat Wasps in Saturday's other semi-final. Leicester have named the same side that beat Northampton in the Premiership last weekend for the tie, which will be held at the City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest. Head coach Aaron Mauger will come up against compatriot and former All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter, who is in his first season with Racing. "He's probably been the difference for Racing this year, even though you don't want to pin too much on one person," said Mauger. "The direction that Dan has given the side has been critical. His composure in those tight moments has been the missing ingredient for them." Mauger, who helped Crusaders to four Super Rugby titles between 2000 and 2007, also said that the Champions Cup has overtaken the southern hemisphere competition as the premier tournament for clubs. "I think the Champions Cup is getting bigger, a bit more so now as I believe Super Rugby has been diluted by adding extra teams, which is a bit of a concern for them down there," said Mauger. "It's probably the most prestigious competition." Leicester Tigers: Mathew Tait (c), Telusa Veainu, Peter Betham, Manu Tuilagi, Vereniki Goneva, Freddie Burns, Ben Youngs; Marcos Ayerza, Harry Thacker, Dan Cole, Dom Barrow, Graham Kitchener, Mike Fitzgerald, Lachlan McCaffrey, Opeti Fonua. Replacements: Greg Bateman, Logovi'i Mulipola, Fraser Balmain, Ed Slater, Tom Croft, Sam Harrison, Owen Williams, Adam Thompstone. Racing 92: Brice Dulin, Joe Rokocoko, Johannes Goosen, Alexandre Dumoulin, Juan Imhoff, Dan Carter, Maxime Machenaud (c); Eddy Ben Arous, Virgile Lacombe, Ben Tameifuna, Luke Charteris, Francois van der Merwe, Wenceslas Lauret, Bernard Le Roux, Chris Masoe. Replacements: Camille Chat, Khatchik Vartanov, Luc Ducalcon, Manuel Carizza, Antonie Claassen, Mike Phillips, Remi Tales, Louis Dupichot.

Summary: Leicester Tigers will look to reach their first European Cup final since 2009 when they meet French side Racing 92 at Welford Road on Sunday.


The helicopter had to land on the sand and a doctor and paramedic treated the assaulted boy before he was taken to hospital by South East Coast ambulance. Kent Police said they were alerted to the disturbance at about 17:05 BST on Saturday and inquiries were ongoing. Reports said it followed a row about a girl, but police did not confirm this. A police spokesman said the boy's injuries were not life-threatening. On Twitter, people said several police and ambulance vehicles went to the beach alongside the air ambulance helicopter. A tweet by @valeriesnatural said: "When it's [too] crowded there is always trouble...... #margate #margatebeach #ilovemargateâ€¦ instagram.com/p/BUmopIxFB_1/" And @Lucysal wrote: "All of a sudden a massive fight broke out involving loads of teenagers at #Margate beach today."

Summary: A brawl involving about 50 young people on Margate beach led to the air ambulance being called to help an injured teenage boy.


The five Katyusha rockets came from part of Syria controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants, the Kilis governor's office said. Turkish artillery fired back at IS positions across the border, Turkey's Hurriyet news daily reported. Kilis has a Syrian refugee camp and shells have landed from Syria before. Four of the rockets hit residential areas of Kilis - a town where an estimated 120,000 Syrian refugees outnumber local Turks. A Turkish citizen and five other Syrians were also wounded in the rocket fire. Cross-border artillery fire has hit Kilis almost daily recently. Twelve people were wounded there on 11 April, then the following day two people were killed and six wounded in a similar strike, Hurriyet reported.

Summary: Rockets fired from northern Syria have killed four Syrians, three of them children, in the Turkish border town of Kilis, local officials say.


Edward James, 75, was convicted of fraudulent trading at Crown Currency Exchange, where he was a director. He used new customer cash to pay off old clients for two years, Southwark Crown Court was told. More than 12,000 people were left £20m out of pocket after the Cornwall-based firm collapsed in October 2010. Three other people involved in the scam were jailed in June. Crown Currency director Peter Benstead, 72, killed himself during the trial. Benstead spent customer cash on a £900,000 luxury house in Penzance, a second home in the Dordogne and spent £36,000 on a seven week cruise. Jurors were told James, who stood down as Tory chairman of Mendip District Council in the wake of the allegations, knew the dire state of the company. Judge Michael Gledhill said James' public service to Glastonbury as mayor in 2009, "paled into insignificance" in comparison to his role in the frauds.

Summary: A former mayor of Glastonbury has been jailed for 42 months for his involvement in a foreign currency exchange scam.


The varsity, which has educated more US presidents than any other, will take 50.8% of its freshmen from minority groups. That compares to 47.3% last year. Asian Americans make up 22.2%, followed by African Americans at 14.6%, Hispanic or Latino students at 11.6%, and Native American or Pacific Islanders at 2.5%. The milestone figures come just days after Harvard was drawn into a row over affirmative action between the US justice department and the New York Times. On 1 August, the paper claimed the justice department was preparing to sue campuses with affirmative action admissions policies, as it feels they are biased against white applicants. It said resources from the department's civil rights division would be used for the legal action, citing an internal memo. However, the justice department insisted it had no plans to investigate whether colleges pick their entrants based on race. It said the document seen by the paper, which referred to "a new project on [...] intentional race-based discrimination" was actually about a 2015 complaint by a coalition of Asian-American groups. The complaint accused Harvard and other Ivy League colleges of using quotas that keep out Asians with high test scores. Rachael Dane, a spokesperson for Harvard, said the university was "committed to enrolling diverse classes of students". "To become leaders in our diverse society, students must have the ability to work with people from different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives," she said. "Harvard's admissions process considers each applicant as a whole person, and we review many factors, consistent with the legal standards established by the US Supreme Court." The Supreme Court has outlawed the use of racial quotas in college admissions, but ruled that universities can consider race as part of a "holistic review" of applicants. Roger Clegg, president of the conservative Center for Equal Opportunity and a former top official in the justice department's civil rights division, told the BBC he felt affirmative action was outdated. "I understand the visceral sense that African Americans have been treated badly in this country for a very long time, and right after we got rid of Jim Crow [segregation laws], it wasn't such a bad idea to give special consideration over someone who was a recent beneficiary of Jim Crow. But now we're in 2017. Jim Crow is long gone and we're talking about giving Latinos a preference over Asian Americans. What possible sense does that make?" he said. An alternative view comes from Brenda Shum, director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She told the BBC that students of all colours benefited from a more diverse college experience. "...We owe it to our students to provide them with integrated learning environments that are reflective of the world in which they're living," she argued.

Summary: More than half of Harvard University's next student intake will not be white, for the first time in its 380-year history, official figures show.


The footage, apparently filmed in December, shows 15 girls in black robes identifying themselves. The girls were taken from a school in the town of Chibok by members of the Islamist group Boko Haram. Relatives of the girls marched in the capital, Abuja, on Thursday, the second anniversary of their abduction. The kidnapping of the 276 girls triggered the global social media campaign #BringBackOurGirls, involving US first lady Michelle Obama and a host of celebrities. But despite their efforts, most of the girls are still missing. The footage of the girls is the first to be seen since May 2014, when around 100 of them were shown in a video. It was broadcast after being handed to the Nigerian government. The BBC's Martin Patience in Abuja says hundreds of parents marching on Thursday blame the previous government for doing nothing when the abduction took place, as well as the current administration for failing to devote enough resources to the search. Boko Haram militants attacked the government boarding school in Borno state on 14 April 2014, seizing the girls who had gone there to take exams. Shortly afterwards they released a video of them and demanded a prisoner exchange. The video is too short for any meaningful comment on the state of health of the girls, but the 15 that appeared looked well fed and do not seem to show any sign of distress. However, their captors may have selected them from among the 219 girls still in captivity specifically to give that impression. It has always been clear that Boko Haram regard the Chibok girls as high-value and a potential negotiating tool. In the past they have indicated their desire to exchange some of the girls with some of their commanders arrested by the government. Recently, the military authorities in Nigeria have been claiming victory over the insurgents, pointing to the destruction of various militant camps spread across the group's stronghold in north-eastern Nigeria and the killing of many members of the group. However the video indicates that despite these successes, the group has been able to hold secure locations where they can hide the girls, even if only in small groups. These safe havens may provide many of the group's leadership an environment in which they can lie low and regroup at a later time, as they did after the premature victory declared by the Nigerian government against Boko Haram in 2009. The video has however raised other questions as to how talks are proceeding over the girls' release - what is the motive for releasing the video to a media house in the middle of negotiations that have the trust of all involved? Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls had converted to Islam and he threatened to force them into marriage with his fighters or sell them into slavery. As the months passed, about 57 students managed to escape but at least 219 are still missing. The latest video, apparently filmed on Christmas Day 2015, shows the girls pleading with the Nigerian government to co-operate with militants on

Summary: Friends and family members of Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped two years ago say they have identified some of them in a new video obtained by CNN.


The announcement came after a pact was agreed between the Socialists and centre-right Ciudadanos (Citizens). "What has been agreed with Ciudadanos is incompatible with us," said Podemos's Inigo Errejon. It deals a blow to Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez's hopes of becoming PM. Between them, the Socialists and Ciudadanos command only 130 seats in the 350-seat lower house - leaving Mr Sanchez far short of a parliamentary majority. In a vote on 1 March, he will seek the support of deputies in a vote of confidence that the former ruling Popular Party (PP), led by acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, has indicated it is likely to oppose. Podemos now appears less likely to offer its support - overtly or tacitly, in the form of abstentions - now it has framed the pact between the Socialists (PSOE) and Ciudadanos as "an invitation to the PP". "For the moment we have failed," Mr Errejon was quoted as saying. "The change [we sought] was not just to remove Mr Rajoy from the Moncloa [prime ministerial residence], but his policies." Earlier, signing a deal based on a five-point plan for constitutional reform, Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera had urged other parties to come on board. Podemos's radical policies are at odds with the liberal-centrist slant of Ciudadanos, and it had already warned they were unlikely to join forces, but it was not clear that Podemos would withdraw from the negotiating table entirely. Should Mr Sanchez fail to secure an absolute majority on 2 March, he could then aim for a simple majority in a second vote on 5 March. If he fails, the PP may attempt once again to form a coalition - perhaps a "grand coalition" with the Socialists and Ciudadanos. If that fails, a new election would have to be called, probably on 26 June. Mr Rajoy's centre-right PP, which took the greatest number of seats in the election, has already tried to form a coalition without success.

Summary: Spain's anti-austerity party, Podemos, says it is suspending negotiations over forming a government with the Socialists as the country struggles to resolve inconclusive elections.


Criticised by fans last term, Slade entered this campaign under pressure, and the Bluebirds drew their first three games. But a 2-0 win against Wolves came as a relief to Slade. "Everybody thought I would be down the road by the end of August, I suspect," he said. "The pressure was on to deliver at home… and we've managed to do that. "We're in quite a good place. I see us making progress. "It was important we got our first win and it will build confidence." Goals from Kenwyne Jones and Sammy Ameobi helped Cardiff to a comfortable win against a Wolves side who narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs last season. Slade succeeded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Bluebirds manager in October 2014 and, after a torrid spell around Christmas when Cardiff fans called for Slade's sacking, the former Leyton Orient boss eventually steered his new side to an 11th-placed finish. Now in his first full campaign in charge, Slade is encouraged with the progress Cardiff are making. "It is important to get your first win but, performance-wise, I've been fairly satisfied with what we've produced by and large," he added. "In open play, teams are not causing us problems perhaps like they were last year. We're more organised. "We're playing off a structure and it's how I want to play now."

Summary: Russell Slade believes Cardiff's first league win of the season against Wolves can lift the team's confidence after a turbulent previous season.


Dr Mark Lang spent six months studying the Lansbury Park Estate, near Caerphilly town centre. He said many policies aimed at reducing poverty in Wales had failed to work. Council officials have accepted Dr Lang's findings which include offering learning opportunities outside the classroom. Lansbury Park has already lived with the label "Wales' most deprived area" for the past two years. Now, the major economic research centred on the community suggests there needs to be fresh thinking about how we tackle the poorest places in Wales. Poverty is on the increase in Wales amongst children, working age adults and pensioners, despite attempts to reduce it over decades, according to the Bevan Foundation think-tank. It calculates that dealing with the consequences of poverty is now costing the Welsh public purse £1 out of every £5 it spends. Those findings are now swiftly followed by a report into Lansbury Park, which advocates a new approach but no magic wand. It is nearly 25 years since a range of social and economic problems were first highlighted by research on the estate, which lies just a mile from Caerphilly town centre. More recently, Lansbury succeeded part of Rhyl to a title no one wants - officially ranked as Wales' most deprived community. If you walk through the estate - home to 2,200 people - very little has changed on the surface from how it looked decades ago. Lansbury was named after a Labour leader of the Depression era when it was built in the 1960s and Attlee Court in the middle is among reminders of other figures from the party's past. Caerphilly council since 1996 has been under both Labour and Plaid Cymru control. This "deep place" study was commissioned by the local authority and its analysis does not apportion blame - only recognising the approaches of a generation or more have simply not worked. Despite money being spent, and a Communities First programme running, economic and social problems have become "embedded". Dr Mark Lang spent six months working on the Lansbury Park "deep place" study, with Prof Dave Adamson, who led the original research in 1993. Beyond the stark economic statistics, the research looks at less tangible but equally relevant factors. Indeed, the "feel" of the place is possibly as much of an obstacle to progress. The "sterile" urban landscape, the lack of trees on the little green space the estate has, are all features; horizons are limited, physically and emotionally. So as new councillors are soon elected across Wales, are there lessons for similar urban areas too? Especially at a time of austerity, council budget pressures, uncertainty over filling future gaps left by European funding and the forthcoming overhaul of Communities First. Dr Lang believes it is about understanding the specifics of a place - and spending what money there is, more wisely. "With some of the funded activities, I feel, they don't take the community out of itself; they don't encourage people to leave their communities and do something somewhere else, experience a broader world," he said. "It might well be you spend

Summary: A new approach is needed to tackle poverty, a report into the most deprived community in Wales has suggested.


The match, in Montevideo on Friday, 30 May, will be broadcast on the Red Button and also be streamed on the BBC Sport website. You can press the Red Button on either BBC One NI or BBC Two NI to watch the match. Kick-off for the match at the Estadio Centenario is 00:30 BST and the commentator will be Michael McNamee. Uruguay are in England's World Cup pool, Group D. On Freeview and BT Vision, the Red Button feed can be found on Channel 301, on Freesat Channel 981 and Virgin Media Channel 991. For those watching with Sky, coverage will be available only by pressing the Red Button. Alternatively fans can also watch the game live by logging on to bbc.co.uk/sportni. Shane Glynn, editor of BBC Sport NI, said: "Uruguay will be a tough test for Northern Ireland. "They will be one of the sides who fancy their chances of winning the World Cup - and with players of the calibre of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, why not? "I'm delighted BBC Northern Ireland has secured the rights to show the Uruguay game live on the Red Button and via our BBC Sport NI website. "We will also broadcast on the website an extended highlights package of the friendly match against Chile the following week." Patrick Nelson, chief executive of the Irish Football Association, said: "We are delighted that BBC Northern Ireland have obtained the rights to show this game live on their Red Button and internet services. Northern Ireland fans all over the UK will be able to see live how well our team does against one of the World Cup favourites."

Summary: Northern Ireland's friendly against Uruguay is to be shown live on the BBC.


HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said assaults at HMP Leeds had increased significantly since 2013. On average there are now 32 assaults on inmates and staff each month, of which about 10% result in serious injury. The National Offender Management Service said it was taking "concerted action" to combat legal highs. HMIP said new psychoactive substances - also known as legal highs - were a "major factor" in the increase in violence. Inspectors also found the use of force and segregation at the prison, known locally as Armley jail, was "high" and the majority of cells were "poorly equipped". Levels of crowding were also found to be "very high", with 1,149 inmates held at the time of the inspection in December against an operational capacity of 1,219. However, inspectors found support for men with drug and alcohol problems was "generally good", prisoners spent a "reasonable time" out of their cells and the staff culture was "basically positive and decent". It also said that given the age of the prison - HMP Leeds was built in 1847 - the accommodation was "reasonably well maintained and the environment was clean". Martin Lomas, deputy chief inspector of prisons, described the inspection results as "disappointing" and said fundamental issues around safety needed to be addressed "urgently". However, he said the new governor had made a "good start in getting to grips with these challenges" and had a "good understanding of the issues faced". Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said HMP Leeds, like other publicly-funded prisons, had to cope with a "huge increase" in the supply of legal highs against a backdrop of cost-cutting. He said improving safety was the "number one priority" and the governor and staff would "receive the support they need to make the improvements required". Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the prison was failing to meet "people's most basic need - safety". "How can we expect people to leave custody to be less likely to offend, if all they have experienced in prison is fear and violence?"

Summary: Legal highs are a "major factor" behind a sharp rise in rates of violence at a prison to almost double that of similar jails, a report has found.


Bayley, 29, defeated Ukraine's world number one Maksym Nikolenko 3-2 in the class 7 final. Wilson, 21, overcame former world champion Richard Csejtey, from Slovakia, 3-2 in the class 8 final. Another Briton, Martin Perry, lost to France's Bastien Grundeler in the class 6 semi-final, but took bronze. Find out how to get into disability sport with our special guide.

Summary: British Paralympic table tennis champion Will Bayley and Rio 2016 team-mate Ross Wilson both won singles gold at the PTT Bayreuth Open in Germany.


She has been replaced on the ticket by the current MLA, Phil Flanagan, who missed out on selection at a previous selection convention six weeks ago. In December, Ms Gildernew was selected to run alongside sitting MLA Sean Lynch and local councillor John Feely. However, Sinn Fein's ruling council (Ard Comhairle) ordered a revote. The party did not specify why, but it has been reported that concerns had been raised about procedural errors. On Sunday, the new convention, which took place in Enniskillen, replaced Ms Gildernew with Mr Flanagan, who will now stand alongside Mr Lynch and Mr Feely. In December, the outgoing MLA Bronwyn McGahan announced she would not be seeking re-election. However, Ms McGahan did put her name forward for the latest convention but was not successful. Sinn Féin has come in for some criticism on social media for picking an all-male list of candidates. There have also been rumours that Ms Gildernew, a former Stormont agriculture minister, might move to the neighbouring Mid Ulster constituency. Last month, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness announced that he is leaving Mid Ulster in order to seek election in his home constituency of Foyle. In response to the speculation about her moving, Ms Gildernew tweeted that "Mid Ulster has excellent candidates to replace @M_McGuinness_SF and my heart's in #FST". She also said that she did not think she would stand as an independent and her de-selection "could be a blessing in disguise!" During his time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mr Flanagan has been frequently in the news. Last month, he was ordered to pay damages to the Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott over a defamatory message on Twitter. Mr Flanagan has also been admonished by the Speaker, Mitchel McLaughlin over some of his comments in the assembly chamber and for not wearing a tie - a breach of the Stormont dress code.

Summary: The former MP Michelle Gildernew has been dropped as a Sinn Féin candidate for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency in the Stormont elections.


Kyle Sheehan was stabbed in the leg in Jiggins Lane, Bartley Green, at about 22:15 BST on 21 September. A man, 23, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Three people, aged 16, 18 and 29, arrested on suspicion of wounding have been released on bail. Kyle had been in intensive care but died on Friday night, West Midlands Police said. Det Ch Insp Wayne Jones: "He leaves behind a family and many friends who are distraught and struggling to come to terms with what has happened. "We know many people were in the area and would have seen what went on that night but many are still yet to come forward. "We appeal to you to speak to us and help us find those people responsible for killing Kyle."

Summary: A 16-year-old boy who was stabbed in Birmingham has died, prompting a murder investigation.


Kurt Jewson's Facebook post, which also shows his colostomy bag, scars and hormone implants, was shared by more than 185,000 people within four days. The 44-year-old said he had exposed himself in his "tubby, pale & middle aged glory" in the hope "just one other man" might then get symptoms checked. He also wants to alert GPs. The married father, from west Cornwall, wrote: "Why am I posting this? Well, in the summer of 2014 I had blood in my urine. Went to the GP and he said that it was probably just an infection and would clear up. It did. "However, it wasn't an infection. It was a symptom of prostate cancer." Latest updates on this story and more from Cornwall and Devon Mr Jewson said if his GP had done a blood test then, his cancer would have been caught early, but he was not diagnosed until going back more than a year later with repeat symptoms. 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. 1 in 4 black men will get the disease at some point in their lives. 70 - 74 is the average age for men to be diagnosed. 10,000 men die from it every year in the UK. He said he was concerned that more and more younger men are getting the disease, and urged men to visit the Prostate Cancer UK website to learn how to spot the signs. Heather Blake from the charity said: "Kurt's decision to wise men up by this bold action is hugely inspiring. "One in eight men will get the disease at some time and by sharing such a candid image in this generous way he's reached tens of thousands with a message that may well save lives." "More than 200,000 people have already visited our website as a result of his story. Kurt's a total hero," she said. Mr Jewson said of the impact his post had: "I should have tidied the room and put my number one pants on, I should have made a bit more effort... but I just thought 'let's do it' and if we get one person to check themselves and get diagnosed early... then it would have been worth it". He added that his GP had admitted it had been a "missed opportunity" and that he did not wish to name him or the surgery. He has undergone surgery which caused complications, but said his prognosis looked positive.

Summary: A prostate cancer patient has been hailed a "total hero" after a photo of him in his underwear showing his catheter bag went viral.


The vessel has been called the world's best example of a 15th Century ship by archaeologists. And new evidence has found that the timbers from the ship have been matched to projects built in the Basque region. It includes new data from medieval buildings in the Araba and Navarra areas of Spain. "The mystery of the origins of the Newport Ship, the remains of the a remarkably well-preserved medieval ship may at last have been solved," said Nigel Nayling, associate professor at University of Wales Trinity Saint David. "Artefacts found at the time of the discovery hinted at Iberian connections but recent advances in dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) have provided the first scientific evidence. "The results strongly suggest that the ship was originally built in the Basque Country where wooden shipbuilding has a long tradition. 'Useful insight' "A Basque origin for the ship has been suspected for some time and collaboration between the scientists was first suggested in 2006 by Xabier Agote, president of the Albaola Society which promotes research into Basque maritime heritage." Mr Nayling said initial attempts to date the ship were unsuccessful. But he added the latest results have come from research programmes sampling both the ship itself and more historic buildings that have allowed extension and improvement of the medieval section of the Basque chronology. Debbie Wilcox, cabinet member for leisure and culture at Newport City Council said: "The ship provides an excellent opportunity to tell the story of medieval Newport and its history as an international maritime town long before its development as an industrial port. "The latest information about the Newport Ship provides a useful insight into its origins and it appears that one of the mysteries of its history may have been solved." Newport council has put a tender out to developers asking them to recommend a suitable location for the vessel. It is seeking a specialist company who would be able to provide a new museum based around the ship's history.

Summary: A medieval ship discovered on the banks of the River Usk in Newport in 2002 may have come from the Basque country in Spain.


Henson, 35, will play for a Welsh team for the first time since he was sacked by Cardiff Blues in 2012. "He talks to you and says: 'I played against Jamie Roberts for 20 minutes and I had the upper hand then and I just got injured'," said Jones. "And it just shows that he still has his edge." Dragons' future may be in doubt amid proposals that would see the Welsh Rugby Union take them over in the summer. The Newport-based team began their search for new investment in April 2016. But Jones says the player "didn't mention" uncertainty over Dragons' future during talks that ended with him signing for the club. Former Wales flanker and captain Jones says Henson would love to play in their Judgement Day game against Welsh rivals Scarlets at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, 15 April. He added: "If he could come and play for us, I'm sure he'd walk from Bristol to get a game and that's what he is - a big game player. "My challenge will be getting him over in Zebre, I expect, and those games, but we've got to manage him as well. "He's a consummate professional and it's invaluable to have him around to pass on his experience to those young players. "Henson will play fly-half and centre for Dragons while Jones remains keen on bringing in another fly-half ahead of next season." Jones is also still looking for another "experienced fly-half who can make us better". "We've got a little bit of money left in the budget, I'm looking for a fly-half," said Jones. "I've made no secret about that. I've got Gavin. I wouldn't mind one other with the right experience and there's two players I'm talking to. "One of them is close to signing for us and that's my shopping done, really." Jones says playing and coaching staff are working on the basis Dragons will be in existence next season, no matter what the outcome of a shareholders' vote, expected in May, that will determine the team's future. "You can read what you want about voting and different things," said Jones. "As far as we are concerned in the rugby department, we'll still be playing rugby as the Dragons next season and they'll want to play well."

Summary: Gavin Henson "still has an edge" that can boost Newport Gwent Dragons when he joins them for 2017-18 from Bristol, says head coach Kingsley Jones.


The Airlander 10 - part plane, part airship - was due to take off from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire on Sunday. The aircraft measures 302ft (92m) long and is about 50ft (15m) longer than the biggest passenger jets. It is not known when another attempt at a test flight will be made. Christened the Martha Gwyn, the Â£25m aircraft can only fly in daylight for a test flight and it was feared the flight would not have been completed before dark by the time the issue was resolved, an organiser said. It was first developed for the US government as a surveillance aircraft but the project was shelved amid defence cutbacks. British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) launched a campaign to return the Airlander 10 to the skies in May 2015. The huge aircraft will be able to stay airborne for around five days during manned flights. HAV claims it could be used for a variety of functions such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.

Summary: The maiden flight of the world's longest aircraft has been postponed at the last minute because of a "technical issue".


They said there had been 63 confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne illness so far this year, up from seven in the whole of 2016. Most of the cases have been in rural areas of Minas Gerais state, a Ministry of Health statement said. The government has sent two million doses of yellow fever vaccines to the state. The governor of Minas Gerais has declared a 180-day state of emergency. Source: WHO Of the 63 confirmed cases in Brazil, 35 have proved fatal, Brazilian Health Ministry figures show. That is the highest number of deaths since at least 2008, the year to which Ministry of Health records date back. There have also been three confirmed cases in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, and one each in Espiritu Santo and Bahia, which both neighbour Minas. It is not clear what has caused the rise in cases.

Summary: Health officials in Brazil say there has been a sharp rise in the cases of yellow fever in the country.


The move reflects concerns from local residents and businesses about air quality, Westminster City Council said. A team of traffic marshals will patrol the borough and ask car idlers to switch off their engines, it said. The London Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA) said the move would not help abate London's air pollution problem. The penalties will come into force on 1 May, as a "last resort". The new policy follows Camden Council's fines for buses which idle for too long, introduced in 2011, and Islington Council's fines for idling vehicles introduced in August last year. Westminster has the highest proportion of deaths attributable to air pollution, excluding the City of London, in the country, a report by the council said. An air pollution monitoring station in Oxford Street, in the borough, recorded the acceptable limit set for air pollution - 200 micrograms per cubic metre - was broken 1,503 times in 2014. A comparable station in Sutton did not break the limit at all last year. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA said the fines were "absolute tosh" and a public relations and money raising exercise from the council. He said: "It is not going to do anything constructive to tackle the pollution crisis in London. When was the last time you saw someone idling in the city? It doesn't happen. "One of the real problems is cars stuck in traffic - research has shown pollution is up by 30% in areas of heavy traffic. Do something to help get the traffic moving." Mr McNamara said another key factor was the number of diesel cars in the capital which emit greater levels of nitrogen oxides - which can cause health problems. He said the move was "ironic" considering Chancellor George Osborne's incentives to diesel vehicles which were exacerbating the problem. Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said the "key issue" would be how the marshals enforced the fines. He said: "If they target private car drivers pulling up for a moment in relatively clean, modern cars in a draconian way - whilst ignoring old buses, coaches, large trucks, utility company vans or taxis idling for long periods - then it will quickly be seen as yet another revenue-raising exercise."

Summary: Motorists in Westminster who sit in a stationary car with the engine running and refuse to turn it off are to be fined £20.


Jayne Hickey, 30, and her son Christian, now aged eight, were both shot in the leg when two men knocked on their front door in Salford. Police said both are continuing to recover after numerous operations. The shootings were linked to armed gang feuds in the city including the murder of Salford's "Mr Big" Paul Massey. Two men knocked at the door of the Hickey's family home on Gillingham Road in Eccles on October 12 last year and after reportedly asking for the boy's father, they fired shots. The men were then seen speeding away from nearby Dover Street in a black Audi S3 shortly afterwards. Det Ch Insp Howard Millington said: "Christian and Jayne are recovering well but what happened to them will affect them for the rest of their lives and we are determined to bring them justice." He said officers want to speak to a youngster on a motorbike the offenders passed in the Audi on Worsley Road. The men "drove at high speed" close to the rider, "causing him to pull over". Officers are also trying to trace the occupants of a small dark-coloured hatchback saloon which had a broad stripe running diagonally from the front door over the wheel arches, that the Audi also passed. The first offender is around 19 or 20 years old, of a "chunky" build and with a Salford accent, while the second man is only described as white. Both were wearing baseball caps. So far 18 arrests have been made over the feuds between organised crime gangs in Salford. However, no arrests have been made over the murder of Mr Massey, who was shot dead outside his home last July.

Summary: A renewed appeal to find the men who shot a seven-year-old boy and his mother on their doorstep a year ago has been launched.


Matthew Tvrdon, 31, of no fixed abode, admitted manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. He also admitted seven attempted murder charges and one of dangerous driving. Prosecutors will consult the victims' families over the next seven days. At the moment Mr Tvrdon is still due to be tried next month. Mr Tvrdon faces a total of 32 charges including counts of actual bodily harm with intent and grievous bodily harm with intent. During the Cardiff Crown Court hearing, he also pleaded not guilty to murder and six counts of attempted murder. His barrister told the court his client was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Ms Menzies, 31, died on 19 October 2012 after Tvrdon ran her over at a fire station forecourt in Ely. Others were injured in the incident which happened during the afternoon school run. She was walking with two of her children when she was killed.

Summary: A van driver has admitted killing mother-of-three Karina Menzies in a series of hit-and-run incidents around Cardiff in October.


All 54 countries at the organisation's congress in Cairo agreed to change the statutes which previously stopped officials serving past the age of 70. It was proposed Caf should bring its rules in line with those of world football's governing body Fifa. Hayatou, 68, will now be able to stand for another term in office in 2017. His current mandate ends in two years and he is seeking four more years until at least 2021, when he turns 75. The rule change follows success in recent years in adapting the statutes to limit potential opponents to Hayatou's rule. Caf previously brought in a rule that candidates for its presidency can only come from the ranks of its own executive committee, a tight-knit club closely controlled by Hayatou. Fifa does not have the same restriction. Cameroon-born Hayatou, a former athletics official, is the longest serving senior member in Fifa structures, where he acts as vice-president, and has had few serious challengers for power in Africa since first winning election in 1988.

Summary: The Confederation of African Football voted on Tuesday to remove an age limit on its officials, paving the way for Issa Hayatou to stay on as president.


Prof Bryn Hubbard is being honoured for his work as a polar scholar in "glaciology, glacial geology and the structure and motion of ice masses". Prof Hubbard, who spent nine weeks drilling on the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica, will receive the award at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The director of the centre for glaciology at the university said he was "honoured" to be recognised. The Polar Medal was established in 1904 to reward the participants in Captain Robert F. Scott's first expedition to the Antarctic region. In recent decades, most awards have been made to scientists who have worked over prolonged periods in harsh conditions to advance knowledge of the polar regions.

Summary: An Aberystwyth University glaciologist is to be awarded a Polar Medal.


Medway NHS Foundation Trust said chairman Denise Harker and chief executive Mark Devlin had decided the time was right for them to move on. The trust was criticised as failing and put in special measures following the Keogh Review in June. It said a new chairman and chief executive were expected to be announced next month. The Keogh Review found the trust, which runs Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, had major failings. It was criticised for poor communication with patients, poor management of deteriorating patients, inappropriate referrals, delayed discharges and long waits in A&E. The hospital was later told by the Care Quality Commission it must take urgent action to improve safety on a maternity unit. In November health regulator Monitor said the hospital's problems were broader than first thought and said it must take urgent action or face leadership changes. The trust said in a statement Ms Harker and Mr Devlin had decided to hand over leadership of the trust to a new team. "I would like to thank Mark and Denise for their dedication and integrity," said Colin Wilby, its senior independent director. "Their commitment to public service is indisputable and we wish them both every success in the future." Earlier this week it was announced Medway Maritime's A&E department would undergo a Â£5m redevelopment. Mark Reckless, Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, said the hospital had appointed a new medical director and a new chief nurse. "I think they are doing good work and I have seen some improvements but frankly, given the problems, I am not sure its been fast enough," he said.

Summary: Two bosses at a Kent hospital foundation trust put into special measures last year have resigned.


Alzheimer's Research UK says more government help is needed to ensure the industry does not "retreat" from the challenge of finding new drugs. The warning follows disappointing results in recent clinical trials. The pharmaceutical industry body, the ABPI, says there are over 200 medicines under development for Alzheimer's. It is estimated that more than 800,000 people in the UK have dementia. The majority have Alzheimer's disease. The numbers affected are growing fast, and the search for new treatments is becoming more urgent. But this summer two big trials have reported disappointing results. The drugs - bapineuzumab and solanezumab - failed to show benefits that researchers had hoped to see. Alzheimer's Research UK fears companies may decide that putting resources into dementia is too risky. The charity's science director, Dr Eric Karran, said the trial setbacks were "very disappointing". He warned that companies could be deterred from investing in dementia. "If you're running a business and you have options to find important new medicines in cancer, in diabetes or in neuroscience inevitably I think you have to place your bets where ultimately you will get a better chance of a return on your investment." Dr Karran said there was a need for a new model of funding to ensure the pharmaceutical industry does not "retreat" from this challenging field of research. "Now is certainly not the time to be giving up. But we need to accept that this is a challenging area and really bring all of our resources together from the pharmaceutical industry, from academia and from government, to tackle it." In response, the chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, Stephen Whitehead, insisted that companies were still working on new dementia treatments. "The industry continues to address unmet medical need in Alzheimer's as well as other neurodegenerative diseases, which are serious health challenges facing all societies with ageing demographics. Hence there is a pipeline of over 200 candidate medicines in various stages of development for Alzheimer's disease." In March this year the prime minister said extra funding for research was a central part of his plan to tackle what he called the "national crisis" of dementia. Overall funding will increase to more than 66 million pounds by 2015. In a statement, Andrew Chidgey from the Alzheimer's Society, said given the scale of the problem, funding for dementia was still far too low. "Currently there are 150 times more clinical trials focusing on treating people in the late stages of cancer than Alzheimer's disease. One in three people over the age of 65 will die with dementia. More funding for research is urgently needed if we are to defeat the condition once and for all."

Summary: A leading health research charity says drugs companies may "retreat" from dementia research without more support.


The principal of Saint Ignatius College in the northern Sydney suburb of Riverview has informed former and current pupils of the allegations. Paul Hine said in his letter that the allegations concerned "child sexual abuse over 30 years ago". The Roman Catholic college is among the country's top private schools. Mr Hine said the college was assisting New South Wales police with the complaint, which was made to the standards office of the Australian Province of the Society of Jesuits, the owners of the school. In a statement, Mr Hine said: "The College and the Jesuits wish to express, in the strongest possible terms, their abhorrence of sexual misconduct or any form of abuse involving children. "We wish to respond to past abuse and suffering with a commitment to healing, openness and accountability." Mr Hine also encouraged any person who "believed they were harmed" while in the care of the school to get in touch. As well as Mr Abbott, the school was attended by Barnaby Joyce, the minister for agriculture, and Anthony Fisher, who is archbishop of Sydney. In 1997, Peter Bohrsmann, a 57-year-old teacher at the school, took his own life on school grounds after he was accused of sexual abuse. Bohrsmann had denied the allegations. Australia's Royal Commission is currently investigating allegations of child sexual abuse at a variety of institutions including schools, churches, and orphanages. The Commission's inquiry was launched by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2013.

Summary: Police in Australia have received allegations of sexual abuse at a school attended by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.


A minority group of independent councillors ran the local authority before the local council elections earlier this month. The new coalition was formally set up at the first full meeting of the new council in Inverness. Independent Margaret Davidson was re-elected as leader and Lib Dem Alasdair Christie as depute leader. Independent Bill Lobban was elected convener. SNP councillors challenged the appointments while the Conservatives challenged the appointment of Ms Davidson, but both challenges were defeated. SNP councillor Maxine Smith has been confirmed as leader of the main opposition group. The results of the elections saw 28 independent candidates elected, followed by the SNP on 22, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats with 10 each, Labour three and Scottish Greens one. The Conservatives were the first to be elected to Highland Council in 22 years. Pippa Hadley's win for the Scottish Greens was a first for the local authority, which had no representative from that party previously.

Summary: A Highland Council administration made up of independent, Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors has been agreed.


The verdict threatens Apple's ability to offer its voice-controlled virtual assistant, Siri, in the country. Shanghai-based Zhizhen Network Technology has sought to block Apple from selling products with the app installed, saying it infringed its rights. Apple said it would pursue an appeal with the Beijing Higher People's Court. "Apple believes deeply in protecting innovation, and we take intellectual property rights very seriously," said a spokesman. "Apple created Siri to provide customers with their own personal assistant by using their voice. "Unfortunately, we were not aware of Zhizhen's patent before we introduced Siri, and we do not believe we are using this patent. "While a separate court considers this question, we remain open to reasonable discussions with Zhizhen." The Chinese company could not be reached for comment. Zhizhen offers its own voice-controlled service, named Xiao i Robot, which began life, in 2003, as a text-based chatbot that ran on others' instant-messaging tools. It later evolved into call-centre software used by the Chinese government and several companies. In addition, Zhizhen developed voice-controlled software for smart TVs, cars and smartphones - including an iPhone app that allows users to find restaurants, train times and stock prices. In June 2012, Zhizhen accused Apple of intellectual property infringement after the US company announced at its developers' conference that Mandarin and Cantonese were being added to the list of Siri's supported languages. Zhizhen noted that it had filed for the intellectual rights to the underlying technology in 2004 and had been granted the patent two years later. Apple countered that Siri used a different process to power its voice-recognition tech - a court has yet to rule on this claim. Apple also sought to block the case by asking China's State Intellectual Property Office to invalidate the patent, but was refused. It then challenged that decision, suing both the patent authority and Zhizhen - but was thwarted on Tuesday when Beijing's Number One Intermediate People's Court ruled against it. The China Mobile Internet Industry Alliance previously told the Xinhua news agency that it did not believe the case would result in Apple pulling its products from China, but added that the US company might have to seek a financial settlement.

Summary: Apple has failed in its attempt to get a Chinese company's voice-recognition patent ruled invalid.


TV presenter and columnist Peaches Geldof was the most popular term, according to new research from Microsoft's search engine Bing. The 25-year-old died in April after suffering a heroin overdose at her home in Wrotham, Kent. Hollywood star Robin Williams came second on the list after he took his own life in August. Bing says nearly half of all British searches for the comedian came from smartphones. In third place was Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, who has been in the spotlight for both professional and personal reasons this year. The 24-year-old plays the lead role in the The Hunger Games. Its latest instalment Mockingjay - Part One took $123m (Â£79m) in its opening weekend in the United States. Over the summer naked images of Jennifer Lawrence were leaked online, something she later called "a sex crime". Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker, who was killed in a car accident in November 2013, completed the top four. Newly-engaged Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was the UK's most searched-for sportsman in 2014, followed by South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, who was jailed in October for killing his girlfriend. In the music world, One Direction and Justin Bieber captured the most online attention this year. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: The death of the world's biggest celebrities made them some of Britain's most searched-for stars in 2014.


The 19-year-old, who has yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for the Premier League club, scored eight goals on loan at Poole last season. Glovers manager Darren Way said: "We feel this next move is a fantastic move for Sam and Yeovil. "We must thank (Bournemouth manager) Eddie Howe for trusting us with the development of his young talent." Yeovil begin their League Two season on Saturday with a trip to face Luton Town. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Bournemouth forward Sam Surridge has joined League Two side Yeovil Town on a season-long loan deal.


The Prime Minister's plan to call a snap general election is a sharp U-turn that could throw Stormont's faltering institutions even further off course. Talks to save devolution stalled before Easter with little hope of a deal. With the Democratic Unionist Party warning Northern Ireland was heading towards direct rule, the prospect of a Westminster poll complicates matters even further. DUP leader Arlene Foster has said the snap general election on 8 June would provide the people of Northern Ireland with the opportunity to "vote for the union". She was criticised after the Northern Ireland Assembly election last month because the poll showed a surge in support for Sinn Féin and the end of the unionist majority at Stormont. Mrs Foster has called on her voters to "unite around a strong Democratic Unionist Party that will advocate for them in Parliament". Sinn Féin welcomed news of the Westminster poll, with leader Gerry Adams tweeting: "So Ms May has called a British General Election. Sinn Féin is up 4 that! Another chance 2 vote against Brexit & 4 progress." However, Colum Eastwood, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) was less than pleased about the prospect. "It shows you how much @TheresaMayPM thinks/cares about our peace process that she'd call an election in the middle of talks," he tweeted. Northern Ireland's two largest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, have spent weeks blaming each for the failure to restore Stormont's power-sharing government. Under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, any new executive government must be a coalition of both unionists and nationalists. However, long-running rows over a proposed Irish language act and deep divisions over how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles are holding up a deal. A snap general election complicates the talks process at Stormont and is a scenario that was not factored in when the discussions were paused for Easter. Those talks are expected to resume again shortly but history suggests that it is always difficult to cut a political deal at election time. It is very hard to hold talks in the morning with your opponent and then go canvassing in the evening. Political parties react differently when there is an election looming. The DUP and Sinn Féin are also diametrically split over Brexit - the issue driving Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to hold a general election. Mrs May said the poll would "guarantee certainty" during negotiations with the EU, after Labour, the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats threatened to vote against her government's final Brexit deal. Northern Ireland currently has 18 MPs, with the DUP out in front with eight Westminster seats - making it the fifth largest party in the House of Commons. Sinn Féin has four Westminster seats, having lost one in the last general election in 2015. However, under its long-standing policy of abstentionism in protest against British rule, Sinn Féin MPs do not take their seats in the Commons. The Ulster Unionist Party was the biggest winner in the last Westminster poll, having gained

Summary: Northern Ireland parties have been arguing over the prospect of a second Stormont election within two months, but they now have another challenge.


When the Turkish Empire in the region disintegrated - consumed in the desert storms of the Great War - Britain and France were still, just about, major imperial powers. The blood of a lost generation of young men and the riches built up over centuries had been poured into a narrow strip of European land on the Western Front, but in the Old World there were no territorial spoils to be had. The Middle East though was different. With the Turks defeated in Jerusalem and Damascus and Sinai and Gaza there was a new world to be made. Britain, mandated by the League of Nations to govern the Holy Land, could set about honouring its commitment to the Jews of the world to build a national home for them in Palestine - probably not guessing that the issues surrounding the promise would remain a potent source of violence and discord a century later. It was a moment of cataclysmic global upheaval and new nation states were formed like new islands thrown up by an undersea volcanoes: Jordan and Iraq in the British sphere of influence and Syria and Lebanon in the French. In that age of empires no-one questioned the right of the Europeans to draw new borders to parcel up the old world - at least no-one the Europeans would have listened to. The Sykes-Picot agreement is a secret understanding concluded in May 1916, during World War I, between Great Britain and France, with the assent of Russia, for the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. The agreement led to the division of Turkish-held Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine into various French and British-administered areas. The agreement took its name from its negotiators, Sir Mark Sykes of Britain and Georges Picot of France. Some historians have pointed out that the agreement conflicted with pledges already given by the British to the Hashemite leader Husayn ibn Ali, Sharif of Mecca, who was about to lead an Arab revolt in the Hejaz against the Ottoman rulers on the understanding that the Arabs would eventually receive a much more important share of the territory won. Why border lines drawn with a ruler in WW1 still rock the Middle East In recent years of course those desert storms have begun to rise again and the structures built in that last great time of change are creaking in the wind. Syria is consumed in the fires of civil war and it is hard to see how it will emerge again as a unitary state. Next door in Lebanon - still traumatised by its own long years of conflict - a fragile tradition of co-operation between different religious communities just about hangs together. The Kurds, Sunnis and Shia gathered together in the single entity of Iraq by the British may ultimately choose in the future to separate. The old order lasted for almost exactly 100 years - one wonders if that is more or less time than its Anglo-French architects Sykes and Picot envisioned. There has been no global cataclysm on the scale of the Great War to

Summary: The last time an old order collapsed in the Middle East it seemed obvious who should be invited to construct a new one.


The non-denominational school with community sports facilities is to be built on the site of the former North Kelvinside Secondary School at the top of Queen Margaret Drive. Last year, Glasgow City Glasgow held a consultation and now the proposal has been agreed by councillors. Changes to the surrounding schools' catchment areas were also approved. Primary schools included in the changes are Cadder, Caldercuilt, Kelvindale, Parkview, Highpark, Dunard, Saracen, Oakgrove and Royston. The council's children and young people spokeswoman Liz Cameron said the school would be a great asset to the local community. "It's wonderful to be witnessing the resurgence and regeneration of Maryhill and as a result the need for additional primary school places," she said.

Summary: A new primary school is to be built in the Maryhill area of Glasgow to meet a projected rise in the school roll.


Severino Seeger won â‚¬500,000 (Â£360,000; $530,900) on the show, Germany's Quest for a Superstar (DSDS) last month. The 28-year-old was accused of being part of a gang that tricked victims, mainly elderly women, out about â‚¬19,000 using a bank card scam. Reports say the court hearing in Frankfurt was delayed until after the DSDS final. Mr Seeger appeared before a judge on Tuesday as the court was due to hear testimony from several elderly witnesses. Local media showed images of fans crowding around the building, some wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Superstar 2015: Prince of hearts". The singer is alleged to have posed a as bank employee to help collect cards and pin numbers from victims, many of them older women. Gang members - several of whom have already been convicted - called their targets to tell them their cards needed to be checked because of technical problems. The oldest victim is said to have been 88 years old. Mr Seeger told the court he had just separated from his first wife when he was manipulated by a number of people including a cousin, according to German media. "I said yes because I was stupid," he said. He was earlier quoted as saying he was "ashamed" of what he had done. "I will pay the money back to the cent," he told Bild newspaper. The singer was voted winner of the 12th series of DSDS - part of the "Idol" franchise - in mid-May with the song Hero Of My Heart, written by Dieter Bohlen who is also a judge on the show. As well as the prize money, Mr Seeger, from the town of Waechtersbach, north-west of Frankfurt, won a top recording contract. He had been due to appear in court in March, according to reports. However his hearing was said to have been delayed initially after the judge fell ill, and later postponed due to his participation in the RTL TV show. RTL said it would not comment until after the court had given its verdict, expected on 10 June.

Summary: The newly-crowned winner of a German TV singing contest has admitted in court to defrauding pensioners.


Media playback is not supported on this device Clark watched his side lose 4-0 to Hearts at Tynecastle and said the scoreline could have been worse. His squad is debilitated by injuries and the Killie boss believes he must add fresh faces next month to pull his team out of "the rut" they are in. "It just highlights that I've got to change things in the January window to make us stronger," Clark said. Kilmarnock are without a win in five Premiership games, and have won only one of their last nine. Clark does not expect to have any of his injured players available before Saturday's game against Partick Thistle. "We need to work really hard on Thursday and Friday on nailing down what we're going to do," he said. "I have to find a solution either with the formation or personnel. "It's a huge game for us on the 31st of December. We need as many points from the teams around us because we're getting heavy defeats from the top six. "It's one before a significant break and we have to be right up for it. "We're in a rut, we've been struggling the last two games and we've shown that the injuries have taken their toll. "We'll need to do something significantly different on Hogmanay against Partick Thistle to make sure we get a positive result because [in] the last two performances we've capitulated and that's been tough to take. "We're down to the bare bones and we need these important players back as soon as possible, but I don't think that's going to happen before the weekend." Hearts grew in confidence against Kilmarnock, after suffering for a spell when the opening goal-scorer, Callum Paterson, was stretchered off. The full-back and Prince Buaben, who was taken off injured in the second half, will be assessed by the club's medical staff before Friday's visit of Aberdeen to Tynecastle. Once Arnaud Djoum scored a second goal just before half-time, Hearts took command of the game. Jamie Walker scored twice after the interval, and the home side might have had five if Dario Zanatta had not missed a penalty in the final minute of the game. The victory was Ian Cathro's first, in his fourth game since succeeding Robbie Neilson as head coach. He said he was satisfied with the performance but also keen for the team to improve in certain aspects of their game. "It's satisfaction more than relief," Cathro said. "That just stems from the fact that the players have worked very well. "We've made small improvements in their play, some things have changed, but the biggest factor was that everybody was asked to give more of themselves, on their playing and leadership qualities, and that was evident throughout the game. "Of course, there are aspects of our play we will always want to improve and some small errors here and there, but we managed to deal with our mistakes better and that's going to be a big factor in a lot of the games. "When we could get started and

Summary: Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark admits he needs to quickly find the answers to his team's struggling form.


Rachel Booth, from New Milton, Hampshire, lost the rings in the water at Avon Beach, Christchurch, on Sunday. Following a failed search using a snorkel, mask and rakes, she enlisted the help of two metal detectorists. The rings were eventually discovered two days later at low tide. They were buried under four inches (10cm) of sand. Mrs Booth, who will have been married to Stephen Booth for three years in September, said she felt "extremely lucky". "I couldn't believe it - I was very emotional just to have them back," she said. Gary Smith, who helped find the rings with Shaun Trotman, said the search had been made easier because Mrs Booth had used the location of nearby beach huts and bollards as markers for where she had lost them.

Summary: A woman has been reunited with her wedding and engagement rings after losing them on a beach in Dorset.


In a prosecution case running to 12,000 pages, the charges against him cover a 16-year period between 1991 and 2007. On 23 June 2017 the Loyalist supergrass pleaded guilty to the following charges: Between 16 May 1997 and 19 May 1997 he murdered John Harbinson. On 24 February 1994 he murdered Sean McParland. On 17 May 1994 he murdered Gary Convey and Eamon Fox. Between 28 August 1994 and 1 September 1994 he murdered Sean McDermott. Between 5 May 1997 and 8 May 1997 he attempted to murder John Flynn. On 17 May 1994 he attempted to murder Witness A. On 6 April 1997 he attempted to murder Clarence Gould. On a date unknown between 29 May 2006 and 1 August 2006 he attempted to murder Mark Haddock. On a date unknown between 31 December 1994 and 1 January 2004 he attempted to murder police officers. On 24 February 1991 he aided and abetted in the murder of Peter McTasney. On a date unknown between 26 February 1994 and 1 September 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male who resided at Henderson Avenue, Belfast. On a date unknown between 31 March 1994 and 1 June 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown person who lived in the Tiger's Bay area of Belfast. On a date unknown between 1 May 1994 and 31 August 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male, believed by him to be a member of the IRA. On a date unknown between 31 December 1992 and 30 June 1994 he conspired to murder William Spence. On a date unknown between 1 July 1994 and 15 September 1994 he conspired to murder Terry Fairfield. On a date unknown between 1 May 1994 and 1 September 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male at the Ramble Inn, County Antrim. On a date unknown between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1996 he conspired to murder Mark Campbell. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2006 he conspired to murder a person unknown, believed by him to be a member of the Loyalist Volunteer Force. On 13 May 1996 he conspired to murder Archibald Galway. On a date unknown between 31 September 1998 and 1 December 1998 he conspired to murder Samuel Toan. On a date unknown between 27 October 2000 and 1 January 2001 he conspired to murder persons believed by him to be members of the Ulster Defence Association. On a date unknown between 1 January 1991 and 31 September 2000 he conspired to murder Thomas English. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2007 he conspired to murder persons unknown, believed by him to be members of the LVF. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2007 he conspired to murder Willie Beckett. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 September 2005 he conspired to murder Laurence Kincaid. On a date unknown between 1 January 2006 and 31 May 2006 he conspired to murder Mark Haddock. On a date unknown between

Summary: The list of 200 charges Gary Haggarty has admitted runs to 82 pages.


On Saturday afternoon (GMT), a landing module used thrusters to touch down, marking the latest step in China's ambitious space exploration programme. Several hours later, the lander will deploy a robotic rover called Yutu, which translates as "Jade Rabbit". The touchdown took place on a flat plain called Sinus Iridum. The Chang'e-3 mission launched atop a Chinese-developed Long March 3B rocket on 1 December from Xichang in the country's south. The official Xinhua news service reported that the craft began its descent just after 1300 GMT (2100 Beijing time), touching down in Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows) 11 minutes later. State television showed pictures of the moon's surface as the lander touched down and an eye-level view of the landing site was released later on Saturday. Staff at mission control in Beijing clapped and celebrated after confirmation came through. The probe's soft-landing was the most difficult task during the mission, Wu Weiren, the lunar programme's chief designer, told Xinhua. By Damian GrammaticasChina correspondent It is the third robotic rover mission to land on the lunar surface, but the Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload than previous missions, including ground-penetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust. "It's still a significant technological challenge to land on another world," said Peter Bond, consultant editor for Jane's Space Systems and Industry told the AP news agency. "You have to use rocket motors for the descent and you have to make sure you go down at the right angle and the right rate of descent and you don't end up in a crater or on top of a large rock." The landing module actively reduced its speed at about 15km from the Moon's surface. When it reached a distance of 100m from the surface, the craft fired thrusters to slow its descent. At a distance of 4m, the lander switched off the thrusters and fell to the lunar surface. The Jade Rabbit was expected to be deployed several hours after touchdown, driving down a ramp lowered by the landing module. Reports suggest the lander and rover will photograph each other at some point on Sunday. According to Chinese space scientists, the mission is designed to test new technologies, gather scientific data and build intellectual expertise, as well as scouting for mineral resources that could eventually be mined. "China's lunar program is an important component of mankind's activities to explore [the] peaceful use of space," said Sun Huixian, a space engineer with the Chinese lunar programme. The 120kg (260lb) Jade Rabbit rover can reportedly climb slopes of up to 30 degrees and travel at 200m (660ft) per hour. By David ShukmanScience editor, BBC News Why China is fixated on the Moon Moon rover mission lifts off Its name - chosen in an online poll of 3.4 million voters - derives from an ancient Chinese myth about a rabbit living on the moon as the pet of the lunar goddess Chang'e. The rover and lander are powered by solar panels but some sources suggest they also carry radioisotope heating units (RHUs), containing

Summary: China says it has successfully landed a craft carrying a robotic rover on the surface of the Moon, the first soft landing there for 37 years.


The cars were wirelessly linked to each other and "mimicked" a lead vehicle, driven by a professional driver. The so-called road train has been developed by Volvo. The firm is confident that they will be widely available in future. The project aims to herald a new age of relaxed driving. According to Volvo, drivers "can now work on their laptops, read a book or sit back and enjoy a relaxed lunch" while driving. The road train test was carried out as part of a European Commission research project known as Sartre - Safe Road Trains for the Environment. The convoy comprised three cars and one lorry. "Driving among other road-users is a great milestone in our project. It was truly thrilling," says Linda Wahlstroem, project manager for the Sartre project at Volvo Car Corporation "We covered 200km in one day and the test turned out well. We're really delighted," she added. The cars are fitted with special features such as cameras, radar and laser sensors - allowing the vehicle to monitor the lead vehicle and also other vehicles in their immediate vicinity. Using wireless communication, the vehicles in the platoon "mimic" the lead vehicle using autonomous control - accelerating, braking and turning in exactly the same way as the leader. The vehicles drove at 85kph (52mph) with the gap between each vehicle just 6m (19ft). "People think that autonomous driving is science fiction, but the fact is that the technology is already here. From the purely conceptual viewpoint, it works fine and road train will be around in one form or another in the future," says Ms Wahlstroem. "We've focused really hard on changing as little as possible in existing systems. Everything should function without any infrastructure changes to the roads or expensive additional components in the cars. "Apart from the software developed as part of the project, it is really only the wireless network installed between the cars that set them apart from other cars available in showrooms today." The three-year Sartre project has been under way since 2009. Other partners include UK car technology firm Ricardo UK, Tecnalia Research & Innovation of Spain, Institut fur Kraftfahrzeuge Aachen (IKA) of Germany and the Technical Research Institute of Sweden. All told, the vehicles in the project have covered about 10,000km on test circuits. The eventual aim of the project is to have lots of cars "slaved" to a lead vehicle and travelling at high speed along specific routes on motorways.

Summary: A convoy of self-driven cars has completed a 200km (125-mile) journey on a Spanish motorway, in the first public test of such vehicles.


At least eight others were wounded in the midday blast, which is said to have hit people waiting at the al-Rafidain bank to collect their salaries. Security personnel were said to be among those killed in the blast, which was confirmed by the town mayor, police and hospital sources. It is thought to be the first major attack in the town since October 2009. A suicide bomber killed five people at a funeral in that attack. In Thursday's bloodshed, there were reports that security personnel were among the dead, but it was unclear whether they were police or soldiers. The manager of the local hospital told Reuters there were many critical cases among the injured, and it was feared the death toll would rise. Anbar province, where Haditha is situated, was once a stronghold for Sunni militants following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by US-led forces. It gained notoriety when US Marines were accused of killing 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005. But violence dwindled after tribal leaders allied themselves with US forces.

Summary: A suicide bomber has targeted a bank in the northern Iraqi town of Haditha, killing at least nine people.


Jermaine Easter nodded Rovers ahead from Lee Brown's cross before Ollie Clarke doubled the lead with a low right-footed shot. Jon Meades' header gave Wimbledon hope but Matt Taylor's 12-yard finish, his 19th of the season, sealed victory. Wimbledon, who are seventh, had substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa sent off for dissent. Fifth-placed Rovers are six points off an automatic promotion spot with 11 games to go. AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley told BBC Radio London: Media playback is not supported on this device "When you assess it afterwards it's not just the points you haven't gained, it's injuries and now suspensions." "As far as the actual game goes, I thought we were really good. They were ruthless with their chances, we made some silly defensive errors at certain times and they punished us." "I can't ask for any more. I thought in the second half particularly we ran all over them."

Summary: Bristol Rovers strengthened their promotion hopes with victory over AFC Wimbledon, their third in a row.


The gunmen had approached the restaurant from Lido beach on Thursday evening, firing on diners. Twenty people were killed. Militants also detonated two car bombs nearby. Al-Shabab said it was behind the attack. The group has carried out frequent assaults on the Somali capital. Who are al-Shabab? Al-Shabab divided by IS call Lido beach: Sun, surf and... grenades? Troops then besieged the attackers at the restaurant for eight hours. It was not immediately clear how many of the militants were killed or captured. The Somali authorities said the leader of the attack had been arrested. Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke condemned the killings as "barbaric". There are varying reports about how the attack started but it appears that as the first car bomb went off, at around 19:30 local time (16:30 GMT) on Thursday, the gunmen stormed the area. "They randomly fired at the people sitting near the beach before entering the restaurant,'' witness Ahmed Nur told Associated Press. Twenty people were injured in addition to those killed, police said. After the evening prayer, I went to Lido beach, in particular Beach View restaurant. When I was there about 30 minutes, and I was spending time with my friends including journalists, we saw bullets raining on us. A good number of people were seated around me, there was a wedding ceremony at the hall of the restaurant. We started running towards the door, but before I reached it we heard a loud explosion. I saw some people jumping from the second floor. Bullets were flying all over the place, and there was another explosion. Then everyone got confused. I personally saw three wounded people. I did not see those who have been harmed by the explosions. I think the car was parked near the main door of the restaurant. Lido beach, on the northern edge of Mogadishu, attracts thousands of mostly young Somalis who come to relax and enjoy the beach and the surf. Several restaurants have opened up along the beach front in recent years, and people would have been sitting out in front of them when the attacks began. Al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, was ousted from Mogadishu in August 2011, but still has a presence in large areas of southern Somalia. The group stormed an African Union military base last week in southern Somalia, killing dozens of Kenyan troops.

Summary: Somali security forces have retaken control of a popular beachside restaurant in Mogadishu after a deadly attack there by Islamist militants.


The Blues went ahead when Cesar Azpilicueta turned in fellow full-back Branislav Ivanovic's low cross. Craig Gardner's skimming shot levelled, but it seemed Chelsea had done enough when Gareth McAuley prodded Willian's cross into his own net. But when the home defence failed to clear McClean made them pay with a pinpoint shot into the bottom corner. The Republic of Ireland international's leveller was the final twist in an often ill-tempered game with Chelsea striker Diego Costa at the centre of several flashpoints, including a confrontation with several West Brom players after the final whistle. Relive the action from Stamford Bridge After only four goals in his first 21 games of the season, Costa has come to life in the wake of Jose Mourinho's departure as manager - doubling that tally in his past four appearances. But, even at his best, the Spain international bristles with aggression as well as attacking threat. From gliding past Jonny Evans and rifling over the top in the first minute, he was never far from incident - exchanging words and clashing shoulders with Jonas Olsson and Claudio Yacob and picking up a booking himself for a crude challenge on Craig Gardner. He forced Boaz Myhill into a sprawling save with his side 2-1 up deep into the second half, but he could not deliver a third goal that would have killed off the contest and wrapped up the points. A Stamford Bridge corridor bore the brunt of Costa's frustration as he punched a tunnel wall as he headed back to the dressing room. Chelsea's title win last season - in which they were out-scored by second-placed Manchester City - was based on a steely defence. But that, along with many other aspects of their play, has deteriorated sharply this term. Despite the imposing pairing of John Terry and Kurt Zouma at centre-half, supported by 6ft 6in goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the hosts never looked comfortable when the ball was played into their box from out wide. After allowing Craig Dawson and McClean to win headers in dangerous positions earlier in the match, their lack of conviction was punished as McClean threaded an 86th-minute shot into the bottom corner after a bout of penalty-area pinball. That goal - combined with Pedro's cheap concession of possession and Zouma's failure to close down Gardner for West Brom's first - will give Blues interim boss Guus Hiddink plenty to muse on as he tries to shore up his rearguard and Chelsea's position in the table. After their Boxing Day defeat by Swansea, West Brom were just three points from the relegation places, but home wins against Stoke and Newcastle followed by this point at Stamford Bridge have improved that cushion to more comfortable nine. Tony Pulis' tactics - his side have played the highest proportion of long passes in the top-flight this season - have been criticised, but his record of never having been relegated as a manager looks unlikely to be spoiled by this typically well-drilled and solid Baggies side. Salomon Rondon, well supported by McClean, was a willing runner

Summary: James McClean's late equaliser earned West Brom a share of the points as they refused to accept defeat at Chelsea.


Mr Davies is widely known as Welsh Conservative leader but his authority does not extend beyond the assembly Tory group, under party rules. Speaking on BBC One's Sunday Politics Wales, the AM admitted the Welsh party lacked clear leadership. The Tories lost three seats in Wales at the general election, leaving them with eight. It lost both of the seats it gained at the 2015 general election from Labour - Gower and the Vale of Clwyd - and also lost Cardiff North. When it was put to him that there was a lack of clear leadership in the Tory campaign in Wales, Mr Davies said: "I agree with you entirely. "We have a very strong distinct Welsh Conservative brand, but we do need to be able to make key political decisions here in Wales and have a designated leader here in Wales, similar to what Labour formalised back in March. I readily acknowledge that. "I lead on devolution, on secretary of state aspects such as Westminster, obviously the secretary of state leads then. The chairman of the voluntary party obviously leads on the voluntary party... That cannot continue." Mr Davies said he thought Scotland "had a very good model which has shown to be successful". There, Ruth Davidson led a separate campaign to the Conservatives in England and Wales, largely focused and opposed to the SNP's calls for a second independence referendum. The party gained 12 seats in Scotland, finishing with 13. "There is a deficiency in the ability to make those key decisions from a party perspective and I do acknowledge that," said Mr Davies. But, he added: "Let's not forget, there's a huge job of work to be done as we go forward as a country. The Conservative Party is the largest party in Westminster and its incumbent we form a government." The Welsh Conservative campaign was marred by a row over who was meant to have represented the party in the BBC Wales Leaders' Debate. Neither Mr Davies or Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns took part - with senior AM Darren Millar taking the podium instead.

Summary: The Welsh Tories need a designated leader that can make key decisions for the party, Andrew RT Davies has said.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Reds said goodbye to captain Gerrard with a 6-1 thrashing at Stoke to finish sixth in the Premier League. "I've always said if the owners want me to go, then I go," said Rodgers, who has won two of his last nine games. "For everybody connected with Liverpool, we are all embarrassed by that result." It was the first time in 52 years the Reds had let in six goals in the league but Rodgers, 42, insisted he still has "a lot to offer the club", despite winning no silverware during his three years in charge. Media playback is not supported on this device Liverpool must also now go through two qualifying rounds if they are to compete in the group stage of next season's Europa League. "A lot has happened this year which has made the job difficult," added Rodgers, who guided the Reds to second place last season. "Last season, when things were working well, we had the support of everyone but performances like today do not help that and I fully understand that. "The fans deserve an apology. They were angry at half-time - and rightly so - because that was awful, absolutely awful. "They have every right to be angry and frustrated and of course I take full responsibility for that as the manager." Rodgers faces a big rebuilding job in the summer and, as well as Gerrard joining LA Galaxy, there is speculation about the future of young forward Raheem Sterling. Rodgers dropped Sterling, 20, to the bench at the Britannia Stadium and Liverpool found themselves trailing 5-0 at the interval after a terrible display. All five goals came in the space of 23 minutes from Mame Biram Diouf, twice, Jonathan Walters, former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam and Steven Nzonzi. Gerrard marked his farewell with a consolation goal but there was still time for ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch to head a sixth for Stoke five minutes after coming on as a substitute. Asked about his rebuilding plans, Rodgers added: "There's an awful lot of work to do and the job is to now go and fix that, and make sure we come back with a motivation greater than ever to push on next season. "We've finished the season in sixth, which is where we deserve to finish. "We have to now start, today, on the climb to get back up again."

Summary: Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers accepted his future at the club is in doubt after Steven Gerrard's final match ended in a humiliating defeat.


Slovenia-born Bedene, who plays world number one Novak Djokovic in the third round of the French Open on Saturday, credits his work with Martin Skinner as the platform for his recent success. "I was really unfit when I started to play grand slams," said Bedene, 26. "Whenever I played a fourth set I was just losing them quite easily." He added: "I remember once at the US Open, I lost 6-0 and I was struggling. I really wanted to improve on that. "It obviously helps not only in the fifth set but also in the other tournaments." Bedene is buoyed by Thursday's five-set, second-round victory against Pablo Carreno Busta when he recovered from squandering a two-set lead to advance at Roland Garros. However, he lost his only other meeting with Djokovic in straight sets at the Australian Open in 2015. He is hoping his experience of winning 16 Challenger and Futures events will stand him in good stead for the game, which is last on the main court. "I love big crowds," he said. "I won a lot of Italian Challengers, and every time you play the final there are 1,000, 2,000 people, which is a lot for Challengers. "So I did learn a few things. I know this stadium is bigger, but still you have to come from somewhere." Djokovic has not hit top form yet and was given a tough test by qualifier Steve Darcis in round two, although he is still to drop a set. The Serb is expecting more of the same against Bedene, who is being coached at Roland Garros by Britain's Davis Cup captain Leon Smith. "He's very talented, with a very quick motion for a first serve," said Djokovic. "So I'm expecting a tough one. I know he doesn't have anything to lose."

Summary: British number two Aljaz Bedene says he had to employ a strength and conditioning coach to specifically prepare him for grand slam tennis.


The two sides will attempt to resolve outstanding differences, which include Saturday pay and unsocial hours. The government has put on hold, for five days, its plans to impose the contract. The British Medical Association (BMA) has suspended its threat of further industrial action while the talks last. This latest round of talks will be mediated once again by conciliation service Acas. Ministers drew up plans to change the contract in 2012, but talks broke down in 2014. Under the terms of the new contract, basic pay is to be increased by 13.5% on average, but other elements of the pay package are to be curbed, including what constitutes unsociable hours. Day hours on a Saturday will be paid at a normal rate, while extra premiums that are being offered for the rest of the weekend are lower than what is currently paid. As a result of the dispute between the government and the BMA, there were four strikes by junior doctors in England affecting routine - but not urgent care - between January and early April. Last week, there were two one-day strikes affecting all forms of care, including emergencies - the first such action in the history of the NHS. Meanwhile, researchers from Oxford University have said earlier findings backing the government's push for a seven-day NHS in England are based on flawed data. One of the government's key arguments behind the push for a seven-day NHS in England - and a new contract for junior doctors - has been patient safety. The new Oxford University paper concludes that hospital data suggesting a "weekend effect", where death rates are higher for those admitted over the weekend period, are deeply flawed. It focuses on the Oxford Vascular Study covering more than 90,000 people in Oxfordshire, looking at hospital admissions for stroke between 2002 and 2014. The researchers found more than a third recorded as being admitted for stroke were actually in for other things - often low-risk, routine procedures carried out on Monday to Friday. They say these coding errors distorted the mortality figures, making them appear better for patients admitted on weekdays. Without the mistakes, they argue, there was no "weekend effect". They warn these errors are commonplace across the UK and not just for data on strokes. The lead author, Professor Peter Rothwell, said it was time for an independent review to assess the "weekend effect". "There's a wealth of poor-quality evidence based on hospital administrative data," he said. "If you look at those studies that have actually done the due diligence and looked at real data - gold standard data - there's very little evidence indeed of a weekend effect. "It really is an excellent example of how poor quality data, badly interpreted, can lead to the wrong answer." He said government ministers had acted in good faith but had been "badly misled" by their advisers. "Looking at where we are now, you could only describe it as a shambles," he said. "We need to step back and work out to begin with is there a problem here

Summary: Fresh talks aimed at ending the dispute over a new contract for junior doctors in England will get under way later.