As the former intensive care nurse adjusted to life with a colostomy bag 10 years ago, one of the things that upset her was no longer being able to fit into the fashionable underwear she loved. "I could always see my bag sticking through at the top or bottom," says Ms Dames, now 39. "[Then] I realised the problem wasn't me, it was the underwear." Annoyed by the lack of decent underwear for women in her position, she decided to create her own - fashionable, but with a pouch to carry a colostomy bag. And so her business Vanilla Blush was born in 2008. To get the company up and running from their kitchen table, Ms Dames and her husband Simon remortgaged their Glasgow flat to raise £11,000, and started selling 12 products for women. Today, they sell more than 200 garments for both men and women, ranging from underwear to swimming costumes and sportswear. In addition to a shop in Glasgow's East End, orders come from around the world via Vanilla Blush's website, and the business is on target to start turning over more than £1m a year. "We've come a long way," says Ms Dames. While Ms Dames' story is certainly inspirational, she is actually just one of numerous entrepreneurs around the world who have been inspired to set up successful businesses following a brush with serious illness. New Yorker Jon Loew, 44, was facing death when he came up with his idea for KeepTree, an online system that allows users to capture, securely store, and schedule video messages for release in the future. A bad reaction to an antibiotic meant that, within a month, he went from a healthy dad to his body gradually shutting down. Doctors were puzzled, and Mr Loew was contemplating his imminent demise. With children of eight and five at the time, he was worried that they would grow up with few memories of him. Mr Loew says: "I'd be this guy that they vaguely remembered, so I started recording videos... and labelling them with the dates when I wanted my wife to give them to our children, because I wanted the videos to be appropriate with things going on in their lives." When doctors got his condition under control, the idea of using videos as a means of communicating from beyond the grave stuck. On a 2011 business trip for his TV company, Mr Loew mentioned it to his now co-founder Hiroshi Nakata, who raised a few hundred thousand dollars overnight. KeepTree has now raised more than $5m (£3.5m) from investors and has offices in New York and Tokyo. It's a profitable business and it isn't just used by people who are terminally ill. Instead, users do everything from recording a birthday wish to be delivered in a month's time, or filming a bedtime story for your children while you are away with work, or sending a video of a singing grandchild to proud grandparents. KeepTree has also indentified new areas for growth and recently launched Vift, a video gift messaging service for online

Summary: It was needing to have her large intestine removed that inspired Nicola Dames to start her own underwear business.


Karl Stefanovic wore the outfit to make a point about the sexism he said his female colleagues faced. Nobody noticed he was wearing the same blue outfit, but he said his co-presenters would never have got away with it. The profits will go to the charity White Ribbon, which campaigns to end violence against women. He sold it on Ebay with the warning that "it's a little bit stanky (sic)" and added it "may need dry cleaning ASAP". 47 people bid for the suit and the lucky winner will get free delivery, meaning they should have cash spare to give it a good clean. It was sold by the TV channel Karl works for with this description: "Karl Stefanovic wore this stunning navy Burberry suit on The TODAY Show for one whole year to make a point about sexism. You have the chance at purchasing this suit for yourself, imagine how good you'd look in it! Super comfy, super stylish, super cool". The 40-year-old, who has been a presenter and reporter for nearly two decades, has also participated in a variety of celebrity game shows in Australia, including Dancing on Ice and Hole in the Wall. When he revealed that he wore the same outfit for a year he told The Age newspaper that his co-host, Lisa Wilkinson regularly gets messages from viewers and comments in the press about her fashion choices. "Women are judged much more harshly and keenly for what they do, what they say and what they wear," said Stefanovic. "I'm judged on my interviews, my appalling sense of humour - on how I do my job, basically. Whereas women are quite often judged on what they're wearing or how their hair is." He started his experiment by wearing the suit two days in a row, without a comment. He then carried on for days and then months when he realised no-one was noticing. "Only Lisa and [Today team member Sylvia Jeffreys] know about the suit. They often remark that it's getting a bit stinky," said Stefanovic. "I'm hoping to get it into the dry cleaners at the end of the year." Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: An Australian TV presenter has sold a suit he wore every day for a year for A$6500 (£3,500).


The popular broadcaster touched thousands of listeners with his openness and optimism as he battled skin cancer. A charity appeal prompted by his diagnosis has so far raised more than Â£62,000 in just over two months. Bloomfield, who worked at the station for 10 years as a presenter, reporter and a Derby County commentator, died at a hospice near Shrewsbury. He had a malignant melanoma removed from his leg 10 years ago but in 2013 learned the cancer had returned. Last year, he was told it had spread and was given months to live. One Direction singer Niall Horan said on Twitter: "Sad to hear to hear of the passing of Colin Bloomfield today, he was a super great guy, great commentator." Radio Derby's editor Simon Cornes said: "Reporter, producer, commentator, presenter - Colin was all of those. "You're lucky in radio if you're good at one of these things but Colin's talent was a rare one and he was extraordinarily accomplished at all of them. He made it seem easy. We know it isn't. "If you were designing the perfect colleague you'd come up with Colin. His modesty was disarming but it was his warmth and his positive attitude to life that made him so popular with everyone at Radio Derby. "We've lost our friend but it's a mark of the man that so many of our listeners feel they've lost their friend too. All of us are going to miss him dreadfully." Derby County spokesman Colin Gibson, who had worked with Bloomfield at BBC Radio Derby, said: "As a broadcaster he was the consummate professional. "He could be - at one time - eulogising about what was happening at Neighbours and the next turn he'd being interviewing the prime minister and he would do them both brilliantly. He could really turn his hand to anything. "His bravery during his fight with cancer had to be admired, preferring always to talk about the Rams or his beloved Shrewsbury Town rather than the pain he was going through." Derby County president Sam Rush said: "He will be sadly missed by everyone at Derby County Football Club as we had a tremendous working relationship with him. "He can only be described as an inspirational individual and both a wonderful and humble young man." "He was someone that we had the utmost respect for, especially for the way in which he conducted himself during the difficult times he faced." Earlier this year, working with the Derby Telegraph and charity Skcin, the presenter launched the Colin Bloomfield Melanoma Appeal. The money will be used to make hundreds of schools in Derbyshire and East Staffordshire "sun safe", by educating youngsters about skin cancer prevention. BBC Radio presenter Sally Pepper is running the London Marathon on Sunday to raise money for the appeal. Bloomfield has received a series of standing ovations by football supporters - including at the Rams' Championship match against Brentford on 11 April when fans chanted his name in the 33rd minute.

Summary: BBC Radio Derby presenter Colin Bloomfield has died aged 33.


Peter O'Brien, a 51-year-old married father of six, from Llanishen, Cardiff, and Mark Sim, 41, from Caldicot, Monmouthshire, were killed in the blast in the basement of the rod and bar mill at Celsa Steel in Splott. Five men were also injured. The company is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and police to determine the cause of the blast. Search dogs were seen being taken to the site on Thursday while specialist search teams have also been involved. The alarm was raised at about 10:30 GMT on Wednesday and dozens of emergency services vehicles were sent to the scene. Firefighters tackled an "extremely difficult" fire in the basement of the building, where five people were injured. One was treated at the scene and four were taken to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Three of them have since been discharged.

Summary: Searches are continuing for the bodies of two men who died in an explosion at a Cardiff steelworks on Wednesday.


A former Rhodes Scholar who once wanted to be a monk, the 57-year-old attracted early criticism for gaffes and was famously called a misogynist by former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard. A series of public blunders, questionable calls and U-turns on key policies have since resulted in a decline in his popularity. In February 2015 he survived a challenge from MPs within his own party that had threatened to remove him from the top job less than 18 months in. But in September he was challenged once again by former communications minister Malcolm Turnbull - and ousted in a hastily-arranged vote. Tony Abbott was born in 1957 in England to Australian parents who returned to Sydney a few years later. After graduating in economics and law from the University of Sydney, where he was also a leading student boxer, he attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, studying politics and philosophy. He briefly trained as a Catholic priest, before working as a journalist for the Australian newspaper. He then worked as an adviser to the Liberal Party, before entering politics in 1994 when he was elected to represent the affluent Warringah district of Sydney. Under former Prime Minister John Howard, he served as an employment minister between 1998 and 2001 and as minister for health and ageing in 2003. In 2009, he narrowly beat incumbent Malcolm Turnbull in a party leadership vote, winning 42 votes to Mr Turnbull's 41. Many pundits were shocked by the result, given Mr Abbott's gaffe-prone history. As leader of the opposition, Mr Abbott's aggressive approach earned him several nicknames. His tactics led some to call him "Tear-down Tony" or "Mad Monk" - a reference to his time spent training as a priest. He has also consistently voted against relaxing laws on abortion, same-sex marriages and stem cell research. His stance on social issues, and his poor polling among women, has led some to say that Mr Abbott has a "women problem". In October 2012, Ms Gillard's blistering speech in parliament accusing him of misogyny went viral online. He took on Labor's Kevin Rudd - who ousted Ms Gillard as Labor leader - in the September 2013 polls and secured a convincing win. Ahead of the election, Mr Abbott had argued for tough border controls, lower taxes and a smaller government. He supported Labor's policy of processing asylum seekers offshore, and went further - calling for asylum boats to be turned around and for those in Australia approved as refugees to be limited to temporary visas. He has followed through on these promises, to great controversy, setting up a military-led border patrol called Operation Sovereign Borders. He has also been seen to be taking strong action against the threat of Islamist militants, raising the terror level in September 2014 and pushing through legislation that makes it easier to restrict Australians from travelling to certain areas. Australia has also entered the fight against the so-called Islamic State with air strikes in Iraq and Syria. He was applauded for pushing for an investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17,

Summary: Tony Abbott was already a polarising figure when he became prime minister of Australia in 2013.


AMs vote on introducing a ban in the Senedd next week. The issue has caused tensions within the Labour group, with the Welsh government ruling out changing the law before next year's assembly elections. One Labour AM, Christine Chapman, spoke last year of feeling "cheated" that ministers had not addressed the issue. In a joint letter published in this morning's Western Mail, the Most Reverend Barry Morgan, Professor Sally Holland and Phil Bale, leader of Cardiff Council, argue that a ban would simply give children the same protection in law as adults. They write: "We call on the First Minister and Welsh Government to allow Labour AMs a free (conscience) vote on an amendment to the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Bill concerning the physical punishment of children, and we call upon all AMs to support this amendment. "The amendment would remove the defence of 'reasonable punishment' in relation to assaults on children in Wales and finally give children the legal protection from physical harm that they deserve." Labour's current position is that there will not be a free vote for its AMs on the amendment, tabled by Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan.

Summary: The Archbishop of Wales and the new Children's Commissioner have led calls for AMs to be given a free vote on a ban on smacking children.


Media playback is not supported on this device Conor Kernohan put the holders ahead with a close-range header from Stuart Nelson's cross in the second half. But Matty Doherty quickly levelled for the Derry side with a penalty after Grosvenor keeper Tim Larmour had brought down Joe McCartie. In extra-time Josh Kelly rounded keeper Gareth Muldoon to make it 2-1 and skipper Nelson's low shot sealed it. Nelson, who also played in Grosvenor's 2016 triumph, praised the effort of losing finalists St Columb's. "They are a quality side and, as you could see today, they stroke the ball about nicely," said the winning captain. "I thought our fitness maybe told in the end, although we got lucky with two breakaway goals. "We had to dig deep, but the boys have been brilliant all year."

Summary: Grosvenor retained the Schools' Cup by beating St Columb's 3-1 after extra-time in the final at Seaview.


The row started when contestant Fleur East, 26, performed Uptown Funk from Mark Ronson's as-yet unreleased album on the show on Saturday. Lily Allen quickly accused Cowell of corruption and getting free publicity for the song. Cowell joked the singer should "smile more and lose the paranoia." Speaking at The Sun Military Awards in London on Wednesday, he also said that Lily Allen's chances of appearing on the X Factor as a judge "have been reduced slightly." Sony Music, which is releasing Uptown Funk is home to Mark Ronson's label Columbia Records and Cowell's Syco records. Fleur's performance in the semi-final of the ITV competition went straight to number one in the iTunes chart. The original song by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars had been released digitally but was scheduled for full release for 11 January, but after the iTune success the release date has now been brought forward five weeks. But Cowell claimed the reason they chose the song for Fleur on X Factor wasn't anything to do with promotion. He said: "I didn't even know what label it was on, to be honest. All I knew is that we loved the song. "Then we heard that Mark Ronson and Bruno was going to do it on the finals so we stopped doing it with Fleur, then I found out they weren't coming, so I thought 'fine' we will do it with her. "I mean I was being creative." A series of tweets posted by Lily Allen, which appear to have been deleted, after the show on Saturday said: 'Is this even out yet? #XFactor ... Well done to @sony for managing to get a not yet released song of theirs sung on prime time weekend telly. #uptownfunk #shazam #airplay "It is an amazing song and Fleur did it justice but it's still a great example of music industry corruption. #uptown funk" Fleur East has since apologised to Mark Ronson after her X Factor cover of the song caused the music producer to release it early. Featuring Bruno Mars on lead vocals, Uptown Funk is the first single from British producer Mark Ronson's fourth album, Uptown Special. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Simon Cowell has told Newsbeat that Lily Allen should "smile more" after she accused the X Factor of "industry corruption".


Experts already know lots about the virus and how it attacks, but fighting it with a drug is newer territory. Since Ebola was first identified, in 1976, every outbreak has been contained with strict hygiene - isolation of patients and suspected patients, ensuring staff wore suitable protective clothing and carried out proper cleaning and disposal of clinical waste. There have been no drugs to do the job because developing them is extremely expensive, and, until now, the major pharmaceutical companies have not seen enough of a market. That's changing. The virus can enter the body via infected droplets (blood, vomit, faeces) through broken skin or mucous membranes such as the eyes, the lining of the nose or the mouth. Once inside, it rapidly multiplies in the blood, taking over and attacking cells. The disease is not airborne like flu. Very close direct contact with an infected person is required for the virus to be passed to another person. Infection may also occur through direct contact with contaminated bedding, clothing and surfaces. All of this has been known for nearly 40 years, but only now is the world really gearing up to the threat. Scientists are focusing their efforts on two approaches: There are lots of different experimental vaccines and drug treatments for Ebola under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness. Experimental drugs such as ZMapp have already been given to patients in the current outbreak, but they have not saved all patients. Two US aid workers and a Briton recovered after taking it, but a Liberian doctor and a Spanish priest died. The medicine has only previously been tested on animals, and experts say it is still unclear whether the drug boosts chances of recovery. Stocks have been extremely limited, and the manufacturers of the drug say it will take months to increase production. One of the first therapies to reach the frontline could be the blood of survivors. They will have mounted an immune response capable of defeating the virus and antibodies that attack Ebola will still be loitering in their bloodstream. Taking blood and emptying it of blood cells leaves behind an antibody-packed plasma which can be injected into patients. In theory this should help the patient fight the virus. However, this has been tried only a handful of times before and it is unclear how effective it would be. Also this is not some perfectly manufactured drug or vaccine. The effectiveness of the serum could vary from survivor to survivor. The US, UK and Canada are testing different kinds of vaccine in controlled clinical trials. The aim is to have 20,000 doses that could be used in West Africa by early next year. Normally it would take years of human trials before a completely new vaccine was approved for use. But such is the urgency of the Ebola outbreak that experimental vaccines are being fast-tracked at an astonishing rate. Russia recently announced it is also developing three vaccines, with one being ready for clinical trials within three months. David Heymann, professor of

Summary: With the death toll rising and the disease still spreading, the race is on to find a treatment for Ebola.


Merseyside Police were called to Crete Towers on Jason Street, Everton, on Tuesday morning after someone noticed a strong smell coming from the building. It comes two weeks after one of the biggest ever cannabis farms in Liverpool was found on the same street. Police estimate the total crop had a street value of more than £1.3m and described the farms "a sophisticated and industrial-scale criminal set-up". Det Insp Lee Wilkinson said: "This was an elaborate series of cannabis farms spread across four separate flats. "We discovered a total of 339 plants but believe much more could have been grown."

Summary: Four cannabis farms have been found in flats at a tower block in Liverpool.


The agent, known by the alias Jack King, infiltrated a group of pro-German activists in south-east England in a previously unknown wartime operation. His undercover work led to the identification of hundreds of people willing to pass secrets to the enemy. Files in the National Archives describe King as a "genius" at his work. By Gordon CoreraSecurity correspondent, BBC News We had known that MI5 controlled German spies dropped into the UK under the Double Cross system but little was known about operations to control domestic sympathisers. This one began in a low-key manner with a correspondence club in which lonely people would write to each other but it would lead to the identification of potentially hundreds of people in Britain willing to help the Nazis. Since Britain was never invaded, it's impossible to know how the country would have actually reacted, but the files suggest there were at least a few hoping for Hitler to take over and actively offering assistance. The role of the MI5 agent Jack King is also intriguing. Quite who he was seems something of a mystery but senior officials in MI5 clearly rated him highly for his ability over years to undertake risky work in reeling in more and more Nazi sympathisers by convincing them he was linked to the Gestapo - and doing so without ever getting too close to provoking them to do anything too damaging. In 1942, King - also referred to as SR in the files - met Marita Perigoe, described as a "crafty and dangerous woman" of Swedish and German origin. Despite being married to a member of Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, she had no time for the group and regarded them as "insufficiently extreme". MI5 said of her: "She was found to be so violently anti-British and so anxious to do anything in her power to help the enemy that it was felt that special attention should be paid to her." It went on to say she was not a "neurotic nor feminine type; she is masterful and a somewhat masculine woman". "Both in appearance and mentality she can be described as an arrogant hun." King managed to convince her that he was a representative of the Gestapo looking for people who were "100% loyal to the Fatherland" and could be relied on in the event of an invasion. He exploited the group's taste for the cloak-and-dagger aspects of espionage work by offering them invisible ink for secret communications and arranging meetings in the basement of an antiques shop. MI5 regarded some members of the group as unstable but warned they were still dangerous. Hilda Leech was "unstable and neurotic" and was trying to pass on reports of highly secret research on jet aircraft, while astrologer Edgar Whitehead - a "bit of a mystery man" - was passing on information about secret trials on an amphibious tank. MI5 drew up plans to issue members with special badges to be worn in the event of an invasion - supposedly to identify them as friends to the Germans but in

Summary: An MI5 agent pretending to have Gestapo links secretly controlled a vast network of UK-based Nazi sympathisers, newly-released files reveal.


The modern musical romance has swept film fans off their feet, and its stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are expected to be among the nominees. The question is - how many nominations will the film get in total, and can it equal the Oscars record of 14? Titanic and All About Eve currently share that record, while Mary Poppins is the most nominated musical with 13. This year's other contenders will include Moonlight, about a young black man dealing with his sexuality in drug-torn Miami; brooding domestic drama Manchester by the Sea; and cerebral sci-fi film Arrival. In the acting categories, Jackie's Natalie Portman is likely to challenge Emma Stone for best actress, while Manchester by the Sea's Casey Affleck and Fences' Denzel Washington are tipped to give Gosling competition for best actor. Almost certainly not. After two years with no non-white acting nominees, this year we could see four or five - possibly Washington (who also directed Fences), Viola Davis (Fences), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures). Naomie Harris is flying the flag for British actresses, while male candidates could include Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals), Dev Patel (Lion) - and Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins), who could get his first nomination. But there probably won't be much for Ken Loach's benefits drama I, Daniel Blake. Meryl Streep will become the first person to notch up 20 acting nominations if she gets in for Florence Foster Jenkins. She was an outsider - but her odds have shortened since berating Donald Trump at the Golden Globes. If it is, it will be the first superhero movie to be nominated for the top award. It has a chance - it was nominated for the Golden Globes and Producers Guild of America Awards, among others, and its star Ryan Reynolds posted a brilliant video to launch its campaign. Arrival, in which Amy Adams tries to talk to aliens, could well be second to La La Land when the nominations are totted up, partly thanks to its chances in the technical categories - despite Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight being talked about alongside La La Land as this year's main contenders. After a series of racist and sexist rants over the past two decades, Mel Gibson's comeback movie Hacksaw Ridge will get nominations. But will Academy members bring themselves to nominate him for best director? Despite his reputation as an Oscar favourite, Tom Hanks hasn't had a nomination since 2001. His latest role as Hudson River pilot Chesley Sullenberger in Sully surely ticks the Academy's boxes. The Academy Award nominations are announced from 13:18 GMT on Tuesday, with the winners to be named in Los Angeles on 26 February. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: This year's Oscar nominations are due out later, with La La Land likely to land as the clear frontrunner.


Police said a number of charities and businesses in counties Down and Armagh were targeted by men passing counterfeit Â£20 notes on Thursday. It involved premises in Banbridge, Dromore, Ballynahinch, Moira and Newtownhamilton. Four men, aged 20, 22, 31 and 45, were arrested on suspicion of fraud in Newtownards town centre. They were detained when officers on patrol in High Street stopped a black vehicle after they noticed "suspicious" activity. The men are currently assisting police with their inquiries.

Summary: Four men have been arrested in Newtownards, County Down, in connection with a fake banknotes investigation.


Perez, 28, joined the Gunners for £17.1m last summer after two seasons at Spanish side Deportivo. He has made 21 appearances for Arsene Wenger's side in all competitions, scoring seven goals, but has not played since March. "Arsenal know we want to go, that there are no opportunities here," said Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle. Lovelle said the uncapped Perez wanted to leave in order to get more playing time in an attempt to break into the Spain squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He added his client was "angry and sad and upset" that Arsenal had given the number nine shirt to new record signing Alexandre Lacazette without Perez "being asked". Deportivo's offer is believed to be in excess of the reported £7.9m La Liga rivals Sevilla paid to sign Nolito from Manchester City. "Deportivo made an offer a week ago - it is a permanent deal and worth more than Nolito's move to Sevilla," said Lovelle. "Of course [he was told he would play more]. Lucas signed for Arsenal and was the happiest person in the world and with all of his dreams to fulfil. "Every time he played he did well, but after every time he got fewer and fewer opportunities." Perez suffered a thigh injury in March but was fit again before the end of the season, with Wenger saying in May that he felt "a bit sorry" for him. "He's a top quality striker but I couldn't give him the games he wants and deserves," said the Frenchman. Perez joined Deportivo on an initial season-long loan from Greek side PAOK in 2014 before signing a permanent deal in 2015.

Summary: Deportivo La Coruna have made an offer to re-sign Arsenal striker Lucas Perez, says the Spaniard's agent.


The billionaire, who was a prominent backer of Brexit, told the BBC he was "enormously optimistic" about trading with the rest of the world. His comments came as his engineering firm Dyson reported a 41% increase in profits to £631m. The popularity of its vacuum cleaners in fast-growing Asian markets was a major reason for the rise. The company said sales of its products increased by 45% to £2.5bn, helped by growth of 244% in China, 266% in Indonesia and 200% in the Philippines. The success of new product lines such as hair dryers also fuelled growth. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Theresa May is due to start the process of the UK leaving the EU. In an interview with the BBC, Sir James said: "Europe's only 15% of the global market and the really fast-expanding markets are in the Far East. "I'm enormously optimistic because looking outwards to the rest of the world is very, very important because that's the fast-growing bit." Sir James Dyson is the poster child for the kind of global-facing confidence the government is keen to harness in a week that it signals the beginning of the end of the UK's membership of the EU. The entrepreneur has been a prominent supporter of Brexit and remains clear that British business success lies beyond Europe. He is putting his money where his mouth is - investing £2.5bn, expanding his Wiltshire base by buying 500 acres of old airfield in Hullavington and hoping to double his 3,500 workforce in the next four years. Critics, though, say that while he designs products in the UK, he manufactures them in the Far East and so his export arrangements may not be subject to the same Brexit uncertainty as for those manufacturing in the UK. Sir James said it would be possible to remain close to Europe after Brexit, while also forging closer ties with Commonwealth countries. "I'm a patriot, which is why I'm rather keen on re-connecting with the Commonwealth," he said. And he rejected the suggestion EU staff could be forced to leave the UK - saying it was "absolute nonsense to suggest countries are going to chuck out foreign citizens". The entrepreneur, who has criticised the lack of British engineers, also defended his decision to have major operations in Asia, saying the firm's intellectual property and profits were still in the UK. "I'm resident in England, we pay all our tax here," he added. Dyson designs many of its products in the UK, but largely manufactures them in Asia. It has tripled its team in China and recently opened a new £330m research centre in Singapore. The firm is also opening a new multimillion-pound research centre in Wiltshire, England and a university at its existing Malmesbury campus in the Cotswolds.

Summary: Sir James Dyson has said UK business success lies beyond Europe because that is where the fastest growth lies.


Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore was on the fishing boat in Barbados when it was hit, and broken in two, by a catamaran. He managed to haul three elderly passengers out of the water from the boat just before it sank. His father, Ian Watmore, said the catamaran had "just ploughed straight into the boat and ripped it in half". "They saw it and just assumed it was going to go round them and, when they realised it was coming straight at them, they started yelling and screaming but nothing changed," he said. "These catamarans are quite powerful and the blade just ripped the thing in half." Watmore had been in Barbados in February, recovering from an operation on a cruciate knee ligament injury, when the crash happened. One of the guests on the boat had just had a hip replacement, one could not swim and the other was over 80, his father said. After the crash, his son "clambered up on to the catamaran" and lifted them, and the skipper, out of the water just as their fishing boat sank, he said. The 23-year-old footballer used his T-shirt as a tourniquet for the woman's leg, which was "bleeding heavily". It was only afterwards that "shock started to set in", Mr Watmore Snr said. "All the guests were coming up to him and telling him what a hero he was and I think the whole thing was just very disorientating for him," he said. The rescue had been a good test of the strength of his knee, though "not one you'd plan", he added. It is not known how the catamaran came to hit the fishing boat but it is believed its skipper was taken away by police.

Summary: A Premier League footballer saved three holidaymakers after a boat crash, it has emerged.


Mr Gunnlaugsson, his wife and other Icelandic ministers were named in the Panama Papers. He had said no rules had been broken but was accused of concealing millions of dollars worth of family assets. Icelandic readers have been sharing their views on the current political situation and how the protest may have played a part. "I am shocked at how he chose to resign. He should have done that a long time ago. He didn't speak to his governmental department beforehand. The way he did it was entirely unacceptable. "My gut feeling is that there is something very rotten in Iceland. "Monday's protests were definitely something that Iceland has never seen before and the current situation is entirely unprecedented in Icelandic politics. "I was inside looking out of the window and was startled by the egg thrown at the window, but the protest was 99% peaceful. "I heard there could have been 22,000 at the protests. That would be 6% of the whole population - one of the largest protests we have had. "It was a good atmosphere. I have never seen Iceland react in this way before. "People are hurt and disappointed by Gunnlaugsson - it is not what they voted for. "Even people who are loyal to the government are baffled - they have no words. "One of the reasons why the government got a big following was that they said they'll take a strong hold of the economy. "But the normal Icelander lost everything - their jobs, their homes, their future." "I'm not surprised he has resigned. It was obvious this would happen eventually. I'm happy about it. "He did the right thing but it should have been sooner. I hope they call for snap elections now. We won't stop protesting until we get that. "The protests definitely put more pressure on Gunnlaugsson and everyone else in the coalition. "It showed that we as a nation were not going to back down. "There is definitely excitement and changes in the air here in Iceland." "The prime minister, the finance minister, and the interior minister have all been named in the Panama Papers. "I feel a mixture of anger, shame and betrayal - it's the same feeling I had during the financial crisis. "Recently, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson and the finance minister talked about the Icelandic Kronur being stable. "But they keep their money elsewhere like they don't trust the system with their own money. "In Iceland our welfare system is horrible - they are trying to privatise the hospitals and healthcare system because there's no money in the budget. "If everyone paid their taxes we would have a good welfare system. "The taxes go up on food but don't raise them for rich people. "There's almost a divide in our country." "Like half the nation, I've been watching TV live. It's been disrupting my work! "Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson suggested his vice-chairman of the party would take over as PM. In my opinion that's not a good move. "His resignation is like a scapegoat to allow the government to survive. "It's obvious that

Summary: Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson has resigned as prime minister of Iceland after leaks from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca showed he owned an offshore company with his wife.


Boorstin was troubled by the emergence of what he called "pseudo" events, increasingly presented as news. "It is not spontaneous," he said, "but comes about because someone has planned, planted or incited it... it is planted primarily for the immediate purpose of being reported or reproduced." I have been reminded of this during the current election campaign. There are daily events but, certainly with the two main parties, the general unscreened public is rarely invited. Photo calls are arranged to provide the backdrop for a campaign. I am travelling with David Cameron's team. It is a campaign geared to exclude the unexpected, the random encounter. At events, microphones that could pick up a stray remark are kept at a distance. For the political class has bought into the narrative that Gordon Brown's campaign unravelled when an unguarded microphone caught him referring to a woman - Gillian Duffy - as that "bigoted woman". Similarly it was regarded as a defining moment when Tony Blair was ambushed by Sharon Storer who said to his face: "All you do is walk around and make yourself known but you don't do anything to help anybody." But elections are rarely decided by gaffes or unguarded moments. That was proved by Ronald Reagan who, at one point, boldly declared "all the waste in a year from a nuclear plant can be stored under a desk". It didn't hurt him. When I was covering the Obama campaign in 2008 it did not fatally wound Barack Obama when he spoke of "bitter working-class Americans who cling to guns or religion". In Britain, the political rally, open to the general public, is all but extinct. The reality of the election trail is mediated through highly choreographed TV scenes. Party leaders are wary of crowds, of hecklers; above all they fear unscripted moments leading the evening news. Elsewhere in Europe, campaigning is more unbuttoned. They ride out the hostile crowd. I have attended large public rallies in Paris, Rome and Berlin. I have stood and watched an unflappable Angela Merkel in Darmstadt continue speaking against a background soundtrack of noisy horn-blowing protestors. In Milan, I saw hecklers interrupt Silvio Berlusconi; he paused and began bouncing up and down as if on a football terrace while his supporters drowned out the protestors. After almost every campaign-stop, Francois Hollande worked the crowd regardless of their loyalties. His predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy once even turned on a voter urging him, in rather colourful language, to get lost, you idiot. In the UK, the instinct of the major parties is to shun the crowd, the unchecked rope-line, the hidden dangers of the town square. David Cameron's strategy is defensive, to stake his claim on his economic record. His effortless charm - much admired by Angela Merkel and others - is replaced by a politician more tightly-wound. In private he remains easy and relaxed but in Manchester, at the debate, his camera stare was more fixed as if he had been told not to stray from his core much-honed message. It is a campaign built around the economy,

Summary: In the early 1960s, before the birth of smartphones, before the retreat from privacy, the US historian Daniel Boorstin wrote a groundbreaking book called The Image.


A report in the Guardian suggested the extra, unpaid time taken for "rigorous" compulsory searches meant workers were paid less than the minimum wage. "The process has been streamlined which has led to a reduction in waiting time," the firm said. Shares in the FTSE 100 company closed 10.6% lower at to 594.6p. Royal London Asset Management, which owns Sports Direct shares, said it was concerned about corporate governance at the company, which is controlled by billionaire Mike Ashley. Ashley Hamilton Claxton, corporate governance manager at Royal London, told 5 live: "We want to see them improve their relationships with employees and to address some of the allegations that have come in front of them, if they are in fact true. That would be quite important for us as shareholders." Ms Hamilton Claxton also had concerns about what she called Sport Direct's "unfettered ability to trade in the shares of other retailers", adding: "It's a major red flag for us. It is definitely one of the companies we have the most concern about and that is why we are speaking publicly about it." Sports Direct said on Thursday that pre-tax profits for the six months to October rose 25% to Â£187m on revenues flat at Â£1.43bn. Much of Sports Direct's jump in profits came from dealings in shares in other retailers, particularly the sale of five million shares in rival retailer JD Sports. Broker Cantor Fitzgerald cut its price target on the stock by 60p to 700p, calling the results "a little behind the curve", while Exane said the results were underwhelming compared with JD Sports. The Guardian sent undercover reporters to work at Sports Direct's warehouse in Shirebrook in Derbyshire last month. They found that it was taking 15 minutes to search staff leaving the warehouse at the end of their shifts. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "All workers should be paid at least the minimum wage for every minute they are required to be on company premises. "If the allegations against Sports Direct are found to be true, the government must make sure all their staff receive the full pay they are entitled to." Sports Direct also disputes the Guardian's claim that more than 80% of staff at the warehouse are on zero-hours contracts. "To be clear, no warehouse workers are on 'zero-hour' contracts, all have contracted hours with the agencies," the retailer's chairman, Keith Hellawell, said in the results statement. "In retail, casual workers find the flexibility offered by these arrangements very useful. We comply fully with all applicable legal requirements and will continue to keep these under review."

Summary: Retailer Sports Direct has admitted that it searches staff leaving its warehouses, but says it has reduced the amount of time it takes.


The man, who was 13 when he attended St William's in Market Weighton, told the jury James Carragher used to make him "upset" before he was abused. The ex-principal denies 50 counts of indecent assault between the 1970s at the East Riding of Yorkshire site. At Leeds Crown Court, Mr Carragher also denies 12 other serious sex offences. Earlier in the trial, the jury heard the 75-year-old, of Merseyside, was jailed for seven years in 1993 and 14 years in 2004 for sex offences. The home for boys with behavioural problems was run by the De La Salle order. It has since closed. Giving evidence behind a screen for legal reasons, the former pupil said he was sexually abused by Mr Carragher on "a number of occasions". "He would get me upset to get me to start crying. He put his arm around me trying to comfort me and would then start touching me," he said. Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, asked: "Why did you not go to the police sooner?" He replied: "I was ashamed. Even though I was only a child, I still let him do it." The man said he had not discussed the matter for 45 years. Mr Carragher is on trial along with former chaplain at St William's, Anthony McCallen, 69, and former teacher Michael Curran, 62. The jury was previously told how Mr McCallen was convicted of abusing two boys in the 1990s. Mr Curran has no previous convictions. Mr McCallen, of Merseyside, denies 18 indecent assaults and seven other serious sexual offences. Mr Curran, of Teesside, denies one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and another of indecent assault. The trial continues.

Summary: A former pupil at a Catholic home and school for delinquent boys told a court he could not report his alleged abuser to police because he felt "ashamed".


An Ontario judge dismissed mischief charges against Anita Krajnc, ending a legal battle that captured the global attention of animal rights activists. Judge David Harris said he was not convinced that Ms Krajnc obstructed the use of property when she gave water to pigs headed to slaughter. Ms Krajnc said it confirms "compassion is not a crime". Mischief to property is a criminal offence in Canada related to the wilful destruction or damage of property. Justice Harris wrote in his decision that he is satisfied that Ms Krajnc "did not obstruct, interrupt or interfere with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of any property" when in July 2015, she gave water to a few animals being carried in a tractor trailer filled with 190 pigs going to a slaughterhouse outside Toronto. Ms Krajnc, who co-founded an organisation called Toronto Pig Save in 2011, regularly gathered with other activists on a traffic island at an intersection near a large slaughterhouse to pet the animals and give them water. But this time, the truck driver confronted Ms Krajnc and police were called. A video of the tense encounter was posted online by the activists. During her trial, supporters crammed into the courtroom, many sitting on the floor. Members of the media sat in the prisoner's box. Despite her win on Thursday, Ms Krajnc told the BBC she has "mixed feelings" about the decision. "We were hoping for recognition in the legal system that pigs and other animals are simply not property - that they are sentient beings, that they have basic rights," she said. In his decision, Justice Harris noted that under Canadian law, pigs are property. "Ms Krajnc and like-minded individuals may believe otherwise and they are fully entitled to that belief. That does not however make it so," he wrote. Ms Krajnc's case and her efforts to "hold vigil" for animals headed to slaughter have caught on with animal rights activists around the world. A number of similar "Save" campaigns have cropped up globally, including dozens in the UK. The movement promotes veganism, animal rights activism, and "bearing witness" to the suffering of animals. Jenny Canham helped create the Essex Pig save chapter and told the BBC she was "really relieved" by Thursday's court decision. She said her group will continue to advocate for animal welfare and to spread the movement in the UK. Ms Krajnc said she will continue to organise "vigils" near slaughterhouses.

Summary: A Canadian activist who faced time behind bars for giving water to pigs has been found not guilty.


Sales rose 21% in the third quarter giving the company €723m (£522m) in revenue, a 9% rise from last year. Fiat Chrysler, which sold 10% of its stake in Ferrari to New York investors last week also released results. Shares fell 3.5% after it said it made significant losses stemming from what the company called a "recall environment". The world's 7th largest car company reported a net loss of €299m despite growing sales of Jeeps globally. Fiat Chrysler did manage to boost earning 35% to €1.3bn from €968m the previous year. Fiat Chrysler confirmed its revised earnings forecast which it raised at the end of the second quarter. The sale of Ferrari helped secure this increase. Ferrari said it expects deliveries to reach 7,700 vehicles by year end.

Summary: Luxury carmaker Ferrari reported a jump in profit in the third quarter boosted by higher sales.


The men, aged between 19 and 46, were arrested at several locations in nearby Batam island on Friday. The plot allegedly involved firing a rocket from Batam, just south of Singapore, at Marina Bay - an upmarket, waterfront area. Singapore officials said they were aware of the plot and security had been stepped up. Indonesian police spokesman Boy Rafli told BBC Indonesian that the suspects were now being questioned. It is not clear whether the men had the ability to carry out such an attack. Police said they were investigating whether the suspects had links to Indonesian militant Bahrun Naim, one of the alleged masterminds of the 2016 Jakarta attacks. Singapore's Marina Bay is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations and the Marina Bay Sands hotel is an iconic structure on Singapore's skyline. "What we understand so far is that they were planning to attack vital objects, busy areas including police offices," police spokesman Agus Rianto told Reuters news agency. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement: "Our security agencies have been coordinating closely with the Indonesian authorities since the discovery of this attack plot, to monitor the activities of the group and to apprehend those involved."

Summary: Indonesian police have arrested six people they say were planning to attack Singapore.


The Transportation Safety Board confirmed that at 07:30 EST (12:30 GMT), a Porter Airlines flight from Ottawa to Toronto nearly collided with what they believe was a drone. Two crew members received minor injuries during the manoeuvre. Investigators at Billy Bishop Airport are looking into the incident. The flight was at an altitude of approximately 9,000ft (2,740m) over Lake Ontario and making its initial approach for landing at Toronto's island airport on Monday when the pilots noticed an object in the distance. As they got closer the pilots realised the object, which they first believed was a balloon, was very close to the flight path. They decided to take evasive action. Porter is working with the Transportation Safety Board investigators, according to a statement. The injured flight attendants were taken to hospital and have since been released. The 54 passengers on the flight were unharmed. Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Authority in the US both have "No Drone Zone" safety campaigns meant to highlight the dangers of flying drones near airports and other areas that could put aviation safety at risk.

Summary: Canada's transportation safety authority is investigating after an aeroplane had to take evasive action to avoid a near mid-air collision.


The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that strikes on Khan Sheikhoun by Syrian government or Russian jets had caused many people to choke. Later, aircraft fired rockets at local clinics treating survivors, medics and activists said. Syria's army denied the government had used any such weapons. In a statement, President Donald Trump condemned what he called "these heinous actions" by the Bashar al-Assad regime. "It is clear that this is how Bashar al-Assad operates," the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, "with brutal, unabashed barbarism." The UK, United Nations and France, among others, also condemned the incident, which would, if confirmed, be one of the deadliest chemical attacks in Syria's civil war. The spectre of nerve agents in Syria - again The warplanes are reported to have attacked rebel-held Khan Sheikhoun, about 50km (30 miles) south of the city of Idlib, early on Tuesday, when many people were asleep. The source of the projectile was not clear, but the EMC and the opposition Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) network said warplanes had targeted several clinics.US blames Assad over 'chemical attack' Aftermath of attack in pictures (Warning graphic images) Why is there a war in Syria? Pro-government journalists later cited military sources as saying there had been an explosion at an al-Qaeda chemical weapons factory in Khan Sheikhoun that was caused either by an air strike or an accident. The defence ministry of Russia, President Assad's ally, insisted it had not carried out any air strikes in the vicinity. The SOHR put the death toll at 58, including 11 children, but Mr Rasoul reported that 67 people had been killed and 300 injured. The pro-opposition Step news agency said 100 had died. One aid agency, the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), put the death toll at more than 100. The EMC said it had stopped counting the victims because there were so many. The SOHR said it was unable to say what exactly was dropped. However, the EMC and LCC said it was believed to be the nerve agent Sarin, which is highly toxic and considered 20 times as deadly as cyanide. Chemical weapons expert Dan Kaszeta said that determining whether Sarin was involved simply by examining video clips is problematic. He added that Tuesday's attack could have been the result of one of any number of chemical agents as they tend to "behave the same in terms of their physiological effects on the human body". Sarin is almost impossible to detect because it is a clear, colourless and tasteless liquid that has no odour in its purest form. Syria's army, in a statement posted on state news agency Sana, said it never had and never would use poison gas. The government was accused by Western powers of firing rockets filled with Sarin at rebel-held suburbs of Damascus in August 2013, killing hundreds of people. President Assad denied the charge, blaming rebel fighters, but he did subsequently agree to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal. Despite that, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has continued to document the

Summary: The White House says it is "confident" Bashar al-Assad's government was behind an apparent chemical attack that killed at least 58 people in north-west Syria.


The club's former owner Craig Whyte and former chief executive Charles Green attended a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh. Former club secretary Gary Withey, and David Grier, David Whitehouse and Paul Clark, who worked for administrators Duff and Phelps, also appeared. The 15 charges in the case cover fraud, conspiracy and serious organised crime. Mr Whyte bought Rangers from Sir David Murray in 2011 for a nominal sum of Â£1 but the club went into administration the following year. A consortium led by Charles Green later bought Rangers' assets after a deal could not be agreed with creditors to exit administration. Mr Whitehouse, Mr Clark and Mr Grier were employees of MCR Partners, prior to its acquisition by Duff and Phelps, in October 2011. Duff and Phelps acted as Rangers administrators from 14 February 2012. Mr Withey worked for Mr Whyte's London law firm, Collyer Bristow, before he took on a post with Rangers.

Summary: Six men have appeared in court in connection with the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Rangers assets.


Bu farw Gareth Jones ar ôl mynd i drafferthion yn y môr ger Trefor ym mis Mawrth 2014. Daeth adroddiad i'r casgliad bod ei gwch mewn cyflwr gwael, ac fe glywodd gwest i'w farwolaeth bod diffygion yn yr offer diogelwch ar y cwch. Daw galwad Iona Hughes wrth i'r RNLI lansio ymgyrch i wella diogelwch ar gychod pysgota. "Roedd o'n weithiwr caled ofnadwy, ac wedi meddwl cael mynd i'r môr erioed, ers oedd o yn yr ysgol," meddai Ms Hughes am ei brawd. "Roedd gan dad gwch pan oedden ni'n blant, ac oedd o wrth ei fodd yn mynd allan 'efo fo bob cyfle oedd o'n ei gael. "Ei uchelgais o erioed oedd cael cwch ei hun. Fe gafodd o ei gwch ei hun yn y diwedd, ond yn anffodus wnaeth hi ddim gweithio allan fel oedd neb wedi meddwl." Roedd y pysgotwr 36 oed o Forfa Nefyn yn casglu cregyn bylchog ger Nant Gwrtheyrn pan aeth i drafferthion, ac fe gafodd ei ddarganfod yn farw ar ei gwch. "O'n i adra efo'r gŵr a'r mab, a chael galwad ffôn wnes i, bod rhywbeth wedi digwydd," meddai Ms Hughes, o'r Ffôr ger Pwllheli. "O'n i methu credu'r ffasiwn beth - oedd o'n ofnadwy. "Do'n i ddim yn gwybod yn iawn beth oedd wedi digwydd - dim ond bod ei ddillad wedi mynd yn sownd mewn winsh, ac wedi methu dod ohono fo. "Yn anffodus mi gollodd ei fywyd mewn ffordd ofnadwy." Clywodd y cwest i farwolaeth Mr Jones nad oedd gan y winsh yr offer diogelwch angenrheidiol, sy'n ofynnol yn gyfreithiol. Dywedodd y crwner bod cyflwr y cwch yn awgrymu mai "diffyg arian, yn hytrach na diffyg ymwybyddiaeth o ddiogelwch" oedd wedi rhwystro Mr Jones rhag cynnal ei gwch yn gywir. Mae'r RNLI yn annog pysgotwyr ledled y DU i gymryd mantais o Gronfa'r Môr a Physgodfeydd Ewrop, all gael ei ddefnyddio i gael offer newydd, mwy diogel ar eu cychod. "Mae o yn waith peryglus - mae pawb yn gwybod hynny - ac mae pawb eisiau i'w gŵr, partner, mab ddod adra'n saff," meddai Ms Hughes. "Os oes yna help i'w gael, plîs ceisiwch gael yr arian i helpu eich hunain. "Gobeithio trwy wneud hyn y daw rhywbeth da ohono fo - na wneith teulu arall ddioddef fel 'da ni wedi dioddef."

Summary: Mae chwaer pysgotwr fu farw oddi ar arfordir Pen Llŷn wedi apelio i bobl eraill gymryd mantais o gynllun i sicrhau bod eu cychod mewn cyflwr diogel.


Wales face Ukraine in their penultimate warm-up match before Euro 2016, and the last before the manager names his 23-man squad for the tournament. Coleman knows the fixture could be a risk, but adds it is one worth taking. "When you go to places like this you find out a lot about players. We want it to be risky and edgy," he said. "You learn nothing if you go into a game knowing if we are at 80% we will win 4-0." Wales, who drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland on Thursday, will again be without Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey at Kiev's 70,000-capacity Olympic Stadium. Ukraine have also qualified for Euro 2016, and Coleman believes taking on such a tough trip will help his relatively inexperienced team. "If you go into a hostile environment against a good team, you know you can end up with egg on your face if you do not turn up and perform," he said. "But I prefer it like this. We are in their backyard in a tough atmosphere, and we have to show we can cope." Coleman, however, has the comfort of being able to call on his first-choice defence and is likely to return to five at the back. The fit-again Ben Davies is set to join skipper Ashley Williams and James Chester in the centre of defence, with Chris Gunter and Neil Taylor deployed as wing-backs. "The edge in the atmosphere is not for everyone," said Coleman. "But guys like Ashley Williams are always the same in mentality - he always plays with that meaning and gives everything he has got."

Summary: Wales manager Chris Coleman believes his team will benefit from the hostility they are likely to face in Monday's friendly in Kiev.


Kerosene leaked from a pipeline near Nantycaws, Carmarthenshire, into nearby Nant Pibwr, with dead fish spotted. The Welsh Government said the A48 will close in both directions from the Nantycaws turning to Carmarthen from 19:00 BST on Friday until 06:00 Monday. Traffic will be diverted through Nantycaws and Llangunnor. Rural Affairs Secretary Lesley Griffiths visited the site of the spill on Saturday. In a letter to assembly members, she confirmed the scale of the spill was bigger than previously thought.

Summary: Details of when a main road will close for repair work to a damaged fuel pipeline that leaked more than 140,000 litres of oil have been confirmed.


The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 stopped the need for a council completion certificate to be issued. However, the council wants the final say on whether pupils can return to all 17 schools closed over safety fears. The council is to have a "clearer picture" from surveys on Friday. Why are Edinburgh schools closed? Seventeen schools built or modernised just over a decade ago under the controversial Public Private Partnership arrangement scheme were shut earlier this month over safety concerns. The council had entered into a deal to build the schools with the specially-formed private company, the Edinburgh Schools Partnership, and construction work was carried out by Miller Construction. Under the deal, the profit-making company built the schools, runs the buildings and maintains them. The council is, in effect, a tenant. Children at all 17 schools are now back in classrooms but finding alternative accommodation has been a major logistical operation and some youngsters face lengthy journeys to temporary sites. Some form of investigation or inquiry into the debacle is expected to be launched after the Scottish election. 17 Schools closed over safety fears 7,600 Primary and secondary pupils affected by the closures 61 Alternative schools are being used 655 Teachers relocated 70 Bus services laid on to transport pupils A City of Edinburgh Council spokesman said: "The council will appoint independent experts to give us the necessary reassurance that work carried out by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership and its contractors is of the required standard to ensure the safety of children."

Summary: Independent experts appointed by the council will check schools in Edinburgh are safe to reopen in a major departure from the previous system, which saw builders approve their own work.


Most are tourists looking up in awe at the LED screens that dominate the landscape. Nobody notices the tiny dark figure 350 feet above the pavement clinging to the side of the century old Times Building, home of the New Year's Eve Ball. Jeff Rolfe is a cross between Spider Man and Guy Fawkes, gingerly making his way up and down the side of the building with a bitter winter wind attacking him from every angle as he dangles. In his arms are pre-configured wooden racks full of small explosives. He has to install enough to put smiles on a billion TV viewers worldwide. Thankfully these are the finishing touches to a display of fireworks that in just over 24 hours will hopefully also elicit oohs and aahs from a million New Years Eve revellers in the Square. For almost everyone the thrill of fireworks is an experience that can be traced back to childhood. Yet if you were able to time travel backwards two, three or four decades into history and stand once again in front of your local town display, you would likely be disappointed. Mr Rolfe, from Fireworks By Santore, says few people realise that fountains, rockets, wheels and bursts have all taken a huge step forward thanks to technology. "The shows used to be much much longer, over an hour in duration. But attention spans are shorter now," he says. "Today, 30 minutes is considered a very long display. Technicians used to manually shoot big shells from steel tube mortars that would need to cool down before the next ones could be fired. It was more relaxed. Now we shoot multiple smaller shells per second from several locations, remotely." Songs were played in their entirety rather than the mixed snippets that are favoured today. And any notion of syncing the beats to the bursts was usually a happy accident rather than anything pre-planned. New software and hardware means shells and cannons can be fired remotely up to two miles away and timed to within 1/100th of a second. And in a world full of giant LEDs, laser beams and light shows, fireworks are frequently asked to become team players, which is why "syncing" is one of the most sought after skills in the industry. "Using computer software, we mark where we want the highs and lows of the display to be in relation to the music," says Mr Rolfe. "And then we backtrack all the timings, and create digital cues alongside the music track for the firing sequence in an FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) file. When you hear it, it sounds like the noise made by an old modem." Big events, especially those on live TV are usually produced using "timecode". A highly accurate digital clock signal is generated from a central source and every person, computer, device and camera at the event uses it as their only time reference. Music tracks, lighting and fireworks can be pre-programmed digitally to flow together perfectly. But it can take months of work by specialist designers to produce a dazzling display.

Summary: Every year, on the evening before New Year's Eve, thousands of people in New York City amble through the neon glow of Times Square.


Here's BBC Sport's day-by-day guide so you know when the medals will be won, and which events to monitor closely. All times BST Athletics (men's marathon T12, T46, T54, women's marathon T12, T54), wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball (men's gold). 13:00 - GB's Derek Rae in the men's T46 marathon 13:00 - Japan v Canada in wheelchair rugby bronze medal match 13:00 - Egypt v Brazil in sitting volleyball bronze medal match 16:00 - Bosnia and Herzegovina v Iran in sitting volleyball gold medal match 16:30 - GB's David Weir & Simon Lawson in the men's T54 marathon 16:30 - Australia v USA in sitting volleyball gold medal match 16:31 - USA's Tatyana McFadden in the women's T54 marathon 23:30 - Closing ceremony Brit watch Before the closing ceremony, there are still medals up for grabs with David Weir entered in the T54 marathon, which will take place along five laps at Fort Copacabana (16:30) along with Simon Lawson, who won silver at last year's Great North Half Marathon. Like Lawson, Scotland's Derek Rae will be making his Paralympic debut in the T46 class (13:00) after suffering nerve damage to his arm in a motorbike accident in 2010. World watch Tatyana McFadden is also queen of road racing and has won the big four city races (Boston, London, Chicago and New York). But she has yet to win a Paralympic marathon title and will want to put that right. Manuela Schar of Switzerland and Japan's road specialist Wakako Tsuchida could be her nearest challengers (16:31). Tsuchida's compatriot Yutaka Kumagai stormed to victory in the T12 race event at the London Marathon and the visually-impaired athlete will be attempting to give his nation a boost as they prepare to take over the mantle of Paralympic hosts from Brazil. In the women's event, China's Jin Zheng was seven minutes clear of her closest rivals in London in April. The men's sitting volleyball title is also up for grabs (16:00) with Iran hoping to reclaim the title they lost in London and win their sixth title from the last eight Games. Bosnia and Herzegovina were victorious four years ago, beating Iran 3-1 and both will want to figure again. The BBC is not responsible for changes to schedules, and has taken all reasonable care to ensure the information in this article is correct.

Summary: The Paralympic Games are about to reach their conclusion, with the final day of action on Sunday.


But what really bothered the academic was the condemnation of the supporters that followed. Kaufman, an associate professor of sociology at the State University of New York who has studied crowd reactions to athletes, reckons the widespread criticism of the passion shown by local fans, including an angry condemnation by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, was unjustified. "The IOC has much more important issues to worry about than supporters booing competitions," he said. "There has been a backlash towards the home fans and I find it interesting that people are not looking at the fact that crowd behaviour is a matter of cultural values. "Why is the way Brazilians cheer or jeer 'wrong'? What we know as reality is shaped by the environment we grew up in", Kaufman told BBC Brasil. "Each culture has its own beliefs and values and in some of them you will even find that applauding effusively is considered rude." READ MORE: So why do people boo, then? Kaufman says academics regard jeering as a form of social interaction concerned with more than just the outcome of a sporting competition. "The Olympics have a much broader meaning and when Brazilians boo they might be actually defying authority rather than only trying to influence the outcome of a match," he said. And he says he rather enjoys the rowdiness of the local fans. "It's fascinating that rules of engagement and behaviour can be so different from country to country," said Kaufman. "The IOC shouldn't be so surprised by the passion shown by Brazilian fans. Booing is only as 'wrong' as cheering. Both are expressions of values and beliefs. "If Fifa had banned the vuvuzelas in the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, no matter how deafening they sounded even on TV, they would have amputated a cultural component of that society". But doesn't Kaufman think booing is unfair on the athletes? Up to a point, but he reckons competitors should not really be shocked - at least, not to the extent of Lavillenie, who made comments, for which he later apologised, linking Brazilian fans to crowds in Nazi Germany at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. "The targets of booing can be excused for feeling offended, sad and even threatened by a raucous crowd. We can't blame them for not having time to think of cultural aspects when they are much more worried about sporting performance," he said. "It's understandable that the French athlete got upset, but he was competing against a Brazilian athlete in front of a home crowd. It was inevitable that the fans would pick on him," he argues. But Kaufman has no sympathy with calls for crowd behaviour to be curbed. "Sport is passionate and exciting and people are also making political statements. Brazilian fans booed Russian athletes because of the doping allegations, for example, or simply picked on Argentine fans because of the soccer rivalry. But to talk about a 'more appropriate' way of supporting is an attitude of cultural imperialism," he says. He is not even convinced there is any reason to complain

Summary: Like many observers of the Rio Olympics, American sociologist Peter Kaufman was shocked by the spectacle of French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie being booed by local fans during and after his duel with Brazilian athlete Thiago Braz.


Ayatollah Khamenei hailed a "companion of struggle" despite their differences, saying this was a "difficult" loss. President Hassan Rouhani praised Mr Rafsanjani as a great man of the Islamic revolution. The government has announced three days of mourning, making Tuesday a public holiday for his funeral in Tehran. Mr Rafsanjani, who served as president from 1989 to 1997, was pivotal in the 1979 revolution. But later in life he became a counterpoint to hardline conservatives. "The different opinions and interpretations at time in this long period could never entirely break up the friendship between us," said Ayatollah Khamenei. Mr Rafsanjani died on Sunday in a hospital in Tehran after suffering a heart attack. His body was taken to Jamaran prayer hall, the residence of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Rohullah Khomeini, where relatives, politicians and religious figures gathered to pay their last respects. Mr Rafsanjani had been a mentor to President Rouhani, whom he supported after his own attempt to run in the 2013 election as a reformist candidate was rejected by the powerful Guardian Council. Mr Rouhani said on Twitter: "The soul of the great man of the revolution, symbol of patience and resistance, has gone to Heaven." Analysts say Mr Rafsanjani's sudden death is a major blow to the president, who is preparing for re-election in May. Iranian newspapers across the political spectrum are paying tribute to Mr Rafsanjani. Most front pages are splashed with pictures and captions highlighting his central role in Iranian politics. Many have used black as a background. "Iran mourns the death of contemporary Amir Kabir," moderate Arman-e Emruz announces, comparing Rafsanjani to the man widely considered to be Iran's first reformer and moderniser. An "irretrievable loss", moderate daily Iran laments, while reformist Aftab-e Yazd, under a picture of Mr Rafsanjani's grieving children, affirms that "Iran is mourning". Even hard-line dailies are joining in the accolades. Javan notes his closeness to the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in its headline: "Man of tough days of fighting and friend of Imam and the Leader rushes to meet God." Hard-line Vatan-e Emrooz describes him as "one of the pillars" and "a genuine figure" of Iran's Islamic Revolution. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. BBC Persian's Kasra Naji says Mr Rafsanjani was a great survivor of the Iranian revolution, always managing to stay afloat in the unending political struggles between the hardliners and the moderates, remaining influential. In recent years, our correspondent says, he has been a central figure in the reform movement that has been trying to have a moderating influence on Iran and Ayatollah Khamenei. Mr Rafsanjani's final role was head of the Expediency Council, which tries to resolve disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was born in 1934 in south-eastern Iran to a family of farmers. He studied theology in the holy city of Qom with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini - who went on

Summary: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has led tributes to former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has died at the age of 82.


Robert White tried to make his pet cat Salem inhale drugs on 16 May, before he stubbed it out on the animal. Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard the kitten suffered third-degree burns to 80% of its face, and after being taken to the vets he was put to sleep to prevent further suffering. White, 38, of Rogerfield Road in Birmingham, was handed a four-month sentence suspended for 18 months. He was also banned from owning pets for life, ordered to pay Â£350 costs and a Â£150 victim surcharge and will be made to attend a drug and alcohol rehabilitation course. More on this and other stories from Birmingham and Black Country RSPCA inspector Beth Boyd said the case was "one of the worst" she had investigated. "I can't even think about what Salem must have gone through that night - he would have been in severe pain, as well as being very frightened," she said. "At least now some justice has been done for him."

Summary: A kitten died after a man stubbed a joint out in its face, a court heard.


The 21-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the Scottish Premiership club. Fulton has been with Liverpool for 10 years and has had loan spells with Portsmouth and Chesterfield in the past two seasons. Accies began the campaign with Gary Woods in goals for their League Cup win at East Kilbride. Fulton will provide competition for Woods and Darren Jamieson, who was on the bench at the weekend. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Hamilton Academical have signed Scotland Under-21 goalkeeper Ryan Fulton from Liverpool.


Mr Abdel Fattah had been sentenced to 15 years in jail for violating a strict anti-protest law. He is currently facing a retrial in the case. Mr Abdel Fattah gained fame during the 2011 uprising against the then-President, Hosni Mubarak. His arrest had heightened fears of a crackdown on dissent in Egypt. Correspondents say the 15-year sentence was one of the harshest ever awarded to a non-Islamist activist in the country. Mr Abdel Fattah had been charged with assaulting a policeman at an illegal protest. He was sentenced in June, along with 24 others, but was not allowed to be in court for the verdict. The same judges presided over his retrial, prompting Mr Abdel Fattah to complain that he had "no confidence" in them. A lawyer for Mr Abdel Fattah, Mohammed Abdel-Aziz, said on Monday that the judge presiding over the retrial had stepped down at the request of the defence team. He said the judge had also ordered an investigation into the prosecutor's use of Mr Abdul Fattah's personal videos, "which violated the accused's privacy". At a previous hearing, the prosecutor had shown videos of family celebrations which had no link to the case, Mr Abdel-Aziz told AFP news agency. The retrial will resume when a new judge is assigned to the case. Mr Abdel Fattah is expected to leave prison on Tuesday. Along with two other activists, whose release was also ordered by the court, he must pay 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($430; $700) as bail. Mr Abdel Fattah comes from a prominent family of Egyptian activists. His sister, Sanaa Seif, is also in custody on charges of violating the protest law. His father, Ahmed Seif al-Islam, was a leading human rights lawyer and campaigner who died late last month. Hundreds of people have been killed in street clashes since the military ousted President Mohammed Morsi last year. Thousands have also been arrested, most of them Islamists who supported Mr Morsi. The crackdown has since been extended to student leaders and secular activists who had protested against Mr Mubarak. Former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi took office as president after winning 96.9% of the vote in elections in May - almost a year after he ousted Mr Morsi. However turnout was below 50%, as Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and some liberal and secular activists urged a boycott of the poll. Also on Monday, an Egyptian court sentenced the Muslim Brotherhood's leader, Mohammed Badie, and 14 others to life in jail on charges of murder and inciting violence at protests near Cairo last year. Mr Morsi's predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down after mass anti-government protests in 2011, following nearly three decades in power.

Summary: An Egyptian court has ordered the release on bail of one of the country's most prominent bloggers and pro-democracy activists, Alaa Abdel Fattah.


Some 250 complaints were received by the Advertising Standards Authority in just 24 hours, following the advert's debut on Monday evening. Those who objected found the advert "offensive" and "in poor taste", said a spokesman for the ASA. Viewers complained "it trivialises the work of animal welfare charities". The spokesman confirmed that complaints were being monitored, but stressed that no further action was being taken by the watchdog at present. Despite receiving a "high volume of complaints in a short space of time", it said, the number of complaints has subsequently dropped off. The ASA said action would be taken if there was found to be problem with the advert under the advertising code. A spokeswoman for Marmite, who are owned by Unilever, said it was "never [their] intention to cause offence". "We have made every effort to ensure that this commercial entertains anyone who watches it," she continued. "We believe we have created an unmistakably Marmite ad - people will either love it or hate it and they certainly won't forget it. "We hope that everyone will watch and enjoy this commercial in the light-hearted way it was intended." The advert, which features the voice of BBC journalist Michael Buerk, parodies a team of welfare officers as they uncover neglected Marmite jars "stuck right at the back" of kitchen cupboards. "Who knows how long that's been here?" says one actor as he carries off the Marmite to "clean him up". "It's a baby one," bleats another actor. "[It's] not been used in a month... lid's stuck." The 90-second advert concludes with a family enjoying their re-homed Marmite and the slogan: "Love it. Hate it. Just don't forget it." Marmite trailed the advert's debut, during Monday's Coronation Street on ITV, on its Facebook page. Viewers posted mixed responses following its broadcast. "This ad shows no regard for all those involved with animal welfair [sic] and I personaly [sic] will no longer eat Marmite till this ad is pulled," wrote one. "How can u compare animal cruelty with marmite neglect...?" wrote another. "Come on people, have a sense of humour." "It's a brilliant advert," added Dave Norris. "Very funny and highlights animal charity work." The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) said it understood that "animal lovers are concerned on our behalf". "We plan to talk to the makers of Marmite about how we can work together on animal welfare."

Summary: A TV advert in which a spoof rescue team saves "stricken" jars of Marmite from homes where they have been neglected has prompted 278 complaints.


Angel Martinez, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Dan Jones were announced on Friday. They are now joined by Liam Graham, Curtis Morrison, Jake Beesley, Thorsten Stuckmann, Lloyd Allinson, Sadiq El Fitouri, Jay O'Shea and Charlie Raglan. Veteran Ritchie Humphreys, 39, is in talks regarding a coaching role. "It is never easy having to tell players that they will not be offered new contracts," said manager Gary Caldwell. "But it is something that has to be done as we look to rebuild over the summer and shape a squad capable of competing in League Two. "We have made contract offers to four players and hope that they will all sign. "I would like to thank the players who are leaving the club for their service and wish them all the very best for the future."

Summary: Chesterfield will offer deals to Ian Evatt, Laurence Maguire, Dan Gardner and Rai Simons but have confirmed that 12 players will leave the club following relegation to League Two.


The question rumbling round Washington DC like rolling thunder these past 48 hours is whether in the wake of the hideousness of Paris, the president of small incremental steps is prepared to become the president who throws everything at the problem. There will be books written, I feel sure, that will chart the development of his policy towards IS (a book on his successes in the fight looks as though it might be a rather slim volume; the book on the shortcomings rather fatter) - but I am going to do the rapid precis of it. And we are going to go quickly: Let's make our starting point August 2014 when there was the confession from the president that "we don't have a strategy yet" for dealing with IS. The strategy did come some weeks later. The mission would be to "degrade and ultimately destroy" IS. Keen students of textual analysis would later notice a subsequent subtle shift to "degrade and defeat". There would be no US boots on the ground. Instead Americans would train rebel groups to lead the fight - a policy that has failed ignominiously. Can you imagine the humiliation for General Lloyd Austin, the head of US Central Command, when he had to tell a congressional committee that the $500m (Â£330m) programme had only resulted in a handful of fighters battling the jihadists. "We're talking four or five," he told the Armed Services Committee. But then came another amendment that maybe some American troops would be on the ground doing training specifically. Now they are to be bolstered with about 50 US special forces to be deployed in Syria to assist the rebels. But let's dwell a little longer on something the president said in February, when he urged people not to overstate the significance of IS by "over-inflating their importance". And he said it was wrong to suggest "in some fashion that they are an existential threat to the United States". Existential threat. Well I am sure the US band The Eagles of Death Metal, would disagree with that having scarpered for their lives as the gunmen opened fire in the Bataclan Theatre in Paris's 11th district, killing dozens and dozens of concertgoers. To state the obvious, what Paris brutally underscored is that IS now poses a serious threat way beyond the borders of Syria and Iraq. And it may not be the existential threat of mutually assured destruction from Cold War days when intercontinental ballistic missiles threatened to flatten whole cities. But it is a very 21st Century existential threat. It is a threat to the way people live. The attackers were able to plan multiple, simultaneous attacks. So the question is: if this isn't a game changer, what is? This weekend speaking to people in Washington close to the administration I have heard two different scenarios advanced. The first is that the pressure on the president to show that he is serious about putting IS out of business is going to intensify massively. Not only do you have the French wanting to intensify the campaign

Summary: It would be overdoing it to say that Barack Obama has been dragged kicking and screaming towards involvement in defeating the so-called Islamic State (IS) - but everything about the administration's policy and body language has suggested a wariness towards the fight and a weariness to those demanding something more.


It fell as low as $1.0560, before recovering a little. But many traders expect it may soon be worth the same as a dollar. The ECB began its latest round of quantitative easing (QE) on Monday. It will buy bonds worth â‚¬1.14tn over the next 18 months, flooding the market with euros. Traders have reacted to the ECB's latest round of QE by selling euros and buying other currencies such as US dollars. The US currency is appealing because the Federal Reserve looks to have completed its bond-buying programme. The euro started its slide against the dollar in July last year as traders reacted to the divergence in policy between the ECB and the Fed. The value of the euro has fallen 22.4% since 1 July, when a euro was worth $1.37. An upbeat US jobs survey released on Friday provided an additional boost to the dollar. "This opened up speculation again that the US will raise interest rates in June," says Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank. This would attract foreign capital and boost the dollar. In the eurozone Greece's economic woes continue to put downward pressure on the euro, bringing it closer to dollar parity. The eurozone's growing current account surplus is encouraging Europeans to invest abroad causing the euro to weaken further, according to Deutsche Bank. It's what you expect when the economic performance of two currency blocs diverge in the way that the eurozone and the US have. The stronger growth in the US means higher interest rates, because the Federal Reserve will raise its own rates, perhaps later this year, and also because there is more demand for cash to fund investment. In Europe by contrast, the quantitative easing that is finally underway is driving down borrowing costs in the financial markets even further. The weaker euro is also what you want, at least if you are at the eurozone end of this exchange rate. Part of Europe's problem is weak demand for goods and services at home and the cheaper currency will make it a little easier to compensate for that by selling more abroad. "The momentum is certainly building and there's a lot of talk of parity," says Ms Foley. "We now see euro-dollar moving down to $1.00 by year-end, $0.90 by 2016 and down to a trough of $0.85 by 2017," said Deutsche Bank in a report published on Tuesday. While further devaluation of the euro should give businesses in the eurozone a boost, the pace of change may pose challenges for companies that need to plan ahead.

Summary: The euro has fallen to its lowest level against the US dollar in 12 years after the European Central Bank (ECB) began its government bond buying programme.


Some German newspapers criticised the cartoon, while the German vice-president of the European Parliament called it "tasteless". The cartoonist, Edel Rodriguez, said the image represented "the beheading of democracy". US-German relations have deteriorated under President Trump, who has criticised the policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He said last month that her policy of welcoming masses of migrants who arrived in Germany had been a "catastrophic mistake". His trade adviser also recently attacked Germany for gaining unfair trade advantages from a "grossly undervalued" euro. The front cover image is similar to one that appeared on the front page of the New York Daily News in December 2015, also showing Mr Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty but in a less gory fashion. Mr Rodriguez, who arrived in the US as a political refugee from Cuba in 1980 told the Washington Post that he wanted to make a comparison between the Islamic State and Donald Trump, saying "both sides are extremists". Der Spiegel editor Klaus Brinkbaumer wrote in an editorial that Mr Trump was "attempting a coup from the top" and wanted to "establish an illiberal democracy". White House: Media coverage is 'demoralising' How the media helped Trump The White House has accused liberal media groups of false and irresponsible reporting designed to smear President Trump and the new administration. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a member of the Germany's Free Democrats and vice-president of the European Parliament, said the cover said more about Der Spiegel journalists than Mr Trump. "The cover plays on the lives of terror victims in a very nasty way," he told Bild. Several other magazines are using the front covers of their next editions to comment on the US president and his policies. Bloomberg Businessweek shows Mr Trump holding an executive order, which says: "(Insert hastily drafted, legally dubious, economically destabilizing executive order here)." British weekly The Economist, which has endorsed both Republican and Democratic presidents, pictures President Trump throwing a molotov cocktail. The New Yorker, a liberal magazine which endorsed Hillary Clinton, shows the Statue of Liberty's flame extinguished. The conservative National Review's cover story defends nationalism, which it says critics of Mr Trump's inauguration speech wrongly see as dangerous.

Summary: Germany's influential weekly news magazine Der Spiegel has come under fire for a cover image showing US President Donald Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty.


The suspect, who was shot dead by police, has not been identified. Officials say he was a disgruntled lawyer who fired randomly at drivers. Numerous weapons were found in what is believed to be the suspect's car, Houston's acting police chief said, adding there were no indications of anyone else being involved. Police say they are also investigating the gunman's apartment and his social media accounts to try and establish a motive. "The motivation appears to be a lawyer whose relationship with his law firm went bad,", Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters. Six victims were taken to hospital, and three were treated at the scene after being shot at while inside their cars, the city's acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo said. One of the victims is in a critical condition. The shooting comes three days after a shooting at a shopping mall in Washington state, in which five people were killed. The gunman in that attack, Arcan Cetin, 20, was born in Turkey and is a legal US permanent resident, officials say. The FBI have said there was no evidence that the shooting there was linked to terrorism. Nine days ago, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota shopping centre before being shot dead by an off-duty police officer.

Summary: Nine people have been injured in a shooting outside a shopping centre in Houston in the US state of Texas, one of them critically.


Under new anti-terror measures, a 2.6-metre barrier could soon block public access to the much-loved grassy space. The mass tumble took place on Saturday morning, after news of the event spread on Facebook. Lester Yao, who organised it, said he felt the architect had wanted the public to enjoy the grounds freely. While he had originally planned the roll as a gathering of family and friends, he was delighted when almost 3,000 people expressed interest in the unique protest via Facebook. Cricket fans treated to spectacular Canberra sunset Pro-asylum protest halts Australia's parliament Syrian refugee gets top results in Oz Explaining the event, he wrote: "It's a story I hear often from people that live in Canberra or visit Canberra and the Parliament House. They walk up that beautiful green lawn and see the amazing view of Canberra, then they fall to their knees and roll down the hill. "This simple fun action embodies a very simple yet powerful symbol of democracy. That the citizens can walk up and over their elected government. "At least that's what I believe the architect behind the design of the Parliament House intended." Mr Yao, 34, lives in Canberra but is originally from the Philippines. The Canberra Times reported that he recently took a visiting cousin for a joyful tumble down the Parliament House hill - which got the ball rolling on his protest. No firm timetable has been given for the controversial fence, which is part of a A$60m (Â£35m; $44m) security blitz at the seat of Australia's government, but work could begin by summer 2017. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defended the costly plans, telling The Huffington Post Australia that "parliament is the people's house," but that "getting that balance right" on security is "critically important". MPs recently voted in favour of the fence - but not all of them support it. MP Andrew Broad of the National Party of Australia told News.com.au children should be able to roll down the iconic grass. "Let's not let terrorists destroy our way of life," he urged. Mr Broad said that while he has not indulged in a hill roll since he was a child, Australia's leaders should consider taking part. "I reckon at the end of the year that'd be a good look; all the pollies [politicians] finish the parliament with a good roll down the grass and tell people that parliament ultimately is about a bit of fun," he said.

Summary: Hundreds of Australians have gathered to roll on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra, in protest against plans to build a security fence there.


Pakistan finished the second day on 97-8, 332 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 429 at the Gabba. Hazlewood took 3-19, including two wickets in two balls, while Starc finished with figures of 3-45. Earlier, Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird put on 49 runs for the final Australian wicket after Peter Handscomb completed his maiden Test century. Mohammad Amir finished with 4-97, his best bowling figures since his return to Test cricket in July following a five-year ban, while Wahab Riaz took 4-89.

Summary: Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc starred as Australia took control of the day-night first Test in Brisbane.


The change is effective in both divisions and aims to encourage better pitches for four-day cricket. "It is a bit of a rubbish rule," Raine told BBC Radio Leicester. "Hopefully it doesn't last too long. I'm not sure why the rule has been brought in. "It's against the spirit of cricket and against the rules of the game." The rule change means that Foxes skipper Mark Cosgrove will have the chance to decide if his side will bowl first in their opening County Championship match of the season against Glamorgan in Cardiff on 17 April. England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has said the move may benefit the game long-term, allowing younger players to develop different skills on better quality pitches. Raine argues that the toss had little bearing on any of Leicestershire's County Championship results last season. "I don't think there were too many pitches last year where the toss did really affect the outcomes," he added. "The two games we did win, we did bowl first but there are plenty of times where we bowled first and lost."

Summary: Scrapping the mandatory coin toss in county cricket is "against the spirit of the game", says Leicestershire all-rounder Ben Raine.


Surrey Fire Service said it started at about 14:00 BST at a nearby nature reserve and spread across 25 acres. More than 40 firefighters, six engines and two water tankers were used to deal with the blaze. Alan Clark, from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said "the lack of rain and tinder box dry conditions provided the perfect recipe for wildfires". He added: "Once they start they can spread quickly, making wildfires notoriously difficult to control." The Wentworth golf estate regularly hosts major golf tournaments including the PGA championship and World Match Play Championships.

Summary: A wildfire which spread onto the Wentworth golf estate has been tackled by firefighters.


The RNLI said it expects the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat to help save more lives in waters around Ilfracombe, north Devon. It is one of only two places in the region to get the upgraded model, which volunteers described as "faster and safer than its predecessor". The new boat, called The Barry and Peggy High Foundation, also has a faster launching and recovery system. It replaces Mersey class vessel Spirit of Derbyshire, which has performed more than 500 rescues over 25 years. Suzy Tubby, an RNLI volunteer based in Ilfracombe, said the new lifeboat was an "incredible thing". "It does 25 knots compared to the Mersey's 17," she said. "The launching system is all very much quicker - then recovery takes less than half the time so it means we can be ready to go again a lot quicker" she said. Second Coxswain Carl Perrin said he wanted to thank fundraisers for their help in bringing the new boat into action. "It's faster, it's safer, it can go further and the potential for lifesaving is great," he said.

Summary: An upgraded £3m lifeboat has been launched in the south west.