Those gaining A* to C grades in English rose from 68.8% to 73%, Maths rose 1.6% to 66.2% and Science from 61.5% to 64.8%. Overall, the number of pupils achieving A* to C grades increased by 1.5% to 78%. While more boys achieved A* to C grades than last year, girls continued to outperform them by 7.6%. By Maggie TaggartBBC News NI Education Correspondent Northern Ireland boards test pupils in sections or modules. Old-style O levels and, from 1986, GCSEs were offered as linear exams, with a single test at the end of two years study. In 2009, modular style exams were introduced in GCSEs across the curriculum. They split the course of study into sections or "modules" and each one is tested throughout the two years. A previous education secretary for England, Michael Gove, decided to change that. He used two arguments: he wanted to reduce the amount of testing pupils had to cope with and he also thought the linear exam would be more "robust". Not everyone agrees and some argue that pupils can actually get better results from linear testing. In Northern Ireland, Education Minister John O'Dowd decided not to follow suit and the exams offered by the CCEA, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, have retained the option of modular exams. Performance by students in Northern Ireland in individual sciences was particularly high, the Joint Council for Qualifications said. The proportion of entries awarded A* to C in Biology sits at 93.3% (91.2% in 2013), in Chemistry 93.6% (93.4% in 2013) and in Physics 95.0% (94.7% % in 2013). The overall improvement comes despite concerns about changes to the style of test taken by English examination boards. In English Language, Northern Ireland improved while in Great Britain the results have worsened. The English-based boards dropped the 'speaking and listening' element of the exam, but it was retained by Northern Ireland. The Joint Council for Qualifications said there were notable performances in Music and modern languages: CCEA director of qualifications Anne Marie Duffy said the results reflected the hard work of students and teachers. "The performance in core subjects of English and Mathematics will provide strong foundations for learners as they move on to further education, training and employment," she said. "This year there has been a 2.8% points fall in the Northern Ireland Year 12 school population, and we've seen GCSE entries decrease by 3,609. "Against this backdrop, entries in Business Studies and ICT have risen while sciences and modern languages have maintained their popularity." Careers' information can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/results or, you can call 0300 200 7820. For those with queries on any issues relating to their exam results, for example appeals, remarks or re-sits, contact your exam centre or the CCEA helpline on 028 9026 1260 or email helpline@ccea.org.uk.

Summary: GCSE pupils in Northern Ireland have shown improvements in English, Maths and Science.


Kyle Jordan, of Fleetwood, Lancashire, had staked £5 on an accumulator bet in which he not only needed to predict the outcome of six matches, but also for both teams in each to score. When Everton trailed 2-0 against West Bromwich Albion in the final match, the 30-year-old thought the game was up. But the Toffeemen recovered to win 3-2 and complete Mr Jordan's 9,172-1 bet. The oil and gas worker said he could not believe his luck when Everton striker Romelu Lukaku's 84th-minute goal sealed his £45,865 windfall. He said: "I was watching the game with my mate and my girlfriend and as Everton went 2-0 down, I thought that was it. "But when the final whistle went we all started jumping around the room." The victory was made all the sweeter, he said, because he resisted the option to "cash out" on his bet before the final result was in. Had he done so, he would have had to settle for a £4,100 payout. Mr Jordan said he wanted to take his partner and two children on holiday to the United States with some of his winnings.

Summary: A football fan has won more than £45,000 after Everton's thrilling last-gasp victory at West Brom.


The Foreign Office sought to identify countries that could pose "similar risks" as Afghanistan, a senior former diplomat told the Iraq Inquiry. Stephen Pattison said the phrase was dropped after it emerged it had been taken from a magazine article. Mr Pattison told the inquiry the process led to Iraq moving up the political agenda after 9/11. Mr Pattison, who oversaw the Foreign Office's dealings with the United Nations in the run-up to the 2003 invasion said: "After 9/11, there was obviously considerable concern about areas of the world which might pose a threat. "There was a phrase that was current at that time which was 'draining the swamp'. "It was the title of a paper put up by our planning department about how we could address areas of the world which post 9/11 might fit into the same pattern - areas like Afghanistan - which frankly we had not paid enough attention to before 9/11 and which had resulted in an attack on the US. "The 'draining the swamp' line was a bit about: 'let's look around and see where there might be other places that could pose similar risks'." Although the phrase "encapsulated" the post 9/11 security approach, he said it was soon dropped "partly because I think it actually came from a published magazine article". Panel member Sir Roderic Lyne, a former Ambassador to Russia, asked him whether the phrase "didn't originally come from Chairman Mao". He replied: "I think it originally did but then I think it was taken up by the Economist in the context of the post 9/11 stance. The thought behind it, I think, was the thought which drove the then British government into focusing very hard on Iraq." The phrase "draining the swamp" is commonly attributed to Chairman Mao - but Dr Yiyi Lu, a Chinese expert at Chatham House, said she did not immediately recognise the phrase and that its meaning seemed "too vague". Asked about the decision to go to war, Mr Pattison said the UK was driven by rather "idealistic" motives rather than direct concerns about its own security or a decision to alter the balance of power in the region. "I think Tony Blair's view was always that - the idealists' view that we were doing this to make the world a safer place. We were not doing this because there was a direct threat to the UK; we were doing this because it was in the interests of the international community and because it was in the interests of the international community he expected the international community to step up to the plate and do it." The Iraq Inquiry is concluding its latest round of hearings - expected to be the last before it starts the process of compiling its report. Former foreign secretary Jack Straw will give evidence for the third time on Wednesday.

Summary: The UK drew up a list of countries seen as potential threats after 9/11 in a process known as "draining the swamp".


Media playback is not supported on this device Marshall is the third player to refuse to stand for the anthem since Colin Kaepernick did so last month in protest at what he sees as racial injustice. "I feel like this was the right thing to do," said Marshall. Broncos beat Carolina 21-20 in a re-run of February's Super Bowl 50. At a pre-season game in August, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick chose to remain seated while the national anthem was played. He said he would not "stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour". Kaepernick's team-mate Eric Reid joined him in not standing during the team's final pre-season game while Seattle Seahawks' cornerback Jeremy Lane stayed seated ahead of a game with Oakland. Marshall, a college team-mate of Kaepernick at Nevada, told NFL.com: "The message is I'm against social injustice. I'm not against the military or police or America at all. "I knew what territory it came with, and I decided to do it. I feel like this is the right platform. This is our only platform to really be heard." Media playback is not supported on this device The NFL has previously said players are "encouraged but not required" to stand during the anthem. The Panthers took a 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter of the first Super Bowl rematch to start a season since 1970, but running back CJ Anderson scored two touchdowns as the Broncos edged ahead. Graham Gano's field goal pulled the Panthers within a point, but he then missed his next attempt from 50 yards with four seconds left as Denver held on. How to follow the 2016 NFL season on BBC TV and RadioNFL 2016: Kaepernick, Brady & Beckham Jr - all you need to know for new season

Summary: Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall kneeled in protest during the American national anthem prior to the Broncos' victory over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the new NFL season.


An assessment of how much each Scottish firm will pay in non-domestic rates is under way, to take effect from April. Tory leader Ruth Davidson has written to Nicola Sturgeon calling for an "urgent review" of the process. The first minister has said all businesses will have the chance to appeal the final valuations. And she said that 100,000 small firms would be lifted out of having to pay rates altogether via the small business bonus scheme, claiming Scotland has "the most competitive business rates regime in the whole UK". The revaluation of how much firms have to pay is being carried out by independent assessors, funded by local councils. The Scottish Assessors Association has published provisional values, with the finalised figures to be sent out in March before they take effect in the new financial year. The last revaluation in Scotland was carried out in 2010. The Conservatives said they had been "inundated with letters from businesses across Scotland who are facing huge increases in their rates", claiming some faced having to pay four times more than they did previously. The Scottish Tourism Alliance has also requested a meeting with Ms Sturgeon to discuss what they called "crippling" rates increases, while the Scottish Chambers of Commerce have also raised concerns. Ms Davidson said: "These shops, hotels and restaurants are vital to our economy, providing much needed jobs in many areas of the country, and we cannot afford to see them simply go out of business. "That's why I've called on Nicola Sturgeon to listen to the voices of these businesses and the Scottish Tourism Alliance and launch an urgent review into these rate increases. "The amounts that are being asked for are clearly unsustainable and if immediate action is not taken then we risk seeing a huge amount of damage done to our economy." A review group led by former RBS chairman Ken Barclay has been set up to "enhance and reform" the business rates system in Scotland, although it will not report back until after the new rates have come into force. Ms Davidson and Ms Sturgeon have clashed over the matter in the Holyrood chamber in recent weeks, with the first minister noting that "competitive business taxes are important". She said: "The final valuations will be issued later this year and all businesses will have the opportunity to appeal if they think that their valuation is wrong. "We have the most competitive business rates regime in the whole UK, with 100,000 small businesses having been lifted out of business rates altogether. "We have a tourism sector that, thanks to the good work of those in it, is booming, and the employment level is rising much faster than it is in the rest of the UK. We are also the best-performing part of the UK outside south-east England for inward investment. "Those are the success stories of the Scottish economy, and we will continue to invest in the success of our economy. We will also protect our public services and those on low incomes."

Summary: The Scottish Conservatives have called for an "immediate review" of the business rates revaluation after firms raised concerns about tax increases.


Willard Wigan, whose works are so small they can fit inside the eye of a needle, has dubbed the creation To See or Not to See. Smaller than a full stop in a newspaper and only viewable with a microscope, the piece took four weeks to complete. It is on display at the Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton. Mr Wigan, who was born in Birmingham, said the work "took every ounce of my skill and took a lot out of me". More on the micro-Shakespeare and Warwickshire news "Shakespeare is the greatest storyteller the world has ever known, and as I'm the world's leading micro-sculptor, I wanted to honour him in the best way I can," he said. "The most difficult aspect was getting his proportions right, but I'm really pleased with the result." The artist said he created the micro-Shakespeare from synthetic materials, painted using a floating fibre plucked from the air as a brush. It is surrounded by an 18-carat Elizabethan-style frame with the words "To see or not to see" underneath. BBC Shakespeare Festival 2016 There will be 30 microscopic pieces on show including "Noddy Holder in a Needle". Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564 and he died there on April 23, 1616.

Summary: An artist famed for his tiny sculptures has created a microscopic William Shakespeare to mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death.


Trainers contributed £98.6m and stud farms £81.2m, while visitors bring in £8.8m to the racecourses. Forest Heath District Council commissioned research company SQW to carry out the study into the impact of the sport on the 'Home of Horseracing'. The SQW report did not try to measure the amount spent by owners and visitors at local shops and on services. The council said the survey, commissioned along with the Newmarket Horsemen's Group (NHG), aimed to "understand the scale and economic significance" of the industry. SQW report William Gittus, chairman of the NHG, said: "It's a global industry and we are keen to attract global investors and to develop planning and economic policy. "We who work in the industry know it's very valuable to the local economy, but we needed to provide concrete evidence to people who make those policy decisions." Councillor James Waters, Conservative leader of the the Council, said: "We have never before had an independent, fact-based report on exactly what impact the horse racing industry has on Newmarket. "It looks at the impact of racing up to 25 miles away, so will be a really useful document as we plan future growth in west Suffolk." The survey did not attempt to calculate how much visitors or people in the racing industry spent in the town centre. Trainer John Gosden said: "Obviously the report has been very careful to never have any figures challenged and I think they've underestimated the financial contribution to the region, but they didn't have access to people's private accounts. "What we have had here in the last 15 years is an incredible investment from the Middle East and Far East." Kevin Pearson, from Golding clothing shop and a member of the Newmarket Retailers Association, said: "The majority of horse owners and training staff do shop locally and this adds to the vibrancy of the high street."

Summary: The horse racing industry is worth £208m a year to the economy in and around Newmarket, a study has revealed.


It follows a report that an object was thrown into a car at Innisfree Gardens in the town. The incident was reported to police at about 08:15 BST on Wednesday. A number of houses have been evacuated.

Summary: Army bomb disposal experts have been sent to the scene of an alert in Strabane, County Tyrone.


After the best part of a century of service, the traditional steel "lattice" pylon has been updated. The "T-pylon" is shorter, standing at about 120ft (36m); the old steel giants are typically 165ft (50m). The National Grid says it will respond to the need to harvest energy from an increasing number of lower-carbon energy sources. The new tower can be shorter yet still capable of operating at 400,000 volts because of the way the cables are held in place. Instead of being attached to three arms, a diamond arrangement is used to carry the cables off in one arm in a much smaller space. Each arm has to carry 60 tonnes. With only eight main structural components plus bolts, it is easier to erect and install - taking a day rather than a week. According to the National Grid, new pylons are needed to respond to the move away from coal and towards other forms of generation such as wind, solar and nuclear. These new low-carbon energy sources come from different geographical locations to the "traditional ring" of coal-fired generation in the centre of England. This test line won't be connected to the rest of the grid, it will be used to train staff and contractors. In particular, it will be used for people to practise "stringing" the conductors (wires) on to the pylons, as a very different technique is needed. The T-Pylon design was adopted after an international competition held by the National Grid in 2011, won by Danish company Bystrup. The claim is that these pylons will be less obtrusive not just because of their shorter stature, but because the design allows them to "follow the contours of the land". According to project manager Alan Large, maintenance will be easier because operators will not have to climb up the tower, they will work from elevated platforms positioned alongside it. Their smooth, impenetrable surface will also make them more difficult to vandalise. It won't replace the 88,000 lattice pylons that currently bestride the UK countryside. It will principally be used in the construction of new power lines in England and Wales. The National Grid is applying to use them to connect the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station to the UK's electricity transmission network. The start of the UK's electricity transmission network began with the building of the first pylon in 1928 near Edinburgh. Follow Claire on Twitter. To some they are a blot on the landscape; to others they have a kind of skeletal beauty. But for a small number of pylon enthusiasts, these giant structures hold a lifelong fascination. Read more: Pylon passion

Summary: The first new design of an electricity pylon in almost 90 years has been erected at a site in Nottinghamshire.


Twenty-five international artists were sent debris from the Mackintosh library, which was gutted by fire in May 2014. The work they created will be sold at auction to raise money for the Mackintosh Campus Appeal. It is hoped £32m can be raised. Other artists taking part include Grayson Perry, Cornelia Parker, Jenny Saville, David Shrigley and Douglas Gordon as well as The Chapman Brothers and Sir Peter Blake, with seven Turner prize winners among them. Each artist was sent a piece of material specifically chosen for them with a note telling them what it was, where it was from and explaining the concept of the auction. Perry, who has made an urn featuring the words "Art is dead. Long live Art", said: "It's a tragedy. It's the most famous art school building in Britain. "It's also the masterpiece of Mackintosh. It's a double tragedy. "I was very excited when I received the box of charcoal. I had an idea almost immediately and the idea of making an urn was an obvious thing to do. "The idea of memorialising or celebrating the difficulty - honouring the wound. It's something I'm trying to do. Move on and make the most of it. "I really like the idea of using the charcoal from the fire. I thought it was very clever. It's also fresh - it's not something that has come up before. "We've all been asked to do T-shirts, knickers and mugs - endless charity rounds. I get about two a week." The project, titled Ash To Art, was created by communications agency J. Walter Thompson London in collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art Development Trust. The work will be on display at Christie's in London's King Street from 3-7 March and will be auctioned during the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale on 8 March. Each of the pieces, covering a range of practices including sculpture, photography, drawing and painting, has been created using remains from the fire, from charred timbers and debris to books and furniture. They include Kapoor's wood fragments in a red perspex box and Gordon's burnt wood cast in bronze. Students had been preparing for their degree shows when flames engulfed the Grade A-listed Charles Rennie Mackintosh building. The blaze caused significant damage to the west wing, including the loss of the celebrated library. An investigation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service concluded it was caused by flammable gases from a canister of expanding foam. The report said the gases ignited as they came into contact with the hot surface of a projector. So far, the Mackintosh Campus Appeal has raised £18.5m. Prof Tom Inns, director of the Glasgow School of Art, said: "It has been a pleasure to work with the creative team at J. Walter Thompson London over the last two years on this imaginative initiative that will help in our efforts to raise the £32m required to make our vision a reality."

Summary: Leading artists including Sir Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and Simon Starling have used material from the fire-damaged Glasgow School of Art to create new work and raise funds.


Burton's Foods, which owns and bakes brands such as Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels, said it was closing its site in Moreton after a business review. The company said it would invest Â£7m at its manufacturing sites in Edinburgh and Llantarnam, South Wales. It also plans to consolidate its Knowlsey multi-site distribution operations in a single location. Burton's Foods intends to phase down production from March before completing the closure later in 2011. Chief executive Ben Clarke said: "Today's announcements recognise the need to transform our supply chain. "The proposed job losses are deeply regrettable, but, along with the new Â£25m investment we are making in our UK manufacturing capability, will help deliver sustainable profitable growth for the company in a highly competitive and challenging market." Angela Eagle, Labour MP for Wallasey, said it was a "huge blow to the community". "This is the largest private sector employer in the constituency and they have decided to close this plant at a time when the job market is deeply depressed, leaving 342 families struggling after Christmas. "I will pledge to work during the consultation to persuade them to change this decision." She added: "Over the years we have given endless support to the plant, injecting public money to keep it going and secure those jobs, and it is a devastating blow that they turn around today and do this to Morton." Wirral Council leader Councillor Jeff Green said: "I am incredibly disappointed by this proposal and will be seeking an urgent meeting with Burton's to examine and discuss the reason behind their decision. "I also wish to investigate whatever opportunities there are to continue to work with the company to secure jobs in Wirral and the future of the site." The Unite union's national officer Jennie Formby said: "Burton's has been part of the Wirral for generations, providing stable employment for families across the community. "So we will fight with all our power to save this plant because closure is not an option. It will devastate this community." Edinburgh MSP David McLetchie has welcomed the announcement of further investment at Burton's Sighthill factory, which has more than 600 permanent and 250 agency staff. Mr McLetchie said: "This is great news for the Sighthill workers as well as a huge relief, because when Burton's announced this review of its facilities across the UK back in October there was a distinct possibility that Sighthill could be closed or seriously run down." Burton's Foods, which makes branded and own-label biscuits and snacks, is the second largest biscuit supplier in the UK. As well as Wagon Wheels and Jammie Dodgers, it also makes Cadbury's chocolate biscuits including the Crunchie, Turkish Delight and Caramel biscuit ranges.

Summary: A biscuit manufacturer is to close its Wirral factory, with the loss of 342 jobs.


The investigation started after 43 fish were found dead in a reservoir at Woodburn near Carrickfergus, County Antrim. It happened days after 1,000 brown trout were released into the lake. NI Water said it had notified the relevant external agency, DAERA's marine and fisheries division. DAERA said it had become aware of fish dying in a number of lakes stocked by departmental officials. "It is assessing whether the equipment supplying oxygen to the fish being transported may have been faulty possibly reducing the condition of some of the fish being stocked," said a spokesman. The spokesman said brown trout were also susceptible to warm water conditions after a period of settled weather which reduced the level of dissolved oxygen. "Lakes can stratify and the top layer of water becomes deoxygenated. This can be sufficient to cause natural fish kills." Departmental officials have been on site over recent days and had seen fish jumping and being caught at Woodburn. NI Water said there was no evidence of pollution in the reservoir. "There is no impact from this incident on the final water quality leaving the treatment works," it said in a statement. "NI Water's treatment facilities at the Dorisland water treatment works has numerous on-site water parameter monitors which continually check the quality of raw water entering the works and the quality of water going into the public supply. "If anything is found that could affect the water quality, the site will automatically shut down and water will be taken from other areas to continue the supply. "All water quality testing at the Dorisland site has shown satisfactory results." The Woodburn reservoirs are close to the site of a controversial drilling operation which was capped and abandoned last year when no oil was found. The DAERA spokesman said a report of dead trees which had been replanted on the site had also been investigated. He said the young saplings were showing "typical signs of stress such as needle drop due to the recent prolonged dry spell" "At this stage we would expect mortality of around 5% and this is consistent with similar sites planted across Northern Ireland during 2017."

Summary: Officials are looking at whether faulty equipment used to transport fish contributed to the deaths of scores of trout found in public angling lakes.


Net profit totalled 101m euros (Â£84.6m) from 32m euros in 2012. Sales topped 1bn euros for the first time with 10 million passengers making the 31 mile journey under the Channel. The company set a 500m euros earnings target for 2015 when it expects to pay tax on its profits for the first time. In its 20 year history Eurotunnel has been laden with debt, placed in bankruptcy protection and restructured, before making its first profit in 2007. Chief executive Jacques Gounon said: "For the first time in the history of Eurotunnel, we think that the situation of the group is altogether satisfactory." The company will increase its dividend by a quarter to 15 euro cents a share. The only part of the group to report a loss was the MyFerryLink, which provides ferry services across the Channel between France and England. It made an operating loss of 22m euros.

Summary: Eurotunnel, which operates the undersea tunnel between France and England, tripled profits last year on the back of record passenger numbers.


The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) registered "brief increases" in hate crime reports following attacks at Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge, but not after Finsbury Park. The incidents were reported to forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. NPCC hate crime lead, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, said reports "quickly subsided within a few days". There have been four terror attacks in Britain in 2017 - at Westminster Bridge in London on 22 March, Manchester Arena on 22 May, London Bridge on 3 June and at Finsbury Park in London on 19 June. Police recorded 234 hate crime incidents two days after the Westminster attack, 273 reports two days after Manchester and 319 reports two days after London Bridge. Police said in 2016 there were on average 171 hate crimes per day - although this could be higher on weekends, where more hate crimes tended to be reported, or after specific events such as protest marches. In the week after each attack, hate crime reports increased by 12% after Westminster, 50% after Manchester and 34% after London Bridge. By contrast, hate crime reports were 7% lower in the week after the Finsbury Park attack, the NPCC said. Police said race or faith hate crime comprised the vast majority of reports. But the NPCC added that analysis of the data was "ongoing" and that year-on-year comparisons should be viewed with caution - last year, for example, hate crime reports increased after the EU referendum vote in June. ACC Hamilton said the figures were nevertheless a "real concern for the police service and wider society". He said: "We know that terrorist attacks and other national and global events have the potential to trigger short-term spikes in hate crime and so we have been carefully monitoring community tensions following recent horrific events. "As terrorists seek to divide us, it is more important than ever that we continue to stand united in the face of hostility and hatred."

Summary: Hate crime reports surged in the days immediately after three terror attacks in the UK this year, police data shows.


He said he felt like an "amateur" when repeatedly overtaken in Canada and in Japan called the engine "embarrassing". "The actions we need to take next year to be competitive [are] quite extreme," the two-time champion said. "For big problems you need big solutions, and I think maybe that helped a bit for the big solutions." Media playback is not supported on this device McLaren's season featured a constant stream of reliability problems, grid penalties for using too many engine parts and uncompetitive performances, largely as a result of the fact Honda's engine was by far the worst in the sport. McLaren's best results were a fifth place each for Alonso and team-mate Jenson Button. Alonso, in an exclusive interview for the BBC F1 Review show, admitted that he "knew they could broadcast" his message in Japan, when he likened the Honda power-unit to one from the GP2 feeder formula, where engines have a third less power than in F1. But he added: "A lot of radio messages they didn't broadcast, a lot of in-laps where we were very thankful of the team because it was very difficult. "Sometimes they change three engines, we were taking one point, two point, close to the points. A lot of positive messages they never broadcast. In Japan, when they broadcast that, probably I knew they could broadcast it." Button, who also made some withering remarks about the car's performance over the radio and joined Alonso in waving from the podium in Brazil after both were knocked out in the first part of qualifying, said: "Most of the stuff I've said has been useful to the team. "Some is jokey, because I think you have to have a laugh in some situations when it is as tough as it is for us now or else you go crazy. "Otherwise you get angry and you don't want to get angry with the team because we are all there doing the best we can and we are one team, and I don't want to let them down. "But sometimes you have to let a bit of emotion out and that's what I've done over the last few races." Alonso said that McLaren's performance had made it difficult for him to maintain in 2015 the high standards for which he has become famous in F1. "I don't think it was the best of me," he said. "I had some good races but here and there not consistent enough." He singled out his qualifying lap in Japan, which he said at the time was one of the best of his career, and his race at the US Grand Prix as his personal highlights of his season. "In Suzuka, one of the best," Alonso said. "In Austin, it was one of the best - for the first 20 laps in the damp conditions, eight or nine of them I was quicker than Lewis (Hamilton), who was leading the race. "But I could not keep that top level of performance consistently enough. "Sometimes because of the lack of laps, sometimes because of

Summary: Fernando Alonso says his criticisms of McLaren's Honda engine over team radio helped focus the company on the need to make drastic changes.


Boom Supersonic expects a prototype of its passenger plane to make its first test flight by the end of 2018. Subsonic and supersonic tests will take place in the US. If the full-size 55-seat plane is then approved, the first passengers could be travelling at supersonic speeds across the Atlantic by 2023. Rolls-Royce warns against 'hard Brexit' Boeing launches new version of 737 jet Airbus unveils upgraded A380 jumbo Blake Scholl, the founder and chief executive of Boom, said at the Paris air show that the design of the XB-1 demonstration plane had passed a performance and safety review ahead of manufacturing. Boom said five unnamed airlines had placed 76 orders for its passenger plane, which resembles Concorde but has a delta wing that sweeps almost to the tip of the nose. It will also ditch the afterburner engine used by the British-French supersonic pioneer that was not only extremely loud but also very thirsty. "By using a modern turbofan engine like Boeing and Airbus, you can make the aircraft both quieter and significantly more fuel efficient," Mr Scholl told the BBC. The company claims that airlines flying its plane will be able to charge similar prices to a business class fare on the lucrative London-New York route of about $5,000 return. Concorde tickets used to cost up to about three times that amount. Time-poor travellers, meanwhile, will jump at the chance of getting to or from those two cities in about half the time a subsonic plane takes, according to Boom. "Airlines are excited for something new and different to offer their passengers," Mr Scholl said. Although Concorde had the backing of both the British and French governments, he said it was not economic because the imperative then was to beat the Soviet Union into the supersonic age, rather than build a practical or affordable plane. "Being a private company that has to raise investment means we have to have a business case that is profitable for airlines and affordable for customers," Mr Scholl said. Although many remain sceptical that Boom can deliver its promises, the company said in March that it had raised the $33m that would allow it to build and fly the demonstration plane. One believer in the project is Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, who announced late last year that he planned to buy the first 10 passenger jets made by Boom. His Virgin Galactic space travel venture will also provide manufacturing and engineering services, as well as flight test support.

Summary: Supersonic air travel could be back in little more than five years if a plane that aims to replace Concorde takes to the skies.


It is the SDLP's turn to hold the position and the party nominated the north Belfast councillor last week. The decision was ratified at a full meeting of Belfast City Council on Monday night. Maire Hendron of the Alliance Party has been elected deputy mayor - the first time women have held the two top posts. Ms Mallon, 34, said being chosen as lord mayor was a tremendous honour. "I want to congratulate Máirtín Ó Muilleoir on a fantastic year in office and thank my own party for nominating me to take on such a privileged position," she said. "I have had the privilege of representing the Oldpark area, the place I grew up in, for the last four and a half years. "The most wonderful part of being a councillor, for me, continues to be the many unsung heroes I get to meet - all those people who through their compassion and selflessness, makes this city the special place that it is." She said she wanted to take the lord mayor's role "out of city hall and into people's lives". "I want to connect with those who at times feel invisible in our city. I want to celebrate and showcase our unsung heroes who really are Belfast's first citizens," she said. "Belfast is a city for everyone, where everyone belongs and where we are all the better for having each other." Ms Mallon is only the third woman to hold the office of lord mayor of Belfast, following the Ulster Unionist Party's Grace Bannister in 1981 and Naomi Long of the Alliance Party in 2009. With Lydia Patterson of the DUP also serving as high sheriff, it is the first time that all three civic dignitaries in Belfast are women. After her appointment, the city's new deputy lord mayor said she was "looking forward to the year ahead". Ms Hendron added: "During my year in office, I would hope to play my part in building a more inclusive city that is open to all. "I want to work with all groups from different backgrounds to further improve Belfast's diversity, which is a source of strength for our society."

Summary: The SDLP's Nichola Mallon has become the new lord mayor of Belfast, succeeding Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir.


The Woodland Trust wants to buy the land at Llennyrch woodland. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has given £50,000 but a further £750,000 is needed and a campaign will be launched on Tuesday at the National Eisteddfod in Meifod, Powys. The charity said the area has been called a "Celtic rainforest" and it wants to improve wildlife on the site. NRW chief executive Dr Emyr Roberts said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the whole woodland area under conservation management." The total cost of the project is £1.5m and the rest of the cost will be met by money left to the Woodland Trust.

Summary: A conservation charity is trying to raise £800,000 to purchase 550 acres of land in Snowdonia National Park.


Natural Energy Wyre Ltd said the Duchy of Lancaster has given it an exclusivity deal to create the UK's first tidal energy power station. If approved, it will be built on the Wyre estuary, which belongs to the Queen in her role as Duke of Lancaster. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said it had concerns about how the scheme could affect wildlife. Natural Energy Wyre Ltd said it now needed to find £10m to proceed with a formal planning application. It said the power station would support the government's renewal energy objectives, create thousands of jobs and attract 600,000 visitors to the region, as well as help with flood defences. A barrage, which would span the mouth of the river with six turbines, would take three years to build, the firm said. It will produce renewable energy four times a day, on the turn of the tide, for more than 100 years, Natural Energy Wyre Ltd added. Graeme Chalk, head of project management for the Duchy of Lancaster, said the tidal barrage would "provide a source of green and affordable energy for many years to come". Tim Melling, RSPB senior conservation officer, said: "Climate change is the biggest threat to the natural environment so it's vital we invest more in renewable energy. But tidal barrages are not the right option and this proposed scheme on the Wyre would cause major damage to the estuary. "A barrage would knock the tidal system out of sync and destroy this prime feeding habitat by reducing the size of the feeding areas and making them available for less time."

Summary: Plans to build a £200m tidal barrage in Lancashire that will power tens of thousands of homes have been announced.


The suspect, 26 and of no fixed address, was detained by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit officers after arriving on a flight from Turkey. He is being held in custody in the West Midlands. West Midlands Police said the arrest was pre-planned and there was no threat to the safety of the flight or the airport.

Summary: A man has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of Syria-related terror offences, police have said.


Officers were called to The Islamic Centre in Newton Heath, Manchester, at about 01:20 BST. Two men dressed in black were seen running from the scene, police said. The fire was started just hours after two men ripped CCTV cameras from the Regent Street building's walls, at about 23:30 BST on Friday. Police said the offenders were black men in black clothing with scarves covering their faces. Insp Chris Hadfield, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "We believe the two incidents are linked and that the theft of the CCTV cameras was meant to help them carry out their arson attack on the minibus without being recorded. "Fortunately there are several other cameras that capture the rear of The Islamic Centre, where the attack took place. "We are investigating the possibility that this is a targeted hate crime."

Summary: Arsonists set fire to a minibus belonging to a Muslim community centre in what police say may have been a "targeted hate crime".


Footage shows two men accosting Vuyo Mvoko, from the national broadcaster SABC, who was outside a Johannesburg hospital to report on the arrival of Zambia's president for medical tests. Mr Mvoko later said one of the muggers threatened him with a gun when he did not want to give up his mobile phone. The robbers appear unconcerned by the presence of the camera. Shortly afterwards, Mr Mvoko, who is a contributing editor for the national news channel, tweeted that he was safe and sound and posted a link to a video of the mugging, which has gone viral. Police said the robbers took laptops and mobile phones and that officers were investigating in the incident. "Hopefully someone will be able to identify them and get them arrested," Mr Mvoko told the BBC's Newsday programme. He said it took him a while to realise what was happening as it was less than a minute till he was due to go live near the Milpark Hospital. "I couldn't understand why they'd walk right in front of the camera because the light is on and they could see that - and our car is branded, so they could see that this is a live broadcast." The thieves told him to hand over his phone, which he said was in his hand. "Because I wasn't giving him the phone, he then called the other one who had a gun, and said: 'Dubula le nja' [Shoot this dog]," Mr Mvoko told SABC. At this point he said another member of the team screamed at him to hand over the phone, which he did. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says Milpark is a relatively quiet area, not normally associated with crime. The SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has condemned the mugging. "Every South African lives with the reality of crime, but to see thugs brazenly ignoring television cameras and robbing media workers in the course of their work, yet again brings home the level of criminality in our society," a statement from the forum said. Zambia's President Edgar Lungu, who had collapsed at an event on Sunday, went to South Africa for tests after his doctors found that he needed throat surgery.

Summary: One of South Africa's best known TV journalists has been mugged on camera as he waited to go on air.


Det Con Anthony Rees-Thompson, 40, was caught by a speed camera doing 35mph in a 30mph zone in Swansea. But the South Wales Police officer from Abercrave, Powys, denied it was him and changed his number plates, Cardiff Crown Court heard. He denied perverting the course of justice but a jury found him guilty. Judge David Wynn Morgan told Rees-Thompson the offence "strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system". He said the points system was to punish people who drive badly, and it depended on the honest completion of the relevant forms. He added: "Yours wasn't a panic reaction - it was a carefully considered and thought out course of action." The court heard Rees-Thompson had been driving along Fabian Way on his way to buy tickets for an Ospreys rugby match when he was caught speeding in a car belonging to his stepfather, who was away on holiday. The defendant, who has worked for South Wales Police for 10 years, challenged the fixed penalty notice and was asked to submit photographic proof that it was not the same vehicle. But the court heard he sent in photographs of the silver Vauxhall Corsa with new plates customised with a blue GB sign and the Welsh flag, bought for Â£21 online. The father-of-four then wrote to the speed camera unit saying there had been a technical error or another similar car was using the same registration number. The jury heard the police officer, a father of four, worked in the covert operations management unit at South Wales Police headquarters in Bridgend. But the prosecution argued he forgot that his car was being filmed every day as he drove it into work. The jury was shown pictures of the car with its old number plate before the speeding offence and the new one allegedly fitted by Rees-Thompson. The court was also told that Rees-Thompson pretended to be his stepfather when he wrote to the speed camera unit trying to avoid a fine and three points on his licence. He denied perverting the course of justice during his trial claiming he changed the plates because they were damaged. Rees-Thompson is set to lose his job and will face a "fast track" gross misconduct disciplinary hearing following his sentence.

Summary: A police officer who tried to cheat his way out of a speeding ticket by changing his car number plates, has been jailed for three months.


New Zealanders living in Australia for at least five years can apply if they earn the median wage or more, and pass security, character and health checks. The "new pathway" means easier access to citizenship, which allows access to a range of welfare services. The deal follows tensions over the deportation of New Zealand criminals under laws introduced last year. These laws allow Australia to deport any foreigners sentenced to more than 12 months in jail. Prime Minister Key previously said the issue was "undermining [a] special relationship". "We traversed some of the concerns that we continue to have," he said in Sydney on Friday. "We appreciate the work that [Australia has] been doing around ensuring that people can appeal those decisions." Meanwhile, Mr Key formally extended the offer to take in some of the 267 asylum seekers awaiting deportation to Australia's offshore detention centre in Nauru. "All I can simply say is the offer remains on the table," Mr Key said. The Australian government is refusing to alter its border security policy, saying it is aimed at stopping the people smuggling trade. The two leaders also said security agencies would increase cooperation and communication surrounding cybercrimes committed by "state and non-state actors".

Summary: The Australian government says up to 70,000 New Zealanders will be eligible for citizenship under a new agreement.


Hawkins held off the challenge of the defending champion, Moses Kipsiro of Uganda, clocking a time of of 60 minutes 22 seconds. Kenya's Joel Kimutai came home in third ahead of England's Chris Thompson. Another Kenyan, Betsy Saina, claimed victory in the women's race with a course record time of 67:20. Hawkins is the first Scot to win the great Scottish Run since 1983, and it rounds off a memorable year which saw him finish ninth in the marathon at the Rio Olympics in the summer. After setting the pace alongside Kipsiro and Kimutai in the early stages, Hawkins broke away on his own and always looked in control as he left the three-time Commonwealth champion Kipsiro trailing in his wake.

Summary: Scotland's Callum Hawkins claimed victory in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, setting a new Scottish half-marathon record in the process.


Councils will decide next week whether to conduct feasibility studies for the radioactive repository. Protesters from all over the country carried banners for 2.5km (1.5miles) through the valley of Ennerdale to lobby against the plans. A petition against the proposals now has more than 17,000 signatures. Unite, which represents staff at the Sellafield plant, gave its backing ahead of a public meeting in Carlisle on Friday. Allerdale and Copeland borough councils and Cumbria County Council are due to vote on 30 January on whether to proceed to "Stage 4" of the process that could see the repository built. The proposed facility could be up to four times the size of Sellafield and take 15 years to build.

Summary: Hundreds of people have taken part in a march against the possibility of building an underground nuclear waste site in Cumbria.


The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (Rura) said it had received complaints from the public of incitement, hatred, revisionism and genocide denial. At least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the genocide. The BBC has denied that any part of the programme constitutes a "denial of the genocide against the Tutsi". On Wednesday, Rwandan MPs approved a resolution calling on the government to ban the BBC and to charge the documentary-makers with genocide denial, which is a crime in the country. Those killed in the genocide are generally believed to be mostly members of the minority ethnic Tutsi group, and Hutus opposed to the mass slaughter. The BBC programme Rwanda, The Untold Story, includes interviews with US-based researchers who say most of those killed may have been Hutus, killed by members of the then-rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which has been in power since 1994. The programme also included interviews with former aides of RPF leader President Paul Kagame, accusing him of plotting to shoot down the presidential plane - the act seen as triggering the slaughter. He has consistently denied previous such accusations. Rura said it had established a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations it had received about the programme, after which further action may be taken. The cabinet is meeting next week to discuss parliament's recommendations. The BBC broadcasts affected by the suspension are produced by the BBC Great Lakes service, which was initially set up in the aftermath of the genocide as a lifeline service. Its first broadcast - BBC Gahuzamiryango, meaning "the unifier of families" - was a 15-minute transmission aimed at bringing together families who had been separated.

Summary: Rwanda has suspended BBC broadcasts in the Kinyarwanda language with immediate effect because of a film questioning official accounts of the 1994 genocide.


The Rail, Maritime and Transport union says research shows 1970s services were faster than those advertised by Great Western Railways for Intercity trains. The promised London to Cardiff journey time is 113 minutes, compared to 105 minutes under British Rail in 1977. GWR said the union was not comparing like with like. It also said electrification of the track would increase speeds to match some of the 1970 times, and there were more frequent services now that also stopped at more stations. London - Bristol Temple Meads: 90 minutes London - Cardiff: 113 minutes London - Swansea: 164 minutes London - Bristol Temple Meads: 85 minutes London - Cardiff: 105 minutes London - Swansea: 163 minutes Source: RMT RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the report demonstrated the failures of rail privatisation. "Privatised rail services are not only more overcrowded and expensive they are also slower. "And of course as well as being publicly owned, British Rail trains were publicly manufactured for far less cost in the UK, as opposed to the new IEP trains which are manufactured in Japan." GWR said some of the RMT's facts were incorrect, challenging a claim that the London-Bristol journey time would be slower. "The fastest Bristol-London journey time, quoted by the RMT, in 1977 was one hour 25 minutes. Following electrification and the new trains, this will be one hour 19 minutes, that's six minutes faster than in 1977. "In 1977, six trains ran every two hours between Cardiff-London and Bristol-London, compared to 12 trains every two hours following electrification and the introduction of new trains. That's double the number of services. "The fastest Cardiff-London journey time, quoted by the RMT, in 1977 was one hour 45 minutes. This will be the same with the introduction of electrification and new trains." RMT is in dispute with GWR over plans to cut guards and buffet car services. Stuart Cole, professor of transport at the University of South Wales, said there had been one express train in the 1970s which ran direct from Cardiff to London without stopping. "There was no Bristol Parkway then. They've picked the train which was the fastest as far as I can understand it; one train in the morning which did one hour 41 minutes. Most of them took longer than that. "It they took the average journey times, that would be much more sensible." Calling for a publically-owned railway system, Cardiff Central Labour MP Jo Stevens said privatised rail had been a failure which delivered "little by way of improvements for passengers in Cardiff but plenty by way of taxpayer subsidies for the directors and shareholders of [Great Western Railway]".

Summary: New £4.5m trains running from London to south Wales will be slower than those 40 years ago, a transport union has claimed.


The British Medical Journal claims it has revealed a campaign to derail research into the cancer drug Avastin. The claim has been denied by Novartis, the firm which markets the officially licensed drug, Lucentis, in the UK. Many doctors use Avastin as a cheaper but unlicensed alternative to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD affects around 26,000 people each year in the UK and if left untreated can cause blindness. There is a licensed drug - Lucentis - which costs the NHS around £740 per dose. Trials have shown that another drug used to treat cancer - Avastin - is also an effective treatment, and is much cheaper, at between £50 and £65 per dose. Some doctors have been prescribing it, but it isn't licensed for this purpose. There is the added confusion of uncertainty over whether doctors could be personally liable if they prescribe an unlicensed drug. Both drugs are owned by the same company, Roche, but Lucentis is marketed by Novartis in the UK. The BMJ now claims it has evidence that clinicians with ties to Novartis urged some primary care trusts to pull out of one trial, and alleges the company tried to derail a second UK trial. BMJ editor-in-chief Dr Fiona Godlee said pharmaceutical companies should not be able to block access to alternative drugs. "Doctors' leaders also need to sort out the web of misinformation about drug prescribing that has been generated behind closed doors. and is costing the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds a year by scaring doctors from using cheap and effective medicines." A spokesman for Novartis denied the allegations. "We take any allegations seriously and are closely reviewing the content of the article. "Novartis is committed to improving health outcomes for patients with serious eye disease as demonstrated by our substantial engagement in ophthalmology, including significant research and development efforts in the UK. "Novartis continuously conducts clinical trials in the UK and other countries. "Discussions with UK study sites and healthcare professionals occur during all stages of these clinical trials. "During the feasibility stage these discussions often focus on the capacity and capability to conduct studies in accordance with the highest clinical and ethical standards." In November 2014, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists called for Avastin to be made available for treating the condition on the NHS, arguing that switching to the drug could save the NHS £100m. And in February clinical leaders from 120 clinical commissioning groups called on ministers and NHS England to clarify regulations that make it hard for physicians to prescribe Avastin for wet AMD. Do you have wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you would be happy to speak further to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number.

Summary: A drugs firm has been accused of trying to block access to what some doctors believe is a cheap, safe and effective drug to treat a common eye condition.


Scotland was classed as "average" for the first time in a major international study of education. Meanwhile, the Scottish government is carrying out a major review of school governance. So just how are schools and the education system run at the moment? In a nutshell, there is a national school system in Scotland which councils are responsible for delivering. School buildings are the responsibility of councils - they decide how many schools are needed and where they should be built, open or closed, although they have to observe national rules and guidance. The system for closing rural schools was overhauled a few years ago. The government also helps fund some new school buildings through its Schools for the Future programme. Councils also employ teachers and decide how many there should be. However the Scottish government took steps to reverse the long-term decline in teacher numbers across Scotland. This year, teacher numbers were maintained or rose in 20 of Scotland's 32 council areas. The most recent funding deal with local government made it plain that the government expected the ratio of teachers to pupils to be maintained. This happened in all but 12 areas. However, councils are currently responsible for deciding just how much to spend on schools overall - this could be set to change. The government intends to hold a consultation a "national funding formula" for schools. It also plans to give Â£100m straight to head teachers from next year. This all fits into a bigger debate about school governance. The question is over just what powers individual head teachers should have, what powers councils should retain and what powers should be given to planned new regional education boards which will work across council boundaries. The consultation closes on 6 January. Two national agencies also have important responsibilities - the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland. The SQA is, by far, the better known to the public. Because of its profile, its staff can sometimes feel they are being blamed by headline writers and critics for things which it cannot reasonably be held to account for. The main role of the SQA is to set exams and mark them. It took the organisation years to recover its public reputation after a debacle in 2000 when thousands of youngsters received the wrong exam results. The SQA is also responsible for some of the paperwork which teachers may find frustrating - but some "SQA-related workload" is not actually the direct responsibility of the authority. The unit assessments that currently form mandatory parts of courses, and the Added Value Units candidates some National 5 candidates complete so they can get a lower qualification if they fail the exam, have been cited by critics. But was the issue the assessments and units themselves, or how they were sometimes being used locally? Decisions on how many qualifications youngsters should routinely be allowed to study for have been taken by individual schools and councils. Some concerns about workload came about because S4 students at some schools were being given the opportunity to study for seven or eight

Summary: The political debate around education has intensified in recent weeks.


Moaza Al Matrooshi, aged 24, gave birth in London after doctors restored her fertility using frozen ovarian tissue removed when she was a young child. An advanced form of IVF using a donor egg as well as the mother's egg and father's sperm has been approved by the UK's fertility regulator. It is to prevent children being born with deadly genetic diseases. BBC Radio 5 live spoke to a father whose 13-year-old son was groomed online and sexually abused. He explains how difficult it was to spot there was a problem until it was too late. He is warning other parents to monitor carefully what their children get up to online, and to "accept it can happen". The charity Barnardo's says 297 children out of the 702 it supported in the last six months had been groomed online. The award winning children's novelist Sally Gardner believes we should. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she "thinks in pictures" and that "there isn't one way to decode language". The cost of Christmas dinner is at a four year high, with an average dinner and drinks now coming in at £10.71 per person. We spoke to family food bloggers and chefs to find their tips for bringing down the price as low as possible. What family and parenting issues would you like the BBC to cover? Join the conversation - find us on Facebook

Summary: Here is another chance to catch up on five of the best family and parenting stories from this week.


The company said it wanted to focus development "on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use". Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which is used by a billion people worldwide, will stop working on the named operating systems by December 2016. But it will still work on Blackberry's latest smartphone which runs Android. Most of the operating systems that WhatsApp is dropping support for are legacy operating systems, which are no longer updated or installed on new devices. The exception is Blackberry 10, which was launched in January 2013 and is still being developed by Blackberry. "We are also planning version 10.3.4 for later this year with even more security improvements," the firm said in January 2016. However, the operating system has failed to gain traction with smartphone users and now accounts for less than 1% of the market. There had been speculation that the handset-maker would wind down support for Blackberry 10 after it released a smartphone running Android, and closed its "Built for Blackberry" programme for app developers. But the firm has insisted: "We're not abandoning the loyal customers who have contributed to our success." The full list of operating systems WhatsApp will stop supporting is: "While these mobile devices have been an important part of our story, they don't offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the future," WhatsApp said in a blogpost. "When we started WhatsApp in 2009... about 70 percent of smartphones sold at the time had operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia." The firm said mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple and Microsoft accounted for 99.5% of sales today.

Summary: WhatsApp is to end support for a number of operating systems including Blackberry 10, Nokia Symbian S60 and Windows Phone 7.1.


The first wave of the flagship state-funded, but independent schools, some 24, are opening this term. Education Secretary Michael Gove has said profit is not needed in free schools at the moment. But Mr Clegg said the schools would not become "the preserve of the privileged few". In his speech in London on Monday, aimed at reassuring Liberal Democrat sceptics, Mr Clegg said he was confident the schools would give "fairer chances" to children from the most deprived backgrounds. Some Lib Dems have opposed them amid fears they could be socially divisive. Mr Clegg admitted the schools were seen as controversial by many and came with risks, but also said they would improve standards and integration. "To anyone worried that, by expanding the mix of providers in our education system, we are inching towards inserting the profit motive into our school system, again, let me reassure you," he said. "Yes to greater diversity; yes to more choice for parents. But no to running schools for profit, not in our state-funded education sector." He added that he thought tax payers would not think it was fair for schools to make a profit. Mr Clegg added that free schools "must not be the preserve of the privileged few - creaming off the best pupils while leaving the rest to fend for themselves, causing problems for and draining resources from other nearby schools". "So let me give you my reassurance - I would never tolerate that," he said. Mr Clegg also called on free schools to admit at least the same proportion of free school meal pupils as the local average and open up facilities to the local community. By Norman SmithChief political correspondent, BBC News Channel Nick Clegg's speech on free schools is all part of his "differentiation strategy" to spell out the differences between his party and the Conservatives. Hence his insistence that free schools mustn't just be for pushy middle class parents, but instead should give priority to poorer and more deprived pupils. Similarly Mr Clegg has demanded that the Coalition rule out allowing profit-making companies to run free schools. The message he wants his party and the electorate to take from all this is that the Lib Dems are not being pushed around by the Tories within the Coalition, and are stamping their own views on key government policies. It follows a similar approach over the NHS reforms, the banks and human rights legislation. Now, in the run up to the Lib Dem conference later this month, we can probably expect to see many more instances of the Lib Dems publicly wrangling with the Tories over policy. But Mr Clegg warned that parents had to "do their bit too" to help with their children's schooling. "The fact is - if you don't take an interest in your child's education, teachers cannot make up the shortfall. "We currently have the most talented generation of teachers this country has ever seen. But they cannot do everything," he said. Mr Gove has denied he was forced to back down by Mr Clegg after reports

Summary: Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said those running England's free schools will not be able to do so for profit.


The decision was made after animal health investigators were unable to rule out the presence of H5N8 avian flu at a third farm in Wyre. They said a "pro-active culling" would take place of birds including pheasants, partridges and ducks. The Food Standards Agency said the disease was not a risk to food safety. Public Health England said the risk to public health from the virus was very low. The first outbreak was discovered last week at a farm in Wyre with 10,000 birds, followed by a second case involving a flock of about 1,000 birds. Defra said the third premises would be cleansed and disinfected, "further reducing the risk that disease can be spread to other birds". "Our investigations will continue and the restrictions already placed on the sites will remain in force until cleansing and disinfection is finished and the investigation is complete," a spokesperson said. In January, there have been a number of other outbreaks of the virus, including at farms in Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and in Carmarthenshire.

Summary: About 63,000 birds are due to be culled at a Lancashire farm to prevent the spread of bird flu, which has already been found at two nearby premises.


The pound hit $1.4693, a rise of more than three cents, or 2.34%, the biggest one-day gain since March 2009. The bounce followed several polls over the weekend that suggested a very tight race, but that the Leave campaign may have lost a little momentum. The FTSE 100 also rose, with shares closing 3% higher on Monday. That is the biggest one-day gain since February. Betfair, a firm that has taken in tens of millions of pounds in referendum-related bets, says the likelihood of a remain vote has risen from 65% on Friday to 72% on Monday. "The pause in the campaign seems to have lent crucial support to team Remain," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at Gain Capital. "The markets have always been more comfortable with the UK remaining in the European Union." The pound had fallen sharply over the course of last week, after polls appeared to indicate the Leave campaign was taking the lead. But figures from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a US markets regulator, suggested a broader change in trading sentiment by Friday. That data indicated that by the end of last week, currency speculators had began to back the pound again by reducing their bets against the currency. That contrasted strongly to the first week of June, during which time traders' bets against the pound had risen to the highest level in three years. However, analysts say there is likely to be more volatility this week. "Following the large sterling moves over last two days and limited risk premium priced in at this point, sterling now looks more vulnerable to negative surprise from the polls," ING strategist Petr Krpata said in a research note. Monday's shift in sentiment has boosted shares in banks and builders, which are seen as more vulnerable to damage if the UK votes to leave the EU. Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group both rose more than 7%, while Barclays gained more than 6%. Barratt and Taylor Wimpey, two of the UK's largest house builders, also saw their shares jump by nearly 7%. Oil prices rose as well on Monday, with Brent crude trading up more than 2%, and currently hovering around the $50 a barrel mark, at $50.39.

Summary: The pound has jumped the most against the dollar in seven years, as traders reassessed the likelihood of the UK leaving the European Union.


Marc O'Haire was cleared of John McFarlane's murder but found guilty of culpable homicide by reason of provocation. The pair fought after spending three hours in a "drinking den". Mr McFarlane died after receiving a knife wound. Sentencing O'Haire, the judge said he had "a considerable criminal record". O'Haire was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Stirling in June. The court heard how O'Haire and Mr McFarlane had been friends for 15 years before the September 2014 incident. They had spent more than three hours in what the advocate depute, Bruce Erroch, described as "a drinking den" in a converted garage in the area, which had disco balls, lights, seating and fridges. They went back to O'Haire's flat but he lost his temper with Mr McFarlane after he threatened to drink a bottle of Buckfast O'Haire had been keeping for another occasion. O'Haire head-butted Mr McFarlane and, after a scuffle, ordered him out of his flat. But Mr McFarlane, described as "very drunk", grabbed a kitchen knife from O'Haire's draining board. He left the flat but the fight continued outside. O'Haire admitted hitting Mr McFarlane with a dumbbell, causing minor "hairline" skull fractures, but during the struggle, Mr McFarlane, sustained a "massive" and fatal chest wound from the knife. O'Haire said he saw his friend fall on the grass and realised he was grievously injured, but never saw the knife enter his body and had no idea how the wound was caused. He said he assumed Mr McFarlane had fallen on the blade. At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Uist told O'Haire - who had five previous convictions for knife possession - that he had no other option but to send him to prison. He added: "You are now 30 years old and you have a considerable criminal record. "It is clear that you have had serious problems with alcohol and controlled drugs in the past and you also have a diagnosis of anti-social personality disorder." Defence advocate Owen Mullan said his client was sorry about what he had done to Mr McFarlane.

Summary: A man who caused his friend's death in a drink fuelled fight in Bishopbriggs in East Dunbartonshire has been jailed for 10 and a half years.


People will be brought to shore from a "shipwreck" via breeches buoy by members of the South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade in a re-enactment of a rescue on 2 April 1866. A seine-net fishing boat will play the part of the schooner Tenterden which was wrecked during a heavy storm. The event, near the watch House off the South Pier, is part of the brigade's 150th anniversary celebrations. Over the weekend there will also be a special dinner, and a Service of Thanksgiving in St. Hilda's Church on Sunday. A breeches buoy is a lifebuoy with a canvas sling - similar in form to a pair of breeches - attached to a rope and pulley. The rope is fired on to the vessel by a rocket. At the time of the rescue, the brigade had only been in existence for two months, and although there had been three practice drills it was the first time the equipment had been used in a life-or-death situation. Despite the bad weather, all those on board the ship - including the captain's wife and their 18-month-old baby, were winched to safety. The men were taken to a nearby public house, while the woman and child were tended to by local women. South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade is credited to have saved more than 600 lives from shipwreck since it was founded, and has now branched out into search and rescue operations. As part of the anniversary celebrations there will be a series of illustrated talks and open days, and later in the year a major exhibition in South Shields Museum.

Summary: A sea to land rescue is set to take place on the South Tyneside coast.


A new study tracked 72 koalas living near six wildlife crossings, specially installed by the Queensland government between 2010 and 2013. It was the first study to test the effectiveness of the crossings, which were part of a $20 million retrofit project to help stop roadway deaths of the vulnerable marsupial. "I was really sceptical about whether the animals would use them," says Prof Darryl Jones, a behavioural ecologist at Griffith University in Brisbane who studies the impact of roadways on wildlife. "I have to admit straight up that I thought koalas were going to be a pretty dumb animal. They spend most of their time stoned on eucalyptus oil." "But that's not the case. This proves they really can innovate," he says. "No koala has ever walked under a road on a ledge ever before in its evolutionary history, and indeed they were doing it within a couple of months." "They were able to learn new tricks far faster than anyone would have thought." The study, published in the journal Wildlife Research, used multiple technologies to track individual koalas, including cameras, GPS collars and newly-developed wireless identification chips, which communicated with devices at the entrance and exit of each crossing. "This is going to be very influential in terms of showing accurately and reliably that the animals do use these structures," Prof Jones says. Crossings and wildlife-proof fences were installed at hotspots where there had been continuous incidents of koalas being struck by vehicles. While roadways still pose a threat to koalas, Prof Jones says road deaths have "almost vanished" at sites where the crossings have been installed. Koalas are listed as vulnerable in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and are protected under national environment law. In 2010, the Queensland government released a Koala Population Report, which showed there had been a 68% reduction in the local population of koalas near Brisbane over 10 years. "This is a terrifying decline," Prof Jones says. "It just can't go on, or else you really are looking at extinction down the track." Despite being tree-dwelling creatures, koalas are often moving along the ground in search of new trees, food sources, water and mates. A lot of this movement happens at night and roadways are considered one of the main threats to koalas. To reduce the road toll, the state government began rolling out specialised wildlife fences. While these are effective at containing animals, Prof Jones says they are not a solution. "It's really important that the animals are still able to move from one place to another," he says. "If they get fenced off in two isolated patches their chances of survival are so much lower." Prof Jones and his team were enlisted to help design a cost-effective solution. Rather than build new bridges, they decided to modify existing water culverts, or drainage tunnels, which pass underneath roadways. Elevated ledges were built to help keep the animals dry. To test the effectiveness, the research team caught and tagged koalas on either side of the crossings, in a region stretching from

Summary: Koalas have quickly learned to use wildlife passageways to cross busy roads in Australia's Queensland state as they move between habitats, writes Myles Gough.


The firm showed off a brief trailer for the action title - which it said would be released in 2015 - to coincide with the E3 games expo in Los Angeles. It also provided more details about how new add-on physical toys called amiibos would interact with games including Super Smash Bros 4. One industry watcher said Zelda should help improve the firm's fortunes. "It's a very big one for fans," Christopher Dring, editor of the video games trade magazine MCV, told the BBC. "If you look at the games sales figures, Zelda is not as big as Super Mario or Mario Kart, but the difference with Zelda is that many fans will buy the console for that game. "For people on the fence about buying the Wii U - and there are lots of them - it might tip them over. I just wish it was this year, I worry about the firm's line-up for this Christmas." Nintendo swung to a financial loss last year after its new console - which features a touchscreen controller - missed the firm's own sales forecasts. It originally projected that it would sell more than nine million Wii U machines over the year to 31 March 2014. In fact it sold just 2.72 million. "Nintendo's software line-up has to be one of the best in its history to turn the company around," explained Brian Crecente, news editor at the video games news site Polygon. "Third-party developers like EA, Activision and Ubisoft have retreated from the Wii U because there simply aren't enough consoles on the market to justify the expense. "Earlier this week, the head of Ubisoft told me that his company has several Wii U titles that are completed but that he won't start selling them until there are more Wii U [consoles] on the market." Nintendo is promising that the new open-world fantasy-themed Zelda game will mark a "clean break with the past" by letting players travel in the game wherever they want rather than forcing them to follow a set path and complete scenarios in a pre-determined order. Its lead character Link is also putting in appearances in other titles due for release this year. He'll first feature in Hyrule Warriors - a battlefield-set title that unites the swordsman with characters from the Dynasty Warriors series - due for release on 26 September. He will then appear in Super Smash Bros 4 - a fighting game featuring Mario, Sonic and other video game icons - that will launch on the 3DS handheld on 3 October and the Wii U in time for the winter holidays period. Nintendo revealed that players would be able to create characters in the game in their own image or that of a celebrity, and showed off an avatar of the rapper Ice-T as a somewhat incongruous example. Previous versions of Super Smash Bros have been hugely popular, and the Japanese firm is throwing its marketing weight behind the title, allowing the public to try out a test-version at the Nokia Theatre in downtown LA over the course

Summary: Nintendo has confirmed its first Legend of Zelda video game for the struggling Wii U console.


The Edinburgh-based start-up attracted high-profile investors such as Skyscanner founder Gareth Williams and Macklin Enterprise Partnerships founder Marie Macklin. The investment will help the firm target international markets. Appointedd said its suite of tools allowed small firms to manage their business entirely online. Its online booking software is designed to assist businesses that "sell time", such as photographers, salon owners, physiotherapists, personal trainers and consultants. The Scottish Investment Bank was involved in the investment round, which was led by business angel syndicate Equity Gap. Last month Appointedd announced it had been selected as one of 12 integrated software systems in an app platform curated by National Australia Bank. The deal will see Appointedd's software being offered to 700,000 small and medium sized firms across Australia. Appointedd founder and chief executive Leah Hutcheon, who is an ambassador for Women's Enterprise Scotland and Entrepreneurial Scotland, said: "It has been fantastic to get such a positive reaction from investors at this round. "We have felt extremely honoured to attract investment from the founder of one of Scotland's unicorn companies and experienced entrepreneurs like Marie Macklin CBE. "We look forward to using their expertise to help expand our software globally. "We are already seeing some amazing traction, and it's exciting to be working with partners like National Australia Bank." Gareth Williams said: "It's been a pleasure to watch the Appointedd product hone over time and I'm excited to be involved in the next stage of their growth. "The software has the potential to be the leader in a huge market and I look forward to watching their international expansion."

Summary: Online booking firm Appointedd is to expand its operations after raising £595,000 in a funding round.


Homes in Elnor lane, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, had to be evacuated following reports of the explosion at about 22:30 BST on Wednesday. An army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team attended the address early on Thursday morning. No-one has been reported injured. The man is being held on suspicion of causing an explosion to endanger life. Live updates from the East Midlands High Peak councillor Andrew Fox, who lives nearby, said: "We heard a large explosion around 10:30pm, we rang the police and reported our concerns." Residents in Elnor Lane were asked to leave their homes during the investigation but have since returned. One house remains cordoned off by police. Police and fire investigators are trying to establish the cause of the explosion.

Summary: A man has been arrested following a "large explosion" at a house in a village.


Media playback is not supported on this device Her team face the Netherlands in Friday's final looking to follow Sean Kerly's side, the champions in Seoul. "You saw what happened to hockey in the country after that - it really picked up," said Richardson-Walsh, part of a team who won bronze at London 2012. "It picked up after London too, and hopefully the same will happen again." Britain's women are chasing their first gold, 28 years after the men beat West Germany 3-1 to win their second and most recent Olympic title, with two goals from Imran Sherwani and one from Kerly. "I remember my parents getting up to watch the 1988 final, but I was only eight - I was a little too young," Richardson-Walsh said. Friday's final, which starts at 21:00 BST, will be the 36-year-old's final game after playing 374 times for Great Britain and England. She will also be playing alongside partner Helen - the pair married in 2013. "It will be really special to be in a final with her," said the captain. "We have been through ups and downs - some of the best and worst times over the last few years. "For Helen to come back from back surgery twice, to get over that and play again and reach an Olympic final, it's great." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Great Britain's women can reinvigorate hockey at home if they emulate the 1988 men's side by winning Olympic gold, captain Kate Richardson-Walsh believes.


So when I suggest that new Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will make history on Sunday, I'm not comparing his task to walking on the moon or finding a cure for the common cold. Mr Cairns will become the first serving cabinet minister to run the London Marathon. Others have run it but either before or after their cabinet career. Indeed, his recent promotion to the cabinet has had a major impact on his training for the 26.2 mile event, where the Vale of Glamorgan MP, the fastest in MP in last year's race, initially hoped to break 3 hours and 30 minutes. "There's been a bit of a diversion over the last few weeks as well as an injury," he admitted. "So I'm not sure I'll become the champion again of the MPs. And there is serious competition from Dan Jarvis, an ex-para, so I'm getting my excuses in early." Mr Cairns is running his 5th marathon for two charities: Breast Cancer Now and The Brain Tumour Charity.

Summary: We are so fond of the word 'historic' in Welsh politics that it is increasingly used to describe something vaguely interesting that hasn't happened before.


16 April 2016 Last updated at 08:16 BST Gusts of more than 75 miles per hour were recorded and it became very hard for people to see what was going around them. Watch the video to see the sandstorm sweep over the province.

Summary: A huge sandstorm hit China's Gansu Province on Friday afternoon, filling the skies with dust.


RSPCA officers rescued the animal from a farmer's land in Graig Penllyn near Cowbridge on Wednesday. The charity believes the pup reached the field after swimming up the streams of the River Thaw. After rehabilitation, it is hoped the pup can be released back into the sea in the near future. RSPCA officer Gary Lucas said: "I've worked for the RSPCA for almost 30 years and this was my first ever seal rescue - and in quite amazing circumstances. "As the crow flies, this amazing seal pup was almost seven miles from the sea and must have reached Graig Penllyn after travelling up the tiniest of streams possible. "Thankfully, whilst the pup was a little thin and clearly dehydrated, he seems to be doing okay."

Summary: A dehydrated and underweight seal pup has been found in a field seven miles from the sea in Vale of Glamorgan.


Among them was Roberto Hernandez. In a small, dank apartment in a rundown neighbourhood of Havana, I paid him a visit as he was reunited with his family and fellow government opponents. He said his time in jail had only strengthened his resolve against the Castro government. "My ideas won't budge," said Mr Hernandez. "If anything, they've hardened a little more. I'm more sure than ever about what I believe." Mr Hernandez was jailed for five years, and served two, for taking part in a demonstration with the anti-government Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU). But just as Roberto Hernandez was being released, another dissident was being detained - a graffiti artist called Danilo Maldonado, commonly known as "El Sexto", whose work is unrelentingly critical of the Cuban government. On this occasion, the authorities decided he had gone too far: he had mocked the leaders of the revolution. On 25 December 2014, he painted the names Fidel and Raul on two pigs and intended to release them in a plaza in Havana. His idea was that people would try to catch the pigs and the winner could keep them. Whether you see it as a cheap publicity stunt or a valid artistic expression, the event was never likely to be allowed to happen in Cuba. Maldonado was stopped by state security officers before he got to the square and was put in jail, reportedly without trial. The government say "El Sexto" is a mercenary in the pay of anti-Castro groups in Washington and Miami. But Amnesty International recently deemed him a prisoner of conscience. "To jail an artist for painting a name on a pig is ludicrous," said Carolina Jimenez, the organisation's Americas Deputy Director for research. Now, there is some expectation that Maldonado might be released soon, after he spent days on hunger strike and US President Barack Obama apparently discussed his case in person with Cuban President Raul Castro earlier this year. No official release date has yet been confirmed. Either way, the Obama administration will hope he is out soon. The arrest of what they consider seemingly harmless young opponents does not bolster their argument that engagement with Cuba is the right approach after decades of hostility. "They're hoping that the Cubans will begin to ease up on human rights and open up politically. That would enormously helpful," says Michael Shifter, of the Inter-American Dialogue organisation in Washington DC. "It makes it more difficult for Obama to make his case with Congress on the embargo - which is that it should be lifted - when these kind of practices continue and there is really no sign of significant change so far." The US broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1959 after Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led a revolution toppling US-backed President Fulgencio Batista. The Castros established a revolutionary socialist state with close ties to the Soviet Union. The following year, the US imposed a trade embargo covering nearly all exports to Cuba. This was expanded by President Kennedy into a full economic embargo that included stringent travel

Summary: In the days after last December's historic announcement that the US and Cuba were to re-establish diplomatic relations, a number of dissidents were released from Cuban jails as part of the deal.


Waheed Ahmed has been detained along with eight other Britons in Hatay near the Syrian border since Wednesday, 1 April. Footage released on Sunday shows him being put on a coach to Antalya, which is 509 miles west of Hatay. The group of nine from Rochdale included five adults and four children. His father, Rochdale Labour councillor Shakil Ahmed, said he "wanted his son to come home as soon as possible". Simon Danczuk, the MP for Rochdale in the last Parliament, has confirmed after speaking to the Foreign Office that Mr Ahmed is being deported back to Britain. In footage released by Reuters, Mr Ahmed is seen leaving a police station in Hatay. He is then filmed getting on a coach to Antalya from where it is believed he will fly to the UK. Greater Manchester Police and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit have launched an investigation to establish why the group apparently tried to enter Syria. All nine would be sent back to the UK "in due course", police said. Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett has said that the primary concern was the "safety and welfare" of the children, and efforts were being made to ensure a "full safeguarding strategy" was in place upon their return. Police have been searching his family home in Rochdale. His father said he had thought his son was on holiday. In a statement Councillor Shakil Ahmed said: "My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain, so I don't understand what he's doing there. "If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities. "He's studying a degree in politics and sociology at Manchester University and has a good future ahead of him."

Summary: A Labour councillor's son, held in Turkey on suspicion of trying to enter Syria illegally is expected to return to the UK.


Prop Jenkins will set a world record for a front-row forward when he leads Wales against Argentina in Cardiff. The 35-year-old is making his 133rd Test appearance - still 15 behind Richie McCaw's 148 - but McBryde believes he could break the record. "He's in a good position and I can't think of a reason why he can't," said the Wales forwards coach. "All he has to do is keep himself fit - bearing in mind he's at the age the body is the first thing that breaks down." Jenkins is playing his 128th game for Wales and has also made five Test appearances for the British and Irish Lions. It takes him past former New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu as the most-capped front-row forward and into fourth place in the all-time list which is led by All Blacks legend McCaw. Jenkins has retained the captaincy despite the return of regular skipper Sam Warburton from injury and 14 years after making his debut for Wales. Speaking to Welsh language broadcasters, McBryde praised Jenkins' skill and professionalism. "His worth has been proven time after time with his defensive work and his fitness across the field," he said. "He understands the wide game better than most of the backs and his greatest strength is what he brings to the team as an experienced voice. "Over the years he has overcome a lot of injuries and that's a testament to how professional he has been. "He's kept himself going through those injuries and he's dealt with the many changes there have been in the scrum and he's come through every test that's been asked of him. "He's been one of the heroes of the national team and hopefully against Argentina we'll see a performance that proves that."

Summary: Wales captain Gethin Jenkins could become rugby's most capped player if he keeps himself fit, says Robin McBryde.


In 2015, a coroner ruled Cpl James Dunsby, L/Cpl Corporal Edward Maher and L/Cpl Craig Roberts died as a result of neglect on the 16-mile march. The report, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, said failures at multiple levels led to the deaths. The MoD said recommendations in the report were being addressed. The report has been published by the independent watchdog, the Defence Safety Agency, which monitors the MoD on its behalf. It concluded: "These reserves currently remain vulnerable to a further incident in the future." The soldiers had been taking part in a recruitment exercise on what was the hottest day of 2013. The report said the officers in charge did not plan for the weather, and health and safety guidance was inadequate. A combination of "cultural drift" and uncertainty about the role of the reserves in general meant that no-one questioned whether the gruelling training was appropriate for part-time soldiers, it said. The report echoed concerns raised in investigations by a coroner and the Health and Safety Executive which, in March 2016, said the MoD would be censured - the highest action the HSE can take. An MoD spokesperson said: "Our deepest sympathies remain with the families of all three soldiers and, with all the recommendations from this report having been or being addressed, we are committed to doing all we can to ensure such a tragic event cannot happen again." Cpl Dunsby, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, L/Cpl Roberts, from Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, and L/Cpl Maher, of Winchester, Hampshire, had been on course to complete the exercise within the allocated time but were found in three separate locations at different times. An inquest found they died after suffering the effects of hyperthermia - or overheating.

Summary: A new report into the deaths of three soldiers during an SAS exercise in the Brecon Beacons in 2013 has concluded it could happen again.


21 January 2016 Last updated at 09:36 GMT Aidan McAnespie, 23, was shot dead at Aughnacloy on 21 February 1988. Manslaughter charges brought against a soldier were dropped in 1990. Mr McAnespie's brother, Sean, spoke to BBC News NI's home affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney.

Summary: A decision not to prosecute a soldier who shot dead a Catholic man at a border checkpoint in County Tyrone nearly 30 years ago could be reversed.


His side's 20-16 victory ended a run of seven consecutive defeats for the Welsh region and seven wins in a row for Connacht. It was only the third home league match of the season for Blues, and Wilson hopes it can lead to improved form. "Hopefully it's given us a springboard to build some confidence," he said. "I'm relieved after the last seven minutes of that game, but pleased with a big effort form the players to beat the league leaders." Wilson believes the lack of home games has been a factor in the Blues' poor start to the Pro12 season. "It's only our third home game of the season and people forget that and we've had two wins at home and a loss to Glasgow. "We've talked about building that home record and if we are ever to give ourselves a chance to get where we want to be we have got to be winning at home." The Blues' Cardiff Arms Park ground was out of commission during the Rugby World Cup when it was used as a fanzone. It meant the Blues playing five of their opening seven Pro12 matches away from home - and losing all of them. The former Wales Under-20 coach says it is important for his players to bond around the victory. "I want the boys to have a beer and get that winning feeling back," he added. "Winning pulls the squad together. "It's not coming to work on a Monday on the back of another loss because that can get negative. "We can gel from this win - pull together and get close and enjoy it. When you get the win you cherish it and build on it."

Summary: Cardiff Blues' win over Pro12 leaders Connacht can act as a springboard for the rest of the season, according to head coach Danny Wilson.