The questions were answered by 131 leaders, out of 253 new Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). A third said they felt under pressure to become larger, and two-thirds expressed fears that they might inherit debt. The Department of Health said it expected parts of the NHS to work together to resolve any deficits. The survey was organised by NHS Alliance and the National Association of Primary Care, which have joined forces to represent CCGs, who will take over buying and organising NHS services. 36% of GPs and other leaders who responded to the survey said they were under pressure from NHS managers to become bigger, so they could pass a viability test next month. And 67% suspect they will have to deal with some legacy debt from former primary care trusts (PCTs) when the new system begins in England in April 2013. Dr Michael Dixon, who heads the NHS Alliance, said: "Having a board with other clinical representatives and allowing for audit will be expensive. "So the CCGs need to reach a critical mass in terms of size. But there's a risk of ending up recreating the old system of 150 primary care trusts. "We're very concerned about the possibility of debts. My GP leaders don't want to be in the position of decommissioning services. "It's been accepted that the CCGs shouldn't inherit deficits. But in practical terms, the squeeze on NHS finances is greater than people realise. "Savings can be made in reducing referrals by GPs - but that won't achieve all the efficiencies that are needed. "So there's concern not just about deficits but also the ongoing savings that are needed - and whether the CCGs will have sufficient budgets. It could be a double whammy." Dr Dixon defended the idea of GPs taking a more active role in rationing treatment under the new system. He said: "The NHS isn't some sort of soup kitchen where everyone can just pile in. "GPs have always had to be responsible for the use of NHS resources, and to think about balancing them against the greater good. "People are presenting this as a brave new world - but it's something we're doing anyway. "Rationing is the duty of every patient, commissioner and manager - or we won't have a sustainable NHS." Dr Dixon said though that he agreed with the British Medical Association that GPs should not receive bonuses for saving money. A Department of Health spokesman denied officials were being prescriptive about the size of CCGs. He said: "There are widespread variations in the size and population coverage of PCTs and there is no single 'right' size." "CCGs will not be responsible for PCT debt that arose before this current financial year. "During 2011/12 and 2012/13, we expect PCT clusters, PCTs and developing CCGs to work together to resolve PCT deficits."

Summary: A survey of the groups due to take over commissioning NHS care is highlighting fears about their size and budgets.


Opponents Yorkshire will be without England players Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow while overseas batsman Travis Head has been called up by Australia. Fellow Aussie Tait still expects Yorkshire to be dangerous at the SSE Swalec Stadium on Thursday. "They're a good side so they're going to come here thinking we've got a pretty good side as well," he said. "Our chances are pretty good. It's going to be a good clash - a very important match for Wales." The game against Yorkshire is Glamorgan's first home quarter final for 12 years, with treble-chasing Yorkshire starting as favourites. "I see Travis Head has gone home so that's one bloke we don't have to worry about for Yorkshire," added Tait. "But they still have David Willey, Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan - they're pretty experienced. "Adil Rashid is absolutely their danger man with the ball. "There's some really experienced players there who have played international cricket - there's not one stand out." "From our point of view we just want to make that finals day and whoever stands in our way we're just going to try to knock them off. "Yorkshire are first up for us and if we can do them on Thursday we head off on the 20 August and have a shot at it." Both semi-finals and the final will be played at Edgbaston on Saturday, 20 August.

Summary: Fast bowler Shaun Tait says Glamorgan have a good chance of progressing to the T20 Blast finals day.


Pollock was only the fourth fastest Irish athlete but he got the nod ahead of Sergiu Ciobanu, who clocked the third quickest time. A superb World Half Marathon run sealed Pollock's place along with Belfast's Kevin Seaward and Mick Clohisey. North Belfast athlete Breege Connolly is in the women's team with Lizzie Lee and Fionnuala McCormack. Fellow North Belfast competitor Gladys Ganiel is the first reserve for this summer's Games - Barbara Sanchez of Clonliffe Harriers is second reserve. Ciobanu, who can appeal his exclusion from the team, is first reserve for the men with Rathfarnham's Sean Hehir second reserve. Pollock, 29, set a personal best of 2:15.38 set in the Berlin Marathon last September but that was bettered by Ciobanu with 2:15.17. However, Pollock impressed by finishing 14th at the World Half Marathon in Cardiff in March, with Mo Farah the only European ahead of him. Pollock hoped to improve his marathon time in London last month but he was forced to pull out because of a foot injury.

Summary: Holywood runner Paul Pollock has been selected in the three-man Irish marathon team for the Olympic Games.


An estimated 250 people made the journey from Wales to the holy city of Mecca, near where the incident happened on Thursday. The Muslim Council of Wales (MCW) had difficultly contacting some groups from Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. All have now confirmed they are safe. MCW general secretary Saleem Kidwai said he had made contact with all group leaders from Wales, and all those on the pilgrimages have been accounted for. The MCW's director of projects Mohammed Alamgir said he is now ensuring adequate support services are available to the returning parties through its network of chaplains and Imams. "There was great concern for families and many members of the Welsh Muslim community waited anxiously for news of their loved ones and friends. Prayers were offered across Wales hoping for good news," he said on Sunday. "We all now wait for the outcome of the investigation launched by the Saudi government and hope for further safeguards to ensure the safety of pilgrims." Along with those killed, a further 863 people were injured in the incident at Mina, which happened as two million pilgrims were taking part in the Hajj's last major rite.

Summary: All groups from Wales making the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia where a stampede killed at least 717 have been accounted for, a Muslim leader has said.


The priest at St Andrew's RC Church in Livingston said anti-Catholic messages had been painted all over the building. The vandalism happened between 19:00 on Saturday and 09:00 on Sunday. Police have urged anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area, or anyone with information, to come forward. In April 2014, St Andrew's Roman Catholic Church in Craigshill became the latest building in Livingston to be granted listed status. Designed in 1968 and completed in 1970, St Andrew's was the first Catholic Church to be built in Livingston after it was founded in 1962. Father Jeremy Bath, parish priest of St Andrew's, said: "Craigshill is a great area where people live together in harmony so for this to happen is shocking, saddening and very disappointing. "I've been here for seven years and nothing like this has happened before. Hence the disappointment. It's perhaps a reminder that there is still a strain of anti-Catholicism in Scottish society that we have to be aware of. "We had a funeral today. How sad that mourners had to arrive at a church covered in anti-Catholic graffiti. Hopefully we can get things cleaned up very soon, certainly in time for our First Holy Communions this weekend. "I'd like to thank Police Scotland, West Lothian Council and the local community for being so supportive at this difficult time." A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Police in West Lothian are investigating following sectarian vandalism to a church in Livingston. "The incident happened sometime between 19:00 on Saturday 23 May and 09:00 on Sunday 24 May at the St Andrews Roman Catholic Church in Victoria Street, Craigshill. "Inquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible and anyone who remembers seeing anything suspicious in the area, or who has information that can assist police with their investigation is asked to come forward immediately." A West Lothian Council spokesman said: "We were made aware of this incident at St Andrew's RC Church in Craigshill on Sunday and our street cleansing team have been in attendance."

Summary: Police are investigating an incident of sectarian graffiti sprayed on a church in West Lothian over the weekend.


The owner of a successful US cosmetics company, back in 2002 she was hit by a development which threatened the firm's future - her long-time South Korean manufacturer announced that he was ending their partnership and going out on his own. Ms Telwar suddenly found that her Atlanta-based business Anisa International - today one of the world's largest designer and manufacturer of make-up brushes - had nowhere to get its products produced. Describing the situation as "pretty scary", and faced with the possibility of her business having to shut down, she instead determined to fly to China and secure her own factory. The Anisa International plant, based in the city of Tianjin in northern China, now makes more than 25 million make-up brushes per year. Ms Telwar, 48, looks back on the split with her former South Korean partner as being like the break-up of a marriage - yet one with a happy ending. "It was a bit like a divorce," she says. "But at the end of the day, it was probably one of the best things that ever happened." Owning her own factory meant that she took full control of the manufacturing process, allowing her to design new products more freely, she says. And thanks to this newer, wider range of make-up brushes, Anisa International's sales have increased substantially. Today, the company has annual revenues of more than $30m (Â£18.5m). It is a "white label business" in that it makes its make-up brushes for other firms, including many of the big names in cosmetics, such as Estee Lauder and Sephora. Born in New York, but raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Ms Telwar undoubtedly gets some of her business drive from her Russian mother Fatima Telwar, who after a childhood in Turkey emigrated to the US. Fatima Telwar ran her own import and export business, buying general goods in the Middle East, such as rugs, and then selling them in the US. After two years at business school, Anisa Telwar joined her mother's business when she was in her early 20s. The decision to go out on her own came after a meeting with the fateful South Korean manufacturer, and Anisa International was born in 1994. While the Korean firm would make the brushes, Ms Telwar would do the distribution, marketing and selling - jobs it was soon apparent that she was rather good at. While she had little capital to put into the business, Ms Telwar instead said she was determined to both work hard and think creativity. "I had my sweat equity, and I had some marketing savvy on how to sell these brushes differently," she says. To do the later, Ms Telwar went to visit the big cosmetics firms, and got them to think more about how well a certain brush worked with their product. Whereas previously make-up brushes were not given much attention, Ms Telwar got the firms to focus on what softness, texture or size of brush worked best with a particular foundation powder, or eye shadow, or other such cosmetic item. It soon led to Anisa

Summary: It was surviving a brush with adversity that allowed Anisa Telwar's business to really grow.


The four from Bangor's Cor Glanaethwy were freed by the fire service at 11:45 BST, half an hour before rehearsals were due to start at Wembley. Musical director Cefin Roberts said they had been "sending us selfies from the lift to say they're ok". "It's quite a drama at the moment." Mr Roberts told BBC Radio Wales: "They've entertained the rest of the people stuck with them in the lift."

Summary: Four members of a north Wales choir spent two hours stuck in a lift at their London hotel, disrupting their preparation for the first live semi-final of Britain's Got Talent.


It is called Project Pilgrim - with £4m of the funding coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund - its aim is to improve the medieval building's facilities. The proposals include building a new glass entrance, replacing the car park with a public space and installing solar panels on the Nave roof. Project Pilgrim manager Anne Cranston said it was to "make sure the building is here for future generations". Ms Cranston said: "From the city's point of view, there's so much regeneration going on in Gloucester and the cathedral is such an important tourist destination, we need to really work out what we can do to help with that." She said the first thing people would see on site would be archaeologists to "reassure ourselves we're not going to disturb anything vitally significant". "That's a very deliberate step on our part so that we don't hold up the rest of the construction programme. That'll just end up adding to the cost if we end up having to get the builders sitting there twiddling their thumbs," she said. She said the "expensive" project had been funded completely by grants - as well as the Heritage Lottery Fund, other organisations included the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral, the Somerfield Trust and many individuals. The project is expected to take three years to complete.

Summary: A £6m project to renovate Gloucester Cathedral has begun.


Scrum-half Dan Robson scored Wasps' first try when he found a gap and touched down on the post before Rob Miller crossed from close in. Josh Bassett's score helped make it 24-3 to the visitors at the break. Sam Dickinson scored in the corner for Saints in the second half, but Wasps go above them in the Premiership table. Both sides came into the match on the back of reaching the European Champions Cup quarter-finals thanks to impressive victories last weekend. But Saints, who made seven changes from their win over Scarlets, struggled to cope with a Wasps team who dealt with the wet conditions better to climb to fifth. After Robson's impressive score, the visitors increased their lead to 17-0 on 25 minutes when Miller evaded Harry Mallinder's challenge to cross. Wasps' decision not to pick international quartet Matt Mullan, Elliot Daly, Bradley Davies and Lorenzo Cittadini, despite all having been made available by their countries, looked to have paid dividends when full-back Miller turned provider for Bassett to score a try in just his second appearance of the season. Stephen Myler kicked Saints' only points of the half, and he was on the scoreboard again after an infringement by Nathan Hughes which led to him being sin-binned. But Saints failed to score with the numerical advantage, and in a scrappy second half only went over late on when Dickinson finished in the left-hand corner. Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder: "We were hoping we'd turned a bit of a corner in Europe. We'd put in two good performances, scored some good tries and we needed to back it up. "But that first half was unacceptable. Our defence was poor, we had no line speed whatsoever, we couldn't get our set-piece functioning at all, and so we gave our backs nothing to work from. "Just generally, we looked flat as a team. We made a couple of changes, as did they. You come off a couple of games in Europe and you look to freshen things up, but clearly their changes worked better than ours. "We've had losses before, as every team does, and you really have to look at yourselves." Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: "I couldn't be happier. We spoke about backing it (the Leinster win) up and there were a lot of players out there who haven't had as much rugby as they would have liked. "But you're only as good as your squad and it's important that when boys get a chance, they stand up and take it. They certainly did that tonight. "I thought we were excellent and, from the word go, we really came out of the blocks. We thoroughly deserved our win." Northampton Saints: Mallinder; Elliott, Pisi, Burrell, Collins; Myler, Kessell; Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Paterson, Matfield, Wood (capt), Harrison, Dickinson. Replacements: Williams, Waller, Denman, Craig, Day, Dickson, Hanrahan, Wilson. Wasps: Miller; Halai, Macken, Downey, Bassett; Gopperth, Robson; McIntyre, Shervington, Cooper-Woolley, Gaskell, Myall, Rieder, Smith (capt), Hughes. Replacements: Johnson, Bristow, Swainston, Cannon, Young, Stevenson, Jackson, Tagicakibau. For the latest rugby union news follow

Summary: Wasps comfortably defeated Northampton Saints in difficult conditions to win at Franklin's Gardens for the first time since 2005.


The crash happened between Manordeilo and Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire at about 10:30 BST on Thursday. Her family said in a tribute: "Diane was a fun and loving wife, mother and mamgu. We are devastated by the loss of such a beautiful person." A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous or inconsiderate driving.

Summary: A woman killed when a recycling lorry and her car crashed on the A40 has been named as Diane James.


Members of the EIS Further Education Lecturers' Association were already set to go on strike on Thursday next week. The union has now confirmed it plans to hold two strikes the following week and more after Easter. If the dispute is not settled, they plan to go on strike three days a week indefinitely from the last week of April onwards. The planned strike dates are: The dispute is linked to the return of national pay bargaining in the sector. Lecturers at most colleges are angry about a 1% pay offer and are concerned about the differences between pay at different colleges. They claim there are disparities of up to Â£10,000 a year. The dispute at colleges in Glasgow is over a distinct issue - the union wants these colleges to join the national pay bargaining set-up. Colleges Scotland, the body that represents Scotland's colleges, has said the pay offer which it put before the union is the best deal possible.

Summary: Lecturers at further education colleges across Scotland have announced more details of a planned series of strikes.


A conference next month at the city's National Waterfront Museum will hear from delegates who have turned around the fortunes of Sydney, Australia, and Antwerp, Belgium. It is being organised by the Design Commission for Wales in partnership with Swansea council. One council leader said Swansea must rethink what makes a city successful. It follows a series of shop closures across the city centre in recent years, followed by the loss of a Â£1bn project to transform the shopping district, when developers plumped to invest in the out-of-town Parc Tawe instead. Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea council's cabinet member for enterprise, development and regeneration, said they needed to examine what makes a winning city. "Shopping is a major part of the city centre offer here, but a lot more needs to be available to generate the footfall our traders need," he said. "The city centre has to become a place that people want to go - a destination that's both easy to get to and offers a range of events that will create a buzz and attract people." Initiatives have already begun to try and lure people back into town. This week retailers have been invited to take to the streets on temporary market stalls in order to drum up passing trade with a variety of themed events. Last weekend saw the re-launch of the Big Heart of Swansea loyalty card which offers discounts at participating stores within the city centre's Business Improvement District (BID). According to Russell Greenslade, chief executive of Swansea BID, around 500 shoppers snapped up the offer on its first day. "The beauty of the loyalty card is that discounts can only be redeemed in-store," he said. "This helps attract more visitors into the city centre and boosts our traders. It's one of many schemes on which we work closely with Swansea council to benefit our city centre businesses." But Julie Williamson, who chairs Swansea Bay's Federation of Small Businesses, said the success of the city lay with all businesses - not just the shops. "Of course we need a healthy retail sector, but what keeps those shops going is the workers from other offices and businesses coming into town every day, and shopping in their lunch breaks and after work. And it's those other businesses which are leaving in increasing numbers."

Summary: Swansea is calling in international experts to help regenerate its city centre.


Brady presented his case during a 10-hour hearing on Tuesday. The 37-year-old was punished by the NFL (National Football League) after it was decided he was "generally aware" of a scheme to deflate footballs. The incident happened in the Patriots' play-off win over Indianapolis Colts, which sent them to the Super Bowl. An NFL investigation claimed the Patriots had deflated match balls to give themselves an advantage in their 45-7 victory. They went on to win the Super Bowl XLIX. According to reports, 11 of the 12 game balls they provided for the rain-affected match were under-inflated below set standards by about two pounds per square inch, giving Brady more grip in the cold and wet conditions. Brady was "at least generally aware of inappropriate activities", according to the independent Wells Report. But Brady's father, Tom Brady Sr, labelled the investigation "Frame-gate", and the player's agent Don Yee said the ban was "ridiculous" and lacked "legitimate basis". The quarterback will not receive any pay during his ban, while the team were fined $1m (£642,000). NFL commissioner Roger Goodell presided over Brady's hearing, despite a request from the Players Association' for a neutral arbitrator. No set time frame has been made for the outcome of the appeal.

Summary: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has made his appeal against the four-match ban he received for his part in 'Deflate-gate'.


Motorists saw the vehicle "tootling along" the A601 in Derby on 2 March, with one capturing the scene on a dashcam. Officers said they had traced the owner to the Chaddesden area. The man, who had a stroke some years ago, also offered his apologies to other road users, police said. PC Mark Atterbury from the Chaddesden Safer Neighbourhood Team said: "Unfortunately he had been given some incorrect information about where and when he could use it that caused him to be on a road that was very unsafe for a vehicle of that type. "Thankfully with the information we received I have been able to pay him a visit and give him the correct advice that means he will now be able to use his scooter in a safer fashion. "He wanted me to apologise to any of the other road users who had been concerned about his actions but is now pleased to have had the correct information." Source: Derbyshire Police

Summary: An 83-year-old man spotted driving his mobility scooter on a busy city ring road has been "offered advice" by police.


Sokol Muja, 27, was backing a people carrier out of a bay at a car wash on Llantarnam Industrial Estate in Cwmbran when he hit Dave Fields, 75. He admitted causing death by careless driving at Cardiff Crown Court. Judge Eleri Rees gave Muja, from Cwmbran, a six-month suspended sentence and banned him from driving for two years on Friday. Mr Fields had taken his car to be cleaned and was stood waiting when Muja reversed into him, causing him to fall and hit his head. He died in hospital five days later. Muja also admitted driving without insurance and in accordance with the provisional licence he holds. He was ordered to carry out 250 hours of community work and told to pay Â£350 in costs and a victim surcharge. Judge Rees said: "Your action resulted in a tragic and needless loss of life and you will have to bear the burden of guilt throughout your life." Afterwards, Mr Fields's daughter-in-law Kathy said: "He deserved to go to prison for what he did but I suppose we just have to accept it. "It seems he paid just a small price for the immense harm he has caused."

Summary: A learner driver who knocked over and killed a pensioner at a car wash has been given a suspended jail sentence.


The man, known only as Muhamed, told an Old Bailey jury he spent 10 months undercover in Birmingham. He named three men who allegedly tried to leave the UK hidden in a lorry. Anas Abdalla and Mahamuud Diini deny preparing for acts of terrorism. Separately, Gabriel Rasmus pleaded guilty to the same offence. The three men were arrested after they were found hiding in the back of a lorry at Dover docks last April, the jury heard. Muhamed, described only in court as a "law enforcement officer", is believed to be the first undercover operative to give open evidence in a criminal trial relating to Syria. He has also told the court how he spent months infiltrating alleged extremist networks across Birmingham. Muhamed said his objectives included identifying anyone planning to travel to Syria. The court heard his native language was Serbo-Croat and throughout his evidence - given from behind a curtain - he spoke quietly with an eastern European accent. Muhamed told the court that in June 2014 he was deployed to three Birmingham areas - Sparkhill, Sparkbrook and Small Heath. He then spent months building his "legend" - an undercover identity that people trusted. Rasmus, who is 29, from Birmingham and also known as Abu Junaid, was among the men he met - and he told the court that the perfume seller dreamt of going to Syria. Over the course of some months Rasmus repeatedly asked him for help in joining the self-styled Islamic State, revealing he had twice tried to travel and been turned back in Turkey. He showed Muhamed videos of hostage killings, praised the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris and asked him whether he had contacts in the Bosnian Mujahideen. "He is extreme, he is desperate to go to Islamic State and fight [for IS]," said Muhamed. The court heard that in January 2015, Rasmus expressed his frustration while walking with Muhamed in Birmingham's Bullring Shopping Centre. Rasmus wanted to join someone he knew in Syria - but he had no means to get there. "He was sad. He said if he would stay here, he would do something, some terrorist attack," said Muhamed. "Did he say what sort of terrorist attack?" asked Sally Howes QC, prosecuting. "He said something similar to what is happening in France," replied the officer. Ms Howes also asked Muhamed how he went about his work. "My objectives were to collect evidence and information about extremist behaviour and extremist people," he said, adding that his targets for finding such people would include meeting places, mosques and restaurants. "An undercover officer cannot act as an agent provocateur," he told the jury. "We cannot encourage people to do offences. "Undercover officers can show enthusiasm and interest. But you have to check your authorisation for [taking part in such activity]." Ms Howes asked Muhamed how he would decide which people he met were potential extremists. "If someone supports Islamic State, a terrorist organisation, that for me is terrorist and extremist behaviour, and I report it. "If someone showed me pictures of people killing hostages from

Summary: An undercover officer who infiltrated alleged extremist networks told a court that a suspect threatened to attack the UK if he could not reach Syria.


The deal, to hand over the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, was agreed during a visit to Egypt by Saudi King Salman in April 2016. It sparked rare protests in Egypt, with the president accused of "selling" the islands in return for Saudi aid. The deal has been subject to challenges in court over the past year. But parliament has insisted the issue lies in its jurisdiction. Final approval is now needed from President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Protesters gathered outside the press union in Cairo as news of parliament's approval became known. Several people, including some journalists, were detained. Mr Sisi said the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis had asked Egypt to station troops there in 1950 to protect them. A court ruled in January that the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were originally Saudi, although this ruling was overturned by another court a few months later. Opponents accuse Mr Sisi of violating the constitution and handing over the islands to please Saudi Arabia which has backed him financially since he led the military's overthrow of his elected Islamist predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013.

Summary: Egypt's parliament has given its approval to a controversial plan to transfer sovereignty of two largely uninhabited islands to Saudi Arabia.


The 49-year-old man sustained a head injury following the incident at about 09:00 on the Loan Footpath, at its junction with Fergus Avenue. He was taken to the Western General where his condition is now considered to be serious. Police Scotland are trying to trace the cyclist, who did not swap details with the jogger at the time. Sgt Neil Inglis said: "We're eager to trace the cyclist, described as a man in his early 20s, and any witnesses, as soon as possible in the hope that they can help us establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident." Police are also appealing for witnesses to a collision between a motorbike and car in East Calder. A Kawasaki motorbike and a Kia Ceed collided at about 17:15 on Friday on the A71 junction with the B7031 Camps. The A71 was closed for about an hour while the road was cleared. A 41-year-old man was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with serious injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening.

Summary: A jogger has been seriously injured in a collision with a bicycle in Livingston.


It concluded that inaccurate blood tests would give too many people an incorrect diagnosis, while lifestyle changes had a low success rate. But the director of the NHS programme said its approach was based on "robust evidence". The programme started last year and will cover all of England by 2020. Type 2 diabetes leads to 22,000 early deaths every year in England and costs the NHS Â£8bn. In the UK, about 3.2 million people have type 2 diabetes and this is predicted to rise to 5 million by 2025. The UK's National Diabetes Prevention Programme, which aims to identify thousands of people at high risk of developing the condition each year, follows a "screen and treat" approach. This involves a screening test for pre-diabetes, then tailored treatment or advice on diet and lifestyle to prevent the disease developing. But after analysing the results of 49 studies of screening tests and 50 intervention trials, University of Oxford researchers said the policy would benefit some, but not all those at high risk. They also said a population-wide approach to diabetes prevention would be a useful addition. In the BMJ study, they found that two blood tests - HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose - were inaccurate at detecting pre-diabetes, although they are the only ones available to doctors and patients. They also found that lifestyle interventions lasting three to six years showed a 37% reduction in relative risk of type 2 diabetes - equivalent to 90 fewer people in every 1,000 developing the disease. When treated with a drug that helps lower blood sugar levels, 80 fewer participants out of 1,000 developed diabetes compared with those not taking the drug. The authors concluded: "As screening is inaccurate, many people will receive an incorrect diagnosis and be referred on for interventions while others will be falsely reassured and not offered the intervention. "These findings suggest that 'screen and treat' policies alone are unlikely to have substantial impact on the worsening epidemic of Type 2 diabetes." However, Matt Fagg, programme director for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, said it was "a key part of the solution" and was "based on a comprehensive collation of robust evidence". He added: "Diabetes prevention also needs to start even earlier - we're committed to reducing obesity and creating a more active culture so that we see fewer people at risk in the first place." And Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for obesity and diabetes for NHS England, said the NHS programme was not a screening programme -"it empowers people who have already been identified through routine clinical practice to reduce their risk". "As this BMJ paper highlights, such lifestyle interventions have been clearly shown to work. "The NHS is not willing to sit idly by while these individuals progress to Type 2 diabetes," he said. Prof Norman Waugh from Warwick Medical School said there was a balance to be struck between screening and treating individuals, and the public health model of changing behaviour in the whole population at risk. Public health measures could include helping people to control their weight, introducing

Summary: The NHS programme for screening those at high risk of type 2 diabetes is unlikely to have much impact, an Oxford University study in the BMJ suggests.


Father-of-three, Martin O'Rourke, 24, died after he was shot several times outside a pub in the Sheriff Street/Oriel Street area at about 12:30 local time on Thursday. It is understood the murder was a case of mistaken identity. A handgun was found in a bin a short time after the shooting. Mr O'Rourke tried to run but was shot several times by a gunman dressed in dark clothes, who then cycled away. The gun is now undergoing ballistic tests but is believed to be the murder weapon. Police have also recovered a black bicycle. The scene of the shooting remains cordoned off. RTÃ‰ reports that it is the fifth murder as part of a feud between associates of Gary Hutch, who was shot dead in Spain last year, and David Byrne, who was connected to the Kinahan international drugs cartel based in Spain.

Summary: Police in the Republic of Ireland believe they have recovered the weapon used in the murder of a man in Dublin.


Mr Anderson said he was angry his track record "wasn't good enough". Unite Union aide Dan Carden, 30, has been selected in the safe seat. Ben Williams, the secretary of the constituency party, tweeted he will resign in protest at a "disgraceful undemocratic stitch-up". Steve Rotheram, the constituency's MP since 2010, said he was standing down from Westminster after being elected mayor of the Liverpool City Region last week. Mr Carden, who joined the Labour Party while at school, was selected by Labour's National Executive Committee. He is an aide to Len McCluskey, general secretary of the UK's largest union, Unite. He was born in Liverpool, but critics argue he is inexperienced in the city's politics compared to the other candidates. Mr Anderson, who was on the final short list along with Mr Carden said: "I put myself forward for the selection in Liverpool Walton on my track record of running a successful Labour council in a major city and my desire to use those skills for Walton, for Liverpool and a new Labour government. "Apparently it wasn't good enough for the panel." Mr Anderson said he had turned Labour's fortunes around in the city, leading a socialist council and protecting those most in need. North West Euro MP Theresa Griffin had also put herself forward. Labour won Liverpool Walton in 2015 with a majority of more than 27,000.

Summary: Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has said Labour "is not always a meritocracy" after being overlooked as the party's Liverpool Walton candidate for the general election on 8 June.


Cookson, the ex-head of British Cycling, beat Ireland's Pat McQuaid in a bitter election in late 2013. But Armstrong is unimpressed with what he has seen of the president so far. "If McQuaid had made the same decisions Cookson has made in his first year, he would have been lynched," said the disgraced cyclist. "Do we like what we have got so far?" Armstrong cited the decisions to "rush" through Team Sky's request for Chris Froome to get emergency steroid treatment for asthma after the Tour de Romandie's prologue and Cookson's handling of the Astana affair as failures to signal a new direction at the top of the sport. Media playback is not supported on this device Astana, the team for which Armstrong rode during his second comeback in 2009, have been mired in controversy ever since five riders in their system failed drugs tests in a matter of months last year. Many observers expected the UCI to revoke the team's WorldTour licence but after weeks of speculation the Kazakhstan-based outfit were given another chance in December. Run by Alexander Vinokourov, a contemporary of Armstrong's, Astana remain on probation and their anti-doping practices are being independently vetted, but the episode was widely seen as a challenge that Cookson ducked. And with Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali riding for Astana, the sport had once again left itself vulnerable to ridicule. Speaking to the BBC in his first TV interview for two years, Armstrong said "everybody thinks" Astana should have been thrown out, but he accepted that Cookson's hands might have been tied by the UCI's rules. He was less understanding, though, on the 63-year-old's failure to force the likes of Vinokourov, Tinkoff-Saxo's Bjarne Riis and other controversial team managers still in the sport, to cooperate with the panel set up by the UCI to investigate the sport's murky past. Armstrong has talked to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (Circ) twice and is now waiting to see if his efforts will be rewarded with a recommendation that his lifetime ban from sport should be reduced. That ban was given out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) in 2012 when Armstrong failed to cooperate with its investigation into the teams with whom he won his seven Tour de France titles. He was also stripped of those victories. Any decision on reducing the ban rests with Usada, which might mean Armstrong is left disappointed, but he is angry that his peers have not been compelled to talk to Circ. "If I'm Brian Cookson, I would make it a deal point that you have to come in and talk," he said. "So if Riis doesn't talk to you, or Vinokourov doesn't, there should be consequences. I don't know those to be examples, but I can imagine. "If you don't come in to talk, you don't just get passed." When asked for a reaction, Riis's team Tinkoff-Saxo said he has never refused to meet Circ and it wanted to respect the confidentiality of the process, while the UCI said it would wait until Circ's report is

Summary: Lance Armstrong believes Brian Cookson has not delivered on his campaign promises since taking over at the International Cycling Union (UCI).


The health watchdog said it had taken "urgent action" after an unannounced inspection at Pro Medicus in Harpenden. It has declined to say why it took the action, stating its reasons will be revealed in a report being published at a later date. Pro Medicus director Stephen Burton said it had taken "robust action". The CQC said it carried out an unannounced inspection on 3 and 4 August and chose to take "urgent action to temporarily suspend the registration of this provider". It said that the suspension was due to last until 18 September "whilst they take action to address the concerns we have". The CQC said the provider could not undertake any of its regulated work while it was under suspension. Pro Medicus has more than 30 years' experience providing independent ambulances, medical supervision and first aid training courses throughout the UK. Its website claims its clients include NHS trusts, Stevenage Football Club, Cambridge United Football Club and Saracens Rugby Club. The watchdog gave the company a clean bill of health in its last inspection in November 2013. Mr Burton declined to say what the issues were about, adding: "We've taken advice from the CQC. A number of things were highlighted - we're not denying what they've said need addressing. "We've taken robust action and we've got staff in at the moment going through everything and we're updating lots of things. "As far as we're concerned we've always had a good name. We're going to bring it up to scratch and hopefully in the next few weeks everything will be in place."

Summary: A private ambulance firm based in Hertfordshire has had its registration temporarily suspended due to "concerns" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).


In his speech to Scottish delegates gathered in Aberdeen, he said "nationalism and populism" might seem like "attractive options". However, he said the right choice was the Liberal Democrat Party and the influence it could wield in government. Mr Carmichael said his ambition was to see all 11 Lib Dem Westminster seats in Scotland being retained. He told the conference: "In a world where nationalism and populism can seem like attractive options - a world where the power of the state and corporate interests can seem to overwhelm the rights and freedoms of the individual - in a world like that liberalism is needed more than ever before and more than ever before our country needs Liberal Democrat influence in government." Recent polling had suggested that the Liberal Democrats would lose most of its Scottish MPs. However, echoing similar messages from party leader Nick Clegg and Treasury Minister Danny Alexander, Mr Carmichael said he wanted to prove the doubters wrong about the 7 May election outcome. He said: "All the clever people tell us - apparently it is over. We are all going to lose. At best I will be the last man standing. Well, let me tell the clever people this. I have campaigned in every general election since 1979." He added: "In each and every one of these elections the imminent demise of our party has been confidently predicted. Our wipeout has been awaited with relish. "But somehow - in the face of all the cleverness - we are still here. We have proved them all wrong before and I promise you this, come May 7th we are going to prove them wrong again. "We are defending 11 seats here in Scotland, in this election. And we can hold each and every one." The minister re-capped on the party's time in coalition government and said that Lib Dem influence had helped to: Mr Carmichael made clear he knew the road so far had been a hard one and there would be more challenges ahead. But he said he had no intention of cutting more than was needed. The MP for Orkney and Shetland said: "In this week's budget the Tories softened their plans for PR purposes. "But they still want to cut further into the fabric of our public finances. "Further than the economic case requires." He added: "There must be rich, chauffeur-driven venture capitalists out there who live in gated communities, use private healthcare, have no children, and were born to parents who were either equally rich or who are long since dead, and who would be quids-in under the Tories. "But for the rest of us on a normal salary or a low salary, or no salary at all, who depend on the NHS, who have children at state schools, or use public transport, or rely on the state pension, or who have dependents, or who just live on the same planet and breathe the same air as most of us do. "Well, for us, this right-wing, dogmatic, self-centred, ideologically-driven, Ayn Randian dystopia is not a matter of

Summary: Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has said he believes liberalism is needed "more than ever before".


The problem affects voice-over-internet-protocol (Voip) phones, commonly installed by businesses, when default passwords are used. Snom, the manufacturer whose phones were used in the research, has said the attack affects outdated software. A spokesman said the tested firmware was "never in wide circulation". The researcher carried out tests on a phone that was reset to "default" factory settings. Just by running a couple of lines of code on a website visited by the phone user, the researchers demonstrated how premium-rate calls could be made. By exploiting the fact that Voip phones and desktop computers are connected to the same internet network at many organisations, attackers are often able to access the phones themselves and operate them without the owner becoming aware. "It's incredibly easy to do," said security researcher Per Thorsheim, who was involved in the demonstration by fellow researcher Paul Moore. However, a spokesman for Snom said, "Snom's internal investigation reveals that the desktop telephone used in Mr Paul Moore's experiment was an old 2008 telephone model utilizing outdated beta firmware... which was never in wide circulation. "The latest and current firmware is version 8.7.5.35 and there have been multiple firmware releases since the outdated beta release." The spokesman added that Snom telephones by default request that both users and network administrators set a password during installation. "If a password is not set, a continuous non-stop, endless visual warning on the device's display is illuminated," he said. Mr Thorsheim explained that the tested phone could be compromised if the user visited a web page containing a couple of lines of Javascript web code. Prof Alan Woodward, a security expert at the University of Surrey, said attacks on Voip phones were a "significant problem" and pointed out that by using online tools he was able to find many examples of phones that could be accessed using the method. "The one we do know where it's being used a lot is premium-rate scams," he told the BBC. "They use your phone to dial a premium-rate number. There's a lot of that going on - we're talking millions being made out of that." The practice of using phone lines paid for by companies to make expensive calls for little or no fee is thought to be increasingly common, according to research by security consultancy Nettitude. In a report last year, it said that the UK was particularly badly affected. Prof Woodward said the issue was similar to flaws found in internet-connected devices and warned that with the rise of the Internet of Things, similar tricks were likely to become more and more common. "It's a huge wake-up call to anybody who's building devices with embedded software," he said.

Summary: Security researchers have hacked a phone to show how it is possible to eavesdrop on conversations and make premium calls on someone else's line.


Madeleine Moon, Bridgend's Labour MP, said more military exercises are needed to show Russia "we are ready and we are capable". It follows the crash of Malaysia airliner MH17 in Ukraine and growing tensions between Russia and the west. Ms Moon, who sits on the Commons defence committee, called for a halt in a decline on defence spending. A total of 298 people were on board MH17, when it was reportedly hit by a missile over a rebel-held area in Donetsk region on Thursday. Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels have accused each other of shooting down the Boeing 777, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Western countries have criticised restrictions imposed by rebels at the crash site, and have asked Russia to pressurise them to allow more access. Ms Moon said the "callous" behaviour of militia followed the annexation of Ukraine adding that Russian president Vladimir Putin had to realise that the "world is outraged". She said: "I think we have to act as if we're entering a new Cold War. "We've had Russian ships, we have had Russian submarines off our coast for the last few years. "We've had Russian planes entering very close to our airspace for years, testing our defences. "We've got no maritime patrol capability - that needs to be replaced." Ms Moon, who is also part of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly, told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement Britain had ignored Russia's "flexing of its muscles". She added: "We have to have more regular live exercises and snap exercises so that we are clear that we are sending a message to Russia that we are not sitting back - we are ready and we are capable - because that's the only message the Russians understand."

Summary: Britain has to "act as if we're entering a new Cold War" with Russia, an MP has claimed.


Police were called to McLeod Street near Tynecastle Stadium at about 15:00 on Saturday, 3 October, to a reports of a fight involving 20 rival supporters. A 21-year-old man from Kilmarnock was charged at the scene. A further 14 men and boys, aged 14-28, have been charged with various offences. All are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 17 February 2016. Insp Bob Innes of Police Scotland said: "We treat such incidents extremely seriously. "The safety of everyone attending football matches is of paramount importance and violence and disorder will not be tolerated. "Thanks to some excellent police work and with the assistance of our partners at Hearts Football Club, we have successfully traced and charged 14 males in connection with this incident. "They will appear in court in due course and in the meantime they have been ordered not to attend at any regulated football match in the UK. "I can reassure the public that anyone involved in this sort of criminal activity will be swiftly dealt with."

Summary: Police have arrested and charged 14 football fans in connection with a clash before last month's match between Hearts and Kilmarnock in Edinburgh.


Jose Beltrame stood down a day after a high profile clash between police and suspected drug dealers in some of the city's best known neighbourhoods. The shootout caused panic and forced shops to closed their doors on Monday. Police say three men were killed and several arrested in the raid on the Pavao-Pavaozinho shantytown. Dramatic footage posted online shows one of the suspected criminals falling off a mountain after being shot by police. Pavao-Pavaozinho is built on the hills and granite mountains that divide the Copacabana, Ipanema and Lagoa neighbourhoods. Mr Beltrame led a controversial programme that saw the occupation of dozens of Rio's favelas by police. Residents initially welcomed the "pacification plan," and celebrated the arrest or escape of drug lords who controlled life in their communities. But many eventually turned against the programme after accusing police of abusing their powers. More than 260 favelas have been occupied since the programme was launched in 2010. Rio's pacification programme was aimed at improving security and the rule of law in the run-up to Brazil's hosting of the football World Cup in 2014 and Rio's staging of the Olympics and Paralympics , which took place in August and September. Rio residents say security has declined sharply since the end of the Games. Mr Beltrame said the first phase of his "pacification programme" was to restore law and order in the city's poorest communities. But he complained that there was no money for the second phase of the programme, which consisted of social improvements for residents, with the construction of schools and leisure facilities. Brazil is facing a serious economic and political crisis and the state of Rio de Janeiro has been particularly hit by the downturn.

Summary: The head of security for the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has resigned after nearly ten years in post following a recent rise in violence.


Resuming on 27-2, the Bears looked likely to follow on when injured skipper Ian Bell's departure left them 88-6. They recovered to post 152, thanks to Varun Chopra's 56, then fought back. They bowled Somerset out for 178 - of which Peter Trego made 51 - and closed on 4-0 in pursuit of 322 to win. Trego's second half-century of the match, following his first-innings 94, may yet prove decisive, despite Boyd Rankin's 3-33 and Chris Woakes' 3-45. A first-innings lead of 143 was a significant advantage on a pitch which has offered bowlers more assistance than envisaged. Lewis Gregory and Jamie Overton each took three wickets for Somerset, but Craig Overton finished off the innings after Warwickshire's last pair Woakes and Jeetan Patel had added 17 to see their side past the follow-on target. With both sides looking for their first win of the season, Warwickshire will have to make the highest score of the match to do it - and the balance is tilted even further in the visitors' favour by the continued worry over Bell, who is nursing an injured hamstring. Having not come in until number seven in the first innings because of the time he had spent off the field the previous day, Bell lasted only 12 balls before holing out off Trego for seven. Bell, hoping for an England recall against Sri Lanka for the first Test at Headingley in 10 days' time, went off at the end of the day's play for a scan, but is expected to be able to bat. Warwickshire bowler Boyd Rankin told BBC WM: "We will try and bat really positively. We still think we can win. In general, it is a pretty good wicket. There are a few cracks there in the pitch but we have just got to be positive. "I would say that the reason so many wickets have fallen is down more to batsman error than top-quality bowling. "Looking back on our innings there were quite a few soft wickets and I suppose the same with them. "The wickets here seem to get a bit flatter so our ploy was to bowl a little bit short. There were one of two them not too keen on the short ball so it was something we felt would work well on that wicket." Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego told BBC Somerset: "Tom Abell played magnificently well on day one, supported up the other end by myself, but we played and missed at a lot of balls that we could easily have nicked. The general feeling was that you could easily be rolled for 150 and that played out in Warwickshire's innings. "We have got ourselves into a great position now and it's about staying disciplined and pretty much replicating what we did in their first innings. "The pitch has some quite decent-sized cracks so, when the ball is in and around that area, there is a little bit of uneven bounce and sideways movement. Because of the nature of what happens when the ball does hit a crack, it

Summary: Somerset look in the best shape to win at Edgbaston after a bowler-dominated second day against Warwickshire in which 18 wickets fell.


The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 369.96 points or 2.12% finishing at 17,847.63. The broader S&P 500 index rose 42.07 or 2.05% to 2,091.69, while the Nasdaq index jumped 104.74 or 2.08% to 5,142.27. The US market added 211,000 new jobs in November leaving unemployment at 5%. Many investors now believe it is inevitable that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates when it meets on 15 and 16 December. Bank stocks were among the days big winners. Shares of JPMorgan Chase grew by 3.2% while Citigroup shares were up 3% and shares of Wells Fargo rose 2.7%. Oil services companies were some of the few to fall on Friday after OPEC- a group of large oil producing countries- announced it would keep production levels unchanged. Servicing company Weatherford International lost 4.5% and Transocean fell 3.9% While the domestic economy showed signs of strengthening, the slowdown in the global economy weighed on America's trade deficit. Data from the US Commerce Department showed the gap between what America imports and what it exports rose 3.4% to $43.9 billion in October.

Summary: (Close): Wall Street closed up following a strong US jobs report that showed unemployment remaining at a seven and half year low.


The 26-year-old Southend United forward was jailed in May after admitting online banking fraud in which a woman lost more than Â£2,000. His club said he was eligible for early release because of the short duration of his sentence and "his consistently excellent custodial behaviour". Ranger will return to training with the League One club immediately. In a statement, Southend United said: "Nile may regard himself as fortunate but will remain under an evening home curfew for the next five to six weeks." The club said it was unclear whether this meant he would be able to play in midweek evening matches. Ranger is set to go through an individual training regime over the next seven to 10 days before rejoining his team-mates. The former England youth player came through the academy at Newcastle United and went on to play for Swindon Town and Blackpool, before moving to Southend United in last summer.

Summary: Footballer Nile Ranger has been released from prison about 10 weeks into his eight-month sentence.


He is referring to the prospect of a peace deal between the Colombian government and left-wing rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). Most of Panama's security problems originate south of its border, in Colombia. Colombia is one of the world's top three producers of coca, the raw ingredient of cocaine, and huge amounts of it are smuggled from Colombia to the United States. Panama, Colombia's northern neighbour, is often the first stop for those smuggling the drug by land or speedboat. Colombia is also the scene of the continent's longest-running armed conflict. For more than 50 years, Farc rebels have been fighting the Colombian government. The jungle area between Colombia and Panama was for years a rebel stronghold. From a helicopter, Gen Abrego points out small hamlets in Darien province, on the Panamanian side of the border. "This is where the Farc would hold its football tournament," he says pointing to a clearing in the jungle. "And this is where they would rest after carrying out their attacks." In 2008, almost two-thirds of Darien province was under rebel control, he says. Combating the rebels has been no mean feat for Panama, which, along with Costa Rica, is one of only two countries in Latin America not to have a standing army. Panama's military was disbanded shortly after the 1989 US invasion which overthrew military ruler Gen Manuel Noriega. A constitutional amendment in 1994 later prohibited the creation of a standing army for good. It therefore comes as little surprise that for years Farc rebels could move almost freely from Colombia across the 225-km-long border into Darien to rest and regroup. It is only since the creation of the Panamanian Border Police, Senafront, in 2008 that the government has had a permanent presence in the area. That increased security presence is in Colombia's interest too. It has long been frustrated by the ease with which the rebels could escape arrest by slipping across the border. The two countries co-operate closely on security and run a joint control post called La Union. La Union is located on top of a mountain in dense jungle. It sits right across one of the main routes the Farc used to enter into the country. As we land, it is steeped in mist, giving it an eerie feel. La Union does not consist of much more than a few wooden bunkers covered with sandbags. The lookouts are manned by young policemen on the Panamanian side, and young soldiers on the Colombian side, all of whom look rather relaxed, almost bored. The Colombians, who are stationed here for four months at a time, keep themselves busy by building a new accommodation hut which they hope will prove more comfortable than the tents they are currently sleeping in. There does not seem to be much of a threat here, but Gen Abrego assures me this post and others like it are key in keeping the rebels at bay and keeping the local population safe. "For a long time, the only authority in these parts was the commander

Summary: "Peace is not a bad thing, but it's unlikely to solve our problems," says Director of Panama's Border Police, Frank Abrego.


Mohammed Rafik Naji, 37, had expressed support for an attack in Times Square, according to a criminal complaint. The 37-year-old, who lives in Brooklyn, was charged on Monday, said a spokeswoman for the FBI. Times Square was the site of a failed car bomb attempt in 2010 carried out by a 30-year-old Connecticut resident. A paid police informant made contact with Mr Naji in August 2015. Suspicions had been aroused after he flew to Turkey with the alleged ambition of joining Islamic State in Yemen. He had emailed his girlfriend while he was away, asking her for money and sending her a "selfie" of himself in black clothing wearing an armoured vest, according to court papers. When he flew back to New York later in 2015, he remained in contact with the informant and one recorded conversation five days after the Nice attacks led to him being charged. In that conversation, Mr Naji expressed his support for staging a similar attack - 84 people were killed in France by a lorry driving into crowds celebrating Bastille Day - in New York's Times Square, say prosecutors. "They want an operation in Times Square, reconnaissance group already put out a scene, the Islamic State already put up scenes of Times Square, you understand," Mr Naji said, according to the court papers. "I said that was an indication for whoever is smart to know."

Summary: A Yemeni man living in New York City has been charged with attempting to provide support to the Islamic State group, say US authorities.


Football's world governing body acted following the "internal wrangles affecting the FGF that have halted all football competitions in Guinea". The committee, whose members will be selected by Fifa and the Confederation of African Football, will be tasked to organise FGF elections by 28 February. Until then the committee will run the daily affairs of the FGF. The problems have affected Guinea's campaign to qualify for next year's Africa Cup of Nations tournament. They are third in their group behind Zimbabwe and Swaziland, with only the winners guaranteed a place at the finals in Gabon. Guinea are also due to host the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, a decision that was made by Caf in 2014.

Summary: Fifa has appointed a normalisation committee to take charge of Guinea's Football Federation (FGF).


"I saw that online," Williams told the BBC. "I get where he's coming from." "I find it difficult forming words in my head without an audience. So when there's 16,000 people screaming at you while you're trying to talk, I get it." But he said Bieber was wrong to scold his fans: "You've got to do it with humour or you don't do it at all." Bieber's UK tour was marred by ill-tempered rants at the audience. He called fans in Birmingham "obnoxious" and walked off stage in Manchester when screams drowned out his voice as he spoke between songs. "I don't think it's necessary when I'm trying to say something and you guys are screaming," the 22-year-old told them. He later reappeared to finish the concert, saying: "I'm not going to talk the rest of the night. We're just going to do the music. Obviously Manchester just can't handle it so let's do the music." Williams, who said he had seen coverage of the incidents, added: "I was like, this attention deficit disorder's really getting in the way for him. That's what I felt like, without even knowing that he'd got it." He later discovered that Bieber had talked about his struggles with ADHD, revealing to GQ magazine that he was taking the stimulant Adderall to help him concentrate. After finding fame with Take That, Williams also suffered anxiety and depression and said he had struggled on tour in the past. "Sometimes it's work and sometimes there's a communication with my audience that feels otherworldly," he explained. David's Song, a track on the star's new album, was inspired by one such moment. "I was actually on stage and I was having the most perfect moment with the audience, and I thought 'If I died right now, life has been absolutely amazing'. "It can be that good on stage. Then on other nights, it's just me acting like I'm enjoying myself because that's what they've paid for me to do. That's just the rhythm of life". Williams said that having a family had helped him overcome his anxiety about playing live. "I'm a daddy, so I have a purpose," he said. "It all makes sense. I'm a working dad, whereas before I was the textbook pop star who wasn't happy, even though he's got all this stuff." He added that his marriage to Ayda Field had changed the way he behaves on stage. "I don't think I'm as touch-feely as I used to be with the audience," he said. "I can't do that now I've got a wife. "I guess that I'm not as sexually-orientated. That's not the same any more. [Family] has made me want to be a better performer, better singer, better songwriter, better lyricist. The sense of responsibility has made me fine-tune my game." The star also confirmed he would not be reuniting with Take That to mark the band's 25th anniversary in 2017. "We unfortunately couldn't get our diaries to match. We will be doing something but I don't think it'll be next year." Follow us on Twitter

Summary: Robbie Williams says he sympathises with Justin Bieber, after the Canadian pop star reprimanded audiences for screaming at his concerts.


World number four Massaro, 33, won 11-8 12-10 11-5 in 35 minutes to become the second woman to win the title twice, after Malaysia's Nicol David. "I'm one of the oldest on Tour and as long as I feel I'm still in contention to win titles, I'm happy," she said. Compatriot James Willstrop was beaten 12-10 11-9 11-8 by Egypt's Mohamed Elshorbagy in the men's final. Former world number one Willstrop, who is now ranked sixth, said: "To make the final was a great pleasure. I was loving every minute, apart from losing. "Full credit to him, he stopped me playing so there are no complaints."

Summary: England's Laura Massaro defeated world champion Nour El Sherbini to defend her Dubai World Series Finals title.


Set 240 to win, Michael Klinger (53) and George Hankins (67) added 99 for Gloucestershire's second wicket. Taylor then smashed 64 from just 36 balls before being out with the scores level, but the visitors sealed victory. Luke Wright had earlier made 84 for Sussex, but was caught behind off the impressive Chris Liddle (5-52). After Wright fell on 182-5, having earlier been aided by Laurie Evans' 48, Sussex's batsmen struggled, with only Jofra Archer (30) making any real impact on the scoreboard. Both sides are now on three wins after seven matches, but Sussex have a point extra after their rain-ruined match against Middlesex. They can still make the top three - and a place in one of the two quarter-finals if they beat Hampshire at Southampton on Wednesday and Surrey lose to Gloucestershire at Bristol. Gloucestershire's Jack Taylor: "I'm hitting the ball well at the moment and it was nice to get us over the line for a good victory. We've just been too inconsistent in this format but we played well today. "We weren't sure what a good score was going to be but we bowled well, especially Chris Liddle, and then Michael Klinger and George Haskins set things up nicely for me and Ian Cockbain at the end. "Although we can't reach the knockout stages it's important to keep playing good cricket, not least because a lot of the skills are used in T20. It's good practice for that." Sussex head coach Mark Davis: "It's incredibly frustrating because we have played a lot better in this format but we have twice got ourselves in good positions and not won either game. "We thought we had a competitive score but we got ourselves into a good position and then kept losing wickets at crucial times. They then set the game up with the way Klinger and Haskins batted. "If we win the last game we'll give ourselves a chance of making the knockout stages so there is still a lot to play for."

Summary: Jack Taylor's fourth One-Day Cup half-century of the season helped Gloucestershire to a six-wicket win over Sussex with eight balls to spare.


The alleged victim was on her way to school when she was reportedly taken by two men in a car. But after reviewing CCTV, dash-cam footage and eye-witness accounts, there was no evidence of an abduction, Thames Valley Police said. They are still looking into rape allegations. According to initial reports from police, the victim alleged she was abducted by two men in a silver car on Marston Ferry Road in Summertown on 28 September. She was then found knocking on residents' doors in Cavendish Drive. Oxford City commander Supt Joe Kidman said the force, county council and social services are working with the victim at her pace. He added: "Attacks such as initially reported are mercifully rare and will always be treated extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated. "Working with vulnerable and young victims is an extremely complex and lengthy process and it is paramount that they are protected appropriately." 29 September: Police report that a teenager, 14, was abducted walking to school at about 08:25 BST on 28 September, and then raped. Forensic patrols begin across North Oxford 30 September: Patrols are increased throughout North Oxford and officers tell children and schools to remain vigilant 1 October: Police release descriptions of alleged abductors and rapists 3 October: Thames Valley Police focus their search for forensics on Marston Meadow, where the girl was thought to have been taken 5 October: Ribbons are put up across North Oxford in a show of solidarity for the alleged victim 12 October: Police issue e-fits of alleged abductors 26 October: Detectives say there is no CCTV footage or evidence of the victim being abducted 11 November: Police reveal the alleged abduction did not take place but say they are still investigating the rape

Summary: Police investigating the alleged abduction and rape of a 14-year-old girl in Oxford have said the "abduction did not take place".


Shares of the state-owned firm and its units were up between 16% and 42%. The IPO was the biggest in the world this year and the largest since Alibaba's record $25bn deal in 2014. It also marks the Japanese government's largest asset sale in nearly three decades. The listing is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to boost the flagging economy by encouraging consumers to invest in the stock market. About 10% of each company was sold to the public in the largest privatisation of a state-owned firm since Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in 1987. The government allocated 80% of the shares to domestic investors, with the remaining 20% sold to international institutional investors. Japan Post Holdings opened at 1,631 yen per share, 16.5% above the IPO price of 1,400 yen. The banking unit started at 1,680 yen, up almost 16% from its IPO price, while the insurance unit was 33% higher. That compares with a rise of over 2% for the benchmark Nikkei 225 index. Angus Nicholson, market analyst at trading firm IG, said the "blockbuster" IPO was helping drive the rally in Japanese markets as they returned from a holiday on Tuesday. "It is a significant moment as the privatisation of Japan Post had been a rallying cry during former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reign in the early-2000s," he said. The government plans to raise a total of 4tn yen in additional asset sales in the coming years. It has said the funds will be used to help reconstruct areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

Summary: Shares of Japan Post and its banking and insurance units surged on their stock market debut in Tokyo after the triple initial public offering (IPO) raised $12bn (£7.7bn).


The last week of Yvette Cooper's leadership campaign isn't exactly how she predicted it. She has spent more time in Parliament than on the stump. As shadow home secretary she has been leading her party's response to the refugee crisis - initially calling on the government to do more, and now pressing for some of those families who have already fled to Europe to be resettled here. This has helped, rather than harmed, her leadership chances but has also meant more conventional campaigning has had to be discarded. "I tend to respond most strongly to the most serious issues but I'm trying to keep this apart from the leadership contest, and trying to get cross party agreement to an appropriate response to the refugee crisis," she tells me. While I met her rivals "on the road" at rallies and meetings, we meet in her parliamentary office. She was on the front bench for David Cameron's statement on Monday, then was granted her own emergency debate on the crisis on Tuesday, and had sat alongside Harriet Harman - for whom she worked when Labour was in opposition in the 1990s - for her last Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. She still hopes to be taking over from her old boss when Labour's new leader is announced on Saturday but her team admits it will be an uphill struggle. She seems to be ending the campaign strongly, but has she left it too late? "The next week will define the next ten years' she declares. "My message now is look, we lost in 2015, it's really hard to win general elections -we need the best chance of doing so and a lot of people who depend on us will be let down if we veer away from the challenges of the future and look back to our party's history." Translated, that is please don't back Jeremy Corbyn. But she admits that her campaign got off to a slow start. "Some people were planning their leadership campaigns for a long time. I wasn't. "We were doing things from scratch. In the first month of the campaign I found it hard to come out of the shadow of the general election which we were so devastated at losing. I would go to meetings and people were just on the floor." But, she says, she has been consistent throughout her campaign in arguing for high quality manufacturing jobs, doubling investment in science, and for free childcare. So what brought her into politics in the first place? "My dad (Tony) was a full time trade unionist. My mother came from a mining community so it was a Labour family but we didn't talk about party politics - we talked about issues and ideas. "I first got involved campaigning against Section 28 (Conservative legislation that banned promotion of homosexuality a a 'pretended family relationship' in schools in England) -and I went with my Dad on the People's March for Jobs when I was 12 or 13." She was born in 1969 so her teenage years were spent under Margaret

Summary: In the fourth of a series of in-depth profiles of the Labour leadership candidates, Iain Watson catches up with Yvette Cooper.


The body of Christopher Butler, 27, from Southsea, was discovered at a flat in Waverley Road in the early hours of Friday. A 23-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, both from Portsmouth, are being held, Hampshire Constabulary said. A post-mortem examination on Friday was inconclusive.

Summary: Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Portsmouth on New Year's Day.


Media playback is not supported on this device More money than ever is flowing into the English domestic game, thanks to a £225m deal between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership clubs, and a bumper TV deal. As a result the salary cap has risen to £6.5m a year, while each club can also sign two 'marquee players' who do not count under the cap. With the new season starting on Friday, BBC Sport takes a closer look at some of the stellar new arrivals set to make an impact this year. South African flanker Burger is the most experienced of the new international stars arriving on England's shores, with 86 international caps under his belt. The 33-year-old, who won the World Cup with the Springboks in 2007, moves to champions Saracens after spells with Japanese outfit Suntory Sungoliath and Super Rugby side Stormers. Burger made his international debut for South Africa in 2003 and has featured in four World Cups. "I've had a good career so far but you have two ways to look at it," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "One - you can try and slow down, try and limit the schedule and play a little bit less. I look at it the other way. "I've got a couple of years maybe more left and I just want to challenge myself as much as possible." The Australia full-back, capped 60 times by his country, is one of the highest-profile signings in Premiership history. Beale, 27, is one of Wasps' marquee players with his salary - in excess of £500,000 a year - falling outside the salary cap. But Wasps fans will not see the former Waratahs star in action until at least November as he recovers from a serious knee injury. "It's pretty frustrating coming in injured - not being able to do the things I am meant to do - but I guess when the opportunity comes I will be fighting fit and ready to go," Beale told BBC Radio 5 live. "Obviously there is going to be a little bit of expectation and pressure. But I don't think it will be a huge problem for me because I really enjoy it when the pressure is on." France number eight Picamoles has made what has been an unusual move over the past few years, from France to England, while at his playing peak. The 30-year-old, who has 54 international caps and is noted as one of the finest ball carriers in the game, said he was looking forward to the quicker pace of the Premiership. "Maybe it is more physical in France, but here all teams want to play a fast game, and this is good for my progression," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "It's a big change for me and my family but we are enjoying starting a new life and adventure." The Wales international - foreign in that he is not English-qualified - may not have moved far in heading to the West Country from Newport, but Faletau's arrival at Bath was not without

Summary: A host of big international names are ready to light up what promises to be another ferocious Premiership season.


It was alleged in court that the Melbourne Storm prop and fellow Kiwi forward Kevin Proctor bought the drug after Friday's defeat by Australia. Proctor said he had "too much to drink" and "although I can't remember exactly what happened, I don't deny it". New Zealand Rugby League says banning the pair from the 2017 World Cup "could be one of a number of sanctions". The tournament will be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, taking place between 27 October and 2 December. New Zealand's management and senior players are set to meet to discuss possible sanctions against captain Bromwich and Proctor after chief executive Alex Hayton said they had "breached their code of conduct". Bromwich has been suspended for two games by his club and ordered to have counselling and treatment courses. The forward said: "I understand I am a role model to the young players and the poor choices I made do not reflect my personal values. "I regret making the choice of staying out with my team-mates until the early hours of Saturday morning, as well as consuming an excessive amount of alcohol. "I take full responsibility for the poor choices I made, I am devastated and my actions were out of character." Proctor, who has stepped down as co-captain of Gold Coast Titans, will appear before a club board this week and has also been stood down from playing until a "final decision" has been reached. He said in a statement he was "extremely embarrassed and sorry for the damage I've done to the game and my personal reputation since Friday night's Test match in Canberra". He added: "After the game we went back to the New Zealand team hotel and had a late dinner. "After the dinner we went to a local club to have a few drinks. The rest of the night is a bit of a blur as I obviously had too much to drink before the incident that has caused all the trouble. "I am devastated by the whole thing and can't apologise enough to my Kiwi team-mates, the NRL, the Titans, and all fans of the game. "I've never been in this sort of trouble in my career, I have never failed a drug test, and I'm so sorry I've let everyone down by losing control of my personal decisions by drinking too much alcohol." The allegations against the pair emerged in a court case which heard that a local man was captured on CCTV preparing a white powder on his phone. He then handed it to Bromwich and Proctor, who were said to have rolled up bank notes and taken the substance. While both players were named in court, neither has been charged with an offence.

Summary: Jesse Bromwich has stood down as New Zealand captain following allegations he took cocaine.


Media playback is not supported on this device Bingham, 39, won his first world title in 2015 after beating Shaun Murphy, who comes up against Anthony McGill. Five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Dave Gilbert, world number one Mark Selby plays Robert Milkins and Judd Trump meets Liang Wenbo. Bingham begins his campaign at 10:00 BST on Saturday, playing to a conclusion from 19:00 on the same day. World number two Bingham, who won a shock maiden world title last year despite being a 50-1 outsider at the start of the tournament, drew one of the most difficult qualifiers in Carter. O'Sullivan and Selby will be confident of progressing after gaining favourable draws, but in-form Trump, who won the China Open earlier this month, faces a significant test in 2015 UK Championship runner-up Liang. "The very first match that came out, Trump against Liang, what a first round that is," said World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn. "That will be sensational and my pick for the first round." All eyes were on China's number one player Ding Junhui, who had to qualify after slipping out of the top 16, and he comes up against Englishman Martin Gould. Other standout ties see Northern Irishman Mark Allen come up against world number 74 Mitchell Mann, the only debutant this year, and an all-Scottish clash between Stephen Maguire and Alan McManus. "Just because he is number 32 seed, it still won't be easy," said Allen. "I won the Players Championship, the last tournament I played in, but it is different pressure here. The place brings back special memories and there is so much history here." This year's tournament sees 28 of the top 32 players in the world in action, with every champion from this century looking to win the title again. Full draw Stuart Bingham v Ali Carter Stephen Maguire v Alan McManus Ricky Walden v Robbie Williams John Higgins v Ryan Day Judd Trump v Liang Wenbo Martin Gould v Ding Junhui Mark Williams v Graeme Dott Neil Robertson v Michael Holt Shaun Murphy v Anthony McGill Marco Fu v Peter Ebdon Barry Hawkins v Zhang Anda Ronnie O'Sullivan v David Gilbert Mark Allen v Mitchell Mann Joe Perry v Kyren Wilson Michael White v Sam Baird Mark Selby v Robert Milkins

Summary: Defending champion Stuart Bingham faces two-time runner-up Ali Carter in the first round of the World Championship.


Permission is being sought for three single turbines over 200m (655ft) high at Graythorp Industrial Estate, Brenda Road West Industrial Estate and Tofts Road West. The Department of Energy and Climate Change said it believed these would be the highest in England and Wales. Hartlepool Borough Council has recorded about 40 objections to the plans. More than 300 consultation responses have been received from individuals, councils and other organisations. The scheme developer is Hartlepool renewable energy company Seneca Global Energy Ltd. Ward Hadaway solicitor Mark Whitehead, who is acting for the company, said single, taller turbines could generate the same volume of energy as three or four typical turbines used in other schemes. "The increase in wind speeds at height allow the volume of renewable energy generation from each turbine to be maximised, whilst having the benefit of reducing the number of turbines used," he said. "This is intended to deliver high levels of renewable power whilst minimising the visual impact on the surrounding area." Of those replying to the consultation to date, just over one in 10 object on grounds such as reduction of property value, obstruction of view and effect on wildlife. Further discussions are taking place about the location of turbines planned for Tofts Road West and Graythorp Industrial Estate. The Ramblers Association and Network Rail pointed out their current proposed site left them within "topple distance" of the nearby railway line and buildings. The application for three turbines with a maximum tip height - measured from the ground to the top of a turbine blade pointing upwards - of 206m (677ft) is due to be considered next year. By comparison, turbines at Northumberland wind farms such as Lynemouth and Middlemoor are about 120-125m (about 400ft) high.

Summary: Plans for what could be the highest wind turbines in England and Wales have been submitted in Hartlepool, Teesside.


Colchester Winter Wonderland and Ice Rink, which opened last month, said it had become "financially impossible" to continue after the warm temperatures left people skating through water. Customers had said it was like a "huge puddle" and "too dangerous" to use. All remaining events have been cancelled. On a statement on its Facebook page, the company said: "This decision has been taken with deep regret as it will have a major impact of (sic) its staff, partners and customers." The ice rink, in Castle Park, was forced to close on six occasions since it opened on 27 November. It was due to run until 3 January. On Tuesday morning Reflective Ice, which runs the rink, posted a message saying "the constant wind now on site and warmer temperatures have destroyed the ice pad again". Angie Bailey, 36, who lives in Colchester, took her children to the rink on Saturday afternoon but said it was "too dangerous" for Jack, aged 10, and Sommer aged 5, to skate. "My children had just got over colds and for them to skate and fall over in cold icy water isn't on," Ms Bailey said. "I paid for ice skating not water skating. "The amount of people falling over due to catching their blades was crazy, the water was deep enough it covered the blades of the skates." Some customers had praised the experience. A woman called Emma Barnes said her daughter "had a fantastic time... she did fall over and get completely soaked but we brought a spare set of clothes". But other customers described the rink as "one huge puddle" and a "swimming pool ice rink." Reflective Ice previously replied to say that the situation was "totally out of our control". "All our equipment is working perfectly, it's just too warm," it said.

Summary: An ice rink that melted in the unseasonably warm weather has closed with the company going into liquidation.


They can be bought for a fraction of the genuine fare on the "dark web", using the virtual currency Bitcoin. BBC South East bought a first class fare from Hastings to Manchester, and a monthly ticket between Gatwick and London, using them without problems. The fraudsters said they were offering "an affordable public service". The group, who are not being named by the BBC, said in a statement: "The train companies keep stuffing their pockets with public subsidies while treating the operation of rail services as an inconvenience. "No-one should be ashamed of getting one over companies like Southern Rail. "We wish one day everyone will be able to use an affordable public service. Until then, we will be providing it." The fake first class ticket to Manchester was purchased for £111, instead of £285, while the monthly season ticket from Gatwick was sold to the BBC for £100 rather than the retail price of £308. The web-seller said the magnetic strips would not work but rail staff would still let passengers through the barriers. The fake tickets were used on 12 occasions, and each time they failed to be accepted by the barriers, but BBC reporters were allowed through without any questions asked. They were also carrying genuine tickets. Rail fraud investigator Mike Keeber said the counterfeit tickets were very convincing, but "there's something on there that shouldn't be on there". "I'd rather not say what it is, as people who make this [could] change it and make our lives harder." Some transport firms are testing new technology, including Transport for London which uses bank cards, so everything is traceable back to an individual's bank. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, said fare dodgers "deprived the railway" of about £200m a year. It said staff carried out regular inspections on trains and at stations, and being in possession of a forged ticket was a criminal offence, risking a hefty fine or prison sentence. Det Insp Jeremy Banks, from British Transport Police's Cyber Crime Unit, added that it worked closely with the rail industry, and police forces nationally, "to investigate fraud and bring offenders before the courts". "We are aware that criminals have been using the dark web in order to exploit rail firms by fraudulently selling tickets," he said. Watch a full report on BBC Inside Out South East - BBC One on Monday 31 October 19:30 GMT.

Summary: Forged rail tickets are being sold on a hidden part of the internet and being used at stations without detection, an undercover BBC investigation has found.


He was presented with a prize of Â£15,000 for his story Briar Road at an event at the BBC's Radio Theatre in London. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time author Haddon was the runner up for his story Bunny. Brighton-based Buckley said the award was "a huge and delightful surprise". He is the author of nine novels, most recently The River is the River. Chairman of Judges Allan Little said: "Jonathan Buckley's Briar Road is a quiet, intriguing mystery and focuses on a single moment in the life of one family who have turned to a spiritualist after their teenage daughter has disappeared. He described Buckley's writing as "understated, stark and plain", adding: "The intrigue builds as key details are revealed slowly, hinted at and suggested rather than spelled out." The winner was announced on BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme. Haddon's story Bunny tells of a morbidly obese housebound man who finds love in an old school friend. Little called it "compassionate, touching and darkly funny". Mantel's work, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, is set four years after Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 and imagines an IRA attempt on her life. The two other shortlisted authors were Frances Leviston and Jeremy Page. Gwyneth Williams, controller of BBC Radio 4, said: "I am thrilled to celebrate 10 years of our BBC National Short Story Award with such exceptional stories and gifted writers. "Radio 4 is proud to broadcast more short stories than anyone, anywhere in the world. Writers and original writing lie at our very heart."

Summary: Former Rough Guides editor Jonathan Buckley has beaten Hilary Mantel and Mark Haddon to win the 10th annual BBC National Short Story Award.


The tax hike of 3.99% will include a 2% rise to pay for adult social care after falls in government funding. Unions have said the £18m of cuts being made to the budget was putting staff and services under pressure. The council says the budget is balanced but critics say the plan lacks specific details of where the cuts will fall. Council leader John Osman said: "As we move forward the financial picture will get worse before it gets better. "It's not until round about 2020 that the financial status of the council will improve, according to what the government has told us so far." He added there would be some "quick wins" of cuts which would not affect frontline services. The opposing Liberal Democrats are calling for more details about which services will be affected. Leader of the Liberal Democrat County Group Jane Lock said: "It is a disgrace that the Conservatives will not give councillors and residents any information about the cuts coming on 1st April, yet they are happy to increase council tax yet again." Independent Mike Rigby said: "I'm very worried because it was very clear last year the budget unravelled, so within three months the council admitted it was £24m overspent. "I'm worried the same thing will happen again this year, particularly this year because we have no detail about where the cuts will fall."

Summary: Taxpayers in Somerset will face at least a £50 rise in council tax after the Conservative-led county council agreed its budget earlier.


The Swiss, playing his first match in two months, won the first set but succumbed to the German in the second-set tie-break having had match point. "It's always special to play a close friend like Roger on grass, always lots of emotion," said the world 302. "I saved a match point so was able to play more freely after that." He added: "I even shocked myself." It was Haas' fourth victory in 17 meetings against the former world number one. The 35-year-old, who has started his build-up to Wimbledon, had not played since winning the Miami Open against Rafael Nadal in April and missed the entire clay court season. It was only the world number five's second defeat of the 2017 season.

Summary: Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was beaten 2-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 by 39-year-old Tommy Haas on grass at the Stuttgart Open.


Developer RWE Innogy is pulling the plug on the 240-turbine Atlantic Array project, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) told the BBC. The scheme, which had not yet received the go-ahead, had attracted criticism, with environmentalists worried about its impact on marine wildlife in the Bristol Channel. RWE Innogy said it was "not the right time" for the project. The Atlantic Array was planned in an area of 200 sq km (77 sq miles) about 16.5km (10 miles) from the north Devon coast, 22.5km (14 miles) from south Wales coast and 13.5km (8 miles) from Lundy Island nature reserve. The turbines would have been 220m (720ft) tall and capable of producing 1,200 megawatts of electricity - enough for up to 900,000 homes, the developer has said. RWE said it was "not viable... to continue with development in the Bristol Channel Zone". RWE's director of offshore wind, Paul Cowling, said: "This is not a decision we have taken lightly. "However, given the technological challenges and market conditions, now is not the right time for RWE to continue to progress with this project." DECC told the BBC the scrapping of the scheme was a matter for the developer, but the decision "was made on purely technical grounds and reflects the many complex challenges of constructing offshore wind farms". But BBC South West political editor Martyn Oates said: "Sources have told us that this will not go ahead because of problems in financing it. By Roger HarrabinEnvironment analyst The collapse of the Atlantic Array project highlights the current chaos in energy policy. RWE and other firms are complaining that energy has become a political football, with Labour trying to freeze prices and the Conservatives apparently dismissing renewables subsidies as "green crap". Investment in new large scale projects like offshore wind farms has dried up. Developers are waiting to see what price they will be able to sell their power. Some developers also want to see the outcome of further details of the Energy Bill, which will not be decided until sometime next year. The industry is angry that the government has asked it to invest Â£100bn renewing generating capacity in the UK, whilst creating political conditions which they say make that investment impossible. There is an irony, too. The eventual cost of power will partly depend on how cheaply developers can borrow capital. Lenders demand higher rates of interest if there's uncertainty. So by arguing about bringing down bills, the politicians may inadvertently be forcing them up. Follow Roger on Twitter "Just last week, [green energy group] Regen SW said that the government's recent announcement that it is going to cut back on green levies to support renewable energy was already undermining investment in the region and putting jobs at risk. "And in terms of investment and jobs, this is a really big project, the company (RWE) says it would provide thousands of jobs." Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns, Andrew Pendleton, said: "The government's wanton green-bashing is starting to cost jobs and threaten the future security of our energy supply. "The

Summary: Plans for a huge wind farm off the north Devon coast have been shelved.


No sooner will the European Championships end than Wales' three league and one non-league club get under way before the 2016-17 football season starts But who is facing who and when and where? BBC Wales Sport looked at the line-up. Francesco Guidolin's side have announced a pre-season tour of the United States beginning on 13 July when they play Charlotte Independence. On their return, The Swans will go on to play Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town before facing former manager Kenny Jackett's Wolves at Molineux. They will then round off their pre-season campaign with a home fixture against French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais on 6 August. Fixtures Charlotte Independence, Thursday, 13 July 23:30 BST (Ramblewood Stadium) Richmond Kickers, Sunday, 16 July 00.00 BST (City Stadium, Virginia) Bristol Rovers, Saturday, 23 July 15:00 BST (Memorial Stadium) Swindon Town, Wednesday, 27 July BST 19:45 BST (County Ground) Wolverhampton Wanderers, Saturday, 30 July 15:00 BST (Molineux) Stade Rennais, Saturday, 6 August 15:00 BST (Liberty Stadium) Paul Trollope's Cardiff City will take part in a pre-season tournament in Germany on Saturday, 23 July, which will see them join Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach in facing 2. Bundesliga sides VfL Osnabruck and FC St. Pauli at Osnabruck's Bremer Brucke stadium. The Osnabruck Tournament will consist of four 60-minute matches in total - of which Cardiff City will play in two - over the course of the day, with a penalty shoot-out being used to decide games that end in a draw. Prior to making the trip to Germany, the Bluebirds will play Forest Green Rovers and Shrewsbury Town and will face another 2. Bundesliga side VfL Bochum three days after the tournament. They will then return to Britain to play away fixtures at Exeter City and Premier League side AFC Bournemouth ahead of the 2016-17 Championship season. Fixtures Forest Green Rovers, Wednesday, 13 July 19:45 BST (The New Lawn) Shrewsbury Town, Saturday, 16 July 15:00 BST (Greenhous Meadow) VfL Bochum, Tuesday, 26 July 18:00 BST (Stadion am Schloss Strünkede - home of SC Westfalia Herne) Exeter City, Thursday, 28 July 19:30 BST (St James Park) AFC Bournemouth, Saturday 30 July 15:00 BST (Dean Court) Warren Feeney's side will take in six pre-season fixtures as they look to prepare for their fourth season back in the Football League since clinching promotion from the Conference Premier in 2012-13. Fixtures Ton Pentre, Wednesday, 6 June 19:15 BST (Ynys Park) Caldicot Town, Friday, 8 July 19:00 BST (Jubilee Way) Undy Athletic, Thursday, 21 July 18:45 BST (The Causeway) Coventry City, Saturday, 23 July 15:00 BST (Spytty Park) Forest Green Rovers, Saturday, 30 July 15:00 BST (The New Lawn) Gloucester City, Monday, 1 August 19:00 BST (Whaddon Road) Fresh from a disappointing eighth-place finish in the National League, Gary Mills' side begin their pre-season campaign with a short trip to Lex Glyndwr on 1 July. The club, who are still to arrange a final fixture on 30 July before the beginning of the 2016-17 National League season, will not use their Racecourse Ground in pre-season as work is due to be carried

Summary: The fixtures for the new season have been released and Wales have reached the quarter finals of their first major international tournament for 58 years.