Cesare Tavella, 50, was shot dead in the capital, Dhaka, in late September. The attack was the first in a series of killings in Bangladesh claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS). However, the government says IS does not have a presence in the country, and has blamed local militant groups and the opposition BNP party instead. The opposition has denied any involvement, and says the government's accusations have hampered a credible investigation into the killings. Attacks on foreigners in Bangladesh are rare, correspondents say, but Islamist violence has surged recently. More than 40 people, including secular bloggers, academics, gay rights activists and members of religious minorities, have been killed in attacks blamed on Islamist militants in Bangladesh since February 2013. Five of those charged with the murder of Mr Tavella are in custody. Two, including a leading BNP politician, are still being sought by the authorities, BBC Bengali's Waliur Rahman in Dhaka reports. Who is behind the Bangladesh killings? Hundreds arrested in Bangladesh crackdown Is extremism on the rise in Bangladesh? Secular bloggers, academics, gay rights activists, and members of religious minorities including Shia, Sufi and Ahmadi Muslims, Christians and Hindus have all been killed, many of them hacked to death. A university professor whose family said he was not an atheist was murdered in April, suggesting the list of those at risk had widened further. Who exactly is behind the attacks remains unclear. Bangladesh has myriad extremist groups and there have been few convictions over the attacks. Many of the attacks have been claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda linked groups. However, the government has disputed these claims. Instead, government members have blamed opposition parties and local Islamist groups. Bangladesh's home minister has suggested an Israeli link to the killings, describing an "international conspiracy" against Bangladesh. Both the opposition and the Israeli government have denied any involvement - and Israel described the accusations as "utter drivel". Until the killings stop, the Bangladeshi government itself will face accusations of not doing enough to protect minorities in the Sunni-dominated nation.

Summary: Bangladeshi police have charged seven people, including an opposition politician, over the murder of an Italian aid worker.


The audience peaked at 9.7m when the winner was announced at 21.55GMT. Two other peaks occurred when One Direction (9.1m) and Adele performed (9.2m). Last year's average audience for the results show was 9.1m but this included +1 figures. X Factor's Saturday show was watched by an average of 5.9m. In recent weeks, the X Factor has struggled to get past the 7 million mark, dipping to 6.71 million for last week's semi-final. The ITV show has consistently been beaten by BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing this year. Sunday's Strictly semi-final results show, which saw Anita Rani eliminated, was seen by an average of 10.8m. The audience peaked at 11.7m. Next week's final will see The Wanted singer Jay McGuinness, BBC Proms and Radio 3 presenter Katie Derham, EastEnders' Kellie Bright and former Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote compete for the Strictly crown.

Summary: The X Factor results show was watched by an average of 8.4m on Sunday, an improvement on recent ratings but still down on last year's final figure.


Richard Ratcliffe's wife, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, was arrested in April while visiting family with their two-year-old daughter and is accused of seeking to "overthrow the regime". Mr Ratcliffe has asked David Cameron to help, and says the Foreign Office is doing more "as this gets more serious". His daughter is with family in Iran. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 37, of north London, works for the London-based Thomson Reuters Foundation charity. She travelled to Iran on an Iranian passport with daughter Gabriella and was arrested at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport on 3 April and taken to Kerman in the south-east of the country. Her family had expected her to be released last week, but a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now claims she heads a "foreign-linked hostile network". Mr Ratcliffe, who has been trying to get a visa to visit his wife, told BBC Radio 4 she had spent 45 days in solitary confinement and this had made her "very weak". "When she came out she wasn't able to walk without blackouts and she had a problem with her hair falling out and she'd lost quite a lot of weight," he said. Her condition improved during a spell living alongside other inmates and she was then told she would be released, Mr Ratcliffe said. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe left Kerman prison on 5 June but, instead of being released, her parents were told she was being moved to a different prison. Mr Ratcliffe said the family then heard "nothing from her for a number of days", adding: "Last week we celebrated Gabriella's birthday and we had no idea where she was." On Monday Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe called her parents to say she was in a prison in Tehran - and Mr Ratcliffe believes that may help her. "Now she's in Tehran then, if nothing else, the Iranian authorities can look more seriously at what's going on and look at these crazy theories coming out from the provincial office," he said. He said the reasons for the accusations against his wife were "not at all clear", but he believed they came from the Kerman branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard - and in part they might be "justifying that they've held her for 70 days". He said the accusations were not detailed but they suggested his wife was "in charge of this great network of media organisations and espionage agencies and that she and Gabriella are there running the whole thing". He added: "It feels this is wrapped up in Iranian politics and different factions fighting and holding her as some sort of bargaining chip." The Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking information on Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's situation.

Summary: The husband of a British-Iranian woman in jail in Iran says he hopes "senior intervention" from UK and Iranian authorities will lead to her release.


Almost none of these will work. Why? Because, on current polling, it all comes down to whether you think the people voting for Andy Burnham or those voting for Yvette Cooper are more likely to put Corbyn as their next preference. And there is no decent publicly available evidence that either of them are. Furthermore, for similar reasons, there is no arithmetic reason why non Corbyn candidates withdrawing would do anything to stop Corbyn. Voters in this election will be given the opportunity to rank the candidates in order of preference. The first preferences are counted up, and the person with the fewest is eliminated from the contest - and the votes they received are given to whoever each person that voted for them rated as their second preference. If after that none of the candidates has achieved 50% of the vote, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes are given to whoever they put as their higher preference amongst the two remaining candidates. By definition, this gives one of the two remaining candidates a majority of the votes. Current polling puts Corbyn first, Cooper and Burnham roughly tied in second, and Kendall trailing in third. So either Cooper or Burnham will most likely be the candidate that faces Corbyn in the final round. If you want to stop Corbyn, you'll be voting for some combination of Cooper, Burnham and Kendall as your first three preferences. So your vote WILL end up being for whoever faces Corbyn in the final round, WHICHEVER order you put those three in. The only way you can affect the number of votes Corbyn gets is by trying to second-guess the second preferences of people that vote for eliminated candidates. If you believe the polls, Kendall's almost certain to be eliminated first, so you can't affect that. But one of Burnham and Cooper won't be eliminated before the final run off with Corbyn. Whichever one is eliminated will have their preferences redistributed to either Corbyn or his opponent. So, in theory, if you, the "stop Corbyn" voter thought that, say, Burnham's supporters are more likely to have Corbyn as their next preference than Cooper's, you should put Burnham ahead of Cooper in your preference list even if you ACTUALLY prefer Cooper to Burnham - because it'll starve Corbyn of the extra votes he'd get if Burnham was knocked out. The thing is, I am not aware of any decent evidence that this is the case. We have very few polls on the Labour leadership election - and those that exist (necessarily) have small samples of what Burnham and Cooper's second preferences would be. Very roughly speaking, the polling tables I've seen suggest supporters of both split their second preferences about 30/70 between Corbyn and his opponent. So it's not clear which of these you should give a higher preference to tactically stop Corbyn anyway. In other words, there is no obvious way to tactically vote against Corbyn. If you want to stop him he'll be your last preference anyway - and

Summary: Ballot papers are going out this morning for the Labour leadership contest after a weekend of various grandees apparently dreaming up new schemes to stop Jeremy Corbyn.


Locals fear it will damage the environment and pollute their water sources. La Colosa, in Central Colombia, has the potential to become South America's largest gold mine. Mr Arce said the town's decision could not be applied retroactively. The minister added that the South African mining giant AngloGold Ashanti had already been issued an exploration licence, which would retain its validity. Mr Arce also said that while the land was under the control of local authorities, any subterranean riches were under the control of the national government. The minister said that if AngloGold Ashanti was awarded the environmental licence it needs to proceed with the project, the courts or Colombia's congress would have to decide whether the local or national authorities prevailed. Mr Arce insisted that the referendum vote would not affect foreign investment in Colombia's mining sector. "For the first time in 20 years we will have three major projects in execution phase," he told RCN. He said campaigners had misinformed voters. "We're not talking about an open-air mine here," he said. "Nor are there a hundred rivers at risk." Campaigners were angered by Mr Arce's comments. The opposition to President Juan Manuel Santos also criticised the government's stance on the issue. "Santos and the Mining Minister agreed to disregard Cajamarca's decision on La Colosa. Democratic mobilisation will also defeat them," tweeted opposition Senator and presidential hopeful Jorge Robledo. Only 76 residents of Cajamarca, in the central province of Tolima, voted in favour of the mining project in Sunday's referendum, while more than 6,100 of the town's 19,000 inhabitants voted against. Several other Colombian cities and towns are planning to hold similar votes to try to block mining projects in their area. Correction 29 March 2017: This story has been amended to clarify the government's position on the mining ban.

Summary: Colombia's Mining Minister German Arce has questioned whether the result of a referendum held in the town of Cajamarca, where 98% of residents voted against a major gold mining project, will prevail.


Milk will replace sugar as the treat's main ingredient, as the white stuff content is boosted from 26% to 37.5%. Nestle said the new recipe bars - with sugar cut by 0.7g - will be in stores by the end of the month. It follows a similar move with its KitKat recipe, which increased the milk and cocoa content. The Milkybar recipe has been the same since the bar first came into production in 1936, but is being changed as part of Public Health England's drive to reduce the amount of sugar consumed in the UK by 20%. In April Nestle reduced the amount of sugar in its fruit pastilles by 30%. A spokesman said the reductions in sugar would make "a positive step overall to removing sugar from the nation's diet while maintaining the taste"

Summary: Milkybars are about to get milkier, as the recipe changes for the first time in 81 years.


Regina Lopez said she was disappointed that "business interests" had "manoeuvred the decision". She had been in the position for 10 months but had not been confirmed. Congressional confirmations in the Philippines often happen months after ministers start work. The decision made by the country's Commission on Appointments is final. Backed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Ms Lopez had ordered 22 out of 41 mines to be closed, and banned open-pit mines. She also cancelled contracts for undeveloped mines, and said environmental damage was harming the country's poor. Following the vote, she said: "I'm disappointed because clearly there are business influences that have manoeuvred the decision. And, from my point of view, government should make decisions primarily on the filter of the common good. "And when business interests take dominant influence in a way that even adversely affects our people, that's not good at all." The Chamber of Mines of The Philippines said it would seek to undo her measures when a new minister was in post. "Those have no legal foundation," chamber spokesman Ronald Recidoro said. "There were no proper consultations held. And more importantly it's really out to kill the mining industry." Yeb SaÃ±o of Greenpeace Southeast Asia said the sacking "shows how destructive industries continue to hold Philippine lawmakers by their necks." A spokesman for the president said no replacement had yet been lined up. Ms Lopez's supporters, who call her an earth warrior, have organised candlelit vigils to mark the end of her tenure.

Summary: Lawmakers in the Philippines have removed the environmental secretary, who angered the mining industry by ordering the closure of more than half the country's existing mines.


The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were among those at the event at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Representatives of the UK's armed forces and all countries involved in the battle were in attendance, as well as descendants of men who fought in it. The battle at Waterloo cost thousands of British and allied lives in the defeat of Napoleon's forces. Nearly 180,000 men fought for more than 10 hours, with more than 35,000 horses and some 500 cannon on the two sides. Waterloo: The day that decided Europe's fate Discover how close Britain came to defeat at Waterloo Wellington: Forging the 'Iron Duke' Napoleon Bonaparte: The 'Little Corporal' who built an empire The service, which was also attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, is part of a series of events marking the anniversary. The Earl of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the 9th Duke of Wellington were also among the congregation. Some 200 children and 200 teachers were invited, along with members of the public who entered a ballot for tickets. British soldiers in full military regalia stood to attention outside the cathedral as guests went in. Squadron Sgt Maj Tony Gray, 76, of the Light Cavalry, said: "This anniversary means a great deal. "The battle changed history. Had we not won, we probably would be speaking French now." Extracts from accounts of the battle were read at the service by British, French and German readers. A commemoration service, attended by the Duke of Kent, was also held in Belgium with European dignitaries. On Wednesday, Prince Charles unveiled a memorial in Belgium to the British soldiers who fought and died at Waterloo. The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the battlefield before unveiling the memorial at Hougoumont Farm, a key site in the fighting. The site played a crucial role in the victory of the Duke of Wellington's allied army over Napoleon's French forces in 1815, and saw some of the fiercest fighting of the battle. The memorial depicts two life-size soldiers struggling to close the farm's north gate to save it from being overrun by the French. Soldiers from the Coldstream Guards managed to shut the gate and Wellington later said the outcome of Waterloo "turned on the closing of the gates at Hougoumont". Prince Charles and the duchess also took a tour of the battlefield, starting at La Belle Alliance Farm - which served as Napoleon's headquarters. The duchess has a direct connection with the new monument as her great-great-great-grandfather, John Whitehill Parson, fought at Waterloo while serving with the 10th Regiment of Light Dragoons. More than 5,000 enthusiasts are due to perform battle re-enactment displays at Waterloo over the weekend as the bicentenary commemorations continue. And tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a sound-and-light show on the battlefield later. The battle was fought after French emperor Napoleon conquered large swathes of Europe, before being defeated by allied forces in 1814. He was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba, but escaped the following year, and on 18 June

Summary: Royal Family members have taken part in a service to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.


Workers for the salvage firm recovered the body from a cabin and handed it to the authorities to be identified. They believe it is Indian waiter Russel Rebello, the last of 32 victims to be recovered from the wreck. The cruise ship partially sank in January 2012 after it hit a reef off the Italian island of Giglio. The Concordia was finally raised from the sea in July and towed to Genoa to be scrapped. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship, charges he denies. This is the third time local officials have said Mr Rebello's remains might have been found. Tests on the other two occasions determined that the remains were not his. This time, his brother Kevin said on Facebook he believed Russel was now coming home to India. "I promised my family that I would bring back home my brother some day. When was the biggest question," he said. "Finally, my younger brother's body has been found. "Thanks to everyone who prayed and believed that one day he would be found."

Summary: Human remains found in the wreck of the Costa Concordia are believed to be the last victim of the cruise ship's 2012 capsize, Italian officials have said.


Roman Seleznev, 32, was found guilty by a federal jury in Seattle on 38 of 40 counts, including intentional damage to a protected computer and wire fraud. Prosecutors said he was a "master hacker" behind a plan which led to $170m (£131m) of fraudulent purchases. Vowing to appeal, his lawyer argued he had been kidnapped by US agents. Seleznev (his name is also spelt Seleznyov in English) faces a mandatory minimum sentence of four years in jail, lawyer John Henry Browne said. A sentence is expected on 2 December. The Russian also faces similar charges in federal courts in Nevada and Georgia. Prosecutors say Seleznev hacked into retail systems and installed malware to steal credit card numbers from businesses, mostly pizza restaurants in the state of Washington. He then sold the information online, they say. The scheme is said to have been carried out between 2008 and 2014. Roman is the son of Valery Seleznev, a Russian member of parliament for the Liberal Democratic Party. He and his girlfriend were arrested by US Secret Service agents at a Maldives airport in July 2014. Lawyers argued that his arrest was a "kidnapping" or an "illegal rendition" that violated international law but a US district judge blocked that argument from the trial. Mr Browne said they planned to challenge his client's arrest and a ruling that allowed prosecutors to introduce evidence from a corrupted laptop seized with him. The computer contained more than 1.7m stolen numbers, along with evidence linking him to various servers, prosecutors said.

Summary: The son of a Russian MP has been convicted on charges that he orchestrated a hacking scheme that targeted US pizza restaurants.


It also cleared the party of wrongdoing in paying office rent to three cultural societies. Police examined allegations made in two BBC Spotlight programmes aired in 2014. Sinn Féin denied doing anything wrong. Spotlight could not establish what the societies were or who was behind them. A BBC spokesperson said: "We stand by our journalism. We believe the investigation was of significant public interest." The TUV leader Jim Allister, who tabled a series of questions arising out of the programmes, has said confirmation that the commission found the payments were for "admissible expenditure" is "remarkable". The assembly said it had no comment to make on Mr Allister's press statement. One of the BBC programmes reported that 36 Sinn Féin MLAs claimed about £700,000 in total through Stormont expenses to pay Research Services Ireland (RSI) over a 10 year period. However, the programme-makers were not able to find any evidence of research that had been carried out by RSI and one Sinn Féin MLA was reported to have said they had never heard of the company until they saw it on their annual expenses. Mr Allister asked the Assembly Commission how much of the money had been recovered. The Assembly Commission, which runs Stormont, is chaired by the speaker and includes MLAs representing the five main parties. In its reply, the commission said its review "confirmed that payments for research services, as reported in the programme, were made for admissible expenditure up to and including the 2012/13 financial year". "As such, no recovery has been sought," it added. "No payments to Research Services Ireland for work undertaken after 31 December 2012 have been made as a result of changes to the system of financial support for members that were introduced by the Independent Financial Review Panel from 1 January 2013." Asked about the payment of rent to cultural societies, the commission said its review confirmed the money was for "admissible expenditure" adding that "as such, no recovery has been sought". Mr Allister also asked about the disclosure that former DUP assembly speaker William Hay's Office claimed more than £4,000 for heating oil in one year. The Assembly Commission said "the judicial process is on-going". A former Sinn Féin MLA, Davy Hyland, also told Spotlight that a party expenses claim form for mileage, amounting to almost £5,000, was signed without his knowledge. Mr Hyland does not drive and said he knew nothing about most of the mileage claimed on his behalf. The commission found the claim had not been processed "and as such no recovery was required". It added that the PSNI had concluded the matter should not be referred to the Public Prosecution Service. Mr Allister called the Assembly Commission's findings "bizarre". He said: "The Assembly Commission has now confirmed that none of the £700,000 claimed by Sinn Féin MLAs and paid to Research Services Ireland has been recovered by the assembly, in spite of the BBC finding that no evidence of research carried out by the company could be produced. "More bizarre still is confirmation that the assembly did not seek to

Summary: Sinn Féin MLAs who claimed almost £700,000 in expenses for research from a company run by the party's finance managers did nothing wrong, the Assembly Commission has found.


Police in Tamaulipas state said the hole, which had been hidden by bricks, was up to five metres (16ft) deep. They said it was unfinished and no one has escaped. In 2015, one of the country's biggest drug lords, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, escaped via tunnel from Altiplano prison. He was recaptured after six months on the run and later extradited to the US. The latest hole was in a jail in Reynosa, a city close to the US border. It was found after authorities used geothermal technology to detect activities underground, according to local media. In March, 29 inmates escaped via a tunnel from a prison in the Tamaulipas state capital Ciudad Victoria. One of the prisoners who fled was involved in the 2012 kidnapping and murder of Karen Alejandra Rodríguez. He was later recaptured, but the victim's mother, Miriam, who had been campaigning for justice for Mexico's missing people, said she lived in increased fear after the escape. She was shot dead in her home last week by an unknown assailant. Mexico also saw another major prison break in the country's north-west in March. Juan José Esparragoza Monzón, son of one of the country's other drug kingpins, escaped from a jail in Culiacán, Sinaloa state, alongside four other inmates. His father, Juan José Esparragoza, was a long-time partner of El Chapo in the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the country's biggest crime syndicates. Monzón remains on the loose. Tamaulipas police said on Sunday that they were conducting a search for further holes after the latest tunnel was discovered on Saturday night. They said that Reynosa prison was operating as normal and visiting hours had resumed.

Summary: A tunnel has been discovered in a Mexican prison, stashed with drugs, alcohol and sharp tools, according to local authorities.


But his leadership of Cuba divided opinion, and leaders across the world have had to decide whether or not to attend the revolutionary's funeral. In the end, the list of those wanting to pay respect Castro in person appears to be very short, with some notable allies choosing to send representatives instead. So who is making the trip to Havana? Perhaps most surprisingly, considering the two countries' long friendship, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will not be attending. His spokesman said he was too busy to travel to Cuba but that Russia would be sending a representative. Less surprising is US President Barack Obama's decision to stay away. Despite the steps Mr Obama made towards fixing US-Cuban relations, Castro remains a divisive figure - not least for Cuban-Americans who fled his rule. The White House will not send an official delegation, but Mr Obama's pick for ambassador to Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, and deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, will attend the commemorative event. UK Prime Minister Theresa May, France's President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are all staying away. However, they will be sending government representatives. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry will attend to represent the UK's Labour Party. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - whose late father Pierre was friends with Mr Castro - was one of the few Western leaders to release a message of condolences following the leader's death, but will not be attending. Governor-General David Johnston was attending Tuesday's commemoration. China's President Xi Jinping paid his respects at the Cuban embassy in Beijing, saying the country had lost a "close comrade and real friend". Vice President Li Yuanchao is representing China at the commemorations in Cuba. Despite their close friendship, Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang will also not be attending, sending National Assembly chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Nga in his place. The country will be holding a national day of mourning for Castro, however. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who paid tribute to an "iconic" world leader last week - will be sending his home minister but will not be flying to Cuba himself. North Korea's Kim Jung-un will not be travelling to Cuba either, sending a delegation on his behalf. The list of world leaders actually attending is relatively short. A number of South American leaders will be making the trip: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, whose late mentor Hugo Chavez had a special bond with Castro, Ecuador's Rafael Correa, Bolivia's Evo Morales and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega have all indicated they will attend. Also expected are Salvadorean President Salvador Sanchez Ceren and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto. At least two southern African presidents will also fly to Cuba, South Africa's Jacob Zuma, who has just survived a vote of confidence, and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, whose country has just brought in a new currency. And it seems the European Union may be represented by just one leader, in the form of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Other notable Europeans attending include Ireland's Gerry Adams and Spain's ex-King Juan Carlos.

Summary: Fidel Castro was a fixture of international politics for more than 50 years.


The announcement will be made during half time of the FA Cup semi-final Match of the Day Live: Everton versus Manchester United at around 18:00 BST. The new companion will star alongside Peter Capaldi's Time Lord in the 10th new season of Doctor Who. They will replace Jenna Coleman, who played Clara Oswald, who left the show in 2015. Coleman joined Doctor Who in 2012, and starred alongside two Doctors, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. She asked to be written out and left to take on the role of Queen Victoria in a major ITV drama series. Filming for the next series of Doctor Who will start this year but will air in 2017. In January, it was announced the head writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, Steven Moffat, was stepping down from the show. The next series will be his last, after which he will be replaced by Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall.

Summary: The new Doctor Who companion will be revealed live on BBC One on Saturday night.


The Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers (CIIC) says it has done so due to changes in immigration enforcement policy under President Donald Trump. It says the focus has been on people from seven countries named by the president and those with deportation orders or criminal histories. "This applies to a small portion of the Irish community," it adds. "Given the change in immigration enforcement policy and implementation, the immigrant community is strongly advised to be vigilant in obeying all local and state laws, especially when driving." It also advises "those who feel they are at risk of deportation" to speak to a lawyer and be screened for possible benefits or relief. "Have an emergency and family plan in place in case of arrest, especially involving children." The organisation advises people to "be wary of rumours about ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] activity, ICE raids or immigration policy changes". It said Immigration and Customs Enforcement had recently carried out focused enforcement actions and community arrests of about 680 non-citizens, most with criminal histories or prior orders of deportation. "This operation was not unlike previous enforcement actions in the past," it said. "However, there have been some reports of secondary arrests of individuals who were not the original focus of the enforcement efforts, resulting from the fact that ICE now has broader authority to arrest anyone who is undocumented." The Trump administration has issued tough guidelines to widen the net for deporting illegal immigrants from the US, and speed up their removal. Undocumented immigrants arrested for traffic violations or shop-lifting will be targeted along with those convicted of more serious crimes. The memos do not alter US immigration laws, but take a much tougher approach towards enforcing existing measures. There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US, about 50,000 of whom are believed to be Irish.

Summary: An organisation that represents immigrant groups has issued new advice to Irish people in the US.


The South American country qualified for the event by winning the Division Six tournament in Essex last September, when they beat Guernsey in the final. But the International Cricket Council launched an investigation after eligibility issues came to light. They will be replaced by Vanuatu, who finished third in Division Six. The World Cricket League is the ICC's one-day tournament for non Test-playing nations, which offers them the chance of qualifying for the World Cup. "The Surinaamse Cricket Bond (SCB) has now accepted that it failed in its duty to ensure the provision of accurate residency information in respect of a number of players," the ICC said in a statement. Suriname has also been relegated to the World Cricket League's Americas Division One and forfeited a $25,000 grant received for the tournament in Jersey, which takes place from 21 to 28 May. "We were obviously disappointed by the shortcomings in the SCB's procedures that were revealed by our investigation," said Tim Anderson, the ICC's head of global development. "There is inevitably an element of self-certification when it comes to determining compliance with the player eligibility regulations, and for this reason the wider cricketing community needs to be able to place the utmost trust in the accuracy of information submitted by other ICC members. "We are, however, heartened by the action the SCB have taken in confronting the issues raised and look forward to working closely with them to ensure they can resume their participation in ICC competitions in 2017." Nigeria, Tanzania and Oman will compete against Jersey, Guernsey and Vanuatu with the aim of winning promotion to Division Four of the World Cricket league. Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for the Six Nations, cricket scores, your football team and more.

Summary: Suriname have pulled out of May's World Cricket League Division Five tournament in Jersey after an inquiry into the eligibility of their players.


At least 20 shots were fired from an automatic weapon through the living room window of a house in Carrigart Crescent at about 01:45 GMT on Monday. There was no-one else in the house at the time. Police are investigating a possible link to a silver Skoda car which was seen in the Carrigart area before the shooting. It was stolen from Dublin in December and had fake number plates. The vehicle was found burnt out in the New Line area a short time after the shooting. Ch Insp Jon Burrows has appealed for the public to come forward with information. "Someone must know what the background to this was," he said. "Why was this person targeted? It was a very orchestrated, carefully planned attack. "Is there anything happening in that area? Do you know anything about that individual who was targeted? "We need your help in solving this crime."

Summary: A 31-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after he was shot in the head in Lurgan in County Armagh.


It is a year since Iymen Baerli, a refugee from Syria, arrived in Sydney with his wife and three young children. Within days, the skies above the harbour of Australia's biggest city sparkled and glowed as arguably the world's finest fireworks display ushered in another new year. The newcomers shared their adopted homeland's optimism about the journey ahead. Iymen, a 52-year old former pharmaceutical sales rep, had ambitions to open up a catering business, helped by his brother, who ran a well-established cake shop in suburban Sydney. But 12 months later much of that hope has withered and the Baerli family are living at their modest apartment in Guildford, a multicultural district 25km (15 miles) from Sydney Opera House. War had forced them out of their home in Homs, Syria's third largest city, and they sought safety in Egypt. Resettlement down under would eventually follow. "It was very hard moving from Syria to Australia. There are huge differences in the culture and tradition," he told me through a translator. "I have been struggling and it is not easy but I am hoping that in the future it is going to be easier for me." Iymen's English is rudimentary and, although he is receiving tuition, his lack of language skills has been a major hindrance, as has a chronic back injury. Most of the new arrivals have been staying with relatives in Sydney, but community workers believe that, for many, the transition has been hard. Ahmad Hemmed, a migration agent, who has helped many Syrian families in Sydney, told the BBC that the majority of the refugees have been unable to adapt. "There are people that after I meet them here after even a year, they do not like the country and they are scared to mix with the Australian community," Mr Hemmed explained. "They are still isolating themselves with similar cultural background people and I think they are raising their kids in the same way, which for me it is really concerning. They live in Australia but they are not actually carrying Australian values." It is a harsh assessment, but officials have conceded that many of those fleeing the Syrian conflict have found life tough in Australia and that finding jobs in particular has not been easy. "It is that extraordinary mixed feeling," said Prof Peter Shergold, the New South Wales co-ordinator general for refugee resettlement. "At one level I think their first feeling as they get out of the airport is just sheer relief, expectations that they can build a new life, but of course absolute fear of what they have left behind, is this the right decision?" He believes it is crucial the migrants mix with the broader community. "They are coming to a society in which 27% of Australians were born overseas and a similar number had a parent born overseas. "They are coming to a society which is used to diversity and that helps integrate into society and, yes, initially you'll tend to live in areas where other people from your ethnicity or religion live, [but] they need

Summary: Australia has resettled about half of the 12,000 refugees it agreed to take in over the past 13 months from the conflict in Syria, but how are they adapting to life in their new country?


Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis made his comments during a weekend TV programme. Stocks on Greece's ATG index closed 3.11% lower at 814.06. Greece still needs to strike a deal with its creditors in order to release €7.2bn (£5.1bn) in remaining assistance. "The four instalments for the IMF in June are €1.6bn, this money will not be given and is not there to be given," Mr Voutsis said. The country's finance minister meanwhile has told the BBC on Sunday that progress was being made. "Greece has made enormous strides at reaching a deal," Yanis Varoufakis told the Andrew Marr Show. Other benchmark indexes across Europe have also fallen. The IBEX closed down 2.01% to 11,322.3 after Spain's voters punished the ruling Popular Party (PP) in local and regional elections. "Sunday's losses by the ruling party are seen as a protest against the country's economic hardship, which is shown most clearly in an unemployment rate of 23% - and more than double that among young people," said BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker. Financial markets were unsettled by the vote against an economic strategy that many investors broadly support, he added. France's Cac-40 closed down 0.5% to 5117.1, and Italy's MIB closed down 1.94% to 23,305. Stock markets in London and Germany were closed for public holidays.

Summary: European stocks have fallen after a Greek minister said that Athens would struggle to meet its upcoming debt payments.


Media playback is not supported on this device PE teacher Vicki Randall turned to coaching after being forced to give up playing netball and football because of injury. The 29-year-old has encouraged more than 200 girls to play sport every week. "I say quite often to them I don't care about the score, I just want them to enjoy it," Vicki said. "I know that they appreciate everything that I do and at the end of the sessions they'll all say thank you." Vicki set up Cwmbran Youth netball club in 2009 with just five girls, which has now grown to 14 teams. Three players have recently been selected for Wales' under 17 squad. She also organises a weekly 'netball tots' club for children aged between one and five. She also runs Risca Netball Club, managing all five of their teams in the South East Wales League. Vicki also set up Cwmbran Celtic Ladies football team in 2012, guiding them to promotion to the Welsh Premier league two years later and also started a reserve team to encourage women to take up the sport. She typically spends four evenings a week coaching sport after work, often more than one session per evening. At weekends, she spends most Saturdays organising netball matches and tournaments, before devoting up to seven hours on a Sunday to her football teams. Despite undergoing nine operations on her knee she has continued to coach, sometimes on crutches or in a wheelchair. Vicki was nominated by Ann Daley from Pontypool whose daughter plays netball with Cwmbran Youth. "Vicki has given so much to so many, volunteering all her free time," Ann Daley said. "She has had a massive impact in raising levels of participation in sport for girls and women in South East Wales. Vicki really is an Unsung Hero." Vicki's achievement will be recognised at the Wales Sport Awards 2016 on Monday, 5 December at Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, She will share the stage with the night's other big winners including Coach of the Year, Team of the Year and the prestigious BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year. The Wales Sport Awards 2016 will be broadcast live from 19.30 GMT on Monday, 5 December at the BBC Wales Sport website and also on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button. The event will also be live on BBC Radio Wales. The Wales Sport Awards is an event, organised in partnership by BBC Wales and Sport Wales. It aims to recognise the best achievements at elite and community level in Welsh sport. Watch BBC Wales Today at 18:30 GMT on BBC One Wales this evening to see the moment presenter Claire Summers surprises Vicki with her Unsung Hero award.

Summary: A volunteer netball and football coach from Cwmbran has been named as BBC Wales Sport's Unsung Hero for 2016.


Sunderland said they agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal with M'Vila but "decided not to enforce the contract". M'Vila, 26, made 37 appearances for the Black Cats on a season-long loan last term before returning to Rubin Kazan. "Any player we bring to Sunderland must be wholly committed," said chief executive Martin Bain. M'Vila missed just one Premier League game as he helped Sam Allardyce's side avoid relegation last term, with Black Cats fans hopeful the club would sign him on a permanent deal last summer. However, the move failed to materialise on transfer deadline day in September, leading to M'Vila posting an Instagram message - which was later deleted - saying he had tried contacting the club to push the deal through. M'Vila returned to the Russian club when his loan deal expired, making nine appearances in the Russian Premier League this season. Sunderland had not announced they had agreed a deal to re-sign the player until they revealed on Wednesday it had fallen through. "I was contacted this week by Yann M'Vila's representatives, who advised that the player no longer wishes to join Sunderland," added Bain. "There was a three-and-a-half-year agreement in place, however after discussions with the manager we have decided not to enforce the contract."

Summary: Sunderland say they will not be signing Yann M'Vila in January after being told the French midfielder no longer wants to re-join the Premier League club.


It failed to pass on the last day of the previous assembly after opposition from Plaid Cymru. Carwyn Jones told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement the bill would be tabled again without the e-cigs ban. He said Labour's minority government would also have to rethink its council shake-up plans to win wider support. "There is no point trying to bang our heads against a brick wall when it comes to e-cigs," he said. "The public health bill will be brought back to the assembly but, clearly, there is no point including the provisions on e-cigs when we know they are not going to get through." His comments come at the start of a new assembly term with the minority government requiring support from other parties to pass through plans. Tobacco control action group ASH Wales has welcomed the minister's decision. Chief executive Suzanne Cass said: "The evidence shows that e-cigs are being used as a cessation tool by a significant number of ex-smokers." The Public Health (Wales) Bill failed to pass at the last assembly after the presiding officer was required, because of a tie, to also vote, bringing the vote to 27 AMs against and 26 for. As well as the e-cigarette measure, it aimed to create a compulsory licensing system for tattooists, prohibit intimate piercing of children under 16 and require councils to produce a local toilets strategy. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said he was "delighted that Labour has been forced to admit that they won't be pursuing this misguided policy". The failed vote came despite AMs previously backing revised e-cigarette plans. On local government reorganisation plans, the first minister admitted he would now need to find "common ground" with the other political parties in the Senedd. Labour has long hoped to cut the number of authorities from 22 to single figures which has been opposed by the Conservatives among others. He said: "Clearly, the map we published before the election, that is not going to gain support across the assembly, that's obvious. "But we do need to find a way forward." Meanwhile, he was adamant that a preferred option for a new M4 relief road south of Newport, known as the black route, was the only way forward. However, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has previously ruled out any kind of deal with Labour if it pushed the proposals forward. Speaking on BBC Wales' Sunday Politics, Ms Wood said: "Danger faces the government if it continues to be intransigent". She said it will need the backing of another party to get policies passed, adding that Plaid Cymru's 12 AMs would "consider very carefully what we do with our votes". Carwyn Jones said he was just reflecting the arithmetic of the assembly in accepting that there wouldn't be enough support to push ahead with a ban on e-cigs in Wales and cutting the number of councils. Having Kirsty Williams in the cabinet helps him with the numbers but the first minister has to choose his battles because he needs support from the opposition in order to get his

Summary: Plans to ban e-cigarettes in some public places will be dropped from Wales' public health bill, the first minister has said.


The DUP leader said he was not prepared to remain as first minister in a power-sharing government "kept in the dark" about such an important matter. He was speaking after the trial of Donegal man John Downey collapsed. Mr Downey denied killing four soldiers in the 1982 IRA Hyde Park bombing. The case collapsed because he was mistakenly told in a letter in 2007 that he was no longer a wanted man, despite the fact that police in Northern Ireland knew he was still being sought by Scotland Yard. Although police soon realised they had made a mistake, the assurance was never withdrawn. It said a total of about 200 such letters were distributed - mostly under the previous Labour government - to suspects "on the run". The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has confirmed that all the recipients were republicans. Prime Minister David Cameron told the Commons on Wednesday that Mr Downey should never have been sent the letter and that it had been a "dreadful mistake". Mr Downey's lawyer said his alleged offences had been categorised as one of the on-the-run cases that would no longer be pursued in the light of progress in the Northern Ireland peace process. Attorney General Dominic Grieve told the Commons on Wednesday that the judgement would not be appealed. Mr Robinson called for all letters sent out to be rescinded and "full disclosure" of what had happened. "I am not prepared to be kept in the dark by Her Majesty's government about matters relevant to Northern Ireland," he told the BBC. "I want a full judicial inquiry to find out who knew, when they knew and what they knew. I want to know who they are and what crimes they are believed to have committed." He said he felt deceived by the government, and if he and former DUP leader Ian Paisley had known about this, they would not have entered into power-sharing government with Sinn FÃ©in in 2007. "I am not prepared to be a stooge for Westminster who keep secrets on matters which are now devolved to Northern Ireland," he said. Anyone already convicted of paramilitary crimes became eligible for early release under the terms of the Northern Ireland Good Friday agreement of 1998. The agreement did not cover: Mr Robinson said he would discuss the matter with Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers at a meeting later on Wednesday. Responding to Mr Robinson's comments, Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, tweeted: "My unionist colleagues need to calm down. We've all come a long way. No sensible person will thank anyone for threatening the institutions." Denis Bradley, a former vice chairman of the NI Policing Board and who co-chaired a group set up to deal with Northern Ireland's past, said he was surprised when unionists said they were not aware of the issue. "I don't know who kept who in the dark because it was very much in the public situation," he said. "It was well briefed at the Policing Board at the time, it may not have been at full board, but

Summary: Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson has threatened to resign unless there is a judicial inquiry into secret letters given to more than 180 Irish republican paramilitary suspects.


The film has led to arguably one of the biggest scandals in the country's history and has shaken the foundations of the judiciary. Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas made it after two years of undercover work in which he gathered 500 hours of raw footage. It appears to show judges and court workers taking bribes from litigants, as well as some demanding sex, to manipulate justice. Allegations have been made against 34 judges, as well as dozens of other court officials, in evidence that was handed to President John Mahama and Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood. The chief justice launched an investigation into the 22 lower court judges, and is considering what to do about the 12 high court judges. Lawyers for 14 of the accused judges have denied the allegations and the High Court has dismissed their attempt to get the investigation suspended. The other accused judges have yet to comment in public. The film - Ghana in the eyes of God; Epic of Injustice - has been shown in the capital, Accra, and is now being screened for free across the country. Mr Anas has opted for public screenings rather than a television broadcast because media companies have been threatened with legal action if they do show it. But he wants as many people as possible to see the work as he told me he believes "justice is for the people, let them see what justice means in this country". Anas Aremeyaw Anas is something of an enigma, as he is never seen in public without a disguise. His fans call him a modern-day folk hero or the "James Bond of journalism" for his work in exposing alleged corruption and malpractice in Ghana and beyond. In his 15 years of undercover journalism he has among other disguises, posed as a female investor in high heels, sunglasses and lipstick, and a janitor in a brothel. He has also secreted himself inside a fake rock placed at the side of the road with a peep hole for his eyes. In his work he has exposed a human trafficking racket, corruption in the police and malpractice in a food processing plant. He argues that "there is no point in doing journalism, if it does not lead progress in your society". Before becoming a journalist, Mr Anas worked as a lawyer for two years. Unsurprisingly, the judges featured in the film are not keen for it to be shown, and a case has been filed to restrain cinemas and other venues from allowing their facilities to be used to screen the film. But this has so far been ignored. Justice Paul Uuter Dery has filed a new suit at the Supreme Court seeking to stop the investigations into the judges. He wants the court to declare that the material gathered cannot be used, as Ghana's constitution guarantees that evidence in a case relating to the removal of a judge should be heard in camera - in other words behind closed doors - and Mr Anas has already shown it in public. The documentary itself

Summary: It has all the ingredients of a Hollywood blockbuster but the tale of sex, money and corruption that is gripping Ghanaian cinema-goers is a three-hour documentary that purports to expose judicial corruption.


When applications closed at midday on Friday, 1,924 people had been sent postal votes, which represents 6.4% of those on the electoral role. They have until midday on Wednesday to deliver their completed ballot slips, either by post or by hand, to Sir Charles Frossard House. Wednesday is polling day across the island. Registrar-general of electors Mark de Garis: "Anyone on the electoral roll could choose to vote by post and our goal was to make the process as straightforward as possible. "The popularity of postal voting is increasing... it's important that we continue to make it a quick and easy process." Postal voting has been allowed in Guernsey since 1972 and has grown significantly in recent years; 662 in 2000, 1,513 in 2004, 1,386 in 2008 and 1,685 in 2012.

Summary: A record number of people have signed up for postal votes ahead of Guernsey's election next week.


Gloucestershire Police said they had received allegations that Opus Fine Art in Stow-on-the-Wold had been "dishonestly retaining or selling" art. The gallery deals in works by high profile artists including Damien Hirst. A police spokesman said investigations were ongoing to establish ownership of the seized property. The Independent newspaper reported the owners, Donald Smith and Emma Poole, were believed to have moved to the south of France.

Summary: A large number of works of art have been seized from a Cotswold art gallery after allegations of fraud and theft.


Taylor, 27, is taking an indefinite break from cricket after suffering with anxiety and panic attacks. New Zealand all-rounder Amy Satterthwaite will captain the side in Taylor's absence. Six Super League teams will play 15 Twenty20 matches in a round-robin tournament that begins on 30 July.

Summary: England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor will not appear for Lancashire Thunder in the inaugural edition of the Super League.


The guest list has been decided by Lady Thatcher's family and representatives, along with the government and the Conservative Party. It includes family and friends of Lady Thatcher and those who worked with her over the years, including members of her cabinets and representatives from a range of groups with which she was associated. Those also invited include staff who worked closely with Lady Thatcher or who served her in some personal capacity, such as housekeepers who looked after her office in the Houses of Parliament. Ten members of staff from the Ritz hotel, where Lady Thatcher was staying when she died, have been invited. About 200 states, territories and international organisations have been invited to send an official representative. Argentina's president has not been invited but the country's ambassador to Britain has. Downing Street says this is in keeping with diplomatic protocol for such occasions. The Queen will lead the mourners with the Duke of Edinburgh. St Paul's has a capacity of 2,300 and is expected to be full on the day. Invitees include: Some of those who have confirmed their attendance include: Among those not attending:

Summary: Further details of guests invited to attend the funeral of Baroness Thatcher at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday have been released.


Several provinces of Kalimantan often experience the direct wrath of the fires, with hundreds of hotspots detected. In Malaysia and Singapore, people are advised to stay indoors when the haze is bad, avoid exercise and wear N95 masks - high quality protection against particles in the air. But in Kalimantan "a lot of people do not even wear masks here because they are so used to the pollution," relief worker Jonathan How told the BBC. "They've been conditioned by the haze for decades and are subjected to serious health problems much worse than in Singapore." This week, Mr How took a team from Singapore to Kalimantan. Their mission: to raise awareness about the dangerous air pollution and distribute 25,000 of the N95 masks. He described seeing "smoky yellow skies" in the region, where PSI pollutant levels have neared 2,000. Any reading over 300 is considered hazardous. The team of five arrived in Kalimantan on Monday, where they spent three days visiting local schools and hospitals to distribute masks. "One lesson we learnt was that haze awareness is key. Though people may politely receive the N95 masks they are given, they will only use them if they truly understand the long-term health impacts of inhaling fine particulates from the haze," Mr How said. Singaporean photographer Edwin Koo, who also travelled with the team, documented their efforts. He shared with the BBC one experience of teaching a man how to put on a specialised N95 mask. "When we first arrived at the airport, we gave out masks to the porters too. One of them took the strap [that were supposed to be looped over the head] and wore it on his ears, like a surgical mask. It ended up blocking his eyes and he didn't realize it was wrongly worn. So I showed him how to put it on correctly. It was then I realised that the mission was not as simple as it seemed." Mr Koo also said: "Sometimes we have to cross the line of documentation. In this case, it meant that I had to put my camera down to help people put on masks and explain the hazards of exposing oneself to haze." Mr Koo has also been actively sharing images from the trip onto his Facebook page. His album titled, Haze Response Kalimantan 2015, features photographs of Kalimantan's burning peatlands and the daily life of the locals. Now back in Singapore, Jonathan How and the team are currently exploring new ideas on how to "better inform people about the negative health impact of the haze". They also want to continue to "encourage people to use the correct masks for their protection". "We want to meet as many like-minded individuals and organisations as possible, to explore collaboration on longer-term solutions to the haze," he said. "The regional pollution is a global responsibility, not just of the Indonesian government."

Summary: Every year, a haze spreads across South East Asia - at the heart is Indonesia's Central Kalimantan, where raging forest fires cause the hazardous air pollution.


Vincent Friel crashed into Charlotte Collins, 68, and her cousin Margaret Haldane, 69, near Silverburn shopping centre in Glasgow on 18 January 2014. Ms Collins died shortly afterwards and Ms Haldane was seriously injured. Friel, 44, from Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, was also banned from driving for five years. Jailing Friel at the High Court in Glasgow, judge John Morris QC told him: "You were a normal respectable member of the community until the date of this accident. "I take into account the exceptionally slow speed your vehicle was travelling at. However, you drove through a pedestrian crossing on a red light causing the death of one lady and injuring another. "Miss Collins relatives have lost a much loved family member. The effect on the families has been devastating. No sentence I can pass will assuage such devastation. No sentence passed by a judge will ever be viewed by the families as adequate." The court previously heard that Friel's Range Rover ploughed into the women at a pedestrian crossing in Barrhead Road. Friel, who owns a property letting business employing 20 people, was taking blood pressure medication at the time of the collision. He had also been prescribed Viagra and medicine to take away headaches that were brought on by having sex. His lawyers claimed the combined medicine caused his blood pressure to drop to such a low level as to cause him to faint and he was not in control of his actions at the time. The court heard from one doctor, described as a world-renowned expert in his field, who said it was "likely or possible" that Friel had suffered a "vasovagal" episode, another term for a faint. However, cardiologist Dr Andrew Flapan told jurors he thought it was "extremely unlikely" that Friel had fainted at the wheel of his 4x4. He pointed to the fact Friel looked normal after the crash and was able to reverse his car off one of the women and use his mobile phone to call for an ambulance, saying he would not be able to do these things for at least 20 minutes after fainting. A jury of nine women and six men took just one hour and 40 minutes to find Friel guilty of causing the death of Ms Collins and the serious injury of Miss Haldane by driving dangerously.

Summary: A man who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving after jurors rejected claims that he fainted at the wheel has been jailed for three years.


The E-ACT academy group says it will replace them with "academy ambassadorial advisory bodies". These new bodies will "play a central role in celebrating the academy's achievements", E-ACT has told its school governors in a letter. But governing bodies, with parental representatives, will no longer hold their local schools to account. The academy chain says it was about providing the "best possible education". A school governor described it as "authoritarian" and "repugnant". E-ACT's 23 schools are spread across England, with clusters in the West Midlands, Buckinghamshire, Bristol and the north west. As an academy chain it receives public funding to operate schools, with accounts for the academic year ending in August 2014 showing an income of Â£135m. A letter sent to governors tells them that the academy chain has decided to change its form of governance. Instead of local school governing bodies, there will be a centralised process for monitoring standards. The letter to governors says the academy chain would contact governing bodies "to discuss an appropriate transition date" and the replacement bodies would provide a different type of function, such as an "interface with the community". And it invites current governors to move over to the new bodies, but these would no longer be involved in areas such as hiring senior staff and monitoring budgets and standards. A governor in one of E-ACT's schools in the midlands said he was "shocked" at how governing bodies had been disbanded, which he described as "offensive and disrespectful to the people who freely volunteer their time to act as governors". What makes this more controversial is that E-ACT itself has a troubled record. In 2014, the academy chain lost control of 10 of its schools after Ofsted inspectors raised serious concerns about their performance. Until July 2015, the chain was operating under a financial notice to improve, imposed by the Education Funding Agency. A spokeswoman for E-ACT said the academy group had introduced "fundamental changes to how the organisation operates to ensure that every young person received the best possible education with us". She added: "Part of this involves adopting a new governance model, in line with the Department for Education's guidance. "We appreciate that change can be challenging for some, but we are committed to continuing to work closely with our governors and are encouraging each of them to take up posts in the newly-formed advisory bodies."

Summary: An academy chain is scrapping the current form of governing bodies for its schools in England.


Mr Jones announced the news in a tweet, which included a hand-drawn cartoon of a baby inside the womb along with a message referencing his father's death. "One month since dad died today. Made this card for him at Christmas. Due in June. Circle of life. Love you, granddad," the director, 44, wrote. Mr Jones is the eldest child of Bowie, who died of cancer last month, aged 69. The Bafta award-winning director is the singer's only child from his 10-year marriage to his first wife, Angie. He is married to photographer Rodene Ronquillo.

Summary: David Bowie's son Duncan Jones has announced he is to become a father for the first time.


RSPCA officers said Bradley Powers' English Mastiff Hercules was so emaciated, with "nearly every bone visible", he had to be euthanized. Powers, 51, of Swansea, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dog at Swansea Magistrates' Court. He was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. RSPCA said inspector Leigh Summers visited Powers' home in November last year to find an "extremely skinny" Hercules with a flea infestation. Insp Summers said it was one of the "worst cases of neglect I have ever seen as an inspector - you could see nearly every bone in his body". Insp Summers added: "As well as not treating him for his weight loss, Hercules also had to suffer with a flea infestation, something which is easily preventable." She added: "Although his owner has now been convicted and has been banned from keeping animals, his actions meant that Hercules lost his life and was not able to get the second chance he deserved."

Summary: A man who failed to take his severely-underweight and flea-infested dog to a vet has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years.


The children, aged between three and seven, were being driven to their kindergarten in the city of Weihai when the bus burst into flames in a tunnel. The driver was angry that his overtime and night shift pay had been cut, police told Xinhua news agency. The children's teacher and the driver were also killed. The fire was started on the bus floor near the driver's seat. Part of a lighter was discovered nearby and petrol traces were found on the bus, Xinhua said. Electrical faults and traffic accidents had been ruled out as possible causes, police said.

Summary: A fire on a bus in China that killed five South Korean and six Chinese children was started deliberately by the driver, Chinese state media say.


16 September 2014 Last updated at 07:25 BST Leaders from both sides have been touring the country and encouraging people to vote. Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond, who is leading the campaign for the "Yes" vote, tells Newsround what he thinks being Scottish means.

Summary: There are only a few days left until the people of Scotland decide whether or not to become an independent country.


His side have won only two of their first seven league games following promotion and lie in seventh place. "What I said at the start of the season, and I was very, very clear, was that we'd be highly competitive," the English manager told the media. "You guys said about challenging Celtic and challenging Aberdeen." Rangers are seven points behind reigning champions Celtic and three adrift of the Dons, who were last year's runners-up, after losing to both in recent weeks. "I said we'd be highly competitive and that won't change," he said of a side beaten 2-1 at Pittodrie in their last outing. "I think you saw on Sunday we were highly competitive, but we have to get the rewards for it. "What we have to do is to turn our domination and ball possession into rewards. "That's what we did against Queen of the South. Between the Ross County and Queens match, there was no difference between the displays, but in one game we were far more clinical than the other." Warburton, who has received a one-match touchline ban for comments made after the loss to Aberdeen, insists it is still early in the season to express disappointment at Rangers' league position. "You can say you are four points from the bottom or three points from second," he said ahead of Saturday's Glasgow derby against Partick Thistle. "At this stage of the season, in any league, you win two games and the whole picture changes. The same if you lose two."

Summary: Mark Warburton says his goal at the start of the season was simply to be "highly competitive" in the Scottish Premiership and Rangers have done that.


About 50 people attended a protest at Blackpool North after Chad Vickers was fired from his post, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said. It added that the police found "no evidence at all" and his removal by Northern Rail was a "farce". The rail operator said it was "confident this dismissal was fair". Adrian Thompson, human resources director for Northern Rail, added: "We never rush to dismiss our staff. Dismissal is always a last resort." The union's general secretary Mick Cash said: "There is no compelling CCTV evidence, the police found no forensic evidence and management could come up with very little in anecdotal evidence to support the decision to dismiss Chad." Northern Rail said it would continue a normal service this weekend despite the 48-hour strike, which started on Saturday midnight.

Summary: Rail staff at a Lancashire station are on strike this weekend after a worker was sacked for allegedly putting hand gel in a supervisor's coffee cup.


It follows concerns changes proposed by the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) could undermine the "scores on doors" scheme in Wales. In November 2013, Wales became the first UK nation to require food outlets to display their inspection ratings. The FSA is considering allowing third party auditors to be brought in to make much more limited inspections of premises. Senior officers in Wales are concerned the changes are fuelled by a need for councils in England to make savings - something the FSA has denied - and believe they would undermine the improvements in Wales. Mark Elliott, from the Directors of Public Protection in Wales, said: "We should in Wales really consider a Wales-specific solution now, to build on what we've done, and not mess up what we've already got." The FSA said the proposed new system would give a better picture about a premises' standards every day - rather than just on the day they are inspected - by taking their own audits and systems into account. It has also been suggested food businesses should have to pay for a licence before they could open. A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We will continue to collaborate with the FSA and local authorities to develop a sustainable approach to food business regulation that works across Wales and which reflects the need to ensure that the highest standards of food hygiene and safety are maintained."

Summary: Calls have been made for Wales to have greater control over food hygiene.


Dawn Goodacre said she regularly slept with nine-week-old Henry Whitehouse nuzzled in her shoulder and would wake to breastfeed him at regular intervals. He did not regain consciousness on 20 December and died at Northampton General Hospital. Coroner Anne Pember recorded an open verdict and repeated her warning that co-sleeping is unsafe. It comes just two weeks after the inquest of 11-week-old Darcie-Rose Souster, who was starved of oxygen while sleeping on her father's arm at home in Wellingborough. Ms Goodacre sobbed throughout her evidence at Northampton County Hall. "I went to kiss him on the head and I realised his temperature wasn't right," she said. "I screamed to get an ambulance." He was taken to Northampton General Hospital but did not regain consciousness and died. Henry's father, Kieron Whitehouse, said he and Ms Goodacre were "both in shock and devastated". In a statement read to the court, he said Henry was Dawn's fifth child and while he was unexpected - Ms Goodacre hadn't realised she was pregnant until she gave birth - he was well cared for and much loved. Consultant paediatric pathologist Dr Roger Malcomson, who oversaw the post-mortem examination, said the cause of death was unascertained but linked to sudden unexplained death in infancy and "in the context" of co-sleeping with parents. Mrs Pember said she wanted to alert all parents that "to sleep with a baby is an unsafe sleeping environment whether on a bed or a sofa."

Summary: A baby sleeping with his mum on a sofa was found cold and unresponsive when she woke up, an inquest has heard.


The Police Ombudsman launched an inquiry after a complaint was made that police did not fully investigated claims against the Sinn FÃ©in president. A police probe into the allegations was conducted properly, it said. The ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, said there were no signs of misconduct. He also said he had "found no evidence to indicate that [police officers'] thinking was influenced by who Mr Adams was". The complaint was in relation to Mr Adams' evidence in the case of his brother, Liam. Liam Adams was convicted in 2013 of raping his daughter, Ã

Summary: A recommendation not to prosecute Gerry Adams over allegations he withheld information on sexual abuse within his family was not politically motivated, a police watchdog has found.


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Summary: Discussions continue in court over where terminally ill baby Charlie Gard should spend his final days.


The two English players shared the first four frames before O'Sullivan hit a 124 clearance to edge ahead in the semi-final in Cardiff. O'Sullivan, a three-time champion, then made breaks of 94 and 88 to lead 5-2 before winning with a 78. Australia's Robertson beat Northern Ireland's Mark Allen 6-4 to reach his second final, to be played on Sunday. Robertson, the 2007 champion, had trailed 2-0 in the best-of-11 frame match, but won the crucial third frame after a foul by Allen, of Northern Ireland. The world number three then won five consecutive frames to lead 5-2 and withstood a comeback by Allen to reach the final. Speaking after the semi-final, O'Sullivan, 40, compared Robertson to cinematic cyborg law enforcer RoboCop. "I have watched him through the UK Championships and he never showed emotion through the whole tournament, " O'Sullivan told BBC Sport, ahead of the best-of-17 final. "It shows what an unbelievable professional he is. He is Robocop, he is like the new Steve Davis or Stephen Hendry." Robertson, 34, believes O'Sullivan is the favourite for the title. "I don't mind flying under the radar," he added. "It is nice, I can be the underdog."

Summary: Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Joe Perry 6-3 to reach the Welsh Open final where he will play Neil Robertson.


South Yorkshire Police hopes to build the 50-cell suite in Shepcote Lane, near to Meadowhall shopping centre. It will replace suites in Ecclesfield, Sheffield and Rotherham, saving more than £1m a year said the police. Ch Supt Rob Odell said it was hoped the new suite would be completed by the summer of 2016. He said: "We anticipate that replacing three existing properties within Rotherham and Sheffield with one purpose-built facility will deliver annual savings of approximately £1.2m. "The majority of this will come from a reduction in staffing, but there will be other revenue savings and energy efficiencies too. "We are consulting regularly with the staff affected, who are mainly custody sergeants and detention officers, and we hope to achieve the savings through natural wastage." A public consultation on the plans has begun.

Summary: Plans for a £19m police custody centre to replace three "outdated and inefficient" suites are being submitted to Sheffield City Council.


The Corsican side took the lead when Guinean Sadio Diallo beat goalkeeper Danijel Subasic from close range. But Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva pulled the league leaders level early in the second half when he headed in an Almamy Toure cross. Champions Paris St-Germain would move to within a point of the summit should they beat Toulouse on Sunday. Monaco travel to face Manchester City in their Champions League last-16 first-leg game on Tuesday. Match ends, Bastia 1, Monaco 1. Second Half ends, Bastia 1, Monaco 1. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Jean-Louis Leca (Bastia) because of an injury. Foul by Benjamin Mendy (Monaco). Jean-Louis Leca (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Fabinho (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lenny Nangis (Bastia). Attempt missed. Thomas Lemar (Monaco) left footed shot from very close range is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Bernardo Silva with a cross. Lenny Nangis (Bastia) is shown the yellow card. Attempt missed. Florian Marange (Bastia) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Axel Ngando with a cross following a corner. Corner, Bastia. Conceded by Benjamin Mendy. Attempt missed. Jemerson (Monaco) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Thomas Lemar with a cross following a corner. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Jean-Louis Leca. Attempt saved. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Bernardo Silva. Foul by Bernardo Silva (Monaco). Lassana Coulibaly (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Benjamin Mendy. Bernardo Silva (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lenny Nangis (Bastia). Substitution, Bastia. Lenny Nangis replaces Gaël Danic. Attempt missed. Falcao (Monaco) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Nabil Dirar with a cross. Substitution, Monaco. Nabil Dirar replaces Almamy Touré. Attempt missed. Jemerson (Monaco) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Thomas Lemar with a cross following a corner. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Florian Marange. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Alexander Djiku. Attempt missed. João Moutinho (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Abdelhamid El Kaoutari. Foul by Thomas Lemar (Monaco). Prince Oniangué (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Almamy Touré (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Gaël Danic (Bastia). Substitution, Bastia. Axel Ngando replaces Sadio Diallo. Substitution, Monaco. Kylian Mbappe replaces Valère Germain. Foul by Fabinho (Monaco). Sadio Diallo (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Valère Germain (Monaco) header from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Benjamin Mendy with a cross. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Alexander Djiku. Attempt blocked. Bernardo Silva (Monaco) left footed

Summary: Monaco missed the chance to go six points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after being held by Bastia.


The Under-20 boss replaces Gareth Southgate, who vacated the role to become England manager after the departure of Sam Allardyce. Boothroyd, 45, took charge for the U21 side's final two Euro 2017 qualifiers and secured qualification for this summer's finals in Poland. "I've been at the FA three years; this is the logical next step," he said. "I believe I am here on merit because I've worked in all four divisions and I've got an understanding of speaking to a League Two manager or a Premier League manager and the problems they have." Boothroyd was in charge of Watford for three seasons from 2005, initially saving the club from relegation to the third tier before leading them to the top flight in 2006. The Vicarage Road side finished bottom of the Premier League the following season, then failed to make an immediate return, losing in the play-off semi-finals. Boothroyd left the following season and had a nine-month spell at Colchester and an 11-month stint at Coventry before taking charge at Northampton in 2011. The side were bottom of League Two at the time and Boothroyd guided them to safety, and the play-offs the next season, before being sacked in 2013 with the club once again last in the fourth tier. "You can get stuck in a job and I was very much on a hamster's wheel in my previous jobs," he told BBC Radio 5 live. "But this has reinvigorated me. I've watched games I could only have dreamed of, met people, been to World Cups and I feel like I've grown massively in the last three years."

Summary: Former Watford and Coventry boss Aidy Boothroyd has been confirmed as manager of the England Under-21 team.


Konta won 7-5 6-2 and will now face the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova. The fifth seed beat Russia's Daria Kasatkina 3-6 7-5 7-6 (9-7). Konta, 25, is 11th in the race to Singapore, with only the top eight qualifying for the tournament, which takes place from 23-30 October. Konta could also break into the world's top 10 for the first time if she continues her run at the China Open. Currently ranked 14th, she would join Virginia Wade, Sue Barker and Jo Durie as the only Britons to achieve the feat on the WTA Tour.

Summary: British number one Johanna Konta boosted her hopes of reaching the WTA Finals in Singapore by beating Hungary's Timea Babos in straight sets to reach the China Open third round.


The campaign is expected to be a head-to-head between MSPs Kezia Dugdale and Ken Macintosh. Mr Macintosh has launched his campaign with a promise to shake up the party organisation, including moving the headquarters from Glasgow to Edinburgh. He said Scotland must be more accountable and responsive to the needs and wants of Scottish people. Ms Dugdale will launch her leadership campaign on Saturday. She has said she will offer the party a fresh face and fresh thinking. Mr Macintosh said that if he became leader he would begin negotiations with the new national Labour leadership to establish a formal relationship with Scottish Labour that recognises its autonomous role within the UK party. He said that was one of several fundamental changes to the way Scottish Labour operates that were needed before the party could win back voters' trust. The MSP for Eastwood's reforms would include: Launching his leadership campaign at the headquarters of East Kilbride and District Engineering Group Training Association, Mr Macintosh said: "I want to make it quite clear - I see myself as the change candidate. Yes we could manage the situation we are in. We could lurch from election to election as we have done in the past. "But I want to change the whole way the Labour Party operates. I want to move away from the machine politics of the past, to give the party back to its members and to the people we want to represent." He added that his leadership would seek to assert the "identity, authority and autonomy of the Scottish Labour Party". "I've never been interested in standing for Westminster and I don't look over my shoulder or seek permission to say what I want to say on behalf of the people of Scotland. "The Welsh Labour party seems to have had no difficulty in establishing its own identity, with significantly less devolved power or responsibility than we enjoy here in Scotland." He said: "We will be entirely in charge of our own affairs and our own decision-making, but it is important to us that we have a partnership of equals with party colleagues in the rest of the UK. As I heard it described recently, our future will be one of both self-rule and shared-rule." On his plan to move the party's head office to Edinburgh, he added: "It is time the structure of the Labour Party reflected that the focus of political attention in Scotland is Holyrood. "This will be the head office - we will opt in to the Labour Party, we will choose to be members of something bigger, but control rests with members here in Scotland." He said he was committed to devolution and wanted to devolve responsibility within the party to eight regions reflecting the list regions of the Scottish Parliament, with membership and campaigning organised at that level. Speaking about his plan to put all elected representatives on an equal footing within the party, he said: "I want to broaden our appeal, not narrowly focus on an ever declining audience of Scots with so-called traditional

Summary: Nominations have closed in the contest to replace Jim Murphy as Scottish Labour leader.


After the bus explosion, huge blasts were heard in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory continued. Eleven people were killed in Gaza on Wednesday, the health ministry said. Unnamed Palestinian officials told news agencies a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel would be announced within hours. After eight days of exchanges of fire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are now in Cairo for talks with the Egyptian president. There were "many details to work out" before a ceasefire could be reached, Mr Ban warned. By Kevin ConnollyBBC News, Tel Aviv In the immediate aftermath of the bus bombing, there was a palpable sense of shock hanging in the air around the scene. Israel's largest city has seen nothing like this for six-and-a-half years. One resident - when told that the news of the explosion broadcast from mosques in Gaza has been greeted with a sound of celebratory gunfire there - said that they need to celebrate this as some kind of victory because they have nothing else to offer but violence. A police helicopter still circled overhead and there were roadblocks at many main junctions around the scene as police hunted for the bomber or bombers seen running away from the scene. Paradoxically, the explosion and the waves of Israeli air raids on Gaza this morning do not necessarily mean that the search for a ceasefire is dead. It may mean that both sides are sending a signal that if a deal is agreed, they will be reaching it from what they regard as a position of strength. The search for a diplomatic solution reaches a critical phase this afternoon when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi - the only leader with effective lines of communication both to Israel and to Hamas. Earlier, she and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held talks in the West Bank with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The US "strongly condemns" the bus bombing, Mrs Clinton said. Militants fired more rockets at Israel, while Israel renewed its naval artillery bombardment of Gaza late on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Ofir Gendelman said on his Twitter account that the bus explosion in Tel Aviv was a "terrorist attack". The Ichilov medical centre in Tel Aviv said that of the 28 injured, 10 had suffered "body injuries" - three of them serious - three received "moderate-light" injuries including shrapnel wounds and burns, and the remainder were suffering from "anxiety". The bus was passing the military headquarters in the city at the time of the blast. Police say they believe the blast was caused by a bomb and they are still searching for a suspect. According to Israel's ministry of foreign affairs, the last bomb attack in Tel Aviv was in April 2006, when a suicide bombing on a restaurant killed 11. Hamas, the Islamist movement which has governed Gaza since 2007, has praised the attack but has not said it was behind the

Summary: Twenty-eight people have been injured in a "terrorist attack" on a bus in Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv, Israeli officials say.


Wentworth, which was bought by the Beijing-based Reignwood Group in September 2014, has told existing members they must stump up £100,000. Annual fees on top of that are to rise from £8,000 to £16,000. James Wyatt said he and other members faced having to pay "an enormous amount". The Surrey golf club said membership pricing "is a private club matter". Mr Wyatt, who learned of the new fees at a meeting on Tuesday evening, told the BBC: "You'll have to pay a debenture of £100,000 and if you want to join as a new member it'll be £125,000. "A debenture is essentially a loan note with no interest on it, but there was some doubt as to whether we're looking at what we all think a debenture to be, or if it is really just a payment to the owners to fund their purchase and improvements in the club. "On top of that you'll have to pay annual subs of £16,000. "People were completely shocked." He said the debenture scheme and increase in annual subscriptions would come in to force in April 2017. Currently, full members pay a joining fee of £15,000. Despite opposition, one of the club's members - who preferred not to be named - said he welcomed the increase, calling it "fantastic news". He said: "Members for years have been asking for improvements to our courses, facilities and services. "The new investment plans, focused on quality and family, will propel the club forward to become one of the finest golf and country clubs in the world." The golf club is on the Wentworth estate, in the heart of the Surrey stockbroker belt. Its large houses are home to Middle Eastern royalty, international business tycoons, professional golfers and celebrities. The six-figure cost of membership would make Wentworth the UK's most expensive golf club, although some other exclusive venues worldwide reportedly cost more. The BBC asked three other top UK golf clubs - Royal Liverpool, Sandwich Royal St George's and The Belfry - for details of their membership fees. The first two said as private members' clubs they would not disclose the information, while the Belfry revealed the joining fee for the Brabazon course was £2,000, with an annual membership of £3,250. It's unheard of [the cost of the debenture plan], in this country anyway, and unheard of in the whole of Europe I would think, although years ago in the Far East and some clubs in the United States have had this sort of thing. Whether it will work in Wentworth I really don't know. I'd like to see the reaction from the members, because this is a very bold step. The idea, I'm told, is the club wants to have a very good relationship with those who have houses on the estate, but a lot of them are from overseas, from Asia and Russia and other places. It's a jigsaw puzzle at the moment and I wonder how many pieces will fall into place. A spokesman for the Virginia Water-based club said: "We will be discussing our new membership

Summary: One of the UK's most exclusive golf clubs is to start charging £125,000 to new joiners.


25 June 2017 Last updated at 09:35 BST Anne was a Jewish victim of the Holocaust. Her diary, which she nicknamed 'Kitty' is a very famous record of her experiences during World War II. Anne wrote about how she and her family lived in a secret hidden attic in the Netherlands to help them hide from the Nazis. We spoke to a group of girls who have read Anne's diary, and they said that Anne's optimism and positivity was very relatable and inspiring. Take a look to find out more...

Summary: It's 70 years since Anne Frank's diary was published.


Not that long ago, lenders made it easy for people in their early 20s to climb onto the nearest ladder by offering interest-only mortgages. As house prices rose year after year, homes looked like a solid investment. There appeared to be little danger of buyers slipping down to where they started. Then the financial crisis hit, the board became a seething mass of snakes, and the property market did not seem as easy to play after all. So, how has the game changed now, and what is facing those who fell back to having to start all over again? With an interest-only mortgage, householders pay off the interest on the loan but not the capital. At the end of the mortgage term, borrowers are expected to repay the capital. The attraction of interest-only mortgages was obvious to many young first-time buyers. Many were aged in their early 20s, had just started their first job, and were happy to put off any real consideration of how they would pay the loan back, or to rely solely on the rising value of their home. In addition, they were cheaper than the repayment option. But, as they became more and more popular, this type of mortgage was placed more frequently under the microscope of the City regulator - the Financial Services Authority (FSA). In 2006, when 24% of all new mortgages were lent on an interest-only basis, the FSA said most people with interest-only mortgages did not have "robust plans" to repay them "There is nothing wrong with interest-only mortgages," said Clive Briault, of the FSA, six years ago. "However, consumers must be very clear about how they are going to repay the loans they take out." That comment may sound familiar because just a few weeks ago, Martin Wheatley, the managing director of the FSA said almost exactly the same thing. "There is a place for interest-only," he told a mortgage industry conference. "Lenders must ensure these mortgages are taken out by consumers with a concrete repayment plan." The fears may not have changed, but the market for interest-only mortgages certainly has. In the last week or so, RBS, NatWest and the Coventry Building Society have pulled out of the market altogether. They followed a withdrawal in October by the UK's biggest building society, the Nationwide. "Whether this is the ultimate final nail in the coffin remains to be seen, but it does look increasingly like interest only is destined to survive only as a niche product or the preserve of the wealthy through the private banking fraternity," said Andrew Montlake, director at mortgage broker Coreco. The only lender to ease its stance is Santander which, after cutting back sharply on interest-only, is now allowing a mix of interest-only and repayment under a new deal. The FSA would be pleased to see interest-only disappearing for good as a mainstream product, but that is not a view shared by everyone. Source: Moody's Investors Service Jonathan Harris, director of mortgage broker Anderson Harris, said: "Interest-only is increasingly becoming a niche product, the preserve of wealthier borrowers.

Summary: In the game of snakes and property ladders, winning now looks a lot more difficult for young buyers.


Oduwa, 19, and Ball, 20, represent manager Mark Warburton's eighth and ninth signings of the summer window. Both Players are a product of the Tottenham youth system. Ball spent the second half of last season on loan at Cambridge United, making 11 appearances, whilst Oduwa also appeared 11 times for Luton town. Ball has represented England at Under-19 and Under-20 level, having previously represented Northern Ireland at younger age groups. Oduwa has also played for England at youth level, representing his country at the Under-18 level. Warburton will have both players available this Sunday as Rangers continue their Championship campaign away to Alloa.

Summary: Rangers have signed winger Nathan Oduwa and defensive-midfielder Dominic Ball on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur.


Sussex could have taken third place had they won at Hampshire, but rain forced their match to be abandoned. Somerset's fixture at Middlesex was also called off, meaning Somerset finish second in the South Group. Essex finished top of the group after beating Kent by 57 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method at Canterbury. They are joined by North Group winners Worcestershire in going straight through to the semi-finals. Somerset will host Nottinghamshire in the quarter-final on 13 June with the winner to face Essex at Chelmsford three days later. Yorkshire play Surrey at Headingley in the other quarter-final, also on 13 June. The winner travels to Worcestershire on 17 June. At Canterbury on Wednesday, Varun Chopra scored 83 from 98 deliveries, while England Test opener Alastair Cook made 54 as the visitors reached 307-6 from their 50 overs. Kent lost three early wickets before rain caused play to be stopped after 11 overs had been bowled, with the hosts on 50-3 - well short of their adjusted target. Surrey captain Gareth Batty told BBC Radio London: "It was 100% the right decision [to call the game off], the water's coming over your shoes out there. "There's nothing you can do, you just move on to the next game."

Summary: Surrey qualified for the One-Day Cup knockout stages despite rain causing their game at Gloucestershire to be called off without a ball being bowled.


It is claimed the accounts for the Cleddau Bridge are confusing, with some showing a loss and others a profit. Motorists pay 75p - lorry drivers £1.50 - to cross between Pembroke Dock and Neyland. There have been previous calls to scrap the tolls altogether. The council said it will review both the physical and financial management of the bridge. The announcement follows a complaint from a member of the public to the Wales Audit Office, which argued that money collected by the council was not being spent in line with rules governing the bridge. The complaint also suggested that council accounts for the bridge are confusing. One set of Pembrokeshire council figures for 2013/14 show the bridge operation made a loss of £60.6m. A second set of figures for the same period suggest the loss was £9.3m. And a third set of figures state that the council actually made a combined surplus of £17.6m. Council officials have confirmed to BBC Wales that £60m deficit is in fact a 'notional' loss - and does not actually exist. The second part of the complaint to auditors is over whether the council should be allowed to make a profit - and where that money should be spent. Collecting tolls on the Cleddau Bridge is governed by legislation set out by the UK Parliament in the Dyfed Act 1987. Council leader Jamie Adams said the authority's position was that it can make a profit as long as the funds are used for other transport projects. However, he accepted that the wording of the 1987 law was unclear. Mr Adams added: "We've simply followed the example set by our predecessor authority Dyfed. "Certainly there are different ways to interpret the act which allow for different accounting practices to be undertaken." The council said it plans to carry out the review of the lifetime cycle of the Cleddau Bridge by the end of March 2016.

Summary: The way tolls on a Pembrokeshire bridge are managed are to be reviewed after a complaint to a spending watchdog.