A freedom of information request by Plaid Cymru revealed the Labour-run authority had paid out £144,000 for the legal costs of nursery campaigners. It also paid the £97,500 legal bill of successful library campaigners. The council said costs in such circumstances usually fell on the authority which was "regrettable". RCT had previously revealed that its own external legal costs came to £113,199. Parents took their fight to the High Court in May to overturn the council's decision to end full-time nursery education for younger children. Meanwhile, in the same month, campaigners chained themselves to bookshelves to protest against the proposed closure of Rhydfelin library. They were granted a judicial review before it was reprieved. Plaid Cymru said the money would have been better spent on frontline services. It said the council had tried to "railroad" local people and it had been "a very expensive mistake to make". A council spokesman said due to continued UK government cuts unpopular decisions had to be made. "As is their right, residents can and have challenged these particular council decisions which, in respect of the decision to make changes to the funding arrangements for nursery education, resulted in the council's decision being quashed."

Summary: Rhondda Cynon Taf Council (RCT) has had to pay a £350,000 legal bill over challenges to cuts in nursery education and Rhydyfelin library's closure.


About 1,700 people were asked for their opinions on proposals which were unveiled in June. They involved new housing, a business hub and expansion of Liverpool FC's stadium, creating up to 700 jobs. Mayor Joe Anderson previously said it was "shameful" there had been years of delays to improving the area. The plans, drawn up by a consortium made up of Liverpool City Council, housing providers and Liverpool FC, would also see the creation of a wide avenue through Stanley Park ending in a new public square. About 250 new homes would be built, with 296 removed to make way, and a 100-bed hotel constructed. Feedback from residents during a six-week community engagement project will now be considered as more detailed plans are drawn up. They will be subject to consultation before planning applications are submitted next year. Mr Anderson said: "People have given us invaluable information about the entire range of regeneration ideas and concepts which we unveiled. "In the coming weeks we will use this information to refine our proposals and to undertake another listening and consultation exercise. "We believe the plans are exciting and will deliver a massive improvement in quality of life for many thousands of people and be of major benefit to the city, not just Anfield."

Summary: More than 80% of people living and working in the Anfield area of Liverpool are backing plans for a £260m regeneration, according to a survey.


Dayow Mohamed Hassan, 44, was buried neck-deep and pelted to death with stones by al-Shabab fighters. He was convicted of being in an adulterous relationship with a woman and impregnating her, despite having two wives, an official said. Al-Shabab occasionally passes such sentences for sexual offences in areas it controls in Somalia. In 2014, a teenage boy was stoned to death after being convicted of raping a woman. In 2008, a young girl was killed in a similar manner after being convicted of adultery. In the latest case, a woman filed a complaint of rape against Hassan, but the court tried him for adultery as it is easier to prove, says BBC Somali's Mohamed Mohamed. Hundreds of people watched him being stoned death in Ramo Adey village in the south-central Bay region, said Moalim Geedow, the al-Shabab governor for the area. "The man had a third woman who was a divorcee... He deceived her, saying that he went to a sheikh [religious leader] and that he married her," Mr Geedow told Reuters news agency. "However, when the woman got pregnant, the two families debated and there was no trace of valid matrimony. The court ruled he did not marry her legally and he was stoned to death." Al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow the weak UN-backed government in Somalia and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law. It has lost control of many towns and cities to a 22,000-strong African Union force supporting the government. But the group, linked to al-Qaeda, still has a strong presence in many rural areas.

Summary: Somali militants have stoned a man to death after an Islamic court convicted him of adultery.


New rules, which came into force in April, allow people aged 55 and over to cash in their pension pots rather than take a retirement income. This new system "is not yet operating entirely as it should", the Commons Work and Pensions Committee said. The government said any exploitation of retirees was unacceptable. MPs on the committee also raised concerns about gaps in advice and charges. And they said that there were dangers of a mis-selling scandal if pensioners were unable to make informed choices. Some 204,000 people accessed pension pots in April, May and June. This was more than double the number in the same period in 2013, partly reflecting customers delaying accessing their pots until the reforms had taken place, the committee heard. Annuity sales dropped to 12,000 for the same three months, compared with 90,000 in the same quarter of 2013. Some 121,000 customers had opted for cash withdrawal and 71,000 had accessed some form of product to draw income from a pension fund that remained invested. Making these financial decisions left many people at risk of being exploited by con-artists, the committee said. "Financial scammers are notoriously adept at reinventing themselves to take advantage of such opportunities. But this does not mean scams should be accepted as a fact of life," the committee said. In response, the government said it was working hard to tackle the issue. "The Government has been absolutely clear that any attempt to exploit people who have worked hard and saved for their retirement is unacceptable, which is why we are working with police, regulators and other bodies to raise awareness and take action to protect consumers," said a spokesperson for HM Treasury. Another danger was the lack of suitable advice for many people approaching retirement, especially those of middle-incomes. Frank Field, who chairs the committee, said: "We have seen all too clearly, too many times, what happens when financial information is not properly provided and regulated. We literally cannot afford another financial mis-selling scandal." There was also criticism of Pension Wise, the government-backed free service which guides people through the new rules. "The website is not fit for purpose. It is static, offering no opportunities for personalisation, and lags well behind many private services," the report said. A government and City watchdog review into financial advice should consider whether retirees facing jargon and complex financial choices should be given two or more Pension Wise guidance sessions rather than just one. However the government said Pension Wise had been a "real success story", with over 20,000 guidance appointments since it started. Pension Wise offers web and phone-based services, as well as face-to-face appointments through Citizens Advice. The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, told the committee that, in July, Citizens Advice was running at 10% to 15% of its capacity to provide face-to-face appointments. The committee also concluded: "Freedom to choose is not enough, people must have freedom to make informed choices," the report said.

Summary: Pension reforms have increased the prospect of people being conned out of their life savings, a committee of MPs has concluded.


We gathered that as we sped our way through Lisbon in a convoy of vans, escorted by heavily-armed narcotics police. "It's been a while since I've gone through red lights with sirens and blue lights," chuckled Arfon Jones, a former officer himself. BBC Wales' Week in Week Out programme brought the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner to Portugal to see how a radical new approach to drugs was working out. Plaid Cymru's Mr Jones has led calls for cannabis to be legalised for medicinal purposes and wants the legalisation of all drugs to be considered. We spent four days filming with him in the Portuguese capital and watched as, under armed guard, vans were emptied of three tonnes of heroin, cocaine and cannabis, all seized from drugs gangs, and burnt in an incinerator. Portugal lowered the penalties for drugs possession 15 years ago, but traffickers and dealers still face jail. Police, privately sceptical at first, say the change has worked for them. "It frees up our time so we can go after the serious and organised crime," Artur Vaz, the narcotics police chief told us. It is the other end of the scale - with the drug users - where you see something really new. I filmed Pedro, in his early 20s, being dealt with by a body unique to Portugal called the Dissuasion Commission. Two casually-dressed commissioners questioned him about his private life. He had been referred here because police found him with slightly more than the 10 days' worth of drugs people are allowed. A criminal court found he was not dealing drugs, so now the Dissuasion Commissioners were working with him. This was quite unlike anything I had seen before and different from so-called drugs courts. "If a user needs help, I am in a much better position than a judge," commissioner Nuno Capaz, told Mr Jones. "He hands out a sentence. That might work if someone robbed a bank, but not if you are a drug-user." And because the commissions are run by the health department, he says he has a direct line to treatment services, speeding up referrals. "In Portugal decriminalisation isn't the big thing," said Brendan Hughes, of the European Drugs Monitoring Agency, also based in Lisbon. "They designed a whole package." I took Mr Jones to this EU agency because it is an independent evaluator of international evidence. Mr Hughes told us it was the move from criminal justice to the health department that was making the difference. "The Portuguese change is coherent and consistent," he added. And just as important, say supporters, is the boost given to health practitioners. Psychiatrist Miquel Vasconcelos showed us around the Taipas Centre, where we watched three recovering addicts receive one-to-one physiotherapy. What were the benefits of decriminalisation? we asked. "We have had more resources. More social awareness that this is a disease not a deviant behaviour, and the people affected by it are more tolerated. And we have felt we have had more acceptance as professionals," he said. We were told they got the waiting time for

Summary: The first thing a Portuguese police officer will tell you about drugs is that they are still illegal.


Fourteen-year-old Karen hides the stump of his left hand in his pocket. His siblings gather round as he looks at Facebook on the family laptop. "I can't forgive myself for what happened," says his mother, Ludmila Bagdasaryan-Mirzoyan. Two years ago Karen found a live anti-aircraft shell in the garden. After he started playing with it, the relic from the 1990s war with Azerbaijan exploded in his hands. The family live in Madagis, a village in the landlocked mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, close to the frontline with Azerbaijan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union there was all-out war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, from 1992 to 1994. An estimated 30,000 people were killed. Despite a ceasefire of 20 years, the area is heavily militarised. There are frequent shootings across the frontline. Each side blames the other for military casualties, which have risen sharply in recent months. Ludmila says her children often hear gunfire or warning sirens. "They wake up and ask me: 'Mum has war started again?'" she says. Azerbaijan lost swathes of territory during the conflict, and more than 600,000 ethnic Azeris from Karabakh and nearby regions were forced to flee. More than 300,000 ethnic Armenians who used to live in Azerbaijan were also displaced by the conflict. Today, a drive through Nagorno-Karabakh reveals many abandoned homes. Some lie in ruins, others are intact, with overgrown gardens, behind still padlocked but rusting gates. Time, it seems, has been frozen here. But the conflict itself is very much alive. Peace negotiations mediated by the Minsk Group, under the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), have seen little progress. "If we look at the peace process what it really represents is what I call 'back to basics' diplomacy," says Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Centre, a think tank based in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. "It's no longer about negotiating over Nagorno-Karabakh, rather it's back to basic, minimum objectives. "The first goal of the mediation is to keep the peace process alive and the second goal is to prevent war, rather than any real diplomacy over negotiations where they can't even agree on the agenda. That's how far apart the two sides are." Internationally, Nagorno-Karabakh is considered part of Azerbaijan, but its Armenian inhabitants call themselves citizens of the Artsakh Republic and remain the sworn enemies of Azerbaijan. The territory has its own flag, an international airport, police and armed forces, although regular Armenian soldiers serve on the frontline. In reality, Nagorno-Karabakh is isolated. Financially and militarily it depends on Armenia. Its subjects hold Armenian passports. And the international airport stands empty, because Azerbaijan has threatened to shoot down any planes. Frustrated by the lack of a diplomatic solution, Azerbaijan's leadership has threatened to retake the territory militarily. Oil-rich Azerbaijan has spent billions of US dollars on modern weaponry. And most of the arms are supplied by Russia. That is deeply unpopular with Armenia. It counts Russia as its strategic ally, and hosts Russia's only military base in the region. "We are concerned that Russia, for all sorts of reasons, is

Summary: Amid fears that a "frozen conflict" is developing in eastern Ukraine the BBC's Rayhan Demytrie examines life in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, scene of one of the former Soviet Union's most protracted conflicts.


It suggested 91% of people were satisfied with GP care and 92% with their last NHS hospital appointment. Finance Minister Jane Hutt said it was "heartening" to see such high levels of satisfaction. The survey was an "important resource" which would help "support the delivery of public services", she added. Asked to rate services on a scale of zero to 10, the average rating for health services was 6.3 and education 6.6, with performance of the Welsh government just above the middle of the range at 5.6, all in line with previous years. On other aspects of life, there were large majorities satisfied with their accommodation (94%), recycling services (82%) and the level of respect in their local community (79%). Overall, the survey of more than 14,000 people found that 83% were satisfied with their daily lives. Other less positive findings included: There were mixed views on the performance of councils, which have been getting to grips with steep budget cuts. People agreeing that their local authority provides high quality services fell from 57%, in both of the two previous years, to 53%. This varied from 42% in Blaenau Gwent believing their local services were high quality to 65% in Conwy. Across Wales, just 37% agreed that their council "does all it can to improve my local area". Powys came off worst on this question, with just 29% agreeing with the statement, while Caerphilly got the best result, where 45% agreed. Welcoming the overall results, Ms Hutt said: "It is particularly heartening to see such high levels of satisfaction with the NHS and education. "The survey is an important resource for us and will support the delivery of public services. "Hearing the views of people across the country will help us make Wales an even better place to live, work and enjoy." No wonder the Welsh government sounds happy - after a year when their record on public services, health in particular, has been under scrutiny like never before, it seems the people who use those services have had a positive experience. The data confirms a paradox any politician who's knocked on a voter's door will recognise - people tend to think their own experience is good, but have a perception that the overall picture is poor. Not that anyone should run away with the idea that life in Wales is without its problems. Forty percent of people report finding it difficult to keep up with the bills, although that figure is lower than in previous years. And one in five say they feel "materially deprived" - going without a holiday, failing to put anything aside or feeling unable to have the heating on. It's not all good news for the Welsh government either - although the public has rated elements of the NHS and education highly, the administration that delivers them gets only a modest score: 5.6 out of 10.

Summary: People across Wales remain "highly satisfied" with the NHS, education and with their daily lives, according to a national survey.


The radio and radar station set up at Aird Uig, Gallan Head, 60 years ago was part of Nato's early warning system against Soviet submarines and aircraft. Gallan Head Community Trust bought the site from the Ministry of Defence with help of grant funding. It is working on turning parts of the site into a space observatory. A marine research centre is also planned at what is to be called The Cetus Observatory. The trust said: "Cetus will be a ground-breaking, multi-purpose space for observing the dark skies, changeable weather, listening to and spotting whales and getting absorbed in every aspect of nature and science. "The observatory will hold an internet operated robotic telescope, a small radio telescope, a small radar, a solar telescope, a planetarium, a space exhibition, giant wide field binoculars for viewing cetaceans and birdlife, nature webcams, a cafÃ©, educational facilities, and a small shop. It added: "Outside the centre there will be a circular path around the headland, in some places leading to observation shelters, excellent for daytime marine life spotting walks or night-time star gazing."

Summary: A ceilidh and a torchlight procession are to be held on Saturday to mark a year since a community buyout of a Cold War surveillance station on Lewis.


More than 300 bags of rubbish were gathered during the beach cleans at Dun Canna, north of Ullapool. The tins were from factory ships, known as klondykers, which would anchor in Loch Broom off Ullapool to process mackerel in the 1970s to early 90s. Almost 50 volunteers were involved in collecting the rubbish. The effort was part of the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Living Seas project.

Summary: Tin cans from Soviet-era fish factory ships have been found among rubbish cleared from two shorelines in the north west Highlands.


As campaigning officially gets under way for the general election on 20 December, there are new political figures on the block. Firstly there is Albert Rivera, a dashing 36-year-old Catalan, whose party, Ciudadanos (Citizens) has burst onto the scene, apparently stealing much of the centre ground. And then take Pablo Iglesias, a 37-year-old jeans-wearing, ponytail-sporting former university professor who leads the grassroots, left-wing movement born from the economic crisis called Podemos (We can). His allies swept to power in several big Spanish cities in regional elections back in May. Both men sell themselves as a new brand of politician. Mr Iglesias says the rich should pay more to end poverty and he would force King Felipe to stand in an election for the position of head of state. Mr Rivera is socially liberal, but committed to free-market economics. They both claim they will end corruption. Scandals have plagued Spain's traditional parties in recent years. An impromptu exchange on the issue of corruption between Mr Iglesias and Celia Villalobos, a senior figure from the ruling Popular Party (PP), was trending on Twitter this week. She warned him not to go around accusing all of her party of being corrupt. Spain's incumbent prime minister, the slightly dour Galician, Mariano Rajoy, made other headlines. First he was criticised for not appearing in a debate. An empty lectern alongside the three other candidates was one of the top images of the pre-election campaign week. But the contrast between Mr Rajoy's non-appearance, and then his appearance in a Spanish celebrity's kitchen for an overly friendly interview could not have been greater. The latter felt more like a political advert, broadcast on Spain's public broadcaster, TVE. Soft questions, a biography, cheesy music and slow-motion shots of the two men walking only give ammunition to the critics that say Spain's public broadcaster is not independent. However despite all the talk of change, according to the polls Mr Rajoy's party will be in the driving seat to form a government after the election, come 21 December. It is true that we should not underestimate the seismic shift that is taking place in Spanish politics. The political tennis match of the past in Spain, where for 33 years the ball of power was knocked back and forth between Mr Rajoy's PP and their rivals the Socialists (PSOE), is no more. The two-party game is over. One thing that is almost certain is that no party will get an overall majority in the Spanish parliament. Mr Rajoy will tell voters their money is safe in his hands: that his party takes the credit for Spain's economic recovery and that there is more to do. Some Spanish voters are yearning for something new, to do away with the politics of the past. But others might opt for more of the same. It is arguably modern Spain's most unpredictable election to date.

Summary: On the face of it, it is an election that will change the face of Spanish politics.


Laird shot a second round 68 in San Diego to stay within reach of KJ Choi and Gary Woodland, who were nine under. England's Rose and Paul Casey missed the cut by a shot, along with American and world number four Rickie Fowler. American Mickelson was a further shot behind, while Australia's defending champion Day missed out by three. World number two Day's preparations were hampered by illness and the he missed the cut for the first time in nearly eight months. Mickelson finished with three straight bogeys as his challenge was ended. "I think I tried to force the issue a little bit," he said. "When I wasn't under par early, I kind of started to press a little bit. But that stuff happens."

Summary: Scotland's Martin Laird moved to within two shots of the lead as Jason Day, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose missed the cut at the Farmers Open.


More than 300,000 children under the age of five are severely malnourished and require urgent assistance. Most of those in need of help have been internally displaced following decades of conflict. Malnutrition levels in Somalia have increased over the last six months with nearly half the population affected. The number of people without enough food has increased by 300,000 since February. Somalia drought leaves children 'facing death' Peter de Clercq, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said those providing aid were ready to "scale up" their response to help families struggling to find food. But he noted that funding for the Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan has reached just 32% of its target. The crisis follows poor rainfall in the south and central parts of Somalia where crop production has fallen by more than half in just six months. Farmers have also lost many of their livestock in the recent drought. Aid agencies have warned that the numbers could go higher if the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya is closed down and thousands are forced to return to Somalia where they have no homes or livelihoods. In January, aid agencies launched an appeal for more than $880m (Â£680m) to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Somalia but, so far, less than half of that sum has been donated. The UN report, released on Tuesday, suggests that crop production was severely hit by insufficient rainfall and flash flooding in southern and central Somalia, "the breadbasket of the country". The agency said continued population displacement following decades of conflict and attacks by extremist groups such as al-Shabab was a major contributing factor. Who are Somalia's al-Shabab? Al-Shabab, the Islamist militant group, has been battling the UN-backed government in Somalia for years and has carried out a string of attacks in neighbouring Kenya. The group, which is allied to al-Qaeda, has been pushed out of most of the main towns it once controlled, but it remains a potent threat.

Summary: Nearly five million people in Somalia are suffering from a shortage of food due to poor rainfall, floods and displacement, the United Nations says.


Hanson UK had applied to use Sutton village to prevent mixer lorries getting stuck in A40 roadworks. A county council report said lorries bound for the new Westgate Centre had been seen using the route before permission had been given. The firm has apologised for the breaches. In September 2015 the company was given planning permission by Oxfordshire County Council for a mobile concrete plant at Dix Pit in Stanton, on condition lorries used the A415 and A40 and avoided Sutton. In November, Hanson said lorries bound for the new Westgate Centre were spending so much time in roadworks that 100 tonnes of concrete, worth more than Â£22,000, had been lost through prematurely setting while still in mixer lorries. It applied for a change in the planning permission conditions to allow it to use the B4449 through Sutton. However, council officers reported lorries were using the route before the request was approved, with a driver stopping to ask a council officer directions on one occasion. The authority said it was "extremely disappointing" Hanson UK had not stuck to the agreement. The council report said Hanson had apologised for the breaches and insisted it had warned drivers not to use the route. County councillor for Eynsham, Charles Matthews, said the measures taken by the company "clearly hadn't worked". "The trouble is the roads are not brilliant because its very narrow, the verges have been driven over and drain covers are sunk into the road," he added If the council approves the request, 10 loaded mixing trucks could use the route each day until November 2016.

Summary: A contractor supplying concrete for Oxford's new shopping centre has been criticised for breaching an agreement not to drive lorries through a village.


Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell 8.9% in 2014 on the previous year, while emissions of all the greenhouse gases were 7.7% below 2013 levels. The figures come from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). The biggest fall in 2014 was in homes (17%), where a warmer year meant less gas was used for heating. A significant fall was also seen in the power sector (down 13.6%), which saw less use of coal in electricity.

Summary: Greenhouse gas output in the UK fell almost 8% in 2014, although emissions from transport and agriculture rose slightly, official figures show.


The 28-year-old MTN-Qhubeka rider maintained his 13-second lead over Team Sky's Wouter Poels on Sunday's 14-lap final stage around central London. Team Sky's Elia Viviani was awarded the stage win after Andre Greipel, who crossed the line first, was penalised. Owain Doull, riding for Team Wiggins, was the highest placed Briton in third. The Welshman finished 10th on the stage but picked up bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint to leapfrog Rasmus Guldhammer to end the race 42 seconds behind Boasson Hagen and also win the points classification. Germany's Griepel beat Viviani by milimetres in Saturday's penultimate stage and was again first over the finish line on Sunday. However, the Lotto-Soudal rider was adjudged to have impeded Viviani in the sprint for the line and was relegated to the back of the bunch by race officials. "I didn't see Viviani coming," said Greipel. "Everybody was on the limit on the final corner. I didn't do anything for purpose that's for sure. That's sprinting." After winning his third stage of the race, Italian Viviani, who crossed the finish line with his hand in the air in complaint, said: "He came across a little bit and that edged me towards the barriers. "I'm disappointed because it is better to win without this but we won in London and that is the main thing." Stage eight result: 1. Elia Viviani (Ita/Team Sky) 1hr 50mins 16secs, 2. Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Esp/Movistar) same time 3. Matteo Trentin (Ita/Etixx-Quickstep) 4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) 5. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) 6. Sondre Holst Enger (Nor/IAM) 7. Mark Renshaw (Aus/Etixx-Quickstep) 8. Graham Briggs (GB/JLT Condor) 9. Ruben Zepuntke (Ger/Cannondale-Garmin) 10. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) General classification: 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) 34hrs 52mins 52secs, 2. Wouter Poels (Ned/Team Sky) +13 secs, 3. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) +42secs 4. Rasmus Guldhammer (Den/Cult Energy Pro Cycling) +43secs 5. Zdenek Stybar (Cze/Etixx-Quick-Step) +51secs 6. Ruben Fernandez (Spa/Movistar) same time 7. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) 8. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale-Garmin) +53secs 9. Chris Anker Sorensen (Den/Tinkoff-Saxo) +59secs 10. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/An Post - Chainreaction) +1:02 Selected others: 18. Peter Kennaugh (GB/Team Sky) +2:51 24. Ian Stannard (GB/Team Sky) +38:36 87. Bradley Wiggins (GB/Team WIGGINS) +1.31:03

Summary: Edvald Boasson Hagen became the first rider to win the Tour of Britain twice since its return to the professional cycling calendar in 2004.


Hearts value the Scotland Under-21 international at around £1m. The 23-year-old attacker is contracted at Tynecastle until next summer and has turned down the offer of an extension. Walker, who has made more than 180 appearances for Hearts and who scored 15 goals last season, can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club from 1 December. Rangers' initial bid was rejected on Wednesday. Hearts director of football Craig Levein said last month that Walker wanted to leave the club. The club subsequently stated "the player would prefer to see out the remaining year of his contract". Rangers finished third in the Scottish Premiership - two places and 21 points above Hearts - and have signed defenders Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso, midfielder Ryan Jack and forwards Daniel Candeias and Dalcio this summer. The club, who will enter the first qualifying round of the Europa League later this month, have also had a second offer for Norwich City midfielder Graham Dorrans turned down.

Summary: Hearts have rejected a second bid from Rangers, believed to be in the region of £600,000, for winger Jamie Walker.


"This battle is ours... and I promise you victory," he said in a TV address. Syrian rebels in the besieged town of Qusair say they are under heavy bombardment from Hezbollah combatants. The town is close to the Lebanese border, a conduit for both the government and rebels to get weapons. In the speech from an undisclosed location, Mr Hasrallah said if Sunni Islamists took over in Syria, they would pose a threat to the entire Lebanese population - Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as Christians. He said his movement could never be aligned with Syrian rebels who, in his view, were supported by the United States and Israel. Hezbollah plunges deep into Syria conflict Dozens of Hezbollah militants are said to have been killed fighting alongside Syrian troops in Qusair since 19 May, when government forces launched an offensive to recapture the rebel-held town. Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry said thousands of Hezbollah fighters were contributing significantly to the violence in Syria. He added that Iran was actively supporting Hezbollah's involvement - a claim denied by Tehran. Iran and Hezbollah are predominantly Shia, while Mr Assad's Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam. The week-long fighting in Qusair intensified early on Saturday, when activists reported heavy bombardments, including two ground-to-ground missiles and an air strike as well as artillery and rocket fire. Syrian state media said the army had launched a three-pronged offensive in the north, centre and south of Qusair, and was making big advances after "killing large numbers" of fighters. Qusair is important for the Syrian government because it links the capital, Damascus, with the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast. However, official media made no mention of the part played by Hezbollah. The Lebanese group is also known to have lost a number of fighters in Qusair, prompting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to warn the Shia militia against getting "bogged down in the sands of discord". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group that monitors the conflict, said at least 22 people including 18 rebels had been killed in the latest fighting in Qusair. Dozens had been wounded, it added.

Summary: The leader of the Lebanese Shia militant Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, has promised his supporters they will prevail in Syria, where they are backing President Bashar al-Assad.


The 25-year-old star won gold on the track at London 2012, but, on the advice of British Cycling, switched full-time to road racing last year. "Initially I was told I couldn't appeal," she said. "I'm going to explore that option. "I haven't really been given a fair explanation as to why I haven't been selected, to be completely honest." The Rio Olympics get under way on 5 August. King is second-highest British rider in the world standings but was overlooked when the British road race team was revealed last week. Emma Pooley and Nikki Harris were chosen instead - to support lead rider Lizzie Armitstead - despite both being ranked below her. King called the decision "unfair" but thought she was unable to appeal against the decision because she was not on British Cycling's funded programme. However, British Cycling's interim performance manager Andy Harrison subsequently announced she could. "I have really enjoyed being on the road this year and I feel I've exceeded all expectations in terms of my results," said King. "I was given nine criteria at the start of the year which I've been working toward and I'm absolutely gutted." Media playback is not supported on this device King defied expectations by returning to elite racing after a life-threatening training crash in November 2014 left her with eight broken ribs, a bruised liver and punctured lung. She stopped receiving UK Sport funding two months later and was told she would not be considered for the Rio track cycling team late last year. She has been focusing exclusively on road racing ever since. Despite her Olympic omission and the controversies surrounding British Cycling following the departure of technical director Shane Sutton amid claims of sexism and discrimination, King refuses to be too critical of the national set-up. "When I was on the programme, I was supported really well," she said. "It's just disappointing that I feel like this selection hasn't been fair to me." She insisted: "I'm not here to slag off British Cycling and I do wish all of the British riders a lot of success in Rio."

Summary: Olympic champion Dani King may appeal against British Cycling's decision not to select her for the Rio Games.


Scientists from Stirling University looked at the effects a group of beavers had on a wetland in Tayside originally drained for farming. The 12-year study found plant richness rose by 46% and the number of different plants recorded more than doubled. The study is the first to measure the environmental benefits of the beavers' activity over time. Between 2003 and 2015, the beavers constructed 195 metres of dams, 500 metres of canals and an acre of ponds at the site on a private estate in Blairgowrie, Perthshire. Scientists said the surrounding vegetation "increased in complexity" by 71%. Prof Nigel Willby from the university said wetlands were "tremendously important environments" for biodiversity, but were disappearing at an "alarming rate". He said: "Beavers are renowned for their engineering skills, like dam building, and are now being considered as tools for restoring wetlands. "They have been reintroduced widely, including in Scotland, partly for this purpose and our findings demonstrate the surprisingly large benefits they can bring to biodiversity." The study was partly-funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and published in the international journal Science of the Total Environment. Following trial reintroductions, Eurasian beavers were readmitted to Scotland last year, 400 years after being hunted to extinction in the UK. Co-author Dr Alan Law said: "We know lots about the benefits of beavers in natural settings, but until now we did not know the full extent of what they can achieve in present-day landscapes where restoration is most needed. "Seeing what beavers can do for our wetlands and countryside highlights the diverse landscape we have been missing for the last 400 years."

Summary: A new study has highlighted beavers "exceptional" ability to rebuild diverse wetlands.


Allan Fleming, 48, from the Faifley area of Clydebank, was struck by an Asda articulated lorry on the A82 at Duntocher at about 11.00 on Sunday. The incident happened on the westbound carriageway between the Kilbowie roundabout and the Erskine Bridge. Mr Fleming was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash.

Summary: Police have released the name of a cyclist who died after being hit by a lorry in West Dunbartonshire.


The hit show about the life of one of America's founding fathers just fell short of The Producers' record of 12 statuettes in 2001. For the first time at the ceremony, all four musical acting winners were black, including British star Cynthia Erivo. But Saturday's mass shooting in an Orlando gay club overshadowed the show, and many paid tribute to the victims. Host James Corden dedicated the night in New York to celebrating the diversity of Broadway, saying: "Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this atrocity. All we can say is you're not on your own right now. Your tragedy is our tragedy. "Hate will never win. Tonight's show stands as a symbol and a celebration of that principle." Corden won a Tony Award in 2012 for his performance in One Man, Two Guvnors. US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle introduced the cast of Hamilton, which had 16 nominations, with a video message at the ceremony. The president said it was "not only a smash hit but a civics lesson our kids can't get enough of", while rapper Common described the show as a "cultural phenomenon". It won awards including best musical, best director, best original score and best book of a musical for the spoken, non-sung dialogue and storyline. The cast changed their performance in the light of the Orlando shooting, which killed 50 people and wounded 53, leaving their prop guns behind when they took to the stage. Hamilton, which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama earlier this year, has been hailed as "a landmark American musical", garnering celebrity fans including Star Wars director JJ Abrams, Jay Z and President Obama. In addition to blockbuster ticket sales, the album of the show is the highest-selling cast recording for 50 years, picking up this year's Grammy Award for best musical theatre album. Erivo, who won best actress for her leading role in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, said: "I promised myself I wouldn't cry because my make-up artist would be really mad at me. Thank you American Theatre Wing for making a London girl very, very happy." The Color Purple began at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London in 2013, where Erivo played Celie. Its artistic director David Babani said: "It's an honour to be recognised in this way by the theatre community in New York. "However wonderful the events of tonight, they are overshadowed by the tragedy in Orlando, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this awful event." The other three best musical actor winners were from Hamilton. They were Leslie Odom Jr for lead actor, Daveed Diggs for featured actor and Renee Elise Goldsberry for featured actress. The show is expected to open at London's Victoria Palace Theatre in October 2017. Speaking before the ceremony, Hamilton's star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda said the shooting was "heavy in my heart and heavy in my mind". Veteran US actor Frank Langella, who won best performance by a lead actor in a play for his role in The Father, urged

Summary: Hip-hop musical Hamilton has led the Tony Awards in New York, winning 11 including best musical and lead actor.


Habyarimana Mucebo, a senior member of the Rwandan FDLR rebel group, was captured in Rutshuru, north-eastern DR Congo. Members of the FDLR fled into DR Congo after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The slaughter of some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus sparked years of unrest in the region. Mr Mucebo, the FDLR intelligence chief, has been taken into custody for interrogation, the army says. Most senior figures of the group are wanted by Rwanda for their alleged role in the 1994 killings. Mr Mucebo's arrest is not linked to genocide charges as initially reported. Congolese officials accuse him of links to atrocities blamed on the FDLR. For many years, the Hutu rebel group had become a source of instability in DR Congo's North Kivu province. Rwanda has sent troops and militias into DR Congo on several occasions since the genocide, saying they were going after the FDLR.

Summary: A Rwandan Hutu rebel commander wanted for atrocities committed on Congolese soil has been arrested in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.


Ammar Haider, from Birmingham, told three woman a series of "sob stories" to get them to part with savings, take out loans and even pawn possessions, totalling £120,000, police said. The married father-of-two said he was a trainee pilot, ill relatives needed expensive medical treatment and he was stuck in a dangerous jail in Dubai. He admitted three charges of fraud. When West Midlands Police looked into his finances, officers said they found transactions from other victims who had apparently been bullied into not reporting Haider to police because he pretended to be a feared gangster and threatened them and their families. Haider first made contact with a woman from Sheffield, in 2011, having stolen her personal details from a customer database at the car insurance centre where he worked in Sandwell. He began flirting with her via text message before they agreed to meet. He told her he was a trainee pilot with Emirates Airlines. She ended up giving him £9,000 towards his ill father's emergency "treatment" and other bills. The woman, who went on holiday to Austria with him, was later contacted by his wife confirming that, along with other women, she had been tricked, police said. The 28-year-old from Acocks Green also told a woman from Edinburgh whom he met through a dating site that he needed £45,000 in bail money to escape torturers inside a Dubai prison, police said. She gave him a total of £52,000 but became suspicious when she checked with authorities. In police interviews, Haider said he knew the three women but said they had willingly handed over money and made up lies about him when he ended the relationships. Det Con Debra Phillips, said his victims - all well-paid professionals - now had long-term financial problems. "They were cynically targeted by Haider because of their financial means. At one stage he was juggling relationships with his wife and two girlfriends." Haider admitted the charges last month at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced on Wednesday.

Summary: A serial liar who tricked women he dated out of tens of thousands of pounds has been jailed for five years.


In an effort to help with that, a group of fourth-year vet students from Glasgow University has set up a clinic service to provide free vaccinations, micro-chipping, clothing, bedding and more. "My pal bought him for me," says Michael of his three-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Giro. The two are sitting in the doorway of a Glasgow bank, sheltering from the rain. He was named because Michael got him on what he calls a giro day - the day he receives his benefits money. "My pal asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said a wee bit of company. "I know it sounds stupid," he adds with a laugh, "but I just wanted somebody to talk to and the puppy does it for me. "He just sits there with you and he's dead loyal. I just love him to bits." Michael has been on the streets on and off since 2005. Sometimes he is able to stay with friends but other times he and Giro end up outdoors. For nights like that they have a routine. "You just get plenty of cardboard on the ground and a couple of sheets of cardboard over the top of you - a door mat, anything like that, just to put a bit of weight on you and then the dog cuddles up next to me and the two of us are warm as toast." Michael and Giro have a regular spot where they sit. Passers-by who stop to put money in the cup, often take a moment to give the dog a pat too. Others bring or buy food for Giro. "He doesn't suffer," says Michael. "He's better than me, put it that way. He's guaranteed a meal. I'm not." Giro is also wearing a coat against the winter chill which he got from the Trusty Paws clinic. It was set up this year by Glasgow University vet students. "We provide basic preventative health care," says 22 year-old Ruby Shorrock, who came up with idea after seeing a similar scheme in England. They launched in March and over the summer collected supplies and public donations. In October they held their first clinic. They provide things such as vaccinations, flea and worming treatment, micro chips and general clinical exams, as well as other things including food and collars to dog owners who are homeless. "They really care for their dogs even more than they care for themselves," says Ms Shorrock. "Often the dogs get fed before their owners get fed. So just seeing that dedication and passion from someone who's in that predicament is inspiring." "The aim is to help these people off the streets, so if they're not worrying about feeding their dog or getting care for their dog, they can look after themselves." The clinics have been held at the advice and information hub of the Glasgow Simon Community. The organisation, which aims to combat the causes and effects of homelessness, is partnering in the Trusty Paws project. It has meant that, as well as the dogs being helped, the people too are

Summary: The relationship between a homeless person and their dog can be an exceptionally close one but if you are on the streets, looking after your pet can also be challenging.


New York City's new Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to join the city's annual parade, and Guinness has withdrawn its sponsorship. Parade organisers said gay groups are not prohibited but may not carry identifying banners. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh also skipped his city's parade on Sunday. Mr de Blasio has said he would not join the parade in protest against its long-standing policy of excluding gay Irish groups from marching openly. The New York mayor played host to Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny for a St Patrick's Day breakfast before the parade. Mr Kenny joined the procession down Fifth Avenue in New York City's Manhattan borough on Monday, after saying the holiday was about Irishness, not sexuality. On Sunday, Irish beer brand Guinness said it was dropping its participation in the New York parade. "Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all," the brand said in a statement issued by parent company, Diageo. "We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year's parade." The firm pulled any promotional materials that were not already printed, although the beer maker had already made a payment to parade organisers, spokeswoman Alix Dunn said. Some gay and lesbian groups protested along the parade route on Monday, while a plan to dump Guinness beer from the shelves of the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the gay rights movement in New York City, was cancelled after the company pulled out of the parade. New York's parade draws more than one million spectators and about 200,000 participants during the St Patrick's Day holiday. On Friday, two other major beer brands, Boston-based Sam Adams and Heineken, also dropped parade sponsorships. In Boston, Mr Walsh, the first Irish-American Boston mayor in 20 years, said: "So much of our Irish history has been shaped by the fight against oppression. "As mayor of the city of Boston, I have to do my best to ensure that all Bostonians are free to participate fully in the civic life of our city."

Summary: The world's largest St Patrick's Day parade has kicked off under a cloud of protest against the organisers' refusal to allow gay groups to march openly.


Pritchard, a former England Under-21 international, has made two senior appearances for Spurs. He has scored a total of 20 goals in 100 matches on loan at Peterborough, Swindon, Brentford and West Brom. The 23-year-old would become Championship club Norwich's third summer signing, after keeper Michael McGovern and winger Sergi Canos. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Norwich City are in talks to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alex Pritchard, reports BBC Radio Norfolk.


The move ends an embarrassing situation for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who last year pledged to try to put Wonga out of business by helping credit unions compete with it. It later emerged that the Church had indirectly staked about Â£75,000 in Wonga through an investment fund. The archbishop told the BBC he was "absolutely delighted" that the investment had ended. When details of the link emerged last year, Archbishop Welby had admitted to being "embarrassed" and "irritated". The Church Commissioners for England, which deals with the Church's investments, said on Thursday it was "pleased to announce" the indirect exposure to Wonga as part of its venture capital portfolio had been removed. "At no time have the commissioners invested directly in Wonga or in other payday lenders," the commissioners' statement said, adding that the indirect exposure was "considerably less than 0.01% of the value of Wonga". It said the commissioners believed venture capital to be "a good and useful instrument with significant potential to serve the common good", but that a number of "ethical investment changes" had been made. These included tightening investment restrictions for direct investments, with new controls on indirect investments due to be announced later in the year. The statement added: "We no longer have any financial or any other interest in Wonga." In an interview to be broadcast on this Sunday's Andrew Marr show, Archbishop Welby said: "I have been absolutely clear that I do not believe that the rates of interest charged by these companies are ethical and moral - they are legal but they are not ethical or moral." As he does not sit on the Church's assets committee, he had no "legal right to intervene", he said, adding: "I can obviously apply pressure, encouragement, and I've tried to do that and I'm absolutely delighted that we are now out of Wonga and have taken no profit from it." Details of the investment emerged in July 2013 shortly after Archbishop Welby said he had "bluntly" told Wonga boss Errol Damelin "we're not in the business of trying to legislate you out of existence; we're trying to compete you out of existence". The expansion of credit unions would provide an alternative, he had suggested. Wonga responded by saying it was "all for better consumer choice".

Summary: The Church of England has ended its investment in the payday lender Wonga.


First Minister Carwyn Jones will travel with former Wales football striker Ian Rush to Switzerland on 21 April to get the trophy from Uefa's headquarters. The trophy will be "welcomed" to the host city with a parade from Cardiff Castle to the Principality Stadium. It will then embark on a tour around Wales, stopping at schools, clubs and popular public locations. The women's Champions League trophy, the final of which will be staged at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 1 June, will also be on the tour. The second-legs of the men's quarter-final ties will be staged this week. UEFA Champions League Trophy Experience, public event dates in Wales: Friday 21 April: 16:45 Trophy arrival in Wales and procession from Cardiff Castle to Principality Stadium Saturday 22 April: 13:30-15:00 Liberty Stadium in Swansea Sunday 23 April: 16:00-20:00 Aberystwyth Town Football Club Monday 24 April: 14:00-19:00 Bangor City Football Club Tuesday 25 April: 17:00-18:30 Llandudno Football Club Wednesday 26 April: 18:00-20:00 Bala Town Football Club Saturday 29 April: All day Beaumaris Castle Sunday 30 April: 11:00-17:00 Portmeirion (Public event) Monday 1 May: 18:00-20:00 Cefn Druids Football Club, Wrexham Thursday 4 May: 10:00-16:00 Haverfordwest town centre Saturday 6 May: 09:00-11:00 Newtown Football Club, 13:00-15:00 Brecon Leisure Centre, 17:00-20:00 Merthyr Town Football Club Sunday 7 May: 10:00-14:00 Tenby Monday 8 May: 14:00-16:00 Friars Walk Shopping Centre, Newport, 18:00-20:00 Cwmbran Stadium

Summary: The Champions League trophy will go on tour around Wales before the 2017 final in Cardiff on 3 June.


The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said there were "major issues" in the way allergies were recorded and shared. In its first guidelines on allergy, it is calling for known allergies to be recorded on all prescriptions. The charity Allergy UK said a "lack of awareness" was putting lives at risk. Official data recorded 18,079 incidents of drug allergies affecting patient safety in the NHS in England and Wales between 2005 and 2013. Most involved medicines which were prescribed to a patient with a known allergy to that class of drugs. Prof Mark Baker, the director of the centre for clinical practice at NICE, said: "If we know that giving someone a particular drug could cause them harm, or in the worst instances may even kill them, the utmost care must be taken to ensure they are not prescribed or administered that drug." NICE said efforts were needed to "dispel confusion" over allergies after "major issues" were discovered as the guidelines were drawn up. It called for improvements in the way doctors collect information on patients' allergies. It also wants a re-design of all prescriptions to include information on the classes of drugs to which a patient is known to be allergic. Signs of allergy include fever, hives, wheezing, redness and swelling. Dr Shuaib Nasser, a consultant allergist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, stated: "The guideline stresses the care all healthcare professionals must take when documenting new drug allergies and the importance of sharing this information with patients and other healthcare professionals. "People should be provided with structured written information on drugs to avoid and be advised to check with their pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medicines. "In some cases, specialist investigations will be required to confirm or exclude drug allergy." Maureen Jenkins, clinical director at the charity Allergy UK, said: "Drug allergies can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening reactions but are often undiagnosed. "We frequently have calls about the lack of awareness about drug allergy, inadequate documentation and communication between health professionals, which can put patients' lives at risk. We welcome these NICE guidelines, that will lay the foundation stone for better understanding and management of drug allergy across primary, secondary and tertiary care."

Summary: Thousands of lives are put at risk by doctors prescribing drugs to which patients are known to be allergic, the medicines watchdog says.


A man in his 40s was found fatally shot near the Colnbrook bypass, Slough, on Monday. A relative said Reuben Gregory had lived with his sister Kathleen in the area for more than 50 years. It is believed they lived in a caravan. She described them as "very, very quiet inoffensive people". "They are just very peaceable people, living a very simple life. That's the way they have always lived, that's the only life they know." The family member, who did not want to be named, said the siblings had been targeted 30 years ago in a burglary during which Ms Gregory was tied up. Emergency services teams, including armed officers, found the man at 03:30 BST. Mr Gregory, in his 70s, and Ms Gregory, in her 50s, remain in custody. Det Ch Supt Chris Ward, of Thames Valley Police, said investigators were treating the shooting as an "isolated incident". He added: "I must stress that this incident is not being treated as related to terrorism and there is no threat to the wider public." On Monday, officers arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of burglary in connection with the incident. The man, who is said to be local to the area, is in police custody.

Summary: An elderly man and his sister arrested on suspicion of murder live together in "secluded" Berkshire woodland, a relative has claimed.


Lorraine Warden forged the signature of a doctor at Ninewells Hospital in order to take the money, which was intended to pay for medical staff, equipment and training. An investigation found the 44 year old had written 61 cheques to herself. She told police she had taken the money due to spiralling debts from payday loans. Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Warden had been working as a secretary for NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee when she took the money, which had been donated to the Tayside Otolaryngology Fund. Dr Stephen Jones, the only signatory on the bank account for the fund, noticed discrepancies between a spreadsheet used to manage the fund's money, chequebook stubs and the bank account. An investigation revealed a total of 62 cheques, including one in the name of Warden's daughter, had been cashed for a total of £55,000 between 2007 and 2012. Warden, of Muirhead, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of embezzlement. Sheriff Elizabeth Munro deferred sentence for the preparation of reports, and allowed Warden bail meantime. The Tayside Otolaryngology Fund, which was in place to "provide staff, instruments, equipment or materials for the purposes of promoting and furthering research and advancing specialist techniques", ceased to operate in November 2013.

Summary: An NHS secretary has admitted embezzling £55,000 from a Dundee hospital charity fund.


President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who first came to power as prime minister in 2003, is seeking a big enough majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic. However his hopes may be scuppered if the pro-Kurdish HDP crosses the 10% threshold and enters parliament. Explosions at its election rally in Diyarbakir on Friday killed four. Officials said the blasts were caused by improvised bombs. HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas criticised Mr Erdogan's response to the killings. Casting his vote on Sunday Mr Demirtas commented: "The election campaigning process was not a fair and equal race." However he added: "Hopefully we will wake up to a new and freer Turkey on 8 June." Polls across Turkey's 81 provinces opened at 08:00 (05:00 GMT) local time and closed at 17:00 (14:00 GMT). First results are expected late on Sunday. If the left-wing HDP succeeds in winning seats in parliament for the first time, it would reduce the number of seats won by Mr Erdogan's AKP, thwarting its plans to change the constitution and transfer the prime minister's executive powers to the president. A strong showing from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the third-placed Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) could even force the AKP into a coalition, correspondents say. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the CHP echoed Mr Dermirtas and called the campaign period "unequal". He promised however to "continue to work with a sense of responsibility". Turkey's current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu shied away from accusations of unfairness telling reporters: "Whatever [the people's] will, it is a will that must be respected by everyone.'' The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says Sunday's election is the biggest electoral challenge for the AKP since it came to power 13 years ago. Growth has stalled, he says, critics talk of an authoritarian President Erdogan who has eroded free speech and burnt bridges with the West - and they are desperate for change. The result may have ramifications beyond Turkey's borders. The country is a vital Nato member in a volatile Middle East and a rare mix of Islam and democracy, our correspondent notes.

Summary: Turkey has voted in a general election which will determine whether the ruling party can change the constitution.


The students began "feeling unwell" at Llanwern High School, in Newport, at about 11.40 BST on Thursday. One 14-year-old girl, five girls aged 13, two girls aged 12 and an 11-year-old boy were taken to Royal Gwent Hospital. Laboratory tests are under way to determine what the substance was. Police said not all the pupils required hospital treatment but were taken as a precaution. Eight of the nine have now been discharged. Gwent Police said inquiries were ongoing to find out the exact circumstances of what happened and where the substance was obtained. The Welsh Ambulance Service sent three rapid response cars, three emergency ambulances and an urgent care service vehicle to the school. A council spokesman said on Thursday: "Our immediate priority is the well-being of the pupils affected. "The school will be carrying out an investigation and will be working with the police into how this incident happened."

Summary: A 14-year-old girl remains in hospital after nine pupils were taken ill at school after reportedly taking an unknown substance.


Liverpool came from behind to win, Arsenal had a dramatic and controversial late goal at Burnley to thank for three points, while Chelsea beat Hull City. Stoke moved off the bottom thanks to a draw at Manchester United and Leicester City were held by Southampton, while Sunderland, Watford and West Ham drew with West Brom, Bournemouth and Middlesbrough respectively. Do you agree with my team of the week? Or would you go for a different team? Why not pick your very own Team of the Week from the shortlist selected by BBC Sport journalists and share it with your friends? Pick your XI from our list and share with your friends. It was only his second appearance in top-flight football and his performance was super. He showed absolutely no signs of nerves and always looked in command. This was by no means a virtuoso performance by Stoke but their current position in the table demanded a result and it was Grant's performance that was the determining factor. If substitute Anthony Martial had not entered the fray and produced such a spectacular finish Manchester United would still be playing now without scoring, such was their wastefulness in front of goal. But you can't blame Lee Grant for that. I don't think I saw Manchester City winger Jesus Navas go past Walker once in the 65 minutes he was on the pitch, and eventually Walker saw him off. Walker is so full of running and confidence at the moment it's scary. It was his interception that started the move that resulted in Tottenham's penalty. I must say Walker's athleticism reminds me of my former team-mate, ex-Spurs and England full-back Danny Thomas. Now there was an athlete. Alderweireld was outstanding against Manchester City. His tackle on Fernandinho five minutes into the second half was a statement of intent. It was a clear that Spurs were determined to start the second half the way they had finished the first and that was to remain totally in control of the match. Last season when Spurs went on their impressive run of games, it was Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen who stood out at the back. They now have Kyle Walker and Danny Rose alongside them and both have a year's more experience under their belts. Let's see if it makes a difference. This was a Tottenham side without Harry Kane or Mousa Dembele and they still managed to batter Manchester City. The main reason was due to the performance of the two centre-backs, Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. I would never have believed that Spurs could have kept a clean sheet against City the way they have been playing this season under Pep Guardiola. Granted, City were without their talisman Kevin de Bruyne but if Guardiola hadn't been so obstinate and hard-headed, he'd have left the door open for Yaya Toure to return to the team and who knows what might have happened. No Manchester City manager, however celebrated, can have a player of Toure's ability and justify his exclusion with a result, not to mention a performance, like

Summary: Manchester City's 100% league record was emphatically ended by a defeat at Tottenham, who remain unbeaten so far this season.


Official documents obtained by Reuters news agency show government lawyers advised the US it might be considered a co-belligerent under international law. The Obama administration has continued to authorise weapons sales to Saudi Arabia despite the warnings last year. On Saturday, an air strike on a funeral hall in Sanaa killed some 140 people. The coalition denied responsibility for the attack, but Washington said it would review its support to "better align with US principles, values and interests". US President Barack Obama agreed to provide "logistical and intelligence support" to the coalition after it intervened in the conflict between forces loyal to Yemen's internationally-recognised government and those allied to the rebel Houthi movement in March 2015. Since then, more than 4,125 civilians have been killed and 7,207 injured, the UN says, with air strikes believed to have caused about 60% of the deaths. The documents detailing US government concerns about the civilian casualties and the potential legal implications for US military personnel were obtained by Reuters under the Freedom of Information Act and date from May 2015 to February 2016. One document quotes a state department official as telling human rights groups in October 2015 that he believed coalition strikes were "not intentionally indiscriminate but rather result from a lack of Saudi experience with dropping munitions and firing missiles". "The lack of Saudi experience is compounded by the asymmetric situation on the ground where enemy militants are not wearing uniforms and are mixed with civilian populations," the official said. "Weak intelligence likely further compounds the problem," he added. US officials also compiled a list of "critical infrastructure" that should be spared to enable Yemenis to restart commercial access and deliver humanitarian aid. An email shows state department officials organised a meeting in January to discuss "options to limit US exposure to LOAC [Law of Armed Conflict] concerns." The Law of Armed Conflict prohibits attacks on civilians and says civilians and civilian objects must be spared from incidental or collateral damage to the maximum extent possible when military objectives are attacked. Reuters reported that another email made specific reference to a 2013 ruling from the war crimes trial of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor, who was found guilty of aiding rebels who committed atrocities in Sierra Leone during its civil war. The ruling found that "practical assistance, encouragement or moral support" is sufficient to determine liability for war crimes. In August, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said they had documented more than 70 unlawful coalition air strikes, some of which they believed might amount to war crimes, and 19 attacks using internationally-banned cluster munitions. The coalition has said its forces have clear instructions not to target populated areas and to avoid civilians, and has dismissed previous allegations of civilian deaths as fabricated or exaggerated.

Summary: The US government is concerned it could be implicated in potential war crimes in Yemen because of its support for a Saudi-led coalition air campaign.


The midfielder, 20, agreed to a five-year deal with the French champions. He scored 13 league goals for Anderlecht last season to help them win the Belgian title. "Monaco is a club with an ambitious project, recognised on the European stage, and which relies on young players," Tielemans said. "I am very happy to be here. I will now do everything possible to progress here and repay the confidence the club have shown in me." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Monaco have signed Belgium's young player of the year Youri Tielemans from Anderlecht for a reported 25m euros (£21.63m).


The lawyer defending one of the robbers said they sometimes only saw half an hour of sunlight a day. He was making submissions on the second day of a three-day sentencing hearing at Woolwich Crown Court. But the prosecutor told the court their actions were likely to have caused "harassment, alarm or distress". Since their arrests in May last year, they have been on remand in the high-security Belmarsh prison. The gang - including men who were involved in the Security Express and Brinks Mat robberies - breached the vault at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in central London over the Easter weekend last year. Nick Corsellis, defending Carl Wood, 59, asked the judge to take into account the fact that Wood's inevitable jail term will mean that he will "not see" his ailing parents again. He said his remand in custody had been "particularly difficult" because he and the other men are in the double A security category. Mr Corsellis said it meant they are given one hour of exercise a day and "it is very rare that that is achieved - half an hour at best. Half an hour of daylight". He claimed this had psychologically affected his client, saying: "The remand in custody has been difficult to bear." The court also heard that Hugh Doyle, 49, had made an effort to turn away from crime, and that William Lincoln, 60, had a limited role in the conspiracy. His lawyer, Dante Leccacorvi, said Lincoln "had a very distinct role and that was to conceal the proceeds of this crime on a short-term basis". All the defence barristers argued that their clients should not be made the subject of Criminal Behaviour Orders. Arguing for these to be imposed, prosecutor Philip Evans QC described the heist as a "significant burglary". Adding that it was possible the men had also melted down the goods, or even taken them abroad, he continued: "These are sustained actions, and it is overwhelmingly likely that the victims of this offence would have been caused harassment, alarm or distress." The men who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary last September are: Wood, of Elderbeck Close, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and Lincoln, of Winkley Street, Bethnal Green, east London, were convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property after a trial. Doyle, of Riverside Gardens, Enfield, was found guilty of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between January 1 and May 19 last year. Reader has been absent from the sentencing hearing after falling and suffering a stroke in Belmarsh. All six men are due to be sentenced on Wednesday, when Judge Kinch will also decide when Reader will be sentenced.

Summary: The men convicted of the Hatton Garden heist are facing tough conditions in prison, a court has heard.


HBO tweeted the image with the message: "April #GoTSeason6 #GameOfThrones". It is the first major hint since pictures of actor Kit Harington at an airport in Northern Ireland, where the series is filmed, went viral in July. Snow was apparently murdered at the end of season five. Fans last saw him lying stricken after he being brutally stabbed by his comrades in the Nights Watch. Actress and Pitch Perfect 2 director Elizabeth Banks was one of thousands of fans who took to social media to question whether the character was really set to make a return. She tweeted: "Fired up. Ready to go. #JonSnow". Violeta Molina said: "Is he back for real? Is he a ghost? Is this all a cruel joke being played on us by HBO?" Stage musician Ben Hanlin added: "You all thought he was dead.... You know nothing!" Some fans are sceptical about the poster with Citizen D claiming: "Something feels off with that Jon snow poster. [I don't know] what kind of games HBO is playing but I don't like it one bit." Scott Crawely took a slightly more hopeful look: "The real good news, If they can bring back Jon Snow they can bring back all of my other 30 favourite characters that died." Channel 4 news anchor Jon Snow appeared to be slightly aggrieved his name was trending on social media, tweeting: "Winter is not coming: I have never been dead: I am a journalist: I am alarmed that my namesake has me trending!" Game of Thrones, which began in 2011, has won 26 Primetime Emmy awards, including this year's outstanding drama series and a Bafta audience award in 2013.

Summary: A poster of a bloodied, but very much alive Jon Snow, has appeared to end months of speculation as to whether the popular Game of Thrones character will return in the sixth series.


The newspaper said it fixed the error before its second edition. The Times was criticised along with the Sun, which also left news of the inquest verdicts off its front page. The Sun published an article titled "The Truth" days after the tragedy in 1989, alleging fans were to blame - but the inquest's jury exonerated Liverpool supporters. The Times and the Sun - which both covered the story with double-page spreads inside - are part of News UK, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp group. There was no mention of the inquest on the Sun's Facebook page, but people used comment threads on other stories to vent their anger. One of the most-shared tweets was from actor Stephen Mangan, who wrote: "Wait - neither The Sun nor the Times mention Hillsborough on their front pages?" He described them "disgraceful" and "contemptible". Football commentator Gary Lineker said it was "as disgusting as it is unsurprising". Liverpool fans renewed their call for a boycott of the Sun. People have been using hashtags such as #dontbuythesun #shutthesun and #shutthesundown to show their anger on Twitter. Actor Jamie Lee-Hill was among those suggesting people should boycott media companies owned by Mr Murdoch. The paper apologised for its coverage in 2004 and again in 2012. In its Tuesday edition, The Sun said: "We apologised prominently 12 years ago, again four years ago on the front page, and do so unreservedly again now." The Sun's front page four days after the tragedy included quotes by an anonymous policeman who alleged fans had "picked pockets of victims" and "urinated on cops". Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, the Sun's editor at the time, Kelvin MacKenzie, said: "Do I wish to God that I had never done that front page? I absolutely do, but I was duped." Asked if the Hillsborough inquest findings should have been included on the front page, he said: "That's not a decision for me. "I'm not the editor of the Sun. He [the Sun's editor-in-chief Tony Gallagher] is a very successful guy, former editor of the Daily Telegraph. He makes pretty good decisions." The Sun's political editor, Tom Newton Dunn, said he could understand if people were still angry over his paper's reporting of the disaster. "We deserve everything that is thrown our way," he told Sky News. The Times changed Wednesday's front page in a second edition which included a photograph of victims' families outside the Warrington court room. The Times' Merseyside football writer, Tony Barrett, has apologised to his Twitter followers, apparently referring to the anger over his paper's front page. After hearing more than two years of evidence, the jury on Tuesday concluded the fans in the 1989 disaster were unlawfully killed. The jury found match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield was "responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence" due to a breach of his duty of care.

Summary: The Times says it made a "mistake" in not having the Hillsborough verdicts on the front page of its first edition.


The test involves four minutes of footage from its Planet Earth II series, which promise to reveal more detail and present more vibrant colours than was possible before. It is part of efforts to develop technologies that will make live broadcasts in the new formats possible. But only a minority of TVs can screen the footage at this stage. "One of the clips is a frog on a leaf with lots of rain, and the reason this is so interesting is that the redness of the frog is a really deep Ferrari red that you would never get in broadcast television at the moment," explained Phil Layton, head of broadcast and connected systems at BBC Research & Development. "We want to show that this is how the BBC could make ultra-high definition HDR material available to iPlayer. "And we want to use this as a trigger to work with manufacturers to get their products updated so there's a pathway there for future on-demand BBC content." As the trial went live, only Panasonic's latest screens supported the test footage in 4K. But the displays were still not able to show the HDR enhancement because they do not yet support the underlying technology - co-developed by the BBC and Japan's NHK - known as hybrid log-gamma (HLG). Although most TV manufacturers can update their newer TVs to add support for HLG, it is unclear whether they will do so. Holding back support would give them an opportunity to market future models as being the first to support the format closer to when it launches. From the consumer's point-of-view, there are two key improvements. A 4K picture - also referred to as ultra-high definition (UHD) - means that four times as many pixels are used than in 1080p HD. This makes it possible to reveal details - such as the texture of an animal's fur or the faces of the crowd at a football match - that would have appeared more blurry otherwise. The main caveats are that the TV needs to be suitably large and the viewers close enough to it, otherwise they will not appreciate the difference. HDR takes advantage of the fact displays can go brighter than before to allow an image to be graded with more levels of brightness between black and white. This is not about everything looking brighter, but rather using the greater contrast range to allow shadows to appear less murky and highlights - such as sunlight gleaming off water or stars twinkling at night - to be better defined. In addition, HDR uses a wider colour space - meaning it is capable of showing shades of colours that could not be transmitted in traditional broadcasts, helping footage appear more lifelike. Many people who have experienced both, say that HDR has a greater impact on picture quality than 4K. "It gives more nuance to the picture, which if you are talking about Planet Earth is going to be amazing," said Stuart Miles, founder of the Pocket-lint news site. "The best way to describe it is it's like when

Summary: The BBC has begun a trial of 4K high dynamic range (HDR) video on its iPlayer streaming platform.


The 30-year-old Manxman initially remounted after crashing about 20km into the sixth stage of the race from Stoke to Nottingham before pulling out. His Etixx-Quick-Step team believe he hit a parked car, injuring the same left shoulder he dislocated during the 2014 Tour de France. Cavendish sustained bruising but no fracture or dislocation of the joint. But he will require several days of rest before being able to resume training. The crash came on the day he was named in Britain's team for this month's UCI Road World Championships, which start next weekend. But the men's road race is over a fortnight away on Sunday, 27 September, and Cavendish's team believe it is still possible he will be able to compete in the event in Virginia, the United States. Friday's sixth stage - a 192.7 km route across the Peak District National Park - was won by Cavendish's Etixx-Quick-Step team-mate Matteo Trentin. The Italian rider beat Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka) as the duo battled for the stage win. Norwegian Boasson Hagen, the 2009 Tour of Britain winner, earned enough bonus seconds to enhance his overall lead to 13 seconds ahead of the final two stages this weekend. Saturday's 227.1km seventh stage from Fakenham to Ipswich is likely to be the final chance for Boasson Hagen's rivals - chiefly Team Sky's Wout Poels - to dethrone him as Sunday's finish in central London is expected to end in a sprint. "Stoke and Nottingham are only 50 flattish miles apart if you go via the A50; do it via Buxton, Hathersage and Bakewell and it could just break you. "The day's victor Matteo Trentin, who has also won two Tour de France stages, said it was the hardest ride of his career. "There may be a hint of hyberbole to that - forgiveable given the way he resisted a very elite chasing group and surged past Edvald Boasson Hagen at the death - but I cannot remember a day at the Tour of Britain when the main bunch came in 45 minutes later. "It was a third win this week for the Etixx-Quick-Step team and it came on the day they lost their third rider, Britain's Mark Cavendish. It seems his injuries are not as serious as first feared. "And for Boasson Hagen there is the consolation that despite Team Sky's best efforts he has almost certainly wrapped up the overall win." Stage 6 result 1. Matteo Trentin (Ita/Etixx-Quick-Step) 4hrs 45mins 27secs 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) same time 3. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) +4secs 4. Zdenek Stybar (Cze/Etixx-Quick-Step) same time 5. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Lotto Soudal) same time 6. Alberto Bettiol (Ita/Cannondale - Garmin) same time 7. Alex Peters (GB/Great Britain) - same time 8. Dylan Teuns (Bel/BMC Racing Team) same time 9. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/An Post-Chainreaction) same time 10. Wouter Poels (Ned/Team Sky) same time General classification 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) 27hrs 47mins 54secs, 2. Wouter Poels (Ned/Team Sky) at 13 secs, 3. Rasmus Guldhammer (Den/Cult Energy Pro Cycling) +43secs 4. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) +44secs, 5. Dylan Teuns (Bel/BMC Racing Team)

Summary: Mark Cavendish was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury after crashing out of the Tour of Britain.


The message claimed the boy instead had cancer and that the social network would donate money for surgery if users "liked" it or wrote comments. Several hours after the BBC reported the matter, Facebook removed the post but left its creator's account active. More than a million people had engaged with the message since 1 February. One security expert warned these users might now be targeted by scammers. Sarah Allen, from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, gave media interviews in August 2016, after her then two-year-old son Jasper was covered head-to-feet in sores after contracting the virus. She believes that images posted within articles about his illness were then stolen to create the fake post. "We were warned people might take his pictures... because if you Google chickenpox his pictures are there," Mrs Allen told the BBC. "So, we were well aware that might happen, but not in this respect, to say he had cancer." Mrs Allen said she repeatedly messaged Facebook to complain about copyright infringement and was told on 10 February that the account in question had been removed for breaching the site's rules. However, she said, it was back online within 24 hours, without explanation. The profile continues to feature posts with identical text that show images of other children, and in one case a bearded youth - despite the words referring to a "little baby [that] has cancer". Other posts from the account - which claims to belong to Pooran Singh - show images of children in hospital claiming the viewer will experience years of bad luck if they scroll down without liking and sharing. "What's so disgusting [is] it's not just Jasper's pictures but [about] 100 of other people's families as well," Mrs Allen explained. "Facebook needs to take action." The owner of the account did not respond to a request to explain his or her actions. But one security blogger said this appeared to be a case of "like farming", in which scammers seek to make people interact with a Facebook post so they can either direct further messages to them or sell on the profile and all its contacts. "There are a lot of scams that use these kind of emotional images - oftentimes it's done to make money," Graham Cluley explained. "They may later post something that claims you've won a prize and try and get you to enter your mobile phone number and then sign you up for a premium rate service, or ask for other personal information. "The problem is that people just believe things that are posted online, and they need to be a lot more careful about what they like and share." Facebook says it is still reviewing the case with its complaints team and declined to comment further until this process had been completed.

Summary: Facebook says it is investigating a mother's complaints about a post that misused photos showing her child with a severe case of chickenpox.


Sandra Weir, 41, battered pensioner Mary Logie to death in her home in Leven in January. The pensioner suffered multiple head wounds, possibly inflicted by a heavy rolling pin. Police said Weir was "a callous and uncaring individual who regularly exploited Mary Logie for financial gain". Weir had been stealing money from Mrs Logie to fund her drug habit. At the High Court in Edinburgh, Weir had lodged a special defence of alibi claiming that around the time of the murder she was elsewhere in Leven. She was convicted following a 10-day trial. She will be sentenced in January at the same court. Judge Michael O'Grady said: "In these courts we do not weigh the worth of victims; nor should we. All life is precious. "But, on the evidence before me, Rae Logie was a decent, kind, tolerant and harmless elderly woman. That you should have betrayed her trust is shocking enough." He said Mrs Logie's death was "breathtakingly wicked". "I have no doubt then you left her for dead and went about your business. Instead, you found she was still alive and that you could not allow," he added. "And so, as she lay defenceless, you simply finished her off." The court heard Ms Logie was found dead in her home in Green Gates on Tuesday 5 January. The pensioner had 31 injuries to her head and neck, and died as a result of "blunt force trauma" to her head. The court heard that Weir had become close to Mrs Logie and had acted as her unofficial carer. It emerged she had been a drug addict since her 20s and had racked up debts. Det Ch Insp Keith Hardie, of Police Scotland, said: "Sandra Weir is a callous and uncaring individual who regularly exploited Mary Logie for financial gain. "She would use coercion to obtain cash and other items of value from Mary before ultimately subjecting her to a horrific attack, which left the 82-year-old with fatal injuries. "The level of violence inflicted upon Mary, coupled with the prolonged period of bullying and intimidation, demonstrated Weir's complete disregard for the wellbeing of her victim." The officer added: "Mary's death had a profound impact on the local community and we are extremely grateful to the local residents who came forward with vital information that allowed us to identify Weir and bring her to justice." Earlier Alex Prentice, prosecuting, had told the jury there was evidence that Mrs Logie was still alive after being attacked in the morning. He added: "I suggest that evidence will cause you to conclude that she was conscious but lying there. "Mary Logie remained alive. The wounds incapacitated her and she remained there that day." He said evidence given by the accused and a witness indicated that Mrs Logie was attacked for a second time later in the evening. Analysis of the spot where Mrs Logie's body was found revealed both "fresh blood" and "clotted" blood, suggesting there were two attacks against her. The lawyer said Weir had probably administered the blows which killed Mrs Logie on the

Summary: A heroin addict has been found guilty of the "horrific" murder of her 82-year-old neighbour in Fife.


Mr Cushnahan was one of the key figures in the controversy over the sale of National Assets Management Agency's Northern Ireland property portfolio. The former banker tried to stop the BBC from reporting on his involvement in the sale. He has now withdrawn his claims against the BBC. The claims related to two major Spotlight investigations into NAMA, which were broadcast in February and September 2016. NAMA took effective control of a property loan portfolio in Northern Ireland worth more than Â£1bn after the financial crisis. It set up a committee to advise it on Northern Ireland issues and Mr Cushnahan was recommended for appointment by the Democratic Unionist Party. He served on the committee from 2010 to 2013. Both Spotlight programmes investigated the circumstances surrounding the sale of NAMA's remaining Northern Ireland loan portfolio, known as Project Eagle. They also examined the role which, amongst others, Mr Cushnahan played in advising NAMA, commercial bidders for Project Eagle and Northern Ireland-based debtors, whose assets were controlled by NAMA. Mr Cushnahan's claim for an injunction was rejected in its entirety by the senior judge of the Queen's Bench Division, Mr Justice Stephens, in a judgment dated 10 March 2017. In his judgment, the judge recognised that "there could be no sensible contention" that the broadcast of the programmes was not in the public interest and that there was a "clear public interest in publication." Several parts of the claim were also struck out by the judge as an abuse of process, including an attempt to bring action against the Editor of BBC Spotlight for contempt of court. Following nine months of legal action, Mr Cushnahan dropped his appeal against Mr Justice Stephens' decision on 21 June. Reporting restrictions put in place at the outset of this case in September 2016 have now been lifted by the court, allowing the BBC and other media organisations to report the matter for the first time. The BBC has not apologised, paid damages, or any of Mr Cushnahan's legal fees. In a statement, Mr Cushnahan acknowledged that his court action against the BBC had not been successful, but said he had co-operated at all times with the investigation into Nama. He also said he now intends to bring a case against the UK government to the European Court of Human Rights because he believes that UK law does not provide adequate safeguards to allow him to protect his reputation.

Summary: All legal claims brought against the BBC and BBC Spotlight's Editor, Jeremy Adams, by Frank Cushnahan have been dropped.


Mum Jennifer said she knew her son was special by the time he was three weeks old - but while every parent harbours high hopes for their children, not many witness them go on to become the fastest man on earth. Bolt is chasing a "treble treble" in Rio, with the 100m crown the first box ticked off a list that also features 200m and 4x100m glory at what the 29-year-old has promised will be his final Olympic Games. Bolt has come a long way from the playful child who learned to run in the parish of Trelawney, Jamaica and would cry when he lost a race. "He doesn't like to lose," dad Wellesley told BBC Sport. Seven Olympic gold medals, 11 world titles and a hatful of world records means there has been little time for tears throughout his career. "At school it was at about five that we noticed that he was competing against his classmates and he was always winning," said Jennifer. "He was always on top. From then, we noticed he would be a great athlete." Media playback is not supported on this device Growing up alongside brother and sister Sadiki and Sherine, Wellesley says his son was "very jovial" and despite a few problems he did "nothing out of the ordinary for a child". Meanwhile, at William Knibb High School, a young Usain was more interested in playing cricket than hitting the athletics track, saying he was "so in love" with the sport "he didn't want to do anything else". The teenager eventually heeded the advice of PE teacher Lorna Thorpe, who told Bolt he must focus on athletics if he wanted to reach the top as he had "a gold mine in his legs". "It's a passion. You ask Usain, he'll tell you that. It's just a passion," she added. And the champion certainly appreciates his teacher's influence now. "She's like a second mum," he said. "When I was in high school she looked out for me, she was always on me in school, making sure everything was OK, always focused. So she played a very big part for me." However, acting principal at the time Lorna Jackson had to teach the teenager, who was an "average but popular student", a thing or two about mixing with the opposite sex. "A happy-go-lucky guy. Everyone liked Usain," she told the Sunday Telegraph. "I remember in grade nine there was a girl, there was some liking going on there, and she was helping him with his writing. "And then we were talking in class about girlfriends and boyfriends and someone said Usain had a girlfriend at a neighbouring school. I said, don't write anything else for him!" Jackson also taught Bolt Spanish: "I remember him coming back to the school and telling the children, learn your Spanish because I remember Miss Jackson saying to me, you, Usain, are going to be going places and you need to make sure you learn Spanish. "He was telling them he went down to South America and he saw some beautiful girls,

Summary: The only time Usain Bolt has "ever been slow" was when the Jamaican arrived 10 days after his due date.


The pedestrian, in her 20s, was struck on the Dunchurch Road at 12:20 GMT, police said. The car that hit her was being driven on a 999 callout to the A45 at Stretton-on-Dunsmore. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the woman was anaesthetised at the scene and taken to University Hospital Coventry. The IPCC said it had sent investigators to the scene of the crash at the junction of Dunchurch Road and Overslade Lane. Eyewitness David Williams said: "A container lorry was coming along and behind that I could see there was a police car - blue flashing lights, siren on. "I looked because it was coming quite fast. The road was in essence blocked by the slowing container lorry and the police car proceeded to pass him on the other side of the carriageway."

Summary: A woman has suffered serious head injuries after being hit by a police car in Rugby.


The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) says the UK still has "more than enough capacity" to withstand future fuel shortages. It said 92% of all UK postcode areas have more than two petrol stations less than 10 minutes away. But the AA warned that the fuel network is still susceptible to "panic buying". The number of petrol forecourts has fallen from 37,500 in 1970 to 9,000 in 2011, while the UK's diesel and petrol reserves have dropped to six-to-eight days, down by two days compared with 10 years ago. The AA's Luke Bosdet told the BBC: "The vast majority of motorists have access to fuel; the big problem is how much they are being charged for it. "But the network is still susceptible to breakdown when there is panic buying." The Petrol Retailers' Association (PRA), which represents the UK's independent forecourt retailers, said: "The report indisputably confirms that the majority of fuel forecourts are running with dangerously low levels of stock and that the continued closure of forecourts is reducing onsite storage capacity across the country." Supermarkets now own 15% of all forecourts but account for 39% of total fuel volumes, the report said, leading to the demise of many independent petrol retailers. Tesco recently overtook oil giant BP as the UK's largest fuel retailer by volume. The Office of Fair Trading is currently gathering evidence about the fuel supply market, estimated to be worth Â£47bn a year, and will report its findings in January. The watchdog is considering whether falling costs of crude oil are reflected in prices paid by motorists. Fears are growing that fewer petrol stations, lower reserves and a rise in the number of cars on the road from 27 million to 35 million over the last 15 years, is putting too much pressure on the fuel supply network. The AA says that the industry's "just in time" delivery business model is leaving it exposed to supply shortages in the future. Earlier this year, Cabinet Minister Francis Maude advised drivers to fill up their tanks and store extra fuel in a jerrycan to prepare for a possible strike by fuel tanker drivers. Demand shot up, leading to queues and shortages at some petrol stations. "The experience from March 2012 showed us that many stations don't fill their tanks because it is too expensive to do so," said Mr Bosdet. But the DECC report, compiled by consultants Deloitte, concluded that UK retail sector had "more than enough capacity to meet fuel supply shocks until contingency measures can be put in place". Energy Minister John Hayes said: "This report was commissioned by my department to get an accurate picture of the retail fuel market and to consider any possible implications for our security of supply. "Although it is very clear there has been a market shift from independent to supermarket forecourts in the past 40 years this has not had an impact on the vast majority of motorists."

Summary: The number of petrol stations has plummeted since 1970, says a government study, while fuel reserves have dropped by a fifth over the last 10 years.