The 27-year-old flyweight became the fastest Welsh boxer to win a British title with a points victory over Louis Norman at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff. It was the Barry fighter's fifth outing as a professional, having made his debut in October 2015. "I want to be world champion, but there is no rush," said Selby, brother of IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby. "Get some more 12 rounds in, maybe defend it, go for the European [title]. "There is no point chucking me into the deep end straight away because I have only had one 12-round fight." No Welsh fighter has claimed a Lonsdale belt in fewer bouts and in less time since turning professional. Norman, 32, had lost only one of his previous 13 contests. Norman weighed in 0.9lbs over the eight-stone limit, but made the weight with seconds to spare after stripping completely naked. The fight was on the undercard of Lee Haskins' successful IBF world bantamweight title defence against Ivan Morales and Selby says it was a great occasion at Wales' new boxing venue. "It's the belt I've always wanted since I was a little kid," he said. "Winning in my home town, in front of all my friends and family, you couldn't ask for better. It's a dream. "You could just hear everyone screaming... I'd enjoy fighting here again."

Summary: Boxer Andrew Selby is in no hurry to win a world title after securing the British flyweight crown on Saturday.


The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations body, predicts that 3.2 billion people will be online. The population currently stands at 7.2 billion. About 2 billion of those will be in the developing world, the report added. But just 89 million will be in countries such as Somalia and Nepal. These are part of a group of nations described as "least developed countries" by the United Nations, with a combined population of 940 million. There will also be more than 7 billion mobile device subscriptions, the ITU said. It found that 78 out of 100 people in the US and Europe already use mobile broadband, and 69% of the world has 3G coverage - but only 29% of rural areas are served. Africa lags behind with just 17.4% mobile broadband penetration. By the end of the year 80% of households in developed countries and 34% of those in developing countries will have internet access in some form, the report continued. The study focused on the growth of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector over the past 15 years. In the year 2000 there were just 400 million internet users worldwide, it said - an eighth of the current figure. "Over the past 15 years the ICT revolution has driven global development in an unprecedented way," said Brahima Sanou, director of the ITU telecommunication development bureau. "ICTs will play an even more significant role in the post 2015 development agenda and in achieving future sustainable development goals as the world moves faster and faster towards a digital society."

Summary: Nearly half of the global population will be using the internet by the end of this year, according to a new report.


The Blue Cross charity centre had to throw out all 90 posts when they became saturated by drain water after torrential rain early on Friday. All the animals were safe, although 15 kittens had to be evacuated from the nursery which was covered in sludge. The centre has appealed for help to replace the posts and toys. There are currently 46 cats and kittens looking for new homes at the charity's Garlic Row centre, animal welfare assistant Claire Thomas said. The animals did not seem "too traumatised" by the torrential downpour or standing water in their pens, she said. However, staff were "gutted" when they saw the devastation caused by the overnight storm. The rescue centre was among a number of businesses and organisations in Cambridge affected by the overnight storm. Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge was forced to declare a "major incident" and cancel all planned surgery until Tuesday after an area where sterilisation equipment is stored was flooded. The cat rescue centre has now been cleaned up and the destroyed posts, toys and blankets piled on the lawn. It would not be sanitary to dry them out, Miss Thomas added, so they will all need to be replaced. The Cambridge branch of charity Blue Cross cares for over 400 cats and kittens every year.

Summary: Dozens of abandoned cats living at a Cambridge rescue centre have lost their toys and scratching posts after they were destroyed by flooding.


The EMS Majestic, which is registered in Antigua and Barbuda, issued a Mayday call from its position in the Dover Strait just after 19:00 GMT on Sunday. A number of ships in the area responded to the sinking vessel, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Two of the ship's crew of seven were airlifted to land for safety reasons. Coastguard helicopter crews from Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, and Lydd, Kent, were scrambled for the rescue, along with the RNLI lifeboat from Eastbourne, East Sussex. The EMS Majestic was being towed to a safe haven by the tug Thor Frigg. The cargo of the 90m-long ship has not been disclosed.

Summary: A cargo ship is being towed to port after it began taking on water and sinking while under way in the English Channel, the coastguard has said.


The 23-year-old joined Wolves for a fee of £185,000 from Castleford in 2014. Clark score 10 tries last season as Warrington won the League Leaders' Shield and reached the Grand Final, and played for England in the Four Nations. "I believe we're building something special here as a club and a team," he told the club's YouTube page. "I'm just looking forward to being part of that for the next few years..

Summary: Warrington Wolves and England hooker Daryl Clark has rejected interest from the NRL to sign a new contract with the Super League side until 2020.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 30 September 2015 Last updated at 18:44 BST Part of the sea wall at Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve on the Colne Estuary, near Colchester, has been breached to allow sea water to gush in. The high tides will help to form a new area of salt marshes, mudflats and saline lagoons. The reserve is already recognised nationally and internationally and is home to thousands of birds. The 22-hectares (54 acres) of new wetlands include a nursery area for marine fish, little tern nesting areas, a bird hide and public footpaths on what was once a private part of the estuary. The Essex Wildlife Trust and Environment Agency project will also help to protect the coast as the salt marshes and mudflats will absorb waves and floodwater. Footage courtesy of Tim Mitchell.

Summary: A stretch of land is being deliberately flooded at an Essex nature reserve to create more habitat for wildlife.


Gloucestershire Police said the crash happened just after 11:45 GMT near Northleach on the A429 towards Cirencester near the A40 junction. The driver of a Jaguar, a 56-year-old man from Staffordshire, was taken to hospital in Bristol with serious but not life threatening injuries. A 46-year-old man from Cheltenham and a female passenger in a Ford Focus suffered minor injuries. The lorry from Moreton-in-Marsh was carrying a load of Cotswold stone. The driver was uninjured, police said. The road was closed earlier but has now been reopened to traffic.

Summary: A lorry carrying stone shed its load on to a car in a crash in the Cotswolds.


They controlled the game from the off, opening the scoring when Kyle Bennett fired home from 20 yards. Michael Doyle hit the bar from range for the visitors, who doubled their lead when a Ben Davies cross was turned into his own goal by Matt Pearson. Pompey's Doyle did score, volleying beyond Jason Mooney from 30 yards, before Shay McCartan pulled one back. The result means Stanley are down to sixth, while Paul Cook's side are now six points off the final automatic promotion place.

Summary: Portsmouth scored three first-half goals away at Accrington to move above them into fourth in League Two.


Overwatch - a first-person shooter - also marks the first time the studio has launched a title worldwide on PC and consoles simultaneously. WoW is the second bestselling PC game of all time, but its subscriber numbers have halved since their peak in 2010. Blizzard predicts strong sales of Overwatch and hopes it will attract large audiences as an e-sport. The game is a departure from the developer's previous hits, in which players usually viewed the world from a god-like, third-person perspective. Instead, players look directly down the barrel of their weapon as they roam a colourful world battling other gamers. "Blizzard has a huge following on a global basis and is one of the best renowned publishers," said Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games at the IHS Technology consultancy. "But it has no pedigree in first-person shooters (FPS), so people will be excited to see what potential the game holds." The game is also Blizzard's first new "intellectual property" in 18 years, since the studio has focused on spin-offs and expansions for existing franchises such as WoW, Diablo and Starcraft. Subscribers to WoW have dropped from a high of 12 million in 2010 to 5.5 million in 2015, and the company has since stopped reporting the figures. Thomas Tippl, chief operating officer at Activision Blizzard, said Overwatch would be "Blizzard's biggest launch since Diablo 3 in 2012" and hoped it would "resonate well in e-sports". "E-sports is not only a driver of audience expansion, but also importantly drives growth in terms of time spent with our franchises," he said during an earnings call on 5 May. If it captures the attention of e-sports competitors, it could have a very profitable future. "Professional gaming competitions were watched online by roughly 200 million people in the past year, whilst over $200m (Â£138m) has been awarded in e-sports tournaments to date," said Dr Mark Johnson, a games researcher at the University of York. "In recent years, Counterstrike has been the only highly successful FPS game with substantial longevity for professional gaming, so a game like Overwatch certainly has the potential to grab a huge new slice of this market. "However, many FPS games have unsuccessfully tried to carve out a long-term sustainable place in e-sports, so it remains to be seen whether or not Overwatch has the right formula to knock Counterstrike off the pedestal." Overwatch has already piqued the interest of many gamers, with almost 10 million players taking part in an early road test of the game. Officially the trial period was to "test servers" and iron out any problems, but the studio's chief financial officer Dennis Durkin has acknowledged: "We're doing a tonne to expose players to the richness of this world." "We learned a lot from the open test," Michael Chu, senior game designer at Blizzard, told the BBC. "We value the input of the community and we have been changing things here and there, addressing player concerns." One of those concerns was about the portrayal of female characters. Some players complained that an over-the-shoulder victory pose for Tracer drew particular

Summary: World-of-Warcraft-maker Blizzard has released its first original gaming franchise in nearly two decades.


Sam Smith stole the show at the Grammy Awards, winning four awards as well as performing his hit Stay With Me with Mary J Blige. But Madonna stole much of the attention on the red carpet, showing she is determined not to be overshadowed by the younger pop crowd. The queen of pop later sang Living For Love with a pack of horned male dancers before being lifted to the skies. Australian singer Sia - whose claim to fame is that she does not want to be famous - sang her hit Chandelier while facing the wall (right) while Bridesmaids actress Kristen Wiig and 12-year-old Maddie Ziegler danced in set made to look like a grotty, cluttered flat. Sia had earlier arrived in a conspicuous disguise, accompanied by Ziegler. Pharrell Williams was among the big winners, picking up three trophies as well as performing his song Happy while apparently dressed as a bell boy. When Beck won best album, Kanye West invaded the stage and threatened to launch a tirade, before apparently thinking better of it and going back to his seat. In 2009, he grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift as she tried to accept a prize at the VMAs. Beck, who also won best rock album, performed a duet with Coldplay's Chris Martin. Taylor Swift got a hand with her dress on the red carpet. She missed out on the awards for record of the year and song of the year. The big-name pair-ups included Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, who performed Irving Berlin's Cheek To Cheek. Rihanna arrived in a pink layered dress by Giambattista Valli. Katy Perry mingled with fans before swapping fashion tips (possibly) with Rihanna. Perry then changed clothes - and hair - to perform her ballad By the Grace of God as part of a poignant segment highlighting domestic abuse. Kanye West appeared in a single spotlight to perform Only One, which he wrote with Sir Paul McCartney. He later returned with Sir Paul and Rihanna to perform their joint collaboration FourFiveSeconds. Jessie J and Sir Tom Jones, former co-stars on The Voice UK, got together for a duet of You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. Charli XCX (left) and Iggy Azalea were up for record of the year for their hit Fancy - but lost out to Sam Smith. Beyonce won three awards and also sang the gospel standard Take My Hand, Precious Lord. Rita Ora warmed up for her performance at the Oscars later this month with an appearance at the Grammys. Hard rock legends AC/DC opened the ceremony with Rock or Bust and Highway to Hell. Recalling his Oscar-winning film role in Ray a decade ago, Jamie Foxx (right) got into character as Ray Charles as he joined Stevie Wonder to present the prize for record of the year.

Summary: Some of the biggest stars in the music world have been on stage at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the most prestigious night in the pop calendar.


BBC Sport takes a look at the most interesting facts and figures from the weekend. ...his team don't lose. In January, we told you Liverpool midfielder-turned-left-back James Milner had equalled the record for most games scored in without his team losing. Well now he's out on his own. The Yorkshireman netted his seventh penalty of the season as Liverpool drew 1-1 against his old club Manchester City on Sunday to extend his unbeaten streak of goalscoring appearances to 47 games. The run stretches back to the start of his career at Leeds in 2002-03, followed by moves to Newcastle, Aston Villa, City and Liverpool. Leicester have won all four games since Craig Shakespeare took charge as manager following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, and much of it owes to the improvement of key players Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy. PFA Player of the Year Mahrez has contributed two goals and one assist under the new boss, having provided just five goals and three assists in his 32 previous games in all competitions. The average number of chances created by the Algerian is also up from 1.62 to 1.86, while he is attempting more dribbles per game (7.43) than under the Italian (6.19). England striker Vardy, who scored 24 league goals last season, has played the same number of games as his team-mate but has performed even better under Shakespeare. Vardy has scored three times and provided two assists in his past four games. Under Ranieri this season, he scored four times in 32 games and had not contributed any assists. The chances created by the former non-league striker are up from 0.92 to 1.56 per game, the number of touches in the opposition penalty area have increased from 3.88 to 7.02 and dribbles attempted have gone from 1.79 to 3.12. Those Atletico Madrid defenders will be quaking in their boots come the Champions League quarter-finals. Skipper Wes Morgan played every single minute last season as the Foxes claimed a sensational Premier League title triumph. Although this league campaign has not quite gone to plan, the Jamaican defender has remained a mainstay in the side... until Saturday. Morgan's 87-game top-flight run ended after a back injury kept him out of the win over West Ham. Impressive, you may think, but it is nowhere near the record for an outfield player. That accolade goes to recently retired midfielder Frank Lampard, who appeared in 164 games in a row for Chelsea from October 2001 to December 2005. Not bad, but former goalkeeper Brad Friedel takes the crown for most games played in a row in the Premier League. The American began his run for Blackburn in 2004, going on to play an astonishing 310 consecutive games for Rovers and Aston Villa, before his run ended at Tottenham in 2012. Now that will take some beating. If you have more of the ball, the opposition have less chance of scoring. Incorrect. Arsenal's tumultuous season hit a new low on Saturday when they were beaten 3-1 by West Brom at The Hawthorns, despite holding 76.86% possession in

Summary: One Premier League defender celebrates an unusual goalscoring record, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy's vital statistics show a sharp upturn under Craig Shakespeare and could Romelu Lukaku be the new Gary Lineker?


City councillors granted outline planning permission for shops, restaurants, cafes, a leisure centre and a new bus station. There were 250 letters of objection, mainly about the effect on the traffic in the city centre. Twenty five councillors were for, 13 were against and there was one abstention. Developers TIAA Henderson Real Estate and The Crown Estate say the revamped site, due to open in 2019, will create 750 jobs. Read more on other Devon stories as they happen on our Local Live pages. Some people were turned away from the extraordinary planning meeting of the city council as there was not enough space for all those who turned up. Residents were worried about air pollution and traffic congestion, because of roads being closed as part of the plans, diverting traffic elsewhere. There have also been concerns that the bus station will not be big enough. Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said: "I'm disappointed because we believe that the development lacks ambition and is also very expensive. It's going to cost the city close to £30m which means that other things can't go ahead." Council leader Pete Edwards, from the Labour group, said: "I'm really excited, not just for ourselves but for the citizens of Exeter. "It's sad to see some of the opposition so vehemently against it when it's a great opportunity to go forward." John Grinnell, deputy head of development at The Crown Estate said he was "delighted". "This scheme would represent a substantial investment in Exeter that will support the city's position as the region's most popular destination for shopping, leisure and business, whilst boosting jobs, trade and the local economy," he said.

Summary: Plans for a £70m redevelopment of Exeter bus station have been given the go-ahead.


Last month a report found South Ribble Council had a lack of awareness about ensuring passenger safety issues surrounding taxi licence applications. Tory councillor Margaret Smith had faced calls for her to quit from her own party over the handling of the taxi licensing row. A full council meeting was informed she resigned due to "ill health". Ms Smith, who has been leader of the authority for the past nine years, was not present at the meeting in Leyland. Her resignation letter was read out by chief executive Mike Nuttall and was "with immediate effect". An audit of taxi driver licence applications in December had found appropriate background checks had not been carried out in relation to 40 working taxi drivers in South Ribble. An independent report, written by solicitors Wilkin Chapman LLP in June, concluded the issues surrounding taxi licence applications had been addressed so it was not necessary to make any further recommendations. Earlier this week, four of Ms Smith's Conservative colleagues resigned from the group, saying they could not support the leadership due to "ongoing circumstances and failures". The council is now under no overall control for the first time in almost a decade. Councillor Colin Clark was unanimously voted in as the interim leader of the authority at the meeting on Wednesday. Councillor Cliff Hughes, who has worked with Ms Smith for over 30 years, said she was "hard working and a "good colleague" who "gets on with the whole group". He said one of the "great strengths" of the council was that "whilst the parties are diverse, we do actually get on together and make decisions together and I think that's because Margaret led us into that".

Summary: The leader of a council at the centre of claims children were sexually exploited by taxi drivers has resigned.


In 2003 there were around 1,596 pandas living in the wild, but according to the latest count there are now 1,864. Nearly three quarters of the pandas live in China's south-western province of Sichuan. The number of giant pandas in captivity has grown too - almost 200 more now than there were back in 2003. Ginette Hemley, from animal charity World Wildlife Fund, says it's great news: "The rise in the population of wild giant pandas is a victory for conservation and definitely one to celebrate.'' But the latest count says the main threat to the panda numbers is the building of roads and power stations. Over 300 hydropower stations and 800 miles of roads have been built in areas where giant pandas live.

Summary: Good news for giant pandas - the number living in the wild in China has gone up over the last 10 years.


This is basic economics. As the rig count of American production picks up, according to the most recent data published this week, there's an expectation that production will rise, supply increase, and the price subsides. There are shorter term fluctuations. Wednesday's trading has been affected by Saudi Arabia confirming it is cutting supply to Asian customers, in line with its commitment last month to the wider cut in production by the OPEC exporters cartel. But the trend of recent weeks has anticipated the growth in output. And we learned from energy analysts Wood Mackenzie on Wednesday that it foresees the Texas fields of the Permian Basin to the main player as the frackers return to work. Further south, there are shale developments moving ahead in Argentina. WoodMac, based in Edinburgh, forecasts investment is going to pick up more widely this year, for the first time since 2014. Oil companies, which have been holding back from committing to big projects while the price has been low, are showing signs of changing that. This is not only because of a much higher price than this time last year, but also because costs have been slashed over the past couple of years - by an average 20% for each of the past two years. That process is running out of the opportunities to keep cutting, but exploration and production spend is set to rise to $450bn, the forecast suggests. That's a 3% rise, but it's still 40% below 2014. Areas to watch include 'tight oil', including fracking - up by a forecast 23% in the US, to $61 billion, and potentially boosted by the Trump administration's enthusiasm for energy security and scepticism about climate change. Final investment decisions on major projects reached 40 in 2014, and fell to nine last year. The forecast is for 20 this year, most of these smaller projects building incrementally on existing infrastructure, with much higher return on investment than in the boom times of only three years ago. Deepwater drilling may get more attention, but half of the existing big deepwater projects are reckoned to break even at more than $60, so they are looking doubtful for the foreseeable. Among the regions worth watching, the North Sea does not feature, but Norway's northern Barents Sea is worth watching, including an area in which there's a dispute with Russia. That's while the ethical watchdogs who police Norway's vast state oil fund have served warning that they're going after industries which are the worst polluters. The fund owns around 2% of the world's stock market valuation, and it is widely seen as providing a lead on ethical investments. So a fund sourced from oil and gas revenues and profits is now turning against those who burn the stuff irresponsibly.

Summary: Being upbeat on investment means being downbeat on prices, or at least that's the way it is with the oil industry.


The 41-year-old was in the running for the United post in January 2013 a there was fresh contact after Jackie McNamara left the club this week. "I know there's an interest there," said Pressley, who spent three years as a player with United in the 1990s. "But I don't want to come back to Scotland at this moment." Pressley was sacked by Coventry in February after the Sky Blues slipped into the League One relegation zone. However, the former Scotland defender is determined to succeed in England and has lofty ambitions. "I have built up a very good reputation in England and I have a burning desire to manage at the elite level," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. "That's not an arrogance. That's a belief. In order to do that, I think you have to manage in a country like England. "I think the right opportunity will arise for me here over the next coming months." Pressley cut his teeth in management at Falkirk after a spell as an assistant to Scotland boss George Burley and is sure his grounding in the game will serve him well. "My first five years in management could not have been more challenging but I wouldn't change them," he added. "Most managers now want to come in at the highest level but I think you have to do an apprenticeship. "At Falkirk I had to reduce the playing budget by close to 75% in three years. At Coventry we reduced the playing budget by 60% in two years - that was four years work that we put into two. "I'm very proud of the work that we did but my next job has got to be one where I'm not asked to tidy a club up. "I want to have the opportunity to build on somebody else's work and really have a go at it. I think I've earned the right to do that. "That's why my next job is a very important one."

Summary: Steven Pressley thinks the manager's job at Dundee United is "an exceptional opportunity" but says he is not interested in a return to Tannadice.


A spokesman said Moscow regretted "that the West is yet again displaying a complete lack of interest" in resolving the crisis in south-east Ukraine. Russia was developing "retaliatory measures", the spokesman said. The US sanctions focused on Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March. US President Barack Obama signed an executive order to ban the export of goods, technology and services to Crimea, in addition to new sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals and companies. Mr Obama said the move showed the US would never accept Russia's annexation of Crimea. Similar measures agreed by the European Union earlier this week came into effect on Saturday. Canada announced its own sanctions on Crimea on Friday. After the peninsula was annexed, pro-Russian separatists took control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine in April, and later declared independence. Some 4,700 people have died and another million have been displaced by fighting in recent months. On Friday, five Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting - the highest death toll since the latest attempt at a ceasefire began on 9 December. In addition to the goods, technology and services ban, US individuals or companies cannot now buy any real estate or businesses in Crimea or fund Crimean firms. The new measures also include sanctions on 24 Ukrainian and Russian individuals and on a number of companies deemed to be destabilising Ukraine. They include the Russian equity investment group, Marshall Capital Partners. The Night Wolves biker group is also targeted for its involvement in military action in Crimea. The European Union announced its own sanctions against the region on Thursday. All investment in Crimea is banned, as is participation in Russian oil and gas exploration in the Black Sea. European cruise ships will not be able to visit the peninsula's ports. But like the EU, Mr Obama said he would not yet impose new sanctions on Russia itself, urging it again to de-escalate the tension in eastern Ukraine. "The US and Canada still cannot come to terms with the results of the free expression of will that the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol made in March," Russia's foreign ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said in a statement. "The residents of Crimea today are together with the whole Russian people, who have never caved in and will not cave in to external pressure." Mr Obama said: "I again call on Russia to end its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, cease its support to separatists in eastern Ukraine, and fulfil its commitments under the Minsk agreement." The agreement signed by Ukraine and the rebels in Minsk, in Belarus, in September, put in place a ceasefire and set out the terms for a peace process. But Mr Lukashevich said sanctions against rebel leaders in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine undermined the political process. He concluded by advising Washington and Ottawa "to consider the consequences" of their actions. More than 1,000 people have been killed since the Minsk deal. The Ukraine crisis began a year ago, when pro-Moscow leader Viktor Yanukovych abandoned an

Summary: Russia says it will not "cave in" to pressure, following a fresh set of US, EU and Canadian sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.


It is understood the plane came down at the privately-owned Peterborough Business Airport at about 11:50 GMT. The pilot, a man aged in his 40s, was taken from the airfield to Peterborough City Hospital with a serious leg injury. An air ambulance and other emergency vehicles were sent to the scene.

Summary: A pilot has been injured in a light aircraft crash.


The 31-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at The Hawthorns with a 12-month option. West Ham were also interested in signing Fletcher, but a move to Upton Park broke down last weekend. Albion failed in deadline day moves to sign West Ham striker Carlton Cole and Norwich defender Martin Olsson, but kept Brown Ideye and Graham Dorrans. Fletcher made 342 appearances for United but started only five times for the club after Louis van Gaal took over as manager in the summer. The Scot, who recovered from chronic bowel disease ulcerative colitis to resume his career in December 2013, had been at Old Trafford since he was a schoolboy and helped the Red Devils win the Premier League title five times. But with his contract set to expire in the summer he was granted a free transfer to help him find a new club in this transfer window. "This is a fantastic new challenge for me in my career," Fletcher told West Brom's website. "I've spent my career at Manchester United and it's all I've ever known. But I felt it was the right time to move and I'm not sentimental about doing that." Fletcher is the second player signed by West Brom head coach Tony Pulis following the £4.75m capture of winger Callum McManaman from Wigan. The Scotland captain will wear the number 24 shirt for the Baggies. Albion had hoped to sign Cole and Olsson on a busy deadline day, with Dorrans set to join Norwich and Ideye linked with a move to Qatari club Al Gharafa. But Cole was called back to West Ham when they did not sign Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor, and Olsson failed to arrive for a medical on time. Chairman Jeremy Peace said: "We did not get all the business done that we might have but we are thrilled to bring in a player and a character of Darren's calibre. ""We were disappointed for Carlton because he was also excited about joining us but for reasons which were beyond our control we could not complete the deal. The same can be said for the proposal involving Martin Olsson and Graham. "But we have always maintained that January is a difficult time to do business and we are very happy with the deals we have done."

Summary: West Brom have signed Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher on a free transfer from Manchester United.


Jesper Hart-Hansen was also banned from driving for four-and-a-half years. He will have to pass an extended test if he ever wants to drive in the UK again. The 50-year-old, from Denmark, admitted causing a head-on crash on the A85 near Comrie in January last year. Lorna Elliot, 50, was seriously hurt in the collision. Perth Sheriff Court heard how Hart-Hansen momentarily forgot he was not in his native Denmark and turned out of his holiday home onto the wrong side of the road. He managed to drive for nearly a mile on the wrong side of the road before causing a head-on crash with the first vehicle he encountered on the A85. Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told him he was imposing a significant fine because it was not practical to give him any other community-based work order as he lived outwith the UK. Hart-Hansen's case made Scottish legal history as he became the first person to be convicted of a new offence of causing injury through dangerous driving. Ms Elliot, from Oban, was off work for a year as a result of her injuries. Financial investor and former Ebay executive Hart-Hansen, from Lyngby, Denmark, admitted causing serious injury by driving dangerously near Dunira Estate on 25 January last year. Fiscal depute Sue Ruta said his rented Vauxhall Astra smashed into Mrs Elliot's Seat Ibiza on a sweeping bend and left her with a number of broken bones and other injuries. "He stated to the police that he had been driving on the right hand side of the road due to the fact he had forgotten what country he was in," she added. Solicitor David Duncan, defending, said: "His only explanation can be that it was his usual process to select that lane when entering a roadway. "Unfortunately for Mrs Elliot hers is the first car he encounters. My client made a mistake when he entered the carriageway. He made a critical mistake at the outset of the journey which released a chain of events."

Summary: A tourist who left a woman seriously injured after forgetting to drive on the left side of the road has been fined £8,000.


The journalist and former BBC presenter died in his sleep on Friday night. A statement from his daughters, Samantha and Emma, called him "remarkable", adding: "He had a great life, a wonderful marriage and an enviable career." Norman hosted BBC One's "Filmâ€¦" show between 1972 and 1998 - its longest running host - as well as writing for the Daily Mail and the Guardian. His literary agent described him as "the defining voice of film criticism and insightful interviewing of screen legends from both sides of the camera". Norman's daughters added: "He leaves behind a family who adore him and a great roster of friends who love him too. We will miss him more than we can say." Norman's literary agent, Gordon Wise, said the presenter had been living with lung cancer for a number of years, but that he would be remembered as "one of the true greats" of film. "It was probably that background as a newspaper journalist, interviewer and features writer that all came together to make him such a gifted film critic," he told BBC News. "He could not only appreciate the story of the film but all the talents that had gone into making the film. That is what we all remember from the three decades of the Film programme - that he brought you perspectives from every side of the camera." Tributes have begun flooding in on Twitter, with plenty of references to Norman's pickled onions - a family recipe handed down from his grandmother that he launched as a range in supermarkets in 2007. Actor and presenter Stephen Fry tweeted a tribute, writing: "Sad to hear of Barry Norman's departure. A film critic and a provider of fine pickled onions. That's a good life." Presenter Jonathan Ross, who took over "Film..." in 1999, added to the tributes. He tweeted: "Very sad to hear that Barry Norman has left us. A great critic and a lovely, lovely man." And Claudia Winkleman, who started presenting the same show in 2010, called him "an incredibly kind man and the greatest critic". Barry Norman was born in London on 21 August 1933 to film director Leslie Norman and his wife, Elizabeth. He went to Highgate School in north London, but skipped university, instead beginning his writing career at the Kensington News. Norman's journalism took him to South Africa to work on two newspapers, but it was when he came back to the UK that his entertainment career took off - becoming showbiz editor at the Daily Mail. It was during his Fleet Street years that he met his wife Diana - a journalist and the author of best-selling thrillers under her pen name Ariana Franklin - and they wed in 1957. The couple had two daughters and were married for more than 50 years, until her death in 2011. Norman became best known as the presenter of the "Film..." programme, which he hosted on BBC One for 26 years, before he left the channel to move to Sky. His notoriety was solidified when he became a puppet on Spitting

Summary: Film critic Barry Norman has died aged 83, his family says.


The family was gunned down on Saturday in the single worst incident of ivory poaching recorded in the country. Kenya has recently taken a more aggressive stance against poaching as it tries to combat a surge in demand for ivory from Asia. About 100 elephants are killed each year in Kenya by poachers. Despite a long-standing ban on the international trade, ivory from elephants is often smuggled to Asia for use in ornaments, while rhino horns are used in traditional medicine. Saturday's killings took place in Tsavo National Park, Kenya's largest single continuous ecosystem, which is home to some 13,000 elephants. "[It] shows the great lengths these criminal cartels are ready to go to get ivory. It's really tragic," Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman Paul Udo told Reuters news agency. He said the poaching gang is believed to be made up of 10 people and was being hunted by rangers on foot and from the air. In a statement, the Wildlife Service said that all the elephant carcasses had bullet wounds. The Kenyan government banned trade in ivory in 1989, and levels of elephant poaching subsequently declined, but there has been a rise in the illegal practice in recent years.

Summary: Kenya's Wildlife Service says it is pursuing a gang of poachers they suspect of killing an entire family of 11 elephants.


Shane Hampson, 23, of Lime Grove, Skelmersdale, was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court last month of causing death by dangerous driving. John Gregory, 49, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, died when the car crashed into the back of his vehicle in Skelmersdale, in February last year. Hampson was also handed a four-year driving ban. Police said Mr Gregory was driving his Chrysler Voyager home from work along Grimshaw Road when Hampson crashed into it from behind. Mr Gregory's car overturned and he died at the scene. Another car was also struck but the driver escaped unhurt. Sgt Patrick Worden, from the Road Policing Unit, said: "I am very pleased with the sentence Hampson has been given and I hope this will serve as a warning to those who choose to behave in this manner - you will be punished. "John Gregory was simply driving home from work when his car was struck from behind by a Volvo driven by Shane Hampson. "As a result of the collision, the Chrysler overturned during which Mr Gregory was ejected from the car causing him significant injuries." He added: "It was evident Hampson has been travelling at extremely high speed at the time of the collision and a lengthy investigation followed which identified that Hampson had driven dangerously not only at the time of the collision but within a few miles of the collision site. "Despite claiming his innocence throughout, Hampson was convicted by a unanimous jury and I hope that this case sends out a strong message about the consequences of speeding."

Summary: A driver who caused a man's death when he crashed into the back of a car has been jailed for four years.


The number of foreign visitors to The Louvre dropped by 20% to 5.3 million. The Musee d'Orsay's total attendance was down 13% to three million. The Pompidou Centre's overall figures rose 9% to 3.3 million in 2016 - but it said a rise in French visitors made up for a drop in foreign tourists. The French capital is still feeling the effects after 130 people were killed in gun and bomb attacks on 13 November 2015. Then in July, 86 people died when a lorry drove through a crowd during Bastille Day celebrations in the southern city of Nice. As well as being affected by the repercussions from the attacks, the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay were closed for five days in June because of flooding. The Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez told Le Figaro newspaper that 2016 had been "a difficult year", and that the decline in visitors would cost the gallery almost 10 million euros (Â£8.6m), excluding the lower revenues in bookshops or restaurants. The Louvre was ranked as the most visited museum in the world in 2015, and charges 15 euros (Â£12.80) entry for adults. M Martinez said the number of Japanese visitors had dropped by 61% in 2016, while the number from Russia was down by 53%, Brazil by 47%, China by 31% and the US by 18%. At the Pompidou Centre, president Serge Lasvignes said the venue had suffered from a decline in the number of foreign tourists after "the tragic events" of 2015. But he said that in 2016 this was "more than compensated" for by the numbers of French visitors and the loyalty of the Parisian public. The Musee d'Orsay welcomed three million visitors in 2016, compared with 3.4 million in 2015. It said visitor numbers had started increasing again by November and December 2016. Hotel bookings in Paris from overseas were down by 10% in 2016, according to the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Paris's most popular art galleries saw a decline in visits by foreign tourists in 2016, following the Islamist militant attacks in the city in 2015 and atrocities elsewhere in France.


Matthew Williams was found attacking Cerys Marie Yemm, 22, at a hostel in Argoed, Caerphilly county. Police used a Taser stun gun on the 34-year-old and he later died. "This really is the stuff of nightmares," said one politician. Serious further offence reviews are held if crimes are alleged to have happened within 30 days of a sentence ending. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is investigating, confirmed Williams had been a resident at the Sirhowy Arms hostel, which houses vulnerable and homeless people, including ex-offenders. It was there on Thursday that police found him attacking Ms Yemm, 22, who was from Blackwood. Sources confirmed Ms Yemm suffered substantial facial injuries. The community has reacted with shock to the murder and William Graham, a Conservative assembly member for South Wales East, said a "wider inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his release is urgently required". "Questions must be answered by authorities and a full explanation provided on the decisions taken in this extremely tragic case." The Ministry of Justice would not comment further. However, it is understood ex-offenders are not always subject to supervision if they serve their full sentence and have not previously been convicted of violent offences. Details of Williams's previous offences and the length of sentence he received have not been confirmed. Chris Evans, MP for Islwyn, said: "This was a horrific and senseless crime that must be condemned without reservation. "However, this is not the time for knee jerk reactions. A full investigation will be conducted by Gwent Police and the IPCC." Williams's family said it was in "shock" following the murder, adding it was "devastated by the death of an innocent young lady". Ms Yemm worked in sales at Next and was formerly a student of Coleg Gwent between 2008 and April 2009. She had been studying health and social care. Williams and Ms Yemm knew each other and police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder. A post mortem examination of Ms Yemm's body is expected to take some time to complete. Gwent Police said a lone female officer initially responded to the attack. Ch Insp Paul Staniforth told reporters on Friday Ms Yemm's family is being supported by officers. He also said the female officer and others who later attended were being supported by the force's occupational health department.

Summary: A serious further offence review will take place into the case of a man who murdered a woman in an act of cannibalism shortly after being released from prison, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.


Hewlett died at the age of 58 last month, having shared his experience of coping with cancer on BBC Radio 4. He was told of the honour in January, saying he was "touched" by the accolade. Awards chair Stewart Purvis said he had "achieved so much". A scholarship has been launched in his name to help students from lower income families studying broadcast journalism. One recipient each year will be presented with the Steve Hewlett Scholarship, which has been set up by the RTS and The Media Society. As well as a financial contribution to their studies, the recipient will be mentored by RTS members and former colleagues of Hewlett. Hewlett's sons collected the judges' award on his behalf. The Media Show presenter and Guardian journalist married his partner Rachel Crellin earlier in February, after being told he did not have long to live. Hewlett had spoken movingly about his cancer journey on the PM programme with Eddie Mair, who announced his death on the show on 20 February. Purvis said: "The panel chose a winner who achieved so much on screen and off screen, over the course of his career and very particularly in the past year. "I phoned the winner and that's how I got to tell Steve Hewlett that he had won the judges' award. Steve told me he was honoured and touched to have won. He looked forward to receiving it on 1 March. "I don't think there has ever been anybody in broadcasting quite like Steve Hewlett. And probably never will be again." RTS Television Journalism Awards winners Full list of winners Two of the awards went to Syrian film-maker Waad al-Kateab, who was granted a visa by the Foreign Office to travel to the UK after leaving her home country. She won the young talent of the year award and was named camera operator of the year, the first time that award has been given to a woman. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Broadcaster Steve Hewlett has posthumously been given a top honour at the Royal Television Society awards.


The posters were uncovered in Clacton, Essex, earlier this week. Danny Sloggett, 40, spotted the retro signs in Meredith Road and now wants to ensure they do not end up hidden away again. "They're relics, they're our history and they show off Clacton's power," Mr Sloggett said. "The royal family used to come here in the 1920s and 30s. Lots of people used to come from London, and things like this are an important part of our history which has been hidden away." The posters, which advertised Ambrosia, Black Cat cigarettes and a local cafe, are on the side of a building currently occupied by Sheen's Estate Agents. An employee there said "loads of people" had come to take pictures over the last few days once the signs had been exposed. On Facebook, one user said the billboards "should be covered with perspex like the Banksy stuff". "Should definitely restore it and photograph for a museum," wrote another. Mr Sloggett said he had not yet contacted Tendring District Council about the possibility of preserving the signs as he wanted to build support for his cause before doing so. "They're amazing things. I know the history of Clacton but it's nice to see it on display," he said. The BBC was unable to contact the company that owns the modern billboard.

Summary: Advertising billboards thought to be from the 1920s discovered behind a modern hoarding should be preserved "for all to see", a blogger has said.


The move will take it past the current high street leader, William Hill, combining Ladbrokes' 2,100 shops with Coral's 1,845. Current Ladbrokes chief executive, Jim Mullen, will become boss of the merged company, named Ladbrokes Coral. The two firms had announced merger talks last month. Peter Erskine, chairman of Ladbrokes, hailed the merger as a "major strategic step for Ladbrokes". He added: "Together, we will create a leading betting and gaming business. The transaction will provide an attractive opportunity to generate considerable value for both sets of shareholders." The best way at looking at the challenges facing the merged betting giant of Ladbrokes and Coral is that they have tried to merge before. In 1998 that planned deal was squashed by Peter Mandelson, the trade and industry minister at the time, on the grounds that it would dominate the industry. Yet at that time the biggest threat to Ladbrokes and Coral did not even exist. Betfair is the world's largest internet-based betting exchange and it was not founded until 2000. It is only one of a huge number of online betting companies that pay lower tax bills, can compete for business both here and around the world and face few of the fixed costs of owning thousands of shops on the British High Street. The rationale behind this merger is to create a company that will stand a better chance of competing with those online giants. To fund the deal Ladbrokes will offer 93 million new shares to investors, representing 10% of the company. Gala Coral has been owned by a number of private equity firms, including Apollo Global Management, Cerberus Capital Management, Anchorage Capital Partners and Park Square Capital, since 2010, when it collapsed under £2.5bn of debt. Under the terms of the deal, those private equity owners will own 48.25% of the new company's shares, with the remainder being held by Ladbrokes shareholders. Ladbrokes shares closed down 3.3% at 124.1p. Before the merger talks began, Gala Coral had appointed Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to advise on a possible stock market debut, initially planned for October. The deal comes just over a week after online bookmaker 888 Holdings won a takeover battle with GVC Holdings for rival Bwin.party in a cash and shares deal valued at about £898m.

Summary: Bookmakers Ladbrokes has announced it plans to merge with Gala Coral in a deal expected to value the business at £2.3bn.


The 37-year-old woman and 42-year-old man were pronounced dead at the scene. A further two people are in a critical condition and a third has been described as "serious". The crash, which involved a silver Mercedes car and a white Vauxhall van, happened on the eastbound carriageway between Polmont and Linlithgow at about 21:00 on Friday. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact police. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "This has been a serious road traffic collision. "We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed it or who has information that can assist us in our inquiries."

Summary: A nine-year-old girl has died, along with a man and woman, in a crash on the M9 in West Lothian.


Up to now it was only council tenants who had the right to buy the homes they had previously rented. But when the Housing Bill becomes law housing association tenants will acquire that same right. As a scheme already rejected by the Scottish and Welsh governments, who wish to preserve publicly-owned housing stock, it is also emblematic of the different directions being taken by different parts of the United Kingdom. Potential buyers must have been tenants for at least three years, the same as with council tenants. The government says that means up to 1.3m housing association tenants will be eligible in England. Around 500,000 housing association tenants are already eligible for some discounts. So the new scheme will extend rights to a further 800,000 tenants, and increase the discounts available. In Wales the government is planning to abolish Right to Buy entirely, and in Scotland it will be phased out by August 2016. A separate scheme exists in Northern Ireland. For those eligible, discounts start at 35% on a house and 50% on a flat. The maximum is 70%, but that is currently capped at £77,900 outside London, and £103,900 in the capital. For example, someone who has been a public sector tenant for ten years could buy a £100,000 flat for just £40,000 - using a 60% discount. Under the government's new Housing Bill, Local Authorities will be required to sell off their most valuable council houses, whenever they become vacant. The government estimates this would raise £4.5bn. The councils will then have to build replacement homes with the money raised, and the surplus will be used to fund Right to Buy. The government will make up any difference. The government hasn't yet said what this policy will cost the taxpayer, but it has promised to refund the discount to the housing association involved. The National Housing Federation (NHF) which represents all the UK's housing associations, has calculated that in total Right to Buy for housing association tenants might cost £11.2bn, if all those tenants who could afford to buy did so. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said it would potentially cost "billions of pounds" over the next parliament, and it "would worsen the UK's underlying public finance position". The IFS said it would also represent a "substantial giveaway" to housing association tenants. The government argues that by selling off housing association homes, but by requiring a replacement to be built, the scheme will, in effect, double the number of homes available. It will also raise the proportion of home-owners in England, which has fallen over the last few years. But the NHF argues that since 2012, only 46% of homes sold off have been replaced by new ones, despite a requirement for local authorities to do so. One problem is that councils - particularly those in urban areas - cannot find enough land to build on. Around 2.5m council tenants across the UK have bought their homes since Right to Buy started under Mrs Thatcher's government in October 1980. The numbers buying peaked at 167,000 in England

Summary: The extension to Mrs Thatcher's Right to Buy scheme - controversial at the time - has had a rocky ride ever since the Conservative government announced it was to be extended in 2015.


Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire closed in December, bringing to an end centuries of deep coal mining in Britain. Ten former workers were part of a team which filled the mine shaft with concrete. It took three hours to fill the pit, BBC Look North Business correspondent Danni Hewson said. A pipe from the centre of the pit was left to release methane gas, used by the on-site power station. The remaining mine buildings will be demolished, and hundreds of houses could be built on the site within a couple of years, it is understood. Much of the mine machinery was saved for a new, smaller drift mine nearby - the New Crofton Co-operative Colliery near Wakefield in West Yorkshire which is due to open in June. A memorial to 17 miners who lost their lives at the colliery is being transferred from the colliery to the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield. Known locally as the Big K, the largest deep pit in Europe was hailed as the new generation of coal mining and could bring up to 900 tonnes an hour to the surface. Official figures from the Department for Energy and Climate Change show the UK imported more coal than it produced for the first time in 2001 - a trend repeated every year since 2003. In 2003 the UK produced 28.28m tonnes and imported 31.89m. The graph below shows how output and imports have changed, with the big dip in 1984 due to the miners' strike.

Summary: The last deep coal mine in the UK has been capped off, three months after its closure.


Heartbleed was one of the worst internet flaws ever uncovered. The maintenance of the software, which secures around two-thirds of the world's websites, was done by a group of volunteers with very little funding. The new group set up by the Linux Foundation has a dozen contributors and has so far raised around $3m (Â£1.7m). As well as maintaining OpenSSL it will also support development of other crucial open-source software. Firms supporting the initiative include Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Cisco and Amazon. Each will donate $300,000 over the next three years. The industry has been forced to step up after Heartbleed brought chaos to the tech sector. Experts estimate that the Heartbleed bug will cost businesses tens of million of dollars in lost productivity as they update systems with safer versions of OpenSSL. "Sometimes it takes a crisis to do the right thing," Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin told journalists. The bug exposed more than just people's passwords and credit card details. It also highlighted that the crucial piece of software is maintained by a small group of developers who receive donations averaging about $2,000 a year to support the project. "It is kind of weird that such crucial software is run by a group of hobbyists on a shoestring budget," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with security firm F-Secure. "This software was invisible, behind the scenes and there are very few volunteers who have the skill and willingness to work on a project like this. There is no recognition, no money and it is very difficult." The details that have emerged about how the vulnerability came about speaks volumes about how little the industry has cared about the software that was securing their websites, he added. "The fact that the code change which caused the bug was done by an individual working at 23:00 on a New Year's Eve says a lot. The code simply wasn't reviewed enough and it went undetected for two years," he added. "Now there is formal and monetary support from the industry I hope we will see a change not just for OpenSSL but for other crucial open source software."

Summary: The world's biggest technology firms will donate money to fund the support of OpenSSL, the software at the centre of the Heartbleed bug.


The A-League club have renewed their interest after failing to sign the 33-year-old striker this summer. "It was a 50-50 thing," he told BBC Scotland. "The club was considering it, I was considering it and, in the end, it didn't come to any fruition. "Obviously it was something I wanted to explore. The club weren't as keen." The former Australia international is in his second season of a second spell at Fir Park and signed a new one-year contract in the summer. But the club managed by former Crystal Palace defender Tony Popovic had hoped to take the former Celtic and Middlesbrough striker back to his homeland for the first time since he left Cranbourne Comets for Southampton in 2000. Asked if the offer was still alive, McDonald said: "It may well be, but that's not in my hands at all. That would be up to other people to discuss it. "I haven't heard anything else from representatives or anything else that the deal is still there. "As far as I'm aware, that club hasn't signed anyone else, so if Motherwell were to change their mind - but that's not happening. "We are where we are and we resume where we are." McDonald started on the bench for Motherwell's Scottish Cup defeat by Rangers on 21 January, with manager Mark McGhee later explaining that the striker's "head was not in the right place" because of the transfer approach. "I offered to play, but we had a conversation and we felt I hadn't trained all week leading up and there was a heavy amount of preparation put into that cup game itself in terms of shape and starting XI," said the striker, who stressed that "the manager and the club have been fantastic to me". "I agreed it wasn't right for me to step in on Friday and basically call the shots - I'm back in the team. "That wouldn't be fair on the rest of the squad who had worked really hard during the week as well for me to go and take one of their places and the manager agreed on that. "Of course, the offer was tempting and that's why it dragged on that whole week." McDonald returned to the starting line-up for the weekend Premiership loss to Rangers and was sent off after 27 minutes for a foul on Kenny Miller and Well have launched an appeal against the red card. Western Sydney lie eighth in the 10-team A-League.

Summary: Scott McDonald has admitted he was "tempted" by an offer from Western Sydney Wanderers but that Motherwell rejected their latest approach.


The budget was passed with a majority of only eight votes - 153 to 145. "This budget is a difficult task for a government that wants to leave its mark with social justice," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told lawmakers. He agreed to a batch of economic reforms in August to secure a euro zone bailout of up to €86bn ($93bn; £62bn). His leftist-led government has been under pressure to deliver tangible benefits to its poorest citizens since the agreement. The budget makes €5.7bn in public spending cuts including €1.8bn from pensions and €500m from defence. It also includes tax increases of just over €2bn. Despite the cuts, the budget will still have a greater deficit than the 2015 budget. Earlier this year Greece reluctantly agreed to the strict conditions of its third international bailout in five years. After losing his majority in August as a result, Mr Tsipras called an election and was returned to power in September with 35% of the vote. Representatives of the euro zone, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund return to Greece on Monday for more talks about pending reforms of the pension and tax systems and public administration. The euro zone has also held out to Greece the possibility of long-term debt relief after a review of progress under the new bailout. However, it has said that relief would come in the form of longer delays before repayments start or finish, not a reduction - or so-called "haircut" - in the amount that has to be repaid.

Summary: Greece's parliament has narrowly approved the 2016 budget that includes sharp spending cuts and some tax increases amid economic recession.


The televised event in Miami took place just days before the next round of primaries, including Florida. With 246 delegates at stake, the southern state is the biggest prize. Mr Sanders had a surprise victory in Michigan on Tuesday, but Hillary Clinton increased her overall lead with a big win in Mississippi. In the Republican race on the same day, Donald Trump won three more states (Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii) in his bid to win the Republican nomination. Ted Cruz won a Republican-only race in Idaho. The states were the latest to choose candidates to compete in November's presidential election. Sanders rides Michigan wave at Florida debate US media: Has Sanders changed Democratic race? What will Americans do if Trump wins? Election results - as they come in During the Miami debate, former Secretary of State Mrs Clinton criticised Vermont Senator Mr Sanders for voting against an immigration reform back in 2007. "Just think, imagine where we would be today if we had achieved comprehensive immigration reform nine years ago," she said. Mr Sanders responded by saying he had concerns about the treatment of guest workers. The proposed programme was "akin to slavery", he said. He also said that Mrs Clinton was against allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licences. It's been only three days since their last debate, but all it took for the political fortunes in the Democratic presidential race to change dramatically was one day of voting in Michigan. Thanks to Bernie Sanders' shocking - albeit narrow - upset win in that state's primary on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton went from exuding confidence on Sunday night in Flint to acknowledging on Wednesday evening in Miami that she's "not a natural politician". Mr Sanders, with a new lease on political life, went on the attack early against the former secretary of state. He implied that she had something to hide by not releasing transcripts of paid speeches to Wall Street firms and that she is in the pocket of big business. The Vermont senator did find himself on the defensive when the topic turned to his past praise for communist governments in Cuba and Nicaragua, but the story of the night was how Mrs Clinton handled her recent adversity. Often she has seemed most sympathetic when showing vulnerability. Now the waiting game begins. Can Mr Sanders build on his Michigan win next Tuesday when Florida, Ohio and several other states vote? Those results will go a long way in determining whether Michigan was a blip or the start of a prolonged Sanders surge. Nearly two million Hispanics live in Florida, and their support will play a big role in the 15 March primary. Florida is home to nearly 1.8 million Hispanics, including about 15% of the state's Democrats. The two rivals also discussed job creation, education and climate change. And they both attacked Mr Trump, with Mrs Clinton saying that his "trafficking in prejudice and paranoia has no place in our political system". She said Mr Trump could not even decide "whether to disavow Ku Klux Klan". Meanwhile, Mr Sanders said:

Summary: Democratic Party presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have sparred over immigration and other issues during a debate in Florida.


Betty Boylan's relatives put a camera in her room at Bupa's Perry Locks home in Birmingham after they found bruises on her, a court heard. Bina Begum, 49, was given a 12-month community order after admitting ill treating and neglecting Mrs Boylan. Bupa said she had been dismissed and her actions were "unacceptable". Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country Noreen Ashraf, prosecuting, told Birmingham Magistrates' Court Mrs Boylan was "left slumped in her chair with significant leaning to her side" on 15 September. She said: "The complainant does want to move her arm. The defendant forces her arm and pushes her back into the chair. "The complainant cries out. She slams her head back into the chair with significant force to cause the chair to rock." Mrs Boylan's daughter, Bernadette Jarvis, said: "To a vulnerable person as well who can't say anything, there's just no words to explain what she's done to be quite honest." The family also captured images of deodorant being sprayed in the woman's face, which is under investigation. West Midlands Police said a 43-year-old woman had been voluntarily interviewed "in connection with an assault on a 77-year-old woman in a care home" and inquiries were ongoing. Bupa Care Services director of quality Vivienne Birch said the apparent actions "of these individuals are unacceptable". She said they were "immediately removed" from the home and they had since been formally dismissed. "We were shocked and saddened by the footage. We're deeply sorry this happened and the distress it has caused Mrs Boylan's family. "We're proud of the care our staff provide and do not tolerate behaviour like this at any of our homes." The family had other images of a male patient in Mrs Boylan's room. In response, the Bupa Care Services director of quality said: "Our night staff found the resident sitting in the wrong bedroom while doing their regular checks and he was safely taken back to his room. "He had only been at the home for a few days and was confused by his surroundings." Begum, of Teddington Grove, Perry Barr, who admitted wilful ill treatment and neglect, said she accepted her actions were "reckless rather than intentional or deliberate" in a letter read out in court. She was also ordered to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work and fined £270. Nazia Jan, defending, said Begum was "very, very remorseful". She said: "It's cost her her chosen career... This act was completely out of character, blemished her good character and caused her unquantifiable distress."

Summary: A care worker was caught slamming the head of a 77-year-old woman with dementia into a chair on secret CCTV installed by her family.


Russell, 24, was taken off early in the second half of Saturday's Six Nations win at Murrayfield following a collision with Robbie Henshaw. However, he was cleared to continue after a head injury assessment (HIA), as Duncan Weir returned to the bench. The influential playmaker has since passed a final assessment. Russell's former Glasgow Warriors team-mate Weir proved to be a reliable deputy in his seven minutes on the Murrayfield pitch against the Irish, but Scotland head coach Vern Cotter will no doubt be relieved to have such a key player at his disposal for the trip to Paris. His performances for the Warriors have attracted interest from French Top 14 clubs Toulon and Montpellier in France and from Bath and Gloucester in England. Russell suffered a concussion during Scotland's 29-18 victory over France at Murrayfield last year, missing the final Six Nations match against Ireland. He also sustained a severe head injury in Warriors' Pro12 semi-final at the tail end of last season, which ruled him out of Scotland's summer tour to Japan, making his return to action in mid-September. Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary: Scotland fly-half Finn Russell has been cleared to train ahead of Sunday's game against France after recovering from a head knock sustained against Ireland.


Media playback is not supported on this device He had the upper hand over his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton all weekend, and I think that's why Hamilton was a little deflated after qualifying. Pole position is pole position, but Hamilton knew he was not able to match Rosberg, especially in the middle sector of the lap, seemingly all weekend and that is something he is not used to. When Hamilton is confident, he delivers great performances. Take the wind out of his sails slightly and he goes into a sort of dead-calm scenario. He either has a strong wind or no wind at all. Rosberg's weekend, through practice, qualifying and race, was the performance of a world champion. He did everything he needed to do to confirm to people, and I'm sure to himself, that he has the beating of Hamilton. However, he has not delivered that consistently in the time they have been team-mates at Mercedes. If Rosberg can replicate it for the remainder of the season, we have one hell of a world championship battle on our hands. It seems to me that a greater part of Hamilton's performances come from pure natural talent than Rosberg's, and equally that Rosberg is more of a worker. At least that is the impression each gives to the outside world. If Rosberg can deliver performances like that consistently, his work ethic will make life difficult for Hamilton. Rosberg said after the race that he knew at the end of last season that he had to work on his racecraft, after coming off second best a few times to Hamilton. In Austria, he only had to race Hamilton for half a lap, but he did it very well. He converted second place on the grid into a lead at Turn One. He had to defend into Turn Two and into Turn Three, and it would have been easy in the circumstances to do what he did, for example, in Sochi last year, where he massively got it wrong having made a good start and locked up and went wide. Media playback is not supported on this device At the time, that mistake seemed to confirm that he was not able to take wheel-to-wheel racing to Hamilton. But in Austria he really did. Whether that was because Hamilton was already a bit on the back foot, we will never know. But, pole lap notwithstanding, if Hamilton was not quite happy with his car in one way or another, there is not a lot you can change between qualifying and race - it is limited to front wing, differential and tyre pressures. And there are some problems that they will not solve. Having seen Rosberg step up a level in Austria, I am now intrigued to see whether he can keep it up and repeat it at the next race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. If he does, that will be impressive and it is really going to bring this championship to life. But right now there has to be a question mark about that.

Summary: Nico Rosberg drove as good a race as I have ever seen from him to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.


The non-native creature, which is about the size of a domestic cat, was filmed by a wildlife monitoring group at 05:30 on 17 March. Stills from a night vision camera set up to track wildcats clearly show the nocturnal mammal standing on its hind legs and eating bait. The public have been warned not to approach the raccoon as it could bite. Stan Whitaker, SNH Wildlife and Non-Native Species Manager, said: "Raccoons could cause millions of pounds worth of damage per year to the Scottish economy if they became established here. "They could also cause significant damage to our native wildlife by preying on birds, small animals and amphibians. "Raccoons aren't dangerous, but they may give you a nasty bite if cornered. The raccoon that has been recorded is an adult and roughly the size of a domestic cat." He added: "Ideally, we would like to trap this raccoon and rehome it in a zoo or wildlife park. "If you come across the raccoon, do not approach it, but please report it immediately to Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services." Raccoons are listed as one of the top 50 invasive, non-native species in Scotland. Kept as pets and in zoos, there have been several escapes in the last few years. They are considered a nuisance in their native north America, as they damage buildings and gardens and forage in rubbish bins. They also carry wildlife diseases such as rabies. In 2013, a raccoon called Ronnie spent three months on the run after escaping from a Perthshire wildlife park.

Summary: Conservation officers are hoping to catch a raccoon seen living wild in Garve in the Highlands.


The young leaders want greater autonomy and changes to the way Hong Kong is governed by China. Voter turnout reached a record high of 58%. Among those elected is Nathan Law, 23, who helped lead the "Umbrella Protests" in 2014 for self-determination. Despite the gains, China's supporters will continue to hold the majority of seats on the 70-seat council. Mr Law expressed shock at the result, saying it showed people "wanted change". The election is the first in the territory since the 2014 unrest, when central areas of Hong Kong were paralysed for weeks by mostly young protesters. They were demanding greater democracy for the territory amid concerns that Beijing was increasingly interfering in the politics of the former British colony, breaking the "one country, two systems" agreement. Beijing denies this, and gave no concessions to the protesters. "I think Hong Kongers really wanted change," Mr Law, 23, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. "Young people have a sense of urgency when it comes to the future." Mr Law, whose Demosisto party campaigns for the right to self-determination, had the second highest number of votes in the multi-seat Hong Kong Island constituency. Two candidates from the Youngspiration party, a more vocally pro-independence movement which also has its roots in the Umbrella Protests, were also on course to be elected. However, several veteran democrats failed to retain their seats. "People want change, change meaning that they want new faces... but the price is a further fragmentation [of the pro-democracy camp]," defeated candidate Lee Cheuk-yan told Reuters. Mr Law warned that pro-democracy legislators would "have to be united to fight against the [Chinese] Communist Party". Importantly for Mr Law and his allies, democrats have retained one third of seats in the council - meaning they have the ability to veto major constitutional changes. There will also be more radical voices in the LegCo, with at least six young candidates who support self-determination for Hong Kong occupying seats. China's government has always been opposed to any calls for independence, and an official from the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council reiterated this point on Monday. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government's Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Raymond Tam said it would do its best to "bring them [radical activists] around to a more centrist position". "Independence is not realistic at all," said Elizabeth Quat, a member of a pro-Beijing party. "Hopefully this will not be their main objective." The Chinese government has consistently denounced pro-democracy protests, calling the 2014 street occupations "illegal", and stressed that unity is the way forward for the country. Hong Kong papers have noted the "record high turnout" - the highest since 1997. Apple Daily describes "a blazing atmosphere", with hundreds queuing into the early hours. The South China Morning Post notes that a "new generation" has emerged from the vote and may "create more headaches for Chief Executive CY Leung's administration". A lot of mainland Chinese media have refrained from covering the election at all, or only covered it sparingly. Regulators have even blocked some

Summary: A new generation of pro-democracy activists has won seats on Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo).


Recep Tayyip Erdogan said voters had chosen stability following unrest. With almost all ballots counted, state-run Anadolu news agency said the AKP had won 49.4% of the vote, with the main opposition CHP on 25.4%. European observers have criticised the government for stifling media freedom. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said violence, especially in the country's south-east, had also had a significant impact on the election. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) went further and denounced the entire process as "unfair". President Erdogan hailed the result early on Monday, saying: "The national will manifested itself on 1 November in favour of stability." But he also attacked media criticism of him and called for global recognition of the election result. "Now a party with some 50% [of the vote] in Turkey has attained power... This should be respected by the whole world, but I have not seen such maturity." Gavin Hewitt: President's triumph leaves Turkey polarised Erdogan: Turkey's bruised battler Lira strengthens after result Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will now begin the process of forming a new government. Mr Erdogan called the second general election this year after his AKP lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 13 years in June and attempts to form a coalition failed. The pro-Kurdish HDP crossed the 10% threshold needed to claim seats in parliament, but it got 21 fewer MPs than in June's election. The nationalist MHP's share of the vote also declined, to 11.9%, and commentators suggested it had lost voters to the AKP. Reported results also showed: Clashes were reported in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, in the south-east of Turkey, as the results were being counted. Reuters said police had fired tear gas at protesters throwing stones. Since elections in June, a ceasefire between the Turkish army and militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has collapsed. Critics have accused Mr Erdogan of renewing violence to curb support for the HDP - something the government denies. In a statement on Monday, Ignacio Sanchez Amor, head of the OSCE observer mission, said: "Physical attacks on party members, as well as the significant security concerns, particularly in the south-east... imposed restrictions on the ability to campaign." He added that pressure on journalists - including a police raid on the Koza-Ipek media group in Istanbul last week - was a major concern. Meanwhile Andreas Gross, head of the PACE delegation, said: "Unfortunately, the campaign for these elections was characterised by unfairness and, to a serious degree, fear." HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas said on Sunday that it had not been "a fair or equal election". The party suspended campaigning after a bombing in Ankara last month killed more than 100 people. The government said the attackers were linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. Violence has escalated in Turkey since a suicide bombing in July by suspected IS militants. The attack near the border with Syria killed more than 30 Kurds. Turkish newspaper front pages reflect the contrasting euphoria and gloom from government supporters and opponents

Summary: Turkey's president says the world must respect the results of the election, which saw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) regain its parliamentary majority.


The National Stadium - or Bird's Nest - was used at the 2008 Olympics. "When you plan someone's career like Joshua you tend to plan in advance," said Hearn, who saw Joshua stop Charles Martin last month to win the title. "I think we're two years from saying we can sell out the Bird's Nest in China." Hearn is the father of Joshua's promoter Eddie, and chairman of the fighter's Matchroom stable. He identified China's 2008 Olympic silver medallist Zhang Zhilei, who has built an unbeaten professional record of eight fights since basing himself in Las Vegas, as a potential opponent for 26-year-old undefeated Joshua. "Sometimes these things don't happen because people get beaten, but our job is about creating these kinds of moments," he added. Joshua will make the first defence of his title against American Dominic Breazeale in London next month.

Summary: Great Britain's IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua could make a defence of his title at Beijing's National Stadium, according to promoter Barry Hearn.


"The company confirmed that it received a subpoena from the SEC in the fourth quarter of 2015," said Valeant spokeswoman Laurie Little. Valeant, which has been struggling to maintain investor confidence amid mounting scandals, said the SEC probe was one of "several ongoing investigations". The firm's shares closed down 18%. The statement comes a day after the company announced the return of its chief executive J. Michael Pearson from medical leave. It also said it would postpone the release of its fourth quarter earnings and scrap its previous financial forecast. The company also cancelled a planned call with investors. The investigation is separate from one involving the purchase of Salix Pharmaceuticals that was made public last year. Ms Little said: "Valeant confirms that it has several ongoing investigations, including investigations by the US Attorney's Offices for Massachusetts and the Southern District of New York, the SEC, and Congress." The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is separately already investigating whether Salix Pharmaceuticals - which Valeant purchased in 2015 - misled investors about its inventory levels in 2014. Valeant is also under scrutiny for its connection to speciality pharmacy chain Philidor RX Services. Valeant cut ties with the pharmacy in October, after it was accused of using the pharmacy to falsify sales to boost prices.

Summary: Valeant Pharmaceuticals is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, it has confirmed.


Conlon, 21, was ruled out for much of the season in August with a cruciate knee ligament injury having made five appearances for Darren Sarll's side. The former Stoke City Under-18s player joined Boro from Peterborough United and made 35 appearances in all competitions last season. Stevenage are currently seventh, occupying the final play-off spot. With two games to play, the Boro are one point clear of three teams - Mansfield, Wycombe and Carlisle - in the race for a top-seven finish.

Summary: Midfielder Tom Conlon has signed a new undisclosed-terms contract with League Two play-off hopefuls Stevenage.


The USA is gripped by the most controversial presidential contest in decades - with the election just a little over two weeks after this weekend's race in Austin, Texas. And F1 arrives in one of its favourite locations with the world champion and its biggest star, Lewis Hamilton, at war with the media for reasons it is fair to say much of the media don't really understand. Hamilton, trailing team-mate Nico Rosberg by 33 points in the championship with four races to go, is scheduled to be taking part in the official pre-event news conference in Austin on Thursday. So there will be an early chance to find out where his head is at when it comes to the latest controversy surrounding the Mercedes driver. It is this same event that led to all the trouble in Japan two weeks ago, when Hamilton spent the half-hour not really answering questions, directing people interested in his views to his social media outlets, and using one of them to post pictures of himself and fellow driver Carlos Sainz with bunny rabbit and deer faces. Then, upset by some of the subsequent coverage, Hamilton refused to take any questions at his post-qualifying conference two days later. If nothing else, the furore - if that is an appropriate word for what many may view in reality as one of the more ridiculous media controversies to surround F1 - will guarantee media coverage in the States. And that is exactly what the sport, and this race in general, needs. With Austin, F1 in America has finally - after 30 years of trying - found what feels like it could be a permanent home - a place where there is a decent track, an enjoyable location, and people who want to come and watch. So to hear last autumn that the race might not happen this year because of a $6m shortfall in state funding seemed at first like it could be yet another example of F1 shooting itself in the foot in a market it has struggled to master despite 60-odd years of trying. After all, what's $6m in the context of a race as important to F1 as this? The problem has been solved by the track hosting a concert by pop superstar Taylor Swift on Saturday night, the idea being to attract fans who might want to see her play and then, hey, why not take in a race - as well as those who might view things the other way round. It's worked, and long may that remain the case, for not since the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the US Grand Prix had homes in Watkins Glen in New York State, and Long Beach, California, had it felt like there was a race with which the sport could prosper in the States. When these fell by the wayside for - you guessed it - financial reasons, a succession of street tracks in Las Vegas (actually a car park), Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all failed to capture the imagination. Even the race on

Summary: This year's United States Grand Prix comes at a critical time for both Formula 1 and the host country.


Bellusci, 27, spent the 2016-17 season with Empoli in Italy's Serie A and has a year left on his contract at Leeds. Empoli were relegated to Serie B, but the Italian centre-back is seeking a transfer to stay in his home country, with Bologna rumoured to be interested. He joined the Whites from Catania in August 2014 and has scored two goals in 61 appearances for the club.

Summary: Leeds defender Giuseppe Bellusci will not return to the club following a loan spell with Empoli, BBC Leeds reports.


Mr Kearney's Kilmona group wants to build a four-block scheme on a site next to Central Station and extend an existing building on Chichester Street. Residents in the adjacent Markets area have objected to the Central Station scheme and elements of the original plan have been changed as a result. Councillors on the planning committee are to make final decisions next week. The Central Station scheme consists of a 14-storey block, a 10-storey block and two three-storey blocks which will have total floor space of about 323,000 sq ft (30,000 sq m). The Chichester Street scheme will involve extending and upgrading Centre House. The plan includes the demolition of an existing three-storey office building on Gloucester Street and the addition of a 'glass box' extension to the upper levels of Centre House. Belfast has seen little development of Grade A office space since the property crash.

Summary: Two major Belfast office projects from the developer Paddy Kearney have been recommended for planning approval.


The Premiership leaders head to Ibrox for the first time this season having won 5-1 at Celtic Park in September and 1-0 at Hampden Park in the League Cup. "I think we have progressed since that game, I think we have been even better. "So if you take that into account, it might be that the gap is bigger," said the Dane ahead of Saturday's clash. "You always talk about gaps but you also know that one game can change that perception of it. "So I think the most important thing is to be respectful and say that we are doing our job and Rangers are doing their job. "If we at the moment are number one that means something, so we will be doing our best to keep that." Media playback is not supported on this device Rangers have taken 24 points from a possible 33 since their League Cup semi-final defeat to move into second place in the Premiership, having won four and drawn one of their last five games. "They have improved, for sure," Sviatchenko acknowledged. "It is always difficult to come back up into the league but they have performed well and you can see that in the table. "But I think we are still doing really well and we need to focus on ourselves." Celtic, chasing a sixth successive league title, are unbeaten in 23 domestic matches this season and have won their last 14 matches in the Premiership. They are within three matches of equalling the club's 'Lisbon Lions' class of 1966-67 that went 26 domestic matches unbeaten at the start of the season - before losing 3-2 at Dundee United on 31 December.

Summary: Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko believes the gap between the champions and Rangers may have grown since their last meeting two months ago.


Media playback is not supported on this device After a 2-2 draw at Anfield, Liverpool prevailed 14-13 in a shootout in which six players scored twice, to reach the fourth round. "Our players showed great resilience to keep going," said Rodgers. "And at the end, when it was needed, they showed wonderful composure with some of our young players stepping up." Liverpool took the lead after just 10 minutes through debutant midfielder Jordan Rossiter, 17, but Boro equalised when Adam Reach headed in after the break. Suso drilled home for the Reds in extra time but Patrick Bamford's last-minute spot-kick, after Raheem Sterling gave the ball away and Kolo Toure brought down Bamford, took the tie to penalties. Media playback is not supported on this device The shootout featured 20 successful penalties in a row and equalled the record scoreline in English professional football, set in the Football League Trophy in August 2011, when Dagenham & Redbridge beat Leyton Orient. "It's a relief to get through," added Rodgers. "We are disappointed with the goals we conceded. We are making too many mistakes at the moment. But what this team has is character and we needed that. "We were practising penalties last night. We are humble enough as a group to think we would maybe go to penalties because Middlesbrough are a good side and are doing very well, so everyone practised." The match was a triumph for Liverpool's young players, with Rossiter scoring the opening goal on his debut and 18-year-old Jordan Williams finding the net in the shootout on his first appearance. Suso, a 20-year-old Spanish forward, scored his first Liverpool goal and netted two penalties before Boro winger Albert Adomah pushed his effort wide to finally bring the cup tie to an end. "It was a good night for our young players," added Rodgers. "Young Jordan Rossiter at 17 years of age - he could walk to Anfield - he lives just around the corner, and I was delighted for him. "He got the opportunity and showed wonderful composure to get that finish. "I was also impressed with young Jordan Williams - he came on and showed real good stature and composure in the game. He is a wonderful footballer and a young player who is developing well. "And young Suso hasn't had a lot of game time at all, but he has kept working and I thought he was really bright for us when he came on, and took his goal really well."

Summary: Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers praised his young players' composure as the Reds beat Middlesbrough in the longest League Cup penalty shootout.


The Resolution Foundation said 9,000 more jobs were needed before Scotland's employment rate returned to the level it was at before the economic crisis. England closed this "jobs gap" more than a year ago, it said. Its employment rate now stands at a record 74.3%. Compared with that, Scotland's rate stood at 74.6% immediately before the recession and reached 74.3% between August and October last year. However, it needs to reach the 74.6% figure to close the jobs gap. The London-based think tank's report was published ahead of the latest official employment figures, which are due to be released on Wednesday. It found that while Scotland had experienced a "comparatively disappointing performance" on employment since the financial crash, it had undergone a less severe squeeze on pay. Typical pay in Scotland is currently 5.7% below its 2009 peak, compared with a drop of 9.1% across England. Analysis released by the foundation earlier this week suggested that typical pay in Scotland was now marginally higher than in England. The foundation warned that stronger employment gains would be needed if Scotland were to maintain its new pay advantage. Its report said: "Scotland's incomplete recovery on jobs may lead to slower pay growth in the future relative to other nations and regions of the UK." Conor D'Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: "Scotland enjoyed a significantly higher employment rate than England in the years running up to the financial crisis. But its relatively poor track record in recent years means that it has fallen back in line with England. "This puts Scotland's new-found pay advantage over England at risk and it's vital that its job gap is closed sooner rather than later. "Attention must then turn to why Scotland is lagging behind some other areas of the UK, and what can be done to speed up its sluggish employment growth. "In order to move towards full employment, it is important for employers to offer 'pull factors' to encourage people who may not actively be looking for work to enter the labour market, such as flexible working and paying at least the voluntary Living Wage." He added: "The next Scottish government should play a central role in fostering such change. "With new powers over disability benefits and back-to-work programmes, whoever wins in May's election must make it their focus to re-establish Scotland's reputation as a labour market leader."

Summary: Pay growth in Scotland could be slower than the rest of the UK because of the job market's "incomplete recovery" from the recession, according to a think tank.


Three men were arrested after the Easyjet flight from Ljubljana to Stansted, in Essex, had been diverted to Germany's Cologne-Bonn airport on Saturday afternoon. All 151 passengers were evacuated and flights were suspended for three hours. A backpack belonging to the men was blown up by police. A spokesman for Cologne-Bonn airport confirmed the landing, adding: "Prior to this, the pilot had been informed about a suspicious conversation on board, after which he decided to make an unscheduled landing in Cologne-Bonn. "After the safe landing... the 151 passengers left the [aircraft] via emergency slides and were taken to a transit gate." The passengers had to "undergo a check immediately" and additional security checks were carried out on the plane. A statement from Cologne police said other passengers had made the crew aware of a conversation by three men. It said the subject had been "terrorist content", without elaborating further. It added that federal police had "blown up in a controlled manner" a backpack belonging to the men. Easyjet said the captain had taken the decision to land as a precaution to allow additional security checks to take place. All the passengers had been given a hotel for the night and would be flown back on Sunday morning, she said. "We thank passengers for their understanding. The safety of Easyjet's passengers and crew is our highest priority."

Summary: A plane flying from Slovenia to the UK made an unplanned landing after the pilot was alerted to a "suspicious conversation" with "terrorist content".