Fighters from the Kamwina Nsapu group attacked a police convoy. Six policemen who spoke the local Tshiluba were freed, but the rest were killed, Kasai Assembly President Francois Kalamba said. The unrest in Kasai began last August, when security forces killed the Kamwina Nsapu leader. Friday's attack targeted a police convoy travelling between Tshikapa and Kananga. The state Governor Alexis Nkande Myopompa said an investigation had been launched into the killings. The UN says 400 people have been killed and 200,000 displaced in the Kasai region since Jean-Pierre Pandi, the Kamwina Nsapu leader, was killed. This came two months after Kamwina Nsapu launched a bid, in June 2016, for him to be officially recognised as a local chief and for state bodies to withdraw from the region. Why have 10 mass graves been found in Kasai? The UN says it has identified 10 mass graves where those killed in the unrest have been buried, as well as another seven suspected mass burial sites. Two UN experts, an American and a Swede, were kidnapped in the area two weeks ago with four Congolese colleagues and are still missing. DR Congo is in a state of increasing political uncertainty as President Joseph Kabila remains in power beyond the end of his mandate ,which expired last December. Elections are now due to be held before the end of this year, but no firm date has been set.

Summary: Militia fighters in DR Congo have decapitated about 40 police officers in an ambush in the central province of Kasai, local officials say.


4 November 2015 Last updated at 20:34 GMT The team working on the project at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab are making their algorithm open source so that others can use and adapt it. One of the developers, Andrew Barry, told the BBC he believed the technology could appear within commercial products within two years.

Summary: Researchers in the US are teaching high-speed drones how to avoid obstacles in their flight path with very little notice.


The visitors' centre was one of the few elements of the County Antrim prison praised in a recent damning report. But the bus that took people between the centre and the prison stopped after the start of a new contract. The Northern Ireland Prison Service said it has arrangements in place to "assist people with mobility issues". Just before Christmas, a private company took over the running of the visitors' centre from the Quaker Service, a family support charity, and the bus service ended. Malcolm McCormick said that has made it difficult for people to visit the jail as it is too far to walk. He had been visiting a friend regularly in the prison, but because of his disabilities he could not drive and had to use public transport. But when he arrived at the visitors' centre at the start of December he was told he would have to make his own way to the prison entrance. "[The prison] is not the right access level for visiting," he said. "They really don't care about people who've got disabilities, or people who have to go visit their loved ones inside." Until December, Mr McCormick chose a train closest to his visit, and then waited at the visitors' centre until his time slot, like many other prison visitors. They were then taken to the main prison in a minibus, which, like the visitors' centre, was run by the Quaker Service. But when the contract for the visitors' centre was awarded to a private company, the provision of a bus was not included in the tender. It is about a quarter of a mile from the centre to the prison, which Mr McCormick said was too far for him and others, "especially people with mobility problems, people with bad sight, or carrying children". He said although a taxi was able to drop him at the main building from the train station, he was not able to wait in the prison building itself and that the visitors' centre was the only place people could wait. Mr McCormick felt his only option was to get a taxi all the way from Belfast, costing him "about forty quid on each visit". The recent report on Maghaberry Prison was damning on almost all fronts, but it did give one area a glowing review. It said: "The welcoming visitors' centre continued to offer good support, including to first-time visitors who were identified. "The bus transporting visitors between the visitors' centre, the searching area and the prison also now provided a service to and from the local Moira train station." Mr McCormick said the prison service needs to do more to help visitors. Raymond McCartney, the deputy chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly's justice committee, said there should be "compassion" shown to prisoners' families and friends visiting the jail. "I think it's an important service - the distance from the visitors' centre to the front gate is considerable," he said. "Recently, when I was in the prison and spoke to the senior managers, they believed a solution could be brought

Summary: A disabled man has said his visits to Maghaberry Prison have become more difficult since changes were made to the visitors' bus service.


The National Assembly Speaker argued that by allowing the economic crisis to spiral out of control, President Maduro had failed to fulfil his duties. The resolution is the latest in a series of attempts by the opposition to oust Mr Maduro from office. However, the Supreme Court is expected to declare the move unconstitutional. Even before lawmakers voted on the resolution on Monday, the Supreme Court had warned in a statement [in Spanish] that it was not in the power of the National Assembly to remove the president from office. Instead, it called on opposition lawmakers to resolve their differences with the government through dialogue. Opposition politicians and government representatives are due to meet for talks on Friday on how to solve Venezuela's economic and political crisis. The country is deeply divided into those who want to see President Maduro ousted from office and those who continue to be loyal to the "Bolivarian Revolution", the brand of socialism introduced by his predecessor in office, Hugo Chavez. President Maduro's critics say he, and Mr Chavez before him, are to blame for the sky-rocketing inflation and chronic shortages of basic goods the country is experiencing. Mr Maduro in turn blames Venezuela's business elite, accusing it of sabotaging the country's economy and conspiring with "imperialist forces" in the United States to force him from office. Previous attempts by the opposition to remove Mr Maduro from the presidency before his term comes to an end at the beginning of 2019 have so far failed. But critics of President Maduro remain adamant that a new government is needed to lift Venezuela from its economic crisis. The governing Socialist Party, meanwhile, continues to back Mr Maduro. Its vice-president, Diosdado Cabello, said on Monday: "President Maduro has not resigned and he will not resign." "He has not abandoned his post, and we have not recognized nor will we recognize a disobedient legislature," he added.

Summary: Venezuela's National Assembly, which is controlled by opposition parties, has declared that President Nicolas Maduro has "abandoned his post".


Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal and Amazon Prime Music are among nine services that will offer the band's tracks worldwide. The group split up in April 1970. However, their songs - including Hey Jude and Yesterday - remain hugely popular and influential. One expert suggested that the move would help their legacy endure. "In terms of digital the Beatles have always been quite late to the party - they came to iTunes in 2010, which was a good five years after the iTunes Music Store started gaining momentum," said Chris Cooke, co-founder of the music industry news site CMU. "We had expected they would probably do an exclusive deal to stream their music with one service, but it looks like instead they are going to be pretty much everywhere from day one. "So, I suppose that is them accepting that streaming is now a very serious, significant part of the record industry." Other services that have secured the band's catalogue include Deezer, Microsoft Groove, Napster and Slacker Radio. The deal involves rights to stream 224 songs from the original 13 studio albums released in the UK as well as "essential" collections including Past Masters. The tracks will be made available from 24 December. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr clocked up 17 number one singles in the British charts as the Beatles. But long after the band broke up they continued to issue songs and compilations, the most recent of which was an expanded edition of Beatles 1 put on sale last month. "There's a really simply reason why the Beatles catalogue took so long to join streaming services - their publishers didn't want to do anything to damage potential sales of reissues and retrospectives - it's a very lucrative catalogue," said Mark Mulligan from the media research firm Midia. "But they've waited until the market has got some scale and they could get the best deal. "It's a big PR catch as it helps communicate that the platforms are 'all the music in the world' - which is the value proposition of streaming services." Analysis - Mark Savage, BBC Music reporter It's a White (Album) Christmas. Some of the most enduring hits in pop are coming to a streaming service near you. The Beatles as a corporate entity have been notoriously slow in adapting to new technology. They waited five years to issue their albums on CD, and didn't talk about the download Revolution until 2010 - seven years after the iTunes store launched. Their arrival on streaming services comes as consumption on those platforms starts to overtake digital downloads as a source of income for the music industry. The number of songs streamed in the UK looks set to top 25 billion this year, up from 13.7 billion in 2014, according to the Official Charts Company. It will be interesting to see how the band's music competes against the likes of Justin Bieber - whose latest singles are being streamed almost six million times a week, exerting a firm grip on the top of the charts.

Summary: The Beatles' music is being made available on a wide range of streaming music services.


Michelle Rocks' baby was in a sideways position but Dr Rachel O'Flaherty advised a junior colleague not to admit her, an inquest heard. Dr O'Flaherty apologised to Mrs Rocks and her husband Barry. Cara Rocks was stillborn at Coleraine's Causeway Hospital on 26 June 2013. The inquest is the first in Northern Ireland to focus on a stillbirth. Dr O'Flaherty said she could not recall why she had decided not to admit the patient on 5 June 2013. "I don't know what information I was given at that time and I honestly can't remember the reasoning behind that decision," she said. When asked whether a Caesarean section would also have been offered, if it had been requested by Mrs Rocks at that time, Dr O'Flaherty said this would have been arranged. Dr O'Flaherty first came into contact with Mrs Rocks at a hospital appointment when she was 36-weeks pregnant, Belfast Coroners Court heard on the third day of the hearing. The doctor said that, in retrospect, she would have kept the patient in for observation. Dr O'Flaherty apologised to Mr and Mrs Rocks and their family for the distress they have experienced. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has already admitted a number of mistakes played a part in the death of Cara Rocks. These included wrongly categorising Michelle Rocks, who had a previous Caesarean section, as "low risk", incorrect recording of the baby's heart rate and delays in the decision to proceed to an emergency C-section because of time spent trying to locate a foetal heart beat. The hearing continues.

Summary: The mother of a stillborn baby left court in tears after a doctor accepted she should have been kept in hospital when she was 38-weeks pregnant.


The British pair won gold in the synchronised 3m springboard at Rio 2016 last year and are also the European and Commonwealth champions. Their best Worlds result came two years ago, when they finished third in Kazan. "It would be sensational and really amazing to add to the titles we already have," Laugher, 22, told BBC Sport. The pair are part of a 12-strong British diving squad for the World Championships, which begin in Budapest on Friday. Laugher, 22, and Mears, 24, are set to compete on Saturday. Laugher and Mears both considered quitting the sport after achieving their lifetime dream of becoming Olympic champions, but are now focused on claiming further honours. "It was an open secret that after I'd done my event [in Rio] I was going to retire," said Mears, who is also a music producer and songwriter. "But I came back into training to see how it felt and I'm still passionate about diving and there are still things I want to achieve." Laugher added: "I always said that if I was to win the Olympic Games, I would retire instantly so I could quit at the best level. "Having to compete in the individual event stopped that, but also I have that spark again." Laugher and Mears were furious earlier this year when long-term coach Ady Hinchcliffe became Diving Australia's head coach - with British Swimming having initially failed to offer him an improved contract. But, under the guidance of Adam Smallwood, they have battled through several injury problems to win silver medals - behind Chinese pair Cao Yuan and Xie Siyi - in three of the four World Series events this season. "Jack and Chris are very experienced in that field and they've done plenty of World Series which has helped me transition into the role and they've been really successful," Smallwood told BBC Look North. Mears, who has struggled with a long-term back injury added: "It's not been ideal over the past few months, but if I was competing without an injury or little niggle it would be quite rare, so it's normal and I'll work through it." Laugher said: "We're so close as a pair as we've been through so much together and been there for one another at our darkest times. "You need someone you trust, so having Chris beside me is just brilliant and although it won't be easy at the Worlds we're going to go out all guns blazing and really try to succeed." Media playback is not supported on this device Laugher also claimed Olympic silver in the individual 3m springboard event and is hoping he can now match the success he has enjoyed in synchronised events. "I really want to be the person who changes the sport and progresses it," he said. "I want to be remembered as one of the greatest in the sport and that's my aim now to try and remain within the top ranks and prove it wasn't just a one-off." Laugher and Mears will compete in the synchronised 3m event on Saturday, with Laugher

Summary: Olympic champions Jack Laugher and Chris Mears are looking to complete their set of major diving titles with World Championship gold this weekend.


"We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis," Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC's John Sudworth. He said that an "all-out war" would result if the US took military action. Earlier, US Vice-President Mike Pence warned North Korea not to test the US. He said his country's "era of strategic patience" with North Korea was over. Mr Pence arrived in Seoul on Sunday hours after North Korea carried out a failed missile launch. Tensions have been escalating on the peninsula, with heated rhetoric from both North Korea and the US. Mr Han told the BBC: "If the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method." North Korea has accelerated its nuclear and missile tests in recent years, despite international condemnation and UN sanctions. Its aim is to be able to put a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach targets around the world, including the US. US President Donald Trump has said that will not happen, and stepped up pressure on the isolated North. He has sent a navy strike group towards the Korean Peninsula, and the US and South Korea are moving ahead with the early deployment of a controversial missile defence system. Despite the tension, North Korea may carry out a sixth nuclear test soon, observers say. It test-fired a missile on Sunday that exploded within seconds of launch, following a grand military parade on Saturday. Speaking alongside South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday, Mr Pence said North Korea should not test US President Donald Trump. "Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan," Mr Pence said. "North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region." He reiterated US support for South Korea, telling his host: "We are with you 100%." Last month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that pre-emptive military action was "on the table". But the US is also working with China, North Korea's main ally, to pressure the regime to stop nuclear and missile tests. Mr Pence told journalists that the White House hoped China would use its "extraordinary levers" to pressure North Korea, the Associated Press reports. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul says US policy now seems to be to persuade China to contain North Korea while keeping the economic and military pressure on. Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC that North Korea believed its nuclear weapons "protect" it from the threat of US military action. "If the US is reckless enough to use military means it would mean from that very day, an all-out war," he said. The North casts the US as the aggressor. At a news conference at the UN on Monday, North Korea's permanent representative Ambassador Kim In-ryong, condemned the US missile strikes in Syria, which targeted an air base after a

Summary: North Korea will continue to test missiles, a senior official has told the BBC in Pyongyang, despite international condemnation and growing military tensions with the US.


Their agreement to give the European Central Bank the power to supervise the eurozone's bigger banks sounds horribly technical and dull. But it matters, in helping the eurozone to move a little further away from the cliff edge, while perhaps mapping a future for the UK in an EU increasingly dominated by currency union members acting as a unified bloc. The deal may represent the most significant new transfer of national powers to a eurozone institution since the crisis erupted in the currency union three years ago - and, for many, it represents the first step towards the kind of centralisation of decision-making that's necessary for the eurozone to survive. And it includes a possible blueprint for how the UK might avoid becoming too marginalised as a member of the European Union, should the eurozone evolve into a United States of Europe within a wider, looser EU structure. So it provides a possible answer to those who believe that one consequence of the eurozone doing what it needs to avoid fracture - to integrate politically in a deep sense - is that the UK will be propelled remorselessly towards the EU's exit. Here is the niggly detail. The ECB will take responsibility for supervising bigger banks, those with assets (loans and investments) of â‚¬30bn or whose assets represent more than a fifth of a nation's economic output. That is about 200 banks initially. Significantly, loads of French banks will be supervised by the ECB, but few German banks (because its banking industry is more fragmented). That looks like a victory for Mrs Merkel, except that the ECB will have the power to intervene at smaller banks if it sees problems - so Mr Hollande's dignity is preserved. Those EU countries like the UK not in the eurozone can opt to join this so-called banking union. They can opt to have their banks supervised by the ECB. The UK won't cede its national banking supervision powers to the ECB, but other eurozone "outs" might (although Sweden and the Czech Republic seem, like the UK, to have decided to stick with their national supervisors, for the time being at least). As for the Chancellor, George Osborne, he had conflicting instincts in the negotiations. On the one hand, he didn't want to block banking union for the rest - because he believes it is in Britain's interest to help bring calm and stability to the eurozone. On the other hand, he has the commercial interests of the UK's banks and businesses to protect, and he fears that a more closely-knit eurozone would seek to rig the single market to the detriment of Britain. He achieved two forms of protections for British commerce. On the one hand, the European Central Bank has agreed that it will not discriminate against any EU member state in the way that it uses its supervisory powers. The fear was that in setting liquidity or capital rules for the banks under its umbrella, it could somehow tilt the competitive playing field away from London. As for the outfit that makes regulations

Summary: At about 04:45 Brussels time this morning, European Union finance ministers made a bit of EU history.


Top-flight Boro took the lead in the ninth minute as David Nugent headed in debutant Fabio's back post cross. Cauley Woodrow was denied by Brad Guzan for the hosts shortly after before Julien de Sart inadvertently deflected Scott Malone's strike into his own net. With penalties looming, Lasse Vigen Christensen turned in Malone's low cross for a place in round three. The Whites will take on Bristol City in round three. Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic: "I never had any plan to leave Fulham. "If I complain about something it is because I want the best for my team, my team-mates, the supporters too and I was very clear what is my opinion about this situation and that is it. "I am still in the same position and believe we need more people to be stronger in the future." Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka: "I'm disappointed because I said before the game this trophy is very important for the club. "I have to apologise to our crowd because they came here midweek and it's an important trophy for this club, we respect this trophy a lot. So this has been difficult." Match ends, Fulham 2, Middlesbrough 1. Second Half Extra Time ends, Fulham 2, Middlesbrough 1. Foul by Matt Smith (Fulham). Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Alex Baptiste (Middlesbrough) header from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Jesse Joronen (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by David Nugent (Middlesbrough). Attempt blocked. Julien de Sart (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Goal! Fulham 2, Middlesbrough 1. Lasse Vigen Christensen (Fulham) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Scott Malone. Attempt missed. Julien de Sart (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Julien de Sart (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Delay in match Tayo Edun (Fulham) because of an injury. Second Half Extra Time begins Fulham 1, Middlesbrough 1. First Half Extra Time ends, Fulham 1, Middlesbrough 1. Attempt blocked. Sean Kavanagh (Fulham) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. David Nugent (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Fulham. Luca De La Torre replaces Jozabed. Attempt missed. Matt Smith (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Jozabed (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt blocked. Adam Forshaw (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Matt Smith (Fulham). Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Fulham. Matt Smith replaces Cauley Woodrow. Delay in match Cauley Woodrow (Fulham) because of an injury. Attempt missed. David Nugent (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. First Half

Summary: Championship side Fulham came from behind to knock out Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup second-round.


Some of them might even take place on a special Saturday sitting of the Commons, (the first since the Falklands War) if the prime minister so decides. In the event of a Remain vote, most of what is below will probably take place, although it may be that there is some kind of statement on the result on Monday. If the week's scheduled business does go ahead, look out for preliminary skirmishing in the Lords over the Buses Bill and the Investigatory Powers Bill, and keep an eye on an interesting attempt by the members of the Public Accounts Committee to amend the Finance Bill - another example of the hot new Westminster trend for select committees to try to push their recommendations into law. Here's my rundown of the week ahead: MPs return from their referendum recess at 2.30pm - when the first business will be Defence questions. It is highly likely that this will be followed by one or more ministerial statements or urgent questions, and somewhere in the mix, the newest MP, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, who defended Sadiq Kahn's Tooting constituency for Labour, will take her seat. Then - if the powers that be stick to the published agenda, the Commons will move on to the detail of the Finance Bill - the measure which enacts the Budget. This will be the first of two days of committee stage - there are Labour amendments to give more favourable tax treatment for low emissions vehicles and to review the tax treatment of workers employed through intermediaries - agency staff. The SNP's Roger Mullin has an amendment calling for a review of the remuneration of investment fund managers, aimed at ensuring no element of their pay can be taxed as a capital gain. But the most interesting may be the cross-party amendment signed by, among others, the Public Accounts Committee Chair, Meg Hillier, on tax transparency for multinational companies. The amendment, which I'm told is the brainchild of Labour ex-minister Caroline Flint, comes out of the PAC's hearings on the Google tax affair and the release of the Panama Papers. On the argument that sunlight is the best preventative measure, they want an official register requiring multinationals to disclose where they do business, the money they make and the tax they pay. The clever bit is that the amendment contains a "sunrise clause" so it would not pre-empt attempts to negotiate an EU version of the proposed register, and would only come into force if no euro-register was in place by 2020. With a considerable cross-party coalition behind it, the amendment is highly likely to be called by the Speaker, who has a track record of ensuring that proposals by select committees are debated. In the Lords (from 2.30pm) questions to ministers cover countering anti-Semitism on university campuses; clearer use of language to combat the threat of terrorism and improving air quality in Britain. Then peers turn to the second reading debate on the Investigatory Powers Bill. This was passed by the Commons with a considerable majority - but a number

Summary: This week's preview of next week's parliamentary action comes with a massive health warning: in the event of a victory for Leave in the EU referendum, much of what follows will probably be cancelled or rescheduled to make room for a series of statements and debates on the process for and ramifications of Brexit.


Southport led after 71 minutes when James Gray broke the deadlock, only for Will Evans to equalise eight minutes later. The hosts had looked dangerous on the break in the first half and finally took the lead when Gray finished well past Jake Cole with a well-driven shot. Southport then looked to sit deep as the Shots pressed for an equaliser. It didn't take long to come with Evans lashing home after a brilliant counter-attack involving Jake Gallagher and Shamir Fenelon. Shots went closest to a winner as Walker and Fenelon again combined without finding the net. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Second Half ends, Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Jake Gallagher (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Southport. Declan Weeks replaces Jordan Lussey. Goal! Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Will Evans (Aldershot Town). Substitution, Southport. Ashley Grimes replaces James Gray. Goal! Southport 1, Aldershot Town 0. James Gray (Southport). Substitution, Aldershot Town. Charlie Walker replaces Scott Rendell. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Iffy Allen replaces Dion Conroy. Jordan Lussey (Southport) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins Southport 0, Aldershot Town 0. First Half ends, Southport 0, Aldershot Town 0. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Summary: Struggling Southport came close to securing a much-needed win as they drew with Aldershot following a frantic end to their National league clash at Haig Avenue.


Police in Cornwall were called to Great Western Beach, Newquay at 17:45 BST on Tuesday. A 38-year-old man was arrested and is in police custody. The car had to be towed on to a different beach once the tide was out in order to remove it, an eyewitness said. More on the car in the sea story, and other news Jamie Clogg from Towan Motors came to help the beach owners remove the car. He had to wait until the tide was out, after 8pm, to tow the car along the sand to Towan Beach - a journey of just under half a mile. "The car would be stuck otherwise so I went down to help them. There were police everywhere. "When the tide goes out there's a hard bit of ground which we could drive across - you'd never drive across the dry sand."

Summary: A man has been arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving after a car was driven into the sea.


The agency said Movette had used "deceptive methods" to bill clients for the use of Google My Business - a free service provided by the US search firm. Movette had been in business for two-and-a-half years before being wound up in the High Court. It had received more than £500,000 in fees before the intervention. Google My Business is a service that encourages companies to share information and images about themselves to help the tech firm display relevant listings in its Search and Maps tools. Movette had charged its victims between £199 to £249 a year to manage their entries. The Insolvency Service said the firm had: The agency said its probe had followed "a significant volume" of customer complaints. Several clients had also posted their concerns online. "This company contacted me telling me my Google page was about to expire and following a conversation claimed I had bought their services," wrote one on the Who Called Me site. "Now they hound me every day demanding money and threatening to send in bailiffs. They always ring on withheld number but the number to call back on is a premium number. Clearly it's a scam." Another posted on business reviews website Trustpilot: "Complete liars, rude arrogant... they claim the verbal contracts are legally binding and cannot be cancelled. Do not believe them." The Insolvency Service noted that Movette had operated a "very similar business" to another company - Online Platform Management Consultants Ltd - which had shut in April 2015 after operating from the same Manchester address.

Summary: A Manchester-based company that pretended it was linked to Google has been closed following an investigation by the UK's Insolvency Service.


The artwork, by US sculptor Charles Ray, will be replaced by a lamp-post at the tip of the Punta della Dogana. The decision has angered some art lovers who argue that it shows a failure to embrace challenging, contemporary work. But city officials say the sculpture was always intended to be temporary. Boy with Frog, which is gleaming white and 8ft (2.5m) tall, has occupied the tip of a triangular piece of land that separates the Grand and the Giudecca canals for almost four years. It shows a boy holding up a frog by one leg and gazing at it. The sculptor had earlier expressed hope that his work would become a permanent "citizen of Venice". "I never saw it as temporary," Mr Ray told the New York Times. But some residents reportedly missed a 19th Century lamp-post, long a romantic meeting spot, which stood at the spot before. Workers began to remove the sculpture overnight on Tuesday ready to clear the space early on Wednesday, Corriere del Veneto newspaper reported. In its place will be a reproduction of the original lamp-post. The old-fashioned landmark was thought to be more in keeping with the surrounding architecture, BBC Rome correspondent Alan Johnston reports. Some animal-lovers also argued that the image of a boy holding the frog upside down was cruel, our correspondent adds. But a piece in La Stampa newspaper criticised Venice's council, saying "administrative cowardice" had won out over real culture. Defending its decision, the council said the sculpture had been considered temporary and Venice had a fine record of welcoming and exhibiting modern art.

Summary: Work has begun to take away a controversial statue depicting a naked boy with a frog in a part of ancient Venice, Italian media report.


A mouse was seen running around the cabin floor of the Chicago-bound flight. Staff tried to trap the tiny rodent but they couldn't find him. It's not the first time a tiny stowaway has caused problems; two flights from New York to London were cancelled in 2009 after mouse sightings. Officials had to ground the plane in Sweden and had to find alternative flights for all 250 passengers. The airline's boss said that the mouse could be a safety risk if he tried to nibble through the aircraft's wires.

Summary: When passengers started boarding a flight from Stockholm in Sweden they spotted an unusual passenger scurrying between the seats.


Extern said it had been told the Intensive Family Support Service (IFSS) must close. Charlie Mack of Extern said the staff had worked "tirelessly" to help vulnerable children. The Department of Health said families would continue to be supported. "Sadly we are the victims of not having a government in Northern Ireland at the moment," Mr Mack told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra. "All of the leaders of all the political parties (in Northern Ireland) have said it would be morally wrong if this service was stopped. "As late as this afternoon we were pleading with the permanent secretaries to reconsider." In a statement, the Department of Health said the pilot had "now come to an end and work has already started to consider how we successfully apply the learning identified". "Families will continue to be supported by statutory services," the statement added. "No cuts have been applied to any services. "The Belfast Intensive Family Support Service was established in 2014 on a pilot basis for three years. Thus, since its initiation, it has always been scheduled to end on 31 March 2017." .

Summary: Forty-seven staff employed by a Northern Ireland charity which works with disadvantaged families have lost their jobs after a three-year pilot scheme ended.


Dean Melnyk, 20, and Andrew Brown, 23, were given minimum terms of 20 years for killing Kevin MacKay, 40, in Ecclefechan last August. A court heard how they took the law into their own hands hours after the funeral of their friend Jamie Abba. Lord Armstrong told the pair they had been convicted of a "brutal attack". By Willie JohnstonBBC Scotland Ecclefechan was quiet this morning as, 80 miles away in Edinburgh, a judge passed sentence on Dean Melnyk and Andrew Brown. Most people were inside sheltering from the heavy rain; making sure they avoided me and my camera back to film the scene of the crime for TV. But in a village whose population is less than 1,000 two unnatural deaths in less than a fortnight is going to have an impact and there is no doubt that impact has been severe. There is tension here. Police Scotland have worked hard to prevent it bubbling over into further violence, and still are. Ten months ago, there was understandable shock and grief at the loss of 18-year-old Jamie Abba, apparently after taking a dodgy ecstasy tablet. But no-one foresaw the next tragic consequences as Dean Melnyk and Andrew Brown turned vigilante killers of the man pinpointed for supplying the fatal drug to their young friend. Their attack on Kevin MacKay was frenzied, their brutality shocking. One man who did venture out to speak to me today - albeit off-camera - said the murderers deserved 30 years and should never show face in Ecclefechan again. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Melnyk and Brown believed that Mr MacKay had supplied the pill that killed 18-year-old Mr Abba, who was known as Jabba. So the two men travelled from Lockerbie to Ecclefechan in Dumfries and Galloway and repeatedly stabbed him in a frenzied revenge attack last August. Judge Lord Armstrong sentenced the two men to life imprisonment. Passing sentence, he told Melnyk and Brown that they would both have to serve a minimum of 20 years before becoming eligible for parole. He added: "You have been convicted of carrying out a brutal attack which resulted in the death of Kevin MacKay. "This incident did not happen on the spur of the moment. "It was pre-meditated - you wrongly took justice into your own hands." He said they had travelled to the south of Scotland village with bladed weapons to carry out the attack. "The court has heard that your victim suffered 80 injuries which were inflicted on the vital organs of your victim," he said. "The court has also heard evidence that without immediate medical attention, your victim could not have survived more than five to 10 minutes. "This was an intensely violent attack. The only sentence for murder is life imprisonment." Melnyk, of Lockerbie, and Brown, of Ecclefechan, were convicted of murder following proceedings at the High Court in Glasgow in April. Speaking after the sentencing, Procurator Fiscal Jennifer Harrower said: "There is no doubt that Andrew Brown and Dean Melnyk went looking for their victim with the sole intention of doing

Summary: Two men who murdered a man they blamed for supplying an ecstasy tablet that killed their teenage friend have been jailed for life.


Denbighshire council bought a terrace of properties on Queen Street to make way for new apartments and retail units. However, structural engineers raised concerns about the condition of some and part of the road was closed to traffic earlier this year. It will be closed again from Monday as demolition work takes place. The buildings being demolished are numbers 43 to 47, which was an adult shop, and 49 to 55, which were already derelict and had been knocked through inside a number of years ago. While the road will remain open to pedestrians and for businesses, the council hopes to reopen it for through-traffic in July.

Summary: A main road in Rhyl will be closed to through-traffic from Monday while buildings are demolished.


Ward, 27, won 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 in the third and final round of qualifying in Roehampton. He was given a wildcard to play in qualifying and had lost his previous seven matches before this week. Fellow Britons Marcus Willis and Jay Clarke went out in the final round. Ward will be one of 12 British players, led by defending champion Andy Murray and world number seven Johanna Konta, in the main singles draws at Wimbledon. Ward, from Northampton, will take his place in the main draw at Wimbledon for only the second time, having received a wildcard 12 months ago. Willis, 26, became the early story of last year's Wimbledon by coming through six matches in pre-qualifying and qualifying, and then the first-round proper, before losing to Roger Federer on Centre Court. "What a story that was, let's see what happens this year," said Ward. "We're the same age, we used to train here together and he's always been a great player and a fantastic character, always fun to be around." Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Ward has taken an even more unlikely route than Willis having lost in the final round of pre-qualifying, only to be handed a wildcard into the Wimbledon qualifying event. He had lost all four previous matches in Wimbledon qualifying. "It just feels amazing, I'm still struggling to get my head around it," said Ward, who slipped down the rankings from 242 last year after having six months off with a wrist injury. "It will mean everything [to return to Wimbledon], especially having qualified. I feel like I really deserve my place there." Ward said he had played the best tennis of his life this week in beating Belarusian Egor Gerasimov, ranked 166th, Japan's Go Soeda, ranked 111th, and Gabashvili, ranked 176th. Reaching the first-round proper guarantees him at least £35,000 in prize money. "That's a big sum of money," said Ward. "I haven't got a coach at the moment, so I can invest in a coach and have better preparation for matches." He now hopes to go one better than last year, when he lost to Belgian David Goffin in the first round at Wimbledon. "We'll see what happens in the draw on Friday," he said.

Summary: World number 855 Alex Ward became the only British player to come through Wimbledon singles qualifying by securing a stunning win over Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili.


Pigott joined Cambridge in July 2016, but scored only once in 17 games before joining Maidstone on loan in January. The 23-year-old scored six goals in 16 league appearances for the Stones. Pigott is Maidstone's second signing since the end of the season, following the arrival of former Bromley left-back Joe Anderson.

Summary: National League side Maidstone have signed striker Joe Pigott on a one-year deal following his release by League Two club Cambridge.


This week the UK government followed France in announcing it would ban the sale of such vehicles by 2040, while the mayors of Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens plan to banish diesels from their city centres by 2025. Almost all car makers now offer hybrid cars and many sell fully electric vehicles. But the electric charge also extends to vans and trucks, and the need to switch to cleaner engines is even greater given that these larger vehicles are far bigger polluters than cars. "In Europe, less than 5% of vehicles are commercial vehicles or heavy duty trucks, but they contribute to almost 20% of greenhouse gas emissions," says Ananth Srinivasan, mobility expert with research consultancy Frost & Sullivan. Even in a country with wide open spaces like Australia, the electric wave is rolling out. Melbourne-based logistics firm Kings Transport recently bought nine electric vans and light trucks from SEA Automotive. SEA chief executive Tony Fairweather says his firm realised a few years ago that electric commercial vehicles were becoming economically viable much faster than predicted. "The components are cheaper every time we go to buy," he explains. "There's not many industries where that happens." Beyond Australia, electric commercial vehicles are becoming an increasingly common sight. In Germany, for example, Deutsche Post has started building its own electric vans and will soon start selling them to other companies. Meanwhile, in the US, the city of Los Angeles plans to make its entire bus fleet emissions-free by 2030. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that keeping global temperature rises below 2C by the end of the century will in part depend on the electrification of some 600 million vehicles worldwide. Given there are more than 300 million commercial vehicles on the planet's roads, according to data portal Statista, it is clear that this goal need not be focused solely on passenger cars. SEA's approach involves fitting its own electric driveline technology to a chassis built by China's FAW. Big vehicle makers are also developing their own electric systems for commercial vehicles, including Nissan, with its e-NV200 fully electric van. Many light commercial vehicles often travel similar routes every time they leave the depot, Mr Fairweather and others point out. So businesses with depots can invest in installing their own charging stations. "You can get super cheap electricity late at night," says Simon Evans, deputy editor of Carbon Brief. But if everyone starts charging their trucks and vans overnight, electricity consumption dynamics could change dramatically, he warns. "You are basically sticking a massive great electricity demand into a new place," he says. If millions of new electric vehicles do hit the road in the coming years, electricity grids around the world will have to adapt. The UK's National Grid is already evaluating the impact of a potential boom in electric cars. However, the range of electric cars remains an issue. For smaller commercial vehicles travelling those relatively fixed urban routes, that is not too much of a concern. But larger trucks travelling long distances pose a much tougher challenge. Battery technology is still

Summary: The clock may be ticking for petrol and diesel-powered cars, but it's vans, trucks and buses that are driving the electric vehicle revolution on the world's roads.


Labour asked for the data to be released to Parliament. The government blamed "unacceptably lax" contracts that allow staff to re-join the NHS a month after redundancy. It says it's working on tough new plans to cap payouts, and has reduced administrative posts overall. Labour shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said it would be galling for nurses who were battling over pay to see, as he put it, cheques handed out like confetti. Auditors have previously reported that the average payout was £43,000. The number of national health service staff estimated to have been made redundant and later re-employed almost doubled in the last year - from 2,200 managers - Ministerial responses to Parliamentary Questions have revealed. The total now stands at 3,950. Overall, more than 10,000 full-time workers were made redundant from the NHS in England since the restructuring of the service. Changes introduced in April 2013 have seen 150 primary care trusts, run by managers, replaced with 211 clinical commissioning groups, led by family doctors. Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: "By reducing managers and administrators by over 21,100, we are freeing up extra resources for patient care - £5.5 billion in this Parliament and £1.5 billion every year thereafter."

Summary: New figures indicate that almost 4,000 staff made redundant from the NHS in England, before last year's major restructuring, have since been re-employed.


Kent County Council (KCC) is caring for 720 unaccompanied children who have crossed the English Channel to Dover - up from 630 at the start of August. The council is to reopen Appledore former reception centre near Cranbook to house about 40 boys aged 16 or 17. It is also converting a disused care home in Whitstable for under 18s. It comes as the Conservative MP for Tonbridge, Edenbridge and Malling added his voice to calls for the government to do more to help refugees and migrants entering Europe. Tom Tugendhat tweeted: "Our common humanity, demands action at home and abroad." The Red Cross, which works with young migrants in Kent, said the "overwhelming majority" who arrived in Dover from migrant camps in Calais claimed asylum. "I believe the numbers are around 95%," said spokesman Rhys Cutler. Children under 14 who arrive in the UK alone are taken into foster care while older teenagers live in the community as cared-for children. David Slater, chaplain for Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover said some young asylum seekers arrived in Calais after "absolutely horrendous" journeys. "In some cases they are running away from wars, but frequently they are being sent by their family who have clubbed together to get the money to send them because they will then be potentially earning in Europe," he said. "These are children who have got an awful lot of pressure on them." In July, KCC announced it was to convert the disused Ladesfield Care Home in Whitstable to house young migrants. Now it has said it will also bring back into use the Appledore building at Swattenden outdoor education centre to help ease pressure on its children's services. "We need extra capacity as it is not possible to predict the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who will arrive at the border in need of our care," said Councillor Peter Oakford. "Since June this year there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of arrivals. "We have accommodated as many as is possible in our existing provision at Ashford but it reached full capacity several weeks ago." They say a picture is worth 1,000 words and the picture of a Syrian child's body washed up on the beach in Turkey seems to have galvanised the debate over whether the UK should take more asylum seekers. Even Conservative MPs have stepped up the pressure on the government. The MP for Tonbridge and Malling Tom Tugendhat took to Twitter to say that he'd "spoken to many in West Kent who want us to do more" and he agreed with them. He also said our common humanity demands action at home and abroad. The government's line has always been that they are at the forefront of the response to the Syrian crisis, but after growing calls for Britain to do more, the Prime Minister has now said that he felt deeply moved by the sight of that young boy on a beach in Turkey. He said "Britain is a moral nation and we will fulfil our moral responsibilities" but he has

Summary: A former reception centre for asylum-seeker children is being brought back into use following an "unprecedented" surge in the number of young migrants.


The accident happened near to the 110m tall (360ft) Bridgewater Place, a building which architecture experts say has created a wind tunnel. The council said there were wind effect issues and they were "looking urgently" at ways of "making the area safer". The building owners said a wind tunnel analysis was done before construction. The dead man, a 35-year-old from Calderdale, was walking on a bridge over the Aire on Neville Street when a curtain-sided lorry toppled over on Thursday afternoon. He was hit by the falling vehicle and taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he later died. A 22-year-old woman from Leeds was also injured and is said to be in a stable condition in hospital. The tallest part of the tower block is side-on to the river, along which the prevailing wind blows. Dr Lindsay Smales, senior lecturer in building, planning and geography at Leeds Metropolitan University, said: "Unfortunately I don't think there's a great deal you can do once you've built a tall building like that to mitigate the problems of micro climate and the effect of the wind. "The reason why it's a problem is because they're often large slab buildings. The wind hits them and then just goes straight down to the ground because it can't go around." Tim Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said as part of the original planning application, a wind assessment was carried out on behalf of the developer, which indicated "the impact the building would have on wind speed would be minimal". He added: "However, since the building was completed, there have been unforeseen wind effect issues around it." Mr Riordan said developers and architects were undertaking work with a wind engineering consultancy to identify the "most effective solution to resolve the ongoing issues". He added: "Following the tragedy on Thursday afternoon, however, we are looking urgently at other ways of making the area safer." The building owners and original developers, Bridgewater Place Ltd, said all building and planning regulations had been fully adhered to. "As part of the requirements for obtaining planning permission, Leeds City Council specifically requested that a comprehensive wind tunnel analysis was conducted to assess the effect of the building on the surrounding area." West Yorkshire Police are also investigating how the lorry came to overturn.

Summary: Questions have been asked about the safety of Leeds' tallest building after the death of man who was crushed by a lorry which blew over in strong winds.


4 July 2017 Last updated at 09:17 BST Don't worry though, it's not a real wedding. It's part of a Mexican ceremony which is more than 200 years old. The mayor of the southern Mexican fishing town San Pedro Huamelula 'marries' a crocodile at the end of June as part of the local harvest tradition. The reptile bride, dressed in white with a flower crown on its head is taken around the town to music before the ceremony takes place. The croc is regarded as a princess, and the traditional belief is that it will bring peace and prosperity to their community, particularly a good harvest. It's not exactly a romance made in heaven, let's hope there were no "crocodile tears."

Summary: You wouldn't have thought a crocodile would be a dream bride, but that hasn't stopped this man from marrying one.


The party's Infrastructure Minister, Chris Hazzard, and his colleague, John O'Dowd, are in London for a meeting with Brexit Secretary David Davis. The DUP's Junior Minister, Alastair Ross, is also attending. However, Sinn Féin has accused the government of treating the council as a "talking shop". Earlier this week, Prime Minister Theresa May said Brexit means leaving the European Customs Union. It currently allows tariff and paperwork-free trade between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Sinn Féin MLA John O'Dowd said on Thursday: "By making her so-called keynote speech on Brexit... this week two days ahead of the Joint Ministerial Council, British Prime Minister Theresa May treated the council with utter disdain." He added: "That was a clear act of bad faith... it is clear she is intent on ignoring the will of the majority of people in the north who voted to remain in the EU. "It has got to the stage where the Joint Ministerial Council is being treated as a talking shop by the British government and we will be reassessing our involvement with it." The DUP see the council as a useful forum to air their concerns. The DUP and Sinn Féin were joined at the council meeting by ministers from Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Dunlop described the talks as "a constructive session in looking at the devolved administrations' important contribution to the process of planning the UK's departure from the European Union". "In her speech this week, the prime minister emphasised the importance of working together to achieve a deal that works for Northern Ireland as part of a United Kingdom that is determined to take advantage of the opportunities that leaving the EU presents," he said. Earlier, Mr Hazzard said Northern Ireland needed a "special designated status" within the EU. Former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) John Bruton has said Mrs May's plan for a post-Brexit customs deal will be "unworkable". Sinn Féin has said exiting the European Customs Union creates a "hard border on the island of Ireland". But DUP MP Sammy Wilson said the prime minister's statement would give the business community "more certainty". Brexit Secretary David Davis has said the UK leaving the EU would result in difficulties over border controls on the island of Ireland, but that any problems could be solved. What is a customs union and why does it matter? A customs union is a form of trade agreement between two or more countries. It means they decide not to impose tariffs (taxes on imports) on each other's goods and agree to impose common external tariffs on goods from countries outside their customs union. Setting common external tariffs is what distinguishes a customs union from a free trade area. The key argument for leaving the customs union is that it will allow the UK to negotiate its own trade agreements. Read more here.

Summary: Sinn Féin is threatening to pull out of the Joint Ministerial Council over concerns about negotiations for the UK to leave the EU.


Five weeks ago, the fraudsters telephoned 65-year-old Nargess Sadjady, from west London, in a series of calls. Posing as staff from her bank, they can be heard persuading her to transfer the money into one of their own accounts. The recordings were set up by her son, who was worried that either of his parents might fall victim to just such a fraud. He installed special software on their phone, and subsequently passed the recordings to the BBC. Originally the police decided not to get involved, as they said there was no realistic prospect of a conviction. But as a result of the recordings, to be broadcast on Radio 4's Moneybox programme on Saturday, detectives have now decided to launch a full investigation. The first call to Mrs Sadjady was from a man calling himself Mark, who claimed to be from her bank, Santander. He explains that he is worried about recent fraudulent transactions on her account. He comforts her by saying they have managed to stop the payments, but they might not be able to stop subsequent attempts. Mrs Sadjady can be heard trying to resist his enquiries. "I don't know you," she says. "Really I can't give more information. Please write to me, because I don't know you." But the man calling himself Mark offers her layer upon layer of reassurance, including giving her a password. "I'm not going to ask for personal information," he says. Then he asks her to check the bank's helpline number on the back of her card, and tells her that she will receive a call back from that number. In a trick known as "number spoofing", orchestrated through freely-available software, that number then appeared on Mrs Sadjady's phone when a second man called back, claiming to be from Santander's fraud department. Later she admitted that up until this point in the call she had been sceptical - but the number spoofing persuaded her that it was genuine. "I wasn't sure, until they called my mobile from that phone number on the back of my card," she said. A few minutes later, the fraudsters made a third and final call. Sensing that she might be about to alert her bank, they persuade her that staff at her local branch may be responsible for the fraud. So they suggest that she transfers £12,000 in her Santander account to a separate account at the Halifax, which they say has her name on it. In reality they had already opened that account themselves. When money is transferred in, banks do not usually cross-check the names. So, after one hour and 40 minutes of phone calls, spread out over three hours, Mrs Sadjady moved her money, voluntarily. Almost immediately the fraudsters then started to distribute that money to other accounts in the UK, before the banks cottoned on. It was a classic case of "Vishing" - or voice phishing - which last year cost consumers and banks £24m, according to Financial Fraud Action UK (FFAUK). But it is thought to be the first time that such a crime has

Summary: Three men who tricked their victim into handing over her £12,000 savings on the phone have been caught on tape.


The Vikings are top of the table with five wins from their opening six games and next face Wigan on Thursday. "You've got to be on your game and the lads and coaches are working hard to prepare and are reviewing how we can get better," Betts said. "It's how we train and carry ourselves, those things don't just turn up." Since regaining their Super League license in 2012, Widnes have failed to finish in the top half of the table. Last season they went through the Qualifiers to retain their top-flight status, but Betts says they are better equipped to succeed this season. "Working hard and making it happen week in week out, that's a skill and it's something that we've not been able to do throughout the last three years," Betts told BBC Radio Merseyside. "We've got some distinctive, confident players so we've scored some points and passed the ball really well and asked some questions." Media playback is not supported on this device After Widnes thrashed Hull FC 46-6 last week, Betts admits he is finding it difficult to rotate his squad with his side performing so well. "The tough thing at the moment is we've got three or four lads who you want to try and give some game time to, like Paddy Flynn, Pat Ah Van and Tom Gilmore," he added. "It's hard to get Tom into the game and I know I'm going to have to use him. I need him fit and need him to get some game time, but it's hard when the half-back pair is playing as well as it is."

Summary: Widnes Vikings boss Denis Betts says their strong start to the Super League season is a reflection of their meticulous work in training.


Peter Robinson told the BBC it was "possible" to reach agreement by mid-week. Last week, Sinn Féin withdrew its support for welfare legislation. The parties have been taking part in talks to resolve the political impasse for several days. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Mr Robinson were due to travel to Washington for St Patrick's Day, but said on Sunday that they would stay in Northern Ireland in order to continue with negotiations. Last week, Mr McGuinness said £200m would solve the problems over welfare reform, but on Monday, Finance Minister Simon Hamilton said no additional money could be allocated. Mr Robinson said much was possible, but there was still a long way to go before reaching any solid deal. "If that is possible to do, then it is also possible to have an executive meeting earlier than would normally have been be the case to look at the schemes that would be involved," he said. "Then it would be possible to go to the speaker and the business committee and ask them to put the welfare reform bill in the assembly for next week. "All that is possible, but it is only possible if we can reach agreements." The first minister also said he would only consider a deal had been done on welfare when the legislation is finally passed. Mr Robinson said: "Agreement on welfare to me now is more than getting a paper that sets out the way forward. "It's about agreeing the schemes to go before the executive to be agreed there, and getting the welfare bill through its final stage. "When that happens we can consider ourselves to have an agreement on welfare, but not until." The Northern Ireland parties had agreed a deal on Westminster's welfare reform in the Stormont House Agreement in December. The issue had previously threatened the future of the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive. Last week, Sinn Féin withdrew support for the bill and accused the DUP of going back on what had been agreed. The DUP rejected this, saying there had never been the money for all the things Sinn Féin wanted and that Sinn Féin had been aware of this.

Summary: The welfare reform bill could be debated in the assembly again next week if there is sufficient movement in ongoing negotiations, the first minister has said.


The blaze has destroyed a number of homes, dropping ash on the streets of the city in the province of Alberta. Fleeing residents have caused gridlock on the main road leading from the city, 380km (235 miles) north of Edmonton. The evacuation from Fort McMurray - which lies in an oil sands region - is the biggest in Alberta's history. "If you just walk outside, you feel it (ash) falling on you. You see it floating in the air. I can take a broom and brush it off my deck," resident Mark Durocher was quoted as saying by the Globe and Mail. Homes in at least two neighbourhood have been gutted, and the fire has now spread to Highway 63 - the main road into Fort McMurray from the south. Firefighters are continuing to tackle the blaze, but the local authorities have called for reinforcements, including a water-dumping helicopter. So far there have been no reports of any injuries.

Summary: A huge wildfire has forced the evacuation of about 60,000 people from Fort McMurray - the entire population of the Canadian city.


An early favourite with bookmakers, the band's album beat rapper Plan B, The Maccabees, Richard Hawley, Django Django, Jessie Ware and Field Music. BBC Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka, Ben Howard, Lianne La Havas, Roller Trio and Sam Lee also lost out. Alt-J thanked their parents for helping them to win the Â£20,000 prize. "We might just thank everyone in team Alt-J who has ever made a difference to us. And our parents... thanks for not making us get jobs!" said the band as they accepted their award. The four-piece, who met at university in Leeds in 2007 but are now based in Cambridge, said the award would probably give them "a level of security". "The Mercury Awards puts us in the hall of fame for sure, because it's such a well respected award," said frontman Joe Newman backstage. Alt-J also rubbished the idea of the so-called 'Mercury curse', a term coined after previous winners such as Speech Debelle failed to live up to the hype. "This kind of curse isn't dependent on whether you win the Mercury. It's dependent on the material that you have after you win the Mercury," said Newman. "We feel as a group we have a real strong set of songs, future songs. It's about the artist." The band revealed they would be celebrating by getting drunk. However they did add they would spend some of the prize money taking their parents out for a slap-up meal, after their families had watched the awards on TV while hosting their own Mercury-themed parties. Each of the 12 nominated acts performed live at this year's ceremony, in its new home, the Roundhouse in north London. Plan B, real name Ben Drew, opened the show with the title track from his nominated album Ill Manors, which is the soundtrack to the film he wrote, directed and starred in. He performed from the top of a new-look double-decker stage in the Camden venue, the same spot where The Maccabees later brought the show to a close with a high energy rendition of Pelican. BBC 6 Music presenter Lauren Laverne replaced longtime host Jools Holland as coverage of the event moved from BBC Two to Channel 4. Radio 1's new Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw fronted the backstage coverage. Other standout performances came from La Havas, who silenced the room, and Ware who like many of the nominees said they were happy just to be nominated. Most have already enjoyed a sales boost while the act behind this year's 'token jazz album', Roller Trio, said they received a host of new bookings and got a new agent the day after being nominated. HMV's Gennaro Castaldo predicted Alt-J's win could result in a "five or sixfold" increase in sales. Last week, fellow nominees Django Django, who met at art college in Edinburgh, won Q magazine's best new act award. However they admitted they were a little nervous as the Mercury's evening kicked off. "It feels a bit like we're all about to get married. To each other," said Django drummer and producer

Summary: Indie rock band Alt-J have been named winners of this year's prestigious Barclaycard Mercury Prize, with their debut album An Awesome Wave.


In 2013/14, York Theatre Royal and Sheffield Theatres reported the number of BME employees as 3%, while Hull Truck Theatre had none. ACE said that a survey showed that 14% of the English workforce were from BME communities. Hull Truck Theatre said it was taking action to address the issue. Last year Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of Ace, said organisations could have their funding cut if they failed to improve diversity. Speaking at the launch of the new report, Sir Peter said theatres had to make "their work more reflective of their communities, and representative of 21st Century England". "The arts can show us how things are and the arts can give us a vision of what they could be," he said. "They can make the case for diversity; they can be the case for diversity. They can bring us together." Ace said it was providing Â£8.5m of funding to encourage diversity. The executive director of Hull Truck Theatre, Janthi Mills-Ward, said the theatre had introduced an apprenticeship scheme "which has changed the demographic". "Hull's demographic is actually 94% white," she said. "So actually, young people, or anybody from Hull from a BME community might not have seen a career in the arts as something they could go in to."

Summary: A number of theatres in Yorkshire employ fewer than 5% black or minority ethnic (BME) workers, according to an Arts Council England (Ace) report.


The former Greece Under-21 cap had his contract terminated by the Greek Superleague club last week. Skondras joined PAOK from Atromitos in 2013 and has made 94 appearances for the Thessaloniki-based club. But he has not played at all this season after Vladimir Ivic took over as head coach. Skondras is unlikely to receive international clearance in time to play for Hamilton in Tuesday's Scottish Premiership game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The defender, who has played for PAOK in the Champions League and Europa League, becomes the second player to sign for a Scottish club on Monday after leaving PAOK. Former team-mate Alexandros Tziolis, the Greece midfielder, joined Hearts until the end of the season. Accies player-manager Martin Canning is also on the look-out for a striker but says he may have to leave it late as Tuesday's 23:00 GMT transfer deadline looms. "I'm still speaking to a couple of strikers that I'd like to get in, but they will be last minute things if they end up going through," he said. However, he does not expect to be waving goodbye to top scorer Ali Crawford any time soon. The midfielder has nine goals this season but missed a glorious chance to put Hamilton in front against St Johnstone on Saturday in a game Accies went on to lose 3-0 in Perth. And his boss reckons he will need to start putting those kind of opportunities away if he wants to make a move to a bigger club. "There has been literally no-one contacting the club about Ali," said Canning. "I think his agent has asked how much we would accept for him, but that's the only question that has ever been put to us. "Hopefully that opportunity will come for Ali, but he has got to keep his head down and continue to work hard and, if you look at Saturday's game, take the chances that will put him in the spotlight. "Over the last three or four games, he's had big opportunities to score important goals and, had he done that, I'm sure we'd be sitting here with an offer in for him. "Big players take those chances and that's what kicks you on to the next level."

Summary: Greek right-back Giannis Skondras has joined Hamilton Academical until the end of the season after the 26-year-old left PAOK Salonica.


The decision has been made due to a "chronic shortage of accommodation" in Wales' four existing dispersal areas. According to the latest UK Government figures, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport are all in the top ten of areas with the highest number of asylum seekers per head of population. Conwy council said it "wants to play its role in assisting in the global humanitarian crisis." The Home Office confirmed it was working with the authority, adding: "The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection." In March 2016, the Home Office wrote to all 18 Welsh local authorities who do not house asylum seekers to ask them to start taking people in. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said other local authorities in Wales were "in discussions" - but Conwy was the first to formally agree. It said it welcomed Conwy's step, saying Welsh councils had "responded positively to the call to resettle Syrian refugees". The Home Office wants every local authority in the UK to house more asylum seekers. Although the scheme is currently voluntary, the Home Office said it will become mandatory if not enough councils come forward. Conwy council said the aim of the pilot would be to "investigate the feasibility of Conwy becoming a asylum dispersal area", and would look at the "logistical and resource implications and community impact." It added: "Conwy wants to play its role in assisting in the global humanitarian crisis. "The Home Office has consulted its housing providers in Wales, and have concluded that the current geography of asylum dispersal needs to be widened." Asylum seeker accommodation provider Clearsprings will provide one house in Conwy for "small numbers" of asylum seekers. The council will decide on the location, size and household type of the accommodation. The pilot will be evaluated before any further commitment. In March 2016, Cardiff had one asylum seeker per 263 people, Swansea one per 272, and Newport one per 302. The dispersal scheme is separate to the Home Office's programme to resettle Syrian refugees, which saw around 300 re-homed across all Welsh local authorities by the end of last year.

Summary: Conwy county has agreed to house asylum seekers as part of a new pilot scheme.


A spokesman said the Western Isles Presbytery was taking the allegations against the late Reverend Dr Iain D Campbell "very seriously". The allegations are understood to relate to Dr Campbell's personal life. The minister of Point Free Church on Lewis died at the end of January, aged 53.

Summary: The Free Church of Scotland is investigating allegations made in connection with a minister on the Isle of Lewis who died earlier this year.


Jim McCafferty, 70, from Raby Street, south Belfast, is accused of offences alleged to have taken place between 2011 and 2014, when the alleged victim was between 13 and 16 years old. Mr McCafferty is originally from Scotland. A defence solicitor said he would not apply for bail because of concerns over the defendant's safety. The judge remanded Mr McCafferty back into custody. He will appear in court again in January. The defendant worked for several football clubs during the 1980s and 90s as a scout, kitman and youth coach. The clubs included Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk. Mr McCafferty moved to Northern Ireland seven years ago.

Summary: A former Celtic FC youth coach has appeared in a court in Belfast charged with sexual activity with a child.


The Aga Khan University Hospital said it would do all it could to help and encouraged others to do the same. The breakdown of the machine in Uganda has left thousands at risk of missing potential life-saving treatment. Uganda's government has said it will cover the travel and other costs for the 400 going to the Nairobi hospital. The private, not-for-profit hospital in the Kenyan capital has two radiotherapy units and six radiation oncologists. Radiotherapy treatment can be expensive - and most patients in Uganda are unable to afford to pay for the treatment. "We are committed to working with the government of Uganda to help save the lives of cancer patients in need of treatment while it works to re-establish its radiation therapy capacity," Aga Khan University Hospital's CEO Shawn Bolouk said in a statement. "Our values as an institution dictate nothing less. While we can only treat a small fraction of those requiring care, given our resources and the tremendous need that exists, we will do all we can to help, and we encourage others to follow our lead." Details of how to transport the patients were being worked out by the relevant authorities, the hospital statement added. The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in Uganda's capital, Kampala, says the Ugandan government has also agreed to pay for the 400 patients' accommodation and food as well as for those of a relative or friend if an attendant is needed. The government says it has purchased a new radiotherapy machine and it should be up and running in six months, once a special bunker has been built to house the radioactive equipment at Mulago Hospital in Kampala. Other treatments are still available in Uganda, but the cancer institute at Mulago Hospital says that three-quarters of the 44,000 new cancer patients in Uganda last year needed radiotherapy. Patients from Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan are also referred to Mulago Hospital for radiotherapy. The treatment uses radiation to target and kill cancerous cells in a specific part of the body, and can be used for many types of cancer. The incidence of cancer is on the rise in Africa overall as life expectancy increases.

Summary: A Kenyan hospital is to provide free cancer treatment to 400 patients from Uganda as the neighbouring country's only radiotherapy machine has broken.


Some people make one to remember all the things they've done in a year. Many others find it a useful way to help them deal with the loss of a loved one by writing down memories of them. Newsround runs you through how to make your own memory jar for a special person. Find an empty jar or an object that's large enough to keep notes inside. Check that it's clean and not being used for anything else. If you want to, you can decorate your memory jar before placing it somewhere all of your family can reach it. Put some paper and pens next to it. Whenever you or your family remember something about your special person, you can write it down or draw it on a piece of paper, fold it up and put it in the jar. You can invite other relatives and friends who knew your special person to join in this activity too. Source: Child Bereavement UK You'll end up with a container full of memories that you can share with your family and those closest to you. Or if you're worried you might forget about your special person, you can dip into the container and open some of the messages to feel connected.

Summary: A memory jar is where you can keep happy memories in a safe place.


Billy Muir's roles include firefighter, rubbish collector, lighthouse keeper and airport worker. The 67-year-old, from North Ronaldsay, who also works as an electrician, builder and tour guide, was honoured with a Pride of Britain award. His volunteering efforts were recognised at the ceremony in London on Monday. Mr Muir was hailed by the awards organisers as Britain's hardest-working man as he picked up a Community Partner award. The father-of-two said he had no plans to retire as he enjoyed working among the island's 50-strong community so much. He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I've been the lighthouse keeper at the North Ronaldsay lighthouse for some 47 years. "I've been a firemen on the island for the Scottish Fire and Rescue team for 33 years, and a fireman at North Ronaldsay airfield for about 11 years. "And I've been a contractor on the island for most of my working lifetime." Mr Muir added: "I've spent most of my life in the lighthouse service and that means a lot to me. "It's something you dedicate yourself to doing as long as you're able to. There is no retiring age now and that's the reason I've clocked up so many years. "It's made me very happy, and it keeps me fit. As long as I keep fit and healthy I've got no plans to retire." Mr Muir says his volunteering work, including that as a retained firefighter, is borne out of necessity on such a small island. He said: "If you're a willing hand you get lumbered with the job. "But we're a very close-knit community and we rely on each other all the time to keep the island going. The sheep are a major part of that because it takes the whole island to round them up. "It's not an easy task to round up 2,500 sheep on a shoreline. We're like one big family." Mr Muir's wife Isobel, 76, said: "He does a lot of work for the community when I would like him to be doing more work around here." But she added: "It's worth it. I've often wondered where the island would be if he didn't do all those jobs. "He contributes so much to everything that goes on. It's an ageing population and he's one of the people that's still strong and fit enough to do all this work."

Summary: An Orkney sheep farmer who holds down a total of 20 jobs has been dubbed Britain's hardest-working man.


Mourinho has already made three big summer signings and is closing in on Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Schweinsteiger, 31, looks like being one of nine players who may leave. The midfielder, who has announced his international retirement, trained on his own as United's full squad trained together for the first time. Forwards Adnan Januzaj, Will Keane and James Wilson, midfielder Andreas Pereira and defenders Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Tim Fosu-Mensah, Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair are also reportedly set to be made available, though some may only leave on loan. With all the other senior players who were absent from the recent tour of China present, Schweinsteiger's absence from Thursday's squad training session is being viewed as significant. United paid a reported £14.4m to sign him from Bayern Munich 12 months ago but the move did not work out as planned. Injury restricted Schweinsteiger to 31 appearances and he was involved in just seven of United's final 34 games, including missing the FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace. He injured a knee on international duty in March and only returned at Euro 2016, when he scored on his first appearance, as a substitute, against Ukraine. Of the other players who did not train with the United squad on Thursday, Januzaj has had the biggest fall from grace. The 21-year-old Belgian was one of the star performers in David Moyes' single season in charge, when he earned himself a big increase in a five-year contract. But his progress was not maintained and he was loaned to Borussia Dortmund last season. He did not start a league game and the German side were happy to let United cut the deal short midway through the season when Louis van Gaal's squad were badly affected by injury. He then featured for 17 minutes in three substitute appearances. Since his arrival, Mourinho has signed Villarreal defender Eric Bailly for about £30m, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee and former Paris St Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer.

Summary: German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger's future at Manchester United is in doubt following Jose Mourinho's appointment as manager.


12 January 2017 Last updated at 12:52 GMT The lifelike robot was made to look and move like a meerkat but there was just one problem, to be accepted by the group he had to smell like one too. Hear how people working on the show 'Spy in the Wild' had to use poo to help him fit in. The first episode of Spy in the Wild is at 8pm on BBC1 on 12 January.

Summary: This may look like a meerkat on first glance but it's actually an undercover spy camera used to film meerkats in their natural habitat.


The bodies of the victims, aged between 15 and 19, were found in plastic bags by the river Ulua in Yoro province. Their hands had been tied. The boys were kidnapped by armed men in a village 15 km (9 miles) from where their bodies were found. It is not clear why the boys - who worked as farm labourers and motorbike taxi drivers in - were abducted. Good news for Honduras' murder capital? Honduran migrants: 'We left because we had to' The Honduran authorities have not said whether the kidnappers demanded a ransom for their victims, EFE reported. An average of 11 people are murdered every day in the country, according to official figures. Neighbouring El Salvador is currently the most deadly country outside a war zone, with almost 100 murders per 100,000 people a year. Latin America makes up just 8% of the world's population but accounts for nearly a third of all murders.

Summary: Firemen in northern Honduras have found the remains of four teenage boys who were kidnapped on 31 January.


Jake Cannon of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire said he had no sexual interest in the images himself, he just wanted to sell them to make money. The 22-year-old admitted possessing and distributing indecent images of children. Swansea Crown Court heard the expert who examined the images described them as the worst he had ever seen. Cannon told police he had been swapping indecent images since he was 13-years-old. Recorder Peter Rouch, said Cannon had been, in effect, continuing the abuse of children by both seeking out such material and then passing it on to others. Welcoming the sentence, a NSPCC Cymru spokesman said: "The shocking scale of Cannon's offending and the particularly horrific nature of these images is deeply disturbing. "Every single image represents a crime scene and behind each is a young victim of abuse who will need support to recover from what has happened to them. "Those who distribute this appalling material are responsible for increasing its proliferation and - inevitably - leading to more children being abused."

Summary: A man who claimed to be a professional distributor of child abuse images has been jailed for 15 months.


The Â£200,000 work on Kingsway will include new signs, re-marking and remodelling of the road. Safety barriers were installed after the death of Sgt Louise Lucas in March, to stop pedestrians crossing. Another man was hit by a bus on 4 August, while Daniel Foss, 37, died in 2013. Swansea council is also considering introducing a dedicated cycle track as part of the changes. It said the work to prevent public transport travelling in both directions is a pre-cursor to more detailed plans to redevelop the route as a business district.

Summary: Following a number of deaths and serious accidents on a main route through Swansea, a new one-way system will be introduced in the autumn.


Gordon Ross, 66, said he hoped the judicial review would clarify the legal position regarding assisted suicide. He has called on the Lord Advocate to issue guidance that makes clear whether any person who helps him end his life would be charged with an offence. Judge Lord Doherty reserved his decision in the action and will give a ruling at a later date. The Director of Public Prosecutions has issued guidelines for England but these do not apply to Scotland. Campaigners opposed to assisted suicide argue that changing the law would be a "catastrophe" in terms of how society confronts illness and disability, as well as "devaluing" suicide prevention efforts. But Mr Ross said he believes that the present legal situation "encourages suicide" and discriminated against people with a disability. While he did not attend the hearing in person due to poor health, supporters of the pensioner's case staged a demonstration outside the court in Edinburgh's Parliament Square. Campaigners have previously urged MSPs to pass the Assisted Suicide Bill which was introduced to Holyrood by the late MSP Margo Macdonald, and which is currently being taken forward by Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie. A Holyrood committee recently concluded that the bill contained "significant flaws" and opposed its general principles, but said the full parliament should decide whether or not to throw out the proposed legislation. Mr Ross, a former TV producer lives in a care home in Glasgow, suffers from several serious medical conditions including Parkinson's disease and loss of sensation in his arms and legs. He is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair, and cannot feed or dress himself or attend to his personal needs. Explaining his decision to bring the case, Mr Ross said he fears that, should a time come when he has "had enough", he will not be capable of ending his life without help - unlike an able-bodied person. He said: "I believe that, as a disabled person, I am currently being discriminated against. Anyone else, in any circumstances, can choose to end their own lives at any time. Because of my disability that is something I am unable to do. "I do not wish to end my life, I want it to go on as long as I can. However, if my condition deteriorates to the point that I do want to take that action, I want to know what action the law might take were someone to assist me." Gordon Ross is quite clear: he does not want to die. As a committed nationalist, he says he is looking forward to the Holyrood election in 2016 and possibly a further independence referendum. But he knows he may not see that happening. The 66-year-old grandfather lives in a care home on the south side of Glasgow, where his disabilities mean he requires help for all of his personal needs - including feeding and drinking. He suffers from Parkinson's disease, which gives him violent shaking fits, leaving him weak and exhausted. He also has a condition which has damaged his nervous system, meaning he has no

Summary: A severely disabled grandfather has had his case seeking the right to die heard by the Court of Session.


The fifth biggest firm in South Korea gets an estimated 30% of its sales from China, and employs about 20,000 people there. But in the past week, several of its businesses have faced a backlash from hackers, customers and Chinese partners. On Monday, Lotte said that more than 10 of its department stores across the country had been closed down suddenly. So what's going on? At the end of February, Lotte finally agreed to provide land it owned in South Korea - which includes part of a golf course - so the US could build its controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system. With the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles, the US says it is an important line of defence against North Korea's missile development programme. But over the past few months, Beijing has been lobbying heavily against it - saying the system's powerful radars are capable of monitoring Chinese territory. It disputes the argument that it will bring more stability to the region, saying it should not be allowed to go ahead. As well as its shops and food businesses, Lotte also has hotels and cinemas in China. But since signing the deal last week Lotte, has reported various operations in China have been disrupted. On Monday, photos and videos were circulating of protests outside Lotte stores. "South Korea's Lotte has declared war on China. Lotte supports THAAD. Get the hell out of China" said one banner. While confirming the department store closures, Lotte has given no explanation. Other incidents include: Prior to the missile deal being signed, Lotte had reported its businesses being put under extra scrutiny from tax authorities. And in February, a multi-billion dollar property project in China's north-east was halted after a fire inspection. Beijing certainly has not admitted any economic retaliation and Lotte has been restructuring loss-making China businesses. But China's state-run news agency Xinhua has described Lotte's decision to provide the land as "opening a Pandora's box in North East Asia." Separately, it has written that "the decision could turn into a nightmare for Lotte, which depends heavily on Chinese tourists to South Korea for revenue from duty free stores". Meanwhile Lotte itself has not said directly that any of the incidents were linked to the missile project controversy. But South Korea's trade minister Joo Hyung-hwan, who has recently had an invitation to an annual forum withdrawn, has expressed "deep concerns over a series of actions in China". "We will act accordingly to international law against any actions that violate policies of the World Trade Organization or the free trade agreement between South Korea and China," he said. There are reports of a broader backlash against South Korean products and industries from China. China's national tourism administration has told travel agencies to stop selling group packages in South Korea, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. And Yonhap also reports that some Chinese streaming platforms have removed Korean material from their sites - a blow to viewers of the dramas which are increasingly popular.

Summary: China is a crucial market for many South Korean companies, and the food and retail giant Lotte is no exception.


Media playback is not supported on this device James Ridley, riding Lookslikerainted, appeared to mistakenly think he had already crossed the finish line, allowing two horses to pass. The Hunters' Chase at Newbury was eventually won by Triangular, closely followed by Ballytober. Lookslikerainted, a 33-1 outsider trained by Martin Wilesmith, finished in third. At the resulting inquiry, Ridley said the half-furlong pole caused the problem. Stewards ruled he was guilty of failing to ride out on a horse that would have finished first. "Obviously I'm a little upset but compared to what happened in Westminster the other day it is absolutely nothing," Wilesmith said, after the attack in central London on Wednesday in which four people were killed and 50 people injured by Khalid Masood, who also died. "I'm thrilled with the horse and just looking forward to when we can run him again now. We'll just look forwards. James has apologised."

Summary: An amateur jockey who slowed down and lost his lead in the final stages of a race has been banned for 28 days.


As part of BBC Scotland's coverage, leader Kezia Dugdale will take part in a half-hour webcast in which she will answer your questions. Do you want to find out what her party's long-term plans are for Holyrood's new tax powers or how Labour's approach to education differs from other parties? This is also your opportunity to quiz her on Europe, health, policing, crime and the state of Scotland's economy. If you have something to ask Ms Dugdale, email newsonlinescotland@bbc.co.uk Please put "webchat questions" in the message field of your email. You will be able to watch the one-to-one interview, hosted by BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor, via BBC Scotland's politics website.

Summary: The Scottish Labour Party will be holding its spring conference in Glasgow on Saturday.


The agreement, which came after seven rounds of talks, is a significant step towards ending decades of conflict. Negotiators from the armed rebel groups still have to consult with their leaders before giving final approval. Rebels from the newest and most active conflict in Kokang did not attend the talks. The United Nations said the move was a "historic and significant achievement" and provided a basis for "genuine and lasting peace in the country". Myanmar has been engaged in armed conflict with various ethnic rebel groups seeking greater autonomy since independence from the British in 1948. While many have come into the political fold for peace deals, sporadic outbreaks of violence have continued. All but two of the ethnic armed groups at the talks already have bilateral ceasefires in place. "The people need peace, they desire peace and they expect peace," Thein Sein was reported by AFP as saying to negotiators on Tuesday. He added that a full agreement could be signed in months. "After that is signed, the road is open for political dialogue. This action will ensure the peace-builders a place in Myanmar's history," he said. The BBC's Jonah Fisher says one representative from the armed groups told him on Monday that the government had compromised significantly at the last moment to make a deal possible. Our correspondent says the idea is to bring all the rebels into a process that will lead on to talks on greater devolution of power and resources - something that the Burmese government has always fiercely resisted. At talks in Yangon the final four points of contention were resolved. There will be a halt to recruitment by the armed groups, their territory and status were confirmed, as was the nature and composition of the political dialogue that will follow. The negotiators are now taking the text back to their groups for approval. There will then be a meeting which may lead to a signing. Meanwhile there is still heavy fighting in the Kokang region and there are still regular clashes in other areas. The government declared a state of emergency in February as tens of thousands of refugees have been forced to flee their homes, some of them crossing the border into China. Naing Han Tha, who led the ethnic group negotiators for the ceasefire agreement, told AFP news agency that they planned to discuss the Kokang conflict in future dialogues.

Summary: Myanmar's President Thein Sein has witnessed the signing of a draft ceasefire agreement between the government and 16 rebel groups.


Work by contractors to remove a grade II-listed seafront shelter has also started. The 1920s landmark was badly damaged and is being dismantled for repair. Ceredigion council aims to completely re-open the promenade to the public by Easter after it was battered by high tides and storms. Volunteers had been asked to join the promenade clean-up at 10:00 GMT and more than 200 turned out, with buckets and shovels. As well as students, one man had travelled from Gloucestershire to help clear shingle from the walkway. Charlotte Dubenskij reports from Aberystwyth Children filled their buckets up with scoops of the pebbles brought over onto the promenade by high waves over the last week. Parents and grandparents monitored their progress as they worked side with shovels and sweeping brushes. Others looked after those who toiled, offering snacks and drinks for the weary workers. One woman told me she came to do her bit as her husband found the prom therapeutic. "He has ill health and the one thing that keeps him going is a walk along here everyday," she said. There is a real sense of community here as the clean up comes into its final phase. Elsewhere, the A487 in Newgale, Pembrokeshire, has been reopened after tonnes of shingle washed onto it during the storm. Engineers spent several days using earth moving equipment to move the shingle off the road and back onto the beach. But it was Aberystwyth that was hardest hit by the heavy rain, strong winds and high tides. The town's shelter partly fell into a hole after its foundations were washed away as massive waves pounded the seafront on 6 January. Cadw, the body which looks after Wales' historic monuments for the Welsh government, has told Ceredigion council it wants the shelter to be repaired and replaced in its current position. The council has said it does not know how long the dismantling process will take or how much it will cost. But it is hoping to have the full length of road along the promenade from the harbour car park to the base of Constitution Hill open by late Sunday night. A council spokesman said the local authority would be able to start accessing the damage to the promenade walkway on Monday. "Early signs are that there are three main areas to repair between the bandstand and Constitutional Hill," he said. "Depending on weather conditions, the aim is to enable the public to use the promenade by Easter Monday, apart from the area which will remain fenced off around the bathhouse shelter." Aberystwyth seafront shelter has been used by couples, rowdy students, sodden holidaymakers and the homeless since it was built in the 1920s. The building has survived major storms in 1927 and 1938 and a plan to demolish it in 2010. But it finally succumbed to the elements during storms that lashed the seaside town last week. The Bath Rock shelter was built around 1923/24 and the earliest photograph is on a book from 1925. A Bath House had previously been on the site between 1810

Summary: Two hundred people volunteered to help with a clean-up of Aberystwyth promenade, a week after it was damaged by storms.