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This rare evidence of "filial cannibalism" was only revealed because the shark's corkscrew-shaped rectum produced dung in a distinctive spiral. One such dropping, collected in Canada, holds a tiny tooth of the same species. These Orthacanthus sharks lived in coastal swamps and may have resorted to cannibalism as they expanded inland. The macabre sample was gathered by University of Bristol masters student Aodhan Ó Gogáin, now studying for a PhD at Trinity College Dublin, as part of a wider investigation into prehistoric fish on the coast of New Brunswick. Like much of North America and Europe, this land used to sit near the equator and was thick with tropical jungles. What was trees and swamps 300 million years ago is now coal-rich rock; the fossils in Mr Ó Gogáin's study come from the reclaimed site of North America's oldest coal mine, opened in 1639. He said the highlight of his research, published in the journal Palaeontology, is definitely the notion of prehistoric cannibal sharks. "Other people have looked at their diet and found that their stomach contents contained little amphibians," Mr Ó Gogáin told the BBC. "And there's also evidence that these sharks ate other genuses of xenacanth shark. But this is the first bit of evidence we have that they were eating their own young as well." The claim for cannibalism rests on two distinctive aspects of Orthacanthus biology. Firstly, its unusual shape means the fossilised poo, known as a "coprolite", can be conclusively identified as belonging to one of these large, freshwater sharks. Secondly, the little tooth that was revealed when the researchers cut into the coprolite is also identifiable. "These sharks have very distinctive tricuspid teeth, where they have little tusks coming up from the tooth," said Mr Ó Gogáin. "We're fairly confident of this discovery." The evidence is not unprecedented, he added; modern-day bull sharks, which occupy a similar niche in coastal swamps and shallow seas, have been known to feast on their young when necessary. "Sharks tend to have a wide dietary range. They're not really picky eaters." Study co-author Dr Howard Falcon-Lang from Royal Holloway University of London said the discovery suggested the eel-shaped sharks - apex predators of their ecosystem - were facing a food shortage. "There's cannibalism and then there's specifically filial cannibalism. And that is relatively unusual," he told BBC News. "We generally find it in rather stressed ecosystems, where for whatever reason, food is running scarce. Obviously it's evolutionarily a bad move to eat your own young unless you absolutely have to. "But in these 300 million-year-old ecosystems we're finding evidence for filial cannibalism quite commonly, based on the coprolite remains." This period was a time of invasion, Dr Falcon-Lang explained. The land was rich in plants but not yet well stocked with animals, and aquatic beasts like these sharks were expanding their territory into fresh water. "Part of this story, we think, is that during this invasion of fresh water, sharks were cannibalising their young in order to find the resources to keep on exploring into the continental interiors." Follow Jonathan on Twitter

Scientists have discovered a baby tooth in the fossilised faeces of a prehistoric shark, and concluded that the animals ate their own young.

Residents told the BBC that many people were fleeing to nearby villages, fearing a full-scale assault. The government does not control Hama, and its attack on the city is part of a nationwide crackdown on dissent that began on Sunday. The UN Security Council is set to resume discussions on the crisis. International pressure has been mounting on the Syrian government to call off its offensive against Hama. However, diplomats say a strong UN resolution is unlikely, and on Tuesday, the Security Council was unable to agree to a text condemning the violence. Syrian Defence Minister Ali Habib was among five Syrian officials targeted by European Union asset freezes and travel bans, the EU said on Tuesday. And Italy has recalled its ambassador to Syria for consultations, citing the "horrible repression" of citizens. In Washington, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Syrian dissidents, who pressed her to call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down immediately. Mrs Clinton "expressed her admiration for the courage of the brave Syrian people who continue to defy the government's brutality", a state department spokesman said. Human rights groups say some 140 people have been killed by the authorities since Sunday, most of them in Hama. More than 1,600 civilians are believed to have been killed since protests began in March. President Assad has promised reforms but says citizens and security forces are being attacked by "armed gangs" backed by unspecified foreign powers. International journalists have been denied access to Syria and it is not possible to verify accounts by witnesses and activists. After renewing their assault on Hama on Tuesday, Syrian tanks and troops held their positions around the city. Residents said three more people were killed by tank and sniper fire. Residents told Reuters news agency that the violence resumed after nightly Ramadan prayers on Tuesday, with tanks shelling the eastern Rubaii and al-Hamidiya neighbourhoods, the Aleppo road in the north and the eastern Baath district. Hama - a bastion of defiance - occupies a significant place in the history of modern Syria. In 1982, then-President Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar, sent in troops to quell an uprising by the Sunni opposition Muslim Brotherhood. Tens of thousands were killed and the town flattened. The city, with a population of 800,000, has seen some of the biggest protests and worst violence in Syria's 2011 protests. It was slow to join in, but has now become one of the main focuses of the revolt. Witnesses and activists told Reuters that tens of people had also been injured after troops opened fire in western Damascus, in the north-eastern city of Hasaka, and in the coastal city of Latakia. Mobile phone footage purporting to show tanks firing in Hama on Monday was posted on social media websites. But Syrian state television has been showing its own footage, apparently also shot on mobile phones, saying it was taken in Hama on Sunday. It showed some anti-government protesters carrying shotguns, sticks, and knives, and one man wearing an ammunition vest and carrying an AK-47 rifle. Later, it reported that a group of "saboteurs" had stormed the main courthouse in Hama and set fire to much of the building. But Mr Hamawi told AP that a shell fired from a government tank had caused the fire. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 24 people were killed across Syria on Monday, including 10 in Hama. The current crackdown appears aimed at preventing protests from growing during Ramadan, when Muslims visit mosques for prayers after breaking their dawn-to-dusk fast. The government fears the gatherings could then turn into large protests, observers say. The UN Security Council is due to resume the debate on Wednesday. Council members including Russia, China, India and Brazil have been opposed to a draft resolution circulated by European members that would condemn Damascus. Diplomats said significant differences remained over the text and it had not been decided whether the end result should be a resolution or a less weighty council statement. Russia and some other countries are pushing for what they say is a more balanced text that would blame both Syrian authorities and the opposition for the violence, but Western nations say the two sides cannot be equated. But the latest violence has led to wider acceptance that the council must act. As the council met again on Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Syrian president. "This is a totally unacceptable situation," Mr Ban said. "I believe that he lost all sense of humanity."

Syrian security forces have continued their siege of the central city of Hama as they maintain an offensive in which scores of people have died.

The charity said mild winter weather led to the average number of birds recorded by the public increasing by 17.9%. House sparrows were the most numerous species and the number of long-tailed tits saw the biggest surge - rising by 166%. Other small garden birds such as coal tits and great tits had also done well. More than 36,000 people across Scotland took part in the 2016 Birdwatch, counting a total of 626,335 birds during the last weekend of January. The results showed that over a third of gardens of those taking part (34%) recorded a long-tailed tit - up from 12.9% of gardens in 2015. Keith Morton, the species policy officer at RSPB Scotland, said: "Different birds are affected in different ways by the weather and this winter has seen milder temperatures and some very wet periods in parts of Scotland, although several areas did have a lot of snow fall over the bird watch weekend. "The increase in smaller garden birds recorded, such as long-tailed tits, suggests that the lack of sustained cold weather helps these species survive in far greater numbers over the winter months. "The food these birds rely on, such as insects, would have been easier to find, helping to boost the numbers of them spotted." About 7,500 schoolchildren also took part in a parallel survey. They spent an hour outdoors counting wild birds. Results revealed blackbirds are still most common playground visitor, with 86% of the schools which took part spotting at least one.

The RSPB has announced the results of its annual survey of garden birds in Scotland.

DNA tests showed the bones belonged to the men, who went missing on the mountain in August 1970, police say. The remains were discovered at an altitude of about 2,800m (9,200ft) in the Alps last September. They are the latest to be found on the 4,478-metre (14,692-foot) Matterhorn as ice melts. The Japanese consulate in Geneva identified the climbers as Michio Oikawa and Masayuki Kobayashi, AFP news agency reports. They were 22 and 21 respectively when they went missing. The consulate assisted police to track down family members to help compare their DNA profiles. As Alpine glaciers melt because of global warming, the remains of long-lost climbers have increasingly been emerging from the shrinking mountain ice. A mountain rescue pilot discovered remains and climbing equipment belonging to British climber Jonathan Conville, missing since 1979, in 2013 near the peak of the Matterhorn. Last year the body of a Czech climber who disappeared 40 years ago following an accident was found in the Bernese Alps.

Remains found at the foot of Switzerland's Matterhorn glacier have been identified as two Japanese climbers who disappeared 45 years ago.

Organisers said they wanted to "show support" for the campaign against drilling for shale gas in Lancashire. About 35 people broke through fencing into the site near Preston New Road, before they "left of their own accord", BBC Radio Lancashire reported. Francis Egan, chief executive of the fracking company Cuadrilla, said it was "unacceptable and irresponsible". Lancashire Police said no arrests were made but the demonstrators who broke in were "thought to be from outside the area and not from the local protest groups". The government's approval for fracking at the Little Plumpton site is set to face a judicial review next month. Cuadrilla has previously said drilling would start in the spring. It would mean that, for the first time, UK shale rock will be drilled horizontally, which is expected to yield more gas. However, the process has prompted environmental concerns. "It's more important now than ever that we send a strong message... that there is no social licence for fracking in Lancashire or anywhere," organisers from Frack Free Lancashire said. Protests have been held daily, they said, since work to prepare the site for shale gas extraction started on 5 January. Earlier in February, concrete firm Moore Readymix terminated a contract with Cuadrilla following protests at its depot. A spokeswoman for Cuadrilla said: "Work at our site is progressing well and we thank all those who continue to support our operations, which is a great opportunity to create jobs, fuel businesses, heat UK homes and stimulate economic growth in the region. "For those who remain unconvinced about shale gas's role in securing our nation's energy future, we of course respect the right they have to protest peacefully." The company has not yet been given permission for work at a second Lancashire site - Roseacre Wood - amid concerns over the impact on the area. Lancashire County Council had initially refused permission to extract shale gas at both sites on grounds of noise and traffic impact but the government overruled the decision for the Preston New Road site.

About 250 people have attended a rally near the UK's first horizontal fracking site, police said.

The picture is very similar to the one it acquired in mid-September - only this one is much closer, snapped from a distance of just 16km. Also new in this picture is 67P's activity. Jets of gas and dust can be seen streaming away from the "neck" region of the rubber duck-shaped comet. Philae is due to make its historic landing attempt on 12 November. It is currently riding piggyback on its "mothership", the Rosetta probe. You can just see the corner of this spacecraft on the left of the image, with one of its 14m-long solar wings dominating the foreground. The plan is for Rosetta to eject Philae towards 67P just after 0830 GMT on the 12th. The small gravitational tug from the 4km-wide comet should be enough to pull the robot on to its surface in a descent that is likely to take about seven hours to complete. If the lander survives this fall, it will be a first. Never before in the history of space exploration has a soft touchdown been made on one of these "ice mountains". The new "selfie" released by the European Space Agency is actually a composite of two images taken in quick succession but with different exposure times. This allowed the very different contrast conditions to be balanced across the entire vista. Philae acquired the frames on 7 October. It will be the last view from the robot's CIVA camera system until just after separation from Rosetta. The plan is for Philae to grab a "goodbye" shot of Rosetta as the pair start to recede from each other. Assuming the landing succeeds, CIVA will then take a full 360-degree panorama of its touchdown location. This is a relatively flat terrain on the "head" of the duck, currently dubbed "Site J" after its position in a list of possible destinations in the site selection process. Mission planners were due to meet on Tuesday to give a final confirmation to the J target. This ought to have been a formality. The big caveat is if Rosetta has seen a "showstopper" in its recent close-in mapping campaign. This would have to be an extremely dangerous surface feature that had gone unrecognised in previous, lower-resolution imaging. If a no-go situation has been indentified, planners would then move their attention to a back-up landing target on the "body" of the duck called "Site C". Rosetta, Philae and Comet 67P are currently moving through space some 480 million km from Earth. Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos

The Philae robot, soon to try to land on Comet 67P, has taken another dramatic image of its quarry.

The little probe delivered everything expected from it, just as its failing battery dropped it into standby mode. Philae is pressed up against a cliff. Deep shadows mean it cannot now get enough light on to its solar panels to recharge its systems. The European Space Agency (Esa) fears this contact may have been the robot's last - certainly for a while. A tweet from the official Philae lander account said: "I'll tell you more about my new home, comet 67P soon… zzzzz." Philae descended to the comet's surface on Wednesday - the first time in history that a space mission has made a soft landing on a comet. The next opportunity to talk to Philae was set to begin at around 10:00 GMT (11:00 CET), when the orbiting Rosetta satellite - which delivered it to the 4km-wide "ice mountain" - was due to come over the horizon. But with only 1.5 hours of sunshine falling on the robot during the comet's 12-hour day, it seems doubtful the battery will have recovered enough performance to complete the radio link. Engineers did manage to maximise the possibility of it happening, though, by sending a command to reorientate the lander. This involved raising Philae by 4cm and rotating its main housing by 35 degrees. This will ensure the largest solar panel catches the most light. Even if the probe falls silent over the weekend, researchers say they are thrilled with the amount of data already acquired. Stephan Ulamec, lander manager, said: "Prior to falling silent, the lander was able to transmit all science data gathered during the First Science Sequence. "This machine performed magnificently under tough conditions, and we can be fully proud of the incredible scientific success Philae has delivered." Prof Mark McCaughrean, Esa's senior scientific advisor, told the BBC that the agency was "hugely happy". "All of the science instruments on board have done all the work they were supposed to do, so we have huge amounts of data back on the ground now, which is really exciting," he said. "Philae could come back later as we move closer to the Sun, and we get more light on to the solar panels up against the cliff we're at here in the shadows." In the latest tranche of data are the results from the drilling attempt made earlier in the day. This had been an eagerly anticipated activity. Getting into the surface layers and bringing up a sample to analyse onboard was seen as central to the core mission of Philae. Controllers say Cosac, the Philae laboratory that was due to receive the sample, downlinked its data, but that its contents had yet to be assessed. Among other returns, Philae took another picture of the surface with its downward-looking Rolis camera. It also exercised its Consert instrument. This is an experiment that sees Philae and Rosetta send radiowaves through the comet to try to discern its internal structure. And it has the additional possibility of being used to help triangulate a precise position for Philae on the comet's surface. This is still unknown. Although the robot hit the centre of its intended landing zone on Wednesday, it then bounced twice before coming to a stop. Knowledge of that final resting location would enable engineers better to understand its predicament and the prospects for future contact if lighting conditions somehow change on 67P. This could happen as the comet moves through space on its journey around the Sun. It will have the equivalent of seasons, and this could play to Philae's advantage by altering the angle, timing and intensity of the sunlight hitting the solar panels. Philae was launched from Earth, piggybacked to the Rosetta satellite, in 2004. The pair covered 6.4 billion km to reach Comet 67P out near the orbit of Jupiter. Scientists hope the investigations at the rubber-duck-shaped ball of ice and dust can provide fresh insights on the origins of the Solar System. Whatever happens to Philae, Rosetta will continue to make its remote observations of 67P

The Philae lander on the distant comet 67P has sent another stream of data back to Earth before losing power.

Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN's cultural organisation, Unesco, said there had been "extensive and irreversible damage" at the world heritage site in the Kathmandu valley. Seven monument zones in the valley make up the world heritage site. The three urban zones at the site are Durbar squares - meaning "noble courts" - in the settlements of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. Ms Bokova describes these three complexes as "almost fully destroyed". The four other zones are religious sites: Buddhist stupas [monuments] at Swayambhunath and Boudhanath and Hindu temple complexes at Pashupatinath and Changu Narayan. Unesco said in a statement that it would be sending international experts to assess the damage to the sites in the Kathmandu valley. The Durbar Square in Kathmandu's Old City is a mesh of palaces, courtyards and temples. Unesco calls it "the social, religious and urban focal point" of the Nepalese capital. The main temple in Bhaktapur's square lost its roof, while the 16th Century Vatsala Durga temple, famous for its sandstone walls and gold-topped pagodas, was demolished by the quake. Patan, or Lalitpur, is across the Bagmati river to the east of Kathmandu. The city was founded in the 3rd Century. The Buddhist temple complex at Swayambhunath, founded in the 5th Century, has also been damaged. Video footage showed the toppled facade of one of the buildings, with the prayer flags surrounding it still fluttering in the wind. But the iconic central stupa, with its gazing eyes of the Buddha, still stands. There are reports that the Boudhanath stupa has sustained some damage, though details are not yet clear. It is the largest stupa in Nepal. The shrine at the Pashupatinath Hindu religious complex has not been damaged in the disaster, a devotee at the temple told the Indian Express. Cremations are being held on the site continuously, the paper reports. This landmark has been reduced to a stump by Saturday's quake. Built by Nepal's first prime minister in 1832, the site, also known as the Bhimsen Tower, was popular among tourists who would climb up more than 200 steps to view Kathmandu from the top. It is unclear whether all of these ancient monuments can, or will, be rebuilt. Historian Prushottam Lochan Shrestha told the ekantipur.com website: "We have lost most of the monuments that had been designated as World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur [Patan]. "They cannot be restored to their original states." And yet many buildings that were destroyed in Nepal's 1934 earthquake were reconstructed, including the Dharahara tower.

As well as the devastating loss of human life in Saturday's earthquake, Nepalis, and the world, have lost parts of the country's unique cultural heritage.

It represents one of the biggest tie-ups between video gaming and a major sports league. Eventually all of the 30 NBA teams will have an e-sports division, but initially only a few will be chosen. In England, Premier League clubs Manchester City and West Ham have signed up e-sports players. The basketball e-league - known as the NBA 2K ELeague - will start playing in 2018. The teams, which will be made up of five players, will play a five-month season that mirrors the real NBA season. Those chosen to make up the teams will be given salaries and play the game as avatars that they create for themselves, rather than representing actual players. "We believe we have a unique opportunity to develop something truly special for our fans and the young and growing e-sports community," said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. "We look forward to combining our best-in-class NBA sports team operators with Take-Two's competitive gaming expertise to create a brand new league experience." Strauss Zelnick, chairman of Take-Two said: "Through the NBA 2K series, which is renowned throughout the world for capturing the authenticity of the NBA and the passion of its fans, we have a proven track record of highly successful collaboration. "With this new venture, Take-Two and the NBA aim to fuel the accelerating growth of e-sports and take the thrill of competition to exciting new heights." The UK is also recognising the growing importance of e-sports. In May 2016, West Ham became the first club in the UK to sign a professional video game competitor, Sean Allen, who represents the club at Fifa video game tournaments. Brian Blau, a director at research firm Gartner, thinks that e-sports could grow rapidly in the next few years. "Some estimates suggest that in the next five years, e-sports could become bigger than real sport, in terms of generating money and fans," he said. "It is another avenue of interaction for gamers, that is feeding off the interest in watching others play games."

The National Basketball Association has teamed up with video game publisher Take-Two Interactive to create an e-sports league in the US.

The second set of full results for around 250,000 seven to 14-year-old pupils have been published. They were brought in in 2013 to drive up standards and help identify struggling pupils. More boys than girls were above the standard scores for numeracy. Altogether more than two thirds of pupils had a "standard" score. Every child is scored according to their test results, which take into account their age at the time of testing. The mean score is 100 and the results detail the number of pupils scoring less than 85 and those above 115. The headline results are similar to 2014. Monmouthshire still has the largest proportion of pupils scoring above 115 - nearly a quarter. But Blaenau Gwent still has the largest proportion scoring less than 85 (19%), although this has dropped slightly. In Monmouthshire, it is 8.9%. The gap between girls and boys scoring above 115 stood at 4.7 percentage points according to the latest results.

Girls again performed better than boys at reading in Wales' National Reading and Numeracy Tests.

Callum Taylor top scored with 42 as England were dismissed for 184, four balls shy of completing their 50 overs. England had lost wickets steadily throughout their innings but Sri Lanka breezed to victory with almost 15 overs of their allotted 50 to spare. Avishka Fernando top scored with a brisk 95 off 96 balls as Sri Lanka set up a semi-final against India. Media playback is not supported on this device That match will take place on Monday, while Thursday's second semi-final will see the host nation take on the winner of Monday's match between Pakistan and West Indies. "I genuinely believe we had an off-day," said England captain Brad Taylor, whose team had won all three of their group games. "You have days when it does not come off. I think Sri Lanka played very well, but on another day, we would back ourselves. "We expected Sri Lanka to rely on spin, but the batsmen did not stay long enough to build partnerships. We had come here to win the tournament, so obviously we are very disappointed." Durham's Jack Burnham and Essex's Dan Lawrence had been in superb form with the bat during the tournament but managed only 20 runs between them. Leg spinner Wanidu Hasanranga claimed three wickets while seamer Asitha Fernando claimed two early in the England innings. Media playback is not supported on this device

England were beaten by Sri Lanka in their quarter-final meeting at the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.

Those sentenced include ex-presidents of Bolivia and Peru, and a former foreign minister from Uruguay. All had cooperated in Operation Condor, run by military governments at the time to fight left-wing dissidents. Another 19 men were absolved in the trial, that lasted two years. Several of those sentenced are already serving jail time at home and none appeared in court. They include former Bolivian President Luis Garcia Meza Tejada who is now 87 and serving a 30-year prison sentence in La Paz, as well as former Peruvian President, Francisco Morales Bermudez, who is now 95. Mr Garcia Meza's lawyer has said he will appeal. One of the Italian prosecutors, Tiziana Cugini, told the Reuters news agency the trial had thrown a clear light on Operation Condor, which he called a "criminal conspiracy". "It's very significant, especially given that heads of state from the time were convicted." The Vice-President of Uruguay, Raul Sendic said he was disappointed by the sentence but would respect it. "The Uruguayan government is feeling tranquil because we did everything that had to be done to present proof and witnesses and support the families of the victims." The trial involved hundreds of witnesses. Martin Almada, a Paraguayan who had given evidence said the outcome was "lamentable and incomprehensible". According to Italian law, the conviction can be appealed against twice before the ruling becomes definitive and the sentences are served. Should the sentences become definitive, Italy can ask for extradition but, considering the age of the accused, it is more likely that they would serve sentences at home. Operation Condor was set up in 1975 in Santiago, the capital of Chile in a meeting chaired by the head of the Chilean chief of intelligence services, Manuel Contreras. Key member countries of Operation Condor were Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia, with Peru and Ecuador occasionally participating. Thousands of people were kidnapped, tortured, forcibly disappeared and murdered with people often snatched off the streets or taken from their homes. Operations crossed international borders with governments helping each other as their security forces chased dissidents, leftists, union and peasant leaders, nuns and priests, intellectuals and students.

An Italian court has given life sentences to eight South American former political and military leaders over the disappearance of 23 Italian nationals during the 70s and 80s.

It's where top game-makers and developers from around the world get the chance to show off some of the cool new games and consoles they have been working on. It's a massive show which lasts five days and takes place every year. There have been some huge announcements for gaming fans this year, so we have been taking a look at some of the big ones... One of the biggest announcements at E3 this year is Microsoft's brand new console: Xbox One X. The top secret console was previously code-named Project Scorpio. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, said it was the: "most powerful console ever made." It's also the smallest Xbox yet, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in power - six teraflops worth! It also uses super high quality 4K graphics. Find out more about it here. This year Nintendo had a bumper offering of new games - especially for their new Nintendo Switch console. They teased a brand new Pokémon game, which some people have nicknamed "Pokémon Stars". The game will be playable on the Nintendo Switch - but it won't be ready for another year! Mario is back with another brand new game: Super Mario Odyssey, also for the Nintendo Switch, which will be released on 27 October. Nintendo also announced that their new Zelda game: Breath of the Wild, would be getting a DLC - an extra spin off game. And there was a surprise announcement that Rocket League would be coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year. There were no new console updates from Sony at this year's E3 - as their PS4 Pro console came out a few months ago - but lots of exciting games and tech announcements. Starting with some exciting gameplay footage of the new Spiderman game for the PS4. They also revealed Sony Playlink - a new collection of games that can be played with the whole family on a console, using your mobile phone as a controller. As well as this Sony also revealed a heap more games which are compatible with virtual reality headsets. EA also teased some big games at this year's E3 conference. Including some exciting new gameplay footage of the latest Fifa 2018 game. And new online multiplayer features for some of their other games. Makers Ubisoft had some pretty exciting new game announcements this year. Including a mash-up of Super Mario and Raving Rabbids called: Rabbids Kingdom Battle - which will be playable on the Nintendo Switch. And get your dancing shoes ready because Ubisoft's announced there will be a new Just Dance game coming soon. Another big surprise announcement came from makers Intel. They will be launching a brand new Esports tournament specifically for virtual reality players. It will be called the VR Challenger League and the qualifiers will launch next month. Check out some of the top VR Headsets here. Professional gamers from all over the world will be battling it out in front of crowds using the VR headsets. The final will be held in Poland, and the winner could take home a cool £155,000!

E3 - one of the world's biggest gaming and technology shows is currently taking place in Los Angles in America.

18 April 2016 Last updated at 13:23 BST The clip is a timelapse made up of photos taken once every second and sped up to be 25 times faster. The astronaut posted: "Space Station view of an 'aurora rise' - spot the two satellites at the end?" Auroras happen when particles from the Sun hit the Earth's atmosphere, making it glow in a greenish blue light. An aurora rise is when you see an aurora rising above the horizon because of the way the International Space Station orbits Earth. It's similar to a sunrise or moonrise - as with the Moon/Sun, the aurora is already there but just not visible yet. Video from the European Space Agency

Tim Peake has shared this stunning video of his view of an aurora from the International Space Station.

The dispute with China has left relations frayed and a constant threat of a violent flare up that could drag the US into the fray. The first known settlers in Taiwan are Austronesian tribal people thought to have come from modern day southern China. The island first appears in Chinese records in AD239, when China sent an expeditionary force to explore - a fact Beijing uses to back its territorial claim. After a brief spell as a Dutch colony (1624-1661) Taiwan was unquestionably administered by China's Qing dynasty from 1683 to 1895. Starting at the beginning of the 17th Century, significant numbers of migrants started arriving from China, often fleeing turmoil or hardship. Most were Hoklo Chinese from Fujian (Fukien) province or were Hakka Chinese, largely from Guangdong. The descendants of these two migrations now make up by far the largest population group. In 1895, following Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Qing government had no choice but to cede Taiwan to Japan. But after World War Two, the Republic of China - one of the victors - began ruling Taiwan with the consent of its allies the US and UK, after Japan surrendered and relinquished control of territory it had taken from China. However in the next few years, Chiang's troops were beaten back by the Communist armies under Mao Zedong. Chiang and the remnants of his Kuomintang (KMT) government fled to Taiwan in 1949. This group, referred to as Mainland Chinese and then making up 1.5m people, dominated Taiwan's politics for many years, even though they only account for 14% of the population. Having inherited an effective dictatorship, facing resistance from local people resentful of the 228 Massacre and authoritarian rule, and under pressure from a growing democracy movement, Chiang's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, began allowing a process of democratisation, which eventually led to the 2000 election of the island's first non-KMT president, Chen Shui-bian. After decades of hostile intentions and angry rhetoric, relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China put forward a formula, known as "one country, two systems", under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification. The offer was rejected, but Taiwan did relax rules on visits to and investment in China. It also, in 1991, proclaimed the war with the People's Republic of China over. There were also limited talks between the two sides' unofficial representatives, though China's insistence that the Republic of China (ROC) government is illegitimate prevented government-to-government contact. Beijing became alarmed in 2000, when Taiwan elected as president Chen Shui-bian, who had openly backed independence. Mr Chen was re-elected in 2004, prompting China to pass a so-called anti-secession law in 2005, stating China's right to use "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan if it tried to secede from China. In 2008, Ma Ying-jeou was elected president. He sought to improve relations with China, mainly through economic agreements. In elections in January 2016, Tsai Ing-wen defeated Kuomintang party candidate Eric Chu. Mr Ma was barred by Taiwan's constitution from the seeking a third term in office. Ms Tsai leads the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which leans towards independence from China. In December 2016, she spoke to the then US President-elect Donald Trump in a phone call, in what was a break with US policy set in 1979 when formal relations were cut. There is disagreement and confusion about what Taiwan is, and even what it should be called. Chiang Kai-shek's Republic of China (ROC) government, which fled the mainland to Taiwan in 1949, at first claimed to represent the whole of China, which it intended to re-occupy. It held China's seat on the United Nations Security Council and was recognised by many Western nations as the only Chinese government. But in 1971, the UN switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing and the ROC government was forced out. Since then the number of countries that recognise the ROC government diplomatically has fallen to about 20. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake, by force if necessary. But Taiwan's leaders say it is clearly much more than a province, arguing that it is a sovereign state. It has its own constitution, democratically-elected leaders, and about 300,000 active troops in its armed forces. Given the huge divide between these two positions, most other countries seem happy to accept the current ambiguity, whereby Taiwan has most of the characteristics of an independent state, even if its legal status remains unclear. While political progress has been slow, links between the two peoples and economies have grown sharply. Taiwanese companies have invested about $60bn (£40bn) in China, and up to one million Taiwanese now live there, many running Taiwanese factories. Some Taiwanese worry their economy is now dependent on China. Others point out that closer business ties makes Chinese military action less likely, because of the cost to China's own economy. A controversial trade agreement sparked the "Sunflower Movement" in 2014 where students and activists occupied Taiwan's parliament protesting against what they call China's growing influence over Taiwan. Officially, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) still favours eventual independence for Taiwan, while the KMT favours eventual re-unification. Opinion polls show only a small minority of Taiwanese support pursuing one or the other at the moment, with most preferring to stick with the current middle ground. Yet more and more people say they feel Taiwanese rather than Chinese. Support for the DPP increased at the January 2016 election. This was partly because of dissatisfaction with the KMT's handling of economic matters, from the wealth gap to high housing prices, and partly because of worries that Mr Ma's administration was making Taiwan too dependent on Beijing. The US is by far Taiwan's most important friend, and its only ally. The relationship, forged during World War Two and the Cold War, underwent its sternest test in 1979, when President Jimmy Carter ended US diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in order to concentrate on burgeoning ties with China. The US Congress, responding to the move, passed the Taiwan Relations Act, which promises to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons, and stressed that any attack by China would be considered of "grave concern" to the US. Since then, US policy has been described as one of "strategic ambiguity", seeking to balance China's emergence as a regional power with US admiration for Taiwan's economic success and democratisation. The pivotal role of the US was most clearly shown in 1996, when China conducted provocative missile tests to try and influence Taiwan's first direct presidential election. In response, US President Bill Clinton ordered the biggest display of US military power in Asia since the Vietnam War, sending ships to the Taiwan Strait, and a clear message to Beijing.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country again, but many Taiwanese want a separate nation.

There was outrage on social media when pictures surfaced of him with a "mystery woman". The two-time Olympic champion confirmed the rumours and apologised. His wife, fellow badminton star Xie Xingfang, had their first child on 5 November. Social media users quickly identified the woman he was seen with in the photos as actress and model Zhao Yaqi. Cheng Hao Chen wrote: "Brother, do you know that you were the pride of 1.3 billion Chinese people? How about now?" After the pictures emerged, another user, Duo Duo Wa Bai Cai, said: "A shameless mistake has sent you to hell from heaven. "No matter how outstanding your achievements are, you will fall short of being a father and a husband! Sorry, super Dan, this is unforgivable - you have neglected your responsibility as a man!" Lin, nicknamed Super Dan, used to be world number one but is now ranked third, the Straits Times reports. "As a man, I will not defend myself," he wrote. "But my behaviour has hurt my family. I apologise to my family here. Sorry."

Chinese badminton superstar Lin Dan has shocked his fans by admitting he had an affair while his wife was pregnant.

Roberts, 21, joined the Giants from Bradford Bulls in October 2014 and made his debut for the club in the opening game of the 2016 season. "We have always been a club that has given chances to young British players who are hungry to succeed," head coach Paul Anderson told the club website. "His challenge is to keep his place when our experienced guys return." The Giants are second from bottom of the Super League, having failed to win any of their first three games. They have also lost several key players to injury, including full-back Scott Grix and club captain Danny Brough, leaving Anderson reliant on inexperienced squad members. "You can't always accept getting beat, but I think our attitude was very poor," Anderson told BBC Radio Leeds following Sunday's 36-18 defeat by Widnes Vikings. "Consistency is something that we're always striving for, but that collective inexperience and collective poor attitude has cost us. "We have so many people out in key positions that have been our strengths, and now our strengths have become our downfalls."

Huddersfield back-row forward Oliver Roberts has signed a new four-year deal with the Super League side.

The Black Ferns have won the last four tournaments and had not lost a World Cup game since a defeat to the United States in the 1991 semi-finals. New Zealand's Selica Winiata scored the opener but the 2013 Six Nations winners replied through Heather O'Brien. Alison Miller's try in the 63rd minute proved crucial for Ireland. Niamh Briggs converted both tries and kicked a penalty when the game was locked at 14-14 in the second half. Philip Doyle's team had beaten the USA in their opening Pool B match and now play Kazakhstan on Saturday. They are top of Pool B on eight points while New Zealand and the USA, who meet each other on Saturday, are on six. The USA beat Kazakhstan 47-7 in Tuesday's other Pool B game. It was the first time Ireland's women had played the Black Ferns. Ireland's men's team have never beaten the All Blacks in 28 meetings stretching back to 1905. "It's absolutely wonderful to win against the world champions," said Ireland captain Fiona Coghlan. "All credit should go to the coaches, the analysis team and the game-plan they gave us. "The heads never dropped because we were on the same page. Even when they went ahead, we knew we would go back up there, score and win the game. New Zealand coach Brian Evans said: "We're very disappointed, but fair play to Ireland. They outmuscled us, they forced errors, but huge congratulations to them for that." Ireland's women started the game strongly but failed to reap any points from their domination of possession. Briggs dragged a penalty wide and it was New Zealand who got the opening score when Kelly Brazier converted a penalty in the 22nd minute. Soon afterwards it was 8-0 as Winiata got in at the left corner for a try. Ireland regrouped to put New Zealand under pressure, and this time they made it count as number eight O'Brien forced her way over for a try under the posts. Briggs converted to leave the Irish just a point behind at half-time but Brazier added a penalty in the second half for 11-7. Then came the vital score as Briggs gathered and broke forward to feed winger Miller who raced strongly to the line to score in the left corner. Briggs landed a superb conversion from the touchline but New Zealand hit back to level the game through a third Brazier penalty. Fittingly, it was the impressive Briggs who kicked the match-winning penalty. Ireland: Niamh Briggs, Ashleigh Baxter, Lynne Cantwell, Grace Davitt, Alison Miller, Nora Stapleton, Tania Rosser; Fiona Coghlan (capt), Gillian Bourke, Ailis Egan, Sophie Spence, Marie Louise Reilly, Paula Fitzpatrick, Claire Molloy, Heather O'Brien Replacements: Sharon Lynch, Fiona Hayes, Laura Guest, Siobhan Fleming, Larissa Muldoon, Jenny Murphy, Vikki McGinn New Zealand: Selica Winiata, Renee Wickliffe, Huriana Manuel, Amiria Rule, Honey Hireme, Kelly Brazier, Emma Jensen; Kathleen Wilton, Fiao'o Fa'amausili (capt), Aleisha Nelson, Eloise Blackwell, Jackie Patea, Rawinia Everitt, Linda Itunu, Casey Robertson Replacements: Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox, Ruth McKay, Justine Lavea, Aroha Savage, Kendra Cocksedge, Claire Richardson, Shakira Baker

Ireland inflicted New Zealand's first defeat in a World Cup for 23 years with a 17-14 victory in Marcoussis to virtually seal a semi-final place.

The striker's daughter Dawn Astle said she was not surprised by the revelation that three members of England's 1966 World Cup squad have Alzheimer's. The family has pushed for research through the Justice for Jeff campaign. The FA wants Fifa to probe a possible link between dementia and football. "Any research and study done into the possible implications of heading footballs clearly has to be a good thing," said Miss Astle. "But they could have done all this 14 years ago, when they had the coroner's verdict for my dad. 14 years is a damn long time." Since starting the Justice for Jeff campaign in April 2014, Miss Astle said she had been contacted by families of other footballers with degenerative brain disease, as well as "staunch supporters" of clubs. "There's got to be about 250 [former players] that I know of. Not all of the families have come forward and some of the players have passed away," she said. One family that did get in touch was that of a 1966 World Cup player, but they did not want his illness to be known to the public at the time. "It's great that these iconic players and legends in the game have come out, very bravely, and their families have spoken about the suffering they are in now, but it doesn't just affect household names," said Miss Astle. "We've had contact from many, many players, many of whom I'd never heard of, but they all matter." The family said they had also been told about players having degenerative brain disease through people associated with football clubs. "I think it is the tip of a very big iceberg, sadly. I wish it wasn't but I think it is," said Miss Astle. She said about 95% of the players affected have Alzheimer's disease or had it before they died, while the rest have had other degenerative brain diseases. Miss Astle's father played with heavy leather footballs but she said she was concerned for modern-day footballers. "How it was described to me is the balls nowadays are much lighter but they travel faster, and sometimes players are much stronger and hit it harder," she said. "It's down to the pure physics of something striking the head and the brain being rocked backwards and forwards in the skull. "I hope to God that there isn't a link with the modern day ball but I would be very, very surprised if the safety implications aren't the same."

The family of footballer Jeff Astle - who died from brain trauma caused by heading footballs - say they know of 250 more players who have suffered from degenerative brain disease.

Shueb Salar is alleged to have posted abusive language about women and homosexuals on Twitter, in 2012. A spokesman for Mr Khan said: "Sadiq acted immediately to suspend Shueb Salar as soon as he was made aware of these serious issues over the weekend. "Shueb Salar has now resigned from his role as a junior member of Sadiq's parliamentary staff." Mr Salar, who has not commented, started working for Mr Khan in 2014. It emerged he had also posted photos of himself at a firing range more recently on Instagram with a caption joking that he was a "hitman". On Sunday, cabinet minister Chris Grayling questioned Mr Khan's judgement in employing Mr Salar. "'These comments have absolutely no place in modern society," the leader of the House of Commons said. "The mayor of London makes a large number of decisions about who to hire and how to spend public funds: his record shows Sadiq Khan can't make those decisions in a way that stands up for Londoners."

One of London mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan's aides has resigned following his suspension on Sunday.

Brad McKay crouched to volley in Greg Tansey's deep free-kick early in the match. And Tansey converted a penalty after Massimo Donati had fouled Ross Draper. Accies were upset Ali Crawford was not awarded a second-half spot-kick for a challenge by goalkeeper Ryan Esson but netted late on through Danny Redmond. The gap between Caley Thistle and Motherwell also stands at four points, with Well behind Hamilton on goal difference after losing to Ross County. The first-half performance was exactly what Inverness manager Richie Foran has been searching for and came with their backs planted firmly against the wall. They were terrific. Adversity sometimes brings out the best in people, although nerves did seem to take effect after half-time. Foran has said for some time his side just needed one win to get going. They have it and look capable of more as the pressure turns, at least temporarily, to sides above. Tansey, who has agreed a pre-contract to join Aberdeen, was at the heart of the Saturday lunchtime victory. It was his delivery that found McKay ghosting in and the defender's finish was perfect. Another Tansey delivery was rewarded when Donati wrestled Draper to the ground. Tansey took the responsibility and delivered under pressure. In truth, Inverness could have been out of sight by the break. Billy Mckay should have done better from close range twice and Alex Fisher somehow screwed a header wide from a few yards after Remi Matthews had parried Tansey's drive. And, in the second period, Scott Boden could have sealed the win when clean through but dinked over. Martin Canning's side improved significantly after the break as Crawford and Redmond were sent on in place of Donati and Rakish Bingham. And Crawford thought he had earned a lifeline. As Gary Warren tried to shepherd the ball out, Esson came flying out and inexplicably took the substitute down. Referee Andrew Dallas did not point to the spot, leaving Hamilton players in disbelief. It was a huge escape for the home side. Having offered little earlier in the match, other than a great chance for Darian MacKinnon which he prodded wide, the second-half response was firm. Dougie Imrie, Crawford and Greg Docherty all came close but ultimately they did not threaten enough and gave themselves too much to do after leaving themselves repeatedly exposed in defence. Redmond's late finish was little consolation, although the goal may yet have an important part to play in the final make-up of goal difference with so few points separating the sides. Match ends, Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Second Half ends, Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Goal! Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Daniel Redmond (Hamilton Academical) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dougie Imrie. Substitution, Inverness CT. Billy King replaces Jake Mulraney. Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Kevin McNaughton. Substitution, Inverness CT. Kevin McNaughton replaces Brad McKay. Attempt saved. Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical). Foul by Greg Tansey (Inverness CT). Giannis Skondras (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt blocked. Henri Anier (Inverness CT) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Eamonn Brophy replaces Greg Docherty. Attempt missed. Scott Boden (Inverness CT) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Ross Draper (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical). Attempt missed. Greg Docherty (Hamilton Academical) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Hand ball by Billy McKay (Inverness CT). Scott Boden (Inverness CT) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Scott Boden (Inverness CT). Greg Docherty (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Henri Anier (Inverness CT) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Attempt saved. Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT). Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Inverness CT. Conceded by Alejandro D'Acol. Corner, Inverness CT. Conceded by Scott McMann. Scott Boden (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Georgios Sarris (Hamilton Academical). Substitution, Inverness CT. Scott Boden replaces Alex Fisher. Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Brad McKay. Ross Draper (Inverness CT) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical). Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical). Billy McKay (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical). Delay in match Billy McKay (Inverness CT) because of an injury. Billy McKay (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Premiership bottom side Inverness Caledonian Thistle moved to within four points of opponents Hamilton Academical with three games to play.

South Caernarfon Creameries first started operating at the site near Pwllheli in 1937. It will use the money to modernise its production facilities. The firm will also increase its first phase capacity from 9,500 to 11,500 tonnes a year. The loan comes from the Wales Capital Growth Fund, managed by Finance Wales. Managing director Alan Jones said: "We reviewed our business model in 2010 and decided to focus on the development of our core products of Welsh cheese and butter. "Our Dragon branded cheese is the leading Welsh brand and is available in most UK supermarkets. This investment to develop our facilities is required to further grow the brand as well as to enable us to develop other market opportunities."

Wales' oldest and largest dairy co-operative is expanding its cheese production facilities with the help of a £1m loan.

The numbers, covering the period from January 2009 to December 2015, are significantly lower than estimates by human rights groups. Some groups say that several hundred civilians have died in US strikes. The long-promised report was released in conjunction with an executive order to increase civilian safeguards. President Barack Obama signed the executive order to require the government to disclose the number of civilian deaths each year in an effort to improve transparency in US military operations. The directive, which could be cancelled by the next president, requires government reviews of air strikes to include "credible reporting" by non-governmental groups. Human rights groups have long accused the US government of obscuring the number of civilian casualties in drone and air strikes. The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism estimates between 492 and 1,100 civilians have been killed by drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia since 2002. It says its figures are based on reports by local and international journalists, NGO investigators, leaked government documents, court papers and the result of field investigations. But the Obama administration cautioned that figures from human rights groups could be flawed due to the "deliberate spread of misinformation by some actors, including terrorist organisations, in local media reports on which some non-governmental estimates rely". The order also makes civilian protection a priority. The assessment revealed that between 2,372 and 2,581 members of terrorist groups were killed in the 473 strikes since Mr Obama took office in 2009. The White House declined to disclose where the civilian deaths occurred, but said the numbers excluded countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. The estimates do not include civilians killed during military operations when American forces are on the ground.

US drone and air strikes have killed between 64 and 116 civilians outside war zones since 2009, the White House says.

Today they find out what state their homes and fields are in after days inside a strong building to protect them from the powerful gusts of winds and endless rain. "I hope that our house wasn't destroyed or damaged by [the] typhoon or that it was not in the flood," says 16-year-old Ronna Mae Salturio. Her family, one of many living in small shanties along the road, is getting ready to be taken home in a military truck with the few essentials they brought with them. They might be worried about their future, but they have survived. At least 21 people are known to have died during Hagupit, but that's a stark comparison with last year when more than 7,000 died or went missing from Typhoon Haiyan which left mass destruction in its wake. There are still remote parts of Samar that are unreachable, due to floods or downed trees blocking roads, and there could be significant destruction and loss of life there. But for the most part, the Philippines looks to have averted disaster on a national scale. For some, it shows the government has learned its lesson and preparations were made in time. President Benigno Aquino's administration faced much criticism for the slow response in getting food and aid to Tacloban and other areas after Haiyan. In the Philippines, where bad weather is a part of life, Albay province is seen as a leading example of disaster management. In 1995, it set up a separate office solely to deal with emergencies and it looks to have paid off. A total of 128,998 families were evacuated from low lying or mudslide-prone areas to schools, community centres and other stronger buildings, with the help of trucks and personnel from the military. The governor told the BBC he went on the radio to encourage people to leave their homes and property behind. They were also given incentives in the form of bags of rice, which for those living in poverty is a big draw. It's all part of what the provincial government says was its strategy to minimise risk and loss of life. "Evacuation rather than rescue, that's our doctrine," says Cedric Daep, Chief of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office. He says they met days before the expected typhoon with local mayors to identify the major hazards. Floods, landslides, storm surges, mud flow and strong winds could destroy houses made of light materials. Haiyan was so deadly largely because of the huge unexpected storm surges it brought with it which wiped away entire communities. So knowing that, evacuating from low lying areas looks to have paid off. "We are happy with the result that we achieved zero casualty," Mr Daep says. And at the national level, food and aid distribution centres were set up early. Both the government and aid agencies were poised to act before the storm this time as opposed to reacting after. President Aquino said before the typhoon struck that he would not be patient with excuses after this event and wanted to set a "zero casualty" target. They also had help from the fact that Hagupit turned out to be much less destructive then predicted. It was briefly classed as a super typhoon as it approached the Philippines, with winds of 250km/h, but by the time it hit land on Saturday it had reduced in speed significantly. But even then, it was increased awareness of the dangers of the typhoon that made people nervous enough to leave their homes. That fear is the legacy that Haiyan has left here.

For the hundreds of families who took shelter from Typhoon Hagupit inside a school in Albay province, the wait is finally over.

Mr Abbott announced the news that Queen Elizabeth II's husband would receive the country's top honour on 26 January - Australia's national day. He said the Prince's life of "service and dedication" should be honoured. But many commentators say the move raises grave questions about Mr Abbott's judgement. They have suggested he is out of step with mainstream opinion - as well as his own party. Mr Abbott re-introduced knighthood and damehood honours last year, nearly 20 years after they had been discontinued. "What was the Prime Minister thinking?" asks an editorial in The Australian. "It seems his political colleagues didn't get a chance to talk him out of it." The paper describes Prince Philip as a "symbol not just of another time but another country", who is "celebrated by Brits for his howlers and gaffes". The editorial says Mr Abbott risks further alienating core Liberal supporters at a time when he was under fire for ignoring them. "With the odd decision to ennoble a member of the British monarchy, Mr Abbott gives those who would lampoon him a right royal charter." Australia's honours system The Sydney Morning Herald shares the view of many critics that Mr Abbott is under the spell of Britain, Australia's erstwhile colonial ruler. "It is as though he is caught in a bygone era of deference to the old country," an editorial in the paper says. As a contrast, the paper praises the Labor opposition leader, Bill Shorten, who last weekend called for Australians to recognise that their country would be better off as a republic. Australia is a parliamentary democracy that retains Britain's monarch as its head of state. The Herald ultimately takes a pragmatic view, arguing that Mr Abbott's actions will show the electorate his true colours. "In one sense his blind spot on the monarchy will do Australia good in the longer term," the paper says. "It will offer voters a clear choice: to be part of a nation that evolves democratically or one that remains locked in a colonial past." HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, KG (Knight of the Garter), KT (Knight of the Thistle), OM (Order of Merit), GBE (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire), AC (Companion of the Order of Australia), QSO (Companion of The Queen's Service Order), PC (Privy Counsellor). He also holds many foreign orders and decorations, as well as honorary appointments and ranks in the Armed Services. Several papers stress that the knighthood may come to be seen as a tactical mis-step, weakening Mr Abbott's position as a leader. He is already under fire from party backbenchers for major policy u-turns. "[The knighthood] gains no ground for the government and only invites ridicule," says an editorial in The Telegraph. "This government is in a position where every step must be a winning move. It has no political capital to waste." But however damaging the knighthood proves to be, commentators say it is unlikely by itself to be Mr Abbott's downfall. "An MP from the conservative right of the party in Mr Abbott's home state predicted it would spark fresh questioning of the Prime Minister's suitability for the job," says an editorial in The Age. "A change seems unlikely but it is the cumulative risk of errors." A commentator in the Australian Financial Review says Mr Abbott has antagonised the opposition as well as his own base in the Liberal party by giving the award to Prince Philip. "It is more the act of a mischievous student politician who wants to aggravate the left as part of a campus brawl," the commentator said. "No one is talking mutiny but the prime minister needs to be careful. Liberals are averse to punting elected leaders but everyone has a breaking point."

The Australian press has expressed scorn and bewilderment over PM Tony Abbott's awarding of a knighthood to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

On Friday, Mr Duncan Smith said he was quitting as work and pensions secretary in protest at disability benefits cuts. But Lady Altmann, who described her ex-boss as "exceptionally difficult" to work for, accused him of wanting "to do maximum damage to the party leadership" to help his campaign to leave the EU. Sources close to Mr Duncan Smith insist his resignation was not about the EU. Mr Duncan Smith is due to give his first interview since resigning on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show at 09:00 GMT. Stephen Crabb was appointed as Mr Duncan Smith's replacement on Saturday. In his resignation letter, which many commentators have interpreted as an attack on Chancellor George Osborne, Mr Duncan Smith said the latest changes to benefits for the disabled were "not defensible in the way they were placed within a Budget that benefits higher earning taxpayers". But Lady Altmann said she was "shocked" by the resignation saying her former boss had "championed the very package of reforms to disability benefits he now says is the reason he has resigned". In a statement, Lady Altmann said: "This really seems to be about the European referendum campaign. "He seems to want to do maximum damage to the party leadership in order to further his campaign to try to get Britain to leave the EU. "As far as I could tell, he appeared to spend much of the last few months plotting over Europe and against the leadership of the party and it seemed to me he had been planning to find a reason to resign for a long time." She also said she had found him "exceptionally difficult" to work for and said he had "often been obstructive to my efforts to resolve important pension policy issues". But another of Mr Duncan Smith's junior ministers, employment minister Priti Patel, praised Mr Duncan Smith as a "great social reformer". "Since coming to office in 2010, he has made a real difference to the life chances of people throughout the country by reforming the welfare system to ensure that work always pays," she said. And Justice Secretary Michael Gove, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, called Mr Duncan Smith "an inspirational social reformer" who has been "guided throughout by a clear sense of noble moral purpose". However, Mr Gove, who like Ms Patel and Mr Duncan Smith, is campaigning for the UK to leave the EU, wrote that a "united and resolute government" was needed. He wrote that he also "hugely" admired Mr Osborne and said that "I can't - and won't - take issue with either of them in the areas they've championed and led". In his Budget on Wednesday, Mr Osborne said the government would be spending an extra £1bn on the disability budget but changes to benefits announced a few days earlier had suggested the government would save £4.4bn on this by 2020-21. They included changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), due to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in January 2017, that were expected to save £1.3bn a year, but sparked an outcry from opposition parties and some Tory MPs. But on Friday, before Mr Duncan Smith resigned, a government source had said the planned changes would be "kicked into the long grass". Replying to Mr Duncan Smith on Friday, David Cameron said he was "puzzled and disappointed" that Mr Duncan Smith had decided to go when they had agreed to have a rethink about the policies.

Iain Duncan Smith's resignation was really about the EU, pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann has said.

He won 50.07% of the vote, officials said, narrowly avoiding a run-off. But his main challenger, Raila Odinga, alleged massive fraud and said he would challenge the results of the "tainted election" in the Supreme Court. Mr Kenyatta is set to face trial at the International Criminal Court over violence that followed the 2007 polls. By Karen AllenBBC News, Kibera, Nairobi Kibera slum is not normally considered friendly turf for Uhuru Kenyatta. Yet residents remained calm after the election of Kenya's richest man as their next leader. People are placing their faith in the new constitution and recent judicial reforms. Raila Odinga is challenging the results in the Supreme Court and people say they will wait for the legal process to run its course. Some point to the reforms as a reason for the relative calm compared with five years ago, when Kibera was a flashpoint. "Our behaviour is being shaped by the new constitution," said Steve, a Kibera resident. But there are worries about the future. Many hope Mr Kenyatta will uphold the new constitution and continue to co-operate with the International Criminal Court, where he is fighting charges of crimes against humanity. While the mantra across Kenya is "amani" (peace), some campaigners are warning against a "peace coma" - a failure to address past injustices which would prevent Kenya from moving on. He is accused of fuelling the communal violence that saw more than 1,000 people killed and 600,000 forced from their homes. After the results were announced, Mr Kenyatta told cheering supporters he would serve all Kenyans "without fear or favour". Speaking at the Catholic University in Nairobi, he called on Mr Odinga and other leaders to "join us in moving our nation forward." Earlier, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said the latest elections had been complex, but also credible and transparent. It said the turnout, at 86%, was the largest ever IEBC chairman Issack Hassan praised the candidates who had already conceded victory and urged others to follow suit. However, Mr Odinga, the current prime minister, said the electoral commission had "failed Kenyans" and that democracy itself was "on trial". But after announcing his Supreme Court challenge, he also appealed for calm, saying: "Any violence could destroy this nation forever." Profile: Uhuru Kenyatta The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Nairobi says this was the tightest of races with the narrowest of margins. He says that how Mr Odinga now handles his supporters will determine whether his dispute stays in the courts or spills out on the streets. Mr Kenyatta's Jubilee Coalition party said it was "proud and honoured for the trust" bestowed on it, adding that it had taken a message to the people and that "we are grateful to the people of Kenya for accepting this message". Early on Saturday, small groups of Kenyatta supporters celebrated in Nairobi, hooting car horns and singing. But the newly confirmed president could face difficult relations with Western countries. In July, he is due to go on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity. Mr Kenyatta's running mate, William Ruto, also faces similar charges. Both men deny the accusations. In his victory speech, Mr Kenyatta restated his promise to co-operate "with all nations and international institutions". The ICC has agreed to postpone Mr Ruto's trial by a month until May after his lawyers complained of not having enough time to prepare his defence. Countries including the US and UK have hinted that Mr Kenyatta's election as president would have consequences for their relations with Kenya. The comments have been dismissed in Nairobi as foreign interference. A new electronic system for transmitting vote results was designed to eliminate the risk of fraud, and thus avoid a repeat of the post-poll violence of 2007. But the count has been plagued with technical glitches, including a programming error that led to the number of rejected votes being multiplied by a factor of eight. Mr Odinga's Cord alliance had earlier complained that votes from 11 constituencies were missing, in effect leaving him more than 250,000 votes short.

Kenya's Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has been confirmed as the winner of the presidential election, and vowed to work with his rivals.

This year British films and talent earned 39 nominations across 19 categories at the Oscars. Pinnock is up against herself in the production design category for Into the Woods and The Grand Budapest Hotel. "They've given me three days off," she told the BBC at a reception in Los Angeles for British Oscar nominees. "We're not even half-way through yet. We've just been in Italy, in Rome, then we're back at Pinewood and then it's Mexico." Many British nominees attended the annual Great British Film Reception in Hollywood, hosted by British consul general Chris O'Connor. Most were behind-the-camera talent from categories such as cinematography, costume design, film editing, music, sound mixing and visual effects. Pinnock, who grew up in Canterbury, won a Bafta for her production design on The Grand Budapest Hotel two weeks ago. Her Oscar nominations this year are her fourth and fifth in a 30-year career. Her previous nods were for her work on Gosford Park, The Golden Compass and Life of Pi. Talking about working on Wes Anderson's quirky comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel, she said: "It appeals on every level, it's definitely his best film." The film has nine nominations at the Oscars with Pinnock tipped to win her category. But she's been in the same position before - being up against herself at the Baftas in 2013 for Life of Pi and Bond film Skyfall. "I didn't win anything - so you never know," she admitted. "I don't write any speeches, because having been onstage at the Baftas it's absolutely terrifying - it's an out of body experience. Hopefully the right thing comes out of your mouth."

British Oscar hopeful Anna Pinnock has been given time off from new James Bond film Spectre to attend Sunday's Academy Awards - where she is nominated twice.

The pro-European cabinet minister said UKIP had no positive policies and was just "against" foreigners. UKIP leader Nigel Farage hit back by accusing Mr Clarke of holding millions of British people "in utter contempt". He said Mr Clarke was "obviously not interested" in winning back disaffected Tory voters at Thursday's local elections in England and Wales. It comes as UKIP accused the Tories of conducting a "morally reprehensible" smear campaign against its local election candidates. The anti-EU party has expanded rapidly, recruiting a record 1,732 candidates to contest Thursday's local elections. It admits it has not had the time or money to vet all of them properly. UKIP says it has evidence that smears about its candidates are being spread by Conservative Central Office, which it claims has been trawling would-be UKIP councillors' Twitter and Facebook pages for months. "Were we inclined to return the favour, we would find even more examples to use against them. "We deem that using our candidates as cannon fodder to undermine a political campaign (is) morally reprehensible and downright dirty," said a spokesman. The party is investigating six candidates over links to the BNP and other far right groups or alleged racist and homophobic comments, following stories in national and local newspapers. "I am glad they have found some candidates in the BNP because we don't want them. We are quite pleased. We don't want these people in the party," a UKIP spokesman said. He said the row showed the Conservative Party was "rattled" by UKIP, which is hoping to make significant gains in Tory heartlands on Thursday, but added: "This isn't scrutiny, it's smear." Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr show about UKIP's claims, Transport Secretary Patrick McLaughlin said all candidates had to be scrutinised, but added: "I don't know anything about a smear campaign." But his cabinet colleague, Ken Clarke, minister without portfolio, added fuel to the row in an interview with Sky News. He said: "They of course have not been able to vet their candidates. Fringe right parties do tend to collect a number of waifs and strays... "Some of them are saying quite different things now they are in politics than their actual views." Asked whether he agreed with David Cameron's 2006 claim that UKIP was made up of "fruitcakes and closet racists", Mr Clarke replied: "I have met people who satisfy both those descriptions in UKIP. "Indeed, some of the people who have assured me they are going to vote UKIP I would put in that category. I rather suspect they have never voted for me." Mr Clarke said he was sure that "most of the UKIP people are perfectly nice when they are having a drink". But he added: "The trouble with UKIP really is it is just a protest party. "It is against the political class, it is against foreigners, it is against immigrants. But it does not have any very positive policies. They do not know what they are for." He added: "The temptation to ordinary voters to UKIP is these are very difficult times, the political classes are regarded as having got us into a mess. "It is very tempting to vote for a collection of clowns or indignant, angry people, who promise that somehow they will allow us to take your revenge on people who caused it." Conservative backbencher Nadine Dorries criticised Mr Clarke's intervention, saying in a Twitter message: "I suppose Ken Clarke's strategy of being rude to and insulting Tories about to vote UKIP means we don't want them back for general election?" UKIP leader Nigel Farage echoed Ms Dorries' comments, saying: "It is obvious that Mr Clarke holds millions of people in this country in utter contempt. "UKIP are attracting supporters from all three main parties and, significantly those who have either not voted for over 10 years or have never voted before in their lives. "Instead of slagging them off maybe he should try to wrap his head around the idea that UKIP are appealing to people due to the failure of the bloated self-satisfied political machine of which he is such a typical member. "He obviously doesn't care and isn't at all interested in attracting those millions to vote for the Conservatives, well so be it. The way things are going they won't be doing so any time soon." Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said UKIP was a "very seductive" option for people who wanted to say "to hell with mainstream politics" but he urged voters to look at the party's policies. UKIP has also dismissed claims in The Observer that the party's policy-making process in chaos. The newspaper published leaked e-mails between party treasurer Stuart Wheeler and MEP Godfrey Bloom, in which Mr Bloom advises UKIP to adopt policies "off the shelf" from right-wing think tanks, because trying to reach agreement on where it stood on issues was like "herding cats". A UKIP spokesman said: "I am glad they are discussing policies. So they should be."

Veteran Tory Ken Clarke has waded into his party's war of words with UKIP by branding them "a collection of clowns".

Margaret Henderson-McCarroll pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Eddie Girvan, 67, on the grounds of diminished responsibility in May. The 31 year old, who has 100 previous convictions, was told she must serve three years in prison. Sentencing her, Mr Justice Treacy said it was "an horrific crime". Speaking in court on Monday, he said the victim "must have suffered terribly". Mr Girvan was found dead at his Greenisland home in County Antrim. He was virtually naked, bound and gagged on 18 January 2016. He had been stabbed in the chest and suffocated after being gagged with kitchen roll and a tie to stop him calling out for help. The court had heard previously that either injury could have killed him. The court was told that the pair, who had known each other for some years, had argued over money for sex. Henderson-McCarroll said she had been acting in self defence and "poked" her victim with a cake knife after Mr Girvan came at her with a stick sword. She said she had not meant to kill him and admitted that she had been high on crystal meth and heroin at the time. After the stabbing, Henderson-McCarroll admitted taking more heroin "to calm her nerves" before stealing Mr Girvan's car and driving it to Belfast. She was involved in an accident at Custom House Square, Belfast which led police to find Mr Girvan's car at the city hostel where she had been living. She was later arrested on an unrelated bench warrant and found to have a sat nav, a watch, and two sets of car keys in her possession. The sat nav contained Mr Girvan's home address and, after several attempts to contact him at home, police broke in and found his body. Henderson-McCarroll has 100 previous convictions for robbery, theft and assault. The court heard she had bitten, punched and head butted elderly men, young women and children in the course of past crimes. A doctor's report stated that she had lived a "chaotic life" of drug addiction, alcohol abuse, crime and prostitution. The court was told that she relapsed into heroin and crystal meth addiction after the death of her baby daughter. She also previously admitted eight other charges connected to Mr Girvan's killing: * Theft; * Attempted theft; * Aggravated vehicle-taking causing damage; * Dangerous driving; * Driving when unfit through drink or drugs; * Driving without insurance; * Failing to stop at an accident * Failing to report an accident For those crimes, she was sentenced to between one month and a year in prison - all to be served concurrently with her manslaughter sentence which was six years - three to be served in prison and three on licence.

A woman who killed a pensioner while "high on crystal meth and heroin" has been given a six-year sentence.

It is also considering a more general ban on state employees wearing the headscarf and other religious symbols. The measures are seen as an attempt to counter the rise of the far-right Freedom Party, whose candidate narrowly lost last month's presidential vote. The centrist coalition nearly collapsed last week amid crisis negotiations over the government's future direction. Detailing the package of reforms, the coalition devoted just two lines to the planned ban on the Islamic niqab and burqa. "We are committed to an open society, which also presupposes open communication. A full-face veil in public places stands in its way and will therefore be banned," it said. An estimated 150 women wear the full niqab in Austria but tourism officials have expressed fears that the measures will also deter visitors from the Gulf. One government spokesman told an Austrian newspaper that the ban would apply for ski resorts such as Zell am See as much as the centre of Vienna. Several European countries have imposed similar bans but the Austrian move is, according to the vice chancellor a "symbolic" step. Integration Minister Sebastian Kurz said it was important to be seen to be neutral, especially for anyone dealing with the public in the police or schools. France and Belgium introduced a burqa ban in 2011 and a similar measure is currently going through the Dutch parliament. Chancellor Angela Merkel said last month that the full-face veil should be prohibited in Germany "wherever it is legally possible". The UK does not ban the niqab or burqa. Further measures agreed by Austria's Social Democrats and their conservative People's party partners include electronic tagging of former jihadists and a proposed curb on foreign workers. Many of the plans must be hammered out in detail and receive parliamentary approval before they can come into force, BBC Vienna correspondent Bethany Bell reports. The niqab is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. However, it may be worn with a separate eye veil. It is worn with an accompanying headscarf. The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through.

Austria's ruling coalition has agreed to prohibit full-face veils in public spaces such as courts and schools.

10 December 2015 Last updated at 16:58 GMT The film will see the return of aliens, droids and many other weird and wonderful creatures. The man who created them, Neal Scanlon, showed Newsround his top three creatures.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be hitting the big screens soon.

Paying tribute to Pc Keith Palmer, who died after being stabbed, she said: "He was every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten." Delivering a Commons statement she said Wednesday's attacker was British born and known to police and MI5. The attack was related to "Islamist ideology". Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the attack as "an appalling atrocity". Four people died, including the attacker, with 40 more injured. Mrs May said the victims included 12 Britons, three French children, two people from Romania, four from South Korea, one from Germany, one from Poland, one from Ireland, one from China, one from Italy, one from the US and two Greek people. She told MPs: "Yesterday an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy, but today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism." She said it was still believed that the attacker acted alone and there was "no reason to believe" further attacks on the public were planned. "His identity is known to the police and MI5 and when operational considerations allow, he will be publicly identified," she said. "What I can confirm is that the man was British-born and that some years ago he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. "He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture. There was no prior intelligence of his intent or of the plot." Describing it as an attack on free people all over the world, Mrs May thanked global allies including US President Donald Trump for their support. "We meet here in the oldest of all parliaments because we know that democracy and the values it entails will always prevail," she said. "Those values - free speech, liberty, human rights, and the rule of law - are embodied here in this place but they are shared by free people around the world. "A terrorist came to the place where people of all nationalities and cultures gather to celebrate what it means to be free. And he took out his rage indiscriminately against innocent men, women and children. "This was an attack on free people everywhere - and on behalf of the British people, I would like to thank our friends and allies around the world who have made it clear that they stand with us at this time." Mrs May also paid tribute to Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood, who tried to save the life of PC Palmer by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and attempting to stem the flow of blood from his stab wounds in New Palace Yard. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning And she praised the police for "heroically" doing their job by stopping the attacker getting access to Parliamentary buildings by shooting him dead "within 20 yards of the gate". "If his intention was to gain access to this building, we should be clear that he did not succeed," she said. She also said it was wrong to describe the attack as Islamic, claiming it was "Islamist terrorism - it's a perversion of a great faith". Mr Corbyn said MPs were "united by our humanity, by our democratic values and by that human impulse for solidarity to stand together in times of darkness and adversity". "I express my condolences to the family and friends of PC Keith Palmer, who gave his life yesterday in defence of the public and our democracy - and to the loved ones of those still in a critical condition, including the French schoolchildren visiting our capital from Concarneau in Brittany," he said. "The injured include people of ten nationalities. Innocent people were killed yesterday walking across Westminster Bridge as many millions of Londoners and tourists have done before them." Conservative MP James Cleverly fought back tears as he paid tribute to his friend PC Palmer, who he met 25 years ago in the Royal Artillery. He asked Mrs May whether the police officer's "gallantry and sacrifice" could be recognised posthumously - to which she replied, that this would be considered in due course. SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said: "Today of all days we are reminded, notwithstanding our differences on political and constitutional issues, we are as one in our dedication to democracy, rule of law and harmony between people of all faiths and none." He wished Mrs May and Home Secretary Amber Rudd well in their work in the aftermath of the "appalling, indiscriminate, terrorist act". Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said MPs were "beyond thankful to the police, to the NHS, to the emergency services, actually to the staff of this House, in keeping us safe and being so utterly dedicated to their roles". He said: "Those who attack us hate our freedom, our peaceful democracy, our love of country, our tolerance, our openness and our unity." Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said PC Palmer "and his colleagues are the reason that we're here today and every other day". Over in the House of Lords, the Archbishop of Canterbury said: "Yesterday afternoon, one of our own security staff at Lambeth Palace - a Muslim - arrived at the gate having been missed by the vehicle very narrowly, and spent time helping those who'd been injured. "It was typical of this community in this country that he refused to go home until the end of his shift, and simply spent the time doing his job as he expected." But outside Parliament, UKIP leader Paul Nuttall called on the Muslim community to help cut out the "cancer within our society of radical Islam". He said security needed to be heightened, adding that "all that was needed for this terrorist attack to take place yesterday was a Hyundai 4x4 and a couple of kitchen knives". Earlier MPs, peers, police and workers around Whitehall observed a one minute's silence. Commons deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Parliament's security committee will hold an emergency meeting later on Thursday to discuss security arrangements on the estate. Speaking beside a police cordon outside Parliament, Mr Hoyle told BBC Breakfast: "We're in a village and our village policeman has been murdered and all of our thoughts are with the family and the other innocent victims. "But of course the House must continue - we will not give in to terrorism and today we'll continue. Mr Hoyle, who is also chairman of the security committee, said: "We will be having an emergency meeting. We'll be getting information - what else needs to be put in place - and we will reflect." He said there would be support for MPs and staff who "witnessed things they never expected to witness in their lives", he said. Mrs May has spoken to Mr Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in the period since the attack, and will speak to more foreign leaders over the course of Thursday, Downing Street said. The PM's official spokesman said Mrs May had been "focused entirely on this issue since it happened" and was in constant contact with police and security services. He declined to discuss whether any changes had been made to her schedule for the coming days.

Prime Minister Theresa May has told MPs: "We will never waver in the face of terrorism."

The male victim was found with serious head injuries at a property in Hungerford Road, Brislington, shortly before 20:00 BST. Avon and Somerset Police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The 38-year-old suspect remains in police custody. Hungerford Road is expected to remain closed until Monday evening while investigations continue.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found in Bristol on Sunday evening.

The threat from terrorism is always evolving, but some things remain constant - the emotions of loss and the risks taken by those who want peace, writes Peter Taylor. When I first started working in television 50 years ago, I never imagined that I would spend much of the next half century reporting the phenomenon of terrorism. From those early days I have tried to understand the roots of violence and explain not what happens but why it happens. Gradually I got used to reporting death. But I never became insensitive to it. During Northern Ireland's Troubles, I got to know a loyalist assassin - Billy Giles - well and grew to like him. I first met him when making a documentary in the Maze Prison in 1989. I talked to Billy in his cell. He was doing life for the murder of his Catholic workmate. He had lured him into a car and then shot him in the back of the head. "The only way to stop them was to terrorise them. It was them and us," he said. But the act of pulling the trigger had a profound effect on Billy. "Before I was a decent young man. It [the conflict] turned me into a killer. It felt like someone had reached down and ripped my insides out. You hear a bang and it's too late. [I] never felt a whole person again." He was released under the Good Friday Agreement - which established peace in Northern Ireland - and I met him again. He was a man transformed from the gaunt, haunted figure I'd met in the Maze. He was now wearing a suit, collar and tie and carrying a briefcase. He looked every inch a businessman and not a loyalist killer. Billy was upbeat and optimistic as he told me about starting a new life. But his ambition proved illusory. I later heard that he'd hanged himself. I was shattered. I couldn't believe that he'd taken his own life. He left a suicide note. He said he'd ordered a Chinese takeaway, prepared the noose and sat down to write a letter. "I was a victim too, now hopefully I'll be the last. Please don't let any kid suffer the history I have. Please let our next generation live normal lives. Steer them towards a life that is Troubles free. I've decided to bring this to an end now. I'm tired." I remember reading Billy's suicide note, hoping that his final wish would come true. At least some of it has. The emotion that has never left me is the profound sadness I feel for some of those whom I have met, got to know and interviewed. One interview affected me personally above all others. The blanket protest by the IRA prisoners in the Maze started in 1977. They refused to wear prison uniform, insisting they were political prisoners and not criminals. The protesters resorted to wearing only a blanket to try and force the issue. To try and understand the situation from the other side of the cell doors, I met Desmond Irvine, the secretary of the Northern Ireland Prison Officers Association. As a unionist prison officer, what he said came as a surprise. He agreed to do an interview despite the Northern Ireland Office advising him against it. I felt he wanted to get his message across. I asked if he respected the prisoners for their protest. "I don't think they just do it mainly for publicity but because it's their belief. I suppose one could say a person who believes sincerely in what he is doing, and is prepared to suffer for it, [deserves] a certain measure of respect which you give to him." After transmission, he wrote me a letter saying how pleased he was with the positive reaction he had had to the interview. Then a few days later, the IRA shot him dead. Deeply shocked, I felt sick. At his funeral I cried. And I remember the prison governor telling me not to blame myself, saying he was murdered because he was a prison officer and not because I had interviewed him. But I'm still haunted by what happened. I was called by a Belfast journalist who asked how it felt to have blood on my hands. Death had come too close to home and I seriously considered stopping reporting Northern Ireland. In the end, I decided to carry on. Peter Taylor's documentary, Fifty Years Behind the Headlines - Reflections on Terror, is on Saturday 1 April at 20:00 BST on BBC Radio Four. The pain I felt was nothing compared with that suffered by loved ones long after victims are forgotten. Joan Wilson was one of the most unforgettable people I met. She lost her 20-year-old daughter, Marie, a nurse, in the IRA bomb attack on Enniskillen's Remembrance Day parade in November 1987. Eleven people died, all of them Protestants, and all civilians, apart from one police reservist. Over 60 were injured. Joan was at home when the bomb went off. "I thought, well, Gordon [her husband] and Marie are there. I hope nothing terrible has happened." Both were buried under 6ft of rubble. Gordon managed to reach Marie's hand. "Daddy, I love you very much," were the last words she uttered. Joan rushed to the hospital knowing little of what had happened. "I was absolutely horrified to see Marie on the bed, wired up. I took her hand, and it was cold. "As we stood there watching her life ebbing away, it ebbed away, and she passed over to our heavenly father in our presence." The attack did incalculable damage to the IRA and the beginning of the peace process can be traced from that day. At the time, British and Irish intelligence services believed that Martin McGuinness was the acting head of the IRA's Northern Command - in whose operational area the attack took place - although when I put it to him, he denied it. I interviewed Joan after McGuinness had become Ian Paisley's partner in the Stormont government's devolved power sharing executive - a sight you might think Joan would find hard to stomach. But that wasn't the case. "I'm very pleased to see Dr Paisley, whom I regard as a great man of God, sharing with Martin McGuinness, and I think each will be good for the other. I've spoken to many victims of the IRA's campaign and many, like Lord Tebbit, whose wife Margaret was paralysed in the Brighton bomb, would profoundly disagree. Tebbit is excoriating in his condemnation of Martin McGuinness and furious at the media hagiography that he believes followed McGuinness's death. Peace eventually came to Northern Ireland, but other conflicts have proved more intractable. Going through my archive of over 100 documentaries reminds me of how chillingly prophetic many interviewees have been. In Lebanon, 25 years ago, I talked to Col Bill Cowan, the US undercover soldier sent to identify the masterminds behind two devastating truck bomb attacks carried out by Islamist suicide bombers in Beirut in 1983. The first reduced the US Embassy to rubble, killing 63 people including most of the CIA station. Six months later, the second suicide bomber killed 241 US Marines at their base south of Beirut. Many perished in an avalanche of concrete and masonry. I later interviewed Cowan by one of the few walls left standing - it had been part of a bar and you could still see a Playboy bunny drawn on it. He warned: "Unless we find a way of working with Islamic fundamentalism, we are going to face much, much greater threats over the next decade." The threats went far beyond the next decade. In 1998, al-Qaeda suicide truck bombs shattered two of America's east African embassies, massacring more than 200 people, most of them Muslims. Then three years later, 9/11 claimed the lives of almost 3,000 - it was a dramatic wake-up call to the world that Cowan's dire warning had come true. In another interview shortly after 9/11, Dewey Claridge, the spy who helped set up the CIA's Counterterrorism Centre, described what he wanted to see happening to Osama Bin Laden. "I don't want him brought to trial. I don't want to see a dead body because that just makes him a martyr. I just want him to disappear. Concrete shoes dropped into the Indian Ocean takes care of the dead part of 'dead or alive'." Bin Laden's fate was exactly as Dewey Claridge's crystal ball had predicted. In Northern Ireland it was a military stalemate that persuaded the British and the IRA to talk. That stalemate, in which the SAS and its covert intelligence arm, known as the "Det" (for Detachment), left the IRA in no doubt that the "Brits" were not going to allow the IRA to win. Between 1983 and 1992 the SAS and the Det shot dead 35 IRA suspects. I remember doing an interview with one "Det" operator, a young woman, who described the celebrations back at base after the killing of IRA volunteer, William Price in 1984. To some of the team, the permanent removal of an IRA man from the battlefield was cause for a party. "They [the IRA] make no secret of the fact that they celebrate the death of a soldier or policeman," she told me. "We celebrated in the same way. If a terrorist was shot, there was a cake made with their name on it." Wasn't that macabre? "Possibly," she replied, "but the saying is live by the sword and die by the sword." I finally found a photo of the cake - in the shape of a cross, with icing round the edges and "RIP" etched above the place where Price was killed. Perhaps the most uplifting stories in the midst of seemingly endless atrocities are about those who have the courage to take great personal risks to work towards peace. I found that the Derry businessman, Brendan Duddy, displayed extraordinary generosity of spirit. For over 20 years, he was the vital secret back channel intermediary between the MI6 officer Michael Oatley (and later his MI5 successor) and the IRA's ruling Army Council, via Martin McGuinness. This top secret channel of communication cultivated for so long in the shadows ultimately led to the IRA ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement. It took me many months to discover the identity of the mysterious intermediary and when I finally did, to my astonishment, his first words were: "I've been waiting to hear from you." A long night followed at Duddy's home, in the tiny parlour where many of the secret meetings were held. He told me his remarkable story. Extraordinarily, IRA leaders were being smuggled over the border and brought in from Belfast for negotiations with the British government via MI6 and MI5. It was 10 years after our first contact before Brendan finally agreed to an interview. The emotional stress he had suffered in his efforts to bring peace were apparent in his voice. He described being present at the seminal first meeting in his parlour between the MI6 officer, Michael Oatley, and Martin McGuinness in 1991. I asked why he had taken the risks he had. "When you ask questions like that I choke. I get emotional. I find it hard to answer. I had no choice." But can the principle of engaging with the enemy be applied to other conflicts? The former director of MI5, Eliza Manningham Buller, believes that it can. I interviewed her when the main threat came from al-Qaeda, in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings. The so-called Islamic State was yet to emerge. I asked if the "war on terror" was winnable. "Not in the military sense," she said. "There won't be a Waterloo or an El Alamein. The terminology about winning the 'war on terror' was not something that I ever subscribed to. It's always better to talk to the people who are attacking you than attacking them. I would hope that people are trying to reach out to the Taliban, to people on the edges of al-Qaeda to talk to them." So after 50 years what are the lessons to be learned about defeating terrorism? It has to be tackled on both the military and political front, with both security forces and their political masters being sensitive to the delicate balance between alienating communities and gaining their support. In the absence of the elusive military victory, governments also need to be ready to engage with the enemy as the British did with the IRA, the Spanish have tried with Eta and most recently the Colombians have achieved with the Farc. All these were possible because the enemy had a political agenda around which there could be dialogue. The problem with al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State is that their agenda embraces a thousand years not 50. And al-Qaeda and IS are infinitely more ruthless and indiscriminate than the IRA ever was. It is even difficult, as last week's attack in Westminster shows, to establish whether or not an attacker is genuinely one of their adherents or supporters. Although victory over IS may be declared in Mosul and Raqqa, the final victory lies not in crushing its armies on the battlefield but in defeating its ideology.

Peter Taylor's documentary, Fifty Years Behind the Headlines - Reflections on Terror, is on Saturday 1 April at 20:00 BST on BBC Radio Four.

Michael Lever, 43, strangled Caroline Lever at hospital accommodation at Law Hospital, Carluke, while she was pregnant between 1997 and July 1998. He was also convicted of attacking her son between July 2001 and March 2004 and his 16-year-old daughter between January 2008 and January 2010. Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the General Medical Council had been informed. Mrs Lever, 42, told the court Lever moved in to the flat she shared with her son, Patrick George, at Dowanhill Street, Glasgow, within months of them becoming a couple. She recalled the time when he attacked her after they moved to hospital accommodation at Law Hospital. The witness confirmed Lever knew she was pregnant and she had no memory of how the incident began. Mrs Lever told the jury: "He strangled me over a table." In his evidence Mr George described how he recalled Lever strangling his mother. He told the court: "I was scared that he was going to kill her." The court also heard of an incident when Lever held a knife to his own throat during an argument with his wife and threatened to kill himself. The incident, which took place at Sydenham Road, Glasgow, was also seen by Mr George and his mother, who were said to be scared. The court heard that when the family lived in Denholm in the Scottish borders, Lever slapped Mr George on the side of the face for taking one of his university books with him to school. Sophie Lever, 16, also gave evidence against her father and told how she was hit by a can of beer after an argument. She told the jury that the family were living in Marchmont Terrace, Glasgow, when the assault happened. Lever, from Nether Auchendrane, Ayr, denied the charges but was found guilty by a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

A doctor has been jailed for 15 months after being found guilty of carrying out attacks against his family.

Paul Anderson, 37, Joanna Farrer, 38, and the girl were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday of religiously aggravated actual bodily harm. The victims, a mother and daughter, were punched and kicked repeatedly during the attack in Eltham last May. Anderson, of Sevenoaks, was jailed for three years. Farrer, of Eltham, and the girl will be sentenced at a later date. The court heard the attack, on 5 May, started when the younger victim had an altercation with the teenager, then aged 12, as she and a boy crossed Middle Park Avenue in Eltham, south east London, in front of her car. It escalated when the daughter, a 23 year old, met up with her 42-year-old mother and they bumped into the girl and the boy again, who verbally abused the mother. The girl - who cannot be named because of her age - then attacked the daughter before running off as the woman backed away to call the police. But she quickly returned with Anderson, Farrer and another, unidentified, woman, the Met Police said. Anderson punched the 42-year-old woman to the ground whereby one of the female attackers tried to rip off her hijab. He then punched the younger victim and both women were repeatedly struck by the gang as they lay on the ground, police said. The attack only stopped when one of the victims managed to flag down a passing ambulance, causing the suspects to flee. In sentencing, Anderson was ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation to the victims and had an extra month added to his sentence after he called the victims and members of the jury "an offensive word" during the trial. Farrer will be sentenced on 21 April while the girl will be sentenced at Bromley Youth Court on a date to be set. Melanie Pressley, of the Met Police's Greenwich Community Safety Unit, said: "This was a brutal and completely unnecessary attack on two Muslim women who were racially abused and then assaulted. "The victims were left terrified by what happened and lived in fear they would be targeted again."

A 13-year-old girl was among three people found guilty of a "brutal" race hate attack on two Muslim women.

Beeley, 27, turned down a new deal with League Two Morecambe at the end of last season to join the fifth-tier side. The full-back, who made 93 League appearances for the Shrimps over a two-year spell, accepted the Bluebirds' offer straight away. "In my eyes it's definitely a move forward," Beeley told BBC Cumbria. "The gaffer Paul [Cox] was interested, it was a bit of a no-brainer for me." He continued: "Barrow are a team that will be going for it, they want to achieve promotion. "The quality of the lads that we've got and the manager himself, I don't see why we can't push for promotion this year."

Barrow defender Shaun Beeley says his move into non-league was a 'no-brainer' as the club set their sights on promotion to the Football League.

The German was 0.203 seconds quicker than Hamilton, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen third, a second off the pace. Mercedes set their times on the super-soft tyre, while Ferrari used the soft, which would account for about half the gap between the two cars. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was fourth, ahead of Force India's Sergio Perez. Hamilton enters the race nine points ahead of Rosberg in the championship after recovering from 21st on the grid to finish third at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, as Rosberg won. Ferrari have used the last of their remaining engine development 'tokens' ahead of their home race in an attempt to boost their competitiveness after a slump in form that has seen them lose second place in the constructors' championship to Red Bull. The fastest Red Bull was Max Verstappen in eighth, behind Haas driver Romain Grosjean and Williams' Valtteri Bottas, whose team-mate Felipe Massa announced on Thursday that he would retire at the end of the year. Verstappen remains the focus of attention following his controversial battle with Raikkonen in Belgium. Raikkonen has criticised Verstappen for being too dangerous, while the Dutchman said he would not change his driving because others were not happy. The stewards took no action against Verstappen in Spa, but BBC Sport has learned that Charlie Whiting, the F1 director of governing body the FIA, felt that Verstappen's late move in defence at 200mph as Raikkonen attacked was on the edge of acceptability. Whiting told the teams in a meeting on Thursday that he felt Verstappen could have received a black-and-white warning flag for his driving. The black-and-white flag is an indication of unsportsmanlike behaviour and is only shown once. If the driver commits the same offence again he can be disqualified from the race. Whiting's intervention raised the stakes in the debate ahead of the drivers' briefing after practice on Friday afternoon, where the incident is expected to be discussed. It was a relatively low-key session on track, despite a number of drivers running off the track at the tricky Monza chicanes in the warm sunshine. McLaren's session came to an unfortunate end as Fernando Alonso was forced to pit with a gearshift problem. He was 13th, with team-mate Jenson Button 11th, the drivers expecting their most difficult weekend of the year because of the lack of power of the Honda engine, which still lags despite recent updates. Button and Verstappen ran the halo head protection system in the first part of the session as trials continue ahead of the planned introduction of the device in 2018. Italian Grand Prix first practice results Italian Grand Prix coverage details

Nico Rosberg headed team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes dominated first practice at the Italian Grand Prix.

Experiments in mice showed that levels of adenosine - a natural painkiller - increased in tissues near acupuncture sites. The Nature Neuroscience study also found that in mice resistant to the effects of adenosine, acupuncture had no effect. Pain experts said the findings may partly explain how the treatment works. Adenosine is known to have many roles in the body including regulating sleep and reducing inflammation, the researchers said. Other research has shown that it becomes active in the skin after an injury to act as a local painkiller. In the latest study, the researchers were looking at the effects of the molecule in the deeper tissues which acupuncturists target with fine needles. The team performed a 30-minute acupuncture session at a pressure point in the knee of mice that had discomfort in one paw. They found that in mice with normal functioning levels of adenosine, acupuncture reduced soreness by two-thirds, as assessed by nerve sensitivity measurements. In mice specially engineered to lack the receptor for adenosine, acupuncture had no effect. And during and immediately after an acupuncture treatment, the level of adenosine in the tissues near the needles was 24 times greater than before the treatment, the researchers said. Then using a drug which extends the effects of adenosine, they found that the benefits of acupuncture lasted three times as long. Study leader Dr Maiken Nedergaard, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said: "Acupuncture has been a mainstay of medical treatment in certain parts of the world for 4,000 years, but because it has not been understood completely, many people have remained skeptical. "In this work, we provide information about one physical mechanism through which acupuncture reduces pain in the body," she added. Acupuncture is used for a wide range of treatments but on the NHS its use is limited to lower back pain. Experts pointed out that acupuncture may mediate its effects in a number of different ways. A spokesman from the British Pain Society said: "We have known for a long time that acupuncture alters the response to pain by modulation of some of the pain pathways in the spinal cord, and also by the release of endorphins. "It is very interesting that scientists have found an alteration in the tissue levels of adenosine, which helps to explain some of the modulatory effects of acupuncture on pain perception." Professor Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary medicine at Peninsula Medical School agreed the study might go some way towards explaining how acupuncture reduces pain. "We need, I would argue, independent replications with more rigorous controls before we can fully accept its findings. "The curious thing with acupuncture is that we seem to understand better and better how it might work and, at the same time, we have more and more reason to doubt that it works."

A molecule which may control how acupuncture relieves pain has been pinpointed by US researchers.

It will be the chancellor's first opportunity to outline his priorities in the wake of the Brexit vote. BBC Wales spoke to a mother-of-three who hopes Mr Hammond will give reassurances to families like hers about the impact on the economy of leaving the European Union. In the uncertain financial and political climate Cathryn Scott, who lives with her husband Jonathan Hurley in the Heath area of Cardiff, has concerns about her young family's future. The 38-year-old, who writes a blog for mums living in Cardiff, is one of 201,200 self-employed workers in Wales. "I do worry about the future, we had three children quite close together all within four years, so we could have three children all at university at the same time," she says. "They could still be at home until they are in their mid 20s." Prices are rising in the UK at the steepest rate since 2011, with uncertainty over Brexit weakening the pound and driving up the cost of materials. "I feel like we were just coming out of a recession and we are going to go back into it," says Cathryn, who left her job in 2007 to become a freelance journalist. With three children, two-year-old Isaac, Eva, six, and five-year-old Owen, the family feel lucky, but she says they have had to cut back on luxuries and change their spending habits. On Wednesday in his first Autumn Statement, Mr Hammond is expected to promise help for the group described as JAMs, the households "just about managing" to avoid poverty - a group Theresa May made a priority to help in her first speech as Prime Minister. According to the Resolution Foundation independent think tank, 35% of working age households in Wales are JAMS. These are families who have at least one person in work, they can earn up to £50,000 but are struggling to cope because of several children. "It is when we get unexpected expenses that it's a nightmare," said Cathryn, adding that the children had never been abroad, but had instead enjoyed holidays in a caravan borrowed from a friend. "We had a few things in one month; the car wouldn't work, my toddler broke the TV, and then I crashed the car into a bollard - which was my fault, but it all added up to about £2,000." Cathryn and her family have invited BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales programme to talk about the economy over breakfast ahead of the Autumn Statement. While record levels of people are now in work in both the UK and Wales, many of the jobs are low paid and low skilled. As of April 2016, 1,421,700 people were in employment in Wales, earning an average (median) wage of £492 a week, or £25,584 per annum. Historically, Wales has recorded the lowest wages in the UK, but in April this year the East Midlands' average (median) came in at £9 lower, according to labour market statistics by the ONS. Over 350,000 people are classed as part-time workers - making up 26% of the workforce in Wales. Cathryn said her decision to scale back since she left full time work had made an impact on her day-to-day decisions and she felt like the 'middle' were being squeezed. "A lot of the mums I know have to work and find that a lot of the money they earn goes on childcare," she said. "We would like to redecorate our house, but we just don't have that kind of money at the moment, and if we did we would worry about spending it." She is always on the look out for a bargain, cooks in batches, saves up points, and shops at a discount supermarket chain because it is cheaper - her Christmas shopping is done months in advance to take advantage of the sales. "I think, will I ever be able to afford to retire? And being self employed, there is no company putting into my pension," she adds, saying the cost of petrol and heating added to the problem. With Wales having the highest proportion of people living in relative poverty - 23% - in the UK outside London, and the highest percentage of children living in poverty - one in three - of any nation in the UK, Cathryn feels her family are lucky and worries about the impact of potential cuts on people worse off than her. "It feels like the rich get rich and the poor are getting poorer," said Cathryn. "I worry more about other people, I'm concerned about people having their benefits cut. "We live in the 21st Century and in Wales we have some of the worst child poverty levels. We need some reassurance that people aren't going to be worse off." The couple has already set up a savings account for their children to send them to university, but Cathryn worries about their future financial security. She also worries about the state of public services including the NHS. While there have been some spoilers, it will not be clear exactly what will be in the Autumn Statement or what the impact will be for public services and infrastructure in Wales until Mr Hammond gets to his feet in the Commons on Wednesday afternoon - and then Cathryn, and families like hers, will see if any changes affect their pockets.

Chancellor Philip Hammond will update MPs on the government's taxation and spending plans during the Autumn Statement on Wednesday.

The men, described as Asian or north African, surrounded 18 women watching a firework display, kissing and groping them, police said. A special police investigation team is conducting the search. Authorities said they were also searching refugee shelters for the suspects. The attack happened in the city's main square, where thousands had gathered for the New Year's Eve celebration, the AFP news agency reported. The head of the investigation, Ernst Kranebitter, told the BBC that the scale of the attacks and the way they were carried out were unprecedented for Innsbruck. Innsbruck's attacks come a year after more than 100 women reported sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany, on New Year's Eve 2015. Gangs of migrants were accused of the assaults. Cologne responded with an increased police presence at this year's event. But police were accused of racial profiling, and it emerged that almost all of the 650 people stopped for identity checks were north African. Meanwhile, reports of mass sexual assaults in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on New Year's Eve have been dismissed by local police.

Police in Austria are hunting for at least six men accused of "unprecedented" sexual assaults on New Year's Eve in the city of Innsbruck.

Either way it raises profound questions about the purpose and direction of the European Union (EU). The regional elections in Germany will be a good indication if Angela Merkel's plunging popularity among German voters has really been halted. If it hasn't, Mrs Merkel's party may not let her stand in the next general election. Mrs Merkel, or Anjela Myrtle as one vox populi had it on the World This Weekend, has long seemed a straightforward politician, shorn of both drama and charisma. But she is growing increasingly enigmatic, baffling even close observers. The new deal with Turkey is her deal, more than the European Union's - the FT says it was done behind the back of her European allies, and left some of them "bruised and angered" by cutting them out in a "brutal" manner. Migrant crisis: EU and Turkey plan one-in, one-out deal Migrant crisis: Will Merkel be left out in the cold? Greece needs EU help to avoid chaos, says Merkel Profile: Angela Merkel Even the famously myopic British media now report what Mrs Merkel says as a matter of some note. This partly reflects the fact she has been around for ten years, longer than any other European leader. But there is another reason, which goes to the forgotten heart of the debate about the European Union. Who is boss? Who is in charge? Whose word counts? And how to deal with the obvious, the natural answer to those questions ever since the unification of Germany in 1871. We don't talk about it, but it matters more than most of the froth and flotsam about this debate. It is both right and proper that in this country the debate about EU membership is about our prosperity, security and without being too pompous, our destiny. But in or out of the EU will not change the fact that the UK will continue to exist on the edge of a large continent with which we have long had a mingled history of occasional splendid isolation and equally irritated engagement. When absorbed in the European question the British aim has usually been balance - to make sure no one other power has sway. Given the potential for misinterpretation and misunderstanding I want to state explicitly that making this point is not an argument for or against continued participation in the EU - it is however an argument that we are likely to continue to be vitally engaged with the rest of Europe whether or not we are part of this particular organisation. You can believe the origins of the European Union were a desire for a country called Europe or a project about creating a super power to rival the US and you will have a point. But the last part of the aphorism of NATO's first secretary general Lord Ismay about that organization is more apposite: "To keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down." The European coal and steel community, the forerunner of the European Economic Community, was founded explicitly to create a common market in the materials of war, and to keep them out of Germany's hands alone. This may seem like ancient history - Germany is clearly not going to wage war on the rest of Europe, it is one of the least aggressive nations in the world and any danger has long past. In one sense that is all true. It might be that German dominance of Europe is rather better for the continent than, say, if the French or Italians were in such a role. But the problem, or at least fact, of German pre-eminence has a new and ever-building relevance. Since reunification Germany is once again the richest and most powerful country in Europe. Guilt over the war will take a long time to fade, and will perhaps always make the country more thoughtful about conflict than others. But there is an ever-growing assertiveness, and more and more Germans now believe that putting the national interest before the interests of the continent as a whole is no longer sinful and unspeakable. It was a telling moment when Angela Merkel was first elected that she felt free to tour a submarine, like any other leader of a major power would. It didn't summon up ghosts of the past. But wind forward a few years and that didn't stop the Greeks putting cartoons of her portrayed as Hitler on their banners when protesting against austerity measures. German power is at the heart of the two crises facing Europe. Angela Merkel is not to blame for the Syrian civil war or the lure of Europe as an economic destination. But she did make it clear Syrian refugees were welcome, a move that is still puzzling the best-informed commentators. She has insisted that other countries should do more, and that the passport-less, border-free area of Schengen should not be a victim of her call. At the heart of the Greek Euro crisis is the view held by many influential people in Germany that their taxpayers should not have to bail out what some see as feckless, over-spending tax-dodging southerners. In a sense this is an instance of wanting the Euro to function pretty much like the Deutschmark once did. That particular story is dormant, Greece continues to struggle, but out of the headlines at least. Still, a rocky, profoundly difficult road lies ahead for the Euro. There is a general agreement in the Five Presidents' Report that the countries using the Euro should move towards fiscal and financial union, including a Eurozone treasury. The main reason that nothing has been done is that there is no agreement whether this should be on the German model or not. Of course the two crises wouldn't, in one sense, exist if the European Union wasn't around. There wouldn't be a Euro, for a start. And there wouldn't be a passport-free area for migrants to travel through. So in that sense Germany's wishes wouldn't matter. Greece could do whatever it wanted with the drachma without it worrying German taxpayers. Mrs Merkel could be a siren to Syrians and she would have to find a way of getting them to Germany, as presumably they would be stopped at borders, which had never ceased to exist. But again, if the EU simply went away, it wouldn't erase some serious questions.. You could argue that by having to find agreement with 27 other countries, not to mention the Commission and the European Parliament, the will of Germany is tempered by a natural filter, that is bound to water down its ambitions. Would Germany unfettered from an organisation like the EU be more modest in its ambitions? Is the European Union no longer a restraining order, but the means by which Germany gets its way? Or is it simply the only game in town, the arena in which Germany exercises its power? Hard questions to ask, let alone answer, but worth pondering at a critical crossroads.

We may know by the weekend if the Empress of Europe will be dethroned sooner rather than later, or if her latest deal on the refugee crisis will save her bacon.

She said the UK would opt out of all 133 EU law and order measures in the Lisbon Treaty and seek to rejoin 35 of them "in the national interest". She rejected calls by Tory MPs to scrap the warrant, but said it would be reformed to exclude minor crimes. Labour said the announcement was "hardly a triumph of repatriation" and accused Mrs May of being soft on crime. To shouts of "shame" from Tory benches, Mrs May said Britain would rejoin the European Arrest Warrant, but said British law would be amended to "rectify problems and increase protections" for people wanted for extradition. "For reasons of policy, principle and pragmatism, I believe that it is in the national interest to exercise the United Kingdom's opt-out and rejoin a much smaller set of measures which help us to cooperate with our European neighbours in the fight against serious and organised crime. "I also believe that Her Majesty's government must strike the right balance between supporting law enforcement and protecting our traditional liberties. Q&A: European Arrest Warrant "What I have outlined today will achieve both of those goals," she told MPs. Mrs May promised "additional safeguards" to stop the European Arrest Warrant being used to extradite British nationals for relatively minor offences. The Extradition Act will be amended to ensure that people can only be extradited if the country seeking them has made a decision to charge and try them, unless their presence is required to make that decision. The law will also be changed to make sure that British citizens cannot be extradited for acts that are not an offence under British law in cases where part of the conduct took place in the UK. She said the UK would also be seeking to opt back in to pan-EU intelligence sharing agency Europol, "provided that Europol is not given the power to direct national law enforcement agencies to initiate investigations or share data that conflicts with our national security". The government has tabled a motion for Commons debate next week on the conditions for rejoining Europol, to be held after a vote on the wider plan to opt back in to the 35 measures. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper accused Mrs May of a U-turn on the European Arrest Warrant, after previously suggesting it was not in the UK's interest. "Why has it taken the home secretary three years to realise we don't want to go back to the days of the Costa Del Crime, where British criminals could flee to Spain or European criminals could find safe haven here?" she asked MPs. Ms Cooper said many of the crime and security measures Mrs May wanted the UK to opt out of were no longer in use, had been replaced or had never been used by Britain. "The home secretary has tried to play Britannia, clothing herself in the union jack, parading powers that she is repatriating from Brussels, but where is the substance?" she added. She accused the home secretary of jeopardising the fight against serious cross-border crime by playing politics with the issue. The UK will require the agreement of the EU's 27 other members to be able to re-adopt selected measures. Some Conservative MPs have been critical of the pan-European warrant scheme, introduced in 2004 to speed up the extradition process for convicted offenders and criminal suspects across European borders. But the Lib Dems say UK participation in the warrant, which was used to detain and extradite from Italy one of those subsequently convicted of involvement in attempted bombings in London in July 2005, makes it easier to bring offenders to justice and Labour says ditching it would be "crazy". The European Commission said it "respects" the UK government's choice to opt out and "welcomes the UK intention to also opt back into certain measures". "The commission will clearly need to take the necessary time to assess the indicative list of proposals for opting back in that the UK has outlined. "The final commission position will be taken after the formal notification of the final list ie after 1 December 2014 and will be based on the criteria set out in the protocol, policy coherence and practical operability of cooperation in this area. "At first sight, it appears that the UK has looked at the opt-ins in a pragmatic way. The commission hopes that the UK can continue to contribute actively and pragmatically to the EU wide fight against organised crime and terrorism."

The UK wants to remain signed up to the European Arrest Warrant, Home Secretary Theresa May has told MPs.

Poole Pirates rider Darcy Ward was injured early on Saturday following an incident outside the Churchill Arms, Sturminster Marshall. The Australian, 20, will miss the Pirates' Speedway Grand Final second leg against Swindon on Monday night. Dorset Police confirmed a man suffered a minor head injury in the incident at 01:15 BST on Saturday. Team manager Neil Middleditch, who was out with Mr Ward moments before the attack, admitted his rider remembers very little of what happened. He said: "The details are a bit sketchy. "Darcy hit his head quite hard on the ground after he took a punch and we've subsequently discovered it caused a brain bleed. "He is still in hospital and hopefully we're going to get some good news and be able to bring him home today. "I feel really deflated as Darcy has played such a key role in getting us to the championships." Earlier this year, Mr Ward was cleared of a charge of sexual assault against 17-year-old girl following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court. The second leg of Poole Pirates' Grand Final against Swindon Robins is being held at Wimborne Road on Monday night.

A speedway rider is being treated in hospital for a head injury after an attack outside a Dorset pub.

Media playback is not supported on this device Hamilton had to pass both Williams after losing the lead off the line and second place at a re-start following an early safety car. But the Mercedes driver fought back to take the lead at the first pit stops. Rain made for a chaotic end to the race but Hamilton came through to win from team-mate Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Felipe Massa took fourth ahead of Williams team-mate Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat was sixth, Force India's Nico Hulkenberg claimed seventh and the second Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen came eighth. The world champion's fifth win of the season - extending his championship lead to 17 points - was greeted with roars of delight from the capacity 140,000 fans. Media playback is not supported on this device Hamilton admitted the Mercedes' bad starts had "made the race for the fans" and, as thousands streamed on to the track to salute him on the podium, he said: "Thank you for coming out today and making my whole weekend, I really wanted to do it for you guys. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm so elated. You can't imagine how happy I am. I was tearing up on the last lap." Hamilton's path to victory was far from smooth, however, as Massa leapt into the lead past both Mercedes from third on the grid. Hamilton fended off a challenge from Bottas for second on the first lap, at the end of which the safety car was deployed because of a pile-up at the first corner, involving both Lotuses and both McLarens. Three of the four cars were taken out of the race in one go, with Lotus team-mates Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado appearing to collide and McLaren's Fernando Alonso half-spinning as he took avoiding action and collecting team-mate Jenson Button, whose car also retired. Alonso was able to continue, but needed to pit for a new front wing, although the late rain shower helped the double champion beat Sauber's Marcus Ericsson to finish 10th and score his first points of a difficult year in the uncompetitive and unreliable McLaren-Honda. At the restart, Hamilton tried an aggressive move on Massa immediately after the safety car line, which indicates the place from which drivers can begin to race and at Silverstone is on the entry to the final Vale-Club corner complex. But Hamilton overcooked it, ran briefly off the track, and Bottas took advantage and sneaked through into second. Bottas was initially told he could not try to pass Massa, only for Williams to relent and allow them to race. But the Finn could not pass the Brazilian as the two silver Mercedes tracked the two white Williams to the first pit-stop period. Hamilton was brought in first, on lap 19, and the so-called 'undercut' worked perfectly as he produced what Williams technical chief Pat Symonds called a "stunning" in-lap. Media playback is not supported on this device A quick pit stop and a strong first lap out of the pits meant that when Massa and Rosberg pitted on the next lap Hamilton passed them before they were back out the circuit. Rosberg came oh-so-close to beating Massa out - the two cars were side by side as they went down the pits, but Massa had the inside line for the corner where the pit lane rejoins the track and held on to second. Even worse for Rosberg, when Bottas stopped on the next lap, the Finn rejoined ahead of the Mercedes and although Rosberg overtook him into Turn Four, Bottas got straight back in front through the kink at Turn Five. Rosberg stayed stuck in fourth place until lap 36 of 52 when light rain began to fall. At first, it hit only the northern part of the track at Luffield, Woodcote and Copse corners but a wobble from Bottas at Copse gave Rosberg the chance he needed and he took third, and then a couple of laps later moved into second past Massa at Turn Three. The rain, which stopped and then returned with greater intensity over the whole of the track, was bad news for Williams, both of whose cars were passed by Vettel as the teams juggled with tyre choices in the intermittent rain at the end of the race. It was an unexpected surprise for Ferrari at the end of one of their least competitive races of the season. British GP results

Lewis Hamilton battled through a bad start and late-race rain to win an action-packed British Grand Prix

Mr Tucker told BBC Two's Britain's Banks: Too Big to Save? programme that despite changes to the banking system since the 2008 financial crisis, more still needs to be done. Banks still do not hold high enough levels of capital - and no bank should be considered too big to fail. These problems go to the very heart of the UK financial system, he said. "If we have a system where banks take the upside but the taxpayer takes the downside something has gone wrong with capitalism, with the very heart of capitalism, and we need to repair this," Mr Tucker told BBC business editor Robert Peston. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News Read Robert's blog in full "Capitalism can't work unless these financial firms at the centre of the heart of capitalism can be subject to orderly failure. The rules of capitalism need to apply to them just as they do to non-financial companies." Mr Tucker said that big banks should be forced to hold sufficient capital - more than under current international rules - so that they have enough capacity to absorb losses if things go wrong. Furthermore, new insolvency rules should be brought in to make it easier for banks to go bust without any losses falling on taxpayers. This issue has been central to the debate about how to change the banking system to try to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, when taxpayers were faced with the bill for bailing-out some of the world's biggest banks. The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, suggested in a speech in 2009 that "if some banks are thought to be too big to fail, then... they are too big". When the financial crisis struck, the government stepped in to provide financial assistance for several UK banks. Northern Rock was taken into state ownership, and the government now owns an 83% stake in Royal Bank of Scotland and a 41% stake in Lloyds Banking Group. In June last year, the government set up the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) in order to look at possible reforms to the UK banking sector. In September, the commission said it would be considering the issue of whether banks' retail and investment operations should be split. It also said it would look at whether "market concentration" should be reduced - with its figures showing that the top six British banks control 88% of all deposits in the country. The commission is also looking at whether banks should have a "living will" - a declaration of how a bank would wind itself down, should any future financial crisis fatally undermine it. The ICB has until September 2011 to make recommendations to the government.

Capitalism cannot work unless banks are allowed to go bust, Bank of England deputy governor Paul Tucker has said.

The 26-year-old forward was released by Carlisle United in June, after making 10 appearances for the League Two club. Balanta has been training with the Wood during pre-season. "I'm taking him to play up top, he'll be competing with two other forwards and he'll be judged on his work rate, attitude and, of course, his goals," manager Luke Garrard told the club website. "Angelo knows he needs to kick-start his career here at Meadow Park, as he's not a wonder kid any longer. "He must show me he has the desire to succeed everyday as nobody can question his ability." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Boreham Wood have signed Angelo Balanta on a one-year deal for a free transfer.

It's no longer just famous names who are selling their works. A growing number of art fairs and online marketplaces mean new artists starting out are also able to reach buyers well beyond their home markets. "It's just a crazy time at the moment," says Alex Rotter, chairman of post-war and contemporary art at auction house Christie's, apologising for his late call. We manage to speak just days before he kicks off the auction house's New York sale of 26 contemporary art works from husband-and-wife property development duo Jerry and Emily Spiegel. This kind of single-owner collection "gathered with one breath", as Mr Rotter describes it, is rare. The sale includes famous works by Christopher Wool and Sigmar Polke. With these two pieces valued at $20m (£15.5m) each, the 26 works are expected to raise $100m in total. While the collection is being sold in New York, the top pieces have already been on a mini-world tour - travelling to Hong Kong, London and Los Angeles in a bid to drum up international interest. "If you commit to buying a painting worth thousands of dollars then you want to see it first," says Mr Rotter. Global art and antique sales totalled $57bn last year, down 11% on 2015, with the US dominating the marketplace, closely followed by the UK and China. On a practical level, this means that delicate and often precious paintings have to travel thousands of miles without being damaged. The value of Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with Ermine painting was considered so great that when it was sent from its Polish home to the US, it was reportedly given its own first-class plane seat, as well as an armed guard to make sure it reached its destination intact. While this kind of treatment is exceptional, valuable paintings are typically transported in expensive protective crates complete with detectors to monitor humidity and temperature levels. British artist Paul West says that when he secured his first sale through online marketplace Artfinder to a buyer in Australia, his initial reaction was a joyous "yes", followed by a sinking realisation that he now had to get the piece there safely. In the three years since he joined the website, Mr West has sold around 47 paintings, with almost a third of these to buyers in the US and Australia. He recommends lots of bubble wrap and masking tape, and to tape sponge onto the corners. So far his worst mishap has been a hold-up at customs, which meant a painting took a month rather than a week to reach its destination. For the 52-year-old, selling outside the UK has broadened his opportunities. "Access to the global market is a massive plus. I was producing work I was pleased with, but apart from art fairs, it was quite hard to be seen," he says. Artfinder founder and chief executive Jonas Almgren set up the service in 2013. He wanted to provide independent artists such as Mr West, who weren't already represented by a gallery, with a place to sell their work. The online marketplace now features artists from 108 countries, with customers similarly global. Originally a Silicon Valley software engineer, Mr Almgren subsequently spent a decade working in high-end galleries in New York, where a painting under $10,000 was considered affordable. He says his experience taught him that most artists "just didn't have a chance" to succeed, and he wanted to change this. The firm charges a 30% commission on all sales, and to address the obvious issue that it's hard to buy something so visual online, funds free returns. Last year the firm sold £5m worth of paintings. The company has given him an insight into how global tastes differ. While landscape and abstract paintings are popular everywhere, the UK particularly likes paintings of cats and dogs, he says. In contrast, US buyers prefer portraits and typically buy bigger paintings, probably because they tend to have bigger homes. The pound's current weakness against the dollar also means that US buyers can afford to spend more on UK art. But the most important thing, says Mr Almgren, is that his firm tries to cater for all tastes. "A gallery always has a very strong taste. We've taken that model and turned it upside down," he says. Rise Art had similar ambitions to shake up the existing market. Set up in 2011, the start-up focuses on online sales, with prices from £200 to £30,000. While online sales remain a small part of the overall global art market - less than 10% - reports suggest it's a growing area. But founder and chief executive Scott Phillips admits that no matter how good the virtual images are, an artwork "always looks better in the flesh". To help buyers' confidence, the site enables them to rent artworks and live with a piece before committing. The firm is much more selective than Artfinder, accepting only 1% to 5% of the artists who apply to sell via the site. Rise Art also charges a higher commission of 40%. Mr Phillips says websites like his are part of a new, more sensitive wave of disruptive firms. Unlike eBay and Amazon, which, he says, have commoditised products and been "a destructive power in some ways", Rise Art "celebrates creativity, giving artists a new vehicle for selling and showcasing their work". While he's cagey on precise numbers, the firm now ships to 40 countries and revenue for the first three months of this year was 110% higher than a year ago. The Affordable Art Fair (AAF) has experienced similarly rapid growth. Since starting out in London's Battersea Park in 1999, it now holds fairs in more than 10 cities around the world. Founder Will Ramsay says the motivation behind the business was to prove that "you don't need to be a squillionaire to buy art". While prices can be as high as £5,000 for a single painting, the AAF's average selling price in the UK is £600. The firm makes its money by charging the galleries for the space they rent at its fairs, as well as through ticket prices and sponsors. Recently, the firm has started online sales, an area Mr Ramsay sees as complementing the art fairs. He owns two televisions - one to watch the video art he has accumulated and the other to watch normal TV. He says the 130 pieces of art he has collected are "memories through my life". "Don't buy because you think it may go up in value," he advises would-be collectors, "but because you love it and want it on your wall at home."

You don't have to spend millions of pounds to buy an original piece of art.

George Osborne added that it would be "extraordinary" not to engage with US pharmaceutical giant. Pfizer's chairman Ian Read says the proposal is a "win-win for society". Labour said the firm's promises regarding the proposed deal were "not worth the paper they are written on". Some fear the currently-rejected deal could jeopardise Britain's science and medical industries. Four British scientific bodies - the Society of Biology, Biochemical Society, British Pharmacological Society and Royal Society of Chemistry - have warned that recent mergers and acquisitions have led to lab closures, threatening the research base. AstraZeneca has eight sites in the UK and about 6,700 employees. Pfizer offered £63bn for the UK pharmaceutical firm on 2 May. If the deal were to go ahead, it would be the biggest takeover in UK corporate history. AstraZeneca's board said the offer - the second Pfizer has made - was too low, and that it believed a major driver for the takeover was the move to establish a tax residence in the UK by changing its company structure. MPs will investigate the proposed takeover deal next week. Mr Osborne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "My job is to create both a really competitive place for businesses to come to Britain and create jobs in Britain. And we're seeing those jobs being created. "But I'm also, on the specifics, prepared to get in the room and have a hard negotiation with very large companies and be very, very, hard-nosed about what we want to deliver in terms of good British science and good British jobs." Pfizer has said it would relocate large parts of its business to the UK if the deal goes through. It has also suggested it wants to invest in research which could create more jobs. BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed said Britain was highly attractive because of its low corporation tax levels and the tax incentives for scientific research. In a series of videos posted on Pfizer's website, Mr Read said the proposed takeover was motivated by "three components of value", including combining some of the companies' products and improving efficiency. "I think both companies have strategies that are aimed at growing and aimed at meeting patients' needs," he said. "I believe that by combining these two companies we strengthen those possibilities. We strengthen the ability to bring products to patients. We strengthen the financial aspects of the company." He added: "We can invest in science. I see this as a win-win for society, a win-win for shareholders, and a win-win for stakeholders." The government has powers to veto certain deals, such as those involving defence and media companies, and apply a "public interest test". But this is rare, and its scope to intervene is also limited by the European Commission. Prime Minister David Cameron told the Commons this week that Pfizer's assurances - including retaining at least 20% of the combined companies' research and development workforce in the UK for at least five years and basing its European HQ in Britain - were "encouraging". But he said he was "not satisfied" with them and wanted the firm to do more. Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna MP said the assurances Pfizer had given ministers were "not worth the paper they are written on," as it had refused to rule out breaking up AstraZeneca in the future. "The government could act immediately to work to put in place a stronger public interest test encompassing cases with an impact on strategic elements of our science base and seek a proper, independent assessment of the potential takeover as Labour has called for. Instead, ministers have sat on their hands," he said. Mr Read and AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot will be questioned by the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on Tuesday morning. They will then face MPs on the Science and Technology Committee on Wednesday, when Science Minister David Willetts will also be asked about the government's position. AstraZeneca employs more than 51,000 staff worldwide, with 6,700 in the UK. Pfizer - whose drugs include Viagra - has a global workforce of more than 70,000, with 2,500 in the UK.

The chancellor says he will take a "hard-nosed approach" to determine whether Pfizer's proposed £60bn takeover of UK firm AstraZeneca will deliver for UK jobs and science.

Some people confide in friends or family, while others express their emotions through other means. Sixteen-year-old Odhran Bartley is dealing with his personal grief through music. Odhran was only seven years old when, in 2007, his dad unexpectedly died in his sleep at the age of 39. At the time Odhran says he wasn't ready to talk about his feelings. "I had my mum to talk to, but I didn't really want to talk about it with anyone. I wanted to put it out there in music. I think emotion comes out best that way. "I started rapping when I was nine, but only started writing my own material this year. "It's a way to tell my stories and express my emotions." The first song Odhran wrote, called I can't forget you, was based on his dad's passing. "It was emotional writing it. I was really sad at the time but I wanted to let people know what I had to say. "Sometimes I feel sad when I perform it, but I think it's good that I do perform it as people who have gone through similar things can relate to it". Odhran's mum, Anthea, says she had no idea that her son was such a talented musician. "I really was surprised that he wrote about his dad's death because even though he had talked to me about his dad dying, he hadn't talked that much about it. "When I heard the song, I could see that he was using it as a way to talk about his emotions and to keep him going". Having lived without his dad for nine years, Odhran says the best thing others in his position can do is "keep your head up and try to keep going".

When a loved one dies it can be difficult to come to terms with feelings of loss.

The Heed controlled the game early on but struggled to make their dominance pay as Patrick McLaughlin and Danny Johnson spurned good chances. Reece Thompson punished them for not taking advantage just after the half-hour mark, nipping in front to poke home Taron Hare's fierce delivery from the left. James Bolton hit the bar with a header and Gateshead camped in the hosts' half for long periods after the break, but it was to no avail as North Ferriby climbed one place to 23rd. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, North Ferriby United 1, Gateshead 0. Second Half ends, North Ferriby United 1, Gateshead 0. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Jake Skelton replaces Ryan Fallowfield. Reece Thompson (North Ferriby United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Connor Oliver replaces Ross Armstrong. Substitution, Gateshead. Luke Hannant replaces Russell Penn. Russell Penn (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Curtis Bateson replaces Danny Emerton. Substitution, Gateshead. Jordan Burrow replaces Patrick McLaughlin. Substitution, Gateshead. Wes York replaces James Bolton. Second Half begins North Ferriby United 1, Gateshead 0. Ryan Fallowfield (North Ferriby United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. First Half ends, North Ferriby United 1, Gateshead 0. Goal! North Ferriby United 1, Gateshead 0. Reece Thompson (North Ferriby United). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

National League strugglers North Ferriby stun Gateshead at Grange Lane to climb off the bottom of the table.

The King's Speech star said he had been unable to find the right voice for the Peruvian bear. "After a period of denial, we've chosen 'conscious uncoupling'," Firth said in a statement, referencing the term Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin made famous when they separated in March. Based on the books by Michael Bond, the film is due to be released in November. "It's been bittersweet to see this delightful creature take shape and come to the sad realisation that he simply doesn't have my voice," Firth told Entertainment Weekly. "I've had the joy of seeing most of the film and it's going to be quite wonderful. I still feel rather protective of this bear and I'm pestering them all with suggestions for finding a voice worthy of him." Paul King, the film's director, said the star's exit had been amicable. "I cannot thank [Firth] enough for his contribution to Paddington," he said. "We love the voice and we love the bear, but as our young bear came into being, we agreed that the two didn't seem to fit. So, with somewhat heavy hearts we decided to part ways." King said a replacement would be announced in the coming weeks, promising the new actor would ensure Paddington's "big screen debut is magnificent". The first trailer for the film was released in March, with a second released last week, however neither feature Firth's voice. The movie also stars Nicole Kidman as an evil museum taxidermist who has Paddington in her sights, and Julie Walters and Hugh Bonneville as Mr and Mrs Brown - the marmalade-loving bear's adopted parents.

Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth has pulled out of voicing the upcoming Paddington film.

Gerry McKeown, who was first on the scene, says he has never understood why the police did not question him. He got to tell his story for the first time to the Historical Enquires Team in 2010. Ten Protestant workers were taken from their minibus and shot dead by IRA gunmen in January 1976. Mr McKeown fought back tears as he recalled how he had said a prayer out loud for the victims including the only survivor Alan Black. Asked about his religion, Mr McKeown, a Catholic, said: "That night, in a ditch with Alan Black, we were praying to the one God and we had the one hope; that he [Alan] would pull through." Mr McKeown said the horror of what he saw that night has never left him. He said: "For years, any time I passed that spot, I would put the boot down. I was stopping for no-one." Alan Black and Gerry McKeown had not met in the intervening years and on Thursday there was an emotional reunion. As Mr McKeown finished his evidence, Mr Black rose from his seat and crossed the public gallery with his hand outstretched. The two men shook hands. Outside court they told the BBC that they hoped their actions and experience represented a victory over the sectarianism behind those and other murders. The inquest is continuing.

A retired schoolteacher has told the Kingsmills inquest that he saw a local farmer collecting empty bullet casings from the road.

Syed Hoque, of Stoke-on-Trent, allegedly sent £4,500 to his nephew, who was fighting against the regime. Mr Hoque, 37; Pervez Rafiq, 46, of Birkby, Huddersfield; and Mashoud Miah, 27, and Mohammed Hussain, 30, both of east London; are accused of making "other property" available. They all deny the charge. The four are accused of making the property available between 1 December 2012 and 31 May 2014. Mr Hoque denies a further two counts of funding terrorism. Prosecuting, Annabel Darlow QC said the defendants "made use, or so it would appear, of aid convoys", but said it was not suggested that the convoys did not have a legitimate charitable purpose. Mohammed Choudhury, Mr Hoque's nephew, was fighting on behalf of a terrorist organisation representing the wing of Al-Qaeda in Syria, the Old Bailey heard. Mr Hoque and Mr Choudhury had discussed the possibility of buying a Dragunov sniper rifle, an AK assault rifle and a nightscope, the court was told. It is alleged Mr Miah's role was that of a facilitator who could be turned to when an address or contact was required. Analysis showed Mr Hoque had been communicating via WhatsApp with a person known as Sayyaf. This man was later found to be Mr Choudhury, the court heard. Ms Darlow said Mr Hoque was aware his nephew was "engaged in military conflict and that he sought... the death... of the Syrian president" and "actively encouraged" Mr Choudhury. But she said on occasions he had to rein in some of Mr Choudhury's "worst excesses". She stated: "In the course of one particularly graphic exchange, [he advised] him to behead his enemies in Syria, but [suggested] he should draw the line at mutilating their bodies." The trial continues.

Four men used aid convoys bound for Syria to transport items that would be used to commit terrorism offences, a court heard.

Joseph Mathunjwa spent the night underground with the rescue team. The three were working above ground in the lamproom when a building collapsed into the mine, burying them under tonnes of rubble. More than 70 miners managed to escape using an emergency exit. The rescue team says they have got a response to tapping sounds that they made from above. "The longer they remain trapped the slimmer the chances of them being found alive," the president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), Mr Mathunjwa said on the union's website. The statement added that the rescue team were able to break the rock that was blocking the entrance to the container room where the miners are trapped and are currently removing tonnes of rubble. Rescuers had previously heard tapping, giving hope that the three were still alive in the Lily Gold Mine in Barberton, South Africa. But the AMCU's regional secretary John Sibiya told South Africa's Times that the rescuers have not heard anything from the trapped workers for 20 hours.

Time is running out to save the three mine workers trapped in a South African gold mine since Friday, the mining union's president has warned.

Local authorities will be required to use new standardised assessments, in reading, writing and numeracy, in P1, P4, P7 and S3. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the raw data would not be made public. However, information would be published on the proportion of children reaching the expected standards in numeracy and literacy. Some critics have raised concerns that the results could be used to draw up "league tables" for primary schools. Teachers' unions, including the Educational Institute of Scotland, have been concerned about the possible unintended consequences of the assessments if the test results were used to produce unofficial league tables. The tests are a central plank of the National Improvement Framework which the Scottish government claimed would help narrow the attainment gap between the least and most deprived children. Ms Sturgeon formally launched the framework at an event in Glasgow, saying it offered Scotland the opportunity to become a world leader in education. She said: "Despite the progress we are making, nobody can be comfortable living in a country where different levels of wealth create such a significant gap in the attainment levels - and therefore the life chances - of so many children. "That's why the Scottish government is taking concerted action now. Our overall aim is to raise standards everywhere, but to raise them most quickly, in the areas that most need it." In response to the plan, Larry Flanagan of the EIS said: "The EIS has been working constructively with Scottish government to ensure that the introduction of a national improvement framework did not herald a return to the damaging 'teach to the test', target setting, league table agenda which CfE has steered Scottish education away from. "We're hopeful that the FM's announcement later today will confirm the central role of teacher professional judgement in assessing pupil progress and the continuation of the CfE assessment framework, where the primary purpose of assessment is to support learning." SSTA General Secretary Seamus Searson said: "The standardised assessment can only be a small part of any assessment as it can only confirm a relatively small part of a teachers professional judgement. "The teacher is working with a young person for a considerable amount of time and would be able to give a reasonably accurate assessment of the level of literacy and numeracy. "Any computerised test would only be an indicator and could not overturn that judgement." Labour's Iain Gray said he believed there was "rather less" to the plan than "meets the eye". He added: "It avoids high stake national testing which is good, but then it avoids the new standardised testing altogether as the timetable for that has slipped off into next year at least. "The data on Curriculum for Excellence levels is data we already have. "The truth is we will only close the attainment gap with adequate resources properly targeted." The Conservative's Liz Smith said she was pleased with the introduction of "better testing". The MSP added: "The Scottish Conservatives have long called for a structure of standardised school tests which provide a more consistent approach across Scotland and which help both schools and local authorities to understand which educational practices best raise overall attainment. "It is not about more testing or about testing for the sake of it. Rather, it is about ensuring that there is better quality testing at key stages in a pupil's school career." The Scottish Green Party said it was worried that the new tests would "cause anxiety for pupils and staff". Spokeswoman Isla O'Reilly added: "Allowing teachers the time to get to know pupils and their circumstances would be more effective at closing the attainment gap than introducing tests." Leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, Willie Rennie, believed national testing would "undermine the work of teachers and the ambitions of Curriculum for Excellence". He said: "These national tests will lead to league tables, high stakes testing and teaching to the test - they will undermine efforts to increase attainment in Scottish schools." While most of Scotland's 32 local authorities already conduct some form of standardised assessment to monitor children's progress, the first minister argued that they were not conducted on a consistent basis. Pilots will be conducted in some areas this year, with the assessments introduced across Scotland in 2017. Information on the percentage of children achieving curriculum levels in literacy and numeracy will be published nationally and by school and local authority. The Scottish government said the data would be used to set specific milestones for closing the gap in attainment between children from the least and most deprived communities. Parents will also be able to access information about their own child's progress to know if further support may be required at home and in school. Other measures which have also been announced, include; Earlier this week, the Scottish Parent Teacher Council (SPTC) published the findings of a survey of parents' views on the new assessments. It suggested mixed opinions with many uncertain and concerned about how the information on pupils' progress, gathered through the new tests, might be used. Last month, a major report by the Commission on School Reform warned the introduction of the new assessments would have to be handled "carefully".

More details of plans to introduce standardised testing in Scotland's primary schools have been revealed.

The union flag was lowered at Camp Bastion, while Camp Leatherneck - the adjoining US base - was also handed over to Afghan control. Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain would never forget those who had died serving their country. The number of deaths of British troops throughout the conflict stands at 453. The death toll among US military personnel stands at 2,349. Mr Cameron tweeted: "I made a commitment that I would get our Armed Forces out of Afghanistan by 2015 and today sees the end of combat operations in the country. "We will always remember the courage of those who served in Afghanistan on our behalf and never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice." A spokesman for the Afghan Defence Ministry welcomed the handover, which he said "puts our capabilities into practice". "Afghan security forces have been leading the fight in ground operations in the country for two years now." The UK forces were part of a US-led coalition which toppled the ruling Taliban in 2001, following the 9/11 attacks in the US. After 9/11, US President George Bush had demanded that the Taliban hand over any leaders of al-Qaeda - the militant group which later claimed responsibility for the attacks - in Afghanistan, but the Taliban did not immediately comply. Taliban leaders called for talks, but US President George Bush said there would be "no negotiations" and military action started on 7 October. Camp Bastion, in Helmand province, has been the UK troops' main Afghan base since 2006. At the time it opened, the UK said its forces would be there to protect reconstruction of the country, but they got caught up in the struggle against the Taliban - which continues to fight and has carried out attacks in recent weeks. Helmand's Provincial Governor Naim Baluch said British forces and their allies had improved security and Afghanistan was grateful for their "courage and commitment". He said Afghans were now "ready to deliver security ourselves". Responding to the handover, Labour party leader Ed Miliband said: "All those who served did so to help ensure Afghanistan could no longer be used as a safe haven for terrorists." He added that Britain "must make sure that we continue to give the right support to the Afghan government both politically and through humanitarian aid, so that security and stability in Afghanistan can be maintained in the years to come". Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said UK support would continue through "institutional development", the Afghan National Army Officer Academy and development aid. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Fallon accepted the Taliban had not been defeated, but said Afghan forces were now taking "full responsibilities". He said: "Our armed forces' tremendous sacrifice laid the foundations for a strong Afghan security force, set the security context that enabled the first democratic transition of power in the country's history, and stopped it being a launch pad for terrorist attacks in the UK." Asked about UK military operations, Mr Fallon said: "Mistakes were made militarily, mistakes were made by the politicians at the time and this goes back 10, 13 years. "Clearly the numbers weren't there at the beginning, the equipment wasn't quite good enough at the beginning and we've learnt an awful lot from the campaign. "But don't let's ignore what has been achieved." Mr Fallon said most of the UK forces would be home by Christmas, with a few hundred staying to help with training at the officer academy. "We're not going to send combat troops back into Afghanistan, under any circumstances," he added. Jonathan Beale, BBC defence correspondent, Camp Bastion The Union flag has been flying in Helmand since 2006. In a simple ceremony in Bastion - the now mostly empty main base for UK forces - it was lowered for the last time. The moment was a symbol - for Britain at least - that its war in Afghanistan was over. US marines alongside British and Afghan soldiers formed a guard of honour, saluting as the national anthems of all three countries were played over a loudspeaker. It was a US-led ceremony with speeches by American and Afghan commanders. There was no British voice. As American marching tunes were piped over the sound system, the Afghan flag stood on its own. The Afghans will now carry on a fight that's already claimed the lives of around 4,000 of their security forces this year. As for the few remaining British troops in Bastion - about 300 - they will be leaving for good soon. Read more from Jonathan Beale. The UK's command of Helmand was transferred to US forces in April and personnel, military vehicles and kit have been returning home in recent months. At the height of the war in 2009, about 10,000 UK troops were based at Camp Bastion and the UK's 137 patrol bases in southern Afghanistan. 140,000 UK troops served £21.5bn Total operational cost 453 UK troops killed 108 died in 2009 - the worst year 470 mentors staying on Professor Malcolm Chalmers, of defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute, warned that the Taliban was still "a very capable organisation". "What we have to do to prevent the country slipping back is support the Afghan state - the civilian side, making sure that teachers and doctors and nurses are paid, but also critically the armed forces," he said. "The Afghan army has come a long way in the last few years but they're still dependent on foreign money to pay their wages and right now there's a question mark over how long that will continue." Sir William Patey, former UK ambassador to Afghanistan, said the UK must keep its promise to financially support the Afghan government. "If we renege on that commitment and lose interest because the troops have gone, that will be a betrayal of what we've said we will do for the Afghan state and the Afghan people," he said. Lord Dannatt, former head of the Army, said the conflict had been "difficult and expensive in blood and treasure" for the UK, but Afghanistan now had a "chance of a decent future". Rear Adm Chris Parry, who helped plan the role of UK troops in Afghanistan, told the BBC that Britain's involvement had been "worth it", saying the country was now "more stable", was improving economically and had 40% more children going to school. But he said politicians in 2001 had not known what they wanted to achieve, the military had not had enough resources and there had been no "coherent military plan".

The last UK base in Afghanistan has been handed over to the control of Afghan security forces, ending British combat operations in the country.

Emily Cherry, of the NSPCC, said YouTubers had a "responsibility" to make sure relationships with young fans were appropriate. Claims of inappropriate behaviour have been made against a small number of internet personalities. Google-owned YouTube told the BBC that educating fans and creators was key. Ms Cherry warned that online stars have huge power and influence on young people and the way they think about the real world. "One child told me that checking their social media accounts and what their favourite YouTube stars are up to was as important to them as eating," she told BBC Radio 5 live. In 2014, Ania Magliano-Wright published a video in which she alleged a YouTube video-maker known as VeeOneEye - real name Jason - had sex with her when she was 15. She said she had offered Jason a place to stay after a fan and creator meet-up in London. "He bought a big bottle of alcohol," she said. "I wasn't really aware of how much alcohol it would take for me to lose control over myself. "I didn't want to seem uncool or boring and I wanted to seem normal… it didn't ring as many alarm bells as it should have." Ania says she did go to the police with her allegations but decided not to press charges. Jason declined to be interviewed by the BBC but said: "I like the topic for your piece and it is something that does need to be talked about." He also published an online apology to Ania blaming his strict religious upbringing for his actions. In the video, which was uploaded in 2014, Jason says: "I thought it'd be fun to get some drinks because we didn't have much in common and it was awkward. "At that moment, that was the only way I knew how to socialise - by drinking. "She never approached me as a fan. To me we were just two YouTubers who wanted to hang out. "It seems she thought my intentions were to become friends and then have sex. It wasn't. "Most people make mistakes when they're growing up with sex and alcohol." "This was me making mistakes and growing up, but at the wrong age. "I want to say sorry to Ania and anyone else that I've hurt and anybody that's affected by this. I'm sorry." In total, 14 separate allegations were made against vlogger Alex Day, but he was never charged. At the height of his fame, Alex had more than one million subscribers to his channel. Alex told the BBC he had not realised that making videos in his bedroom could put him in a position of power. "Something I never considered was that, in meeting someone offline, they'd got to know me a long time before I got to know them," he said. "It wasn't an equal situation because they had an idea of me that I wasn't considering - and that was totally my fault. "These people didn't feel like fans. I never felt like I was taking advantage of people at the time - but if people say I did then I did." Alex denied any sexual contact with underage girls but said he had "manipulative relationships with women". He also told the BBC he was surprised more allegations had not surfaced against other content creators. "There are certain people in the YouTube community that are highly regarded and I'm like 'how did he get away with it?'" He went on to say those he had in mind may not have done "monstrous things", but sometimes people would "hook up" at various conventions. Hannah Witton, who has made videos about sexual health and body positivity, said the YouTube community was "hyper aware" of allegations. She admitted on some occasions people had known about allegations of inappropriate behaviour for a long time before they were made public. "We strive to support people affected by it and educate ourselves as well," she told the BBC. "There has been a shift in the last few years, since these allegations started, to educate ourselves on appropriate boundaries. You have to judge where the line is between different people." She said YouTubers had responded to allegations by "cutting people off" from the community when they were implicated. YouTube said content creators were responsible for their own "content and conduct" on the platform. "As a company we have very clear community guides which set out the rules of the road on YouTube," said the website's spokeswoman Thea O'Hear. "It's really important that creators are aware of the responsibilities that come with having a big audience and a global fan base. Ms O'Hear said educating fans and creators was "best delivered" through a mixture of YouTube's company values, support, and physical literature. "We also try to provide practical support and guidance to creators to help them create the right kind of content and have the right kind of interaction with their fans. "It's also around parents being involved, and schools, and everybody having a really good understanding of what it is to be a young person in the 21st Century. "We at YouTube are also growing with the community. Often we create tools in response to community feedback. "YouTube would terminate the channel of someone who has broken our guidelines." If you have been affected by any issues in this article or need advice on staying safe online, on protecting your children, or as an Internet personality, the NSPCC has a helpline you can call on 0808 800 500 2. Hear the full interviews from the Stephen Nolan programme on BBC Radio 5 live on the BBC iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07xhlfk#play

"Blurred boundaries" between prominent YouTube stars and their viewers can put young people at risk, a leading children's charity has warned.

Nasheed was given a 13-year sentence under anti-terror laws last year. A Maldives government statement said Nasheed had to return to the Maldives to serve the remainder of the sentence. A former human rights campaigner, Nasheed became the nation's first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. In 2012, he was detained after being accused of ordering the arrest of a judge. He resigned months later amid an army mutiny and public protests over the judge's fate. Nasheed alleged that he had been removed by a coup, but this was denied by his vice-president, who replaced him. The current President, Abdulla Yameen, was elected in controversial polls in 2013 and is the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who served for 30 years as president and was widely accused of autocratic rule.

The jailed former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed has been given permission to have surgery in the UK.

The market economy group downgraded its growth forecast for most big economies. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and the referendum on an independent Scotland are areas of risk and uncertainty, it said. Its 2014 estimate is a 0.8% increase in the eurozone economy for 2014, compared with a forecast of 1.2% made in May. The UK's forecast was cut by 0.1 percentage points to 3.1%. US economic expansion for 2014 was cut to 2.1% from 2.6%. Japan's forecast was cut to 0.9% from 1.2%. The OECD did not provide an update to its forecast for global growth for 2014, which it forecast at 3.4% in May. "Continued slow growth in the euro area is the most worrying feature of the projections," the OECD said. Among countries which are not OECD members, China's forecast was unchanged at 7.4%. The OECD said China "has so far managed to achieve an orderly growth slowdown to more sustainable rates". India was the only economy to be judged by the organisation as likely to grow quicker, with its forecast upgraded to 5.7% from 4.9% after voting in a new government that said it would pursue growth-oriented reforms and progress in containing inflation.

A slow recovery among nations using the euro is holding back the global economy, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has said.

Mark Evans is retracing the same route across the Rub Al Khali, also known as the "Empty Quarter", taken by Bristol pioneer Bertram Thomas in 1930. The 54-year-old Shropshire-born explorer is leading a three-man team to walk the 800 mile (1,300 km) journey from Salalah, Oman to Doha, Qatar. The trek is expected to take 60 days. The Rub Al Khali desert is considered one of the hottest, driest and most inhospitable places on earth. Nearly two decades after Thomas completed his trek, British explorer and writer Sir Wilfred Thesiger crossed the Empty Quarter - mapping it in detail along the way. 60 days To cross the Rub' Al Khali desert * From Salalah in Oman to Doha, Qatar * Walking with camels for 1,300km * Area nearly three times the size of the UK Completed by explorer Bertram Thomas in 1930 Bertram Thomas, who hailed from Pill, near Bristol, received telegrams of congratulation from both King George V and Sultan Taimur, then ruler of Oman. He went on to lecture all over the world about the journey and to write a book called Arabia Felix. Unlike Mr Evans, Thomas did not obtain permission for his expedition. He said: "The biggest challenges for Thomas were warring tribes, lack of water in the waterholes and his total dependence on his Omani companion Sheikh Saleh to negotiate their way through the desert. "The biggest challenge for those who wanted to make the crossing in recent decades has been obtaining government permissions to walk through this desolate and unknown territory."

An explorer has embarked on a challenge to become only the third British person in history to cross the largest sand desert in the world.

The airlines plan to use only Blue Island's planes to fly the Guernsey-Jersey route but both will take bookings for the seats. Channel Islands regulatory authorities gave permission but imposed conditions. Each airline has to market seats independently and Aurigny must tell customers Blue Islands is the operator. Channel Islands Competition and Regulatory Authorities Chief Executive, Andrew Riseley, said he gave permission as the airlines had both said competition would go without it. He said: "On balance our judgement is that the best means of protecting customers is to ensure that competition on the route remains as vigorous as possible and the conditions we have set for agreeing this exemption should achieve this." Under the agreement, which will run for two years, Aurigny will buy a fixed block of seats on flights operated by Blue Islands. The airlines will fly six or seven flights in each direction on weekdays, four flights in each direction on Saturdays and three flights in each direction on Sundays. Mr Riseley said responses to a consultation focused more on quality of services and level of capacity rather than fare structures. He said the airlines had been told they must increase capacity where it is necessary to meet demand. "The airlines have provided future forecasts under the joint operation which show financial improvements for both parties. "[We] are of the view that, without this financial improvement, one of the parties would exit the route altogether."

Channel Islands airlines Aurigny and Blue Islands have been given permission to code-share on the inter-island route.

The blast blew out windows and destroyed the rear wall of the house at Theddlethorpe, near Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire, on Sunday afternoon. Fire service group manager Sean King said the owners had gone for a walk at the time of the explosion, thought to have been caused by a gas leak. The house, which was on a propane-fed gas supply, has been cordoned off. Mr King said: "It was a significant explosion caused, we think, by some kind of gas leak but we haven't been able to determine the exact cause yet due to the extensive damage. "Luckily they'd [owners] gone for a walk and if they'd been in the house at the time it could have been a very different story." Structural engineers have been carrying out assessments of the property at the scene.

The owners of a house badly damaged in a gas explosion had a "lucky" escape, fire crews said.

Both houses of Congress backed the bill, which also includes measures against Iran and North Korea, but it was thought Mr Trump might veto it. Russia has already retaliated by ordering cuts to US diplomatic staff and barring the use of some properties. The sanctions are over Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and alleged interference in the US election. Iran and North Korea are being penalised over their ballistic missile tests. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump would sign the bill, but only after having negotiated "critical elements" of it. She did not specify what those elements were. "He has now reviewed the final version and, based on its responsiveness to his negotiations, approves the bill and intends to sign it," she said. The sanctions came months after the Obama administration ordered the seizure of two Russian diplomatic compounds and expelled 35 Russian diplomats in response to alleged hacking of the US Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. US intelligence agencies believe Russia tried to sway the election in favour of Mr Trump and several investigations are looking into whether anyone from his campaign colluded. Russia has always denied interfering and Mr Trump insists there was no collusion. The president has sought closer ties with Russia but analysts say any attempt to veto the new sanctions could have fuelled suspicion that he was too supportive of the Kremlin. Russia's foreign ministry said on Friday that the US was "stubbornly taking one crudely anti-Russian step after another, using the utterly fictitious pretext of Russian interference in its internal affairs". The statement said the expulsion of Russian diplomats "clearly violates the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and generally accepted diplomatic norms". The ministry said it was seizing holiday properties and a warehouse used by US diplomats. It was not immediately clear how many diplomats and staff would have to stop working at the main US embassy in Moscow and other consulates around Russia, but sources quoted by Russian news agencies said "hundreds" of people would be affected.

US President Donald Trump will sign into law a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia, the White House says.

The group, including three from the main opposition party, are accused of animal cruelty and unlawful assembly. The federal government announced the ban last week, saying it would "stop unregulated animal trade". But critics say the move is aimed at protecting cows, considered holy by India's majority Hindu population. The men, who killed the calf on Saturday, said they wanted to represent people's anger against the federal government's decision. The Congress party, the main opposition to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposes the ban, but it suspended the three members of its youth wing, saying the act was "thoughtless and barbaric". The ban has sparked protests from a number of state governments. There are several states where beef is part of local cuisine and critics say the order will hurt farmers and major industries like food processing and leather. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the central government was "encroaching upon state matters" with its ban. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the order violated "the basic right of a person to freedom of choice regarding his food". Many states, however, have actively started enforcing bans on cow slaughter since the Hindu nationalist BJP came to power in 2014. The western state of Gujarat passed a law in March making the slaughter of cows punishable by life imprisonment. Vigilante groups who portray themselves as protectors of cows have also been active in several states. These groups have even killed Muslim men they suspect of killing cows, including high-profile cases in April and May. Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year criticised the vigilantes, saying such people made him "angry". However, this has not stopped attacks against cattle traders.

Police in the southern state of Kerala have arrested eight men who publicly killed a calf to protest against a ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter.

Lucas Bigley, 19, stabbed Matthew Wilson to death in Sheffield on 28 May in a "violent and brutal attack". Hull Crown Court heard the two men had fallen out after Mr Wilson, also 19, began a relationship with Bigley's mother. Bigley, of Wadsley Lane, Sheffield, was told he must serve at least 22 years in jail. More stories from across South Yorkshire Hull Crown Court heard Bigley was still wearing his heavily blood-soaked clothing and attempting to wash the blood from his hands when was arrested in the early hours of 28 May. Det Ch Insp Craig Jackson said: "This was a violent and brutal attack on Matthew, a young man whom Bigley once considered his friend. "The court heard how both he and the victim knew each other for many years, but their friendship broke down after Matthew began a romantic relationship with Bigley's mother. "His anger and frustration came to the fore in the early hours of that morning in May and a young man who had everything to live for has now tragically lost his life." Mr Wilson's family said in a statement they were "satisfied" with the jury's verdict. However, they added: "While we regard the sentence Bigley has been given as fair, no sentence will ever bring Matt back to us. "We too have been handed a life sentence."

A man has been jailed for life for murdering a former friend who was having a relationship with his mother.

The council, which has been operating since 1994, said in a letter that it cannot stay open because of a "severe cash-flow problem". It said that it had failed to gain two Stormont grants that would have totalled £90,000. Patrick Yu, the council's executive director, said closure was a "painful decision". "This is the best way to protect the achievement, reputation and integrity of NICEM," he said. In the letter, he said that while NICEM had "several outstanding funding applications" it was "unable to sustain a sufficient cash flow". He said the council would be dissolved after a general meeting on 7 November. He added his thanks to those who had joined "our anti-racist movement". "Despite this set back, the vision and values of NICEM will continue as well as the anti-racism movement in Northern Ireland."

Northern Ireland's Council for Ethnic Minorities is set to close because of a lack of funds.

Joan McVittie transformed two schools in deprived areas of London. Sally Coates has overseen huge improvements at Burlington Danes Academy in west London. Three fostering couples who have cared for more than 620 children between them are also recognised with MBEs. Dame Joan, now 60, said she was "absolutely thrilled" to be singled out for her work in education and only wished her parents had been around to see her receive the honour. She says the secret of her success in schools has been "to get a good team" and to ensure that the people around her "grow and develop". "It's about playing to people's strengths," she added. She was recognised for her work in improving Leytonstone School, and then going on to transform Woodside High, in Tottenham. She took the Tottenham school, which replaced White Hart Lane School - dubbed "the worst school in London" - from the verge of closure to an outstanding Ofsted rating in just five years. Last year it was rated one of the top 25 most improved schools in the country for its GCSE results. She is also rewarded for her time serving on a national body encouraging good school leadership, National College for School Leadership, and for her contribution to the Association of School and College Leaders, of which she is a past president. Dame Sally, who has worked in teaching since she was 22, is also credited with transforming a school - this time on the deprived White City Estate in west London. Now, 59, she took over Burlington Danes, which replaced a school in special measures, in 2008. She said the first day she went into the school it was "pretty chaotic". "There weren't any systems and structures, and nothing was really working," she added. Pupils' poor behaviour and poor results was disheartening, she said, but she managed to begin the process of change by having high expectations of her pupils, and plenty of optimism and resilience. "The thing to remember is that everyone wants things to work. The teachers want to work in a good school, the parents want the school to be good and the children want to be in a good school." She also recently oversaw a review of the standards expected of teachers for the government and served as a member of the committee which recently reviewed the national tests children take at the end of primary school. About 10% of the total honours go to people for their work in education. Some 31 head teachers were recognised in all. Patricia and Bryan Bottomley have been given MBEs for their work with children and families. The couple have fostered over 600 children of all ages and nationalities over 40 years in the area of Hull. They have had as many as three or four children placed with them at any one time, as well as raising six children of their own. They have also worked for many years supporting new foster parents, and the couple have provided respite care for other foster families. Also recognised with an MBE for their work as foster carers are Jackie and John Franklin. They have been foster carers for over 30 years and have fostered nearly 100 children under the age of six years in Bristol. The couple have also raised three daughters and a son whom they adopted when he was three. They were recognised by the City of Bristol in 2011 with a long service award and are recognised as having profoundly improved the lives of children looked after by the local authority. Anthony Hiles, and his wife Muriel, have also been awarded an MBE for their work as foster carers in the West Midlands since November 1994. The couple are currently linked with six children and have cared for over 20 disabled children to date, offering short breaks typically comprising a few nights a month, but occasionally more, perhaps to enable a family to take a holiday. They go beyond their duties by keeping in touch with families, listening to them and offering them advice and support.

Two head teachers who have turned around struggling schools and contributed to education at a national level have been made dames in the Queen's New Year's Honours.

The incident happened on Sunday afternoon near Cefn Coed. Three mountain rescue teams, the coastguard helicopter and the air ambulance were all involved in the two-hour rescue. Mark Moran, from Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, said the 13-year-old was playing with friends when he fell. Mr Moran said he had been airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, for treatment.

A teenager has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after he fell 40ft in a quarry near Merthyr.

West Midlands Trains Ltd will take over routes currently operated by London Midland from December. The company is a joint venture between Dutch firm Abellio and Japanese partners. The deal will see almost £1bn of investment and new, longer trains, the DfT said. West Midlands trains: Your takeover questions answered The franchise covers routes in the West Midlands, as well as from London Euston to Crewe, and Liverpool to Birmingham. It also runs services between Northampton and London Euston - connecting lines between Bedford and Bletchley, between St Albans and Watford and Crewe to London - via Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Lichfield and Milton Keynes. It had been run by Govia, which owns London Midland, since 2007. The Govia bid to continue running the services was unsuccessful. London Midland's contract was extended by the government in 2013, despite criticism for record delays to its services. The company was forced to offer a £7m package of compensation to season ticket holders affected by the disruption. More on this and other Birmingham and Black Country news Abellio UK managing director Dominic Booth said: "We are delighted to have been announced as preferred bidder for the West Midlands franchise, driving growth in one of the most exciting regions in the country. "We will be investing nearly £1 billion into the network, delivering new trains, better stations and a whole host of other benefits for passengers." Passengers can see how their lines will change on the Department for Transport website. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said it was "great news" for passengers. "This shows we are delivering on our commitment to build a railway that works for everyone," he said. Trains running only in the West Midlands area will be jointly managed by the DfT and West Midlands Rail (WMR), a consortium of 16 local councils. Direct services will continue from Birmingham New Street to London Euston under the new franchise, the Dft confirmed. A direct service from Stoke-on-Trent to Euston will cease. The overall pricing of tickets will be determined by the operator, but it will retain the right to sell cheap tickets, the Dft said. The deal with West Midlands Trains will run until March 2026. Passengers reacted to the news on social media: The current workforce of 2,400 will pass to the new operator when the franchise is taken over, a spokesperson for Abellio confirmed. The company has also pledged to invest £13m on staff training and development and will create more than 900 new apprenticeships over the course of the franchise. West Midlands Trains Ltd said the new franchise would bring "much welcomed investment in new services and extra capacity across the network". Managing director Patrick Verwer, said: "We have created a strong foundation for the new operators to build on. "During the months ahead we will continue to work with West Midlands Trains Ltd, the DfT and all our stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition into the new franchise." What questions do you have about this story? Submit them in the form below and we could be in touch.

A new rail operator has been awarded a contract to run the West Midlands rail franchise, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

Its assembly election manifesto includes creating something similar to Transport for London to create a "genuine integrated transport system". It also wants an organisation responsible for supporting small firms. The FSB said it was "deliverable" with existing Welsh government funding. The organisation, which has 10,000 members among the 200,000 small and medium sized enterprises in Wales, wants parties to adopt its Transport for Wales idea. The organisation - to be fully functioning within three years - would create an investment plan and manage a Wales-wide rail franchise. It would follow a similar model to Transport for London including ticketing across services as with the Oyster card. The manifesto also wants: The FSB said the measures would help small businesses grow and create more jobs. The "business manifesto" has been drawn together following research by a number of leading academics for the organisation ahead of May's assembly election. One of those reports, by Manchester Business School and revealed by BBC Wales last week, said more help was needed for growing firms to stay under Welsh ownership. The manifesto has been independently costed and could be delivered within current budgets according to the FSB. FSB Wales policy manager Dr Rachel Bowen said: "We are convinced that if the next Welsh government takes up the policies that we are proposing in our manifesto then businesses and the economy in communities the length and breadth of Wales will benefit." The manifesto will be launched on Wednesday evening at a cross-party event in Cardiff Bay.

A single transport body with responsibility for roads, rail, buses and cycling in Wales is proposed among "radical" new measures from the Federation of Small Business.

The PM's gift list includes a handbag by Gerald and Sue Bodmer, who make bags for The Queen, government papers show. There is also a "silver item" from ex-New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and three pairs of shoes. Mrs May decided not to buy any of them - under the rules she has to pay for any gift worth more than £140. She did, however, decide to hand over £225 for clothing from Lady Jubie Wigan, who set up the Sugarplum Children charity for youngsters with diabetes, and £244 for jewellery from Nadja Swarovski. The transparency records cover October to December - but it was a similar story during her first months in Downing Street, although she did purchase some tights from upmarket hosiery brand Luxury Legs and a scarf from Mayfair fashion house Halcyon Days. Unclaimed gifts to the PM remain in the government departments to which they were given. For the three months to December, these include hampers from the ambassador of Saudi Arabia and the Sultan of Brunei, "wine and dates" from the president of Algeria and a fan from entrepreneur Sir James Dyson. The documents also detail Mrs May's Downing Street meetings, including a chat with former Labour PM Tony Blair, on November 26, to discuss his former role as a Middle East envoy. Mrs May also had a meeting with former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger in October for a "general discussion". A series of newspaper editors and television political editors, including the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg and Andrew Neil, also had meetings with the PM. Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre had dinner at No 10 but no-one was invited to Chequers, the prime minister's weekend retreat, over the period. The records also confirm Mrs May's meeting with Nissan on 14 October. The car manufacturer announced it was investing in production of new Qashqai and X-Trail models at Sunderland after receiving government assurances that EU withdrawal would not affect the plant's competitiveness. She also discussed Brexit, human trafficking and homelessness with the Moderator of the Church of Scotland - and met the Archbishop of Canterbury to talk about education, counter-terrorism, modern slavery and foreign affairs.

She is known for her love of shoes and high fashion - but Theresa May has not been tempted by many of the items given to her since moving into No 10.

Police said they found explosives and several guns at a flat linked to the suspects. The two Frenchmen, aged 23 and 29, were detained in Marseille on Tuesday. They were reportedly radicalised in prison. France remains under a state of emergency after a series of attacks that have claimed about 230 lives. Three of the leading candidates in the presidential election - Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen and François Fillon - were warned last week of security risks linked to the two men, party officials said. The suspects are Mahiedine M, 29, from Croix near the Belgian border, and Clément B, aged 23 from Ermont, north of Paris. The two men had met in prison, and were known to police as Islamist radicals. French prosecutor François Molins said they had been planning an "imminent" attack but the target, or targets, remained unknown. He said they had made three kilograms of the highly volatile explosive TATP, with one batch ready for use. Mahiedine M had made a video featuring the black flag of the so-called Islamic State group, an Uzi sub-machine gun, and a newspaper depicting a presidential candidate, Mr Molins said The DGSI domestic intelligence service is said to suspect the pair of plotting an attack to coincide with the election. The men were being held as part of an inquiry into "criminal terrorist association and violating the law on arms relating to a terrorist enterprise". 'A significant threat': Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris It is a working assumption of the French intelligence services that Islamist extremists would like to target the elections. The line of reasoning goes like this: if there is a lethal attack, then people are more likely to vote for the far-right - and that is what the jihadists want, because a victory for Marine Le Pen could tip the country into chaos. Much remains to be told about the pair who have been arrested in Marseille. We do not know who or what it was they were allegedly planning to attack. We do not know if they were guided by figures from abroad. But until evidence suggests otherwise, their enterprise will be treated as a significant and genuine threat. With France approaching the climax of the election campaign, the arrests became a major political development on Tuesday. It has emerged that centre-right candidate François Fillon was warned of "confirmed risks" late last week, with the focus said to be an Easter rally in Nice. A Fillon spokesman told French media that since Thursday "the security detail was reinforced around him during his travels". Photos of the two suspects were also circulated last week to security officers looking after the two election front-runners: centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Mr Macron called for unity and said the arrests were a reminder of the "strong terrorist threat" facing France. Ms Le Pen has accused the government of failing to tackle militant Islamists and her adviser, Florian Philippot, said on French TV that "our democracy itself, our voting operation and electoral campaigns are under threat". Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, himself riding high in the opinion polls, sent text messages of support to Mr Fillon and Mr Macron offering his "complete solidarity". Eleven candidates will contest the first round on 23 April, with the top two qualifying for the run-off on 7 May. The interior minister said 50,000 members of the security forces were being deployed for the elections, particularly at polling stations. President François Hollande praised the Marseille operation, which began after 10:00 (08:00 GMT), as a "remarkable capture". Although no major attack has been carried out on French soil in recent months, two soldiers were attacked with machetes outside the Louvre museum in Paris in February. In the same month, three men and a 16-year-old girl were detained in Montpellier on suspicion of planning a bomb attack. France has been under a state of emergency since the Paris attacks in November 2015 and officials say the risk is still very high, pointing to recent murders in the UK and Sweden. On 22 March, Khalid Masood killed five people in London when he drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and stabbed PC Keith Palmer outside Parliament. On 7 April, Rakhmat Akilov, 39, drove a lorry into a Stockholm department store, leaving four people dead.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of planning an "imminent" attack in France, days before the first round of the French presidential election.

A seventh distribution centre has officially opened in Grangetown. City-wide figures for August showed 1,238 adults and children were given emergency food parcels - up from just over 900 in the same month in 2015. "We're coming across people from across the social spectrum," said Helen Bull, partnership and fundraising manager. "It's not just people from disadvantaged backgrounds or on benefits, we're seeing people on low incomes. "People are doing all they can to make ends meet but they can be one event away from a crisis - it could be losing a job, or a boiler or car breaking down, or being victims of domestic violence. It really can happen to anyone" Cardiff Foodbank collects donations of food at a distribution warehouse in Splott and at some supermarkets. People in need of three days' worth of food are issued with vouchers from 120 different organisations, health and care workers. Last week, it distributed two tonnes worth of food - with donors able to check online what is needed. Current shortages include tinned fruit and vegetables and UHT milk. In 2015-16, just over 12,000 parcels were distributed to 8,000 different people in the city, with numbers on course to rise again this year. There are spikes during the year - including over the summer, when children do not get free school meals. In the last week of August, 116 children and 155 adults were helped in Cardiff. Food bank trustee Jules Ashton-Davies said: "It still takes a great deal of courage to come to a food bank". Grangetown Baptist Church will host the new food bank every Friday afternoon, with a team of volunteers helping with the welcome. Minister David Evans, who was handing out commemorative chocolate bars at the opening, said: "It's important to make people feel they have something to give to society." Ms Bull added: "If people are struggling to pay for food then they will also be struggling for bus or train fare so it's important we can be as local as possible for them." Susan Elsmore, cabinet member for health, housing and wellbeing, said Cardiff Council was keen to support the network and was bidding to be able to employ two workers to help with income management and welfare issues.

The network of food banks in Cardiff has expanded, with organisers saying people on low incomes and from "all walks of life" are using the service.

The Independent Paralympic Athletes (IPA) Team will appear under the Paralympic flag and will parade first at the opening ceremony on 7 September. The team will stay in the Athletes Village, with travel and other expenses covered by the IPC. A 10-strong refugee team will also compete at the Olympic Games. "This is the moment to shine a light on the people with impairments affected, as well as highlight the broader situation," IPC President Sir Philip Craven said.

A team of refugee athletes will compete at Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced.

The accusation relates to a report on the channel on alleged passport fraud at the Venezuelan embassy in Iraq. Venezuela's National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) ordered "the immediate suspension of broadcasts". Conatel accused the channel of attempting to "undermine the peace and the democratic stability" of Venezuela. It did not specifically mention the passport story, but government officials had earlier in the day disputed it at a press conference. The story was the product of a year-long investigation into allegations that Venezuelan passports and visas were being sold to people in Iraq, including some with terrorism links. The report alleged that Venezuelan Vice-President Tareck El Aissami was directly linked to the granting of 173 passports, including to members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and other Western powers. According to Venezuelan media, Conatel urged publishers and journalists to "provide timely and truthful information to our people, adjusted to the values of Venezuelan society". Mr El Aissami has this week had sanctions imposed on him by the US for allegedly trafficking drugs. He was described by the US treasury as a drug "kingpin" who worked with traffickers in Mexico and Colombia to ship drugs to America. He accused the US of "imperialist aggression" in response and President Nicolas Maduro demanded a public apology.

Venezuelan authorities have ordered that US broadcaster CNN's Spanish-language channel be taken off air, accusing it of spreading propaganda.

The 26-year-old has been linked with a move to the Championship leaders, but ex-Magpies boss McClaren laughed when asked if Ince would be leaving. "It's newspapers stirring," McClaren said. "He is staying, definitely. "Rumours are what sells. Fortunately we are are in a good position where Tom is staying here." Ince has scored 10 goals in his past 12 games, with 11 in a total of 29 appearances so far this season, helping the Rams to seventh place in the table. McClaren said he was aware of the ongoing talk of a bid from Newcastle. "I heard that - £8m. That would probably pay for his right foot," he added. "It's normal; we have to deal with it and cope with it. We will be creating plenty of speculation ourselves. "It's part of the game. It's football, the window is open. Newspapers need to sell themselves." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.

Derby County manager Steve McClaren says reports of a Newcastle offer of £8m for Tom Ince would only be enough to buy the winger's right foot.

Brushes, a folding travelling palette and a pocket paint-book caked with watercolour will be on show at Petworth House in West Sussex from Saturday. Oil and watercolour paintings, along with personal possessions including a ring and gold watch, can also be seen. Four costumes from the film, Mr Turner, also form part of the exhibition. Turner painted many works at the 17th Century mansion house between 1809 and 1837 when he visited as a guest of the 3rd Earl of Egremont. A fishing rod he used at the house's lake and a selection of his books will also be on display. There will also be rarely-seen portraits of the artist, including possibly the last image painted before his death. Actor Timothy Spall played the painter in director Leigh's film, released in October. Paintings he created while training for his role will be on show in a mock-up of Turner's studio created from props used in the film, plus behind-the-scenes footage. Leigh said: "Petworth wrote itself into the film rather than us having to think of possible stately homes. It is such an extraordinary and rare and rarefied place." Andrew Loukes, curator of collections and exhibitions at Petworth House, added: "Turner is an important part of the story at Petworth House. "We are thrilled to be able to mount this celebration of his life." The exhibition runs until 11 March.

Painting materials once owned by JMW Turner form part of a new exhibition inspired by Mike Leigh's recent film on the master British landscape artist.

The city and county councils have jointly commissioned the £30,000 study in a bid to reduce air pollution. If agreed, the zone could be introduced from 2020, starting small and expanding as technology develops. The city centre has been a low emission zone since 2014, requiring all local bus services to use low-emitting vehicles. City council board member John Tanner previously branded the idea "ridiculous", but now says he is "thrilled" the study is taking place. He added: "Air pollution has a significant impact on the health of residents and visitors to Oxford. "Our vision is to create a city centre that people can live and work in without worrying about how vehicle emissions will impact on their health." But speaking in 2015 he said the city council would not support "a blanket ban" because "ordinary" cars were not responsible for pollution. The Road Haulage Association also called the proposals "unworkable". A spokesman for the county council said the ban would initially only apply on a small number of roads, and the timescales would change if technology was not advanced enough. Last year, Oxford was featured in a report by the World Health Organisation as one of 10 cities with unacceptable levels of pollution. And European Union targets for air pollution are currently being breached at 32% of 75 locations monitored across Oxford.

A study looking into banning all petrol and diesel vehicles from the centre of Oxford has been launched.

Ceyda Sungur, an academic at Istanbul's Technical University, had gone to Gezi Park to defend it against a controversial redevelopment project to concrete over one of the last green spaces in the city. When Ms Sungur arrived, she found herself in front of a line of riot police. One of them bent down and fired tear gas at her, leaving her gasping for breath. Reuters photographer Osman Orsal captured the moment, and the images soon went viral on social media, in cartoons and as stickers and posters used by other protesters. In the city of Izmir, her picture has even been transformed into a giant billboard. Sympathisers can put their head through a hole where Ms Sungur's face should be, and pose for photos. The images make good publicity for critics of the government. In her demure red dress and necklace, carrying a small shoulder bag, Ms Sungur looks more like she's going to a summer fete than a violent protest - adding weight to the demonstrators' argument that the police were too heavy-handed. The pictures also call into question Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that the protesters were extremists "living arm in arm with terrorism". Ms Sungur told Turkish media she was a "reluctant figurehead", and just a tiny part of a huge grassroots movement to save Gezi Park. "A lot of people no different from me were out protecting the park, defending their rights, defending democracy," she said. "They also got gassed." But whether she likes it or not, Ceyda Sungur may find herself forever known as the "lady in the red dress", the iconic image of these Turkish protests.

A series of images of a woman in a red dress have become a potent symbol of the anti-government demonstrations in Istanbul.

Darren Cooper posted the picture of Darryl Magher on his @sandwellleader profile. Twitter suspended the account but it had been reinstated by 15:30 GMT. Mr Magher said the Labour leader and Smethwick councillor had posted the image in a bid to suppress him and stop him asking difficult questions. "He does not like being challenged and held to account," said Mr Magher, who runs a Facebook page about the Yew Tree area of Sandwell. But Mr Cooper said the image concerned was already in the public domain. He said he had been a victim of trolling and said the complaint was part of a campaign of harassment mounted against him. Asked on BBC WM if he had done anything wrong, he said: "I don't think so. I try to stay within the realms of decency and modesty. "People have a go at you, usually political opponents, and sometimes you have a go back, but I'm not aware of anything I have done that would breach Twitter rules." Twitter said they did not comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons. It referred the BBC to the website's rules.

The leader of Sandwell Council's Twitter account was temporarily suspended amid claims he had posted a private image of a community activist.

Media playback is not supported on this device A winner must be declared on the night - as an ice hockey rink needs to be laid at midnight for a match at the same Hallenstadion venue the following day. But what else do you need to know? Media playback is not supported on this device Fifa's 209 nations will gather in Zurich for what is billed as an "extraordinary congress". It was called after Sepp Blatter dramatically announced last June that he would step aside after 18 years as Fifa president. The 79-year-old Swiss said he was "laying down his mandate", which has led to some concern he may not have actually resigned. However, Fifa officials are confident he will not make an awkward re-appearance - not least because he has been banned from football for eight years over a "disloyal payment" of £1.3m to suspended Uefa president Michel Platini. Both men deny wrongdoing and are appealing against their bans. Blatter also has no accreditation to get into the conference hall on the outskirts of Zurich where the congress is being held. There are two big issues to settle. First, the representatives have to agree to a package of reforms designed to eliminate the problems that have plunged Fifa into crisis in recent months and restore its reputation. Then, if and when that is formalised, they have to appoint a new president. Media playback is not supported on this device Given the hype and spin around the election the reforms have been slightly forgotten about - but they are vitally important to the organisation's future. One Fifa insider believes it would be a "disaster" if measures to clean up the governing body fail. Specifically, Fifa wants members to agree to term limits for top officials along with disclosure of their salaries. Responsibility for everyday business decisions will be removed from the "political" representatives of national associations. The "executive committee" will be disbanded. In its place will come a new 36-member Fifa council, which will include a minimum of six women, to set global strategy. The day-to-day running of Fifa will pass to a new "general secretariat" - equivalent to a corporate executive board - and the secretary general, effectively the CEO, will be a powerful position. The checks and balances will be carried out by a series of committees, the most important of which will be the fully independent audit and compliance committee. Fifa wants the regional confederations and national associations to mirror their efforts over time and they will place immediate new demands on them, such as annual audits. Media playback is not supported on this device You would think so given Fifa's recent history. However, officials aren't taking any chances. The proposals need 75% approval to be passed. Acting president Issa Hayatou has been very active in spreading the message about the need to adopt the raft of proposals. Hayatou was censured by the International Olympic Committee for his part in the ISL scandal - where the sports marketing company paid $100m (£66.2m) to officials, including former Fifa president Joao Havelange and ex-Fifa executive Ricardo Teixeira, in return for lucrative television and marketing rights throughout the 1990s. Additionally, he has been accused of taking a $1.5m (£1.1m) bribe from Qatar to vote in favour of their bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Both he and Qatar categorically deny any wrongdoing. So it is of interest that Hayatou has been at the forefront of the reform efforts. Hayatou has an unassailable reputation (although not in Europe) amongst large sections of the 209 Fifa nations, despite his alleged wrongdoing. His voice carries weight amongst the "family" and the vote should therefore be carried without any issues. Fifa is still in a perilous position with ongoing American and Swiss investigations into the activities of current and former officials. As it stands, the organisation is considered a "victim" by the US Department of Justice. But that could change. If the DoJ believes Fifa is not reforming or is carrying on as usual then it could be charged under US racketeering laws designed initially to tackle organised crime. Passing the reforms are therefore vital if Fifa is to continue operating and not be shut down. Yes. This is where it gets complicated. The DoJ and the Swiss authorities are very interested in how the Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cups were awarded and if any wrongdoing took place. If Fifa were to be shut down it could render the contracts for both those tournaments null and void. Geopolitically that could cause huge friction, especially given the delicate military situation in Syria at the moment. In addition, the US is a big ally of Qatar and has a strategic air base there. Given all of this, many question whether there is the political will from President Barack Obama's administration to carry out the ultimate threat. One insider said recently he believes there is pressure on Loretta Lynch, the US Attorney General, not to act in this regard. Far from it. In December, when the US made its second wave of arrests, it issued a superseding indictment. There are 24 unnamed co-conspirators within the document, including high ranking Fifa officials and members of national FAs. Some may be cooperating with the US already, others not. At some stage the US will have to act and a grand jury has been sitting in the US to consider ongoing matters. In addition, the Swiss investigation into the 2018 and 2022 bidding process is ongoing. That enquiry has widened and has resulted in Blatter being criminally investigated. Big question. No one knows right now. If they do take action, the effect that has on the election will depend largely on who is targeted and where. The US is believed to be diverting its attention away from America and more towards Europe, Asia and Africa. It is hard to see the mechanism by which the election could be stopped - but this is Fifa, so let's not rule anything in or out just yet. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa of Bahrain is still the front runner according to many observers. He has the backing of his own Asian confederation and Africa, though the continents do not vote as a bloc and the ballot is held in secret. However, such political backing from two of the biggest confederations should not be underestimated. The national associations do not want to back the loser either… even though the vote is secret. There may be big swings in the vote between the rounds. Fifa presidency: Meet Sepp Blatter's five possible successors Media playback is not supported on this device The Uefa general secretary Infantino has, according to the 45-year-old Swiss' camp, made gains in recent weeks. They believe he is the man to beat. You may say: 'they would say that, wouldn't they?' Well, yes… but this is the same PR team behind Prince Ali bin al-Hussein's failed election attempt last May. Back then they made very different noises in the build-up, briefing that 40-year-old Jordanian Prince Ali was unlikely to win but would give Blatter a bloody nose. So their bullish confidence with Infantino should not be underestimated. Infantino has strong support in Europe, South America and significant backing in the potentially crucial Caribbean. They also think they will get half the votes in Africa. If that proves true then it's game over. He wins. "If" is the key word though. Media playback is not supported on this device Prince Ali lost the support of Europe for this election when Platini announced he was standing. He failed to make gains after the 60-year-old former France captain was banned and Infantino stepped into his shoes. He does have some support - but nowhere near the sufficient numbers required to win. However, Prince Ali could still be a significant player in deciding the eventual victor if he drops out and asks his supporters to back a rival candidate. Frenchman Jerome Champagne will stay on to the bitter end but is highly unlikely to get more than 10 votes. South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale's efforts have been something of a mystery and he has been criticised for running a lacklustre campaign. He went on a joint visit to Robben Island, where he was a political prisoner, with Infantino on Monday. Despite that he says he will not quit. He seems to be playing a longer game - perhaps with his eye on a new Fifa if the current organisation is ever abolished. There are 207 eligible voters, with Kuwait and Indonesia currently barred from taking part. In the first round, the winner needs two-thirds of the available votes. If no candidate achieves that then a simple majority (105 in a 209-nation contest) is all that is required to win. If there is still no winner then a third round will take place and the candidate with the fewest votes in round two would drop out at this point. The candidates will each have 15 minutes to address Friday's congress, which is due to start at about 12:00 GMT. In theory, the first round of voting should start at approximately 13:30 GMT. Fifa estimates each round of voting will take one hour and 40 minutes. A safer bet is two hours, judging by previous elections. So the earliest a winner is likely to be declared is about 17:30 GMT… let's see.

Football's crisis-hit world governing body Fifa will meet in Zurich on Friday and elect a new leader to try to take the damaged organisation forward into a new era.

He is Alan Drennan, 21, a mechanic, from Newtownabbey, County Antrim. Mr Drennan had left Northern Ireland on Saturday with a group of friends for a holiday on the island. He was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday. Spanish police said there were no signs of violence and the death seemed to be of natural causes. But they are waiting for an autopsy to be carried out. It is not clear at this stage when that will take place. Mr Drennan's father, also Alan, told Cool FM: "This is breaking our hearts, it really is. We cannot understand why. "Alan was called after me and he was just mini me. He was Alan junior. He was me all over and, boy, will I miss him." A spokesperson for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Ibiza on 19 July. "We have been liaising with the Spanish authorities and are providing support to the family at this difficult time."

A young man from Northern Ireland has died while on holiday in Ibiza.

Woods, 39, announced an indefinite break from the game this week. Hank Haney, who spent six years with the 14-time major champion, told BBC Radio 5 live that Woods had "no choice" but to withdraw from competitive golf. "Whatever the reason, he definitely has not practised like he did earlier in his career - and it shows," Haney said. "Make no mistake about it, this is not a bump, this is not a hill... this is a mountain he has to climb to get anywhere near back to where he was. "Has he lost the desire and energy? I don't think there is any doubt. Who knows when we'll see him again?" Haney said injuries and having two young children had impacted on Woods. He also claimed "big, big issues" in the former world number one's game meant the decision to take time out was "pretty predictable". BBC golf commentator Peter Alliss believes Woods needs "a guru" to rediscover his magic on the course. "Tiger might go to India like the Beatles and discover something magical," said Alliss, who hoped Woods would remain a force in the game "He'd be a huge miss. He's been a giant in a land of Lilliputians for years." Media playback is not supported on this device Woods has begun his break from golf at Beaver Creek in Colorado, where he is supporting girlfriend Lindsey Vonn as she competes in the Alpine Skiing World Championships. The American missed the cut at the Phoenix Open at the end of last month with an 11-over-par 82 - the worst round of his professional career - and finished last of a field of 132. Woods, who has not won a major in seven years, also withdrew from last week's event at Torrey Pines in California after just 12 holes, citing a back problem. "I need a lot of work on my game and to spend time with people that are important to me," Woods said earlier this week. However, he indicated on his website that he could return as early as the Honda Classic, which starts on 26 February. Alliss, 83, says he is at a loss to explain the reasons behind the recent decline of Woods but only wants him to return if he can banish his problems. "I'd like him to finish and play well," said Alliss. "I don't want him to remember him hitting 82 and walking off courses in a wounded state." Paul Azinger, 55, has urged fellow American Woods to take a back-to-basics approach and stop over-thinking his swing. Azinger told USA Today: "What Tiger has done is sacrifice a winning swing at the altar for a quest for the perfect swing. And a perfect swing doesn't exist."

Tiger Woods has lost the "desire and energy" to "climb back up the mountain" and rediscover his best form as a golfer, his former swing coach says.

In recent months, women wearing body paint and little else having been posing for photos in Times Square, joining the ranks of costumed characters like Cookie Monster and Spider-Man. They're all hoping to score a smile and a few dollars from the droves of mobile-phone toting tourists. In addition to the women, a few misbehaving "rogue" costumed performers have generated embarrassing headlines like "Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty get into fight over tips." Tourists seem more amused than scandalised, but the presence of the "desnudas" - or the naked ones - has stirred fears of Times Square regressing from a family-friendly tourist destination to a place once known for strip joints, pawn shops and seedy hotels. Last week Mr de Blasio formed a task force to combat the proliferation of the busking street performers, but tellingly the plan not did involve cracking down on the women but rather taking away their stomping grounds. Mr de Blasio has floated the idea of removing Times Square's pedestrian plazas, where the performers most often find their customers. So why have the NYPD not charged the women with indecent exposure and called it a day? The first amendment of the US Constitution is apparently the reason. In New York, busking - even topless - is considered a form of protected speech, leading authorities to tread lightly when it comes to the performers. "It's their argument that they are artists, or street entertainers, and not just someone hanging around half-naked," Larry Bryne, the deputy police commissioner for legal matters, told the New York Times. "As long as they are performers exercising their First Amendment rights in a lawful way, it's not a criminal law-enforcement issue that we can address." If the women start harassing tourists or become very aggressive in their busking, police could become involved, but thus far the women are letting the tourists come to them. Some - including the New York Times editorial board - are wondering what the fuss is about when topless men are commonplace all over the city in the spring and summer. Others have suggested creating "specialised areas" for the performers to work. Or as the New York Post tactfully put it - creating "pens" for the "pests". Mr de Blasio's task force will return its findings in October. But so far Mr de Blasio's call to remove the pedestrian plazas isn't winning a lot of praise. The plazas - designed to make the once traffic-clogged Times Square more inviting for visitors - have been as seen a big success among urban planners and most importantly city business leaders. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer - normally an ally of the mayor - called the idea of destroying the plazas "preposterous". The Times Square Alliance, which represents local businesses, also took a dim view of Mr de Blasio's plan. "That's not a solution, it's a surrender," said Tim Tompkins, the organisation's president.

A new breed of scantily clad street performers are becoming a nuisance to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, but he is finding that taming Times Square is not as simple as it seems.

It marks the day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month, back in 1918. A two-minute silence is held at 11am to remember the people who have died in wars. There is also Remembrance Sunday every year, which falls on the second Sunday in November. This year, it will fall on Sunday 13 November. On this day, there are usually ceremonies at war memorials, cenotaphs and churches throughout the country, as well as abroad. The Royal Family and top politicians gather at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, for a memorial service. The anniversary is used to remember all the people who have died in wars, not just World War One. This includes World War Two, the Falklands War, the Gulf War, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The first two-minute silence in Britain was held on 11 November 1919, when King George V asked the public to observe a silence at 11am. This was one year after the end of World War One. He made the request so "the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead".

Armistice Day is on 11 November and is also known as Remembrance Day.

The Welsh Government funding comes after the chancellor gave £2bn extra for social care in England. A total of £8m will be used in a bid to prevent children entering care. Councils will also get £3m more to pay for respite for carers. Plaid Cymru welcomed "any additional investment" for what it called an "underfunded service". The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has previously warned that rising social care costs could force some councils to merge. In a statement, Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said: "We are acutely aware of the pressures being faced by the sector and by local government. "It is vital that we support the development of social services that are sustainable for the future. "There is no doubt that the public sector is facing unprecedented challenges. We need to continue to build our resilience." Part of the money will go towards supporting families and children on the "edge of care" and improve "outcomes for children leaving care". A WLGA spokesperson said the additional funding represented a continued recognition that the "health of the population depends on far more than just health care services alone". He said: "The WLGA will continue to work with Welsh Government and make a case for sustainable solutions to the challenges in social care as an issue of national strategic importance. "We also look to the new UK government following the forthcoming general election to come up with sustainable solutions to the longer term funding of social care and ensure that the hard choices required are made to safeguard vital provision for children and older people now and into the future." A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: "The Welsh Government had little option but to increase funding given the pressures the NHS faced. "For too long the Conservative party has failed to understand how vital social care is in keeping the NHS functional, and the additional finance is too little too late."

An extra £20m a year is to be spent on social care in Wales.

The shot was fired at the property on Nacton Crescent at 01:35 GMT. The shooting happened after what police described as a "firearms incident" on Fuchsia Lane at on Monday evening and a fire at a flat on Dandalan Close 30 minutes later. Three people have been arrested and police remain on Nacton Crescent. LIVE: Updates on this story and other Suffolk news Suffolk Police said no-one was hurt and they believe those involved know each other. Insp Phil Enderby said: "We do believe that the suspects and the victims in these incidents all know each other and that there is no threat to the general public." The three people in custody were arrested after the Fuchsia Lane incident. Police stopped a Mini Cooper at 20:35 GMT at Alnesbourn Crescent and a handgun was recovered. The vehicle has been seized by police. Police said accelerant was thrown through a window and furniture was set alight at the flat at Dandalan Close. They said the family in the property at Nacton Crescent were safe.

A gunshot was fired into a family home in Ipswich after an arson attack and another firearms incident which police believe are all linked.

Ashley Broomhall's Ben Nevis trek will raise money for Cancer Research UK. Mr Broomhall, a member of Star Wars costuming club the 501st UK Garrison, set himself the peak challenge after his mother was diagnosed with cancer. He has already done a walk up the 1,335ft (407m) hill The Wrekin in Shropshire in his stormtrooper kit. To further prepare for his 4,406ft (1,344m) hike to the summit of Ben Nevis, he also plans to walk to the top of 3,560ft (1,085m) Snowdon. The UK Garrison was created in 2000. Its members attend events across the UK dressed in "movie accurate" costumes to raise money for charity. The newest movie in the Star Wars franchise, whose best-known characters include Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbacca, is due to be released in cinemas in December.

A Star Wars fan is to attempt to walk to the summit of Britain's highest mountain while dressed in his Imperial stormtrooper armour.

Party officials told the electoral office they have been contacted by 18 people whose votes had been "stolen". The Chief Electoral Officer said she is investigating 12 allegations of electoral fraud in the Foyle constituency. Former SDLP leader Mark Durkan lost the seat by 169 votes to former city lord mayor Elisha McCallion of Sinn Féin. The police have said they are investigating a small number of reports of electoral fraud, following an Electoral Office referral. Chief Electoral Officer Virginia McVeigh said: "The investigation is at a very early stage. We have made a number of calls for other people to come forward." The SDLP said about a dozen incidents of voter fraud had also been reported in South Down and has called for tighter controls on voter identification. SDLP veteran Margaret Ritchie was defeated in South Down by Sinn Fein's Chris Hazzard by 2,446 votes. SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said he had been contacted by people who were told they had already voted when they arrived at polling stations. "It's difficult to gauge how widespread it may be," said Mr Durkan, the nephew of the defeated Foyle MP. "It is horrifying to think that in this day and age that voting fraud is going on. "It is vitally important to all parties that we have an electoral system that people can have faith and confidence in." BBC News NI political correspondent Enda McClafferty said: "While allegations of voter fraud are not new, the SDLP claims it is more of a problem now - especially in constituencies like Foyle where only 169 votes separated the winner and loser." No accusations have been made against any one party but in response to the SDLP claims, Sinn Féin said there was always an effort by political opponents to explain away their rejection by the electorate. Police have asked anyone with concerns about electoral fraud to contact the Electoral Office. Ch Supt Karen Baxter said: "We work closely with the Electoral Office and where information becomes available in relation to criminal activity, we take action."

Police are investigating allegations of electoral fraud amid concerns raised by the SDLP in the Foyle constituency.

The pool, at White Wells Spa Cottage on Ilkley Moor, is open for bathers all year round but it is traditional to take the plunge on 1 January. Joanne Everall, who runs the bath house and adjoining cafe with Mark Hunnebell, said the pool usually attracted 100 to 150 people at new year. The current record was made last year, with 212 bathers taking part. Queues formed throughout the day outside the cottage, as bathers of all ages braved the water. The bath was built in around 1700, when it was open air with surrounding walls but no roof. Its waters were advertised as having healing properties. Charles Darwin is believed to have visited Ilkley in 1859 and "took the waters" at White Wells.

A total of 183 people took a dip in a plunge pool on the Yorkshire moors on New Year's Day.

The 15-year-old Scot became the youngest ever Commonwealth medallist when she finished third in the SB9 100m breaststroke aged 13 in 2014. However, she was told in April her impairment was now not serious enough for her to compete in Para-swimming. A second panel, at the Berlin Open event, upheld the result on Wednesday. Davies, from the Delting Dolphins club in Shetland, has Perthes disease, a condition that affects her hip bones and joints. Before losing her classification, she was only eligible to compete in breaststroke events.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Erraid Davies has been deemed ineligible for disability swimming after medical tests.

Halfpenny's current deal runs out in the summer and Cardiff Blues and Wasps have been linked with him. But Laporte said the 27-year-old will take up the option of a third season with the European champions. "He's staying at Toulon. I don't know when he will sign but it should happen," Laporte told AFP. "He's a good lad, you need some like him in a club. He trains five hours a day." Halfpenny signed a two-year deal when he agreed to join Toulon from Cardiff Blues in January 2014. Former France coach Laporte said Halfpenny had been "under pressure" from his national coach Warren Gatland to return to Wales. A return to Wales would benefit Gatland given the limitations imposed on him on the number of foreign-based players he can select in the squad. But Halfpenny would still be eligible under the so-called 'Gatland's Law' as he would be taking up the option of a third season at Toulon on a contract he signed before the selection criteria came into effect. Former side Blues expressed an interest in re-signing Halfpenny while Scarlets said they would be keen to take him back to Wales. Wasps were also interested but director of rugby Dai Young said the Coventry-based club were "not an option" for the Wales full-back. The British and Irish Lions full-back has not played for Toulon this season after suffering a serious knee injury in a World Cup warm-up game for Wales in September. He subsequently missed the World Cup and is expected to miss this year's Six Nations Championship after having reconstructive surgery.

Toulon head coach Bernard Laporte expects Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny to remain with the French club beyond the end of the season.

The infant's remains were found in bushes in Manor Park, Church Hill, Aldershot, at about 13:30 BST. A group of about 10 officers and a marine unit arrived on Saturday to scour the undergrowth for clues. Police said there were "growing concerns' for the welfare of the mother who may need "urgent medical attention". Ch Insp Debbie Brooks of Hampshire Constabulary said: "I would like to reassure the communities of Aldershot that our priority is to ensure the welfare of the mother of the baby. "This must be a very distressing time for the mother, however it is important that she seeks urgent medical care - I would urge her to contact us on 101, or to go to a hospital for medical attention." Hampshire Police has appealed to any friends, relatives or healthcare workers with information to come forward.

Police have resumed their search of a park in Hampshire where the body of a newborn baby was discovered on Friday.

Phyllida Lloyd will direct revivals of Julius Caesar and Henry IV and a new production of The Tempest, which are all set in a women's prison. Harriet Walter will play Brutus in Julius Caesar, King Henry in Henry IV, and Prospero in The Tempest. The new in-the-round venue will be open for 13 weeks from 23 September. Julius Caesar and Henry IV were both staged by the company at the Donmar's Covent Garden base in 2012 and 2014 respectively. The theatre hopes to make 25% of all tickets will be free to 25s and under with a new scheme called Young and Free, funded mainly through sponsorship and philanthropy. Artistic Director Josie Rourke said: "I remember very clearly the furore created by the idea of an all-female Shakespeare, when Phyllida Lloyd first staged Julius Caesar with Harriet Walter in 2012. "Phyllida Lloyd's work with this diverse, all-female company has been genuinely ground-breaking and in the intervening four years, theatre has got into the fast lane of debate and change. "It's time, with these Young and Free tickets, to join together our question about who gets to play these roles with a renewed mission for who gets to experience them." After its month-long run at the new London venue, The Tempest will transfer to Broadway in October as part of the Donmar's New York season, which runs from July until February 2017. The James Graham play Privacy, starring Daniel Radcliffe, and Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, will also be staged in New York.

London's Donmar Warehouse is to open a temporary theatre in King's Cross to host the company's all-female Shakespeare trilogy.

Currently, people only face a fine if they fail to pick up litter in the town centre. According to residents, rubbish is regularly being left strewn along the shoreline. Bournemouth Borough Council said fixed penalty fines were not cost effective and the beach was cleaned daily throughout the summer. In a statement, the authority said: "In order to issue a fixed penalty notice, litter must be witnessed being dropped, and this is obviously difficult to monitor with both the volume of visitors and the length of time people tend to stay on the beach. "We are very confident that, every day, the beach and seafront are a clean and pleasant environment for people to visit and enjoy." More than 1,500 people have signed a petition calling for the on the spot fines to be introduced. Peter Ryan, of volunteer litter clearing group, Dorset Devils, said: "We do need to take further steps to look after our beautiful beach - it shouldn't be trashed, there's nappies, glass, barbeques and items are also being buried in the sand. "The council do a fantastic job - but there should be a presence on the beach to discourage people from dropping litter. "When you're on the beach the only thing you should leave behind is your footprints."

Residents in Bournemouth are calling on the council to bring in on-the-spot fines for beach litter.

However, that's at the heart of the media's frustration. The fact is the campaign has become a succession of tightly controlled photo opportunities... by all the main parties. This has become the hi-vis, hard hat election. It's been the predictable campaign gear for both David Cameron and George Osborne. No walkabouts. No risk of a verbal ambush by ordinary voters. But there's a fascinating side to this election where the campaign can offer raw politics, unplugged... where the voters engage with the politicians seeking their support. Election hustings have been one of the big successes of this general election. Magazine Monitor: Where did the word 'hustings' come from? There have been a record number of them held in churches, according to research by one Christian charity. I've been to a number of hustings so far and there's one reason why they work. The debates and exchanges are close up and often personal. Voters are able to question the politicians and get beyond some of the campaign sound bites and slogans. They also often highlight issues that are just overlooked in the "noise" of national campaigning. That was the case at a hustings at the All Nations for Christ church in the Normanton area of the Derby South constituency, where the audience were mostly from the city's African Caribbean communities. On the platform, representatives from all the parties, including Dame Margaret Beckett, who's defending a 6,000 Labour majority in Derby South. There were questions from the audience on immigration, Europe and schools. But one question particularly gripped the audience: Why were graduates from the African Caribbean communities three times more likely to be out of a job, six months after leaving university? The study was carried out by the Bow Group think-tank and Elevation Networks, a youth employment charity, and was based on interviews with 2,500 students over two years. It also found that black students were not being given the same opportunities as white students. One angry voice in the audience shouted: "That's outrageous and disgraceful". It got backing from the Greens. "That indicates there's some form of discrimination going on in the jobs market," said John Devine, the Green Party candidate for Derbyshire's Amber Valley. There was a suggestion from one questioner for employers to be forced by law to audit who and where they recruit staff. A precise solution perhaps required a precise response. But the Conservatives' Derby South candidate Evonne Williams tiptoed round this one. "It's something that we haven't considered but I'm happy to take it back to the party," she told the questioner. And Labour's Dame Margaret? "We're going to be looking at the Equalities Act to see if it needs modernising and updating. So your suggestion is exactly the kind of idea we will be looking at," she said. One platform speaker wanted to go much further. Lucy Care, the Lib Dem's candidate for Derby North, suggested that all job application forms should no longer include the person's name. "We would like to have name blank application forms," she said. "So all you read is their experience and what they've done. Often the name of the applicant can deter some employers from short listing or recruiting." As for UKIP's Derby South hopeful Victor Webb, he didn't completely rule out having such a recruitment audit, but: "I wouldn't do this because of the burden of cost and regulation on small businesses." For this hustings audience, maybe no instant solutions but they got the politicians thinking about their concerns. "The key is getting people engaged," said Marc Grant, the event organiser. "It's the first time we've held a hustings at the church." "We wanted to show why politics is so important to our daily lives and I'm really pleased so many people came along." Whatever the outcome of this election, the locally organised hustings have emerged as a big campaign winner.

David Cameron has been telling reporters that this election campaign is not about photo opportunities but more about the UK's long term economic revival.

John Poole, 50, was attacked on The Avenue, Bentley, Doncaster, in the early hours of Saturday. He was taken to hospital but later died. South Yorkshire Police said post-mortem examination showed he died from stab wounds. A 32-year-old woman has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court later. A 17-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of murder has been bailed pending further inquiries.

A woman has been charged with murdering a man who was stabbed to death in South Yorkshire.

When transplanted into pigs and rats, the kidneys worked, passing urine just like natural ones. Getting the urine out has been a problem for earlier prototypes, causing them to balloon under the pressure. The Japanese team got round this by growing extra plumbing for the kidney to stop the backlog, PNAS reports. Although still years off human trials, the research helps guide the way towards the end goal of making organs for people, say experts. In the UK, more than 6,000 people are waiting for a kidney - but because of a shortage of donors, fewer than 3,000 transplants are carried out each year. More than 350 people die a year, almost one a day, waiting for a transplant. Lab-grown kidneys using human stem cells could solve this problem. Dr Takashi Yokoo and colleagues at the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo used a stem cell method, but instead of just growing a kidney for the host animal, they set about growing a drainage tube too, along with a bladder to collect and store the urine. When they connected this to the animal's existing bladder, the system worked. Urine passed from the transplanted kidney into the transplanted bladder and then into the rat bladder. And the transplant was still working well when they checked again eight weeks later. They then repeated the procedure on a much larger mammal - a pig - and achieved the same results. Prof Chris Mason, an expert in stem cells and regenerative medicine at University College London, said: "This is an interesting step forward. The science looks strong and they have good data in animals. "But that's not to say this will work in humans. We are still years off that. It's very much mechanistic. It moves us closer to understanding how the plumbing might work. "At least with kidneys, we can dialyse patients for a while so there would be time to grow kidneys if that becomes possible." Other scientists have looked at rejuvenating old organs that would not normally be suitable for transplanting. Prof Harald Ott and colleagues have been testing out a method that washes away the tissue from dead organs to leave a scaffold that can be repopulated with healthy new cells. They have built kidneys, hearts and lungs in this way. Prof Ott says using a scaffold is a good short cut, rather than having to grow whole structures from scratch.

Scientists say they are a step closer to growing fully functioning replacement kidneys, after promising results in animals.