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The name of each cat killed by Robert Farmer, 26, was read out to him by the judge in Santa Clara Superior Court. One of the cats showed signs of having been sexually abused, experts said. Farmer committed the crimes in San Jose in 2015. He was found sleeping in his car in October that year with a dead cat in the centre console and chunks of fur elsewhere in the vehicle. The cats all went missing in the Cambrian Park area of San Jose in the autumn of 2015. Several pets were found dead, two of them in rubbish bins. The Mercury News website said that video footage from a security camera showed a young man taking a 17-year-old cat named GoGo. Residents pointed police to Farmer. GoGo was among the cats who were never found. Owner Miriam Petrova was at the court on Friday. She told NBC News: "We finally can say goodbye to every cat that was involved in this tragedy." Farmer admitted 21 felony counts of animal cruelty - killing 18 cats and wounding three - along with misdemeanour battery and being under the influence. A letter by him, read out by his lawyer, said: "It feels like another man committed these crimes, but I know it was me. It's so hard to grasp I did this. I stole a member of their family. The fact that I was out of my mind was no excuse." Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Ellis dismissed the letter as an attempt to win leniency. "The judge agreed with my analysis. She sentenced him to 16 years, we can only hope it is long enough," she said. Farmer was also banned from owning or caring for a pet for 10 years after his release, and was given a restriction order keeping him away from Cambrian Park.

A man in California has been jailed for 16 years after admitting he stole and tortured cats, killing 18 of them.

The tortoise, known as Speed, had been in geriatric decline for some time. Keepers at San Diego Zoo had used acupuncture and hydrotherapy to treat his arthritis and other ailments. Speed had been brought to California in 1933 as part of a programme to preserve the endangered species from the Volcan Cerro Azul island of the Galapagos, off Ecuador. Thirteen Galapagos tortoises remain at the zoo. The group has produced more than 90 offspring which can be found in many other zoos. Many of them have been sired by Speed.

A giant Galapagos tortoise more than 150 years old has been put down at a zoo in California.

The live broadcast of John Adams's The Death of Klinghoffer was scheduled for 15 November. The opera set to be performed this autumn portrays the hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship by the Palestine Liberation Front in 1985. Jewish American passenger Leon Klinghoffer was killed in the attack "I'm convinced that the opera is not anti-Semitic," the Met's General Manager, Peter Gelb, wrote in a statement. "But I've also become convinced that there is genuine concern in the international Jewish community that the live transmission of The Death of Klinghoffer would be inappropriate at this time of rising anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe." The decision was taken after discussions between Mr Gelb and the Anti-Defamation League, which represented Klinghoffer's children. Mr Adams criticised the decision, telling Associated Press news agency the opera "in no form condones or promotes violence, terrorism or anti-Semitism". The Achille Lauro had been sailing the Mediterranean on 7 October 1985 when the gang - members of a splinter group of Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Liberation Organisation - attacked. During a two-day standoff, the group demanded the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners and killed Klinghoffer, 69, before throwing him overboard. The Palestinian militants initially escaped after allowing the Achille Lauro to dock in Egypt. Later, the US military intercepted an Egyptian plane which the hijackers were using to flee and forced it to land in Sicily, where the four hijackers were arrested. Youssef Magied al-Molqui, the leader of the group which overtook the Achille Lauro, was released from an Italian prison in 2009 after serving nearly 24 years.

New York's Metropolitan Opera has cancelled plans for a global HD broadcast of a performance amid fears it could spark anti-Semitic sentiment.

Their recent run is in contrast to the way they started the season with six victories from their first seven games. Since the end of March, the Vikings' only wins have been in the Challenge Cup against lower-league sides. "We've got the personnel and we've got the people to spark us back into life," Betts told BBC Radio Merseyside. "When we get rolling again I'm sure, or I'm positive, that we can really turn this year around for ourselves." Widnes lie eighth after their poor run and face Salford at Magic Weekend on Saturday. "The players are hurting and we've got to win," added England assistant coach Betts. "Whether it be pretty, whether it be the last second of the game, we've got to win. "It's alright being a good group and it's alright talking about team spirit and being in it together, but not winning really hurts. "We've got to find that win and we've got to find it some way and that's within the team and it's in those 80 minutes out there."

Widnes head coach Denis Betts is confident his squad will find their form after a seven-match losing streak in Super League.

Dundee West MP Chris Law was questioned by police in September in relation to his Spirit of Independence referendum campaign in 2014. The campaign saw him raise grassroots funding to travel across Scotland in a Green Goddess fire engine that had been painted in the colours of the saltire. The Crown Office confirmed that no further action would be taken. A spokesman said: "Following discussion with Police Scotland, we agree with their assessment that there is insufficient evidence to support each of the allegations, and that, as such, they do not intend submitting a formal prosecution report." Mr Law told the Courier newspaper: "Politics - at all levels - should be a force for good. That's what drove me to become involved in the referendum campaign with Spirit of Independence, and why I stood to represent the people of Dundee West. "While this has been a distressing process, I have always continued doing the job I was elected to do and I am now more motivated than ever to stand up for my constituents. "While there was never any doubt from the outset, I was happy to co-operate with inquiries and I'm glad the matter has now been fully resolved."

An SNP MP has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a police investigation into his financial dealings.

Media playback is not supported on this device United remain 15 points clear at the top of the table with eight games left after a 1-0 win at Sunderland. "We are not concerned with what we have left behind us, we are only focusing on what is in front of us," said Ferguson. "The players have created a record with 25 wins out of the first 30 matches and that tells you a lot about the club." He added: "The next league game is the derby against Manchester City and we are going to go into that with a 15-point headstart on City. Manchester United have won 50 of a possible 54 points in their last 18 Premier League games. Man Utd have eight matches remaining to better Chelsea's record 95-point haul in 2005. "The focus is good and the only thing that matters is to win your next game." Ferguson will make changes for Monday's FA Cup quarter-final replay at Chelsea after seeing Rafael and Anderson suffer injuries at Sunderland, while goalkeeper David De Gea also suffered a knock after a heavy collision with team-mate Nemanja Vidic. "Our goalkeeper was knocked out for a spell and we picked up a couple of other injuries [at Sunderland] but we dealt with that well," said Ferguson, who did not start with returning England players Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley on Saturday. "There will be changes at Chelsea. We will have to wait and see how Wayne is. He was a bit tired after getting back from the England match. "We will have Ryan Giggs and Javier Hernandez available and there were a couple of others [including Rio Ferdinand] who I did not take to Sunderland. "It was a battle in the second half but in the first half we played very well and deserved to be in front, and you have to give credit to Sunderland. "They had a real go at us and made it much more difficult for us but we owe our win to determined defending and a lot of courage."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says his side will not ease up on their march towards a 20th league title until the job is complete.

Naomi Gwynne wrote to South Lanarkshire Council after finding her brother Isaac was unable to use the swings. Both children are autistic and Isaac is visually impaired by a brain tumour and has severe learning difficulties, so he cannot hold on to a normal swing. The council said it had found a new seat it was hoping to install soon. Naomi wrote to the authority after visiting the new park near their home in Hamilton and seeing that Isaac could not use the assisted swings as they were too small. She wrote: "I like the new park but please could you make a disabled swing for it? "Isaac my twin brother is too big for a baby swing but can't hold on to the bars of the grown up swings. "His favourite thing is a swing and we are both sad. Why did you forget about him? I have drawn a swing he would like. Thank you." The twins' mother, Miriam Gwynne, said the children were excited when the park opened on Bothwell Road. She said: "I was surprised when my daughter asked this weekend if I could help her spell 'disabled' and then she handed me her wonderful letter. "I was so emotional that she had noticed and cared so much for her twin brother who has such multiple disabilities. "I was so sad that a brand new park would not be automatically inclusive and so proud of my eight-year-old for standing up for her brother. "Isaac has complex autism, is non-verbal, has global delay and learning difficulties and NF1 [disorder]. He is also visually impaired and requires a lot of care. But to Naomi he is simply her brother who deserves to play and swing as much as anyone else." Mrs Gwynne, 40, posted her daughter's message on Twitter, calling for people to share it. South Lanarkshire Council has responded to Mrs Gwynne. The authority's head of facilities, waste and grounds services, Alistair McKinnon, said: "All new play areas are designed to incorporate an element of inclusive play. The overall aim is to allow children of all abilities to play together and present a range of experiences and challenges. "There are six of the 15 items in the newly refurbished play area at Bothwell Road which are classified as inclusive by the manufacturer. "However, following the heartfelt letter from Naomi and a review of provision in surrounding play parks, we have been able to source a seat which we think may be suitable for Isaac and are looking to have it installed as soon as possible."

An eight-year-old girl has accused a council of "forgetting" about her disabled twin brother when it installed new equipment at their local park.

Mr Tsilikin, 54, was found on Thursday evening after friends and family had been unable to contact him. His mobile phone and computer are missing. Police have opened a murder inquiry. Mr Tsilikin was a well-known culture and arts critic, working on TV and radio as well as for print media such as Kommersant, Vogue and Elle. Mr Tsilikin had reportedly just returned from a trip to the Latvian capital, Riga. Friends and family last spoke to him at the end of last week. Mr Tsilikin was found with multiple knife wounds and it is believed he may have been dead for at least two days. The Russian Investigative Committee said a forensic investigation was being carried out and it had not ruled out "murder committed on domestic grounds". St Petersburg Union of Journalists chairwoman Lyudmila Fomichev told Kommersant: "This is a great tragedy for the entire journalistic community, because he was a very well-known, great journalist who wrote on culture and art." Mr Tsilikin, a graduate of the Leningrad State Institute of Music and Cinema, turned to journalism after the collapse of the Soviet Union, working for the newspaper Rush Hour and editing Culture and Society. He also worked on a number of TV and radio programmes, as well as other newspapers and magazines.

Noted Russian journalist Dmitry Tsilikin has been found stabbed to death in his flat in St Petersburg.

We Were There was written by Leicester singer Bob Wragg for the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. Mr Wragg, 82, said its original release was deemed "inappropriate" following the outbreak of the Falklands War. The recording features many of the winning side including Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. The song came about through Mr Wragg's friendship with keeper Gordon Banks, England's victorious goalkeeper in 1966, and he asked him about recording a song to wish the 1982 side well. Many of the World Cup winning players feature in the video, with the exception of brothers Bobby and Jackie Charlton, who were away at the time, and Nobby Stiles, who was ill. The recording, which has sat in the attic at Mr Wragg's Isle of Man home for more than three decades, includes captain Bobby Moore playing tambourine. Mr Wragg, who performed with the 1950s variety act the Dallas Boys, said: "The atmosphere was amazing but I had to teach a few of them to sing - I even taught Alan Ball to sing a harmony. We had a right knees up. "I heard the lads were in Leicester to shoot a promo so I had one night to write a song and one day to record it and make a video. The record label loved it but then the Falklands war broke out and it was shelved." The singer is a founder member of what has been described as Britain's first boy band and now lives in Laxey with his wife. He decided to search his attic for the song and video after reading that three of the squad were living with Alzheimer's disease. It has been released coincide with the European Championships in France and all funds from the song will go to the charity Alzheimer's Research UK. Mr Wragg added: "This is a nostalgic delight and will support a very worthy charity - I was so emotional watching it back knowing that some of the lads have passed away now."

A football anthem sung by England's 1966 World Cup winning side has been released after spending 34 years hidden in an Isle of Man attic.

He also said the summer transfer window would have been "significantly important for many reasons". The Spaniard was sacked on Thursday with Everton 12th in the Premier League following a 3-0 defeat by Sunderland. He added: "It has been an honour to be the manager of Everton Football Club for the past three seasons." Everton reached the semi-final of both the FA Cup and League Cup this season but have only won five home league games and will finish with their lowest points tally at Goodison Park since the introduction of three points for a win in 1981. Martinez, 42, took over at Everton in 2013, finishing fifth in his first season but slipping to 11th last term. He added: "I will treasure this period as Everton manager forever - the memories of reaching a club record 72 points tally in the Premier League, reaching the final 16 of the Europa League and the excitement of reaching the semi-finals of both domestic cups this season. "I express my gratitude to chairman Bill Kenwright, who understood and supported my vision and who gave me the privilege of becoming an Evertonian." Martinez offered his "sincere thanks" to the players and staff at the club. He added: "I appreciate that over the last eight weeks our league results haven't been up to the levels that we would expect. However, over the past three years the support the fans have given to me and the team has been inspiring. "I know that the team and the fans will react well against Norwich today and I wish everyone the best of luck for three points which would match last season's league points tally." Everton host Norwich in their final Premier League of the season on Sunday with current under-21s coach David Unsworth and former manager Joe Royle taking charge. Martinez also praised American keeper Tim Howard, who is making his final appearance for the club before heading to Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, for his "outstanding contribution" to the club.

Roberto Martinez said he is "disappointed" Everton were not able to "finish what we started" following his sacking as manager this week.

Media playback is not supported on this device How did their players rate in the biggest match in the history of Welsh football? Coped well with Portugal's early flurry of crosses but was powerless to deny Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal's opening goal. The Crystal Palace player was unfortunate to be wrong-footed by Nani's deflection for the second goal. Watchful against the threat of Ronaldo cutting inside from Portugal's left, the Reading defender was kept busy by the likes of Renato Sanches and Nani and struggled to influence the game in attack. Switched to the left side of Wales' three centre-backs in Ben Davies' absence, the West Brom man timed his advances well to make interceptions. Beaten by Ronaldo for Portugal's opening goal but won a team-high eight aerial duels. Made some strong early challenges, particularly on Cristiano Ronaldo, to assert his authority on the game. The Swansea City skipper led by example, winning 100% of his 50-50 contests with Portugal players. Making his first international start since March 2015, he competed well in the air as Portugal sought to make the most of Ronaldo's aerial prowess. Wales might have missed Ben Davies' distribution but his replacement was solid defensively. Like Gunter, kept on the back foot by Portugal's attacking players. Pushed forward but, when he got into promising positions, struggled to provide quality crosses. An early booking for a foul on Nani made his job of protecting Wales' defence difficult, but still the Liverpool midfielder buzzed around with intent. Typically sound in possession but not as influential as he has been earlier in the tournament. Showed imagination with a low corner which led to a chance for Gareth Bale but had only limited influence in open play before being replaced by Sam Vokes shortly after Portugal's second goal. Made some characteristic runs into the Portugal penalty area but could not make the crucial connections. Forced deeper as Portugal's midfield gained control in the second half, the Leicester Premier League winner had to curb his attacking instincts. Trademark runs from deep and at a startling pace had Portugal's defenders backtracking in the first half but his influence waned in the second period. The Real Madrid forward's audacious long-range shot was Wales' last effort. Brimming with confidence following his stunning goal in the quarter-final win over Belgium, the free agent stretched Portugal's defence with his powerful running. He was starved of the ball in the second half, however, as the match wore on. Brought on shortly after Wales fell 2-0 behind, the Burnley striker failed to connect meaningfully with any of the crosses which came his way. Did not see much of the ball and, when he did, was not in a position to cause Portugal any problems. Tried making his usual probing runs between the opponents' midfield and defence but found himself crowded out.

Wales' heroic Euro 2016 run came to an end one game before the final as they lost 2-0 to Portugal in the last four.

It extends BBC Sport's current deal, which runs until 2013, as exclusive broadcaster of the Six Nations and covers TV, radio and online. This year's tournament saw audiences increase to their highest level for 13 years, with an average audience of 4.7m per match. "The Six Nations is a crown jewel in the sporting calendar," said BBC director of sport Barbara Slater. The championship, the premier annual northern hemisphere rugby union tournament, is contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy every February and March. "We're delighted that we can continue to bring the tournament to our audiences," Slater added. "Viewing figures continue to grow year on year and we look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the Six Nations to build interest even further through the BBC's unparalleled offering of TV, radio, online and interactive services." In total over 30m people within Britain watched some of this year's tournament. Among the most memorable matches in the 2011 edition were Italy securing a first ever Six Nations win over France and England, who had won their first four matches, being denied the Grand Slam when they lost to Ireland. John Feehan, chief executive of the Six Nations, added: "We are delighted that BBC Sport will maintain, extend and enhance its coverage of the RBS Six Nations, the world's biggest annual rugby tournament, for a further four years to March 2017."

The BBC has agreed a deal to broadcast the Six Nations until 2017.

The 23-year-old made 116 as Tim Groenewald and Lewis Gregory rattled through the rest of the hosts line-up. Jennings, who hit 15 fours, finally fell top-edging Josh Davey to gully before Durham were bowled out for 256. Tom Abell and Davey fell lbw to Rushworth, then Onions bowled Marcus Trescothick as Somerset closed on 30-3. Durham batsmen Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick both fell cheaply as Somerset started brightly before Jack Burnham (33) helped repair the innings in a 79-run third-wicket partnership with Jennings. Burnham eventually fell when he was bowled by Davey. Gregory then claimed two wicket in two balls, including uprooting Paul Collingwood's middle stump first ball, as Somerset looked to gain some momentum. Rushworth became Gregory's fourth victim of the day, departing to an exceptional slip catch from Jim Allenby it left the visitors with 12 overs to face. And last year's Division One leading wicket-taker struck in his fourth when Abell was trapped playing across the line before nightwatchman Davey was caught out in the next over when the ball nipped back. Onions' inswinging yorker then dismissed the Somerset captain as the away side limped to the close, trailing by 226 runs.

Keaton Jennings' century and three quick wickets from opening pair Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions gave Durham the edge against Somerset on day one.

Cardiff University's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals plans to add medicinal salmonella-killing herbs to the fermented honey drink. The tipple is based on a 16th century Welsh drink called metheglin. "You can see this would sell very well to students," Prof Les Baillie said. "Perhaps you could protect them from the kebab and the morning after." Dr James Blaxland, who has led the work, tested more than 50 different plants extracts and hops against a range of bacteria, including salmonella. It is one of the germs that trigger more than 500,000 cases in the UK each year. "It causes very serious food poisoning and stomach upset, which people might experience on a Sunday morning," Dr Blaxland said. "The idea is that we can produce a mead with high levels of the compounds which are active against salmonella, and, if people drink enough of our mead on a Saturday night, they might not get ill." Cardiff University's team said the idea was sparked by Scandinavian scientists who are trying to develop mead which could help in the battle against antibiotic resistance. Adding medicinal herbs to mead dates back at least four centuries, when Welsh brewers created a drink then called metheglin or meddyglyn. "We still have to do a lot of work on this, and a lot more sampling has to be done before we come up with the finished drink," he said. In addition to developing the mead, researchers are also investigating the of possibility using hops-based compounds to prevent other human illnesses. They are also hoping to use hops commonly only utilised in beer to tackle the problem of bovine tuberculosis and even to eliminate methane produced by cows and cut global warming.

Scientists are working on a Welsh "super mead" which could protect drinkers from the scourge of food poisoning at the late-night takeaway.

Tries from Dan Leavy and Luke McGrath - either side of a brilliant breakaway by the Blues' Tomos Williams - put the hosts 14-7 ahead at half-time. The visitors fought back to lead 21-17 after counter-attacking scores from Williams and Sion Bennett. But Ross Molony plunged over from close to give Leinster a seventh successive league win. Leo Cullen's men are now six points clear at the Pro12 summit, with second-placed Ospreys away against Treviso later on Saturday. Defeat for the Blues, meanwhile, sees them stay in eighth place. Media playback is not supported on this device Glorious sunshine and a pristine pitch made for perfect conditions at the RDS, encouraging both teams to play adventurous, running rugby. Leinster led after just four minutes as flanker Leavy collected a neat grubber kick from centre Noel Reid to touch down in the corner. Their lead did not last long as the visitors counter-attacked at pace, with captain Blaine Scully and Rey Lee-Lo offloading sharply before Williams cantered over. The Blues were threatening whenever their backs got their hands on the ball but their pack struggled against the ballast of Leinster's forwards, whose powerful carries paved the way for scrum-half McGrath to dive through a crowd of bodies and touch down. The visitors fought back in spectacular fashion, with Williams finishing after a fine run from hooker Kristian Dacey, before replacement back-rower Bennett showed a similarly impressive turn of pace to run in from 40 yards and put the Blues 21-17 ahead. It was the Leinster pack, however, who had the final say, with lock Molony emerging at the bottom of a pile of bodies to score the decisive try. Leinster: J Carbery; A Byrne, R O'Loughlin, N Reid, I Nacewa; R Byrne, L McGrath; C Healy, R Strauss, M Bent; R Molony, H Triggs; D Leavy, J van der Flier, R Ruddock. Replacements: J Tracy, P Dooley, M Ross, M Kearney, M Deegan, J Gibson-Park, T Daly, F McFadden. Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee-Lo, Steven Shingler, Blaine Scully (capt); Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Corey Domachowski, Kristian Dacey, Anton Peikrishvili, George Earle, Jarrad Hoeata, Macauley Cook, Josh Navidi, Nick Williams. Replacements: Matthew Rees, Gethin Jenkins, Scott Andrews, Sion Bennett, Ellis Jenkins, Lloyd Williams, Willis Halaholo, Tom James. Referee: George Clancy (Ireland) Assistant referees: Matteo Liperini (Italy), Richard Kerr Ireland).

Leinster resisted a spirited Cardiff Blues revival to strengthen their position at the top of the Pro12 table.

Inspectors criticised teaching and leadership at the Phoenix Academy and Lakeside Academy following visits in February, rating both schools inadequate in all areas. Wrockwardine Wood and Sutherland academies, also run by the Telford Co-operative Multi-Academy Trust, were put in special measures earlier this week. The trust has not commented. Ofsted criticised the trust's lack of support to the schools and said each was now considering an alternative sponsor. Inspectors said pupils' achievement at the Phoenix Academy had dropped since it became an academy in 2013 and their latest report rated it inadequate in all areas. A report in 2013, before it converted, rated the secondary school as "requiring improvement", while Lakeside was rated "good" in 2012 under its former name the Lord Silkin School. In the latest report, inspectors said the curriculum at Phoenix Academy was "inadequate", while "weak teaching" meant pupils were not sufficiently challenged and were often "disengaged and disruptive". There was particular criticism of standards in English and maths which the watchdog said were limiting pupils' achievements in other areas. Ofsted's report said governors, managers and teachers had developed a "culture of low expectations", while leaders had failed to act decisively to halt the decline in pupils' achievement. There was, however, some praise for the acting head teacher. Inspectors said he had introduced a number of improvement measures and some were "beginning to have an impact". A report on Lakeside School highlighted similar concerns, criticising teachers for not sufficiently challenging pupils and for having "over generous" predictions of their achievement. Inspectors said many pupils, whether high achievers or those with special educational needs, were "not making the progress they should" and achievements at GCSE were well below the national average. Governors were also criticised for not holding leaders to account, while the report said management had failed to effectively monitor either pupils or teachers. Inspectors, did however highlight new initiatives to improve literacy which they said were "beginning to have a positive impact".

All four schools run by a Telford academy trust have been put in special measures within a week.

The sum, covering January 2013 to October 2014, included money spent on in-house staff, third party companies and advertising agencies. Some residents said this was a "waste of money" and the States would need to "measure its effectiveness". Deputy Heidi Soulsby said when it comes to advertising "we've got to think in a modern way - this is the digital age". Ms Soulsby said currently States accounts do not show what is spent on advertising and promotion. She said the States hoped to produce a set of accounts that were "more meaningful and transparent". The figures, from an access to public information request, showed in-house staff costs came to just over £397,000 for the time period. The cost of third party public relation companies was just over £300,000 with two thirds going to tourism marketing spend and other promotional work. The total cost for advertising was just over £1.1million, which includes legally required adverts. Nearly £800,000 of the advertising cost was for States recruitment and advertising purposes. Guernsey's States chief executive, Paul Whitfield, said £300,000 being spent on third party public relations firms would be subject to a States-wide procurement policy. He said civil service public relations roles could be changed to reduce costs for taxpayers. Adam Riddell, chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Channel Islands, said any organisation needed to justify its spend on public relations activity, and that justification needed to be based on "whether that spend has produced the desired outcomes".

The States of Guernsey spent £1.8m on PR and advertising over 22 months, figures released to the BBC show.

It will give 40 million yen (£274, 000) to the Cartivator group that operates outside Toyota city in central Japan. The Nikkei Asian Review reports Toyota and its group companies have agreed in principle to support the project. So far crowdfunding has paid for development of the so-called Skydrive car, which uses drone technology and has three wheels and four rotors. Retro tech: Flying car prototypes Jet-propelled sky taxi tested in Germany Uber plans to test on-demand flying cars network by 2020 Measuring 9.5ft (2.9m) by 4.3ft (1.3m), Skydrive claims to be the world's smallest flying car. It has a projected top flight speed of 100km/h (62mph), while travelling up to 10m above the ground. The team of 30 volunteers developing the Skydrive car hopes its prototype could be used to light the Olympic flame when Tokyo hosts the summer games in 2020. Flying cars are something of a flavour-of-the-month at present, with firms from the US, Germany, Netherlands, China and Japan looking to turn science fiction into reality.

Japanese carmaker Toyota has announced its backing for a group of engineers who are developing a flying car.

Motorcycles used as taxis and known as boda bodas are time-savers for people who need to get somewhere in Tanzania's north-western city of Mwanza. They seem to be the only way to beat traffic jams. But when you get on the bike and wrap your arms around the driver, you are actually putting your life in his hands. In the first half of this year, there were more than 5,000 road accidents in Tanzania. More than a quarter of them were motorcycle accidents. Boda boda drivers are often blamed for causing the problems on Mwanza's roads. They might get you where you want to go quickly, but they have a reputation for driving recklessly. There are hundreds of them competing for fares, which increases the risk of accidents. But that is also where trainee doctor Marko Hingi saw an opportunity to turn boda boda drivers into true life-savers. He was inspired by the fact that wherever there is a medical emergency in Mwanza, there is likely to be a motorcycle taxi driver nearby. "We have human beings here and we can use them as volunteers to help," says Mr Hingi, who works at a hospital in the city. He is also head of the Tanzania Rural Health Movement, which recruits boda boda drivers and turns them into first-responders, acting like paramedics. "In the past when somebody got injured, he bled while people looked at him until he died," says Anicet Mase, one of Mr Hingi's volunteer drivers. Now Mr Mase zips around Mwanza wearing a fluorescent orange vest and a backpack full of bandages and other first-aid kit. He and the other volunteer drivers have been trained in basic first-aid, such as keeping airways open, stopping bleeding and splinting fractured bones. The drivers also have mobile phones and are linked to a system called Beacon. Mwanza's fire station receives calls reporting emergencies. A dispatcher enters the details into the Beacon software, which then sends a text message to everyone linked to the system. If a motorcycle taxi driver is nearby, he can respond to the emergency. "We've designed [the Beacon] to be used in countries that don't have the resources to implement a robust EMS [Emergency Medical Services] system," says Michael McGee, the East Africa representative of Trek Medics International, which developed Beacon and runs a similar programme in the Dominican Republic. This "robust" service involves people calling for ambulances on emergency numbers such as 999, 112 or 911. But this is expensive and does not exist in many poorer countries. It is up to the sick and injured to get to hospital any way they can. When Mr Hingi was six he remembers his sick mother walking to hospital, worrying that wild dogs would attack her on the way. That childhood memory inspired Mr Hingi's dream to become a doctor and bring ambulances to Mwanza. "Communities are suffering because they lack a good system to help them," he says. As for Mr Mase, he is driven by the idea that boda boda drivers are now given the opportunity to counter their bad reputation for putting lives at risk on the roads. A big part of his work is to deal with injuries caused on the roads. About 90% of the 1.25 million people killed every year in traffic accidents die in low and middle income countries. However, there is a limit to what motorbike drivers can do to help. Some of Tanzania's roads are in too bad a condition for them to reach patients and evacuate them safely. So, even though the motorcycles in Mwanza find it easier to avoid potholes and wind through traffic, there is work to be done before boda boda drivers can really claim to be saving lives rather than putting them at risk.

Tanzania's motorcycle taxi drivers, often associated with deadly road accidents, are being trained to become life-savers, writes Ross Velton.

The remains of Saima Ahmed, 36, were recovered from the grounds of Gogar Mount House, on the edge of Gogarburn Golf Club. Her family have criticised the police response after they reported Ms Ahmed missing from her home in the Wembley area of London in August 2015. She had no known links to Edinburgh. Ms Ahmed's family were also unaware of any friends or contacts she might have had in the area, or any plans to travel to Scotland. Five Metropolitan Police officers are now facing a misconduct investigation over the case. Police Scotland have said that, to date, no suspicious circumstances surrounding Saima's death have been discovered. Det Ch Insp Martin MacLean said: "I am determined to provide Saima's family with the answers they crave and whilst, at this time, I have no evidence of any criminality, I still do not know why Saima travelled to Edinburgh, where she was intending to visit or whom she planned to meet with. "I thank those who have helped us thus far, but I believe someone out there will have seen Saima during her time in the city or knows why she visited the capital and I would ask that person, or persons, to contact police immediately. "In addition, anyone with any further information at all relevant to this ongoing investigation is also asked to get in touch."

Police have made a fresh appeal for information a year after a woman's body was found on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

The Czech world number 233 edged Estonia's 99th-ranked Kontaveit - who beat Britain's Heather Watson in the first round - 6-4 7-6 (8-6). Vondrousova had beaten Czech compatriot and world number 18 Barbora Strycova in the semi-final. Sunday's victory moves her close to the top 100 for the first time. Croatia's Borna Coric saved five match points to defeat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 to clinch his first ATP title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech. Coric, the 20-year-old world number 79, trailed 3-0 in the second set and 4-2 in the decider before he rallied to beat the third-seeded Kohlschreiber, who was bidding for an eighth title.

Marketa Vondrousova, a 17-year-old qualifier, beat Anett Kontaveit in the final of the Biel Bienne Open in Switzerland to win her first WTA title.

The 27-year-old Scot, who is back at number four in the world after dropping down the rankings following back surgery, is to marry girlfriend Kim Sears in April. Murray is as relaxed about that as he has been this week at the ATP event in Indian Wells, where he has progressed to the quarter-finals. He loosened up in more ways than one as he chatted to BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller and BBC Scotland's Kheredine Idessane in the commentary box... "It is three weeks on Saturday, that's all I know. Tennis players aren't normally very good with dates. "We just know it is the Indian Wells week or the Monte Carlo week or whatever. So I know it is the weekend before Monte Carlo and the weekend after Miami. "We will probably do the honeymoon later in the year, probably in the off-season. I am not sure where we're going to go yet, but there's a few ideas. "I am actually not nervous about getting married because we've been together like nine-and-a-half years and we've lived together for six or seven years as well. "So I don't think a whole lot's going to change. I kind of feel like we have been married already in terms of the way we spend our lives together and live together. "I think I will be more nervous about starting a family because that would be more life-changing, in a good way." "My brother Jamie's one. Ross Hutchins is also going to be a best man and hopefully a good friend in Barcelona [Peruvian Carlos Mier, who was Murray's room-mate at the Sanchez-Casal Academy]. "But I'm not sure yet if he [Mier] is going to be able to come. He's in Singapore just now and I'm going to try to get him over. "Kim has four bridesmaids and no maid of honour and I was saying, 'imagine you had to pick one of your four best friends you've had since you were at school'. "It is very, very difficult to choose one. She was like 'go on, pick one', but I said no. "I didn't spend a lot of time with my brother when we were 15 to 20 really, because he was training in France and I was training in Spain. "Carlos, he was my best friend during that time, which were very important years in my life, when I moved away from my family and friends. "He was the guy who was always there for me. I feel like he knows me extremely well. "My brother obviously knows me from a child - and Ross over the last six or seven years. We've become extremely close and been through a lot together as well. "Picking one was a very difficult thing to do because I had three guys that were clearly my three best friends and I would like all them to be involved in some way." "It looks a lot easier from up here, that's for sure. It's extremely simple. Every shot looks easy when you're watching from the commentary box, but it certainly isn't. "The one thing I think I would do as a commentator is give more credit to the players, because I have a good idea how tricky the conditions are here. But I don't think I have the voice to be a good broadcaster."

It is a big year for Andy Murray - and not only because he is looking to add to his two Grand Slam titles.

All examples of this group, known as the Archosauromorpha, lay eggs. This led some scientists to wonder whether there was something in their biology that prevented live births. But examination of the fossil remains of a very long-necked, 245 million-year-old marine reptile from China revealed it was carrying an embryo. Jun Liu, first author of the new study in Nature Communications, told BBC News that the animal would have measured between three and four metres long, with a neck that was about 1.7m long. The embryo may have been around half a metre long and is positioned inside the rib cage of the adult Dinocephalosaurus fossil, which was discovered in 2008 in Luoping County, Yunnan Province in southern China. Researchers had to consider whether the smaller animal might have been part of the adult's last meal. But it's facing forward, whereas swallowed prey generally face backwards because predators consume the animal head first to help it go down the throat. Another line of evidence in favour of the live birth idea is that the small reptile inside the mother is clearly an example of the same species. Co-author Prof Mike Benton, from the University of Bristol, told BBC News that the fossil was important because the Archosauromorpha form one of three large groupings of land-based vertebrates (backboned animals), each including about 10,000 species. Since we now know that no fundamental biological barrier to live births exists in this group, palaeontologists would be "looking very closely" at other fossils. He suggested one target would be a group of aquatic crocodile relatives - whose mode of reproduction was not well known. Prof Liu, from Hefei University of Technology in China, said the discovery pushes back evidence of reproductive biology in the archosauromorphs by 50 million years. The mode of reproduction in Dinocephalosaurus also points to how the sex of its offspring was determined. Co-author Prof Chris Organ, from Montana State University, added: "Some reptiles today, such as crocodiles, determine the sex of their offspring by the temperature inside the nest. "We identified that Dinocephalosaurus, a distant ancestor of crocodiles, determined the sex of its babies genetically, like mammals and birds." Prof Benton explained: "This combination of live birth and genotypic sex determination seems to have been necessary for animals such as Dinocephalosaurus to become aquatic. "It's great to see such an important step forward in our understanding of the evolution of a major group coming from a chance fossil find in a Chinese field." The possibility that an eggshell once surrounded the embryo but was not preserved in fossilisation could not be ruled out, said Prof Benton. But living Archosauromorphs all lay eggs very early in embryonic development, whereas this embryo is very advanced, with well developed bones. Furthermore, the team says Dinocephalosaurus's long neck and other features of its anatomy suggest it could not have manoeuvred easily out of the water, meaning a reproductive strategy like that of turtles - which lay eggs on land before returning to the water - was probably not an option. Follow Paul on Twitter.

Scientists have uncovered the first evidence of live births in the group of animals that includes dinosaurs, crocodiles and birds.

Ciaran Williamson, eight, was playing with friends in Craigton Cemetery when a headstone fell on him on 26 May 2015. Council employee David MacCall told the inquiry in the days after Ciaran's death, between 500 and 900 headstones were laid flat over safety concerns. It also emerged that another boy was injured by a headstone there in 2010. Mr MacCall, who the assistant bereavement services manager at Glasgow City Council, was giving evidence at the inquiry which is taking place at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The inquiry will try to establish if there were any reasonable precautions that could have prevented the tragedy at the cemetery in Cardonald. Mr MacCall told the inquiry he joined the council in 2013 and had raised concerns that there were no regular checks of memorials in the city. The witness said he was told "what we carry out at the present time was proportionate to the resources available". He said there was no permanent staff at Craigton Cemetery at the time and the council had teamed up with the Scottish Prison Service to have inmates who are preparing to leave prison work at some of their cemeteries. Mr MacCall said this was done at cemeteries in the east end of the Glasgow because it was in the lead up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The witness was asked by procurator fiscal depute Gail Adair about the response by the council after Ciaran's death. He said that once the area had been made safe they "secured the site" and "attempted to make all memorials they felt were unsafe, safe". Mr MacCall said staff laid flat the memorials that were deemed unsafe. When asked how many were judged to be unsafe, he replied: "Between 500 and 900." Asked if that was a realistic number, he said that Craigton Cemetery had been subject of a "significant amount of vandalism". Ms Adair told Mr MacCall the inquiry has heard evidence that Ciaran and his friends went into the cemetery through a hole in the wall. She asked: "Do you know when, or if, that hole was reported to Glasgow City Council?" The witness said that he had since learned there was a complaint in 2014 and there were two follow ups. The fiscal depute confirmed with Mr MacCall that it was passed between different departments and followed up but was not repaired. She put to him: "I think we heard in evidence the hole in the wall was repaired shortly after Ciaran's death." Mr MacCall answered: "Yes, that's correct." The inquiry also heard that another child had been injured by a gravestone in the same cemetery. Mark Gibson, the solicitor representing Ciaran's mum, Stephanie Griffin, cross-examined Mr MacColl. He put the details of a council incident report form, of an incident said to have taken place in July 2010, at Craigton Cemetery. Mr Gibson read: "Received call on July 20 informed headstone had fallen on to a 14-year-old boy. "Govan Police mentioned lock had to be cut open by the fire service." Mr MacColl said he could not comment on anything as he was not there at the time. Mr Gibson asked if the report "would suggest the council were aware of falling memorial stones in Craigton" but the witness said he could not comment. The inquiry heard that council workers who inspect gravestones adhere to Ministry of Justice guidance. Mr MacColl said if one is inspected and found to be unsafe it is made safe according to protocol or is recorded as safe and inspected again at a later date. The court heard the gravestone that killed Ciaran was not inspected prior to his death. The inquiry heard that the practice at the time was only to inspect five headstones on each side of where a burial is due to take place. Mr MacCall told the court that the tree beside the gravestone that killed Ciaran had now been removed. Asked why, the witness said "because it was at that locus". The inquiry before Sheriff Linda Ruxton continues.

A fatal accident inquiry into the death of a boy at a Glasgow cemetery has heard that up to 900 headstones were deemed unsafe days after the tragedy.

The nine-year-old's family sought redress from NHS England and South Central Ambulance Service after he became unwell in 2007 aged six weeks. He received treatment at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, but it came too late to prevent injury to his brain. The organisations denied liability, but agreed to settle the case. The High Court heard that the child, who is from Berkshire but who cannot be identified, requires around-the-clock care. He has severe cerebral palsy, profound learning disabilities, deafness, severe visual impairment and epilepsy. His legal team alleged his condition was the result of negligence by two GPs and a paramedic. They argued the boy would not have suffered the injuries if he had been given antibiotics and hospital treatment sooner. Mr Justice Kerr said the payout, which will be used to provide the boy with life-long care, "marks the end of a long and difficult process". He will receive a £2.3m lump sum and index-linked annual payments of £237,660 which will increase to £259,257 when he turns 19. Speaking after the hearing, the family's solicitor, Olivia Scates, described the case as "extremely tragic and distressing". "His family have been devastated," she said. "I am delighted the family will now have access to the help they need to provide for his extremely severe disabilities."

A boy who suffered "catastrophic brain damage" after contracting meningitis as a baby is to receive £4.6m in compensation from the NHS.

A southbound Volkswagen Crafter Van collided with a Peugeot Partner Van on the A702, just north of Candymill Road, near Biggar, at 17:35 on Thursday. A 58-year-old male passenger in the Peugeot is in a serious but stable condition in hospital. The 32-year-old driver was uninjured as was the 26-year-old male driver of the Volkswagen van. Police said both vehicles suffered extensive damage in the collision and the road was closed for several hours while officers investigated the scene.

Police have appealed for witnesses to a crash between two vans which closed a Lanarkshire road for several hours.

Andrew Travers left the authority by "mutual agreement" after the error, officials said. Voters were initially turned away from all 155 polling stations in the borough because their names were missing from the poll list. An independent investigation has been launched, the council said. In a statement issued through the council, Mr Travers said: "I have enjoyed my time at Barnet and I believe the changes we have put in place and the continued programme of growth and transformation will enable the borough to continue to thrive." A council spokesperson said Mr Travers had "made a valuable contribution to the council during his three and half years as chief executive." Deputy chief executive John Hooton will take over temporarily while longer term arrangements are put in place, the council said. On election day, staff at one station said just three of the first 30 voters to show up were on the register. The rest were told to come back later. Barnet Council apologised for the problems and later offered emergency proxy votes to residents who had been affected. But voters in the area questioned how the result could be "fair" when not everyone was able to have their say at the ballot box. A statement released by Mr Travers on Thursday blamed electoral registration lists for the problems. The council's review will conclude by the end of May and the findings will be presented publicly to the General Functions Committee. It will look at the "appropriateness" of arrangements in place for the EU Referendum in June. A spokesman said it was currently in discussions to establish who would lead the investigation.

The chief executive of Barnet Council has left his role after a blunder led to some voters being turned away from polling stations on Thursday.

Zeid Raad Al Hussein described the incident, in which 10 people were wounded, as "extremely shocking". Cizre has been the focus of an offensive by Turkey's army against the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK. Mr Al Hussein also expressed concern over reports that the man who filmed the incident was arrested. "Filming an atrocity is not a crime but shooting unarmed civilians most certainly is," he said. "It is essential that there is a thorough, independent, impartial investigation into this and any other events that have led to the wounding or killing of civilians." The incident in Cizre, a predominantly Kurdish city, occurred on 20 January. Video footage posted online purporting to be of the immediate aftermath of the shooting shows people being loaded into ambulances amid screaming and the sound of explosions. Reports suggested that the group who came under fire were attempting to rescue people wounded in an earlier clashes. The video footage also appears to show that some of the group were pushing a cart loaded with bodies across the street, watched by an armoured military vehicle. Mr Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the victims had been "apparently cut down in a hail of gunfire". The unrest came just days after security forces killed 20 Kurdish militants in clashes in nearby Diyarbakir, according to the Turkish military. Three Turkish soldiers also died in a rebel attack, the military said. The region has suffered its worst violence in two decades since a ceasefire between the Turkish government and the PKK collapsed in July. The PKK, which has fought for autonomy for Turkey's Kurdish minority for decades, has been attacking security forces, while the army has been besieging Kurdish-dominated towns. The Turkish Human Rights Foundation says at least 198 civilians, including 39 children, have died in areas under curfew since August. Since July, more than 200 Turkish soldiers and policemen have been killed in attacks by the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU and US. The European Union has called for an immediate ceasefire.

The top UN human rights official has urged Turkey to investigate an apparent shooting by security forces of unarmed civilians in the city of Cizre.

The vehicle was dragged for several hundred metres after being struck by a Paris-bound train at Conde-sur-Huisne in the Orne region on Friday evening. Deputy prefect Pascal Vion said the car "seemed to have stopped in the middle of the tracks" before the crash at 20:20 local time (18:20 GMT). A woman managed to escape from the car prior to the collision. None of the 34 passengers on the train, which was travelling from Le Mans to the French capital, were hurt, AFP news agency reports.

Three people have died after a train hit a car on a level crossing in the north-west of France, officials say.

They want Ofcom to wait until a decision is made about their plan to merge the two mobile companies. BT and EE are also planning to merge. The spectrum, formerly used by the Ministry of Defence, would provide 4G services for mobile companies. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally approved the proposed merger between BT and EE. But the European Commission has announced its decision to launch an in-depth investigation into the proposed merger between O2 and Three. And Ofcom has previously cast doubt on this merger winning regulatory approval. In a statement on Thursday, Ofcom said it had received letters from Telefonica and Hutchison stating their intention to bring legal action against the regulator over its decision to begin the auction before the outcome of the European Commission's findings. "After careful consideration, given these specific circumstances, we have decided for reasons of good public administration to delay commencing the auction process," it said. Legal action also held up the previous 4G auction - as mobile companies disagreed about how spectrum should be distributed. Ofcom had been due to start accepting applications for the spectrum this month, with plans for the auction to take place in February or March. Now, it looks unlikely to begin before the summer - with the European Commission's judgement on the O2-Three merge expected in May. The spectrum on offer could add capacity to 4G networks, but it is considerably smaller than the previous chunk of 4G spectrum. It has a reserve price of £70m, compared with £1.3bn for the previous portion of the airwaves. Matthew Howett, an analyst with research company Ovum, said: While Ofcom doesn't have spectacular form when it comes to awarding spectrum on time, in this instance it probably makes sense to delay things. "Should the merger between Three and O2 be approved, then remedies around spectrum holdings will almost certainly take time to work out and any future spectrum award would need to be reconsidered accordingly. "However, if the... merger is blocked, then the spectrum award can go ahead fairly quickly without change." Mr Howett said the impact on consumers would be minimal. "Despite demand for mobile data growing, all mobile operators are fairly well served by their current spectrum holdings and will be for the short to medium term, so while a delay is unfortunate, it shouldn't be too problematic," he said.

Ofcom is to delay the start of its auction for another chunk of 4G spectrum, after threats of legal action from Telefonica and Hutchison, parent companies of O2 and Three.

Shiels, whose played for League of Ireland champions Dundalk last year, joins a club that plays in the tier below the MLS in North America. FC Edmonton are captained by former Linfield defender Albert Watson. "Dean's a goalscorer and a creative player who works at a level we would expect of someone at FC Edmonton," said Edmonton head coach Colin Miller. "Dean did very well for my old club Rangers and has had a fantastic career." The 32-year-old, son of Derry City manager Kenny Shiels, spent four years at Rangers where he played in two promotion-winning teams. Previously he had spells with Hibernian, Doncaster Rovers and Kilmarnock. The attacking midfielder from Maghera won the last of his 14 Northern Ireland caps in 2012. FC Edmonton will begin their NASL season in early April.

Northern Ireland strike Dean Shiels has signed for Canadian North American Soccer League club FC Edmonton.

With three defeats in his previous six bouts, the Scottish boxer's career seemed to be on the wane. But his power, timing and focus returned in a supremely confident display at Glasgow's Hydro on Saturday night as he clinched the vacant WBA World Super-Lightweight title - and entered the record books as the first Scot to win world titles at three weights. Italy's Michele Di Rocco, at 34 a year older than Burns, hadn't lost a fight since September 2007. He arrived with a record of 40 wins and a draw from 42 bouts. He left a lesser figure. The referee deemed the man from Assisi to be in no state to continue in the eighth round, the result of a welter of blows to his head and body and made all the more unbearable by the hostile acoustic energy generated by 8,000 Scottish fans. Surely, for Burns, this was time to shout about his record, the ideal moment to counter all those who had written him off and questioned the wisdom of him leaving trainer Billy Nelson two years ago to work with Tony Sim in Essex? No. Instead, the champion spoke of his disbelief at the ease of his victory, his gratitude that he was safe, of his thanks to promoter Eddie Hearn, manager Alex Morrison and coach Sim for believing in him, and of his desire to celebrate with a fast-food burger and 20 chicken nuggets. "When I got in the ring after the fight, I said, 'You've done it! You've done it!'," reported a beaming Hearn at the post-fight media conference. "And you know what Ricky said? 'Can you get a picture with me and Michael Buffer [the legendary American boxing ring announcer]?'" When he has time to reflect during a well-earned holiday, Burns will take immense satisfaction at being only the third British-born fighter, after Bob Fitzsimmons and Duke McKenzie, to be a three-weight world champion. In Scottish terms, his achievements must mean that he is in the very top tier of boxing greats, comfortably mentioned in the same breath as former world champions Benny Lynch, Walter McGowan, Jackie Paterson, Ken Buchanan and Jim Watt, for example. Burns' record stands at 40 wins from 46 bouts. Remarkably, 11 of those have been world title fights. Buchanan's exploits in the United States add lustre to his legacy, but while Burns may never have fought someone like Roberto Duran, should Hearn manage to set up a bout against Cincinnati's Adrien Broner, the four-time world champion stripped of the WBA title because he could not make the weight, then Burns could achieve little more in the sport. "There are some big fights out there for me," said Burns. "I want to fight the top names. I will fight anybody. I do super-lightweight comfortably and lightweight is still an option. I would fight Terence Crawford again if it came down to it. "That's nearly two years I have been with Tony and things have just started clicking. "I had a bit of a bad run in the last year with stuff. Who'd have thought I'd be sitting here world champion again?" Hearn said suitors could "make all the offers they want, we'll listen". "If they want to come with a sack-load of money for Ricky to defend his title against Broner in Vegas, I'm sure there are a few Scots who would like a trip there as well." At that point Burns quipped: "I'd be one of them." The lovely thing is, you suspect Burns was speaking in the guise of a fan rather than that of a three-weight world champion who could enjoy a profitable title defence.

In a sport beset by tiresome braggadocio, Ricky Burns seems like an impostor.

The singer will perform 20 shows under the banner Lionel Richie - All the Hits through April and May, and September and October next year. The cheapest tickets, which go on sale on Friday, start at $59 (£38). Richie, 66, said the decision was made to perform after consulting his 21-year-old son, Miles. "I asked him, 'so Miles, what do you think about Vegas? Should I do it?'," said Richie. "He goes, 'Oh my God, dad. We are going to have the great time. We are going to have the greatest time." The singer played the traditional Sunday afternoon legends slot on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in June. His 80-minute performance is regarded by many as one of the highlights of the weekend. His Vegas shows will include hits such as All Night Long (All Night), Hello and Dancing on the Ceiling. Richie is also to be honoured by The Recording Academy as its MusiCares person of the year. Previous recipients include Sting, Bono and Aretha Franklin. Performers at the event on 13 February include Pharrell Williams, Luke Bryan and Lady Antebellum. "I think Stevie (Wonder) is coming maybe," said Richie. "But first of all, let me tell you, what a great honour. "When you're in that group of honourees. When you start thinking about Dylan and Streisand and stuff ... that's quite an accomplishment."

Following his barnstorming set at Glastonbury, soul legend Lionel Richie has announced a residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

The RMT union began the 72-hour walkout on New Year's Eve. The action prompted warnings of widespread disruption for travellers during new year celebrations. Southern's parent firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) is in dispute with both the RMT and Aslef unions. Another strike is set for 9 January. The planned six-day strike involves train drivers from both unions. Most routes are expected to have no services. The train drivers' union Aslef is continuing with a ban on overtime which is adding to the disruption. The RMT and GTR have said they are available for talks and Aslef took part in negotiations in December at conciliation service Acas, but discussions ended without a deal. RMT leader Mick Cash called on Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to make it his new year resolution "to get in a room with the unions and his contractors to sort out the current shambles". Mr Grayling said it was frustrating the unions had decided to start a new year with the continuation of an old strike. He said: "We are investing record amounts in improving our railways and we need everyone in the rail industry to work together to deliver for passengers. "Now the unions need to come back to the negotiating table. Only they can end this misery for rail users." Southern's deputy chief operating officer Alex Foulds said: "Our door remains open for meaningful talks." The politics behind the Southern rail dispute What's the Southern Rail strike about? How bad have Southern rail services got? The Association of British Commuters said disruption had caused health problems, forced people to move house and lose jobs. The campaign group surveyed about 1,000 passengers and said the results highlighted the extent of suffering as a result of the "breakdown" of Southern services, with delays, cancellations and overcrowding. Calling for government intervention, a spokesman said: "Thousands of people are now at breaking point." The Department for Transport has said the dispute is between Southern and the unions and "not something the government is involved in".

A strike by conductors on Southern rail has entered its second day as a long-running row about the role of guards on new trains continues.

Walker was a passenger in a Porsche a friend was driving when it hit a pole and burst into flames in November 2013. US media report that a wrongful death case has now been filed by Walker's daughter Meadow, who is 16, alleging the carmaker took safety shortcuts. Porsche has not yet publicly responded to the claims. After a four-month investigation, police said the Porsche Carrera GT, driven by Walker's friend Roger Rodas, was travelling at 94mph (151kph) in a 45mph zone when it hit a lamp post. The lawsuit contends that the car was travelling much slower when it went out of control, according to TMZ. The website, quoting legal documents, says his seatbelt "snapped Walker's torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis," and trapping him when the vehicle caught fire. According to the Los Angeles Times, the document claims the car lacked "features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash". Meadow Walker has not commented. Mr Rodas' widow filed a similar case last year, but Porsche said the crash was his fault, rather than down to design flaws.

The daughter of the late Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker is to sue carmaker Porsche over the crash in which he died, US reports say.

In a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the group accused the social network of "disproportionate censorship of Facebook users of colour". The coalition wants the site to specify which rule a deleted post has broken, and provide an appeal process. Facebook has previously responded to a letter submitted by the group, but has not yet replied to the latest one. The social network sometimes removes content that has been reported or flagged by members, if it is judged to have broken the website's guidelines. But the coalition argued that the moderation was "racially biased". "Activists in the Movement for Black Lives have routinely reported the takedown of images discussing racism and during protests, with the justification that it violates Facebook's community standards," the coalition wrote. "At the same time, harassment and threats directed at activists based on their race, religion, and sexual orientation is thriving on Facebook. "Your recent response indicates you are adequately addressing the problem. We disagree." The social network has faced a variety of complaints over perceived censorship of content such as political views, nudity and historical photographs. The coalition behind the letter includes organisations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Color of Change, and the Center for Media Justice. It said it wanted Facebook to: In a statement, Facebook said: "We have received the letter and are reviewing it."

A coalition of more than 70 civil rights groups has urged Facebook to be clearer about the content it removes.

It was responding to a global study that suggested investing heavily in computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils' performance. Highland Council has a plan to give every P6 to S6 students access to a tablet computer. The local authority said the study also suggested that good teaching coupled with technology could benefit pupils. The study of schoolchildren in more than 70 countries was carried out for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The think tank said frequent use of computers in schools was more likely to be associated with lower results. The OECD's education director Andreas Schleicher said school technology had raised "too many false hopes". But he added that the findings of the report should not be used as an "excuse" not to use technology, but as a spur to finding a more effective approach. A spokesperson for Highland Council said: "Highland Council is committed to providing technology rich environments in schools, this includes appropriate access to technology for learning purposes. "We are also committed to reducing inequalities where pupils do not feel excluded due to not having access to appropriate technology for their learning. "We welcome the OECD report which demonstrates that when good teaching is coupled with appropriate technology it leads to improved outcomes for children and young people." Highland Council plans to increase the availability of the devices for P1 to 5 pupils to share and give every P6 to S6 student their own tablet. The proposal is also expected to help the council save money. The project could form part of the local authority's new IT contract. The aspiration was first discussed at a meeting of Highland Council's education, children and adult services committee in February. Councillors heard that the use of tablets at Alness Academy and other schools had led to pupils producing better work.

Highland Council has said it remains committed to giving more schoolchildren access to technology.

Bempton Cliffs at Flamborough Head has the UK's largest mainland seabird colony, according to the RSPB. It said the new facilities would bring more visitors and improve their access to the thousands of nesting birds. Keith Clarkson, site manager, said: "It's absolutely fantastic. It's been 10 years in the making." The centre, which attracts about 76,000 people a year, has been closed since September for redevelopment. It now has a bigger reception, a sheltered place for education and space for community groups and family activities. The footpaths have been made more accessible and extra spaces provided in the car park. Its reopening coincides with the BBC's Springwatch programme, which is based at the nature reserve for its Easter show. Springwatch will be on BBC Two at 21:00 BST.

A visitor centre at an internationally important nature reserve in East Yorkshire has reopened after a £1.3m upgrade.

The report was commissioned by Stormont's Department for Social Development (DSD) and the Department of the Environment (DoE). DSD had proposed an "affordable housing contribution" would apply to all developments of five homes or more. Similar schemes operate in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The departments commissioned the research from Heriot Watt University and Three Dragons Consultancy. It concluded that introducing a scheme "with a single percentage of affordable housing across Northern Ireland will not work given current market conditions". It added that a scheme could be considered for greater Belfast but that "timing, percentage target and form of provision is best left to local decision makers". That suggests that it would be decision for councils on whether to implement a scheme. Social Development Minister Lord Morrow said: "This research report will make a valuable contribution to our evidence base on this issue. "My department, along with the Department of the Environment, will now reflect on the findings and recommendations detailed in the report."

A scheme to compel private developers to contribute towards building social housing is "not realistic" for most of Northern Ireland, a report has found.

Guiseley hit the front spectacularly when Kevan Hurst swung in a corner to the edge of the box and John Rooney volleyed in past a stunned Nathan Ashmore. Ebbsfleet staged a dramatic second-half turnaround in the space of three minutes. Full-back Luke Coulson cut back for Myles Weston to place into the net and, shortly after, Darren McQueen beat the offside trap to silence the home fans. But Lions debutant Reece Thompson converted a late chance at the third time of asking, after the post and goalkeeper had denied him, to level the scores again. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Guiseley 2, Ebbsfleet United 2. Second Half ends, Guiseley 2, Ebbsfleet United 2. Substitution, Guiseley. Alex Purver replaces James Wesolowski. Substitution, Guiseley. Will Hatfield replaces Kevan Hurst. Goal! Guiseley 2, Ebbsfleet United 2. Reece Thompson (Guiseley). Goal! Guiseley 1, Ebbsfleet United 2. Darren McQueen (Ebbsfleet United). Substitution, Guiseley. Euan Frank Mulhern replaces Raul Correia. Goal! Guiseley 1, Ebbsfleet United 1. Myles Weston (Ebbsfleet United). Connor Brown (Guiseley) is shown the yellow card. Danny Kedwell (Ebbsfleet United) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins Guiseley 1, Ebbsfleet United 0. First Half ends, Guiseley 1, Ebbsfleet United 0. Goal! Guiseley 1, Ebbsfleet United 0. John Rooney (Guiseley). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Ebbsfleet grabbed a point on their return to the National League as they drew 2-2 in an entertaining match at Guiseley.

Actresses including Meryl Streep, Sally Field, Sandra Bullock and Cameron Diaz saluted the 76-year-old Oscar-winner at Thursday's event in Hollywood. "I'm so happy to add another woman's name to the list," she said. Fonda's brother, Easy Rider star Peter Fonda, said "Jane, I've never been prouder of you, and I know Dad is too." Their late father, actor Henry Fonda, was an Oscar-winner aged 76 for the 1981 film On Golden Pond and received the AFI award in 1978. Presenting the honour to Jane Fonda, actor Michael Douglas said: "Jane, you are true film royalty, not through birth, but through your talent." Fonda, nominated for seven Academy awards, has won two Oscars for 1971's Klute and 1978's Coming Home. Fellow Oscar-winner Meryl Streep, who made her film debut opposite Fonda in 1977's Julia, said of her initial meeting with the star: "She had an almost feral alertness, like this bright blue attentiveness to everything around her. Sally Field added: "She brought this new kind of raw sexuality, of gritty innocent honesty, vulnerable to the core - and I had never seen anything like it." There were moments of lightness during the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre, as actor Jeff Daniels, one of Fonda co-stars in the HBO series The Newsroom, sang a tribute to the actress, offering lyrics about her "abs, buns and thighs" as one of her exercise videos played on a screen behind him. And comic actress Wanda Sykes took the stage dress in a silver parody of the outfit worn by Fonda in her 1968 film Barbarella, directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim. As she accepted the award, Fonda offered some advice on career longevity for the roomful of celebrities gathered: "Ask questions, stay curious. It's much more important to be interested than to be interesting."

A cast of stars have paid tribute to actress and political activist Jane Fonda as she accepted the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.

At its peak more than 40 firefighters tackled the blaze in Albion Terrace, which started at about 08:10 BST. The line, which was closed for safety reasons, was reopened at about 15:15. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR) said crews were expected to be at the scene "damping down" throughout the evening. It is believed the unit was being used to manufacture soft toys from the film Minions. National Rail said trains are now running normally between Sheffield and Doncaster. Kevin Ronan, from SYFR, said: "We're on top of the fire now. We're just in the process of damping down the remains of the incident. "Parts of the building have collapsed already. It's been totally involved and it will probably have to be taken down." He said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

A fire at an industrial unit in Hexthorpe caused disruption to train services between Sheffield and Doncaster for several hours.

The 28-year old Dolgellau-based driver won three out of the 17 stages in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta in his first event since returning to WRC. He and co-driver Daniel Barritt finished in sixth place overall. Evans was more than six minutes behind team-mate Ogier. Toyota's Jari-Matti Latvala finished in second place, with M-Sport's Ott Tanak in third. Evans drove for M-Sport in the top class for two seasons in 2014 and 2015, but was demoted to the WRC2 class in 2016. The second round of the WRC starts in Sweden on 9 February.

Welshman Elfyn Evans was the best-placed British driver as reigning champion Sebastien Ogier won the opening round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in Monte Carlo.

The newspaper has been widely boycotted in the city because of its accusations following the Hillsborough disaster. A motion put forward at a meeting on Wednesday night condemned the paper for its "blatant lies" about the tragedy, in which Liverpool 96 fans were killed. The Society of Editors said the council was "stretching towards censorship". Put forward by Labour councillor Mary Rasmussen at Liverpool Town Hall, the motion said: "Due to crowd control mismanagement those fans, whose ages ranged from 10 to 67 years old, had the life crushed out of them. "Contrary to the facts, The S*n published a front page story with the banner headline 'The Truth' which contained blatant lies. "For this reason we call on all retailers and vendors of newspapers in Liverpool to stop selling The S*n," said the motion, which recognised the efforts of the campaign group Total Eclipse of the S*n to "rid" the city of the newspaper. The Sun said it had no comment on the vote, although the newspaper and the editor at the time of the Hillsborough tragedy have previously apologised for the coverage. Relatives of Hillsborough victims attended the full council meeting, where mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said the newspaper would "never, ever be forgiven", and if he could legally do so he "would ban it from shops across the city". However, Bob Satchwell, from the Society of Editors, which represents about 400 media outlets, said: "In a free society people must be free to choose which newspapers they read or sell. "The comments from Joe Anderson demonstrate the danger when he says that if he has his way he would ban The Sun. That is what happens in dictatorships and banana republics." Everton-based newsagent Ronald Butterfield also said it was "wrong for the council to get involved". "I don't sell it but it is up to people to decide." He added: "When I tell people who aren't from Liverpool I don't sell it they look at me like I've got knickers on my head. "One Liverpool man who always bought it for the horses not the news cancelled it because he was worried about the paperboy being seen delivering it." Explaining why a council-backed campaign was necessary in a city where The Sun is widely boycotted, Emily Heywood of the Total Eclipse of the S*n group said that with new newsagents and changing owners some retailers "had started selling it again and it wasn't being questioned". All 96 fans who died as a result of a crush at Hillsborough were unlawfully killed, their inquests concluded in April.

A campaign calling on retailers in Liverpool to stop selling The Sun has received the unanimous backing of city councillors.

Plans for the Ysgol y Berwyn site were originally approved in 2015, and the campus was due to open in 2018. But a petition called for a review of proposals that would see the Church own the buildings. On Tuesday, Gwynedd's cabinet agreed to consult on the school's Church status. The Diocese of St Asaph said it was "disappointed but not surprised" by the decision, and accused the council of making "a complete mess of this project". "The fundamental issue here is that Cyngor Gwynedd (council) has withdrawn its support for this project and as a result has intentionally destabilised the partnership," said the Church in a statement. The original plans would have seen the merging of Ysgol Bro Tegid and Ysgol Beuno Sant, a Church in Wales school, with the secondary Ysgol y Berwyn. But following calls for the site to be designated a community campus - rather than a Church school - the council cabinet has agreed to a new formal consultation. "Unfortunately, following a long period of working in partnership with the Church in Wales, the latest developments have caused great concern amongst governors and members of the local community and poses a significant risk to the success of the school," said the cabinet's education member, Gareth Thomas. "As a result, the cabinet has decided to support the recommendation to hold a formal consultation with governors on the option to abandon the existing proposal." In its statement, the Church said it felt the council "now has a responsibility to the community, children and the diocese to find a way forward that develops community and church education". Church officials said they hoped the council would contact them over the developments "as a matter of urgency".

Gwynedd's council leadership has come under fire from the Church in Wales in a row over the future of plans for a new £10m school campus serving the Bala area.

The five-storey Bursledon Windmill had its wind shaft and sails replaced following a £94,000 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant. Built in 1814, it is believed to be the only working windmill in England that retains a wooden shaft. Miller Jonathan Cook said it was "long-lived technology that works as well as when it was invented". It is hoped the windmill will produce its own flour again by summer 2015. Mr Cook said: "These are important buildings, any opportunity to see a windmill restored to a working condition is great news" The Grade II-listed structure was rescued by Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust in the 1970s. Annabel Cook of Hampshire Cultural Trust, which runs the windmill, said such mills were "a revolution in the way food production was carried out". "We're hoping to bring to life what the idea of windmilling was and its importance in people's lives," she added. The HLF funding for the latest restoration project was secured by Hampshire county, Eastleigh borough and Bursledon parish councils, as well as Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust. A further £47,000 came from local councils to recruit and train more volunteers in traditional milling skills and help to run guided tours, workshops and special events. The original timber wind shaft, which drives all the mill machinery and turns the sails, is expected to become an exhibit in an on-site museum. The building is believed to be one of 27 such windmills regularly working in Britain.

A 200-year-old windmill in Hampshire has reopened following a two-year restoration project.

Last month, the board of crofting's regulatory body apologised for its handling of the dispute with crofters. It also asked convener Colin Kennedy to resign. But Mr Kennedy told BBC Scotland's Sunday Politics Scotland he was staying in the post. The dispute relates to the running of common grazings, including at Mangersta and Upper Coll on Lewis. Mr Kennedy said: "I have no intention of resigning. "As matters stand, I believe the commission have acted wholly within the law at all times and until such times as we have legal advice to the contrary, I will maintain my position." Last week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scottish government ministers had the power to intervene in the affairs of the troubled commission. She said ministers would not ordinarily get involved in the internal operations of the commission. However, during First Minister's Questions in Holyrood on Thursday, she said legislation did give them the power to intervene if required.

The convener of Scotland's Crofting Commission has reiterated he will not stand down amid a heated public dispute over common grazings - unless he is forced to by the Scottish government.

The missile reached an altitude of about 3,000km (1,865 miles) and landed in the sea off Japan, the Japanese national broadcaster NHK said. It comes three weeks after North Korea's first ICBM test. In response, the US and South Korean military conducted a live-firing exercise using surface-to-surface missiles, a US defence official said. The missiles were fired into the "territorial waters of South Korea along the east coast," a US military statement said. The latest North Korean missile flew higher, further and for longer than the one in early July. Its launch has been condemned by a number of countries. The test - the 14th carried out by North Korea in 2017 - is the latest to be conducted in defiance of a UN ban. US President Donald Trump called it "only the latest reckless and dangerous action by the North Korean regime". Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear nonproliferation expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said that initial indications showed the latest missile had a range of about 10,000km - far enough to strike the west coast of the United States and beyond. The Washington Post reported that Denver and possibly Chicago could now be in North Korea's range. The latest missile was launched at 23:41 (15:41 GMT) from an arms plant in Jagang province in the north of the country, the Pentagon said. It is unusual for North Korea to launch a missile at night - the significance is as yet unclear. No missiles had been fired from Jagang province before, indicating a previously-unknown launch site is operational. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the missile flew for about 45 minutes - some six minutes longer than the ICBM tested in early July. NHK said it reached an altitude of about 3,000km - about 200km higher than the previous ICBM. It landed about 1,000km from the launch site, the Pentagon said. ICBMs can reach altitudes well outside the earth's atmosphere. Using sharp trajectories with high altitudes allows North Korea to avoid firing over neighbouring countries. In the latest reaction: Despite ongoing tests, experts believe Pyongyang does not yet have the capability to miniaturise a nuclear warhead, fit it on to a long-range missile, and ensure it is protected until delivery to the target. They say many of North Korea's missiles cannot accurately hit targets. Others, however, believe that at the rate it is going, Pyongyang may overcome these challenges and develop a nuclear weapon within five to 10 years that could strike the US. The US has installed a missile defence system in South Korea to combat the threat from the North, but the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system (Thaad) has angered many in the region, especially China. South Korea's president said he wanted to hold talks with the US on deploying more of the Thaad units in the wake of the latest tests, Yonhap reported.

North Korea has conducted a new intercontinental ballistic missile test, South Korea and the Pentagon say.

Lost for Words was written, as critics have noted, after St Aubyn's novel, At Last, was overlooked by Booker judges. It takes aim at judges of the fictional Elysium prize, who largely fail to read the books on their shortlist. "The only thing I was sure of when I was writing this satire on literary prizes was that it wouldn't win any prizes, said the author. "I was wrong. I had overlooked the one prize with a sense of humour." As part of his prize, St Aubyn will be presented with a Gloucestershire Old Spot pig, named after his novel. Known for his best-selling Patrick Melrose novels, the author beat Sebastian Faulks, John Niven, Hanif Kureishi, Joseph O'Connor and Helen Fielding to take the title. Of the runners-up, Faulks will have the most cause to be aggrieved - as his book was based on the Jeeves and Wooster characters, after whose author the Wodehouse Prize was named. Fielding was nominated for the latest Bridget Jones novel, Mad About the Boy, while O'Connor's The Thrill of it All was the story of 25 years in the life of an aspiring Anglo-Irish rock band. The Last Word was Kureishi's tale of a young writer commissioned to write the biography of a prestigious Indian-born author, while John Niven was recognised for Straight White Male, about a washed-up, alcoholic, sex-addicted novelist. David Campbell, organiser of the Wodehouse Prize said: "Lost For Words is a wonderfully funny send-up of literary prizes and much of contemporary cultural life. I'm delighted it's won." Organisers of the award noted the novel "questions the role of art in a celebrity-obsessed world where everyone has his or her own agenda". St Aubyn will receive his prize - and his pig - at the Hay literary festival on 24 May. Previous winners include Will Self, Terry Pratchett, Ian McEwan, Marina Lewycka, Paul Torday, and DBC Pierre. The Hay Festival runs from 22 May - 1 June 2014. The BBC will broadcast coverage of the festival on television, radio and online.

A satire of the Booker Prize by Edward St Aubyn has won its own award - The Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction.

The possibility of Brexit was one of the factors that led the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates on hold, Chair Janet Yellen said. The US central bank also said it expected a "slower path" for future rate rises. It raised rates in December for the first time in nearly a decade. On the 23 June UK referendum on whether to stay in the European Union, Ms Yellen said: "Clearly this is a very important decision for the United Kingdom and for Europe. "It is a decision that could have consequences for economic and financial conditions in global financial markets. "If it does so it could have consequences in turn for the US economic outlook that would be a factor in deciding on the appropriate path of policy," she added. Meanwhile, the US Treasury cleared all bond sales on the 23 June. Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP, told Bloomberg Business that the Treasury alters its auctions calendar to avoid Fed monetary policy announcements, and that the UK referendum was a "similar kind of market event". Fed policymakers did not reveal when rates might rise, but the door has been left open for an increase when they next meet at the end of July. Chair Yellen added: "Proceeding cautiously and raising our interest-rate target will allow us to verify that economic growth will return to a moderate pace, that the labor market will strengthen further, and that inflation will continue to make progress toward our 2% objective." The Fed said in a statement that the pace of improvement in the labour market had slowed. The bank added, however, that "economic activity will expand at a moderate pace and labour market indicators will strengthen" even with gradual rate increases. Analysis: Andrew Walker, BBC News The key consideration in this decision was the US jobs market - with a little help from the uncertainties arising from the forthcoming British referendum and a few other factors. We have had two months where job creation has been disappointing, especially May. The Fed Chair Janet Yellen called it "something of a loss of momentum". But she also said signs there were signs that the labour market is "approaching maximum employment" and it's important not to attach too much importance to one data point. She - and, she said, the Fed's policy making committee - did not feel that "progress in the labour market has come to an end". Which leaves us (or at least me) having to pore over the next jobs report to see how likely a rate rise is in July. At this stage it doesn't look very likely, but it is not altogether off the table. The dollar fell against the euro and sterling, but Wall Street held on to earlier gains, with the S&P 500 up 0.3%. The Fed expected the unemployment rate to stand at 4.7% by the end of this year, before falling to 4.6% in 2017 and remain at that level in 2018. In May, US job creation fell to its lowest level in more than five years, after faltering in April. Ms Yellen said it was important not to overreact to one or two monthly readings. "That said, we will be watching the job market carefully," she added. The Fed now expects the US economy to expand by only 2% a year for the foreseeable future - slightly lower than the forecast in March. Brian Jacobsen of Wells Fargo Funds Management said: "It's as dovish as the Fed can get without actually cutting rates." Aaron Kohli of BMO Capital Markets agreed that the statement appeared "somewhat dovish", adding: "The market had expected them to moderate their tone a little bit given what's been going on and given the risk that we have in terms of Brexit."

The US Federal Reserve has kept interest rates at between 0.25% and 0.5% in the face of an uncertain jobs market.

Sexist, racist and homophobic remarks were being used by pupils against school staff, as well as offensive comments about appearance, the NASUWT said. There were also examples of parents being abusive on social media, it added. About 60% of 1,500 teachers questioned in a poll said they had faced abuse, compared with 21% last year. In one case, a photograph of a teacher was posted online with an insulting word underneath. In another, pupils used the name of a heavily pregnant school worker to post insults, the teachers' union said. Of those who had been subjected to insults, nearly half (48%) said these remarks were posted by pupils, 40% said they were put up by parents, and 12% said both parents and pupils were responsible. Almost two-thirds (62%) said pupils had posted insulting comments, while just over a third (34%) said students had taken photos or videos without consent. A third (33%) received remarks about their performance as a teacher, 9% had faced allegations from pupils about inappropriate behaviour and 8% had been subjected to threatening behaviour. More than half (57%) of pupils responsible were aged between 14 and 16, and 38% were 11 to 14, the teachers' poll found, with a fifth aged 16 to 19 and 5% were seven to 11. Among the examples published by NASUWT was the case of a student uploading a teacher's photo and then, along with classmates, writing insults underneath. One teacher had been harassed for nine months by students who sent sexually explicit messages and set up a fake social media account in the teacher's name. The union said it had been told of a teacher receiving the comment "I hope she gets cancer", while the heavily pregnant worker had faced abusive remarks. Another school worker faced comments from a pupil's family member about how they looked and that they were ugly. Chris Keates, the union's general secretary, said: "It is deeply worrying to see that the abuse of teachers has risen by such a huge margin this year. "Equally concerning is that it appears that more parents are the perpetrators of the abuse. "The vile, insulting and personal comments are taking their toll on teachers' health and well-being, and undermining their confidence to do their job."

More teachers are facing abuse on social media, warns a teachers' union.

It is adopting a Cardiff University professor's approach which he says has made the Welsh capital safer than similar sized UK cities. It works by using information from victims to identify violence hotspots, such as in nightclubs and parks. The method has already been adopted by Western Cape in South Africa and Milwaukee in the USA. The man behind it, Professor Jonathan Shepherd of Cardiff University's School of Dentistry, said there was no reason it could not work anywhere in the world. One of the most significant breakthroughs was the sharing of information and joint action by police, councils and emergency departments to try to curb violence. Every time someone comes through accident and emergency with any sort of injury where alcohol is a contributory factor the police are informed. It is claimed that the approach has reduced hospital admissions for violence by 42% in Cardiff, relative to 13 similar cities in Wales and England. More than 100 hospitals across Wales and England have since copied Cardiff. "It's very low tech and the basic requirements are that the police and local government and health meet from time to time in an organised way," Prof Shepherd said. "That's not rocket science, so we think this is applicable widely, including poor countries [and] low and middle income countries. "We would very much like to see this implemented in a country like Nigeria, Uganda or South American countries where there's a lot of violence. "It's in the World Health Organisation-recommended approach but it's easier said than done." Prof Shepherd, who was a surgeon at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales, started his work in 1996 after realising that a great deal of violence which resulted in hospital treatment was not known to the police because victims did not report it. He also noticed trends in the types of facial injuries he was treating. Patients were being regularly admitted who had been glassed, and one early success was putting pressure on clubs and city centre pubs to adopt plastic glasses. The move brought about an immediate decline in facial injuries connected to alcohol. However, there were continuing problems with drink-related crimes in the city so Prof Shepherd and his violence and society research group continued their innovative approach. The research group's research into violence, alcohol and late-night safety was recognised with a Queen's Anniversary Prize for excellence in higher education in 2009. Amsterdam decided to adopt the approach after a delegation from the city, including the chief inspector of the police force, visited Cardiff last year. Hidde Toet, from the Dutch Consumer Safety Institute and who led the delegation, said after the visit: "The Cardiff model provides us with an effective method to improve the way we share information and implement preventative measures by police and local government to effectively reduce violence."

The Dutch capital Amsterdam is following in the footsteps of Cardiff in a bid to reduce violent behaviour.

A former Spanish colony, it was annexed by Morocco in 1975. Since then it has been the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Morocco and its indigenous Saharawi people, led by the Polisario Front. A 16-year-long insurgency ended with a UN-brokered truce in 1991 and the promise of a referendum on independence which has yet to take place. Although under the de facto administrative control of Morocco, the status and sovereignty of Western Sahara remain unresolved and numerous direct talks have failed to break the political deadlock. The Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), declared by the Polisario Front in 1976, is now recognised by many governments and is a full member of the African Union. Home to phosphate reserves and rich fishing grounds off its coast, Western Sahara is also believed to have as yet untapped offshore oil deposits. Population 567,000 Main town Laayoune Area 252,120 sq km (97,344 sq miles) Main language Arabic Main religion Islam Life expectancy 66 years (men), 70 years (women) President of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic: Brahim Ghali The Polisario Front proclaimed the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976, with a government in exile in Algeria. Brahim Ghali was elected leader of the Polisario Front and president of the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in July 2016 following the death of long-term president Mohamed Abdelaziz Ezzedine. A seasoned military leader, described both as a "hard-line supporter" and "historic figure", he was one of Polisario's founding members in 1973 and led the first raids against the occupying Spanish forces that sparked the armed struggle for Western Saharan independence. In 2008 he left his post as ambassador to Spain with unresolved charges against him alleging inhumane treatment and the torture of Saharan prisoners, and became the ambassador to Algeria. Morocco's state broadcaster RTM operates radio and TV services from Laayoune. On the other side of the political divide, a Polisario-backed mediumwave (AM) radio station is on the air. Radio Television News agency Some key dates in the history of Western Sahara: 1884 - Spain colonises Western Sahara, an area formerly populated by Berber tribes. 1934 - Becomes a Spanish province known as Spanish Sahara. 1957 - Newly-independent Morocco lays centuries-old claim to Western Sahara. 1965 - The UN calls for the decolonisation of Western Sahara. 1973 - Polisario Front, the indigenous Saharawi independence movement, is founded. 1975 - Morocco's King Hassan defies a Hague ruling in favour of Saharawi rights to self-determination and stages the "Green March" of 350,000 Moroccans into Western Sahara. Spain transfers administrative control to Morocco and Mauritania. 1975-91 - Polisario Front fights a 16-year-long guerrilla war against Moroccan forces, which ends with a UN-brokered cease-fire. 1975-76 - Morocco annexes two-thirds of Western Sahara after colonial power Spain withdraws. Polisario guerrillas declare the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), with a government-in-exile in Algeria. Thousands of Sahrawi refugees flee to western Algeria to set up camps near the town of Tindouf. 1979 - Mauritania renounces all claims to Western Sahara leaving Morocco to annex its share of the territory. 1991-2000s - UN brokered cease-fire ends war but Morocco has yet to hold an agreed referendum on independence. Numerous UN-sponsored talks have failed to yield a breakthrough. 2016 - Long-term leader Mohamed Abdelaziz Ezzedine dies.

Western Sahara is a sparsely-populated area of mostly desert situated on the northwest coast of Africa.

The 27-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist was badly injured in a motorbike taxi accident in Vietnam. Earlier this week she was flown back to Scotland and is in hospital in Edinburgh. In a Facebook message posted by a friend, Stephanie also said "can't wait to get home and have a Nando's". On Thursday, her parents said she had opened and her eyes and said "Hi". In a further update, on the SaveSteph facebook page, a friend said the judo star had made "outstanding progress" and was eating and drinking small amounts by herself and fully able to communicate. "Hopefully next week she will be moved to a rehab centre and continue her progress," the statement said. In her message dictated to her friend, Stephanie said: "Tell everyone thank you for all their support and well wishes, I am going to be up and about before you know it and come and see everyone and can't wait to get home and have a Nando's. "Thanks everyone for the cards flowers and trinkets that you have sent." The 27-year-old, who grew up in the Highlands but has been living in Dunfermline, was flown back to Scotland from Thailand after being treated in a Bangkok hospital for a serious head injury and also infections, including pneumonia. Doctors in Vietnam had given her a 1% chance of surviving her injuries. Her parents, who live in Daviot, near Inverness, flew to south-east Asia to be with their daughter. Stephanie, who won her Commonwealth Games medal at Glasgow 2014, had been in Vietnam for about four months, teaching underprivileged children, when the motorcycle accident happened last month. Her skirt is believed to have become unravelled and caught in the wheel. Friends and family set up a crowdfunding campaign to pay for her medical costs after it emerged her travel insurance was not valid because she had been in the country more than 31 days.

Scots judo star Stephanie Inglis has thanked her supporters and said she hopes to be "up and about" soon.

The £14.8bn project's 1,000-tonne boring machine has broken into the eastern end of Liverpool Street Crossrail station. By 2018 high-speed trains will run from Reading, through central London to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in Essex. Andrew Wolstenholme, from Crossrail, said the project was on the "final countdown" to link all the tunnels. The machine, which is named Elizabeth after the Queen, has 2,460ft (750m) to bore until it reaches the end of the line as part of the project's longest tunnelling drive from Limmo Peninsula, near Canning Town, to Farringdon, which is expected to be finished in the spring. Crossrail's chief executive Mr Wolstenholme said: "We are now on the final countdown to the big east/west breakthrough at Farringdon, which will link all of Crossrail's tunnels for the first time. "This is a phenomenal feat of civil engineering that London can be justifiably proud of. "The next challenge is to implement railway systems across the route, keeping the project on time and within budget." More than 60% of the overall work has been completed for the project. A sister machine, named Victoria, will reach Farringdon several weeks after Elizabeth.

Crossrail workers have made their latest breakthrough by tunnelling under the City of London.

Bruce, without a club since leaving Hull in July, is favourite to replace Roberto di Matteo, who was sacked by the Championship club on Monday. Savage said Bruce has experience in the division and still lives in the area. "He took Birmingham up, he took Hull up," said the Welshman. "He won't have to travel, he won't have to uproot." Blues were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2005-06 season. But Bruce, who had been in charge of Blues since 2001, led them back to the top flight the following season - and also went on to win promotion to the Premier League with Hull twice too. Savage played under Bruce at St Andrew's and thinks Villa fans will not worry too much that Bruce used to manage their city rivals. He also says Bruce's ability to get the best out of the Birmingham players whenever they played Villa will count for a lot. "When we were in the Premier League, we absolutely battered them time after time," said Savage. "I think Villa fans will remember that. "They had better players than us but we had this team spirit, this togetherness and we battered them more times than not in massive pressure games." Villa have appointed a former Birmingham boss as manager in the past - and the outcome was not good. Alex McLeish lasted just 11 months before he was sacked in May 2012. During his reign, the Scot was often targeted by Villa supporters angry that the club had who appointed a former Blues manager as their boss. Former England defender Danny Mills told the Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 live that Villa had to get the "best man for the job" and thinks Bruce could be a good option despite his association with Birmingham. "I don't understand this fixation that he was Birmingham manager, so he can't do a good job for Aston Villa," Mills said. "It makes no sense. Surely if he goes there and does a good job, fans have got to come around to that way of thinking. It's not like he was born and bred at Birmingham, played there his whole life. He's managed other clubs."

Former Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce is the "right man" to manage Aston Villa, according to former Blues midfielder Robbie Savage.

Apple was sued in 2014 for allegedly using a technology developed by a professor and his students in its iPhone chips without the University of Wisconsin-Madison's permission. Apple was ordered to pay about $234m (£179m) when it lost the patent case. That sum has now been more than doubled because it continued to use the tech. The judge said that additional damages and interest brought the sum owed to $506m. However, Apple still hopes to overthrow the fine by appealing against the original jury verdict. The penalty is still less than the $862m the university had originally sought in damages. That is because Apple was found not to have deliberately infringed the university's microchip technology. The patent in question outlined a way to boost computing performance by predicting how processors are about to be used. The original case covered Apple's use of the invention in its A7, A8 and A8X processors, which are found in devices including the iPhone 5S and the iPad Air 2. Apple did not re-engineer the chips after losing the dispute in 2015 nor pull the relevant products from sale, and thus became liable for the additional payout. The university is also seeking further compensation for Apple's continued infringement of the patent in its A9 and A9X chips, which power its iPhone 6S and iPad Pro models. However, the follow-up legal action has been put on hold until Apple's appeal has been considered.

A US judge has ordered Apple to pay more than half a billion dollars to a university after the tech firm failed to abide by an earlier court ruling.

The Scottish champions fielded a makeshift side in the 4-0 reverse and Rodgers was delighted with the 21-year-old he signed from Manchester City. "For Ollie it's about fitness - you see how he moves in the game today," the Celtic manager said. "He has the qualities to play at the very highest level." Ntcham, a French international youth player, spent the past two seasons on loan at Genoa in Italy. He played for just over an hour of Saturday's friendly and Rodgers reckons that was enough to show how vital he will be. "His range of passing, it makes the game look very simple," Rodgers added. "He can play short, play long, he can dribble and shoot. "He has everything to be a top, top level number eight. It's just timing really, that's his first game so 65 minutes was enough for him. He'll just build up his fitness over the next few weeks and when he's ready he'll be a big player for us." Another player to have recently signed a four-year deal with Celtic, Kundai Benyu, has also made a big impression on his new boss. He played more than 70 minutes on Saturday and Rodgers admitted the 19-year-old, signed from Ipswich, has forced his way into contention. "Young Kundai did really well," he said. "He's surprised me to be honest. I knew he was a good player, you can see what we're trying to build here in terms of players who are technically gifted, but they have to have good mobility and good physicality, and he has that. He's come in and played with a nice little edge, he's competitive and he's got confidence. "How he receives the ball is very good, he's an attacking player, he wants to get goals and he's actually quite exciting. "Initially the plan was to have him in, thinking he would maybe get an idea of how we work and then go on loan, but I've sort of changed my mind on him after watching him. I think it's going to be good for him to have at least six months with us, see how we train, see how we work, get an education on our footballing idea then review it again in January and see where he's at. "He's certainly a boy who can contribute for us and he's done very well." Second-half goals from Maxwel Cornet, Myziane Maolida Nabil Fekir and Amine Gouiri won the friendly for Lyon, who finished fourth in the French top flight last season. But Rodgers was happy with how the match went. "I really enjoyed it," he said. "Up until the first hour it was a real good game. I have a responsibility to try to get as many of my players as fit as we can for the beginning of the season and for throughout the season. "First half we were very good, some of our combination play, the speed in our game was excellent and we should have went in in front at that time. "Once we make the changes into the second half it becomes a little bit broken, and the level in our quality changes. For the senior players it was great to get game time."

Brendan Rodgers says Celtic new boy Olivier Ntcham proved he has the ability to play at the very top level in Saturday's friendly defeat to Lyon.

The visitors took the lead three times in the first half thanks to tries from Justin Horo, Luke Walsh and Tony Gigot. However, scores from Theo Fages, Alex Walmsley and Louie McCarthy-Scarbrook gave Saints the lead at the interval. Horo's second try put the Dragons back in front but tries from Jonny Lomax, Mark Percival, Luke Thompson and Ryan Morgan guided the hosts to victory. Luke Walsh's goal after Richie Myler's try moved the French side to back within two points before the Saints crossed three times in the final 10 minutes. A third win in four matches moves Justin Holbrook's men to within three points of fourth-placed Wakefield. Catalans, who had already been consigned to the Qualifiers, have now lost five of their last six games. St Helens coach Justin Holbrook: "It was a danger game for us especially after our win (against Hull FC) last week. We had to earn the two points and they pushed us. "They started well and we were not up to our high standards in the first half. "We have to give them credit. I'm really happy with the way we finished the game off. "We swapped the lead a few times and the boys did well to close it out. "We have got some wins together and it's a big game next Sunday (against Wakefield) and if we can continue to improve then I would certainly back ourselves (in the play-offs)." Catalans Dragons coach Steve McNamara: "It was disappointing to lose the way we did. With eight-and-a-half minutes left we were two points down on the scoreboard. "It was a real tit-for-tat game. We found ourselves in a position to win it and we have conceded a lot of points at the end which makes the scoreline look ridiculous. "We are going in the right direction and we know where we are for the rest of the season." St Helens: Lomax, Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace, Fages, Richardson, Douglas, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Peyroux, Wilkin. Replacements: Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Lee, Knowles. Catalans Dragons: Gigot, Tierney, Inu, Duport, Yaha, Walsh, Myler, Moa, Aiton, Bousquet, Anderson, Horo, Baitieri. Replacements: Casty, Bird, Da Costa, Navarrete. Referee: Ben Thaler (RFL)

St Helens boosted their hopes of a top-four finish with a battling Super League win over Catalans.

Media playback is not supported on this device Long's 170kg lift with his last attempt in the clean and jerk saw him grab gold from London 2012 champion Om Yun-Chol of North Korea, who lifted 303kg. Thailand's Sinphet Kruaithong took the bronze medal at the Riocentro Pavilion 2 with 289kg. In the snatch segment, Beijing 2008 winner Long matched the 16-year-old Olympic record of 137kg. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

China's Long Qingquan lifted a combined world record of 307kg to win Olympic gold in the men's 56kg weightlifting.

The actor was charged with culpable homicide in Mumbai for the September 2002 incident. Mr Khan has always denied he was at the wheel. If convicted, he faces 10 years in prison. Mr Khan is one of Bollywood's biggest stars and has starred in more than 80 Hindi-language films. Several of his films, including Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger, Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun, have been huge commercial hits. Late on the night of 28 September 2002, his Toyota Land Cruiser hit the American Express bakery in the Bandra area of Mumbai, authorities say. The vehicle ran over five people sleeping on the street, killing 38-year-old Noor Ullah Khan and seriously injuring three others. Another person received minor injuries. The prosecution has alleged that Mr Khan was driving the car and that he was drunk. In March the actor told the court he was not drunk and was not driving the car. But many witnesses have said that was not the case. A constable attached to Mr Khan's security said in a statement to the police that the "drunk" actor had lost control of the car. The policeman died in 2007 of tuberculosis. In April, Mr Khan's driver told the court that he had crashed the car after a tyre burst. At the scene, Simon Atkinson, BBC News, Mumbai It's not uncommon most days to find people camped outside the house of Salman Khan hoping for a glimpse of the star. But on Wednesday morning dozens of journalists and fans gathered as they waited for the actor to leave on the way to court. Even Mr Khan's father was ambushed as he went on a morning stroll along the seafront encircled by security guards - proof this is a case that has gripped Bollywood and wider India.

An Indian court is due to rule on whether Bollywood star Salman Khan is guilty of running over five men sleeping on a pavement, killing one.

Media playback is not supported on this device Gregory will tee off at Augusta National for the first time on Thursday after securing his place by winning the British Amateur Championship last summer. Before even setting foot on the famous Georgia course, the 22-year-old from Waterlooville, Hampshire had his eyes glued to hours of footage from the past four years. "I've watched a lot of clips on YouTube," he told BBC South Today. "I've got clips of all the pins from the past four years from every day. "I know roughly where the pins will be as they don't change them too much from year-to-year. So, I've had a good idea of what kind of approach shots I need to work on in my practice rounds." As well as staring at a screen, Gregory has also warmed-up for his Augusta bow with some on-course preparation. Victory in the Georgia Cup over US amateur champion Curtis Luck following a play-off justified his decision to head out to the States three weeks before the Masters to acclimatise. Along with Gregory and Luck, the three others amateurs competing at Augusta are Americans Brad Dalke and Stewart Hagestad, and 19-year-old Toto Gana from Chile. Gregory is hoping for better fortunes than his mixed experience over two rounds of The Open at Royal Troon last July. Having briefly held an early lead on four under par after 11 holes, he faded to shoot a first-round 78 and then missed the cut after a 73 in the second. "I'm fortunate enough to have got all the excitement and hype of being at a major tournament out of the way," Gregory reflected. "It's more normal now, so you just have to make sure you turn up and play golf and the sooner you get the thought of loads more people watching you, the easier it gets." Gregory also hopes some wise words from 2013 US Open champion Justin Rose, who also learnt his trade as an amateur in Hampshire, will give him another invaluable Augusta insight. "I'm hoping to pick up some tips from Justin," he said. "He's been great for my development being from the same area of the country and just seeing what he's gone on to achieve. "I'm hoping to play the Par Three tournament with him before Thursday and he's out there doing what I want to do for the rest of my career."

They say you can learn almost anything on YouTube these days and Scott Gregory is hoping the video sharing website holds the secrets to a perfect US Masters debut.

The 21-year-old was also suspended for four months backdated to 23 May although three of those months have been suspended until 1 July 2016. Townsend had already voluntarily withdrawn from the England squad for the European Under-21 Championship. It is believed he was not accused of betting on games he had involvement in. However, the FA has strict betting rules that forbid gambling on a wide spectrum of fixtures laid out in its regulations. The length of the up-front ban, coupled with the fact that he withdrew from the England Under-21 squad, mean he will not miss a game. The midfielder, who was on loan at QPR for the second half of the season, is a product of Tottenham's academy and signed as a trainee in 2008. He has had loan spells at Yeovil, Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Ipswich, Watford, Millwall, Leeds, Birmingham and, most recently, with former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp at QPR. Townsend made his Premier League debut for Spurs in September 2012 before joining Rangers in January, where he made 12 Premier League appearances, scoring twice.

Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend has been fined £18,000 by the Football Association for breaching betting regulations.

John Collins, 74, Terry Perkins, 67, Brian Reader, 76, and Daniel Jones, 58, pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court. Items believed to be worth more than £10m were taken in the raid at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company in London's jewellery quarter. More than 70 safety deposit boxes were ransacked. Perkins, of Heene Road, Enfield, Collins, of Bletsoe Walk, Islington, Jones, of Park Avenue, Enfield and Reader, of Dartford Road, Dartford, were arrested in May. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle, namely to enter Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in London with intent to steal, between 1 January and 7 April. The four men also faced a charge of conspiracy to convert or transfer criminal property, but the prosecution said they would not pursue the charge in light of the men's guilty pleas in relation to the conspiracy to burgle charge. Earlier this month a law firm confirmed the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit had gone into liquidation as the company was insolvent and "owes money to companies and people". The men will be sentenced at a date to be confirmed. After the burglary, the Met Police launched an investigation into why after police were made aware an intruder alarm had gone off at the scene of the raid it was decided the alarm did not require a response. The force apologised for not following procedures and said it would investigate why the call was given a grade that meant no police response was deemed necessary. Five other men still face trial accused of conspiring to commit the burglary, a charge they deny. Hugh Doyle, 48, of Riverside Gardens, Enfield, north London; William Lincoln, 60, of Winkley Street, Bethnal Green, east London; and John Harbinson, 42, of Beresford Gardens, Benfleet, Essex, all also deny the laundering offence and are due to stand trial in November. Paul Reader, 50, of Dartford Road, Dartford, and Carl Wood, 58, of Elderbeck Close, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, are yet to enter pleas. Perkins' daughters also appeared in court, along with their husbands, accused of conspiracy to convert or transfer criminal property between 1 January and 19 May. Brenn Walters, also known as Ben Perkins, 43, and Laura Perkins, 40, both of Manor Court, Enfield, north London, and Terri Robinson, 35, and Steven Robinson, 46, both of Sterling Road, Enfield, were charged in connection with the raid last month.

Four men have admitted conspiracy to burgle in connection with the Hatton Garden safety deposit box raid over the Easter weekend.

In the three months to June 2014, there were 960 initial decisions to place a child for adoption, compared with 1,830 in the three months to September 2013. The figures were released by the Adoption Leadership Board (ALB). The ALB says the drop in adoptions may have been influenced by recent court judgements in care and adoption cases. The board, which was established by the government as part of a shake-up of the adoption system, said applications for court orders allowing a child to be placed for adoption had fallen by 34%. There had also been a fall of 54% in the number of placement orders granted by courts, from 1,650 to 750, it said. In recent years, adoption figures had risen to record levels, with an increase of 63%, the ALB said. But last September, the most senior family court judge criticised the "sloppy practice" of social workers when bringing cases for adoption before the courts and said they were not looking closely enough at all the other options. President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, also implied that, at a time of tight budgets, adoption may be seen as a cheaper option than helping troubled families or foster carers and warned about "resource issues" affecting local authorities' thinking. He said there had been four cases during 10 days in July alone in which judges had expressed concerns about inadequate analysis by social services in support of the case for adoption. ALB chairman, Sir Martin Narey, said these court judgements had been "entirely sensible". But he warned that they were being misinterpreted by local authorities who thought the law on adoption had changed. He told the BBC that the recent drop in children being put forward for adoption was primarily due to fewer local authorities deciding adoption was the best option for a child. "It's then been compounded by the refusal of some applications at the court," he said. Sir Martin said some councils seemed to have taken some court rulings to mean that if a child could remain in foster care, then "that will do", when in fact the best interests of the child must be pursued. Sir Martin said the drop followed two years of significant progress in finding more adoptive homes for the thousands of children waiting. The number of children adopted across the UK has risen from 3,100 in 2011 to 5,050 in the last year. The recent fall in children being put forward for adoption in England has prompted Sir Martin to issue guidance to clarify the meaning of recent court judgements. "It is clear from my discussions with social workers and managers in local authorities and in voluntary adoption agencies that there is a belief that the law has been fundamentally changed by a number of court judgements. "So I am pleased to produce this simple myth-busting guide - drafted by a senior queen's counsel - to what those judgements do and do not say. "I am extremely grateful to Sir James Munby, president of the Family Division, for his advice. He has seen the document and is supportive of its aim of dispelling the myths that have arisen." Messages included in Sir Martin's guidance reiterated that the legal test for adoption had not changed, and courts must be provided with expert, high quality, evidence-based analysis of all realistic options for a child and the arguments for and against each of these. Sir Martin said: "The board and I have published this guide to help everyone working for children understand the law around these complex cases, and be confident in making the right decisions for the child."

The number of children put forward for adoption by local councils in England has fallen by almost half in under a year, the latest figures show.

The origin of the giant 'A' at Playhatch Roundabout on the A4155 Reading to Henley road is not yet known. The roundabout is near Sonning-on-Thames, where a red letterbox 'appeared' on a bridge last year. A BBC Radio Berkshire reporter saw the 'pin' and posted an image on a BBC Facebook page. "I was just driving to Sonning to go play touch rugby on Monday night and the sign caught my eye as I went round Playhatch Roundabout," said reporter Catherine Bolsover. "I asked around on Twitter but no-one knew where it had come from or who had made it. "One suggestion was that it's linked to whoever put a postbox on Sonning Bridge." In response to her Facebook photograph, one person commented: "Noticed this yesterday nearly drove on to it!" Anita Trif, a waitress at The Crown pub nearby, said no-one knew where the sign had come from. "I first saw it on Friday or Saturday," she added. "We have all seen it but have no idea where it's come from. We have all been wondering about it."

A sign resembling a large, red Google Maps pin has been spotted on an Oxfordshire roundabout.

Several thousand people filed through Independence Square, still full of barricades and memorials to more than 80 people killed last month by snipers. And the government announced plans to recruit 10,000 people within the next 15 days for its new National Guard. "People will have the opportunity to defend the country," interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told a cabinet meeting. He also promised that "separatist ringleaders" who were trying to destroy Ukrainian independence would be held to account. "We will find all of them… and bring them to justice and try them in Ukrainian and international courts," he said. "The ground will burn beneath their feet." Wording of ballot paper Law and order breakdown Is Russian intervention legal? But the truth is that there is little that the authorities here can do without significant outside help. Just as they are watching closely for the next move from Moscow, so they are expecting action from their Western allies. And the drumbeat of diplomacy has certainly not faded. Both the United States and the European Union have made it clear again that the referendum in Crimea is "illegal and illegitimate and its outcome will not be recognised." When EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday, they are expected to extend sanctions against Russia - including asset freezes and travel bans against named individuals. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Russia must now face "economic and political consequences". But there are still different opinions within Europe about how wide-ranging the list of names should be. One possibility is that an announcement in Brussels on Monday will focus on officials in Crimea itself, with the threat of imposing similar measures against senior figures in Moscow held in reserve. Many Western diplomats are waiting to see exactly how Russia will respond to the result of the referendum. The Russian parliament is due to consider the proposal for Crimea to rejoin Russia on 21 March. But for anyone looking for compromise, the signs aren't good. President Vladimir Putin told the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday that Russia would respect the choice of the residents of Crimea. And he expressed concern about the escalation of tension in eastern Ukraine by "radical groups with the connivance of the authorities in Kiev". US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, as voting in Crimea was under way. A senior State Department official said Mr Kerry told Mr Lavrov that the crisis in Crimea could only be resolved politically, through reform of the Ukrainian constitution. But while Western officials have not given up on diplomacy, there are few illusions about Moscow's position. And if President Putin chose to move Russian forces into parts of eastern Ukraine, under whatever pretext, this crisis would move into a new and far more dangerous phase. For now, the government in Kiev can only watch and wait, and hope that Western promises of massive financial assistance materialise soon. There is a feeling here that as well as threatening Ukraine's security and territorial integrity, Russia wants to undermine the viability of the new government, and bring this country close to collapse. The real issue for Moscow may not be Crimea. It may be the long-term example that a westward-leaning democratic Ukraine could set in Russia itself.

As voters cast their ballots in Crimea, the mood in Kiev was downbeat: anxiety, mixed with defiance.

The papers, showing drafts of the poems Unluckily for a Death and Into her Lying Down Head, were bought by Swansea University at an auction in New York. They will go on public display at the university's Bay Campus library on International Dylan Thomas Day - 14 May. The drafts include 25 pages in Thomas's minuscule handwriting. Thomas's granddaughter Hannah Ellis said: "It is wonderful that Swansea University are putting so much energy and effort into new ways to study and research Dylan Thomas. "Having these manuscripts in Britain, along with the notebook they acquired in 2014, will help people to see the meticulous craft that my grandfather put into his work, and allow them to understand that he was a significant 20th Century writer." The papers show the poet revising imagery and word choice, and working out rhythmic structures, including diagrams of his tentative rhyme scheme and small drawings where he appears to be visualising his imagery. Jeff Towns, owner of Dylan's Bookstore, said: "These papers reveal intimate and detailed records of the poet's creative process and will be invaluable to future generations of students and academics." The manuscripts will be kept in the university's Richard Burton Archives, which already house the Dylan Thomas notebook. Prof John Spurr, head of the university's College of Arts and Humanities, said: "These manuscripts offer a fascinating insight into the craft of one of our greatest 20th Century poets, and it is fitting that they will be kept in Dylan's home town, and be accessible to scholars and the general public."

Working manuscripts of poems by Dylan Thomas are to go on public show for the first time.

It is understood the new offer was a basic £35.5m, which would have risen to nearer £40m when various extras were added. The Reds value the 20-year-old, who has also been linked with Arsenal and Real Madrid, at £50m. Last week, Liverpool turned down a bid of £25m, plus add-ons, from Premier League rivals City. Sterling joined Liverpool from QPR in 2010 and is under contract until 2017, but has rejected the offer of a new £100,000-a-week deal. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said last month he expected Sterling to stay at Anfield for the remainder of his current deal. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Liverpool have formally rejected a second bid from Manchester City for England forward Raheem Sterling.

The announcement follows a series of drone crashes that made the company recall its much anticipated Karma aircraft. In addition, the US company said its president, Anthony Bates, would quit his post at the end of the year after three years in the job. GoPro said that consumer demand for its products remained "solid". However, the company has posted a loss in each of its past four quarters. At the start of this month it also revealed its cash reserves had fallen to $132m (£106m) - less than half the amount at the start of the year. "I knew they were in trouble, but I didn't expect them to have such a dramatic fall from grace," Tom Morrod, director of consumer electronics at the IHS consultancy, told the BBC. "The Karma drones were their recover strategy, and when they had to be recalled it faltered. This is the result. "GoPro was struggling as an action cam specialist, which is why it needed an alternative market. The fact that the device was unsalable has damaged its prospects, at least temporarily." The job cuts represent 15% of the California-based company's workforce. The move reflects the fact that even if the fold-up Karma drone returns to sale, GoPro will probably have missed out on the Christmas shopping season. It had sold about 2,500 of the drones in the 16 days they were on the market. A problem with the machines caused a number of them to lose power mid-flight, causing them to fall uncontrolled out of the air. One video of an accident showed the drone diving on to a beach on which people were walking. There have been no reports of injuries. However, the company is being sued over claims it misled investors about demand for the product and took too long to alert the public to its power supply flaw. Reviews for GoPro's new Hero 5 cameras have generally been positive. The new devices introduced voice control, electronic image stabilisation and built-in water resistance. However, some technology blogs doubted whether the features were enough to convince existing owners to upgrade. And the company faces increased competition from rival action cams and the improved quality of smartphone cameras, many of which now also offer protection against water. As part of its cutbacks GoPro is also closing its entertainment division. The operation was announced in July 2015 and offered owners thousands of dollars for videos they had filmed using its equipment. In return it wanted the right to promote their content through its social media accounts. It also sought to sell the rights to the material to advertising agencies and split the proceeds. The company described it as a "no-brainer" for creative professionals at the time. GoPro's shares were trading 2.5% up on the day by early afternoon in New York, but they remain down on their value at the start of the year.

Action camera-maker GoPro is cutting 200 jobs and shutting down some of its services.

Prof Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan says EU scientists working in Britain could leave amid a climate of uncertainty. The Science Minister, Jo Johnson, said the UK would continue to attract the brightest and best to work in the country's universities. He added that he hoped that the nation's research institutes would continue to receive EU funds. British universities employ about 30,000 scientists from EU countries. Prof Ramakrishnan said uncertainty over their status was "really detrimental". "People can't be expected to work under those circumstances. Many of them may be considering other options and many of them may not come to the UK for that reason," he told BBC News. "What would we do if over the next year or two if they all left? Because these are real people with families and careers to think about, and they will be much sought after by other countries - instability could lead to a short term brain drain with us losing 16% of a highly skilled work force. These people need real reassurance about their future." Prof Ramakrishnan says the government has to reassure all EU citizens, including the 30,000 academics and scientists, that their status is safe and that they will be able to continue to work regardless of what happens with the negotiations. He also called on ministers to make that commitment now. "That single step alone will go a long way to reassuring the community and it will also go a long way in maintaining our image as a welcoming and open society," he said. "This should not wait until there is a new Prime Minister. If we are not an attractive destination where people feel they will be welcome, the best will simply go somewhere else and our science will decline." Earlier, Prof Ramakrishnan's predecessor as president of the Royal Society, Prof Sir Paul Nurse said that freedom of movement has to continue in any post-Brexit negotiations for British science to thrive. It is not just that freedom of movement makes it easier to attract scientists from EU nations, he says; it is a requirement for full membership of the main European research funding body. UK universities currently receive 10% of their research funds from EU sources - amounting to around £1bn each year. Full participation also allows UK researchers to form valuable research collaborations and to have a say in choosing areas of research. In response, the Science Minister said the UK needed to be able to keep bringing the best people to the UK - but he could not commit to any policy until at least September when a new Prime Minister is chosen by Conservative party members. "We have got to look at what relationship we can establish with respect to future (funding) programmes the EU operates in the process of negotiations that will be undertaken once new leadership is in place. That is not something I can commit to today," Mr Johnson told BBC News. "This is going to be a complex piece of work and I can't commit to a particular definition of freedom of movement for you. But it is obviously going to be important that the UK stays open to the brightest and best from the EU and from around the world." Leave campaigners have argued that many countries which are neither EU members nor have freedom of movement, receive European funding. They also say that a points system would allow talented researchers to live and work in the UK as it currently does with the thousands of non-EU researchers currently working in UK Universities. Prof Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, warned his fellow leaders of the scientific community not to be too bullish in their demands to government - reminding them that a majority of the electorate had voted to leave the EU and unrestricted migration was a concern among many of them. "Science will not thrive if it does not have the support of wider society," he said. Follow Pallab on Twitter

The president of the Royal Society has called on the government to guarantee the residency of EU citizens in the UK.

Amarmandakh Sukhbaatar was performing in the country's capital Ulan Bator when the alleged attack took place. Russian news reports said he was hit over the head with a bottle and repeatedly kicked in the face. The Russian embassy said it was investigating, but called local press reports "distorted". The rapper had taken to the stage in a red deel - a Mongolian robe - embroidered with a swastika. Though associated with the Nazis, the swastika is a traditional symbol in Mongolia that pre-dates Hitler. Mr Sukhbaatar's father, Sevjidiin Sukhbaatar, told a news conference that his son spent about 10 days in a coma after the beating. "My son was hit in the face several times with a metal object and was seriously injured. His brain was seriously hurt," he said. Mr Sukhbaatar displayed a book of traditional swastika patterns to emphasise that it is not a hate symbol in his country. The Russian official accused of attacking the rapper has not been identified. In a statement, the Russian embassy said it was investigating press and social media reports of the assault. "According to our preliminary information," it said, the reports were "distorted, particularly about the date, the number of participants and the circumstances of the accident". Tens of millions of Soviet citizens died fighting the forces of Nazi Germany during World War Two. The swastika is believed to have originated in India thousands of years ago, and was used in Mongolia as a symbol of eternity centuries before the Third Reich. Amarmandakh Sukhbaatar - who is known as Amraa and is the lead singer of the band Khar Sarnai [Black Rose] - frequently wears the symbol on stage, and his songs often refer to his country's history, culture and identity. The swastika is also used by groups on Mongolia's far-right however. The musician's lawyer, father, and a band member denied reports on social media that he shouted "Heil Hitler" at the show. Lawyer Gankhuugiin Batbayar said the suspect in the beating had not been arrested, adding: "[He] must be investigated according to Mongolian law, no matter his status or immunity as a diplomat". A police spokesman told the AFP news agency that the case was under investigation. "The suspect is a Russian diplomatic officer and the reason he wasn't kept in detention is the injury is not serious," he said. "It's not true that the suspect wasn't arrested because of diplomatic immunity."

A top Mongolian rapper was beaten into a coma by a Russian diplomat after wearing a swastika on stage, his lawyer and family have claimed.

The apparent breakthrough came amid fresh US air strikes on Islamic State (IS) positions. Fifteen IS fighters are said to have been captured. The UK, France and Australia joined the US in dropping humanitarian aid. Some 15,000 minority Shia Turkmen in Amerli have been surrounded by Islamic State militants for two months. Military sources told the BBC's Jim Muir, who is a few miles from Amerli, that the Iraqi Army and volunteer militia entered the town on Sunday and had broken the siege. However Amerli remains dangerous because of roadside bombs left behind by IS militants, our correspondent says. No-one here seems to be in any doubt that the combination of forces backed up by Iraqi government air power has in fact broken the siege. There is a lot of celebration here, including gunfire. We cannot go into the town yet as the Islamists have left lots of booby traps and bombs. The situation inside is said to be dire because Amerli has been cut off for two months. However, what we're told from recent figures is that the number of civilians there is much fewer than thought. We were told 15-16,000, but now perhaps 2,500 remain. Many of those are now fighters, having taken up arms. So there might not be as many desperately needy people as first thought. The US military confirmed it had carried out two further air strikes on Sunday. One was near the Mosul Dam and had destroyed an IS armed vehicle. The other was near Amerli, where an IS tank was damaged. The strikes brought the overall total by US Central Command across Iraq to 120. Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that his government would join other Western countries in arming the Kurds - sending rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and assault rifle ammunition. "None of us want to get involved in another Middle Eastern war, but it is important to do what reasonably can be done to avert potential genocide," Mr Abbott said. The operation to reach Amerli began on Saturday when an alliance of Iraq government forces, Shia militias and Kurdish Peshmerga began a two-front attack on IS positions. US and Iraqi planes provided air cover overnight. Reports described it as the biggest military operation since IS began making major gains in Iraq in June. "Security forces and militia fighters are inside Amerli now after breaking the siege and that will definitely relieve the suffering of residents," Adel al-Bayati, mayor of Amerli, told Reuters. One resident of Amerli, Amir Ismael, told Reuters by phone: "I can see the tanks of the Iraqi army patrolling Amerli's street now. I'm very happy we got rid of the Islamic State terrorists who were threatening to slaughter us." The UN had expressed fears there could be a massacre if IS took the town, which lies in Kurdish-controlled Iraq. IS has been accused of atrocities in areas of Iraq and Syria under its control. The jihadists see the Shia Turkmen in Amerli as apostates. Islamic State has seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in recent months, including Iraq's second city, Mosul. Pledging allegiance to their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the jihadists have imposed a harsh form of Islamic rule in areas under their control. The group has declared a new caliphate, or Islamic state ruled by a religious leader, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has announced himself as caliph. The IS ideology has attracted would-be jihadists from a number of Western nations, including the UK, and has spread its message aggressively on social media, often posting gruesome pictures of beheadings and mass killings. The group responded to the US beginning air strikes against it by killing the American journalist James Foley.

Iraqi forces have reached the besieged town of Amerli in northern Iraq, where thousands have been trapped by jihadists, military officials say.

The English rider crashed at this year's TT and the Fireblade bike has been plagued by mechanical problems. Martin told MCN that he was quitting road racing but he later clarifying his position on Facebook. "I've not given up on racing or road racing but I've got no plans to do anymore road racing on the Hondas this year," he said. Martin didn't race at the North West 200 after team-mate John McGuinness crashed in practice and he will not compete in next month's Ulster Grand Prix. He added: "The TT was a bloody disaster, aside from walking the dog and racing the Mugen, I didn't enjoy it. "It was clear even before that we were going to struggle and then it turned into me really being a test rider, which I did. "But after we did more testing at Cadwell a few weeks back, I said to the team the bike won't be competitive at the Ulster Grand Prix and they decided to withdraw me from the event, although they didn't tell me, which is OK as the decision was made for me. "There's no unfinished business and I want to race classics and oddball stuff."

Road racer Guy Martin says he will not compete for Honda for the rest of 2017 after a frustrating season.

Forty workers have been made redundant at Nelson Packaging's factory in Lancashire. Managing director Michael Flynn said it was mainly due to "the English bag legislation and corresponding impact on customer and retailer demand". He also blamed "aggressive overseas competition". The 5p charge for bags was introduced in England in October and followed the introduction of charges in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. One worker told BBC Radio Lancashire they believed the legislation had a "slight but not a massive impact" on the business, which has been operating since 1975 and was taken over by Cheshire-based packaging firm Intelipac three years ago. 7.6 billion Number of plastic bags issued by supermarkets in England in 2014 140 Equivalent per person 40 bags on average in every home £780m expected economic benefit over 10 years because of the charge £60m savings in litter clean up costs by 2025 80% expected reduction in bags Union representative Robert Copeland, who had been with the firm since 1986, said staff were told last Wednesday that they were being made redundant and were told to leave the factory immediately. "It's daunting as I have no interview skills. I'm 49 years old and I've got to now go into a new working environment and start again. It is scary. "I was 19 when I started and… you were seeing the children of people you have been working with for 30 years starting to come through so you had parents and children [at the factory]." Campaigners argue that plastic bags blight streets, spoil the countryside and damage wildlife, seas and coastline. Wales was the first UK nation to introduce the bag charges, followed by Northern Ireland and then Scotland. A report in 2015 found the number of single-use carrier bags handed out by shops in Wales fell by 71% since charges were introduced in 2011. Scotland and Northern Ireland introduced their charges in 2014 and 2013 respectively and also saw significant drops in usage. The number of plastic bags handed out in Scottish stores was slashed by 80% - the equivalent of 650 million carriers - in the first year of the 5p charge. Similarly, in Northern Ireland in 2014 there was a 42.6% annual reduction following a previous drop of 71%, after charges were introduced. Does the charge include all carrier bags?

The introduction of a 5p charge for plastic bags in England has been blamed for a packaging firm going into administration.

Built in the 13th Century, it overlooks Aleppo's Old City and is part of a UN-listed World Heritage site. Syrian government forces have been using the citadel as a military position. Government and rebel forces have been fighting for control of the city for over three years. It is not known which side caused the explosion. Fighting on the ground and government air strikes have left thousands dead, and destroyed more than 60% of the Old City. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the explosion occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning. "The blast caused the collapse of part of the wall of the citadel," the organisation's chief, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP news agency. The government says that rebel fighters set off a bomb in a tunnel beneath the citadel. The use of tunnel bombs has become a common rebel tactic. Since the start of July, rebel groups have been waging a major offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's troops in the city. More than 230,000 people are believed to have been killed in Syria since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011. Some 11.5 million others - more than half of the country's population - have fled their homes.

A bomb explosion has caused part of the walls of Aleppo's ancient citadel to collapse.

Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in the restive Balochistan province and accused of "espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan". Last month a top UN court told Pakistan not to execute Mr Jadhav until it had time to hear a case brought by India. India dismissed the mercy petition and a "confessional video" by Mr Jadhav. Pakistan on Thursday released a statement that said Mr Jadhav had sought "forgiveness for his actions" and had "requested the Chief of Army Staff to spare his life on compassionate grounds". India, which denies Mr Jadhav is a spy, has dismissed Pakistan's statement and a second "confessional" video by Mr Jadhav saying, "India expects Pakistan to desist from attempting to influence the proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case through false propaganda". "The developments bring out once again the lack of transparency and farcical nature of proceedings against Jadhav on concocted charges, continued violation of his legal and consular rights and an attempt to introduce prejudice in the proceedings in the ICJ," external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay told reporters on Thursday. Last month India argued in the ICJ that Pakistan violated international laws by not allowing it access to Mr Jadhav since he was arrested in Balochistan in March 2016. Meanwhile, there are differing accounts of how and where Mr Jadhav was detained. Pakistan says he was detained on 3 March 2016 in restive Balochistan province, which has been hit by a separatist insurgency that Islamabad accuses India of backing. India says he was kidnapped by Pakistan while he was in Iran. The nuclear-armed neighbours have a long history of diplomatic spats, and Delhi and Islamabad often accuse each other of sending spies into their territories.

A former Indian navy officer who has been sentenced to death on charges of spying in Pakistan has filed a mercy petition, the Pakistan military says.

It was discovered by a passing police patrol near Holy Cross Boys' Primary School in Ardoyne in the early hours of Sunday morning. Ch Supt Chris Noble said the device was "sizeable" and an attempt by dissident republicans to kill police officers. He said the lives of the local community had also been put at risk. "There's no doubt that device was there to try and kill community police officers on the beat in their local area but also it was left in such a reckless manner and in such a reckless location that it would undoubtedly have led to the death or serious injury of a member of the public had it exploded anywhere near them," he said. "This is an attempt, we believe, by violent dissident republicans to kill police officers but it was also very much an "anti-community act" as well, in terms of where it was located and the way in which it was left." About 20 residents had to leave their homes during the security operation and were given shelter in a nearby community centre. The senior officer said they included "very distressed young children" as well as elderly residents and people with "significant disabilities". They have since been allowed to return home. Northern Ireland Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, said: "I am sickened by this incident with dissident republican terrorists placing a bomb close to a primary school in north Belfast. "This shows their wanton disregard for human life, potentially putting children in danger. "The consequences could have been utterly devastating and it shows them for what they really are." North Belfast MP, Nigel Dodds of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said: "Those who constructed and planted this device clearly have no regard for any human life. "Such a device could have caused devastation and we must all pay tribute to the work of those who have made the scene safe." The Sinn Féin North Belfast MLA, Gerry Kelly, also condemned those who had left the bomb in the area. "Those who are involved in this need to get off the people's backs and they need to go away," he said. "The message is as simple and straightforward as that, we could have been dealing with death here, thankfully, we're not." SDLP councillor Paul McCusker said the incident had caused distress to those living in the area. "In total there were over 20 homes evacuated," he said. "One young girl, a six-year-old, you could see the fear when you were speaking to her and she said [was] woken up by her mum and had to leave the house. "She told me she actually thought she was dreaming and her and her mum were very frightened." The chair of the Policing Board, Anne Connolly, urged witnesses to help detectives track down those responsible. 'Leaving an explosive device in the heart of the community shows the recklessness of those responsible as anyone could have been caught up in this," she said. "I'm grateful that the device was found and the attempt to harm our police officers thwarted." The school's vice-principal, Chris Donnelly, said: "There was a device that had been left at the entrance to the school which is obviously very disconcerting for people who had to be taken from their beds and moved." He added that a lot of young people gather in the area in the evening. Pupils are due to return to Holy Cross on Monday after the Easter break.

Police have said a bomb which was left outside the gates of a primary school in north Belfast could have killed or seriously injured.

Among the dead is a family of four killed in a fire started by lightning, officials say. Thousands of people have been left homeless. The storm comes two weeks after the region declared a drought disaster. The BBC's Mo Allie in Cape Town reports that before the storm, there had been several interfaith meetings to pray for rain. Our correspondent adds that the storm was anticipated and warnings have been made by the local authorities for the last week. It is the worst winter storm for 30 years, according to the South African Weather Service, while local media have dubbed it "the mother of all storms". Schools and universities have shut, roofs were blown off and shelters have been opened for those left destitute. Many people have been injured by flying debris. Residents of the city's many shanty towns have been worst hit as their fragile homes have been unable to resist the strong winds and heavy rain. Onele Ndesi from Western Cape Disaster Management predicts that "the worst is yet to come". President Jacob Zuma has cancelled a trip to Cape Town to open the World News Media Congress because it is not possible to fly there. BBC weather forecaster Philip Avery warns that Wednesday could bring in excess of 50mm of rain to some western areas of South Africa, accompanied by winds of 60-90km/h. Coastal areas face the additional hazard of high tides, reinforced by storm waves, some of which may reach 10m. Thursday should see conditions easing but a passing cold front will introduce much cooler weather in all areas. He also warns that the strong winds could lead to wildfires because the countryside is so dry. In May, the Western Cape province declared a drought disaster after two reservoirs had completely dried up. It was said to have been the region's worst drought in more than a century. Several other southern African nations were also affected by the two-year drought, which was caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon. However, many parts of the region are now experiencing bumper maize harvests.

Eight people have been killed when a storm lashed the South African city of Cape Town following months of drought.

Head of a Young Woman (1906) is worth more than £17m (25m euros). The painting is the property of Jaime Botin, a Spanish banking tycoon. It was declared a "historical heritage asset of exceptional importance" by the Spanish National Court and refused an export permit. An attempt to export the painting to Switzerland on Thursday "drew the attention of French officials". Customs authorities boarded the vessel the following day and found the painting. The captain could only present two documents regarding the work of art, one of which was, in fact, the May 2015 Spanish Court judgement ordering that it not be taken out of the country. Mr Botin, 79, whose family founded the Santander banking group, was not on board. The boat, which sports a British flag, is registered to a British company of which Mr Botin is a shareholder, according to a customs authority spokesperson. An export request was filed for the painting in December 2012 to move it to London, but was opposed by Spain's culture minister. French customs officials are now awaiting an official Spanish request to recover the painting.

A Picasso painting barred from leaving Spain has been seized by French authorities from a boat docked in Corsica.

Georgina Callander, 18, was among 22 people who died in the suicide bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May. Hundreds attended the ceremony at Holy Trinity Church in Tarleton, Lancashire. Attendees wore "a touch of yellow" at the request of her family, who thanked mourners for their "sympathy and support". Parents Lesley and Simon, with brothers Daniel and Harry, laid flowers in the village before the funeral. Shops were closed as a mark of respect as the funeral cortege made its way through. Bishop John Goddard said the service was a chance to "put aside hatred and look to embrace love and hope". A private burial service was held after the church ceremony. Ms Callander was described as "beautiful" by friends who said on social media that she was one of the first people taken to hospital after the attack. She was said to be a huge fan of 23-year-old Grande and was pictured with her in 2015. The final song played at the service was the US singer's hit One Last Time, which has become an anthem for fans since the attack. Grande performed an emotional rendition of the song at the One Manchester benefit concert on 4 June.

Streets of a village were decorated with pink and yellow ribbons for the funeral an Ariana Grande "superfan" killed in the Manchester terror attack.

After beating France 19-10, Wales have two wins and a draw as they travel to face unbeaten England at Twickenham in round four. But the style of their fifth consecutive win over the French has been criticised in some quarters. "It's a bit baffling, but it is Wales isn't it, it [the reaction] does happen doesn't it?" said Jenkins. "I'm not going to lie, it was a funny feeling after the game - but we've just won a test match and we've beaten France, five times on the bounce. "The most important thing for us to keep doing what we're doing, keep trying to improve, keep winning if we can- that's the be-all and end-all isn't it?" The victory over France was Wales' seventh consecutive Six Nations match without defeat. Kicking coach Jenkins, Wales' record points scorer, was a member of a Wales team that endured a 51-0 hammering against France in 1998. And between 1982 and 1993 France won 12 consecutive internationals against Wales. But even captain Sam Warburton admitted that Friday's win was a not the most exciting. "I remember thinking on the pitch 'the fans are going to start a Mexican wave in a minute - it's pretty boring'," he said. The flanker believes the best is still to come from his side, who face unbeaten England at Twickenham on 12 March. Ospreys scrum-half Rhys Webb, who was first-choice in the 2015 Six Nations, could be called up for training next week. Webb missed the World Cup and the start of the current campaign with a foot injury. His replacement for Wales, Scarlet Gareth Davies has scored six international tries this season. Webb scored a try in his first start for Ospreys this season in Connacht and is set for another appearance away to Leinster on Saturday. "Rhys is a quality player, ideally (he'll get) some more game-time this week and I think they'll re-assess from there. If he can get up and running, he's surely going to be there or thereabouts for us," Jenkins told BBC Wales Sport. "I'm not saying (he could be in the squad) against England, but he could well come into the equation in terms of the wider squad." Wales do not yet know whether lock Luke Charteris will recover from a knee injury in time to play for Racing 92 against Agen on Saturday, or to be back in contention for the England game. Meanwhile, Jenkins has defended Wales's achievements in the Six Nations, as they head to Twickenham still unbeaten.

Neil Jenkins says he is baffled by some of the criticism of his team's style in the Six Nations.

It's understood 29-year-old Craig Church died after falling down several flights of stairs in the apartment block where he lived in eastern China. He had been working as an English language teacher at a primary school in Rui'an for the past two years. His sister, Carrie Church, told BBC Radio Foyle he was a "fun-loving man". "He was a friend to everyone," she said. Ms Church said the family was working closely with the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust to have her brother's body returned home. "It's all very raw for us," she said. "He was amazing and loved his job. People adored him in China." "Craig was your friend if you were young or old," his sister added. "We are just devastated. He was the best brother, son and friend."

The sister of a Portstewart man who died in a tragic accident in China on Tuesday, has said the family is "shocked and heartbroken".

Hughes qualified on residency this summer and features for the first time under head coach Eddie Jones. Leicester hooker Tom Youngs, who was overlooked earlier in the year by Jones, is recalled to the set-up. But Northampton's Luther Burrell, Chris Ashton of Saracens and Wasps' Danny Cipriani are notable omissions. Leicester flanker Will Evans and Harlequins back Joe Marchant, part of the Under-20s team who won the Junior World Championship in June, are included, while Gloucester wing Jonny May is named after recovering from a serious knee injury. England play South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia later in the year, with Jones confirming his final 45-man squad at the end of September. However, this squad gives a clear indication as to Jones' thinking. "This camp sets the scene for November," said Jones. "It's important to catch up with the players prior to the start of the season and continue to put our plans in place. "We've chosen a number of new faces to attend this camp on the form they have shown recently or the potential we see in them. "Naturally players not included in this pre-season camp will be disappointed, but consistent high-level performances can change that." Northampton centre Burrell was part of the victorious touring squad to Australia, but was replaced after half-an-hour of the first Test win in Brisbane in June, and he has been omitted from the camp. After missing out on the tour of Australia because of a hamstring problem, centre Manu Tuilagi will be part of the camp, as will flanker James Haskell, despite suffering a foot injury which is set to rule him out of the autumn series. Leicester forward Mike Williams, like Hughes, is named for the first time under Jones, but Gloucester flanker Matt Kvesic misses out. Following the series win in South African with England Saxons, Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson, Mike Haley of Sale and Charlie Ewels of Bath are all involved. Other players in the camp who are uncapped at senior level are Josh Beaumont, Kyle Sinckler and Ben Te'o, with the latter two part of the tour down under. Forwards: J Beaumont (Sale Sharks), D Cole (Leicester Tigers), L Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), J Clifford (Harlequins), W Evans (Leicester Tigers), C Ewels (Bath Rugby), J George (Saracens), E Genge (Leicester Tigers), T Harrison (Northampton Saints), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), J Haskell (Wasps), P Hill (Northampton Saints), N Hughes (Wasps), M Itoje (Saracens), G Kruis (Saracens), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), J Marler (Harlequins), M Mullan (Wasps), C Robshaw (Harlequins), K Sinckler (Harlequins), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), M Williams (Leicester Tigers), T Youngs (Leicester Tigers). Backs: M Brown (Harlequins), D Care (Harlequins), E Daly (Wasps), O Farrell (Saracens), G Ford (Bath Rugby), A Goode (Saracens), M Haley (Sale Sharks), J Joseph (Bath Rugby), J Marchant (Harlequins), J May (Gloucester Rugby), J Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), D Robson (Wasps), S Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby), J Simpson (Wasps), H Slade (Exeter Chiefs), B Te'o (Worcester Warriors), M Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), A Watson (Bath Rugby), M Yarde (Harlequins), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers). Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Wasps' Fiji-born back-row forward Nathan Hughes has been named in a provisional 45-man England elite player squad for a pre-season camp this month.

Terence Brannigan, chair of the Maze/Long Kesh development Corporation, was speaking after roads around the former prison site were congested on the first day of the event. Mr Brannigan said rural roads were "not designed for that kind of traffic" But he said work was under way to put the new infrastructure in place. "In 12 months time it won't be the same," he said. "But let's not pretend that in 12 months time we are going to have two roads linking up to the motorway network. "The work is going on now, as we speak, in respect of putting two links into the motorway, one from the east and one from the west. "We are doing environmental studies now in order to get clearance. We will then have to go to planning and from that we will then be able to build the two roads." Up to 80,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, which has moved from its previous home at the King's Hall in Belfast. On Wednesday, First Minister Peter Robinson said he hoped any problems with access would be overcome. Mr Brannigan said getting the infrastructure sorted had been a priority for the corporation, but acknowledged there was a "rigorous process" to complete. "If people have to sit in queues for a long period of time, it can spoil what is a magnificent show, a fantastic event and the showcase for Northern Ireland," he said. "The money has been ring-fenced so we can't complain that we haven't got the money, we can't complain that we are not getting the support. "But there is a due process we have to go through. It is frustrating, nonetheless it is a process we must go through." Visitors to this year's show have been urged to use public transport. The Balmoral Show website contains details of how to get to the show by car or by public transport.

About £20m has been pledged to construct two major roads linking the new site of Balmoral Show to the motorway network, it has been claimed.

Firefighters were called to a blaze in Kilmaurs Road at 23:40 on Saturday. The woman, local resident Catherine Kelly, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 41-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Another woman, aged 41, who was also in the house at the time was not injured. Police said the fire was a "targeted and deliberate act". Officers have appealed for witnesses to come forward. They indicated they are following a definite line of inquiry. Local residents who tried to help put out the blaze were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The injured man was taken to Crosshouse Hospital where medical staff described his condition as stable. Det Ch Insp Allan Burton said: "The outbreak of fire within the house on Kilmaurs Road has resulted in the death of an elderly woman. "Following a joint investigation with our colleagues at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, we now know that this was a targeted and deliberate act. "Local residents are understandably shocked and I would like to acknowledge the bravery of those neighbours and passing motorists who raised the alarm and attempted to do what they could to extinguish the blaze. "I want to reassure local residents that all is being done to trace the person or persons responsible." Specialist forensic staff and detectives remain at the scene as part of the murder investigation. Additional uniformed officers are also on patrol in the area. Det Ch Insp Burton added: "We have spoken with a number of witnesses at this time. "I would ask any local residents or passing motorists who have yet to come forward and speak to police, please contact us with any information you may have."

A murder investigation is under way after a 71-year-old woman died in a fire at a house in Kilmarnock.

Second-year scholars Callum Pritchard-Ellis, James Ballie, Callum Saunders, James Jones, Fraser Murdock and Perry Ng have all been offered senior deals. Davis told BBC Radio Stoke: "We're delighted to have another strong group. "Producing our own younger players is going to be more important. It only bodes well for the future of the club." Additionally, three under-16s have also signed first-year scholar contracts. Crewe's under-21s have enjoyed success again this season, reaching the Professional Development League Two final thanks to a 4-0 win against Cardiff on Wednesday. Crewe will now play Queens Park Rangers in the final at Loftus Road. "The secondary scholars have all been fairly strong," Davis added. "It took a lot of meetings to decide which of the players we would take. "The future, at the moment, looks very healthy. "It's harder to recruit players now, because of the demands of some of the players and the agents. "Experienced players are more or less a 'no, no' for us, particularly names that people know. Financially, they're always out of our domain. Our own players can give us a better style of playing."

Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davis says the future of the club looks very healthy as six academy graduates are offered professional contracts.

For hosts Forfar Athletic it was a second successive home 3-1 defeat after a run of nine straight wins. Draper put the Welsh champions ahead after 24 minutes only for Stuart Malcolm to reply after the break against the run of play. Forfar were on top after the break, but two Draper strikes won the tie. The Welsh side who started their season in the Champions League qualifiers came to Forfar in confident form with 11 straight wins behind them and they looked the more imposing side in the opening 20 minutes. Alex Darlington, who had scored both goals in a midweek domestic win, had the first opportunity of the match, but goalkeeper Grant Adam got down smartly to save his 20-yard effort. TNS wasted another chance as Aeron Edwards came into the box unmarked to meet a corner but sent his header back across goal and off-target. The Welsh side were dominating possession and the Scottish League Two leaders were struggling to link with Jim Lister and Josh Peters, who were trying to provide an attacking threat. TNS took the lead after 23 minutes, but it was tinged by controversy. Forfar were convinced they had won a corner, but a goal-kick was awarded that was swiftly taken and a defensive mis-header found its way to Draper, who controlled the ball and slipped it beyond Adam. TNS wasted two further chances to add to their lead before Forfar hit back. Peters forced a save from Paul Harrison in the TNS goal, but from the resultant corner, Malcolm powered a header in off the bar. Control switched to Forfar after the break as the home side enjoyed better possession and created the better opportunities. Jim Lister was twice denied in the same move, with Phil Baker blocking his second effort, while goalkeeper Paul Harrison produced a fingertip save to deny Jamie Bain. Forfar continued to press and a powerful Martyn Fotheringham free-kick just finished the wrong side of the post. TNS had shown little in an attacking sense in the second half had the inspiration of substitute Robbie Parry to thank for the goal that put them ahead. He finished his run into the box by shooting past Adam and Draper netted. Draper, with one New Zealand cap to his name, secured his hat-trick three minutes from the end when Adam misjudged a long ball and the striker took it past him at the edge of the box to secure victory.

Greg Draper grabbed a hat-trick as The New Saints made history by becoming the first non-Scottish side into the Scottish Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

More than 80,000 people were in Croke Park for the homecoming show to mark 30 years since The Joshua Tree album. First drummer Larry Mullen Jr appeared, then guitarist The Edge, next Bono, and finally Adam Clayton on bass. As they launched into Sunday Bloody Sunday, the crowd went wild. Many of those watching had flown in to Dublin from all over the world. With Bono name-checking Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Irish President Michael D Higgins as part of the audience, the band played some of their classics before playing The Joshua Tree in full and in order. Those earlier classics included New Year's Day, Bad and Pride. "Our prayer is that we have one of those epic nights of rock 'n' roll," Bono told the audience. The Joshua Tree was the band's take on americana in 1987, and the element of the gig commemorating that record was accompanied by sometimes haunting images by U2's long-time visual collaborator Anton Corbijn on a giant screen behind the band. The album made U2 the biggest rock band in the world and saw the beginnings of Bono the human rights and third world debt campaigner. Though wildly acclaimed at the time, it was criticised by some as being a bit politically naive at a time when Ronald Reagan was the US president and many feared where his policies might lead. Others see worrying similarities 30 years later with the United States of President Donald Trump. "It came out 30 years ago and it has taken us 30 years to figure out some of these songs - not just how to play them but to understand what they're about," Bono said. The only sideways reference to the current American president was when a character called Trump and a wall was mentioned in footage from an old western series on the huge screen. In between songs Bono likened the gathering to "a big Irish wedding" and lent his support for the Irish bid to host the Rugby World Cup, with Croke Park as one the main proposed venues. At one stage the band and the colossal crowd sang Happy Birthday to three members of the U2 crew. With all the better known songs from The Joshua Tree - Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With Or Without You - on the first side of the cassette, as Bono put it, the concert flagged a little once the gig got to side two. When the album was finished the band launched into Miss Sarajevo, a song about the Balkan war, as the screen behind showed sometimes distressing images of the ongoing war in Syria. Bono thanked the Irish Naval Service in the Mediterranean for the "thousands of lives" it has saved. In two songs - Beautiful Day and Vertigo - the band segued into David Bowie classics Starman and Rebel Rebel. There were musical and visual tributes to women from Ireland and around the world who "insisted and persisted for their rights", and praise for the generosity of the Irish people before the almost-spiritual coming together of the band and the audience for One. But the evening wasn't all about nostalgia and U2 ended their set with The Little Things You Give Away, from the band's expected forthcoming album Songs of Experience. As a live act, U2 are considered among the best, if not the best, in the world - they set a high bar for themselves. Last night, while all consented that it was a fantastic night, not all agreed the band had reached their own high standards. Personally I thought they came pretty darn close to them.

Under a fading blue sky, the imminent arrival of U2 on stage in the Irish capital was heralded by two songs - Thin Lizzy's The Boys Are Back In Town and The Waterboys' Whole Of The Moon.

Media playback is unsupported on your device 3 December 2014 Last updated at 14:08 GMT The bridge, for pedestrians only, would cost £175m to build, making it the world's most expensive footbridge. Lambeth and Westminster councils, who are in charge of new buildings in areas of London, have both said the bridge can go ahead. But some people aren't happy with the idea, saying it could spoil views on the riverside, including St Paul's Cathedral. London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, will have the final say over whether the bridge can be built as planned. Check out Ricky's report for more on this story.

A huge garden bridge over the River Thames in London is a step closer after plans were approved by local council officials.

The unit was assisted by officers from Humberside, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands. The arrests are part of a pre-planned operation relating to alleged terrorism offences under Italian legislation. Police said the four men will appear before Westminster Magistrates Court but did not specify a date. The arrests took place under European Arrest Warrants, police added. Those arrested face extradition to Italy. Jihadist cell in Europe 'sought recruits for Iraq and Syria' The men were part of raids in several European countries connected to a suspected "jihadist network" which was allegedly plotting to free its leader, Mullah Krekar, who is in detention in Norway. Six suspects were detained in Italy and three in Norway. Krekar was among those arrested. Italian police said the group was planning to seize Norwegian and British diplomats to try to secure Krekar's release. Italy's Ansa news agency said the suspects were being accused of international terrorism association. The men arrested in Britain are: The terrorism unit said the men are being held at a police station in the north of England and will not be questioned by officers in the UK. The addresses of the men are being searched, and after appearing before magistrates they will be handed over to Italian authorities. A statement from the North East Counter Terrorism Unit said: "We understand that people may be concerned following today's arrests. "However, we would like to reassure communities that today's activity is as a result of an ongoing investigation which is intelligence led. "There is no evidence to suggest that communities are at risk."

Four men have been arrested in the UK following a counter-terrorism operation led by Italian authorities, the North East Counter Terrorism Unit says.

The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) on Sunday showed that factory activity unexpectedly shrank in October to 49.8, below the 50-point mark, which suggests contraction. It is also marks the third consecutive month of contraction in manufacturing. The Shanghai Composite closed down 1.7% to 3,325.08, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed down 1.2% at 22,370.04. A private survey, which focuses on smaller to mid-size firms, also showed on Monday that factory activity fell for the eighth month in a row in October, but it was an improvement from the previous month. The Caixin/Markit manufacturing PMI was up to 48.3, from 47.2 in September. Angus Nicholson, market analyst at trading firm IG, said manufacturing activity in China should pick up in the last few months of the year. "The key takeaway from the manufacturing PMIs is that activity in China has stabilised in the wake of significant monetary easing and fiscal spending," he said in a note. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended down 2.1% to 18,683.24 - leading the losses in the region. Investors will be watching shares of Nissan after it posted a rise of 37.4% in net income for the six months ending in September. The focus will also be on US data, with key employment figures due on Friday, which could influence the timing of the Federal Reserve's highly anticipated decision to raise interest rates. In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1.4% to 5,165.80 ahead of the central bank's decision on interest rates on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to keep interest rates at a record low of 2%. Westpac shares were down 2.5% after it wrapped up Australia's bank reporting season, seeing a 3% rise in its annual cash profit. The country's four major banks are preparing for their slowest earnings growth since the global financial crisis, due to low interest rates and a cooling economy. Bucking the trend, South Korea's Kospi index finished up 0.3% to 2,035.24 points.

Asian markets started the week with losses as investor confidence was dented by China's manufacturing data.

The firm announced it had agreed a deal with the board of California-based Anacor Pharmaceuticals. Anacor's flagship product is crisaborole, a cream for eczema which is awaiting approval by US regulators. The deal comes just weeks after Pfizer scrapped a planned $160bn merger with Irish drugmaker Allergan for tax reasons. "We believe the acquisition of Anacor represents an attractive opportunity to address a significant unmet medical need for a large patient population," said Albert Bourla, head of Pfizer's global innovative pharma unit. Crisaborole can achieve $2bn (£1.4bn) in annual sales if approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, according to Pfizer. Some 18 million to 25 million people suffer from eczema in the US, but currently there are few safe appropriate treatments, Pfizer said. Anacor shares jumped 57%, rising above the $99.25 a share agreed with Pfizer.

US drugs giant Pfizer will acquire the maker of a new eczema treatment in a deal worth $5.2bn (£3.6bn).

Top-seed Kerber, 29, who also lost to Belinda Bencic at the Fed Cup earlier this month, hit 38 unforced errors as the world number 73 dominated. "I was not feeling my game and not finding my rhythm," German Kerber said. China's Zheng plays Canadian Eugenie Bouchard next. Third-seed Agnieszka Radwanska and fifth-seed Petra Kvitova also progressed to the third round. After the match, Kerber revealed that her plan to have her Australian Open trophy - her first piece of Grand Slam silverware - sent to her via recorded delivery had backfired. She still has not been reunited with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after opting not to take the 10kg trophy in her hand luggage on the flight home from Australia. "It's stuck in Warsaw," she said. "But I hope to get it soon and I'm really looking forward to it."

World number two Angelique Kerber lost 7-5 6-1 to Zheng Saisai in the second round of the Qatar Open, her first singles tournament since winning the Australian Open.

Smith, 34, lost WBO title bouts with Arthur Abraham in 2014 and 2015, and trainer Joe Gallagher said Saturday's fight was a "last roll of the dice". The Briton has now been beaten seven times in his 45 professional fights. The three judges in Wetzlar, Germany, each ruled the fight 119-108 in Zeuge's favour. It was Zeuge's third defence since he won the WBA title from Italian Gioavanni de Carolis in November 2016. In a largely one-sided contest, Smith was given a count by the referee in the closing seconds of the final round despite appearing to slip. "Is it the end at world level for him? 100%. Is there another level he wants to compete at? That is one for Paul Smith," promoter Eddie Hearn said on Sky Sports. "We talked about last-chance saloon before the fight, he left it much too late. I think he will be kicking himself for that. "He had a good spell in the third round when he wobbled Zeuge, and he did in the 11th and 12th rounds too. We would have liked to see that earlier, but it's easy for us to say. Zeuge was very good and countered well."

Paul Smith lost a third attempt to win a world title as Tyron Zeuge retained his WBA world super-middleweight belt with a unanimous points decision.

The key moment was a fumble by Mayo keeper Robert Hennelly early in the second half which gifted Dublin a penalty scored by Diarmuid Connolly. Hennelly was a late inclusion in place of David Clarke but the move backfired. Deep in injury-time, Cillian O'Connor missed a difficult free which would have levelled the scores. Lee Keegan's goal put Mayo ahead midway through the first period but Dublin regrouped to lead 0-10 to 1-6 by half-time. Hennelly struggled badly with his kick-outs early on with one of his misdirected clearances leading to the black carding of the influential Keegan late in the first half in what was a huge blow for the Connacht county. Earlier, Dublin's Jonny Cooper was also black carded and a number other players from both sides - notably Dublin's John Small - were fortunate not to suffer the same fate. In the end, Dublin's stronger bench proved decisive as Cormac Costello came on to kick the champions' three final scores from play. Cillian O'Connor's ninth point of the contest left the minimum between the teams with three minutes of injury-time left but the Mayo free-taker then missed a high-pressure free from 40 metres which would have levelled the scores again. As Dublin celebrated back-to-back titles for the first time since the county's triumphs in 1976 and '77, Mayo's players looked crestfallen as they attempted to come to terms with a fifth All-Ireland final defeat in 12 years. With Hennelly struggling to pick out team-mates from his kick-outs, Dublin moved into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead by the sixth minute which included three Dean Rock points - two of which were from play. But Mayo were on terms within six minutes after a run of four points started by Patrick Durcan's superb point. Two Rock frees edged Dublin ahead again but Mayo were suddenly in the lead as the over-lapping Keegan took a perfectly weighted pass from Aidan O'Shea before hammering past Stephen Cluxton from 14 yards. Cooper's black carding moments later for a hand trip appeared a further boost for Mayo but the Dubs outscored them 0-4 to 0-2 during the remainder of the first period to lead 0-10 to 1-6 at the break. Mayo regained the lead within two minutes of the restart but were soon three in arrears after another Rock free was followed by Hennelly's howler as he was forced to concede a penalty after spilling a harmless looking ball, with his inevitable black carding followed by Connolly superbly stroking past Clarke. Mayo cut Dublin's lead to the minimum on four occasions during the remaining half hour of action but their habitual woes of errant shooting and a lack of composure prevented them from getting on terms. Once again, Aidan O'Shea was not the force that Mayo would have hoped for despite his good work for their first-half goal. Mayo: R Hennelly, B Harrison, D Vaughan, K Higgins, L Keegan, C Boyle, P Durcan, S O'Shea, T Parsons, K McLoughlin, A O'Shea, D O'Connor, J Doherty. A Moran, C O'Connor. Dublin: S Cluxton; P McMahon, J Cooper, M Fitzsimons; J McCarthy, C O'Sullivan, J Small; B Fenton, P Mannion; P Flynn, K McManamon, C Kilkenny; D Rock, D Connolly, B Brogan.

Mayo's 65-year wait for an All-Ireland Senior Football title goes on after holders Dublin edged a 1-15 to 1-14 win in the final replay at Croke Park.

The 26-year-old was sent off for a foul on Gaston Ramirez during the 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough on Saturday. The FA rejected a claim of wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment. He will miss both legs of the semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday and, if the Seagulls progress, the Championship play-off final on 28 May. Brighton travel to Hillsborough for the first leg on Friday, with the return at the Amex Stadium on 16 May. Should Chris Hughton's side fail to overcome the Owls and reach Wembley, Stephens will miss the opening game of the 2016-17 season instead. The former Charlton player has only missed one league game for Brighton this season, scoring seven goals in 45 appearances.

Brighton will be without Dale Stephens for their play-off campaign after the midfielder's three-match ban was upheld by the Football Association.

The rare Tyrannosaurus bataar, 7m long (23ft), was bought by an anonymous bidder for more than $1m (£630,000) in New York. The sale went ahead despite protests from the Mongolian president. Elbegdorj Tsakhia says the skeleton, unearthed in the Gobi Desert, came from Mongolia and that exporting fossils found in the country is illegal. The auctioneers, Heritage Auctions, say the specimen was imported legally. A restraining court order in the name of the Mongolian leader was put on the sale. Tyrannosaurus bataar is an Asian cousin of the meat-eating Tyrannosaurus rex. The skeleton in New York is thought to be one of the most complete and well preserved ever discovered, says the BBC's Jonathan Blake in Washington. "When it comes to dinosaurs, number one, dinosaurs in general are extremely rare. But the rarest of the dinosaurs are the carnivores, the meat eaters - the top of the food chain if you will," David Herskowitz, director of natural history at Heritage Auctions, told APTV. "And, of all the meat eaters that are out there, the most famous are the Tyrannosaurids. They are the most desirable, but they are the most elusive. They are the most difficult to find. Even though they are so big, there are not that many of them around." Found about seven years ago in the Gobi Desert, the T. bataar remained in storage in England. The T. bataar was slightly smaller and had longer arms than its cousin, Mr Herskowitz said. This is the second Tyrannosaurid to be sold at auction, says Mr Herskowitz. The first was a T. rex named Sue sold in 1997 for more than $8m. Lawyers for the auction house say the sale did not break any US laws - but it will not be confirmed until it has been approved by a US court.

A row has broken out over the sale of a dinosaur skeleton at auction in the US.

"I was very nervous and my words just came out wrong," he wrote on Facebook. The Night Manager star drew censure on social media for a speech in which he referred to aid workers in South Sudan "binge-watching" the programme. The British actor said that his "only intention" had been "to salute [their] incredible bravery and courage." "I apologise that my nerves got the better of me," his post continued. Hiddleston won his first Golden Globe on Sunday - for best performance by an actor in a mini-series or TV movie - for his role in the BBC's adaptation of John le Carre's novel about a hotel manager involved in arms smuggling. After thanking his co-stars and the show's director, he told "a quick story" about a recent visit to "the youngest country in the world". "One night... a group of doctors and nurses wanted to say hello... because they had binge-watched The Night Manager," he continued. "The idea that we could provide some relief and entertainment for the people who... are fixing the world in the places it is broken made me immensely proud." West Wing star Joshua Malina was among those to take issue with the speech, which drew a mixed response from the Golden Globes audience. "Thank you to Tom Hiddleston and all actors who dare to perform in projects that are shown in some of the most dangerous parts of the world," he tweeted. "That was a long story Tom Hiddleston told to pay himself a compliment," wrote the writer and producer Gary Janetti. Other commentators drew attention to the neutral expressions of actors Naomie Harris and Christian Slater during Hiddleston's address. Yet his words drew a warmer response from the World Food Programme, who said it felt "honoured" to have been given a mention. Hiddleston's award was one of three Golden Globes won by The Night Manager, which also picked up supporting actor prizes for Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie. Colman, who was not at the Los Angeles ceremony, said she was "gutted" she had not been present to accept "such an enormous honour". Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Actor Tom Hiddleston has apologised for his much-criticised acceptance speech at the Golden Globe awards, admitting it was "inelegantly expressed".

Driver Henry McPherson, 61, from St Fergus, died after the accident on the A952 near Mintlaw in 2014. Pauline Flynn, 36, denies causing death by careless driving. Mr McPherson's partner Patricia McPherson, 52, told Peterhead Sheriff Court she remembered the look of fear on his face. Ms Flynn, of Mintlaw, allegedly crossed on to the opposite side of the carriageway while driving along the Clola to Toll of Birness road. Mrs McPherson said: "I became aware that I was to be in a crash when I saw lights cross from the other carriageway lighting up the central line, the driving line of the road. "The lights were right in my face. "The next thing I remember after that is a feeling like I was in a washing machine. "It was a bit surreal. I felt like I was in a washing machine going round and round and can remember hearing myself screaming. "And I can remember looking over at Harry and he had a look of fear on his face that I had never seen in my life." Mrs McPherson described Mr McPerson as a masculine man who would not have shown anyone when he was scared. She went on: "I think he knew it wasn't going to end well." Mrs McPherson said her partner of 34 years, who was known as Harry, had his arms stretched straight out in front on him on the steering wheel. She said she then felt as if she was being crushed from the front of her chest to her back and could barely breathe. Mrs McPherson said: "I can remember being in the car and feeling crushed and I can remember a strange smell of earth or soil. "I couldn't understand why I was smelling earth. I didn't at that stage realise the situation I was in. "I didn't realise I was in a crash." Defence lawyer Susan Duffy asked Mrs McPherson if she wanted someone to be responsible for the death of Mr McPherson and her subsequent fracture injuries. She replied: "I don't want anyone to be responsible for that no. I want to have my partner back." The trial continues.

A woman whose partner died after a car crash in Aberdeenshire has told a trial she felt as if she was "in a washing machine" after the collision.