The Oil and Gas Technology Centre will partly fund the work while also acting as a bridge between small tech firms and the big oil producers. The industry said research projects have recently been neglected. It said this happened after many production platforms were sold by the big oil majors to much smaller firms. Oil supply company Mistras has been developing technology more commonly used to enable expectant mothers to see their babies. The ultrasound scanners, complete with cold jelly, are being used to detect corrosion in pipes. The Dyce-based company hopes the technology centre will help them get their product to new customers. Managing director Tim Walsh said: "What we are hoping and expecting from the technology centre is that it will allow us as an organisation that has solutions to particular problems that we know exist to get a better connection with end users and clients and get more traction. "We want them to allow us to take them out into the field, give us the opportunity to demonstrate to potential clients that the technology works and that the technology can actually allow them to do what we want them to do." The Oil and Gas Technology centre will invest in small firms with solid ideas and help pair some of those developers with the offshore operators that need them. Chief executive Colette Cohen said: "We have much more operators in the north sea now, I think it's about 60 operators whereas back in the 80s it was about five or six, so it is a hugely different world. "Those smaller operators don't have a technology organisation. They're not big enough and they can't support that, it wouldn't be economic. "So this is a time when we can provide that service to them." The new centre will build on the existing work being carried out by Aberdeen's two universities. At Robert Gordon University they have a drilling-rig simulator where they train students and refresh the skills of those in the industry. They will now be able to incorporate new technologies into their models to see if they work effectively. Prof Phil Hassard said: "They'll be able to get the results back from that... they can be tested here and are more cost effective than trying to do it on a real rig." The centre's conception stems from the principles of Sir Ian Wood's report into maximising economic recovery in the North Sea. The oil tycoon was one of the invited guests at the official opening.

Summary: A new research and development facility has opened in Aberdeen to help breathe new life into the struggling North Sea oil industry.


PC James Burns was found not guilty of common assault and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm against Michael Stanley, 28, in Penrhyndeudraeth, on 10 April 2016. He was also cleared of giving a false statement about what happened. He had denied all the charges at Caernarfon Crown Court. The case against another officer, PC Robin Humphreys, who had been accused of perverting the course of justice, was thrown out earlier in the month. Judge Huw Rees said there was insufficient evidence to prove he had colluded with PC Burns by giving false statements about the incident.

Summary: A police officer has been cleared of assaulting a handcuffed man with pepper spray after arresting him in Gwynedd.


BAA said the problem had been caused by a hardware fault which saw the check-in desks and boarding screens fail for almost three hours. Edinburgh Airport said there was "congestion" as passengers had to be checked in manually from 07:30. Flights were also delayed as passengers did not know which gates to go to. The problem was fixed at about 10:00. A man at the airport told the BBC Scotland news website he was delayed at the airport for about an hour. He said: "My flight didn't leave until 10am because the computers were down. There were queues at the check-in desks and people didn't know where to board their flights. "There was massive disruption." A BAA spokesman said: "We had a slight issue this morning with the network which meant that we lost some computer services. "It did not cause any cancellations or any great delays, but it did cause some queuing in the check in area between 7am and 9am. "Our team were on it and, following investigation, it was found to be a hardware fault that was sorted quickly." He added: "We saw some flights delayed by about half an hour, and congestion in the check-in area which was cleared as soon as the fault was fixed."

Summary: A "glitch" which shut down all the computer systems at Edinburgh Airport caused "massive disruption" and some flight delays.


Steve Whitmire has supplied Kermit's nasal tones since 1990, after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. US reports confirmed his departure and said he was going to be replaced by Matt Vogel. Whitmire has worked on the Muppets since 1978 and also provided the voice of Sesame Street favourite Ernie, of Bert and Ernie fame. No reason has been given for his exit. Whitmire has portrayed Fraggle Rock characters and appeared in films Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. He was chosen to take over as Kermit by Henson's son Brian, online magazine Kill Screen reported. Fans said they were "devastated" that Whitmire would no longer work with Kermit, with one saying they were "trying not to cry" at the news, and shared stories of meeting him. Vogel, who voiced Kermit imitator Constantine in 2014 film Muppets Most Wanted, will first be heard as Kermit - the long-time love of Miss Piggy - in a Muppets Thought of the Week video next week, The Hollywood Reporter said. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Kermit the Frog is getting a new voice for the first time in nearly three decades as his puppeteer steps down.


The Phab2Pro's sensors allow it to make sense of objects and close-by spaces, allowing graphics to be intelligently added to real-world views. The Moto Z uses magnets to add optional hardware modules to the phone's rear including a speaker and a projector. Analysts said the innovations might prove a tough sell. That would complicate Lenovo's efforts to turn around sales of its own phones and those of the Motorola division it bought from Google for $2.8bn in 2014. "There's a delicate balance between being on the leading edge and the bleeding edge, and Lenovo skirts that line," said Ramon Llamas from the tech research firm IDC. "If these products prove to be a hit - and that's a big if - then Lenovo emerges as a leading edge vendor. "The Phab2Pro has a lot of promise, showing immediate value creation within certain use cases. The Moto Z is certainly innovative, but I'm not sure how much consumers can wrap their brains around modular devices." The announcements were made at an event in San Francisco, where bendy smartphone and tablet prototypes were also revealed. Lenovo is currently the world's sixth bestselling smartphone-maker, according to IDC, after being overtaken by two other Chinese brands, Oppo and Vivo towards the start of the year. The Beijing-based company reported in May that it had swung to a loss of $128m (Â£89m) in its last financial year. It acknowledged at the time that it was having problems integrating Motorola. The Phab2Pro is the first device to use Google's Tango technology. The search firm has developed a system that adds depth-sensing and motion-tracking cameras to the normal front and rear photo lenses. Lenovo suggested this opened up several possibilities, including: However, an on-stage demo proved problematic. A game of virtual dominos - seen superimposed over a view of a real desk - saw the pieces repeatedly freeze part way through their intended run. And an effort to use the sensors to get the dimensions of a real-world table took several attempts to get the software to lock onto the object. This raises questions about whether the tech is ready to go on sale as planned in September. "In real life you're just going to use a tape measure" commented Ben Wood from the CCS Insight consultancy. "It's just a classic example of a solution looking for a problem. "Yes, you can envisage some lovely use cases - for example a DHL app that would let you hold up a parcel and give you its dimensions and the approximate cost to send it. "But that doesn't exist yet, and what you end up with is an underwhelming measuring demo." The Moto Z introduces the concept of Moto Mods - snap-on parts that connect to the back of the phone via 16 small metal pins. Examples of modules it plans to offer alongside the phone include: Lenovo said it was working with others to create new modules and also urged developers to create more following the phone's release later this summer. LG already has an alternative modular handset on sale

Summary: Lenovo has announced two unusual smartphones - a model that uses special cameras to scan its surroundings and a handset with optional snap-on parts.


Homeowners hit by the flooding in December can apply for up to Â£5,000 from the government's Future Flood Prevention Funding scheme. Figures seen by the BBC show that only 13 people have applied for the money. Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, said she had received complaints about accessing the fund. "The form filling is incredibly complicated and that's where people have been struggling," she said. "It's putting off a lot on people." Hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded in the city after the Rivers Foss and Ouse burst their banks. The scheme is administered by City of York Council and requires a survey to be carried out on the flooded property before funding can be applied for. The council said that 360 private homes were eligible for the grant. The authority added: "We very much welcome grant applications but know that this can take time while people wait for quotes and loss adjustor reports. "We're appointing a case worker to help residents and businesses through the application process."

Summary: York residents are being put off applying for flood protection grants as the process is "incredibly complicated", a local MP has claimed.


George Hamilton was speaking to MPs on the Northern Ireland affairs committee. It is investigating how a UK exit from the EU could affect Northern Ireland. Mr Hamilton said the PSNI would "not take a position on exit or not" and would work with whatever circumstances are in place after the EU referendum. Voters will go to the polls in June to decide whether the UK should remain a member of the EU. Asked on whether an exit from the EU would affect policing, Mr Hamilton said: "I think all of this is probably doable with an exit, but it will be slower, complicated and more costly is the view we would take from a practical policing perspective." But he said the PSNI had a "very good working relationship" with a number of police forces in non-EU countries, "most notably America". Mr Hamilton, who appeared before the committee with Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr, also said he did not think the PSNI's link with the Irish police would suffer in the case of an exit from the EU. He said "the relationships are secure". He added that if a so-called Brexit - a shorthand term for a UK exit from the EU - took place he was "absolutely sure the quality of the relationship and the professionalism of both organisations would not be diminished". The committee is examining areas like the economy and the border with the Republic of Ireland. It has already heard evidence from a wide range of politicians and business leaders.

Summary: A UK withdrawal from the European Union could make policing in Northern Ireland slower, more complicated and more costly, the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.


One head teacher decided "all reading can be done on iPads," a delegate told the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' annual conference. The union voted to lobby for libraries to be included in Ofsted inspections. A Department for Education spokeswoman said that school libraries "played a vital role". Cathy Tattersfield from Derbyshire quoted international evidence suggesting a positive correlation between good school libraries and student attainment. Ms Tattersfield said she had been "shocked" that two secondary academies had "recently closed or attempted to close their libraries and several of them have had their librarian hours or posts cut, mostly in the ex-mining areas of Derbyshire". A survey of 485 ATL members last month suggested a patchy picture on library provision said Ms Tattersfield. "It seems to be feast or famine. "Some secondary provision is fine, cherished and secured," - but others faced reduced opening hours, conversion to e-learning centres, cuts in staff hours, or librarians having been removed or replaced by support staff or teachers. "We identified a third of secondary schools have had cuts of 40% or more since 2010, with 20% redundancies in library staff at their school." Another delegate said his school library, closed last year, had provided a host of benefits to pupils, from paired reading for special needs pupils to introducing able readers to new authors and running a range of enrichment activities. He said the library's books and magazines had been distributed among subject departments. "Lesley Mumbray-Williams whose school dispensed with her services as librarian said a third of the stock had ended up in skips within three weeks of her leaving." Another delegate said the librarian post in their school had not been filled and the library doors were often locked. Of the education staff who responded to the survey: A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "We want all children to read widely and well and believe school libraries can play a vital role in fostering that love of reading. "We trust schools to decide on whether to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils."

Summary: Too many school libraries in England face cuts or closure with schools increasingly viewing books as obsolete, a teachers' union has heard.


At one point in his final round of 67, Ramsay looked like he might take his challenge to the wire, closing to within a single shot of the eventual champion, Alex Noren, following a run of four straight birdies in his opening six holes. He said he stood on the 10th tee believing for the first time in his life that he could win a title that he says would mean almost as much to him as a major championship. Not enough putts dropped on the back nine - he gave himself multiple opportunities - and he had to settle for the consolation prize of a slot in The Open. Ramsay asked about Andy Murray in the aftermath and called the now two-time Wimbledon champion an inspiration. "Watching Andy play at Wimbledon this week, watching Jamie play, those guys are huge inspirations for Scottish people," he said. "To win Wimbledon is a massive achievement and I think sometimes we take that for granted, we forget how good he is. "It's great watching him, because he's Scottish and because he's got that grit and fire. I love that attitude. For me, every week is about trying to be the best I can be. "When I'm 60, I want to sit in my chair watching the golf and be able to say that I won X number of tour titles and that I couldn't squeeze any more out of the talent I had. Talent is great, but if you don't have that hard work ethic, you're not to get anywhere." Ramsay has won three times on tour, the most recent of them being the Trophee Hassan in March last year. He's played in The Open five times, missing the cut on three occasions. His best finish was 58th at Muirfield in 2013. He was tied for 68th at St Andrews last year. His performance here rather came out of the blue. Ramsay finished sixth in China in May, but his form since then has been poor, his best finish a 43rd. His season had been a grind up until Castle Stuart. "I just loved it out there," he said. "I didn't come out with a tentative attitude, which has sometimes been my fault in the past. I hit some great shots. "I knew, standing on that 10th tee, that I could win the tournament and that's a great feeling. I just have to take that into the next year and see if I can get this title in the bag one of these years. "From a confidence point of view, I will think to myself that I had a chance to win a huge tournament. You're halfway there when you believe you can do it. I know I have a lot more in the tank." Castle Stuart didn't get the champion it wanted, with due credit to the excellent Noren, but it was a terrific host venue. The troubling aspect - and it's reflective of golf's serious problem - was the size of the crowd on each of the four days. The total attendance

Summary: Richie Ramsay didn't win the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, but he wore a contented smile none the less having played himself into the top-six and securing himself a place in The Open Championship at Royal Troon later this week.


Labour MP for Bassetlaw, John Mann, a Leave campaigner, said people voted to leave because of immigration, zero-hour contracts and job prospects and said a "divide in Britain" had been exposed. Mansfield voted most strongly to leave, with 70.9% backing Brexit. Rushcliffe, which includes the towns of West Bridgford and Bingham, was the only area to vote for Remain. It saw the East Midland's highest turnout. Meanwhile, the turnout in Nottingham was the fifth lowest in the UK at 61.8%. Leave won by a tiny margin of just over 2,000 votes in the city. Mr Mann said his party was "somewhat out of touch". "With the middle classes largely voting remain because they see it as benefiting them and the working classes largely voting to leave because it dis-benefits them - that's the divide in Britain," he said. Latest reaction and updates from Nottinghamshire Like large parts of England, Nottinghamshire overwhelmingly voted to leave the European Union. The margin of victory in Bassetlaw, Ashfield and Mansfield was huge, with less than a third of people voting remain. Arguably the biggest surprise came in Nottingham, which narrowly backed Brexit. Affluent Rushcliffe was the only area to vote Remain. Overall Nottinghamshire voted 57.9% for Leave and 42.1% for Remain. Conservative Anna Soubry, the MP for Broxtowe and a Remain campaigner, tweeted it was "a dreadful decision". "People like me were told you're scaremongering, we don't want to listen to the experts," she said. "All that has been unfortunately proved to be accurate. We have made a very, very, very bad mistake." Labour MP for Nottingham North, Graham Allen, said David Cameron had "gambled with Britain's future" by calling for a referendum, saying people voted to leave "in protest" at the current government. Turnout was 81.5% in Rushcliffe - the highest in the East Midlands and the only council area to vote Remain. The vote was close elsewhere, including in Nottingham, where the split was 50.8% Leave, 49.2% Remain. Alice, a caller to BBC Radio Nottingham from the Carrington area of the city, said she felt "frightened of the future". "It potentially gives a mandate for a lot of prejudice against people who have immigrated here, whether from the EU or elsewhere," she said.

Summary: All but one council area of Nottinghamshire, including Nottingham city, has voted to leave the EU.


MEP Nathan Gill said he "could not stay in a party that suddenly represented all the things that for 12 years I said it didn't represent". Ms Waters, who founded the Sharia Watch pressure group, is one of 11 candidates in the race. Her bid has split the party, with many angry she has been allowed to run. Former Labour activist Ms Waters believes her anti-Islam message, including a proposed ban on burkas, the closure of sharia councils and a temporary freeze on all immigration, will appeal to many voters. She has argued UKIP could regain support if it had the "guts" to be "honest about Islam" and challenge the view that it had "nothing to do" with jihadist violence. But Mr Gill said he could not support those views and said "a lot of my colleagues feel the same way as well". He told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme: "I don't have a dog in this race, I am not backing any of the candidates. "But I do know that I have got red lines and if I see the party going in any direction that it absolutely should not be going in then I cannot remain a member of that party." The candidates to replace Paul Nuttall - who stood down after UKIP's poor performance in June's general election - are: Voting papers will be sent to party members over the next few weeks and the new leader will be announced at the party's annual conference in Torquay, held on 29 and 30 September. Mr Gill also criticised the party's delay in addressing concerns raised about UKIP assembly member Michelle Brown, following a row over racial slurs she made about a Labour MP. The North Wales AM called Streatham MP Chuka Umunna a "coconut" in a recorded call in May 2016 to her then senior adviser Nigel Williams. She later apologised. Mr Gill claimed the issue, which the party postponed making a decision on at its National Executive Meeting, had been "kicked into the long grass". "I have said very clearly that I think that Michelle Brown should be expelled from the party," he said. "We have to show, very clearly, what we are not - and we are not a racist party and I fought so strongly for that."

Summary: The former leader of UKIP in Wales has said he would leave the party if anti-Islam campaigner Anne Marie Waters won the leadership election.


Overturning a 2013 ruling, the judges did not, however, halt the programme but urged Congress to take action. The NSA's spying was leaked by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who has since fled to Russia. The NSA has collected data about numbers called and times, but not the content of conversations. It also allegedly spied on European firms. Among individuals targeted was German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany has "drastically reduced" internet surveillance for the NSA, reports say, after the US agency failed to provide "clear justification" for each search. Members of Congress could "help reinforce the court's decision" next week, American University's Gordon Adams tells me. That's when House members are expected to vote on a bill, the USA Freedom Act, that would end the NSA's collection of bulk data. Some senators, however, want things to remain the same. They've pushed for an extension of a provision, Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act that allows the NSA to collect the data. Section 215 expires in June, and an extension would allow the NSA to carry on with its work. US spy leaks: How intelligence is gathered How vulnerable is the internet? US states take aim at NSA facilities The latest verdict, by the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York, came after New York District Judge William Pauley had dismissed a legal challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which argued that the way the NSA tracked million of calls contravened the US constitution. The 97-page ruling says that "a provision of the USA Patriot Act permitting the Federal Bureau of Investigation to collect business records deemed relevant to a counterterrorism investigation cannot be legitimately interpreted to permit the systematic bulk collection of domestic calling records". However, the appeals court stopped short of ruling on the constitutionality of the programme, launched after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US. The Snowden revelations in June 2013 caused an international outcry, despite US administrations insisting the programme has been fully authorised. The measures - repeatedly approved in secret by a national security court since 2006 - are set to expire on 1 June. Leaders of the lower US House of Representatives would prefer to pass a bill to end the government's bulk collection of phone records and replace it with legislation that supporters say protects civil liberties. But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he wants to extend the Patriot Act and retain the bulk collection programme. The White House supports "an alternative mechanism to preserve the program's essential capabilities without the government holding the bulk data", said Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council. But the ACLU's deputy legal director Jameel Jaffer said: "The appeals court's careful ruling should end any debate about whether the NSA's phone-records program is lawful."

Summary: A US appeals court has ruled that bulk collection of phone records by the National Security Agency is illegal.


Correspondents said the atmosphere at schools was subdued and many pupils had not returned. They said parents had been taken by surprise by the government's decision to reopen schools with only four days' notice and many were not prepared. More than 8,400 people have died in West Africa in the world's worst outbreak of the Ebola virus. The reopening of schools in Guinea comes four days after the UN said the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country had fallen to its lowest weekly total since August. At one school in the Guinean capital, Conakry, only about 220 of the approximately 2,000 pupils were reported to have returned. Of the 36 teachers, more than half were back at work. Many schools have introduced health precautions, including hand-washing and temperature checks. Ebola has had a severe impact not only on public health but also on the Guinean economy. Unemployment and underemployment have risen, leaving many parents with difficulties meeting school-related expenses at the beginning of a new academic year. Schools remain closed in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the two other countries hit hard by the Ebola outbreak. Earlier this month, the outgoing head of the UN team fighting Ebola, Anthony Banbury, said he believed cases of the virus would be brought down to zero by the end of 2015.

Summary: Schools have been reopening in Guinea after a five-month closure because of the deadly Ebola outbreak.


They were evicted from the British overseas territory in the 1960s to allow the UK government to lease Diego Garcia to the US to use as an airbase. Many residents of what is the largest of the Chagos Islands ultimately resettled in Crawley, West Sussex. The petition demands the islanders' right to return home is respected. TV presenter Ben Fogle, patron of the UK Chagos Support Organisation, handed in the petition, which had been signed by more than 2,500 people. "Diego Garcia, which is one of the main prohibiters to the islanders returning, is up for renewal in the next year or so," Mr Fogle said. "We're asking this government to think about whether these islands should belong to the people who inhabited them for a very long time, or to the US government who have used it for renditions - for effectively torture." He said he had visited the islands and found "houses still as they were left" and "the graveyard strangled by vegetation having been left untended". "For me, being a Brit, it was probably one of the things I'm most ashamed about, that I'm part of a country that forcibly evicted these people and is now refusing their right to return," he said. Mr Fogle added: "How wrong is that, that I've been able to be there and they can't?" Henry Smith, the Conservative MP for Crawley, said: "I think we can't turn back time but what we can do is rectify the problem as soon as possible." A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The government is committed to its ongoing review of resettlement policy towards the British Indian Ocean Territory."

Summary: A petition calling for residents of the Chagos Islands to be allowed to return to their Indian Ocean homeland has been handed in to Downing Street.


Speaking on BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, General Lord Dannatt said it was wrong to "talk up" the incidents. Five Afghan soldiers died in an assault on the former UK base Camp Bastion and capital city Kabul has been attacked. Lord Dannatt said the Afghan government must retain the support of the West. The last UK combat troops left Afghanistan in October, with Camp Bastion in Helmand Province being handed over to local armed forces. But there has been a surge in insurgent attacks over the past month, targeting Afghan forces, foreigners and civilians. It has raised concerns about whether Afghan security forces will be able to protect the country when the bulk of the other foreign troops depart this month. Three South Africans were killed in a Taliban attack on a compound used by a US-based charity on Saturday in Kabul, the third such incident on foreigners in 10 days. Ahead of a conference this week on Afghanistan's future in London, Lord Dannatt said: "It is important the new government shows it has competence and confidence to govern... it is absolutely critical to show international determination to go on financing and supporting the developing Afghanistan." He said: "The security situation is an important element in this but don't let's fall into the trap of playing the Taliban's game and talking up the number of attacks... "Of course there are going to be attacks... a low level, even a medium level degree of insecurity and a continuing insurgency is quite likely, but let's keep the wider picture in mind." The Ministry of Defence said Afghan security forces are providing effective security and the recent incidents do not represent the situation across the country. Lord Dannatt's predecessor, General Sir Mike Jackson, has reiterated his view that the UK withdrew from Afghanistan too soon. Interviewed on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "The war, conflict, call it what you will, wasn't over. I'm left feeling there was no victory despite what the politicians say." But he said that while the recent attacks were "somewhat depressing... I don't see certainly at the moment, and I hope never, that the Taliban will be in a position where they can overthrow the elected government of Afghanistan". He said "great effort" has been put into training and mentoring the Afghan security forces. Sir Mike, who led the Army between 2003 and 2006 at the height of the UK's involvement in Afghanistan, added: "Afghanistan is not a military problem per se, the root of it is political. It seems to me there can only be, in the longer term, a political outcome."

Summary: Recent attacks by the Taliban in Afghanistan are not a sign it is making advances as the last foreign troops prepare to withdraw, the former head of the British army has said.


Emergency services were called to Bell Lane near The Delves in Walsall at 22:20 GMT on Monday as a car hit two brick walls and ended up across the gardens. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the man died at the scene. A woman was also cut out of the car before being taken to hospital with "serious" arm and leg injuries. More on this and other stories from Birmingham and the Black Country

Summary: A man died when the car he was driving ploughed into the front gardens of three houses.


The addition of Permian, who was successful in the Dante Stakes at York, and last week's Goodwood winner Khalidi, means the total purse for the Classic on 3 June will be £1.625m. The John Gosden-trained Cracksman is the favourite. Cracksman beat Permian in the Derby Trial in April. Meanwhile, trainer John Jenkins has defended his owner's decision to run 1,000-1 outsider Diore Lia, where she will be ridden by apprentice Gina Mangan. Diore Lia has made just two competitive appearances to date, beating only one rival on her Epsom debut late last month before finishing down the field at Lingfield. Owner-breeder Richard Aylward is keen to let his filly take her chance to generate publicity and funds for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. "If I didn't run her, someone else would. The owner is keen to run her and has set up a charity. He's there for the big day," said Jenkins. "I had a runner in the Derby a long time ago. That was an outsider as well and it didn't finish last. "Has there ever been a 1,000-1 winner of the Derby?"

Summary: The 2017 Derby at Epsom will be the richest race ever staged in Britain after two horses were added as late entries at a cost of £85,000 each.


After an initial spot-kick, teams each take pairs of kicks in an attempt to reduce the pressure on the side taking the second kick in a shootout. The system has already been used on a trial basis in some international tournaments by Uefa during the summer. It will be implemented in all ties in the Carabao Cup, Checkatrade Trophy and EFL play-offs. As the current system stands, teams take turns in a shootout, with the choice of who goes first decided by a coin toss. For example, team A goes first, then team B, then team A again. The new system sees team A followed by team B - before team B goes again. Team A would then get two successive penalties, a little like the tie-break in tennis, and so on until there is a winner. A coin will still be tossed to decide who goes first.

Summary: The "ABBA" format for penalty shootouts will be used in all English Football League competitions in 2017-18.


Clubs are required to provide accurate details of training sessions and player whereabouts so they are available for testing at all times. The Cherries were deemed to have failed to ensure its information was accurate on three occasions. Manchester City were fined £35,000 and given a warning, after admitting a similar breach earlier this month. Bournemouth have yet to learn their punishment from the FA, but are expecting similar sanctions. It is understood part of the charge concerns a player not informing the club of his new home address, while another part relates to members of the Under-21 squad training with the first-team at short notice.

Summary: Bournemouth have accepted a Football Association charge relating to a breach of anti-doping rules.


"This is definitely not the Oscars," said 22 Jump Street star Jillian Bell on the red carpet in Los Angeles. As well as fan-voted awards like best kiss and best shirtless performance (Efron won it - again) the ceremony was also an unofficial promotional platform for this summer's blockbusters. The night's big winner was The Fault in Our Stars, which won best movie. The film's star Shailene Woodley also picked up best female performance, the Trailblazer Award and best kiss for a scene with Ansel Elgort. Woodley gave an emotional speech dedicated to John Green, the author of the book which the film is based on, saying "he gave this world a beautiful masterpiece". Other winners included Bradley Cooper, who won best male performance for his role as the late Chris Kyle in American Sniper. The 40-year-old actor said: "Chris Kyle would have turned 41 four days ago. Chris, this is for you," said Cooper. Channing Tatum took home best comedic performance for 22 Jump Street and Meryl Streep picked up best villain for her role in Into the Woods. Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Lawrence, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne were also among the winners. Kevin Hart, who was the target of many size-related jokes throughout the night, brought his kids on stage to accept the comedic genius award. He said: "I do it all for them. I'm trying to leave a legacy behind." In one of the more energetic moments of the show, Robert Downey Jr brought his fellow Avengers stars to their knees while accepting the Generation Award. Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Jeremy Renner all took the stage to present their co-star with the award, which Downey called "the recognition I so desire". Clips from the upcoming Pitch Perfect sequel, Judd Apatow's latest comedy Trainwreck and Marvel's new film Ultron were shown during a look ahead to this summer's releases. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Vin Diesel sang, Channing Tatum danced and Zac Efron showed off his abs, yes - again, at the 2015 MTV Movie Awards.


The 24-year-old has agreed a two-year-deal and will arrive following his commitments with the Stormers and Western Province in South Africa. He is the son of former Springbok Guy Kebble and won the 2012 Under-20s World Championship with South Africa. "I try and bring an edge to the game and make an impact," Kebble told the Pro12 club's website. "I've watched all of the Glasgow matches in the Champions Cup this season and northern hemisphere rugby is getting very exciting. I'm looking forward to playing in a competitive European league. "I know Dave Rennie is one of the best coaches in the world, so it's an exciting prospect to work under him next season." Kebble will join current team-mate Huw Jones in Glasgow, with the Scotland centre signing a two-year contract with the Warriors earlier this month. "Huw and I live together in Cape Town," he explained. "We didn't really talk about it too much before it happened, but now it's nice to know there will be a familiar face in Glasgow." Last week, BBC Scotland revealed Kebble's expected arrival, with the new recruit considered a project player by Scottish Rugby, who have monitored him for several years.

Summary: Glasgow Warriors have confirmed the signing of loose-head prop Oliver Kebble for next season.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Briton, 21, led after the second round with a personal best of 6.81m, but she was pipped to gold by France's Eloyse Lesueur who leapt out to 6.85m. The men's 4x400m team also won silver, while the women's quartet and Andrew Osagie, in the 800m, won bronze as Team GB finished with six medals. The Briton was promoted to third after Marcin Lewandowski was disqualified. Team GB lodged a protest after Osagie noted that the Pole had stepped off the track during the race. Following a review, the Harlow athlete was declared the bronze medallist. Ethiopia's Mohammed Aman, 20, won gold and Poland's Adam Kszczot took silver. In the women's 4x400m, Christine Ohuruogu had to hold off a strong challenge from Russia on the final leg to secure bronze for her team. The United States won the title by almost two seconds in 3:24.83, while Jamaica took silver. And in the final race of the three-day competition, the men's 4x400m, Nigel Levine produced a fine run to stay ahead of Jamaica's Edino Steele on the final leg as Britain claimed silver. Their time of 3:03.49 was a season's best, but more than a second behind winners USA, who set a new world indoor record of 3:02.13. "Six medals satisfies me," UK Athletics performance director Neil Black told BBC Sport. "This is a young developing team. Six is a strong basis for going forward." Earlier, Johnson-Thompson - competing in the long jump after she was unable to qualify for her preferred event, pentathlon, because of illness - opened up with 6.69m, before eclipsing her previous best of 6.75m, set at the recent British championships, with 6.81m. That gave her the outright lead and it appeared the Liverpool Harrier was set to pick up her first major international title, but 2012 European outdoor champion Lesueur went further on her fourth attempt. Johnson-Thompson could not reproduce the form of the early rounds as France secured their first medal of the championships. Bronze went to Serbia's Ivana Spanovic (6.77m), with Johnson-Thompson's team-mate Shara Proctor fourth with 6.68m. "I can't believe I won my first medal in an event not my own," the Briton said. "It feels incredible. I came here with no expectations." "I was winning at one point, but Lesueur was the best today. I couldn't respond to her 6.85m. "I'm still very much a pentathlete-heptathlete. The heptathlon is what I want to concentrate on in the summer. The Commonwealth Games is my main focus and hopefully I'll do the long jump or high jump at the Europeans." There was disappointment for Britain on the final day as Holly Bleasdale finished ninth in the pole vault. The 22-year-old from Preston, who won bronze in 2012 and has a personal best of 4.87m, failed to clear 4.65m. Team-mate Asha Philip was fourth in the 60m final, won by Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica in 6.98 seconds. Britons Andrew Pozzi and Will Sharman also failed to make the podium, finishing fourth and seventh respectively in the

Summary: Katarina Johnson-Thompson won her first major medal with silver in the long jump at the World Indoor Championships.


John Lahiff, 75, told local media that he disturbed the crocodile while looking for a ball in water at the course in Port Douglas, Queensland. He was taken to hospital with a deep laceration to his shin and puncture wounds to his calf, but said he would not be put off playing golf. He told ABC News he would try not to hit balls into the water in future. Crocodiles are a common sight on the golf course, Australian media reported, and signs warn players of the dangers. Police Senior Sergeant James Coate told ABC that the 1.2m (4ft) saltwater crocodile had been in a waterway on the 11th hole Mr Lahiff, speaking from Cairns Hospital, said he had seen crocodiles there before and "should have realised to be a bit more aware". "I didn't see the croc sunbaking just on the edge of the water. I walked past it and then it got me on the way back and as soon as it grabbed me it took off into the water." He manage to drive himself back to the club house to get help. The Australian newspaper reported that wildlife officers would try to remove the crocodile and relocate it to a crocodile farm or a zoo. But Mr Lahiff told ABC he wanted the croc to stay where it was. "I think he got more of a fright than me. He's alright," he said. The Palmer Sea Reef golf course is owned by Australian billionaire and politician Clive Palmer. After the incident he tweeted that he wished the golfer a speedy recovery. He joked: "Crocodile has been removed from all menus at Palmer properties following today's incident." Crocodiles are a common feature of Australia's tropical north and numbers have increased since being declared a protected species in 1971.

Summary: A golfer has suffered leg injuries after being bitten by a crocodile on an Australian golf course.


William Johnston, of Walsham-le-Willows, Suffolk, admitted dumping the rubbish, described as building material and household waste, last April. Suffolk Police said it was a "potential danger to motorists and other members of the public". The 44-year-old admitted the whole episode was "hugely embarrassing" and "regrettable" as he left court. He dumped the rubbish, described as building material and household waste, at the side of Finningham Road on 9 April last year. Updates on this story and others from Suffolk Police officers and the Environment Agency removed the waste, which they believe was unloaded using a tractor and trailer. Johnston was fined Â£1000 plus costs of Â£1600 after pleading guilty to fly-tipping at Bury St Edmunds Magistrates Court. In a statement, he said the rubbish had been unlawfully dumped on his own land before he moved it, and he later paid Â£4,000 for it to be cleared up from the side of the road. Jonathan Reed, prosecuting on behalf of Mid Suffolk District Council said he was pleased the court had recognised the "severity of the offences as well as the dangers to users of the highway."

Summary: A farmer has been fined after dumping 40 tonnes of industrial waste outside a village.


For all that it may sound attractive to the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish to have greater influence over their respective economic destinies, presumably that would be less desirable if at a stroke they became poorer. The point is that as and when there is an English parliament for English people - of the sort that the former Tory minister John Redwood has been demanding, and David Cameron seemed to concede today - the financial transfer from England to the rest of the UK may be harder to sustain. So these constitutional reforms will be tricky, if not dangerous - if at least a part of the current glue that holds the UK together is a redistribution of resources from England to the rest, and that glue is progressively removed. Being British right now means in part that public services and living standards are not too far apart in quantum and quality wherever you happen to live. But what if the overhaul of the UK's budget-making or fiscal constitution waters down that glue. How much is at stake? Well, spending on public-sector services per head is highest in Northern Ireland, £10,900 and it is lowest in England, at £8,500. The figure for Scotland - beneficiary of the famous or notorious Barnett Formula, which formalises an income transfer from England to Scotland - is £10,200. So expenditure on public services in Scotland is a fifth higher per person than south of the border, and it is 28% higher in Northern Ireland. In Wales, the increment on public-service spending is 14% - which the Welsh have often complained is too little, compared with the transfer of income to Scotland. Now one way of looking at the scale of the transfer is to look at the amount of income - or what is known as gross value added - generated in each country. So English gross value added per head is highest, at just under £22,000, and it is lowest in Wales at £15,400. The English enjoy public-service spending per annum equivalent to under 40% of the income they generate, whereas annual outlays on public services in Wales are equivalent to more than 60% of nationally generated income per head. The ratios for Scotland and Northern Ireland are just over 50% and not far off 70% respectively. In a UK of considerable social and cultural solidarity that prevailed for most of the twentieth century, these sorts of disparities between income and outlay between the nations were relatively uncontroversial: they captured the idea that all UK citizens are in it together, as it were. But today it seems almost inevitable that in David Cameron's brave new world of greater national fiscal self-determination, some English nationalist MPs on the right of the spectrum may increasingly view Wales - and Scotland and Northern Ireland - as de facto socialist paradises excessively featherbedded by the English. That said, if the nations are given much greater control over income taxes - which appears to be what is on offer - could they not pay for whatever public services they feel

Summary: The big question about the Prime Minister's plan to hand more control over taxes, spending and welfare to the four nations is how far this would end the subsidy of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by England, and especially by London and the South East.


The 35-year-old former West Ham and Derby man was approaching the end of his contract at the club. Bywater, whose previous clubs include Millwall and Sheffield Wednesday, has not played for the Brewers since signing on a free transfer from Doncaster in January. But he will continue to act as cover for first-choice keeper Jon McLaughlin. "It's great news that Stephen is staying," Burton manager Nigel Clough told the club website. "He works very well with Jon McLaughlin, providing us with experienced cover, and has been a very positive presence around the club since joining."

Summary: Veteran goalkeeper Stephen Bywater has signed a new one-year deal at Championship side Burton Albion.


The units in North Tyneside and Northumberland have been shut between midnight and 08:00 since December. Overnight emergencies have been diverted to the recently-opened Northumbria Hospital in Cramlington. The closures at North Tyneside, Hexham and Wansbeck hospitals, will continue for a further three months. The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said the impact on patients had been minimal as the units were underused at night. Staff from the units have been moved to the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, in Cramlington, which opened in 2015, to deal with a "very high demand" in day-time admissions. A spokesman said it would be "inappropriate" to deploy staff back to the urgent care centres overnight at the current time. He added: "This is to ensure best use of precious staffing resources to deliver patient care where it is needed most." The trust said since opening the Northumbria hospital in June 2015, activity overnight at the urgent care centres had been "minimal" with, on average, less than 10 overnight attendances a day across all three centres. The spokesman added: "We'd like to assure residents that this decision to temporarily extend the current arrangements at our urgent care centres has not been taken lightly. "It was entirely correct for us to put in place the interim changes in the wake of services being extremely busy across the NHS. They have helped us successfully meet the high demand we continue to see, even now during the summer. "As a result, it would simply not be the best use of our staff's time and expertise to deploy them back now."

Summary: Three emergency care units are to remain closed to overnight patients in an effort to keep "precious staffing resources" focused on daytime care.


Ancient sites like Palmyra have suffered destruction, and it is feared that hundreds of precious valuables have been smuggled out of the country to be sold on the international art market. Art specialist Christopher Marinello is chief executive of the Art Recovery Group, which has retrieved US$500m (Â£330m) of stolen and looted works of art over the past decade. He spoke to the BBC World Service Inquiry programme about what can be done to help stop the theft of the country's precious antiquities. "We've been aware of smuggled goods from Syria for some time. As a lawyer in New York, I represented a lot of galleries, auction houses and dealers that had problems bringing items in and out of the United States. So I was very aware of the smuggling routes that take place, and the traffic that is involved with antiquities. "What's happened now is Isis and other people are taking advantage of the war in Syria to tap into these markets and sell their goods on a worldwide basis. "You've got some very poor people doing the digging, and selling to a middleman who moves the objects on to Lebanon, through Beirut into Turkey and then into the Western world. We've heard reports of Isis taxing the trade, up to around 20%. "The number one funding for Isis is oil, and after that, kidnapping and ransom demands. When they don't have access to those, they look for something else, and the antiquities in their backyard have provided a natural source for income. "Stopping this crisis requires a multi-faceted approach, where number one is [to] stop the war. Number two is to increase awareness of collectors and dealers and auction houses not to purchase material that has no provenance. "We are just one small portion of the solution: we run the Art Claim database. We have donated our services to museums and anyone on the ground who wants to identify works that are being looted. A museum can download its entire collection and say 'put this on your database; if anything ever appears in the marketplace, it's not authorised to be sold'. "As soon as the conflict happened in Syria, we reached out to our contacts on the ground to put everything they could on the database, even before it was stolen. Syria's riches "Once a looted object is reported to us, it goes onto the database. Then we check the sales catalogues of all the major auction houses. We've got teams of people checking eBay, Amazon, other sale venues. We're also a very sophisticated searchable database with visual recognition software, so dealers and collectors contact us and say 'I'm about to buy something' or 'someone's approached me with something. Should I buy it? Is it on your database?' "The first thing we look at is the provenance. Where did you get it from? Do you have a receipt? Was there a history that was given to you? We can't always rely on it because we've known the smugglers to falsify provenance information. But we look at what was given. And

Summary: Syria's cultural heritage is being attacked from all sides: the Assad regime, opportunistic looters, opposition forces, so-called Islamic State fighters and even Russian air strikes.


It may seem strange to measure the impact of a presidential visit to the EU institutions and Nato simply in terms of faux-pas avoided and false steps not taken but somehow that's the way it is for Mr Trump. The 45th President of the United States found himself immersed for the first time and at first hand in the complexities of the EU. And he discovered that they have sprinkled the title of president rather liberally among the heads of the European Commission, European Council and European Parliament. Even with all those presidential figures on hand in Brussels, it was hard to ignore the feeling that, as European leaders were getting to know the president they must now deal with, they were being offered a tantalising glimpse of the president they preferred. Whether by coincidence or not, Barack Obama was appearing at around the same time 700km (435 miles) down the road at a huge public event in Berlin. Mr Obama had an easier day of it than Mr Trump. He basked in the admiration of a huge crowd at the Brandenburg Gate alongside Chancellor Angela Merkel where they had gathered for a celebration of the strength of the Evangelical Church. Mrs Merkel, said Mr Obama, had done great things for Germany and the world - and it may well be the case that his endorsement will still carry a little weight as the chancellor faces elections later in the year. At around the same time Mr Trump was holding talks with those various European presidents - including Jean-Claude Juncker of the European Commission, who once talked of the need to educate Mr Trump about "the world he does not know". No-one took questions after the meeting. Mr Trump said nothing at all and Donald Tusk from the EU Council confined himself to an on-camera statement in which he alluded to one or two areas where it would be hard to disagree - like the importance of fighting terrorism and shared values like freedom and human dignity - but then said enough to suggest that there were plenty of areas where they had not found it hard to disagree. "Some issues," he said, "remain open like climate and trade. And I'm not 100% sure we can say today that we have a common position, a common opinion about Russia." Mr Trump's schedule appeared to have been designed to minimise opportunities for press scrutiny, so there was no chance to ask him directly whether he had changed his views on Brexit, which is viewed as a catastrophe in Brussels but which he has described as both "great" and "fantastic". A news conference would also have presented the president with an opportunity to examine his evolving attitude towards Nato which he has variously described both as "obsolete" and "no longer obsolete". In the absence of such scrutiny, some reporters devoted themselves to microscopic observation of the Trump body language. Anyone who followed the discussions during the Middle Eastern section of the tour about whether the first couple were holding hands as they walked in

Summary: Donald Trump's motorcade swept through Brussels on a tour of the landmarks of post-war reconstruction that he once seemed to threaten - and diplomatic calamity was averted.


The firm said market conditions "continued to be challenging" but that they anticipate a return to growth in 2014. Northstone showed a pre-tax profit of ??6m on turnover of ??239m, compared to 2012 when profit of ??8m was achieved on a ??299m turnover. Its best-known trading business is the Farrans construction firm. It also sells quarry products and ground access systems for the utility industries. The fall in group turnover in 2012 was all attributable to its building/civil engineering division where turnover fell from ??226m to ??153m. The company's workforce fell from 992 to 968 over the year and the accounts show redundancy costs of ??358,000. During the year, the firm bought the Cemex (NI) cement business for an undisclosed sum. Northstone is ultimately owned by CRH plc, the Dublin-based building materials group which is worth around ??10bn.

Summary: Northstone, one of Northern Ireland largest construction groups, reported reduced turnover and profits in 2013.


The interim report into Integrated Care 24 (IC24), which runs non-emergency 111 and out-of-hours services in Norfolk and Wisbech, found deficiencies in call handling and a shortage of GPs. During unannounced inspections following complaints, staff said they had been asked to alter their records. IC24 said it had addressed the issues. The organisation operates NHS 111 services in areas including Great Yarmouth and Waveney and parts of Essex, and took over the Norfolk and Wisbech contract in September 2015. Assessors from Norwich Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG) inspected five IC24 bases in Norfolk and one in Cambridgeshire in November following staff complaints. Their report highlighted issues including: In October last year, IC24's interim chief executive said the organisation was still struggling to fill shifts. A month later, Norwich resident Peter Rowley said he called 111 but waited 11 hours for a call back, eventually going to A&E instead. Read more on this and other stories from Norfolk The company apologised, but said it had followed procedures. Karen Watts, who wrote the interim report into IC24, concluded it was "not clinically assured of the safety of the OOH [out-of-hours] service" and only "partially assured" of the 111 service. She said the CCG believed the issues identified were having a "negative impact on recruitment and retention of the existing workforce". Ms Watts also demanded IC24 provide a detailed improvement action plan by the beginning of December. The BBC asked to see the improvement plan, and whether concerns highlighted in the report had been sufficiently addressed, but both NCCG and IC24 declined to answer, instead sending a joint statement. NCCG spokesman Tim Curtis said the organisation had been "very encouraged with IC24's response". Yvonne Taylor, IC24 chief executive, said: "As an open organisation, I would like to reassure our patients that we continue to work with our commissioners to provide a robust and transparent service for our patients." Both organisations said: "There were no deaths that we know of which can be attributable to the long waits." The NCCG has been asked to share the outcomes of its investigation so they could be examined by a health committee, a Norfolk County Council spokeswoman said. Tony Durcan from the Royal College of Nursing said it had "sought reassurances that measures had been put in place to address the worrying points raised by the leaked report". Dr Tim Morton, chairman of Norfolk and Waveney Local Medical Committee, said IC24's problems were "a consequence of a severe workforce crisis within the NHS in recruiting and retaining GPs". NHS 111/Out-of-hours care

Summary: Callers to out-of-hours GP services faced waits of more than 12 hours, posing a "significant risk to patient safety", a leaked report has revealed.


But this was far from the first time bungling contractors have been left with red faces. BBC News rounds up some of the gaffes that have hit the headlines. When a misspelt road marking appeared outside a school in Chester, the finger of blame was as usual pointed at hapless contractors. The lettering outside Highfield Community Primary School, in Blacon, was "claer" evidence that spelling was not the forte of the person who painted it. The marking was hastily corrected, at no cost to the council, after it appeared in February 2014. At least the simplest of fixes was possible when blundering workmen misspelled the word "minutes" as "minuites" at an NCP car park at Cambridge's railway station. Although it was two years before anything was done about the gaffe, eventually an NCP boss harnessed an inner Mick Jagger and gave the order: "I want it painted black." Thus the offending "I" was covered up to restore basic literacy to this corner of Cambridge. NCP said those responsible for the cock-up were "committed to playing Scrabble in their lunchtimes as spelling revision". A set of double yellow lines that appeared in Cardiff last summer couldn't be faulted in terms of execution - but the location chosen for the markings led to the city council being widely mocked. That's because the road on which the lines were painted is barely 5ft (1.5m) wide and too narrow for anything but a toy car. Despite the markings being branded "ridiculous" and a "waste of money", the beleaguered council stuck to its guns, arguing the double yellows were necessary to "deter anti-social parking on the narrow access lane". Motorists using a supermarket petrol station in Doncaster were amused to find themselves being directed towards a species of low-flying seabird. The word "petrel" was painted in 3ft letters, next to the flawlessly spelt word "exit" and some perfectly drawn arrows, on the approach to the pumps at the Sainsbury's Edenthorpe store in September 2016. In a light-hearted response, Sainsbury's said it was "correcting the misteke". Not wanting to let anything as inconvenient as a parked car get in their way, slapdash council contractors tasked with painting double yellow lines in a suburb of Leeds simply daubed the markings around the vehicle. However, once the car's owner returned and drove away, the lines were left sticking out from the kerb. Leeds City Council branded the markings in Hyde Terrace, Clarendon, as "ridiculous" and said it would remind contractors "to use common sense" in future. The lines were later repainted. Welsh-speaking drivers in Swansea were bemused to encounter a road sign that informed them: "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated." Above the baffling statement on the dual-language sign was the correct wording in English: "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only". The howler came about because a non-Welsh speaking council employee emailed the authority's in-house translation service, and took the response received as the translation being sought for the new road sign. Brensiach!

Summary: A wonky cycle path sign that appeared in the Lincolnshire market town of Sleaford last weekend caused much mirth among local residents, who described it as looking like a penny farthing - albeit one with angular wheels.


They were on board an anti-piracy vessel, the Seaman Guard Ohio, which was detained in October, 2013. They face charges including straying into Indian waters and carrying weapons without permission. Another British man, Paul Towers from Yorkshire, remains in jail along with the ship's Ukrainian captain. News of the men's release was confirmed by an international maritime lawyer who is close to the case. He said: "Yes, they are out. Checking in to hotel and looking forward to a beer." The five men freed on bail were: Billy Irving, 33, of Oban in Argyll, John Armstrong, of Wigton, in Cumbria, Nick Dunn, 28, of Ashington in Northumberland, Ray Tindall, 38, of Chester, and Nicholas Simpson, originally of Cottingham in East Yorkshire. All of them must remain in India. Their employer AdvanFort, a maritime security patrol specialist, has always insisted the men were working to provide protection to other ships from pirate attacks. Nick Dunn's sister Lisa has commented on social media: "After 169 horrific days that Nick Dunn has spent in prison and another five being detained on the ship, I'm over the moon to say that the first hurdle is now cleared ... he's out!"

Summary: Five British men who were being held on arms charges have been freed on bail from an Indian jail, according to a lawyer close to the case.


The 33-year-old, who is the younger brother of Harlequins number eight Nick, joined Sale in 2011 after six years at Northampton. Easter won the European Challenge Cup and reached the Champions Cup final at Saints after joining from Nottingham. "I've enjoyed my time at Sale, I didn't really want to go anywhere else," said the back-row forward. "It was the right time to leave on my own terms, which not many people do. "I've had the chance for these last few games just to enjoy and savour them and I've been really lucky." He will now take up his teaching position at Wrekin College in Shropshire after the final game of the season at Newcastle on Saturday. "The last few years, I've been tailoring my career towards teaching, so taking a few courses, getting into schools, teaching and coaching," he added. "The opportunity just came up at the right time. It felt like the right time for me and my family."

Summary: Sale Sharks forward Mark Easter has announced he will retire at the end of the season to take up a teaching role.


In a telephone call, US Secretary of State John Kerry told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi the US had "strong concerns" over recent developments. Last week, Chinese and Vietnamese ships clashed over the drilling rig that China has placed in waters near the disputed Paracel Islands. China and Manila are also at odds over overlapping territorial claims. Beijing claims a U-shaped swathe of the South China Sea that covers areas other South East Asian nations say are their territory. The issue has been rumbling in recent years amid an increasingly assertive stance from China over its claims. Last week, several collisions were reported between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels in disputed waters as the Vietnamese ships sought to prevent the installation of the Chinese drilling rig. Reports suggest the stand-off - involving dozens of ships - is continuing, with water cannon fire being exchanged. On Sunday, anti-China protests took place in several Vietnamese cities. It is the most serious confrontation between the two nations for several years. In Monday's telephone call, Mr Kerry "said China's introduction of an oil rig and numerous government vessels in waters disputed with Vietnam was provocative", US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. "He urged both sides to de-escalate tensions, ensure safe conduct by their vessels at sea, and resolve the dispute through peaceful means in accordance with international law." Separately, in comments made at a meeting with the Singaporean foreign minister, Mr Kerry called the Chinese move an "aggressive act". Mr Wang, meanwhile, urged Mr Kerry to be objective on the issue, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said. Tensions between Beijing and Manila are also running high, after the Philippines arrested and then charged nine Chinese fishermen with poaching at a disputed shoal. The Philippines is in the process of taking China to a UN court over its territorial claims. It has also recently signed a new security deal with the US which would allow an expanded US troop presence, in a move seen as linked to Manila's deteriorating ties with Beijing. On Tuesday, Chinese state media slammed the Philippines, saying that if it continued to challenge China it would pay "an unaffordable price".

Summary: The US has warned China that moving a drilling rig into seas disputed with Vietnam was "provocative".


The event, Remembering, Forgetting and Moving On, was organised by Cardiff University's School of Journalism. It was held as the community prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of a coal waste tip sliding on to the village school and 18 homes on 21 October 1966. It killed 116 children and 28 adults. People in the audience felt moved to stand up and tell their own stories after hearing from the speakers. Yvonne Price from Merthyr Tydfil, who was one of the first four police officers at the scene, stood up and revealed she was being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. She said on the day of the disaster she had to climb through a window into the school as she was the only person there small enough to do so. She said she had to clear the way for the others and spent that first day helping pass victims through the windows. The following morning she was back at the scene, she said, and was appointed as the mortician's assistant after being asked to identify the colour of a child's eyes at the mortuary. She recalled being given brandy all day long. She said she had kept it to herself for 45 years but finally "had to get it out of my system" five years ago. Survivor Jeff Edwards, who went on to become Merthyr Tydfil council leader, was one of the speakers and said he had told his story many times over the last 50 years and that he was now able to talk about it more easily without getting upset. "Many have been unable to talk about their experience at all, they're still bottling up their anger and frustration within themselves. "My advice to anyone is to speak about it." Steve Gerlach, one of three siblings to survive the disaster, was in the audience and said it was the first time he had spoken in public about what happened. Mr Gerlach, whose family moved to Weston-Super-Mare the year after the disaster, said: "I'm the eldest. My brother, a year younger, was physically injured when he was hit by the slurry. My sister and I walked out fine. "I hadn't come here with any prepared speech, but it was after hearing what the others said (I wanted to speak)." He said his family had not discussed it for the first 40 years and he grew up not knowing very much about what happened. "I teach religious studies and I'm very involved with holocaust studies, I've met survivors, taken children to Auschwitz and I've heard people talking about the need to remember, but it's how we remember that's important as well. "In some cases remembrance of the holocaust has become an industry and that's difficult for survivors to see their story being packaged and used." Former BBC news editor Elwyn Evans, told the conference he was sent to the scene in his first job on a newspaper. He said he had spent the last 50 years trying to forget the experience, but chose to speak about it publicly for the first time

Summary: Survivors, rescuers and journalists involved in the Aberfan disaster have spoken of their experiences publicly, many for the first time in 50 years, at a conference in Cardiff.


Two years down the line, Jones has now become a mother - and says this has given her a new awareness of what mum-of-one Gemma Foster went through. "Being a wife and a mother made me realise the gravitas of that unit falling apart, because I'd go home at night and I'd have a baby to put to bed," she says. "So I think it definitely made me realise when two people get together and have a child out of love and then they split... what it is to parent a child and be in each other's lives when you are damaged and hurt without damaging and hurting a child." Jones brought her son to set - he doesn't appear in the show, but "looked much better than I did" on camera, she jokes. She's now looking forward to some down time with him. "The work/life balance for anyone is hard, so I try to keep work separate," she explains. "I feel very, very grateful because I did a lot of work and now I'm taking a lot of time off. So I'm there until Christmas now, just down the play park in my Converse." The second series of the BBC One drama takes up the action as Gemma's estranged husband Simon (Bertie Carvel) and his new family return to the fictional town of Parminster, where she lives and works. They are dealing with the bitter repercussions of divorce - with their son, Tom, caught in the middle. Jones admits it can be "uncomfortable" viewing at times but says the show has a "weird, sexy edge to it". "We all know what it feels like to be in a room with an ex-partner," she goes on. "Everybody has had a relationship, everyone has had exes, everybody has been in difficult circumstances. I'm sure myself and Bertie have had those thoughts and feelings; otherwise we wouldn't be able to draw on them. "But at the same time, with the style of writing and the style of the programme, you're able to go further. "It has a fantastical edge as well as being deep-rooted in naturalism. It also has an exaggerated way of showing how far you could go if you really wanted to." Carvel, who played Miss Trunchbull in West End musical Matilda, says he found Mike Bartlett's writing "exciting" and that the Doctor Foster plot was a "real page-turner". "He gives us incredibly three-dimensional characters", says the actor, adding that it was "really fun" to play a character who makes the audience change their opinion about him as the drama progresses. "Often you find yourself looking at something from a really different point of view," he says. "That's what's exciting about this series as a whole." Jones says the original plan was to give Gemma a new look. After conducting a screen test, though, it was agreed that it just didn't work. "She's moved on, but actually she's comfortable with her bob and her work and she's put up her walls," says the former Coronation Street actress. "It was the right decision

Summary: A lot has changed for Suranne Jones since we last saw her in Bafta-winning TV series Doctor Foster, in which she plays a GP who suspects her husband is cheating on her.


The shooting appears to be the latest murder in an on-going gangland feud. The man, who is in his mid-30s and originally from County Tyrone, was shot in the Sunset House bar near Croke Park at about 21:30 local time. His name has not been released, although it is believed he was known to GardaÃ (Irish police) for involvement with dissident republicanism. A burnt-out car, believed to have been used in the shooting, was found nearby in the Drumcondra area. GardaÃ are keeping an open mind about who murdered the man, but are not ruling out the possibility that the killing is linked to an on-going gangland feud. The violent dispute between the Hutch and Kinahan gangs has so far claimed the life of five men. In February, a man was killed in a hotel that was hosting a weigh-in for a World Boxing Organisation fight in the city. Days later, another man was murdered in what police believe was a reprisal for the Regency Hotel attack.

Summary: A man from Northern Ireland has died following a shooting in the north side of Dublin city on Monday night.


Biologists studied a group of Sydney octopuses off Australia's east coast and observed a range of behaviour that may indicate complex social signalling. Octopuses that stand tall, turn dark and spread their web in a "Nosferatu pose" are likely showing aggression. Conversely, octopuses may display a pale colour after losing a fight or when trying to avoid conflict. It was previously believed that octopuses were largely solitary creatures. Changes to body colour and other behaviour were interpreted as tactics to avoid predators. But Prof Peter Godfrey-Smith said the unique study, based on 53 hours of footage and published on Friday in the journal Current Biology, provided a novel perspective on octopus behaviour. "[An aggressive] octopus will turn very dark, stand in a way that accentuates its size and it will often seek to stand on a higher spot," Prof Godfrey-Smith, who co-authored the report, said. "Clearly the unusual stance is not a physiological response. It makes it look as big as it can possibly be, with its arms spread out below and the mantle, the back part of the animal, raised over the head. "The dark colour is produced in concert with those size-accentuating behaviours. There's no particular physiological reason why darkness should be associated with aggression, but it does give the impression of a larger object." The researchers, based in Australia and the US, dubbed the stance the "Nosferatu pose", referring to the classic 1920s horror film, because the spread of the octopus's web was reminiscent of a vampire's cape. Octopuses frequently turned pale while retreating from aggressors and also produced high-contrast patterns known as deimatic displays. The contrasting patterns were most frequently observed when octopuses were attempting to return to their den after they had been forced out, or in the presence of an aggressive individual. "Suppose there's a large, aggressive guy there and you want to get back into our den, if you approach with a pale colour it could be interpreted as a non-confrontational behaviour," Prof Godfrey-Smith said. The study also found that two octopuses displaying dark colours were likely to fight if in close proximity, while a darker-coloured octopus was likely to stand its ground against a lighter-coloured octopus. Another cephalopod, the cuttlefish, shows a similar set of features, with aggressive males darkening their faces and paler males withdrawing from fights. The unusually high number of octopuses living together in the colony off Jervis Bay, south of Sydney, allowed a more in-depth observation of interactions than had previously been possible. Prof Godfrey-Smith's co-author David Scheel and his students combed through 53 hours of footage and observed 186 interactions between the octopuses. This included the Nosferatu pose, along with reaching, grappling and mating. Watching these long videos was "much more exhausting than I expected", Prof Godfrey Smith said. "Identifying an individual from minute to minute is very difficult, because they change colour and shape. "If the octopus wanders out of the frame, there's not much you can do."

Summary: Octopuses may have more complex social interactions than previously believed, a new study has found.


They have remained flat due to rising inflation and fuel prices, according to Asda's Income Tracker. It says NI families have £105 a week discretionary income, the lowest of any UK region and well below the UK average of £202 a week. Sterling has weakened since the EU referendum, pushing inflation to 1.6%, the highest level since July 2014. The report says rising oil prices, higher inflation and a weakened pound have slowed spending power growth. Families are £7 a week better off than this time last year, despite rising prices at the pumps. The price of fuel is 10% higher than this time last year, NI households spend £28.90 a week on petrol compared to the UK average of £19.90 a week. Food prices in December were 0.8% higher than in November, but cheaper than this time last year. December also saw an increase in the cost of restaurants and hotels. But electricity and gas prices helped keep household bills down. Low interest rates mean mortgage interest payments were 6% cheaper year on year. An Asda spokesperson said: "As we begin 2017, it is clear to see that prices are at the top of customers' minds, across a range of different categories." Kay Neufeld, an economist with the Centre for Economics and Business research, said: "The question in 2017 will be whether wage growth can keep up with rising inflation. "Early indicators suggest that the over the coming months - an increase in unemployment and lower wage growth are on the cards potentially putting a dent in households' spending power," she added.

Summary: Disposable incomes in Northern Ireland are nearly half the UK average, new figures suggest.


The hosts were on course for the second highest chase in women's Twenty20 internationals before rain intervened. Sarah Taylor (66) top-scored in England's 156-6 but Dane van Niekerk hit 63 as South Africa reached 145-3 when the match was called off. England, who had never lost a T20 to South Africa before this match, dropped Van Nierkerk on 6 and 22. Van Nierkerk's 63 came off 43 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, as she put on 68 with captain Mignon du Preez. That partnership took South Africa to 98-1, but Du Preez scored 47 not out and Marizanne Kapp 21 to take South Africa home. England will rue their missed chances in the South Africa innings when a sloppy fielding performance saw them drop a number of catches, leak runs and miss run-out chances. Taylor scored 66 from 52 balls for England, with eight fours, her second half-century of the series after her unbeaten 74 in England's win in Paarl. Taylor had partnerships of 63 with Heather Knight (29) and 61 with captain Charlotte Edwards (34) but England struggled to kick on in the latter overs. Despite late hitting from Danielle Wyatt, who scored 17 not out, England lost two wickets to run-outs in the final over in which they scored just four runs. England captain Charlotte Edwards: "I thought we batted well and that should have been enough. We were undone by a brilliant innings by Van Niekerk and dropped catches cost us. "We let ourselves down a little bit, but Dane really took the attack to us. We must take our chances." South Africa captain Mignon Du Preez: "We knew that we had the firepower in the line-up, even though we had to go at eight an over. The momentum is with us so we're looking forward to a very competitive game at the Wanderers." Dane van Niekerk: "I enjoyed myself at the top of the order. I did things differently than yesterday and it came up. I'm hitting the ball well." Former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent: "England bowled poorly and dropped catches and weren't up to standard. If they play at their best they will be fine because they have talented players such as Sarah Taylor, but they need to work on their game for the World Twenty20." Both sides travel to the Wanderers for Sunday's series decider which gets underway at 8:00 GMT. Sunday's match is both teams' last before the World Twenty20 in India which starts on 15 March, with England beginning their campaign against Bangladesh in Bangalore on 17 March.

Summary: South Africa beat England by 17 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method to level the Twenty20 series with one game to go.


Ashley Brace, from Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, could not compete at the Commonwealth Games because of her kickboxing past. She said she was unhappy with the support from the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association (WABA). Chairman David Francis said the organisation did all it could to help. The Association of International Boxing Associations (AIBA) said Brace was ineligible to compete for Team Wales because she had competed in professional kickboxing in the past, which she denied. Organisers of the kickboxing tournaments she competed in have also since confirmed she did so on an amateur basis. A further rule states any boxer returning from another individual contact sport should apply to an international committee to become eligible to box again. Brace said she was never told about the paperwork, which had to be submitted by WABA, and felt the association let her down. She now trains at Bristol Boxing Gym and has her first professional fight in Newport on 30 October. She added: "I would never go back to Team Wales after this, because if you don't have confidence in the people who are supposed to be fighting your corner, at the end of day, what's the point?" Mr Francis said the whole incident was "regrettable".

Summary: A former Welsh amateur boxing champion said she is turning professional as she does not have confidence in the governing body.


Castle MacLellan Foods will receive the support for its Kirkcudbright base from parent company Kavli. It will allow the business to "capitalise on strong growth prospects for its premium products throughout the UK". The funds will be used to expand and streamline production areas within the factory which employs about 80 staff. Improvements will also be made to the storage facilities, amenities and services at the factory in order to "maintain the high standards" of the Castle MacLellan brand. Elaine McConnell, general manager at Castle MacLellan Foods, said: "This represents a momentous step forward for our business. "It also demonstrates the confidence the Kavli Group has in the UK market and in the Castle MacLellan Foods team. "It goes without saying that without the teamwork, commitment and dedication of our Dumfries and Galloway workforce we would not have secured this major inward investment to the region." She added: "Having the opportunity to grow the business allows us to safeguard future employment prospects for the area overall." Subject to planning consent, it is expected work will start on site in January 2014, with completion by September 2014. Castle MacLellan Foods said it would be "working closely with the local community over the coming months" to keep them informed of its plans and to ensure "minimal disruption to residents" when building work gets under way.

Summary: A £5m investment has been announced to allow the expansion of a pate firm's south west Scotland factory.


That phrase hinted both at an ideal flexible arrangement in the future and an ideal shared approach from both the UK and Irish governments, together stressing to the EU the paramount importance of doing nothing that might constitute any kind of risk to the political progress made over recent decades. But is that seamless approach unravelling and could Brexit become a source of greater friction between the two governments? Both the Brexit Secretary David Davis and DUP leader Arlene Foster have been fond of talking about technology as the answer to Ireland's post-Brexit problems. Yes, they acknowledge, putting old-style customs checkpoints right on the border would be unacceptable for both political and security reasons. However, they then go on to suggest that provided businesses co-operate with computerised trusted trader schemes, and cameras with number plate recognition capability are installed some distance away from the frontier, all will be well. By contrast, the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has now warned that technology isn't the answer. Instead, he argues there is a need for a wider political agreement. What does that mean? On the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, Fine Gael Senator Neale Richmond hinted that the Irish favour moving customs controls to seaports and airports, rather than anywhere near the land border. This might sound geographically sensible, but the political implications should not be underestimated. Arlene Foster has previously said that putting a border down the middle of the Irish Sea, creating a divide between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, is something her party will not tolerate. So long as the DUP-Conservative parliamentary arrangement survives, that is a concern David Davis and Theresa May will have to take very seriously. But, if the DUP has the ear of the British government, then similarly as a loyal EU member state, Dublin has the ear of Michel Barnier's negotiating team. Since becoming foreign minister, Simon Coveney has not been shy about making his differences with the UK clear. He voiced his concern for Northern Ireland having special EU status, which contrasted with the position of his predecessor Charlie Flanagan. Some surmised this might only have been a slip of the tongue. However Mr Coveney's decision to let it be known he favoured a bespoke Irish Language Act (Sinn FÃ©in, the SDLP and Alliance's preference) over a hybrid bill (the DUP's suggestion) was a clear move to distance Dublin from the Northern Ireland Office's studied neutrality on the issue. If the border after Brexit becomes a more open source of arm wrestling between the two governments, that could have consequences - not just for the continuing UK/EU negotiations, but also for the Stormont talks when they resume in earnest in the autumn.

Summary: For months, it's been the joint mantra from both Dublin and London - that after Brexit, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland should be as "seamless and frictionless as possible".


Evans gave the Bantams the lead with style early on as he curled home from 20 yards into the bottom corner. The Shripmers fought back and Ryan Leonard forced Bradford goalkeeper Ben Williams into a fine save with a fierce effort from long-range. The hosts almost restored parity when Tyrone Barnett volleyed against the crossbar but Bradford held on.

Summary: Bradford City made sure of a League One play-off spot as they beat Southend United thanks to Lee Evans' early goal.


It will be available to 1.7bn people on the platform worldwide via Rooney's and the Manchester United Facebook pages. Proceeds will be distributed to Rooney's four chosen charities. The game at Old Trafford, between Rooney's only two professional clubs, marks his 12 years' service at United. Rooney said: "I am delighted my testimonial game will be streamed globally, which will hopefully raise awareness and increase donations." It is expected to mark the first home appearances for Jose Mourinho's three summer signings; Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly. Manchester United's Facebook page has more than 70 million 'likes', while Rooney's has more than 25 million.

Summary: Wayne Rooney's testimonial match between Manchester United and Everton on Wednesday will make history as the first ever game between Premier League teams to be streamed live on Facebook.


Lorenzo Insigne's deflected 25-yard shot gave the hosts the lead six minutes before the break. Giacomo Bonaventura levelled at the far post five minutes later with Milan's first shot on target. Napoli, chasing their first league title since 1990, are a point behind Juventus, who drew 0-0 at Bologna on Friday.

Summary: Napoli wasted a chance to return to the top of Serie A when they were held at home by AC Milan on Monday.


Sherwood took over in February with Villa in the bottom three and led the club to Premier League safety and 17th. "We gave the fans nothing to cheer about today but I promise them it will get better," Sherwood told BBC Sport. "We've stayed in the division but we have a losing mentality. We don't want to be scraping relegation next season." Villa were outclassed by Arsenal, whose victory at Wembley saw them become the most successful club in FA Cup history with a 12th title. Sherwood acknowledged his side "came up short" against the Gunners, adding that his players "need to learn how to be winners". Media playback is not supported on this device "Of course we believed we could win this but I can't make any excuses," the 46-year-old added. "It's a learning curve and we need to build a new team. "Some of the boys have already been told they won't be here next year or they can find other clubs. I want to be honest with players and don't want to be stringing experienced players along. "But it's not just new additions to the squad but also getting some of the players we do have to play in a different way, to change the mentality of a few of them." Villa captain Fabian Delph agreed Arsenal had been worthy winners and also stressed the importance of Villa finding a "winning mentality" next season. "We were up against it, we tried to dig deep but their quality shone through and we struggled," the 25-year-old said. "The manager said that we had it in us to cause an upset but we couldn't find the performance. But a few weeks ago we would have snapped your hand off to stay in the league and get to this final. Now it's important that we get a winning mentality. "We have to forget about today, some players will come through the door to strengthen us and I am sure we will get better and better."

Summary: Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood promised to rid the club of its "losing mentality" after suffering a 4-0 defeat by Arsenal in the FA Cup final.


Karma Khayat and her TV station al-Jadeed are accused of contempt of court for revealing details about witnesses. They deny any wrongdoing, and say they are fighting for freedom of speech. The five men accused of killing Mr Hariri remain in hiding, and are being tried by the tribunal in absentia. Mr Hariri was killed along with 21 others when his motorcade was hit by a massive bomb blast in the Lebanese capital Beirut on 14 February 2005. The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) was set up by the United Nations to try those responsible for the killings. The five suspects still at large have been linked to the militant Shia Islamist movement, Hezbollah. A few minutes after opening on Thursday, the tribunal went into private session, the BBC's Anna Holligan reports from The Hague. It followed accusations from the defence that the prosecution had revealed new evidence just a day before the hearing, and was thus attempting a "trial by ambush", our correspondent adds. Prosecutors in the case say Ms Khayat and al-Jadeed published a list of witnesses' names, which undermined the confidence of those witnesses because they had been promised anonymity. Ms Khayat says the list she published was redacted, which made it impossible to identify any witnesses but showed the tribunal was vulnerable to leaks. The full list of witnesses was later published by other parties unknown, she asserts. Ms Khayat accused the court of attempting to silence the Lebanese media "in order not to criticise the tribunal in future". "I believe my role in court is not to defend Karma Khayat and not to defend al-Jadeed; there's nothing to defend, we have a very strong case," she told the BBC. "I am there to defend freedom of speech and freedom of press," she added.

Summary: A Lebanese journalist has become the first person to take the stand at the UN-backed tribunal at The Hague investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.


The hole, which opened up in Grays, Essex, on Wednesday afternoon, also caused a gas leak. Thurrock Council said experts believe a tunnel below the road - Hogg Lane - that links two quarries collapsed. Further work will be done to establish if the collapse was "triggered by the road issue or vice versa," he added. A National Grid spokesman said engineers were working to decommission a section of gas main where the sinkhole had caused a leak. Meanwhile, the owner of the stranded lorry said he could lose up to Â£20,000 if the vehicle cannot be moved easily. A hazard zone is still in place and the vehicle cannot be moved until surveyors have finished checking the road. "I'm sick as a parrot. Every moment my truck's sat there, it's costing me money," said owner Steve Robinson. His company, Robinsons LGV training based in Purfleet, has several pupils booked in for training and tests using the vehicle. "It's got huge implications for me. As a rough estimate, if I don't get it back by Saturday, I'll have lost about Â£4,000, which is a lot of money for a small business. He said he was concerned that if the lorry were to be damaged while being removed by tow truck or crane, he might have to pay out "anything up to Â£20,000". David Bull, director of planning and transportation at Thurrock Council, said structural engineers were on site giving advice. "We don't want to put someone in the lorry and cause vibration and then find the lorry falls further in through the hole," he told BBC Essex.

Summary: A 10ft (3m) wide sinkhole that left a lorry stranded was caused by the collapse of a 100-year-old tunnel, experts have discovered.


Betsi Cadwaladr health board has suggested downgrading services at one of the area's three district hospitals due to a staffing shortage. A legal challenge blocked the plan to downgrade maternity care at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire. That prompted the consultation, which includes a series of public meetings. Residents are unhappy with the plans, suggesting removing the service at hospitals like Wrexham Maelor and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor will mean women having to travel further for care. However, bosses said any changes would be temporary and are needed to ensure the safety of mothers and babies. A dedicated health board website was launched on Monday to collate public reaction to the options, which also includes retaining all services. Several public meetings are due to take place in September.

Summary: A consultation about plans which could see consultant-led maternity care withdrawn from a district hospital in north Wales has begun.


Amy Pope and Sam Paterson are the first recruits to the Holywell monastic community on an estate in Abergavenny. Father Mark Soady, vicar of St Mary's Priory Church, will be their prior, leading outreach work in the town. He said there had been "amazement" that young people were prepared to give up their lives to carry out good works. The two recruits will initially spend a year living in a house on the estate being supported by the church while they take part in daily services and work with local people. By day they will arrange activities such as bingo for pensioners, and by night they will take to the streets to talk to young people hanging out in groups. Father Mark said the inspiration for a modern-day monastic order came from the history of St Mary's, which is on the site of a Benedictine priory which stood from 1087 until 1537 when the monasteries were dissolved. "When I arrived here two and a half years ago I looked at ways that the Benedictine Rule of Life could pervade the life of the parish on a day-to-day basis," he said. "My colleagues and I came up with the idea of a new monastic community in the spirit of St Benedict." Father Mark added: "Abergavenny is a pretty rich town but we have some of the poorest wards in Monmouthshire. "This juxtaposition of wealth and poverty makes the social divisions more marked. "We're hoping our work will reduce these divisions." Unlike the monks of old, the young recruits will not be expected to join the monastic order long-term, but will be given the opportunity to sign up for a second year or seek similar duties elsewhere. Mr Paterson, 21, is from the Abergavenny area, while Ms Pope, 23, from Watford, Hertfordshire, came to south Wales after answering an advert in the Church Times. Ms Pope said the role was "a great honour and privilege". "It's been really exciting so far - Sam and I are just finding our feet," she said. "We've got involved in a drop-in centre for young people, a parent-and-toddler group and we're hoping to do some work with elderly people. "I'm hoping that if it all goes well I'll be part of the Holywell community for two years and then go onto ordination training - I'd like to work in mental health."

Summary: A new breed of modern-day monks is reviving a 1,000-year-old tradition by setting up a Church in Wales "monastery" in a Monmouthshire town.