The host nation are one of eight countries competing in Glasgow to win promotion to the sport's top division. Scotland will face France, Portugal and Ukraine in Pool A, with the overall championship winners and runners-up elevated to the top tier. "I honestly think home advantage does help," Forsyth said. "It gives you that buzz of playing in front of friends and family who don't often get to come see you." The forward is the son of national head coach Derek Forsyth, and one of only two Scots in the GB hockey squad. The 25-year-old is also the youngest player to reach 50 appearances for the Blue Sticks, and hopes hosting the continental tournament will help raise the sport's profile in his homeland. Scottish hockey participation has risen by 40% since the creation of the National Hockey Centre ahead of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. "Once you come see it, you get a totally different opinion on it and I think that's really important," Forsyth added. "There's more to it than just a stick and a ball." Captain Chris Grassick says the Scots head into the tournament buoyed by confidence, after narrowly missing out on a World Cup place with a 1-1 draw against Canada at the World League semi-final tournament in June. Scotland begin their campaign against France on Sunday, with the final held on Saturday, 12 August. "We've trained really hard since the World League in London," Grassick, who plays for Surbiton, said. "It'll be a good test against France here. We're the underdogs for that game on paper but we'll back ourselves when it comes down to it. "Playing at home brings different pressures. There's an expectation from the crowd for you to turn up and deliver from the start. We've got to focus on our play and not get too carried away."

Summary: Forward Alan Forsyth hopes playing in front of a home crowd will boost Scotland's chances at this month's Men's EuroHockey Championships II.


Guido Tognoni worked "extremely closely" with the Fifa president during Blatter's second term. "In Fifa, for many years, you could only reach your goal by taking dollars in your hands," Tognoni told BBC Sport. Fifa said investigations into such claims were ongoing and, as yet, there was no evidence of wrongdoing. The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments is the subject of a Swiss criminal investigation. Asked if countries had any choice other than to bribe Fifa during the bidding process, Tognoni replied: "This speculation is permitted, yes." Russia and Qatar deny wrongdoing, while Blatter has not been named in a separate US criminal investigation into widespread corruption at Fifa. Domenico Scala, head of Fifa's audit and compliance committee, said if evidence emerges from either the US or Swiss investigations which shows the result was affected by bought votes, the "awards could be cancelled". However, Tognoni, who was Blatter's right-hand man for a period in the mid-90s and again between 2001-2003, said he did not think the World Cups would be taken away from Russia or Qatar. "Even if there is evidence that Fifa people were bribed, where is the problem? With Fifa, or the people who had no choice but to get the World Cup with bribing?" In response, Fifa said in a statement on Monday: "Fifa initiated the investigation by the Swiss authorities precisely to answer questions such as this. "However, while investigations are ongoing, it should be noted that to date, no evidence has come to light to suggest there are any legal grounds for rescinding the current Fifa World Cup selections." Seven senior Fifa officials were arrested last month in high-profile dawn raids at a Zurich hotel, where they had been staying before the presidential election. They are among 14 people charged by US prosecutors, who allege that bribes and kickbacks of more than $150m (£100m) were accepted over a 24-year period. Blatter, Fifa president since 1998, was re-elected at the Zurich meeting but announced four days later that he would resign amid the corruption allegations engulfing the organisation. American lawyer Michael Garcia was previously hired by Fifa to investigate the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes, but he complained that the published summary of his 430-page report was an "erroneous" representation of his work. The report cleared World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar of wrongdoing. Garcia quit weeks later over Fifa's handling of his inquiry and his comments reopened the debate about the validity of the bidding process. Scala has since had Garcia's report reviewed by legal experts, from both in and outside of sport, but neither were able to find grounds to alter the award of either tournament at this stage.

Summary: Russia and Qatar may have had to pay bribes to secure their World Cups, Sepp Blatter's former special advisor has suggested.


She had just given birth to their first son Dylan. But rather than congratulations, she was told: "We're sorry, your son has Down's syndrome." With her background in nursing and her husband's as a doctor, the couple had some knowledge of the condition. But it still did not prepare them for the negative information that came flooding their way. "No-one spells out all the things that could possibly go wrong for a child when they're born," she said. "But when you have a child with a disability, with Down's syndrome, they tell you the average life expectancy is 50; they won't go to mainstream school; they won't do this and that. "They just say all the negatives." Fourteen years later and Dylan has defied those initial expectations. He is flourishing in year 9 at mainstream school and has made the Down's Syndrome GB swimming squad. But that initial lack of support led to his mother and two other mothers of children with Down's syndrome to take matters into their own hands. When Dylan was a toddler, a health visitor introduced his mother to Katharina Barker and Nicky Williams. Both women also had babies with Down's syndrome. And all three discovered they had shared similar experiences in terms of a lack of support for people with Down's syndrome and their families. Katharina said although she had had a "very positive, supportive" experience with the birth of her daughter Amelie, she quickly struggled to find specialist support. "One of the things I found hugely frustrating, unless you are pointed in the right direction you are not going to find services, they are not coming to you," she said. They decided to host a coffee morning for parents with children with Down's syndrome to make friends and share experiences. The success of it led to the trio setting up a charity and the support it offers includes speech and language therapy, school help and annual education conferences. Although Nicky has since stepped down from the Monmouth-based 21 Plus charity, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, Victoria and Katharina are determined to expand its reach as much as possible. And their hard work and dedication led to them becoming finalists in the national St David Awards citizenship category. They want to continue helping children with Down's syndrome "achieve their potential and increase access to opportunities". "One of the mums said to me yesterday that one thing she loves is being able to ask any question, even if it sounds daft and she wouldn't have the nerve to ask anyone else, she can ask us," Victoria said. "I guess that's why I do it. I don't want any of our families to think, 'I wish I'd known aboutâ€¦' or 'I wish I'd known that earlier'." "I believe in expert parents and I want to make it possible for our families to become experts if that's what they want." Katharina added: "We want to give children the chance to access schooling, to access learning and to access the world. "The greatest thing is to see the children grow

Summary: It was the look between the midwife and her husband that Victoria Hughes remembers.


The Stornoway-registered Louisa sank on 9 April as it lay at anchor in calm seas off Mingulay in the Western Isles. An investigation by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found the lifejackets the men were wearing did not function as they should have done. The probe also highlighted a delay in the rescue effort. The bodies of Chris Morrison, 27, from Harris, and Martin Johnstone, 29, from Halkirk, Caithness, were recovered following the sinking. The body of skipper Paul Alliston, 42, from Lewis, was lost during a lifeboat crew's attempts to recover him and remains missing. Only Lachlann Armstrong, 27, from Stornoway, Lewis, survived after swimming ashore. The MAIB said the men who died in the incident were wearing approved lifejackets, but the survival aids did not work as would have been expected. An urgent review of lifejacket testing protocols by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has been recommended by the MAIB in a newly-published report of its investigation. Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents Steve Clinch said: "A lifejacket should turn an unconscious person onto their back and keep their airway clear of the water. "It is therefore of concern that the skipper and two crew were tragically found unresponsive and face down in their lifejackets when the rescue services arrived on scene. "The results of lifejacket trials undertaken by the MAIB and of lifejacket testing commissioned by the MCA following the accident strengthen that concern. "Therefore, as a matter of urgency, I am recommending the MCA to conduct further research to confirm or otherwise the suitability of historical and extant lifejacket water performance test protocols." The Louisa had been anchored close to shore in Mingulay Bay. The skipper and crew, who had been working long hours before anchoring late the previous evening, were asleep onboard, said the MAIB. Investigators believe the boat's deck wash hose flooded the hold and the crew were woken by the Louisa "sinking rapidly". The four men escaped to the aft deck, activated the boat's emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and put on lifejackets. However, they were unable to inflate the liferaft as they abandoned the vessel. Louisa's EPIRB was detected and the coastguard was alerted. But the MAIB said "confusion over terminology resulted in delays before search and rescue units were sent to the scene". The investigation of the incident involved raising the wreck of the crab boat and taking it to Clydebank. A spokeswoman for the MCA said: "This is a deeply tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the families of these fishermen, who've suffered a terrible loss. "Saving lives at sea is our highest priority, and we strive to ensure that our search and rescue techniques are continually reviewed in order to deliver an effective and efficient emergency response." She added: "The MCA is continuing to collaborate with the MAIB on the contents of this report in order to address the recommendations put forward." A spokesman for Louisa fishing vessel owners, Duncan and Murdo Kennedy, said: "The tragic events of 9 April 2016 resulted in the loss of three fine

Summary: An urgent review of how lifejackets are tested has been recommended following the deaths of the skipper and two crew of a crab boat that sank last year.


The report contains a bogus poll indicating that President Uhuru Kenyatta will win August's election. The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website. A recent survey suggested that 90% of Kenyans had seen or heard false news in the run-up to the poll. Many of the people surveyed felt that some news items had been deliberately misleading. It also found that while traditional media remained the most trusted source of information, large numbers of people got their news from Facebook and WhatsApp. The origin of the fake BBC news story is not clear but it began to be shared on WhatsApp on Friday morning. A fake report made to look as if it came from CNN has also been circulating. The presidential election on 8 August will see incumbent President Kenyatta run against seven candidates including his main challenger, opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Summary: A fake video report about Kenya's election that is made to appear as if it is from the BBC's Focus on Africa programme has been circulating on social media.


Media playback is not supported on this device GB finished bottom of the Pool stage in London with no wins and only three goals scored, but produced their best performance in an enthralling fifth/sixth place play-off. Alex Danson scored a match-winning hat-trick, with Lily Owsley also on target. "We didn't lose belief and we are delighted," Danson told BBC Sport. "Obviously I'm delighted [with the three goals] but not just for me, from a whole team perspective because we can build on that performance leading into the summer." Head coach Danny Kerry admitted "harsh words" were spoken after Britain's 4-1 defeat by Australia on Saturday, but was please with how his team responded. "We've had a tough tournament and they know that yesterday wasn't good enough, but today they really committed," he told BBC Sport. Danson struck her first goal of the tournament in the 10th minute, but Anita McLaren drew New Zealand level in the second period. Owsley and Danson struck either side of half-time to take GB clear, but back came the Kiwis with goals from Olivia Merry and Kelsey Smith made the score 3-3. Danson needed time out after being struck in the head by the ball, but recovered to deliver a composed lofted finish over New Zealand keeper Sally Rutherford to win Britain the match. "Although we conceded a few today, which we need to work on, overall that was much better," captain Kate Richardson-Walsh told BBC Sport. "We have a lot to learn, huge amounts, but it's good we're doing that now and can take that forward to Rio." British selectors will reveal the 16 women and 16 men who have been chosen to represent Team GB at this summer's Rio Olympics on Tuesday.

Summary: Britain's women beat New Zealand 4-3 to secure a first win at the 2016 Champions Trophy, in what was their final match before the Rio Olympics.


The 26-year-old midfielder has signed "an initial one-year deal", with Ray McKinnon expressing delight at his first signing as manager at Tannadice. "He is exactly the type of player we need going into this season," he said. "Not only is he the right age and a good footballer, but he is a ball winner who is strong in the tackle and will protect our central defenders." Murdoch had joined County last summer after his departure from Fleetwood Town. But half of his 34 appearances came as a substitute and he followed fellow midfielder Rocco Quinn out of the Scottish Premiership club. Murdoch, who began his career with Falkirk and had a loan spell with Northampton Town before joining Fleetwood in 2013, told United's website: "I'm delighted to be joining Dundee United - it was an easy decision to make. "It's a massive club and I want to help them get back to the Premiership, where they should be." Following United's relegation from the top flight, 13 players have exited Tannadice along with manager Mixu Paatelainen and his backroom staff. While Murdoch and Quinn have exited County, manager Jim McIntyre has already recruited three defenders and a goalkeeper, Aaron McCarey from Wolves, this summer. Christopher Routis has arrived from Bradford City, Kenny van der Weg from Breda and Erik Cikos from Slovan Bratislava.

Summary: Stewart Murdoch has signed for Dundee United the day after his contract was terminated a year early by Ross County.


The 36-year-old Czech national was arrested on Saturday after the body of Rebecca Johnson, 26, was found in the Finnish village of Kuttanen. Ms Johnson was a member of the Santa Safari team which works with tour operator Transun Travel to organise Christmas-themed excursions to Lapland. The couple lived in Scotland before moving to the Arctic for seasonal work. Ms Johnson was from Burntisland in Fife. A Finnish police statement said: "Lapland District Court has today imprisoned the suspect of the homicide, according to the claim of the Lapland Police Department. "A 36-year-old Czech citizen is suspected of killing his 26-year-old long-term partner. The victim is a female citizen of Scotland. The crime is investigated as a murder." It is understood members of Ms Johnson's family have since travelled to Lapland. The police statement said: "The suspect has been co-operative but hasn't been able to clarify a specific motive for his suspected act. "Police will continue the investigations by hearing the witnesses and the suspect, and by conducting technical investigations." The suspect was arrested on Saturday after fleeing into the Lapland wilderness on a dog sled. The police operation involved a helicopter and officers on snow scooters in temperatures of -30C. The man was said to have been suffering from hypothermia when he was found.

Summary: A man has been remanded after appearing in court in Lapland accused of murdering his Scottish girlfriend.


The interior ministry confirmed his replacement as Abdul Rahman Rahimi, former police chief in Balkh province. Gen Zahir resigned last week after presiding over a dramatic rise in militant attacks in recent months. His spokesman sparked confusion days later by claiming his resignation had been rejected. Interior ministry spokesman Sidiq Sidiqi said: "Abdul Rahman Rahimi, the former police chief of Balkh, is appointed as Kabul police chief and General Zahir is appointed as the head of the counter crime department. "So far no-one is appointed as Balkh police chief and soon another general will be appointed there." Gen Zahir gave no reason for his resignation, but he had faced increasing pressure, with insurgents carrying out nine deadly attacks in Kabul in the past two weeks. The latest in a string of attacks targeted a compound used by a US-based charity on Saturday, killing three South Africans. Last week, two American soldiers and two British embassy workers were killed in separate attacks, with dozens of Afghans also killed and injured. Gen Zahir was himself the target of an attack in early November, when a suicide bomber infiltrated his offices and killed his deputy. Afghan troops are preparing to take over national security before the withdrawal of foreign combat troops at the end of the month. The Taliban stepped up attacks against foreign nationals, civilians and Afghan soldiers in recent months, raising concerns over the Afghan army's ability to protect the country from insurgents. President Ashraf Ghani, who took power in September, has vowed to bring peace after decades of conflict. On Sunday, he ratified security deals allowing some 12,000 Nato soldiers to remain for training and advisory purposes, after the withdrawal of foreign combat troops on 31 December. A separate US-led force will assist Afghan troops in some operations against the Taliban.

Summary: A new police chief has been installed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, ending days of confusion over the fate of incumbent Gen Zahir Zahir.


The teenage pedestrian was knocked down by a Ford Focus in Oldgate Lane, Thrybergh, Rotherham, on Saturday, said South Yorkshire Police. The car involved was thought to have been travelling towards Dalton at the time and its driver was not injured in the crash. Police have appealed for any witnesses to contact them.

Summary: A 14-year-old boy has been left with "life-threatening" injuries after being knocked down by a car.


James Bisset, 23, of Yatton, struck the pedestrians with his Volvo in Nailsea near Bristol, last February. Alex Gould, 18, later died in hospital and another man was seriously injured. At a previous hearing at Bristol Crown Court, Bisset admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and possessing a Class A drug. He was jailed for seven years and four months. The court heard he was driving along Clevedon Road in the early hours of 14 February 2016 when his car hit Mr Gould and another man before striking a man and a woman and smashing into a telegraph pole. Bisset was also disqualified from driving for seven years and ordered to take an extended re-test. Speaking after the crash, Mr Gould's family said he had been "the perfect son, brother, nephew, grandson and cousin". Sgt Peter Truch, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "This incident has had a huge impact on all those involved and the wider community in Nailsea."

Summary: A motorist who drove into four people killing a teenager has been jailed.


FAW officials have yet to decide how to commemorate the occasion after Fifa could not guarantee that there would not be disciplinary proceedings if a poppy was displayed. England and Scotland will defy Fifa's ban on players wearing poppies in their meeting on Friday. With the FAW yet decide their policy, Ledley said: ''We will support whatever decision they make.'' Fifa's regulations say players' equipment should not carry any commercial, personal, political or religious messages. When the issue arose in 2011, a compromise was reached in which Wales players were allowed to wear armbands with the poppy symbol in a friendly against Norway. Northern Ireland will mark Armistice Day by wearing plain black armbands in the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in Belfast. The Irish FA had requested permission from Fifa to wear a poppy on the shirt or armband. Breaching Fifa regulations could result in a fine or even a loss of points and the FAW are set to leave a decision until as late as possible. They have already planned a two minute silence during training on Armistice Day's on Friday and there will also be a tribute at the game regardless of whether poppies are worn. Crystal Palace's Ledley said Wales' players are content to leave the decision over poppies to the Football Association of Wales. ''It is obviously out of our hands. It is dealt with by the FA of Wales," Ledley added. "It is down to them too take the decision. We will support whatever decision they make. ''As players our job is just to concentrate on the game, I am sure the FAW will make the right decision.''

Summary: Midfielder Joe Ledley believes the Football Association of Wales will make the ''right decision'' on how best to mark Armistice Day in the World Cup qualifier against Serbia.


Launching its general election manifesto, party leader Leanne Wood said she wanted an "end to austerity". Ms Wood said the four Westminster leaders offered "nothing more than further swingeing cuts" to voters. Plaid says it will negotiate jointly with the SNP and the Greens if there is a hung parliament. Plaid Cymru wants the devolved Welsh government funded to the same level per head of population as the Scottish government - which it says amounts to £1.2bn extra a year. At the party's launch event in Bangor, Ms Leanne Wood accused the UK parties of giving "no commitment to securing an economic recovery for all". Plaid wants to restore the 50p income tax rate for earnings above £150,000, increase National Insurance contributions for higher earners and put a tax on sugary drinks. Ms Wood also pledged to create up to 50,000 jobs by awarding more public contracts to Welsh firms. Main pledges Plaid's manifesto contains plenty of familiar territory but there's no mention of the £1.2bn which is repeatedly referred to by Leanne Wood as the extra funding Wales needs to achieve parity with Scotland. It talks about the creation of an independent commission to resolve funding issues in future. Elsewhere, there are plans to reintroduce the 50p top rate of income tax. Independence is not mentioned until page 36 out of a 64 page document, and then only briefly.

Summary: Plaid Cymru has promised more cash for Welsh public services, an extra 1,000 medical jobs and to scrap taxes for 70,000 small businesses.


Nigerian Keshi, who died suddenly aged 54, was appointed head coach of Togo three times between 2004 and 2011. The match in Lome was played between the current Togo national side and 'Team Keshi', made up of players who were part of his 2006 squad. "Keshi was like a big brother for me," said striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who played for Team Keshi. "He was somebody that I respected a lot and I have to give him a lot of credit because when he joined the Togolese national team he believed in me. "He was for the first time looking into my eyes and told me how good I was and how good I could become. "I just listened to his advice because he was a former footballer. Listening to his advice helped me a lot and today I am where I am because of that of that. "May his soul rest in a perfect peace and let's us keep on remembering him in our prayers." Keshi will be most widely remembered for his feats with Nigeria, both as an Africa Cup of Nations-winning player and coach. But he also will be associated deeply with Togo, who gave him his first coaching job - and he pulled off a remarkable achievement to qualify them for the 2006 World Cup finals, ahead of Senegal and Zambia. However, he was sacked by Togo just a few months before the tournament in Germany. Keshi returned for two more spells - appointed in 2007 and 2001 - but was unable to repeat his earlier success with the Hawks. More than 20,000 fans were in attendance at the Ominsports stadium in Lome to watch the game, which finished 6-2 to the current Togo national side. After the match. Adebayor told the crowd: "I would like to pay tribute to him and I hope that the family he left behind will find the needed faith and strength to overcome this period." Abalo Dosseh, deputy coach and former captain of Togo, told BBC Sport: "It is an honour for me to stand on this pitch in remembrance of Big Boss. He has done a lot for Togolese football and the entire continent. "I always remember the day I asked to captain the team for the first time and we were also lucky to make the same year to the World Cup. "All the former players and others who are still playing have come to pay tribute to him." Toglose former player Olufade Adekambi, who also played alongside Keshi, added: "We thank God that he did many good things for Togo. We are still mourning him because he was like a big brother, a coach and a big man."

Summary: Togo honoured former coach Stephen Keshi, who died in June, by playing a tribute match on Sunday.


Set 119 in Adelaide, Perth began well through Elyse Villani (23) and England captain Charlotte Edwards (18). But Brunt was trapped lbw for 18 from 20 balls in the last over as they ended on 110-9, losing by eight runs. Hobart Hurricanes face Sydney Sixers on Friday for a place in Sunday's final. Hurricanes skipper Heather Knight and Sixers all-rounder Laura Marsh are the only England players left in the competition, although Marsh is not in the Sixers' 13-strong squad for Friday. Thunder - the only Women's Big Bash team without any England internationals - were indebted to captain Alex Blackwell (39) and West Indies opener Stafanie Taylor (24), who helped them post 118-6 in 20 overs. Thunder's Australia seamer Rene Farrell held her nerve to take two wickets in the final over of the match - Brunt and ex-England all-rounder Nicky Shaw - to finish with 3-20. Meanwhile, Thunder's male counterparts also reached the final of the men's Big Bash League, beating Adelaide Strikers by eight wickets.

Summary: A late rally from England's Katherine Brunt could not prevent Sydney Thunder from beating Perth Scorchers to reach the final of the inaugural Women's Big Bash League.


The incident happened in Lora village, 80km (50 miles) south of Abbottabad. Reports said the landowner Mohammad Miskin, who denies the charges, became angry after animals the boy was looking after strayed on to his land. He tied the boy to the donkey and beat it to make it run faster, witnesses said. The boy, an eight-year-old named Mudassir, died of his injuries. Local villagers contacted by the BBC said the landowner assaulted the boy after his small flock of sheep and a donkey strayed on to his agricultural field. "He tied up the boy, and then tied him to the donkey, and then he made the donkey run," one villager said. Local people say the donkey dragged the child for nearly an hour. "My child was murdered ruthlessly," his father, Sher Afzal, told the BBC's Mohammad Zubair Khan. "Instead of intervening in the matter and saving the child's life, people were searching for me. "When I arrived at the scene, the boy was already dead. There wasn't a single part of his body which wasn't bruised." Mohammad Miskin denies the allegations against him. "I didn't tie the boy to the donkey," he told journalists. "They came into the field and I just shooed them away." A court in Abbottabad has remanded him in custody for two days for further questioning after his arrest on Wednesday.

Summary: Police in Pakistan have arrested a man accused of tying a young boy to a donkey which then dragged him to death.


The jack up unit Ensco 80 is expected to arrive at the field's Charlie platform in the Moray Firth over the weekend. The rig is to be used in the plugging and abandoning of wells and a clean-up of Beatrice's platform complex. Full decommissioning of the field's facilities could take place between 2024 and 2027. Production at the field has ceased and it has been proposed to remove the platform complex, two demonstrator wind turbines and cables. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had an interest in using the complex as a training facility, but it has decided not to pursue this idea further. This decision means a decommissioning programme approved by the UK government in 2004 has been updated and widened out to include the removal of the field's platforms and other structures. Energy company Repsol Sinopec Resources UK set out details last month of the planned decommissioning and uploaded an environmental impact assessment scoping report online. The field, about 13 miles (22km) off the Caithness coast, forms part of the site of a massive planned offshore wind farm project. The planned decommissioning project involves the removal of five platform structures and power cables. Forty three wells in the field are to be "plugged" and abandoned. Two wind turbines installed to show that the firth is suitable for a large-scale offshore wind farm are also to be removed. The turbines were installed in two phases with the first in 2006 and the second in 2007.

Summary: A rig to be used in the decommissioning of the Beatrice oil field has left Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth.


The Warriors were down by 13 points during the first half but fought back in the third quarter. The 4-3 win meant Golden State became only the 10th team to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a play-off series. The defending champions will now face a title rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers and star player LeBron James. "We survived by the skin of our teeth," said Golden State coach Steve Kerr. "We were able to pull it out, and we're moving on." Warriors host the Cavaliers in the first game of the best-of-seven finals on Thursday, hoping to repeat their 4-2 success in the 2015 finals.

Summary: Steph Curry scored 36 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 96-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and into the NBA Finals.


Neel Croos, 26, died from a head injury following a fight in Holborn Way, Mitcham on 23 November 2015. Prashad Sothalingam, nicknamed Bullet, was one of several young men from the Tamil community who had been at a birthday party when violence erupted. He was jailed after being found guilty of murder and wounding with intent at a retrial at the Old Bailey. Sothalingam, who had previously been convicted of violent disorder, was told he must serve a minimum of 29 years in prison. The court heard the killing was the result of a "power struggle" within the Tooting Boys gang between the Elders and Sothalingam's group, the Youngers. Mr Croos's group, which was also armed, had been hunted down by Sothalingam's group. Sothalingam had been at a birthday party on the fifth floor of a Morrison's car park in Mitcham, the court heard. When they saw a rival faction arrive they attacked them with a variety of weapons. One witness said he heard someone say in Tamil: "There they are. Go get them." He told the jury he had seen Sothalingam, who he had previously seen playing football, swinging an axe at Mr Croos, hitting him on the head. He also told the court he had seen other men carrying a sword, metal poles and socks stuffed with snooker balls or stones. The judge also jailed Sugan Selvarajan for a total of 14 years for wounding with intent and violent disorder, and Sivakaran Ockersz for 31 months for violent disorder and an unrelated ATM fraud. Visuparathan Dayaparan was sent to prison for 27 months after being convicted of violent disorder. Sothalingam, 26, from Mitcham; Ockersz, 19, of Wallington; Selvarajan, 33, of Mitcham; and Dayaparan aka Visu, 24, of Mitcham, had denied the charges.

Summary: A man has been jailed for life for killing a rival gang member with an axe during a fight in a car park.


Ambulance staff were called to Woodgate Gardens, Bartley Green, in Birmingham, at about 22:50 BST on Monday, West Midlands Police said. The man was taken to hospital and died shortly after, a police spokesman said. The two have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of the 22-year-old man, and remain in custody, police said. See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here The area was cordoned off for forensic investigations and CCTV of the surrounding area is also being examined. Det Insp Harry Harrison said: "We are making real progress in the investigation, I'd like to thank the community for their continued support and ask that anyone who has any information who hasn't yet come forward gets in touch as soon as possible."

Summary: A 16-year-old boy and 21-year-old man have been arrested after a man was fatally stabbed.


For Zimbabwean MP Joseph Chinotimba, a loyal supporter of President Robert Mugabe, 2016 began with romance. The 66-year-old war veteran and his wife Vimbai kissed their way into the Book of African Records, after scooping the top prize in a competition organised as part of Valentine's Day celebrations. The couple, who have been married for eight years, won "The Longest Kiss in Africa Challenge", locking lips for a record 10 minutes and 17 seconds, beating the previous African record by five minutes and 17 seconds. Though the Chinotimbas' passion didn't quite match that of the world record holders from Thailand, who kissed for 58 hours, 35 minutes and 58 seconds. Later in the year, one Nigerian MP gave an example of just how far women still have to go in the battle against abusive language and gender equality. After a row during a closed door session of the Senate in July, Dino Melaye allegedly threatened to beat up and "impregnate" a female colleague, Oluremi Tinubu. Mr Melaye later denied saying this, releasing a statement that shocked some commentators: "Biologically, it is even impossible to impregnate Tinubu because she has arrived at menopause." According to Nigeria's Punch newspaper, Ms Tinubu said she would forgive the comments, but would remain defiant in public life in socially conservative country. "I am not championing a cause for women. I am only standing in my space and if my space is encroached upon, I have to fight back. "Rosa Parks wasn't an activist; she just decided to sit in her space and not give up her space anybody in a bus. And that sent a message." Despite the various ways in which women are denied basic human rights across Africa, they are allowed to vote. But during past elections in Zambia, women wearing nail varnish were not allowed to cast their ballot unless they first wiped their fingernails clean. Officials complained that the nail varnish prevented them from applying the indelible ink correctly. However, the situation changed this August when Zambia went to the polls in an election that led to a fresh term for President Edgar Lungu. A few days before the votes were cast, the country's electoral commission posted on social media, saying women with "painted nails and/or false nails" could exercise their democratic right. In a peculiar move towards gender equality, Cameroon's parliament in June debated a new law which would see men who commit adultery sent to jail. Women in the country already faced being jailed for between two to six months for having sexual relations outside marriage. The law, which had the backing of President Paul Biya's party, was approved, and men in the country now face up to six years' incarceration for adultery, as well as a fine of up to $160 (£130). "Men having children out of wedlock should be punished because that is evidence of adultery," one MP, Tomaino Ndam Njoya, is reported to have said during the debate. Cecil the lion is gone from this world and probably from many of our minds, but an elephant in Zimbabwe

Summary: Africa has contributed its fair share of captivating headlines this year, but submerged in the coverage of migrations and mass killings, Nigerian novelist and journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani picks out some of the quirkier stories you might just have missed.


Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC), said his "heartfelt sympathies" were with the victims. He was speaking at a Peace Symposium held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, south London on Saturday. Five people died and 50 were hurt outside Parliament, last Wednesday. In a message Prime Minister Theresa May praised the conference, which she called "an annual reminder of your community's commitment to promoting peace". MPs Paul Scully and Siobhan McDonagh were among the hundreds who attended the event at the UK's largest mosque. The caliph described the attack in central London a "barbaric atrocity". "No matter what terrorists may claim, under no circumstances are indiscriminate acts, or killings ever justified," he said. He added that Muslims and non-Muslims "must stand up against all forms of oppression, hatred and use all our capabilities to try and foster peace in the world." Three people were killed in Wednesday's attack when Khalid Masood drove his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before stabbing to death unarmed PC Keith Palmer. Masood was then shot dead by police.

Summary: The world leader of millions of Muslims has condemned the Westminster terror attack calling it an "affront to the teachings of Islam".


Ian McCann, head of Rosewood Primary School in Burnley, Lancashire, reportedly took part in a charity bike ride and missed the final week of term. The 58-year-old handed in a sick note after governors declined his request for absence outside school holidays. Lancashire County Council topped a recent list of councils fining parents taking children on term-time holidays. Mr McCann, who could not immediately be reached for comment, will now have to face the school's board of governors. 4,800 Lancashire 3,319 Bradford 2,523 Redbridge 2,402 West Sussex 2,354 Derbyshire Chairwoman Alex Bird said: "I can confirm that a member of staff has been suspended. "However, as the matter is subject to investigation we will not be commenting further at this time." Lancashire County Council issued 3,907 fines to parents for unauthorised absences between September 2014 and July. Each parent can be fined Â£60, doubling to Â£120 if not paid within 28 days. Failure to pay can result in court action. A recent Press Association investigation found the number of fines handed to parents has almost trebled in two years, from 32,512 in 2012-13 to 86,010 in 2014-15.

Summary: A head teacher who went to Brazil on a cycling holiday during term time has been suspended.


The 57-year-old will take over from former Tottenham striker Mido, who was sacked two weeks ago. A statement on Zamalek's official website said: "Murtaza Mansour, chairman of the club, has confirmed that Alex McLeish has signed with him in principle to lead the first team." McLeish left Genk last summer after a season with the Belgian club. The Scotsman parted company with the Pro League outfit after they finished seventh and was linked with Zamalek before Mido started his second spell in charge in January. Mido's latest spell lasted just 37 days and seven games with Zamalek, who are currently second behind Cairo rivals Al Ahly in the Egyptian Premier League. He became the third coach sacked by the club this season following the dismissals of Jesualdo Ferreira and Paqueta. Former Aberdeen and Scotland defender McLeish has also previously managed Motherwell, Hibernian, Rangers, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

Summary: Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has agreed to coach Zamalek, the Egyptian club have announced.


They show that there has been an overall increase of 53% in the number of women being treated for the disease in the last 20 years. The rise was described as dramatic by Royal Victoria Hospital statisticians. Dr Anna Gavin, who led the research, said the health system needs to prepare itself as the figures are set to climb. "I think the services need to gear themselves up because we have done some work looking at past trends," Dr Gavin said. "We see that, in total, the cancer number is expected to increase by two thirds again, about 65% in 20 years. "The service needs to be aware of that. We need to be thinking of ways to cope because it is largely driven by the aging population." Meanwhile, one woman who is living with the disease is calling for greater awareness of inflammatory breast cancer. Lynette McHendry, from County Antrim, is due to have both breasts removed next week. The 37-year-old patient said she believed some inflammatory breast cancer cases are being misdiagnosed. The mother of two is appealing to clinicians to become more aware of the symptoms surrounding this aggressive disease, after her cancer went undetected for over a month. "The symptoms I had were a pain in my left breast - it was hard, tender and heavy," Mrs McHendry said. "It started to swell up and ended up twice the size. It also became red, inflamed and the skin became dimply. And there was no lump." She is in the unusual position of having invasive or regular cancer in one breast and inflammatory cancer in the other. The latter went undetected because, in cases of inflammatory breast cancer, a lump does not appear in the mammogram. Mrs McHendry is one of the almost 2,800 women who were referred last year to the Belfast Cancer centre. Ninety-three percent of those cases were not malignant - but hers was. Mrs McHendry said that although women are better educated about breast cancer, there is little or no public information about inflammatory breast cancer. "I had to join a support group online based in England," she said. "By talking to those women, including one woman from Larne, I discovered so many weren't diagnosed until much later in their cancer journey, which can make a difference between being diagnosed at stage 3 or stage 4."

Summary: New figures from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry show there has been a dramatic rise in the numbers of women being diagnosed with breast cancer.


West Indies, who were 11-3 in pursuit of England's 155-9, needed 19 off the final over to win and did it in style. Marlon Samuels' 85 not out kept them in contention before Brathwaite's match-winning blitz off Ben Stokes. Joe Root scored 54 for England but nothing could stop the Windies joining their women as World T20 champions. In the process, the West Indies also became the first two-time winners of the men's World Twenty20. Despite the devastating loss, England can take a lot of encouragement from their performance in this tournament, which has showcased an attacking philosophy and resilience that was completely lacking during their group-stage exit of last year's 50-over World Cup. But for Brathwaite and Samuels, it would have been Eoin Morgan's side capping their rapid improvement with their own World T20 title. Brathwaite came in at number eight, joining Samuels at the crease in the 16th over with the West Indies on 107-6 and needing 49 from 27 balls. The tall bowler had only batted twice in the competition prior to the final, scoring 10 not out against South Africa and 13 against Afghanistan in the group stages. But, with 19 needed off Stokes' last over, he seized his moment with the bat in spectacular fashion. Brathwaite will take the headlines, but man of the match Samuels was the real architect behind the West Indies' victory courtesy of his 66-ball unbeaten 85 - the highest individual score in a World T20 final, beating his own record of 78, scored in 2012. He was brought to the crease in just the second over following the dismissal of Johnson Charles, who, along with fellow opener Chris Gayle, was one of two wickets claimed by surprise opening bowler Root. Lendl Simmons, who scored a match-winning 82 in the semi-final against India in his first appearance in the competition, was trapped lbw by David Willey in the next over to leave the West Indies reeling. Samuels was given a reprieve in the first over after the powerplay as replays of his edge from Plunkett showed it fell just short of Jos Buttler's gloves, leading to the umpire calling him back to the crease after initially raising his finger. But Samuels kept a cool head after this, scoring at around a run a ball to reach 50 and help his side to 86-3 before accelerating with two sixes and a four in a key 15th over from Plunkett. Two wickets in the 16th over by Willey in the following over swung the game back England's way, but Samuels remained to watch on from the non-striker's end as Brathwaite turned the game decisively in the West Indies' favour. It was a cruel end to the game for Stokes, who had excelled in the field, taking four catches. He left the field in tears. England also got off to a horror start in their innings, with Jason Roy bowled through the gate from just the second ball of Samuel Badree's opening over. Alex Hales (1) and captain Eoin Morgan (5) followed soon after as they

Summary: Carlos Brathwaite hit the first four balls of the final over for six as West Indies stunned England to win the World Twenty20.


The Welsh county won three of 16 games in the County Championship Division Two last season and failed to make progress in the limited overs competitions. Mott is in the third and final year of contract as Glamorgan's head of elite performance. "You do feel in the third year that you should see the fruits of your labour," said Mott. "We have built a squad over the last couple of years and this is the year where we should be looking to improve a helluva lot. "Last year, we made some improvements towards the back end, but it was too little, too late. "This month of April is very important for everyone at the club and in Wales. We have to start to show what we have got." Glamorgan lost James Harris, who is one of four uncapped players in England's ICC Champions Trophy provisional squad, after he agreed to join Middlesex on a three-year contract at the end of last season. Veteran Robert Croft also retired after 23 seasons with the Welsh county. Seam bowler Harris triggered a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave Glamorgan, who gave him his first-class debut as a 16-year-old in 2007, if the Welsh county were not in the top tier. Mott has returned from a 10-day pre-season tour of South Africa with Glamorgan and is convinced his squad are ready to learn the lessons of last seasons's disappointing campaign. "We need to improve across the board," said Mott. "A realistic goal is to win more games than we lose and we didn't get close to that last year. "If we get close to that, just like any side in this division, it can come down to the last couple of games and you are challenging, but we have to start the season better. "We finished well last season but our start really killed us and our promotion aspirations." Glamorgan have added Australian bowler Michael Hogan and Zimbabwean batsman Murray Goodwin to their squad this year. Australian Marcus North is to lead the one-day side, while his countryman, pace bowler Dirk Nannes, has been signed to play in the Friends Life T20. On Friday, Glamorgan play their final pre-season friendly with a three-day match against Cardiff MCCU. Their first game of the season is against Northamptonshire in the County Championship in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Summary: Glamorgan chief Matthew Mott says he expects his side to secure vastly improved results this season.


A Swedish couple adopted her when she was two-and-a-half years old and gave her a new life. Forty-two years later, she tracked down her biological mother and had an emotional reunion with the woman she had wondered about all her life. Speaking over the phone from her home in Helsingborg on the Sweden-Denmark border, she told the BBC that meeting her mother was "nothing less than a miracle". "My mother was 21 years old. She had been married to my father, a farmer, for three years when one day he came home after a fight with someone. He was very angry. He killed himself. He had consumed pesticides," Ms Purve-Jorendal said. Her mother went to stay with her parents who wanted her to remarry and restart her life. "But she was pregnant, and she didn't even know," says Ms Purve-Jorendal. When the family discovered her pregnancy, they took her to a charity in Pune where she delivered a baby girl in September 1973. "I'm told that for a few months, she stayed at the centre, nursed me and looked after me." When Ms Purve-Jorendal turned two-and-a-half, she was adopted by a couple in Sweden who provided her a new home and a new life. "But I always wondered about my mother in India. Who was she? How was she? Why did she leave me? I knew I needed to find her since I was a part of her. I wanted to get answers to all my questions." Her adoptive parents were supportive of her quest, but others couldn't fathom why she would want to rake up the past. "You have a good life here. Leave her alone," they advised her. Ms Purve-Jorendal began actively looking for her mother in 1998 and nearly two decades later, her search ended in a small village in Maharashtra. At the outset, she didn't have much to go by - just the names of her mother and her grandfather that were in the adoption papers. "I realised how hard it was to get anywhere with that. How do you find someone in a country of 1.2 billion people? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. You must have the right connections, know how to press the right buttons." In 2014, she contacted Against Child Trafficking (ACT), a voluntary organisation based in Belgium. On 8 August last year, she received an email from ACT which said they had succeeded in tracing her mother and attached were some photos. "I can't describe my feelings. Here was a person I had longed for my whole life and then I see her photograph. It was beyond imagination. It was a miracle." A few days before her birthday in September, she flew halfway across the world to meet the woman who had given birth to her. "And suddenly I was there. Outside her house, outside her door. A social worker had been in touch with her so she was expecting me. She was sitting down and stood up when she saw me. I had a blackout, I did not react.

Summary: Elisabet Purve-Jorendal was born in India and given away for adoption in 1973 when she was less than six months old.


Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir made the announcement as part of a reallocation of funds known as a monitoring round. He said that when added to the last monitoring round it means the executive has allocated an additional £200m to health in 2016/17. Health accounts for about half of Stormont's departmental spending. Last week, Health Minister Michelle O'Neill said her department needed "significant additional funding" to meet growing demand. When asked on Tuesday if any of the money would be allocated to waiting lists, Ms O'Neill said she "would make her decisions on the allocations of the additional resources as soon as possible within the next few days". So how will the money be spent? At this stage there is little detail. However, from the health minister's statement it seems that the money will go directly to unscheduled care which includes emergency departments. It will also be directed to those areas within hospitals which often experience bed blocking - when patients cannot be discharged as there is nowhere for them to be cared for in the community, including in their own homes. Read more. Other reallocations include £30m to schools with £5m of that for special educational needs. There is also £25m for roads maintenance and building schemes and £20m for further education. Mr Ó Muilleoir said there have been no new spending cuts despite pressure on budgets "as a result of the Westminster austerity agenda". A large slice of the money which has been reallocated is £30m which had been set aside to mitigate cuts to tax credits. However, the money is no longer needed for that purpose after the chancellor reversed his plan to cut tax credits.

Summary: The Northern Ireland health service is to receive an extra £72m to help deal with pressures in the service.


There have been ongoing industrial problems in the school for months. The panel consists of leading educationalist Prof Sir Robert Salisbury, trade unionist John Corey and Belfast Metropolitan College's principal Marie-ThÃ©rÃ¨se McGivern. Education Minister John O'Dowd has said he wants them to complete the investigation by early summer. The secondary school, in the Andersonstown area of west Belfast, has 1,100 pupils. About a third of its 70-strong teaching staff were absent for a period prior to Easter, and, in an unusual move last month, an associate principal was appointed to the school. A group representing some parents also held a number of protests to express their concern about how the disputes were affecting their children. Mr O'Dowd said that he wanted the panel to investigate events in the school, and make recommendations "to ensure the school's future". "I consider the panel members to be eminently well qualified and experienced," he said. "My priority continues to be to the pupils at the school and this investigation will give pupils, parents, staff and their representatives, and all those involved with the governance of the school, the opportunity to express their view." The investigation will look at staff relationships, the role of senior leadership, governance of the school and the impact of the ongoing disputes on pupils. Mr Corey was general secretary of Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) union from 2003-10 and is currently a member of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. Prior to her role at Belfast Metropolitan College, Ms McGivern was director of development at Belfast City Council. Sir Robert, meanwhile, recently chaired the literacy and numeracy task force in Northern Ireland and is a former professor of education at the University of Nottingham. The National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), which represents almost half the teachers at De La Salle College, welcomed the appointments. It said the move "should reassure all partners in the De La Salle community that Minister O'Dowd is committed to finding a robust resolution to the recent period of challenge". However, it said the terms of reference would be "critical to the success or otherwise of the investigation". The NASUWT also said it will "seek assurances from the panel that their work will not cause any further disruption". Jim Clarke, chief executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), also welcomed the appointment of the panel. "The background and experience of those who will be carrying out the investigation gives confidence to the process," he said. "CCMS will continue with its ongoing work with the other interests through the agreed strategy. It remains focused on the needs and interests of the pupils at the school."

Summary: A three-person panel has been appointed to carry out an investigation into De La Salle College in west Belfast.


The Stanford University team said the findings were "incredibly exciting" and would now be tested in clinics. Eventually, they believe using AI could revolutionise healthcare by turning anyone's smartphone into a cancer scanner. Cancer Research UK said it could become a useful tool for doctors. The AI was repurposed from software developed by Google that had learned to spot the difference between images of cats and dogs. It was shown 129,450 photographs and told what type of skin condition it was looking at in each one. It then learned to spot the hallmarks of the most common type of skin cancer: carcinoma, and the most deadly: melanoma. Only one in 20 skin cancers are melanoma, yet the tumour accounts for three-quarters of skin cancer deaths. The experiment, detailed in the journal Nature, then tested the AI against 21 trained skin cancer doctors. One of the researchers, Dr Andre Esteva, told the BBC News website: "We find, in general, that we are on par with board-certified dermatologists." However, the computer software cannot make a full diagnosis, as this is normally confirmed with a tissue biopsy. Dr Esteva said the system now needed to be tested alongside doctors in the clinic. "The application of AI to healthcare is, we believe, an incredibly exciting area of research that can be leveraged to achieve a great deal of societal good," he said. "One particular route that we find exciting is the use of this algorithm on a mobile device, but to achieve this we would have to build an app and test its accuracy directly from a mobile device." Incredible advances in machine-learning have already led to AI beating one of humanity's best Go players. And a team of doctors in London have trained AI to predict when the heart will fail. Dr Jana Witt, from the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "Using artificial intelligence to help diagnose skin cancer is very interesting, as it could support assessments by GPs and dermatologists. "It's unlikely that AI will replace all of the other information your clinician would consider when making a diagnosis, but AI could help guide GP referrals to specialists in the future." Follow James on Twitter.

Summary: Artificial intelligence can identify skin cancer in photographs with the same accuracy as trained doctors, say scientists.


Dywedodd Ofcom eu bod wedi ailhysbysebu'r drwydded ar gyfer teledu lleol yn Abertawe am nad oedd ymgeisydd yn ystod rownd gyntaf y broses drwyddedu. Y llynedd Made TV oedd y cynigydd llwyddiannus i redeg yr orsaf leol yng Nghaerdydd. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi dweud bod 'na alw am fwy o raglenni lleol ar wahân i'r rheiny sy'n cael eu cynnig gan y BBC a darlledwyr masnachol. Cafodd Bangor a'r Wyddgrug eu cynnwys ar restr lleoliadau posib ar gyfer teledu lleol gafodd ei chyhoeddi gan Yr Adran dros Ddiwylliant, y Cyfryngau a Chwaraeon yn 2011. Ond nid oedden nhw ymysg y lleoliadau gafodd eu hysbysebu ar gyfer rownd gyntaf trwyddedu. Ddydd Mercher fe wnaeth Ofcom wahodd cynigion i ddarparu gwasanaethau teledu lleol mewn 30 ardal yn y DU cyn yr ail rownd o drwyddedu gael eu cyhoeddi yn ddiweddarach eleni. Y diwrnod cau ar gyfer y cynigion yw Ebrill 24. Yn gynharach ym mis Mawrth cyhoeddodd Ofcom eu bod wedi dyfarnu 19 trwydded ar gyfer ardaloedd gafodd eu hysbysebu yn y rownd gyntaf. Y gobaith yw i rai sianelu a enillodd y trwyddedau hyn ddarlledu cyn diwedd 2013.

Summary: Mae Ofcom, y corff sy'n cadw golwg ar ddarlledu, wedi gwahodd cynigion ar gyfer lansio gorsafoedd teledu lleol ym Mangor a'r Wyddgrug.


Dame Sally Davies said the action by the British Medical Association (BMA) would "lead to patients suffering". The strike begins across England at 08:00 GMT, from when junior doctors will only provide emergency care. The BMA said the strikes "demonstrated the strength of feeling amongst the profession". It announced three spells of strike action in England in November, after negotiations with the government ended without resolution. Issues being disputed by the BMA and NHS include weekend pay. "As a doctor, I can understand the anger and frustration felt by many junior doctors at this time," Dame Sally said. "In part, this dispute is a symptom of frustration and low morale that has been building for decades and the strain that a career in medicine can place on your work-life balance. "Junior doctors are the backbone of the NHS, working long and anti-social hours... It is vital that, as senior medical leaders, we ask ourselves whether we are doing everything we can to ensure our junior colleagues feel valued." The planned strikes are set to take place from: Conciliation service Acas has confirmed that talks between the BMA and NHS bosses will continue next week. Junior doctors' leaders are objecting to the prospect of a new contract. The government has described the current arrangements as "outdated" and "unfair", pointing out they were introduced in the 1990s. Ministers drew up plans to change the contract in 2012, but talks broke down last year. The government has indicated it will impose the new contract next year in England. The BMA has responded by initiating the industrial action process. Junior doctors row: What you need to know What exactly do junior doctors do?

Summary: Junior doctors should suspend Tuesday's strike action over pay and conditions while talks continue, the chief medical officer for England has urged.


Valerie Cadogan was cycling with her husband when she struck the 25cm (10in) wide, 11cm (4in) pothole and hit her head, Newport Coroner's Court heard. Council workers were called to the area within hours to fill in the potholes in April this year and make the area safe. Coroner David Bowen said the effects of the impact may have been lessened had Mrs Cadogan been wearing a helmet. Mrs Cadogan was airlifted to Bristol's Frenchay Hospital after the incident but never regained consciousness. She died the following day. The Newport Coroner's Court hearing was told Monmouthshire council immediately filled the pothole on St Mary's Road. Mark Watkins, of the local authority's highways department, said the road is inspected annually and they had had no reports of defects there following an inspection in June 2012.

Summary: A 72-year-old cyclist died after she fell from her bike after hitting a pothole in Monmouth, an inquest heard.


The incident occurred on Great Northern Road near to its junction with Clifton Road at about 12:00 on Saturday. Police Scotland has appealed for witnesses to the crash. Police said the collision involved a black Yamaha motorcycle, a black Vauxhall Adam and a silver Volkswagen Caravelle. Sgt Malcolm Kinross, of Police Scotland's divisional road policing unit, said: "Our thoughts at this difficult time are with the family and friends of Damian Piotrowski. "We continue to investigate the circumstances of this collision and we are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward. "In particular, we are keen to speak to passing motorists in a white Vauxhall Insignia and a dark coloured Nissan Qashqai who may have witnessed the collision."

Summary: A 27-year-old motorcyclist who died following a three-vehicle crash in Aberdeen has been named by police as Damian Piotrowski.


The 17-year-old scored 330.70 in Kiev to finish ahead of Russian duo Anna Chuinyshena (326.90) and Iuliia Timoshinina (313.30). "To be honest, I did not expect this victory," said Toulson. "I am not totally satisfied with my dives yet." The World Championships take place in Budapest, Hungary from 14 July. Toulson is expected to compete both individually and with Tonia Couch in the synchronised event.

Summary: Britain's Lois Toulson won European Championship gold in the 10m platform as she finalises her preparations for next month's World Championships.


A two-year-old black and white cat named Patch died following a suspected poisoning in Bro Dulas, Llanidloes. Two other cats in the area were also put to sleep after they became unwell. RSPCA chief inspector Phil Lewis said: "We don't know whether these incidents were accidental or deliberate or who may have done it." Patch's owner said: "I am just so angry and devastated. Patch was such a quiet and loving cat." Mr Lewis added: "We're calling on all cat owners in the Llanidloes area to be vigilant and to take their cat to a vet straight away if they suspect they have been poisoned." Potential signs of poisoning could include vomiting, difficulty breathing, increased thirst, and appearing to be be sleepy and uncoordinated.

Summary: The RSPCA is urging cat owners to be vigilant after suspected cat poisoning deaths in Powys.


A feasibility study will look at options for a five-mile network linking the city centre and Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan. The planned system would see passengers transported in gondolas along a route from Cardiff central train station. CBC chairman Nigel Roberts said it would carry 2,500 tourists and commuters every hour. He said: "The great thing about Cardiff Bay is that when you get up into the air you can get a phenomenal view." If plans get off the ground, the gondolas would pass through the city's Central Square and Cardiff Bay before terminating in Penarth. The scheme, which would cost about £20m per mile, could be funded from the Welsh transport budget, the private sector and sponsorship, Mr Roberts suggested. He said funding may also be secured via the City Deal - a measure designed to help the Welsh economy grow - which Chancellor George Osborne announced in Wednesday's Budget. "This would be a sustainable public transport method which would serve our growing city," said Mr Roberts. The CBC chairman was unable to say when the line could, if financially viable, be ready to carry passengers. "I would certainly like to sit on this in my lifetime," he added. The news comes after CBC, Cardiff council's inward investment arm, revealed it had also drawn up plans for Wales' first commercial seaplane service.

Summary: Plans for a £100m cable car system in Cardiff are being explored by Cardiff Business Council.


The footage shows Mr Duterte and his supporters making light of the assault by prison inmates in 1989 when he was town mayor. He said the female missionary was so beautiful that "the mayor should have been first". Critics say this shows Mr Duterte is "unfit" for the office of president. Mr Duterte's supporters however have dismissed the comments as a joke. The candidate is known for his irreverent speeches and boasts of sexual conquests. One recent poll had him leading over other contenders ahead of the 9 May election. The rape comments in a YouTube video are the latest in a string of inflammatory statements - including the proposed mass executions of suspected criminals - made by Mr Duterte. In the video he refers to the missionary who was murdered while ministering in a prison in the city of Davao in the southern Philippines and goes on to make his remark to laughter at a campaign rally. President Benigno Aquino's spokesman Herminio Coloma said the comments reflected Mr Duterte's "lack of fitness for the presidency" and his "utter lack of respect for women". A rival presidential candidate, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, called the comments revolting. "You are a crazy maniac who doesn't respect women and doesn't deserve to be president," Mr Binay told Mr Duterte in a statement. Human Rights Watch (HRW) Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson said the comments "were a disgusting endorsement of sexual violence" for which Mr Duterte should be utterly condemned. In 2015, HRW described Mr Duterte as the death squad mayor for his tactics in dealing with violent crime in Davao, with more than 1,000 people being killed.

Summary: A video of leading Philippines presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte joking about a murdered Australian rape victim has provoked a storm of protest.


The scheme, developed by the OU, has been designed to observe students' paths through courses and engagement with online learning modules. The OU's Prof John Domingue told the BBC: "This has been developed as a tool for tutors to help students. "We are planning to use this data for students studying in 2015-16." The programme, called OU Analyse, was developed at the university during the 2013-14 academic year. It uses a variety of data sets held by the OU and assesses the likelihood of a student submitting their next assignment by using information gathered from four different algorithms. The more algorithms that indicate the student will not send in their work - the higher the chance of that happening. Prof Domingue added: "We take advantage of the fact that modules are presented many times. One can use the experience of previous students to benefit future students. An interesting fact is that the data of the interactions before the course actually starts, like reading the material available and engaging with forums, is extremely valuable. "Currently it is deployed on 13 modules, mostly level one modules in order to try to provide timely indicators that students may be struggling. "The model is tailored to each of the modules and by using this and identifying students, more tailored support may be provided." The OU has taken steps to ensure that students' privacy is not compromised by the scheme - putting in place an ethics policy, agreed in consultation with a student committee, to protect their data. Ruth Tudor, president of the Open University's Students' Association, thinks the scheme is a positive one. "It's a great idea and a great way of providing targeted support to students who may be struggling and need extra help," she told the BBC. "I would like to think that this would improve the drop-out rate from OU courses. You must remember they take students who have come from no academic background so it is always possible that those people take on more than they think they can manage. "That's why data analytics will help provide extra support and can help them be successful." Reports suggest that some other British universities are thinking of using similar methods and Ms Tudor added: "I don't see why this shouldn't happen in other universities. It has happened in the USA and I'm surprised they're not using it here."

Summary: Students at the Open University are going to have their progress monitored by a set of algorithms to spot if they need any extra support.


On Monday, the BBC's Panorama programme uncovered several safety concerns, from staffing levels to waste storage. The Mannin Branch of the Celtic League has called on the Manx government to campaign for a full, independent inspection of the plant in Cumbria. Sellafield says the site is safe and has been improved with significant investment in recent years. A spokesman added: "Safety is our priority and we are managing a very complex site which has got a great deal of hazardous radioactive materials on it." The Isle of Man is located about 34 miles (55km) from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Due to its potential impact on the Manx fishing industry, the Manx government began monitoring radioactivity levels in the Irish Sea in 1989. A government spokesman said: "Seafood fished in Manx waters can contain traces of radio-nuclides associated with effluent discharges from Sellafield to the Irish Sea, therefore these are monitored regularly to confirm that they remain well below maximum safe limits." The BBC investigation was prompted by a whistle-blower - a former senior manager who was worried by conditions at the plant. He said his biggest fear was a fire in one of the nuclear waste silos or in one of the processing plants. The Manx government said it was particularly concerned about "the structural integrity of ageing waste storage ponds and silos". A spokesman added: "However we are content that Sellafield Ltd and the nuclear regulators are trying to improve the safety situation. "The government has asked questions about the technical solutions being developed to decommission these redundant structures and representatives have visited the site to look at the work under way".

Summary: The Manx government is "concerned" about the safety of the Sellafield nuclear site, a spokesman said.


The Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust was given the rating following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September. Chief Executive Heather Tierney Moore said she was "proud" of the progress made since its previous inspection. The trust was told to focus on issues including staff training, safety and risk assessments in mental health. The trust, which provides services in district nursing, offender health, and mental health and community services such as wellbeing, had been told it "required improvement" in November 2015. Ms Moore said the improved rating was "a fantastic achievement solely down to hard work and effort" it has put into improvements. "This fills us with pride and shows that we are a truly compassionate organisation," she said. Ms Moore said a theme through the report was that patients were treated "with dignity and respect". The trust said the issues highlighted were already being addressed and the relocation of Hurstwood Ward (formerly ward 22) from Burnley to Royal Blackburn Hospital has been completed. The trust was set up in 2002 and has almost 7000 staff across 400 sites. In October, a whistleblower who worked at the trust as a therapist claimed that dozens of prison inmates with serious mental health problems were being left untreated. The trust denied the claim and said severe cases were treated.

Summary: A care trust that was told to improve its services has now been classed as "good" overall by health inspectors.


The S&P 500 climbed 8.7 points to 2,049.29, as it ended the day above where it had closed at the end of 2015. The Dow Jones was up 117.59 points to 17,599.08, having itself moved into positive territory for the year on Thursday. Meanwhile, the tech-based Nasdaq rose by 20.66 points to 4,795.65. Investors remained positive after Wednesday's Fed decision to maintain interest rates between 0.25% and 0.50%. The Fed also signalled that there would be fewer 2016 rate rises than previously expected. The news helped raise banking stocks. Goldman Sachs shares climbed 3.1%, while JP Morgan gained 2.9%. Microsoft was one of the Nasdaq's main movers, losing 2.4%.

Summary: (Close): Wall Street markets rose on Friday, extending the previous day's rally and bringing the S&P 500 into positive territory for the year.


Ar un adeg roedd deg person tân yno yn defnyddio offer arbennig i'w codi uwchben yr adeilad er mwyn ceisio diffodd y fflamau. Yn ôl adroddiadau mae'r tân bellach o dan reolaeth ond nid yw'n bosib i'r criwiau ddweud yn iawn os yw'r tân wedi llwyr ddiffodd gan fod y llanw wedi rhwystro diffoddwyr rhag mynd ato. Mae disgwyl i ddiffoddwyr aros yno dros nos ac fe fydd ymchwiliad i'r union achos yn dechrau ddydd Sadwrn. Yn ddiweddar fe syrthiodd rhan o'r pier i'r môr ac yn fuan wedyn cafodd ei ddifrodi ymhellach gan storm Doris. Mae yna gynlluniau i'w adfer a'i ail-ddatblygu.

Summary: Cafodd Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub y Gogledd ei galw i bier Fictorianaidd Bae Colwyn oddeutu 16:30 brynhawn Gwener wedi adroddiadau bod tân wedi cynnau yn rhan o'r pier.


Ethiopia's world champion Mare Dibaba took the bronze medal as her compatriot and race favourite Tigist Tufa pulled out before the halfway mark. London Marathon winner Sumgong, 31, finished in two hours 24 minutes four seconds to end a run of three straight silvers in the event for Kenya. GB's Alyson Dixon and Sonia Samuels finished 28th and 30th respectively. Sumgong, who fell on her way to victory in London this year, and Kirwa pulled away from Dibaba in the final 2km in humid conditions in Rio. Find out how to get into running with our special guide Kenya-born Kirwa, who secured Bahrain's first ever Olympic silver and second medal of all time, failed to stay with Sumgong and both women looked physically exhausted after they crossed the line. "I was never worried that I'd lose this," said Sumgong. "At 40km I knew the gold was mine. At 35km I noticed that my other two team-mates had dropped off and that gave me the motivation to carry on. "At 40km I saw there were three of us but I knew whatever happened I couldn't lose the gold and then I knew I was on the way to history." Women's marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe "The conditions will have taken their toll. The way Sumgong stumbled over the line shows that. "It was a race of attrition and about who could hold and leave enough. Sumgong dominated that race mentally as well as physically." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Jemima Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win the Olympic marathon, beating Eunice Kirwa of Bahrain.


The 30-year-old defender has made 200 appearances for the Rams since joining from Coventry City in 2012. A Republic of Ireland international, Keogh made two appearances at Euro 2016 as Ireland reached the knockout stages. "He's an important player, on and off the pitch, so it's great news that he has committed his future for the next three years." boss Nigel Pearson said.

Summary: Derby County captain Richard Keogh has signed a new three-year deal, keeping him with the club until summer 2019.


Janice Farman, originally from Clydebank, was killed at her home in front of her son earlier this month. Three men have appeared in court in connection with her murder. Her parents said they heard about her death through social media and cannot attend her funeral due to ill health. Alexander and Doreen Farman, from Clydebank, said their daughter's death had left a "huge void" in their lives. The men accused of involvement in Ms Farman's murder are Anish Soneea, 18, Ravish Rao Fakhoo and Kamlesh Mansingh, both 25. Last week, they returned to the crime scene as part of the police investigation and took part in a reconstruction of alleged events. It had previously been reported that Ms Farman's mother had gone to Mauritius following her daughter's death. However, in the letter, her parents said they were unable to travel to the Indian Ocean island due to serious health issues. They said: "We are both unable to travel to Mauritius and wish to thank all our friends there for assisting us with funeral arrangements for which we are very grateful. "We are confident that you will give Janice the send off which she richly deserves. "We feel humbled by the outpouring of love and support we have received from her friends." The BBC's World Service correspondent in Mauritius, Yasine Mohabuth, obtained a copy of the letter. It went on: "To us, Janice was an outstanding daughter, a devoted mother and a fiercely loyal friend." "We are sure that she will be remembered by many both in Scotland and in Mauritius for the love and care which she extended to people and abandoned and injured animals. These memories we will cherish forever." Ms Farman's parents said they learned of her death via social media and had still not received any official contact from the Mauritian authorities. They added: "The shock and pain of all this will haunt us all our days. "We try to cope by remembering all the good deeds she did throughout her life. The love she shared with so many and her jovial fun loving nature. Janice has left a huge void in our lives." Ms Farman first visited Mauritius in 1999 and later went to live in the country after her first husband went there to work. She had been working as the managing director of PECS (Mauritius) Ltd, a privately-owned group of companies providing data services. She had recently moved to Albion, in the west of the island.

Summary: The parents of a Scottish woman murdered in Mauritius have written a letter to her friends and colleagues there, thanking them for the love they had shown to their daughter.


Lord Forsyth of Drumlean said the SNP election result was a "revolution" and could not be overlooked. Meanwhile, former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling said Mr Cameron had the chance of "building a constitution for the 21st century". The SNP won 56 of the 59 Scottish seats at Westminster last week. Mr Darling added that in his opinion the rising success of the SNP had "completely overtaken" any agreements made in the Smith Commission - which outlined increased devolution proposals in the wake of the independence referendum last year. Lord Forsyth, a Conservative peer, told the BBC that the big advantage of giving Scotland more powers was that it would prevent SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon producing "fantasy manifestos" without raising the cash to pay for it. He said: "I think we have to recognise what happened in Scotland last Thursday was a revolution. "The Conservative in me was full of joy for what David Cameron had achieved but the unionist is greatly dismayed. "We used to say if the SNP won a majority in seats in Scotland then they could have independence. "They got 50% of the vote and 95% of the seats and the reality is you have to respond to that and I think what the government needs to do is produce a White Paper which sets out how fiscal autonomy, devo-max, call it what you will, would work in practice so people are aware of the advantages and the disadvantages." The Conservatives have outlined in their manifesto an "English votes for English laws" proposal, which would give MPs for English seats a veto on issues which affect only England, including on income tax. Mr Cameron promised firm proposals within 100 days of forming a government, which would be "fully implemented" by the time of the Budget in March of the following year. But Mr Darling warned that such a law could break up the union. He told the BBC: "...by saying that essentially English MPs will decide tax and spending, you are well on the way to breaking up the Union." SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has previously said if there were matters that were genuinely English only, and had no impact in Scotland, there would be "a strong case" for Scottish MPs not voting on them. "The problem is there's a lot of issues characterised as English-only issues that are anything but - matters relating to the English health service for example. "Decisions taken on that have a direct impact on Scotland's budget," she said. Ms Sturgeon is referring to the system used to allocate funds to devolved governments. These sums are dictated - via the Barnett formula - by the figure allocated to services such as health and education in England.

Summary: The government needs to set out how it will devolve further fiscal powers to Scotland following the rise of the SNP, a former Scottish secretary has said.


Samples drilled from beneath the Indian Ocean are being used to reconstruct past rainfall and temperature records. Scientists are studying how the Indian monsoon behaved in the past, to shed light on the impact of climate change. The research will lead to a better understanding of how the monsoon over India might change, said Dr Kate Littler of the University of Exeter. As part of the larger-scale Asian monsoon, the monsoon over India is formed due to intense heat from the Sun in late spring, which warms the Northern Indian Ocean, along with the plains of northern India and the Tibetan Plateau. This results in 75% of the year's rain falling between June and September. Simulations of future climate generally suggest a 5-10% increase in monsoon rainfall over India, which could influence the economy and agriculture. Palaeoclimatology - the study of changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth - can give valuable clues to how the Earth might respond to future climate change. Dr Littler was part of an expedition to the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea on a scientific drill ship belonging to the UK International Ocean Discovery Program. The team of international scientists collected sediment samples from the deep-sea at several locations. These are being analysed to reconstruct what the regional and global climate was like during the period when the small fossilised marine creatures contained in the sediments lived. "We wanted to capture the whole evolution of the India monsoon from when it intensified about 8 million years ago," said Dr Littler. "By analysing these hard-to-reach deep-sea sediments we will make important discoveries about the behaviour of the Indian monsoon in the deep past, and how its behaviour and intensity may change in the near future. "The data will give us a holistic idea of the past behaviour of the monsoon." Some of the samples came from sites that had never been drilled before. Others contained volcanic ashes, which can be matched to ancient volcanic eruptions, helping in dating the sediments. Their chemistry, geology and biology will be analysed to build up a record of how the annual Indian monsoon cycle has historically been affected by climate change.

Summary: Fossils from the ocean floor are yielding clues to the Indian monsoon millions of years ago.


Liam Craig swept home Steven MacLean's delivery in with 14 minutes gone. ICT captain Gary Warren was dismissed for two bookable offences in quick succession after the break, leading to Murray Davidson firing in a second. Danny Swanson broke neatly into the box and killed off Caley Thistle in the final 10 minutes with a low finish. Inverness, now propping up the league table, have conceded more goals than any other side in the Premiership. Their rearguard were all lured to the ball for the opening goal. Good play from MacLean drew in a posse of defenders before he played in Craig to deftly finish from the edge of the box. When skipper Warren was sent-off you feared the worst for Inverness. His first yellow was for persistent fouling. His second came soon after for a foul on Swanson as the forward skipped past him. The resultant free-kick led to Davidson doubling the Saints lead. Injuries have not helped Caley Thistle's cause at the back - Ross Draper was forced to play centre-back - but boss Richie Foran must be concerned about the porous nature of his defence. St Johnstone had lost three of their four home games ahead this match. Manager Tommy Wright knew it was vital his side stopped conceding poor goals. It was better in the first half. Often Inverness got to the St Johnstone box only to be rebuffed by a ring of light blue steel that resulted in the visitors barely getting a sniff of goal. Overall Inverness looked toothless but credit to St Johnstone for looking more like their resolute selves. There was a swagger about Wright's side after they opened the scoring, but they had to wait until the second half to increase their lead. They might have had a penalty when Richard Foster went down in the box under challenge. It looked a bit soft and referee Euan Anderson waved it away. St Johnstone deserved another goal, though, and it came after Warren's dismissal, Davidson finding the bottom corner from the ricocheted free-kick. Swanson added the icing to the cake with a third goal 10 minutes from time, as Saints sealed an utterly deserved victory. St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright: "We started on the front foot, got the goal, then after the first and second goals we dropped off a little bit. Inverness got back into it without causing us many problems. "Our achilles heel this season has been not defending crosses into the box and set plays, and I thought the two centre-halves and Murray Davidson in particular dealt with them well. "Swanson's goal is a good, quality goal, and we probably could've scored more when they went down to 10. I'm pleased with the three points and probably equally pleased with the clean sheet." Inverness CT manager Richie Foran: "We got what we deserved. We've gone from one of our best performances of the season (against Dundee) to probably our worst. It's very disappointing. Talk about being inconsistent - that's sums us up this season. "You're in there before games trying to

Summary: St Johnstone moved within two points of fourth place in the Scottish Premiership by despatching 10-man Inverness CT, who now sit bottom.


The memory of the "Boy from Bassendean" - a suburb in the Western Australian state capital - is being erased by the local council. He has gone from favourite son to outcast by a simple show of hands at a council meeting. Harris's artworks will be taken down from its chambers and his status as a freeman has been rescinded, while a plaque outside his childhood home was stolen before the local authority could remove it. "We simply cannot tolerate the horrendous crimes for which he's been convicted," Bassendean Mayor John Gangell told ABC radio. And the backlash is spreading. In Melbourne a public mural, the "Entertainers of the Century" that features 100 prominent performers, will be changed to paint over Rolf Harris's cheery image. There is speculation, too, that Harris could be stripped of his Order of Australia award, one of the nation's most coveted honours. His conviction comes at a sensitive time for Australia, where the depravity of paedophiles is being scrutinised like never before. A royal commission into institutional responses to child sex abuse continues to uncover a terrible flood of atrocities, and could take years to complete its task. Justice Peter McClellan, who chairs it, believes that victims who have suffered alone for so long are finally coming forward because of high-profile court cases, including the conviction of Harris. "It is becoming apparent as we do our work that as the issue of abuse is raised and talked about, survivors increasingly feel able to bring their own story to the authorities," said Justice McClellan. "That which may have been kept secret for years may now be told. The burden of guilt and shame which many have felt is lifted by knowing that others who have suffered have overcome their reticence," he added. The law firm Slater & Gordon says since Harris's trial began it has been contacted by around a dozen women in Australia and New Zealand alleging they were molested by the TV presenter. "My understanding is that we're talking about assaults that occurred in those countries going back to the 70s and 80s," said lawyer Alan Collins. "Given what we heard in [Southwark Crown] court, a number of victims have suffered a very profound damage, I would have thought it highly likely that claims would be brought." Hetty Johnston, founder of one of Australia's most prominent child safety groups, Bravehearts Inc, raised the prospect of further charges against Harris. "Rolf Harris - icon to inmate. Victims vindicated. Hopefully when he comes out there will be more victims waiting to send him right back," Ms Johnston tweeted. Convicted by a court half a world away, 84-year old Harris has felt the full force of media outrage back home. The Australian has detailed "his most spectacular fall from cuddly establishment showman to jailbird," while the Sydney Morning Herald said he was "always an embarrassing curiosity rather than a national treasure". Harris was, the paper told its readers, a "mild colonial boy who simply went bad".

Summary: Australia is racing to distance itself from Rolf Harris as the shamed Perth-born entertainer starts a jail term for abusing young girls.


Philae, the first spacecraft to land on a comet, was dropped on to the surface of Comet 67P by its mothership, Rosetta, last November. It worked for 60 hours before its solar-powered battery ran flat. The comet has since moved nearer to the Sun and Philae has enough power to work again, says the BBC's science correspondent Jonathan Amos. An account linked to the probe tweeted the message, "Hello Earth! Can you hear me?" On its blog, Esa said Philae had contacted Earth, via Rosetta, for 85 seconds on Saturday in the first contact since going into hibernation in November. "Philae is doing very well. It has an operating temperature of -35C and has 24 watts available," said Philae project manager, Dr Stephan Ulamec. Scientists say they now waiting for the next contact. Esa's senior scientific advisor, Prof Mark McCaughrean, told the BBC: "It's been a long seven months, and to be quite honest we weren't sure it would happen - there are a lot of very happy people around Europe at the moment." Philae was carrying large amounts of data that scientists hoped to download once it made contact again, he said. "I think we're optimistic now that it's awake that we'll have several months of scientific data to pore over," he added. This is one of the most astonishing moments in space exploration and the grins on the faces of the scientists and engineers are totally justified, says BBC science editor David Shukman. For the first time, we will have a hitchhiker riding on a comet and describing what happens to a comet as it heats up on its journey through space, he adds. Philae is designed to analyse the ice and rocky fragments that make up the comet. Prof Monica Grady from the Open University told the BBC that scientists now hoped to be able to carry out experiments to see whether comets were the source of life on Earth. Comets contained a lot of water and carbon, and "these are the same sorts of molecules responsible for getting life going," she said. "What we're trying to find out is whether the building blocks of life, in terms of water and carbon-bearing molecules, were actually delivered to Earth from comets." When Philae first sent back images of its landing location, researchers could see it was in a dark ditch. The Sun was obscured by a high wall, limiting the amount of light that could reach the robot's solar panels. Scientists knew they only had a limited amount of time - about 60 hours - to gather data before the robot's battery ran flat. But the calculations also indicated that Philae's mission might not be over for good when the juice did eventually run dry. The comet is currently moving in towards the Sun, and the intensity of light falling on Philae, engineers suggested, could be sufficient in time to re-boot the machine. And so it has proved. Scientists must now hope they can get enough power into Philae to carry out a full range of experiments. One ambition not

Summary: The European Space Agency (Esa) says its comet lander, Philae, has woken up and contacted Earth.


The authorities say they want to check whether the organisations are operating legally - particularly whether they comply with a controversial law requiring all NGOs receiving overseas funding to register as "foreign agents". But human rights watchdog Agora says at least 90 NGOs have used its hotline since last week to complain about visits by officials from the prosecutor-general's office, the justice ministry and the tax authorities. Foreign NGOs - such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Transparency International - have been among those targeted. Marina Gridneva, from the prosecutor-general's office, said the checks were being conducted "in strict compliance with the current legislation". Russian officials typically arrive unannounced, or at short notice, and request groups to hand over legal and financial documents, eyewitnesses say. Yelena Panfilova, who heads Transparency International's office in Moscow, said she was surprised that it was being checked again - just a month after a similar inspection. Law enforcement agents visited her office on Wednesday and gave her 24 hours to hand over paperwork. Ms Panfilova's links the checks with the new NGO legislation. "We are on the list of NGOs that are visible and presumably receive foreign funding. As far as I understand, there is a big search for 'foreign agents' among the NGOs," she told the BBC. When the controversial law on NGOs was approved in November, a number of prominent Russian groups said they would not comply - even if that risked closure. They regard the term "foreign agents" as insulting, saying it harks back to Stalin-era purges. Memorial, an NGO gathering information about victims of Communism, reiterated this position earlier this week when law enforcement agents turned up at its office. "Memorialâ€¦ has carried out a research of people who 70 years ago were called agents by the authorities and then shot. For us, taking on the label of a foreign agent is unacceptable", Memorial's Alexander Cherkasov told Reuters news agency. The "foreign agent" bill was one of several controversial laws adopted in the aftermath of last year's pro-democracy protests in Moscow. Other measures introduced tougher internet restrictions, outlawed "gay propaganda" and banned adoptions of Russian orphans by US parents. "The scale of these inspections serves to reinforce the menacing atmosphere for civil society created by the adoption of last year's laws," Human Rights Watch's Rachel Denber told Reuters. The group's Moscow bureau was inspected last Thursday. Several NGOs, including Transparency International, reported that the visiting officials were also looking into the organisations' compliance with anti-extremist legislation. Russia's law gives an extremely vague definition of extremism, allowing officials much leeway in choosing their targets.

Summary: Russian officials speak of "unplanned inspections" - but human rights advocates call the recent raids on dozens of NGOs a campaign of intimidation.


The move was announced by Stormont's Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) Minister Arlene Foster. She said Northern Ireland's agri-food industry was "hugely important", with almost 100,000 jobs including farming, fishing, retail and distribution. The marketing body will be developed by the Agri-Food Strategy Board (AFSB). Ms Foster said: "The establishment of a new industry-led agri-food marketing body, which would be similar to the already successful Scotland Food and Drink, will provide a significant and exciting opportunity for the Northern Ireland agri-food industry to work together for the benefit of the entire sector. "This body will play a pivotal role in providing strategic leadership and direction for the marketing activities of both government and private sector organisations." Stormont's Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill welcomed the announcement. "Agri-food is one of the key sectors in delivering export-led economic growth for the north," she said. She said industry representatives had made it clear that there was "a need for better coordination of current marketing activities" in Northern Ireland. However, Ms O'Neill added that while the new body was "clearly a positive step", the plans could have "implications for the work of other organisations", including her own department. She said she looked forward to discussing the plans with AFSB.

Summary: A new marketing body is to be set up to promote Northern Ireland's food and drinks industry, in a bid to grow the agri-food sector and create more jobs.