When only the top two went through from each group, you could generally expect to meet another good team as soon as you reached the knockout stage. But the expansion of the tournament for Euro 2016 means that this time, if we can win our group, we will play the third-placed team from Group A, C or D in the last 16. They will almost certainly be weaker, giving us a much easier route to the quarter-finals - something which I think is a must for Roy Hodgson's team. We have to get that far, otherwise, with the players we have and the format of these finals, we will have failed. So, a positive start against Russia is imperative. We go into England's first match in Group B not knowing which system we will play - a midfield diamond, a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. In our final warm-up game, against Portugal, the diamond failed. There is no hiding from that. It did not work because most of the midfield was too deep and defensive and the forwards ended up like wingers, dealing with the opposition full-backs, when they should have been picked up by the wide midfielders or our own full-backs, higher up the pitch. A few weeks ago I thought the diamond was probably the best way to get Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane in the same team. Now, I will be amazed if that happens. I played under Hodgson and his assistant Ray Lewington for three years at Fulham and, knowing them like I do, they will choose a system that their players feel comfortable in. That is the most important thing. They will have had a good look at what went wrong with the diamond and will either revert to the 4-3-3 shape they used in March's win over Germany or the 4-2-3-1 that everyone will be familiar with. Personally I would go with a 4-2-3-1 but I think Roy will use 4-3-3. Unfortunately, that means he will have to leave out Vardy. I don't think playing strikers out wide works just to get them in the team because they look so unnatural doing it. Rooney is different when it comes to taking one of the wider roles because he has done it before and would not operate as a winger. He would sit narrower. That way he can support Kane and also drop deeper as Dele Alli flies forward. Media playback is not supported on this device Whatever the formation and selection, what I want to see from England in Marseille is a high-intensity performance, with us on the front foot, pressing Russia and trying to make things happen. We can do that in a controlled fashion so we do not have to be gung-ho. But it will be up to us to take the game to Russia because they will definitely have a more cautious approach. We should beat them with the extra quality we have in attacking areas but we certainly will not just roll them over. Their defensive record in qualifying once Leonid

Summary: England have never won their opening game at a European Championship but there is an extra incentive for them to finally put that right against Russia on Saturday.


The 66-year-old, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, County Louth, faces nine tax charges at the Republic of Ireland's Special Criminal Court. Prosecutors claim he had significant dealings in cattle and land and received farming grants but failed to submit tax returns for nine years. Mr Murphy denies the offences. His defence lawyers claim that their client's brother, Patrick Murphy, managed his cattle herd and farming activities. The prosecution at the three-judge, non-jury court was brought after an investigation by the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). One of the judges indicated that the verdict may be delivered next Thursday, 17 December, but added it is "by no means certain". Mr Murphy was remanded on continuing bail until 17 December.

Summary: The trial of the prominent republican Thomas "Slab" Murphy for alleged tax evasion has heard the court may deliver judgement on the case next week.


Bailey Gwynne died after being stabbed in the heart at Cults Academy in October. His 16-year-old killer - who cannot be named for legal reasons - had denied murder but was convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. He was sentenced by Lady Stacey at the High Court in Edinburgh. He will be supervised for two years after release. The boy was handed an eight-year sentence - and the supervision - for the killing, and another year for weapons offences. He will begin serving his sentence in a young offenders institution because of his age. The judge told him: "If you had not carried a knife, the exchange of insults between you and Bailey Gwynne would have led at worst to a fist fight - and certainly not loss of life." Lady Stacey said the killer had shown "significant regret" and "understanding of the loss you have caused". She said he chose to buy weapons online and take them to school on several occasions which was a "very serious matter". The judge added: "Nothing that I can say, nor any sentence that I impose, will do anything to lessen the grief that Bailey Gwynne's family and friends feel. "The shock of his death at such a young age was felt in the wider community; nothing I can say or do can alleviate that. "I have decided that an extended sentence is the only appropriate disposal, taking into account all of the circumstances including your age. "I hope that will lead to you being both punished and helped towards rehabilitation while you are detained in a structured environment. "Following your release you will be supervised to maximise the chance of your successful re integration into society." Defence counsel Ian Duguid said Bailey Gwynne's killer was an "ordinary, naive teenager" who recognised the gravity of what had happened. He said the teenager was "constantly monitored by psychiatric services", had post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was medicated for nightmares and depression. The fight began after an argument about a biscuit. A jury at the High Court in Aberdeen took an hour and 40 minutes to find him guilty. Following the verdict, Bailey's mother said the outcome of trial would not bring her "beloved" son back. The youth was also found guilty of two further charges of having a knife and knuckleduster in school. Aberdeen City Council said the case had been "devastating" for the families affected and staff and pupils at Cults Academy. The findings of an independent review into the circumstances surrounding the death of Bailey Gwynne are expected to be published in September. BBC Scotland revealed concerns about the killer were voiced nine years ago when, as a primary pupil, he threw rocks at another child. The incident resulted in the victim being treated for concussion.

Summary: A teenager who stabbed a 16-year-old to death in an Aberdeen school has been jailed for nine years.


Alistair Spagnoletti, 21, of Luton, and Curtis Walker, 23, of Watford, pleaded guilty to controlling a child at Harrow Crown Court. Callum Ward, 19, of Watford, was found guilty of the same charge. Police said the men groomed a 17-year-old girl into prostitution in one of the most "damaging" cases of child sexual exploitation they had seen. Det Sgt Iain MacPherson, of Hertfordshire police, said: "This is one of the most damaging cases of child sexual exploitation we have encountered in Hertfordshire. "It has also been an extremely complex case. These men had groomed their 17-year-old victim into having sex with men for money which they took, she believed that by providing her with food, drink, drugs, they were looking after her and they were people she could trust. "The power they wielded over her was so great that she felt she could not support police action against them. Sadly she may never recover from what they have done to her. "These acts are deplorable and I am in no doubt these men pose a risk to other children. It is right they are now serving time in prison." Spagnoletti, of Wauluds Drive, Luton, was jailed for six years and eight months. Walker, of Lord Street, Watford, was jailed for four and a half years and Ward, of The Thrums, Watford, was jailed for two years.

Summary: Three men have been jailed for sexually exploiting a teenage girl in Hertfordshire.


In a statement to its members, the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC) said it has "decided to shelve discussions about a sale" of Silverstone Circuit. Potential investors including the Jaguar Land Rover group and MotorSport Vision had previously shown interest in the Northamptonshire venue. The statement added the move is "not without risk". Former British F1 driver Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision pulled out of the running for the circuit before Christmas. In November, Jaguar Land Rover said it had ended discussions with the BRDC "for the foreseeable future". BRDC chairman John Grant said it had expected to "pick up discussions" with an "unnamed substantial overseas investor" in the new year, but added: "After further reflection and, in particular, completion of the sale of Formula 1 to Liberty Media, the board has now decided to shelve discussions about a sale and continue on a go-it-alone basis." He said: "While this is not without risk, we feel sufficient confidence in the improved prospects for our business to justify this change of direction." Mr Grant also said the decision means background changes such as the removal of the club secretary role and the introduction of a new voluntary club ambassador would now be put in place. These had been on hold while the talks were on-going. Further details will be discussed at the BRDC's AGM, due to take place in April.

Summary: The home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix is no longer for sale, its owner has announced.


Sharad Bheswakar, top cricketer and sporting icon in Nepal, is not actually a Nepali. At least officially, he is not a citizen of the country he calls home. He was born and raised in Nepal and plays for the national team. He has an Indian father and a Nepali mother, so getting citizenship should not be a problem according to the law of the land. But his efforts to acquire Nepalese citizenship so far have been futile. "It's been almost eight to nine years that I've been trying to get my citizenship. I'm still facing problems. It's really frustrating at times," he says. A few years ago, he was given a travel document as a special concession so he could play in matches abroad. Bridging India's identity divide A life without identity Identity in pictures A game changer? Pakistan's identity management In Nepal, you can usually apply for citizenship at the age of 16 as long as your father or mother is able to sign the official document, according to the Nepali Citizenship Act of 2006. But in practice, women in this patriarchal society still face a lot of discrimination when passing down citizenship to their children, specially in the absence of the father or if the father is not a Nepali citizen. A lack of citizenship document can make your life tough - you cannot get a driving licence, open a bank account, pursue higher education or carry out legal transactions. And according to the United Nations, the number of people grappling with this problem is far from small. "We estimate from the numbers we've seen that this is quite a big problem," says Robert Piper, the UN Resident Humanitarian Co-ordinator. "In the Election Commission's findings, more than 2 million people they interviewed - people just from the villages, not the urban areas - were actually unable to show their citizenship documents," adds Mr Piper. Usha Kala Rai, a member of the now dissolved Constituent Assembly, believes that Nepal's bureaucratic system discriminates against women. "Many women are victims of violence and discrimination. Specially those who have gone abroad for work, victims of rape, women who were abandoned, those forced to leave home and divorcees - all risk being deprived of their identity," she says. Bhagwati Chettri, 55, a Nepali, was abandoned by her husband several years ago. She does not have her own citizenship document because she failed to acquire one from either her parents or her husband before he left her. This means that her two children, who are just coming of age, have no legal identity either. "I have been trying for the last eight years to get a citizenship certificate. These days even to rent an apartment, you need it. I am getting old, so I won't need it much. But what about my children? If they could at least get the document, they could earn a living." With Nepal currently in the midst of discussions about the future political set-up in the country, the issue of citizenship is highly sensitive. Nepali politicians feel they have to be

Summary: The issue of identity is a sensitive and controversial one in Nepal, a country in flux as the drafting of a new constitution fails and new elections are announced, reports John Narayan Parajuli from Kathmandu.


The think tank's UK growth forecast for 2016 has been cut from 2.3% to 1.9%, and from 2.6% to just 0.4% for 2017. Meanwhile its forecast for GDP growth for 2018 was slashed from 2.4% to 1.4%. Its report said the Brexit vote would have "severe confidence effects on spending and business investment", which would lead to anaemic GDP growth over the next three years. However, the drop in the value of the pound could bolster exports by 3.4% next year, the Item Club said, with imports falling by 0.3%. Overall, the move would see net exports adding 1.1% to GDP in 2017, it added. Brexit 'will be horrible for UK economy' - fund manager Peter Spencer, chief economic advisor to the EY Item Club, said the UK economy was set to suffer a severe loss of momentum in the second half of this year. "Heightened uncertainty is likely to hold back business investment, while consumer spending will be restrained by a weaker jobs market and higher inflation," he said. "Longer-term, the UK may have to adjust to a permanent reduction in the size of the economy, compared to the trend that seemed possible prior to the vote. But amongst the gloom, the weaker pound provides one silver lining to exporters, particularly those selling to the US and emerging markets." A new survey from Deloitte found 82% of chief financial officers of both FTSE 350 and large privately owned companies expected to cut capital spending in the next year. That was the biggest proportion on record and more than double the 34% in the first quarter, Deloitte said. Its survey was conducted between 28 June 28 and 11 July, after the EU referendum and just before Theresa May became the new prime minister. Almost all the CFOs surveyed said the level of uncertainty facing their businesses was higher than normal. Ian Stewart, Deloitte's chief economist, said: "Perceptions of uncertainty have soared to levels last associated with the euro crisis five years ago." Leading City fund manager Richard Buxton, chief executive of Old Mutual Global Investors, has said the Brexit vote would have a "horrible" impact on the UK economy, which could "judder to a halt". The Item Club's Mr Spencer said that there were some positives ahead, including the UK retaining full access to the EU's single market in the short-term. As well as the fall in the exchange rate offering export opportunities, he said the predicted increases in inflation and unemployment would allow the economy to rebalance away from consumption. The Item Club also predicted that unemployment would rise from 5% to 7.1% by late 2019.

Summary: The UK economy may face "severe loss of momentum" after the vote to leave the EU, according to the EY Item Club.


Polling booths opened at 07:00 BST in the area's 15 constituencies, with results expected to be declared after midnight. Votes will be counted after the polls close at 22:00 BST. For the latest news from all the counts on Merseyside, go to our election live service or check the results on your constituency profile page.

Summary: People are voting across Merseyside in the general and local council elections.


Christopher Nolan won best director, and also received the film magazine's "inspiration" award. Andy Serkis won best actor for his motion-capture performance in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Ralph Fiennes, meanwhile, was presented with a "legend" award by Liam Neeson, his Schindler's List co-star. Code-breaking drama The Imitation Game began the evening with the most nominations - six - but ultimately took home just one award, for best thriller. Paddington was named best comedy at the event, while spy caper Kingsman: The Secret Service was crowned best British film. An absent Rosamund Pike was named best actress for her role in Gone Girl, while former Doctor Who star Karen Gillan won best female newcomer for her work in Guardians of the Galaxy. The latest X-Men film, Days of Future Past, won the award for best sci-fi or fantasy, while Australian title The Babadook took home the prize for best horror. Voted for by Empire readers, the awards were presented by Cold Feet star James Nesbitt at London's Grosvenor House hotel. Serkis, best known for playing Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films, ended Eddie Redmayne's winning streak for playing Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. The 50-year-old said it was "gratifying" to be recognised as it helped illustrate his part in portraying computer-generated ape Caesar was "no different from any form of live-action acting". Fiennes, currently appearing in Man and Superman at the National Theatre, confessed to feeling both "delight" and "embarrassment" at being called a legend. "The 'L' word is only really applicable to a handful of dead actors... and should be treated with generous bucket-loads of irony," he told an audience that included his Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe. Paying tribute to such former colleagues as Steven Spielberg and Robert Redford, the 53-year-old also gave an unexpected shout-out to Jennifer Lopez, his co-star in romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan "May the spirit of J-Lo, with whom I maided in Manhattan, stop me for taking myself too seriously - though I am serious about the work," he concluded.

Summary: Deep space epic Interstellar left the competition earthbound at this year's Empire awards, taking off with three prizes including best film.


The competition finishes on 29 May in the same stadium. There are eight teams taking part, facing each other twice, with the top four sides qualifying for the play-offs. You can keep up to date with all the scores, fixtures and results with BBC Sport. Leading run-scorers: Warner (294) Kohli (267), De Villiers (249), Most sixes: Warner (12) De Villiers (12), Kohli (8) Highest score in an innings: De Kock (108), Warner (90*), Gambhir (90*) Most wickets: McClenaghan (9), Kumar (8), Rahman (7) * Four current or former England players will take part in the tournament: Eoin Morgan will play for Sunrisers Hyderabad Jos Buttler is with Mumbai Indians Sam Billings plays for Delhi Daredevils Kevin Pietersen will play for Rising Pune Supergiants. Fixtures & results (all times 15:30 BST unless stated) Monday, 25 April Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians Tuesday, 26 April Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rising Pune Supergiants Wednesday, 27 April Delhi Daredevils v Gujurat Lions Thursday, 28 April Mumbai Indians v Kolkata Knight Riders Friday, 29 April Rising Pune Supergiants v Gujurat Lions Saturday, 30 April Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders (10:30) Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bangalore Sunday, 1 May Gujurat Lions v Kings XI Punjab (10:30 BST) Rising Pune Supergiants v Mumbai Indians Monday, 2 May Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders Tuesday, 3 May Gujurat Lions v Delhi Daredevils Wednesday, 4 May Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab Thursday, 5 May Delhi Daredevils v Rising Pune Supergiants Friday, 6 May Sunrisers Hyderabad v Gujurat Lions Saturday, 7 May Royal Challengers Bangalore v Rising Pune Supergiants (10:30) Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils Sunday, 8 May Mumbai Indians v Sunrisers Hyderabad (10:30) Kolkata Knight Riders v Gujurat Lions Monday, 9 May Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Bangalore Tuesday, 10 May Rising Pune Supergiants v Sunrisers Hyderabad Wednesday, 11 May Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians Thursday, 12 May Sunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Daredevils Friday, 13 May Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab Saturday, 14 May Royal Challengers Bangalore v Gujurat Lions (10:30) Kolkata Knight Riders v Rising Pune Supergiants Sunday, 15 May Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils (10:30) Kings XI Punjab v Sunrisers Hyderabad Monday, 16 May Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore Tuesday, 17 May Rising Pune Supergiants v Delhi Daredevils Wednesday, 18 May Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab Thursday, 19 May Gujurat Lions v Kolkata Knight Riders Friday, 20 May Delhi Daredevils v Sunrisers Hyderabad Saturday, 21 May Rising Pune Supergiants v Kings XI Punjab (10:30) Gujurat Lions v Mumbai Indians Sunday, 22 May Kolkata Knight Riders v Sunrisers Hyderabad (10:30) Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore Tuesday, 24 May Qualifier 1 Wednesday, 25 May Eliminator Friday, 27 May Qualifier 2 Sunday, 29 May Final

Summary: The Indian Premier League returns for its ninth season on 9 April with defending champions Mumbai Indians opening the tournament against Rising Pune Supergiants in Mumbai.


The claim: England and Wales have the highest incarceration rate per head of the population in Western Europe. Reality Check verdict: In 2014 England and Wales did indeed have the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe, marginally ahead of Scotland. Together with former home secretaries Jacqui Smith and Ken Clarke, he had written a letter to the Times calling for the prison population in England and Wales to be cut from the current level of more than 85,000 to the level in 1993 of about 45,000. They referred to 1993 as being the year in which Michael Howard said that "prison works". The prison population grew rapidly after that point, especially in the following five years. In the last five years it has been pretty much static at about 85,000. Since 1993 the prison population has almost doubled over a period when the overall population of England and Wales has grown by about 17%. Mr Clegg was only talking about England and Wales because in the rest of the UK the justice system is a devolved power, controlled by the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. He also said: "We already have higher rates of incarceration per head of the population than anywhere else in Western Europe." This chart based on Eurostat figures for 2014 shows that England and Wales is indeed ahead of the rest of Western Europe with 146 prisoners per 100,000 population, narrowly ahead of Scotland's 145. Northern Ireland had 93 prisoners per 100,000 population. Read more from Reality Check

Summary: Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg was on Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday talking about prison reform.


His left-wing Social Democrat party (PSD) had accused him of failing to carry out necessary economic reforms. The prime minister was involved in a power struggle with party leader Liviu Dragnea, who was barred from office after a conviction for voter fraud. Mr Grindeanu lost the censure motion by 241 votes to 10. The decision by his own party and its liberal ALDE allies to oust him was seen as a first, even for Romania's turbulent politics. For the motion to pass they needed a parliamentary majority of 233 votes. The PSD won elections in December only a year after losing power. Within weeks, protests erupted across the country over a decree seen as weakening anti-corruption measures in one of the European Union's most corrupt member states. In February the EU warned the government in Bucharest against "backtracking" in its efforts against corruption. Although Mr Grindeanu withdrew the decree, the crisis weakened the new government and soured relations between the prime minister and Mr Dragnea. Mr Dragnea criticised his rival's performance in government on Wednesday, accusing him of failing to push through "the most ambitious programme since 1989". Some commentators have argued that his removal was more about relaxing measures aimed at tackling corruption. Mr Dragnea, while being the power behind the left-wing party's throne, cannot take power because he was given a suspended jail term for vote rigging and also faces trial for alleged abuse of office. His first choice as prime minister, Sevil Shhaideh, was turned down by President Klaus Iohannis in December. A new nominee from the ruling coalition will also have to be approved by the president. Far from being the sick man of Europe, Romania's economy is showing the highest growth in the EU, at 5.6% in the year to March 2017. However, its justice system has been under EU scrutiny ever since the country joined in 2007. In its most recent report this year, the EU's executive praised Romania's anti-corruption agency (DNA) but warned that the fight against corruption was under serious threat from political and media attack.

Summary: Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu has been forced from power after only six months by his own party, in a no-confidence vote in parliament.


However the Spanish champions insisted they had not committed any offence. "The aim is to cover eventual interpretations that could be given to the contracts drawn up in the operation to sign Neymar," a club statement read. Barca paid £48.6m for Santos striker Neymar, 22, in the summer with his parents receiving £34m of the fee. Between the initial fee paid in the summer, signing-on fee, wages during his five-year deal, agents fees and this latest tax payment, Neymar will have cost the club £106.8m Last month, Sandro Rosell resigned as Barcelona president following accusations he misappropriated money. He is also being investigated but denies any wrongdoing. At the time of the move, Barcelona said they had paid 57m euros (£48.6m) for Neymar but it has been alleged that, if other contracts are taken into account, the actual cost of the player was far greater. And last week a judge in Spain ruled there was sufficient evidence against Barcelona to continue investigations into the transfer. The club added: "The board denies the existence of any tax-related crime in relation to the fiscal obligations arising from the signing of the player. "Given the existence of a possible divergent interpretation of the exact amount of tax responsibility arising from the signing and to defend the club's reputation and good name, FC Barcelona has this morning made a complimentary tax declaration of a total of 13,550,830.56 euros [...] although we remain convinced that the original tax payment was in line with our fiscal obligations." There has not yet been any confirmation whether the case will be dropped after Barcelona's payment. Neymar has scored seven goals in 18 league appearances for Barcelona this season, as well as netting three in seven Champions League matches.

Summary: Barcelona have paid £11.2m (13.5m euros) to the Spanish authorities after being charged with tax fraud over the signing of Neymar.


The runaway critter was spotted on top of the house in Cambridgeshire. Fenland Animal Rescue was called in, but it was "a bit of a wrestle as he was not the friendliest of raccoons", said the charity's Josh Flanagan. "That said, I've never met one before, and we don't train in raccoon rescue techniques," he added. They are hoping to locate the animal's owner. Click here for more news from Cambridgeshire "Raccoons aren't native to this country, so he must have escaped from somewhere," Mr Flanagan said. "You can imagine their surprise when the householders saw one on their roof. "The woman thought her husband had lost the plot, but when she looked out, there it was, staring back at her through the window." With the animal jumping from the house to a garden shed roof, it was a short game of "cat and mouse" as Mr Flanagan tried to catch him. "At one point I was sat on the rooftop with him, and we were both eating bananas. I don't think I'll ever experience anything like that again, but it's why I do this job," he said. Eventually the animal was brought down safely, using a control pole. A few days after its ordeal, the racoon is settling in - but "causing havoc" - at the rescue centre's Whittlesey base. "He's a devilish boy, a bit vicious," Mr Flanagan said. "They look all cute and adorable, but they're not." If no one comes forward to claim him, he will be moved to a specialist rescue centre "where he can live his life in a safe and secure environment with other raccoons to call friends".

Summary: A woman thought her husband had "lost the plot" when he woke her up to tell her there was a raccoon on their roof.


The move would reverse a long-held policy of not naming alleged war criminals in the Syrian conflict. Investigators said on Friday there had been an "exponential rise" in atrocities committed in Syria. UN figures show that more than 220,000 people have been killed during Syria's four-year civil conflict. The investigators - from the UN's Commission for Inquiry on Syria - said they had prepared five lists of names including "a variety of perpetrators from different groups". The Commission refused to say how many suspects were named, but diplomatic sources told the BBC there were approximately 200. The Syrian government has carried out innumerable air strikes on rebel-held territory throughout the conflict, and has been accused by human rights organisations of killing thousands of innocent civilians in the process. The UN's High Commissioner for Refugees says more than nine million Syrians have been displaced as a result of continuing fighting. Speaking after a briefing of the UN Security Council on Friday, a spokesperson for the Commission said that they were "weighing the pros and cons" of publishing the lists of suspects. The BBC understands that if they decide to publish the lists it will coincide with the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on 17 March. In a report published on Friday, the Commission stressed that both the Syrian regime and the main Islamist militant groups active in Syria - Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front - had committed atrocities, as well as other smaller factions. The report warned that despite the Commission's "long-standing position" not to name suspects, maintaining that policy would "reinforce the impunity" of alleged war criminals. Speaking on Friday, investigators said that they had increasingly been sharing information with countries to enable them to prosecute their own citizens for crimes committed in Syria. They revealed that four of the lists of names of alleged war criminals had been passed to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and a fifth would be handed over in March. The five lists, compiled since the Commission began investigating in 2011, are understood to contain approximately 30 to 40 names each. The death toll for 2014 from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is just the latest grim statistic from years of war. Syria's refugee crisis Conflict in numbers Noting the rise in atrocities over the four-year conflict, the Commission's report said the scale of war crimes in Syria "raises questions about the inadequacy of the response of the international community". A spokeswoman for the Commission said that the UN Security Council "was not acting" despite damning evidence of human rights abuses. "We expect really after four years that something must be done," she said.

Summary: United Nations investigators are considering revealing the names of an estimated 200 individuals suspected of committing war crimes in Syria.


In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC he discusses a number of cricketing issues, including his concerns for the future of Test cricket and next summer's Ashes series in England. "At this time I won't be putting my money on England, but, I will say this about the World Cup; we play Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia then three minnows, so if you win against the three minnows, you're into the quarter-finals. "Although we seem to be at sixes and sevens, one-day cricket is a funny game. If you play very well and you get good decisions going for you and bad ones for the opposition, if you get a bit of luck, you can go through on that day and suddenly you're in the semi-final." "I think they do focus, they're just not very good at it. Test cricket is more important for England and there's nothing wrong with that. We play quite a lot of one-dayers, we just don't play it very well. "Instead of making excuses maybe we should put our hand up and say it isn't working and we have to have a re-think and open up our minds a bit and get into the modern way. We're still trying to play nice cricket with our opening batsmen. Other teams come in and they plunder it these days. It has taken a long time to get Alex Hales in, who is powerful, and give him a go. That seems to be the modern game, there is a lot of power involved." "We're not sure who should play in the middle order - we dropped Ravi Bopara, who was quite good. The selectors are very nice people - James Whitaker, chairman, Mick Newell of Notts - but they have never played international cricket. I think James has played one Test match. Gus Fraser, who I admire, he hasn't played international cricket for over 10 years and the coach Peter Moores, he has never played anything at all, so if I was batting I don't think I'd be asking him for advice. "I think it's an important factor, it's not belittling them. I don't think you have to be a great player but I do think you have to have played some international cricket, and been around the international scene, been on tour. [Former national selector] Geoff Miller was very good, 34 Tests. He wasn't a great name, but he'd been around lots of tours and I'm sure that helps." "The second-string seam bowling. Stuart Broad and James Anderson are very, very good but it's the second string when the pressure on the opposition eases quite alarmingly. They're trying people at the moment like Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, who's got an awful run-up, and it's not there yet. Off-spin, left-arm spin, they don't seem to have one. Moeen Ali's getting a go but Graeme Swann has been a big loss. "Then the batting isn't solid enough. I've always believed in Test cricket you win from a platform of runs on the board. I'm quite aware of the old saying

Summary: Legendary former England opening batsman Geoffrey Boycott opposes the view that England do not concentrate enough on one-day cricket, but is not particularly enamoured with the selectors.


The 20-year-old has made seven senior appearances for Rovers so far in his career. Born in Wales, he has previously had loan spells at non-league sides Taunton Town and Bath City. One of five players offered a new deal by boss Darrell Clarke at the end of the season, Broom is the second to sign on so far, after defender James Clarke.

Summary: Bristol Rovers midfielder Ryan Broom has signed an extended contract with the League One club.


Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said a suspected bookmaker had approached two Sri Lankan players ahead of the match to try to convince them to under-perform and lose the match. Both players turned down the approach and the authorities were informed, Mr Jayasekara said. Sri Lanka went on to win the game. Wicketkeeper Kusal Perera and bowler Rangana Herath were approached shortly before the match in Galle, Sri Lanka, in October, the minister said. "After Kusal turned down the offer, the man approached Herath who also rejected the offer and alerted the authorities," he added. Both a police inquiry and anti-corruption investigation by Sri Lanka Cricket have been launched. The International Cricket Council has also been informed.

Summary: Sri Lankan authorities are investigating an attempt to fix an international cricket match involving the national team and the West Indies.


British sliders have won medals at all six Olympics in which the sport has featured, and in Yarnold and Amy Williams, Team GB can boast back-to-back Olympic champions. Yarnold is also the World Cup champion and team-mate Shelley Rudman the reigning world champion. Rudman's Olympic silver medal at Turin in 2006 and Alex Coomber's breakthrough bronze in 2002 add to the medal haul, plus world championship and World Cup titles for Kristan Bromley in the men's event. So just how does Britain, without its own track, rule the skeleton scene? The sport evolved in the Swiss resort of St Moritz in the late 19th century when wealthy British tourists took to cavorting around town on sleds, looking apparently, like skeletons. The sport featured in the 1928 and 1948 Olympics, with Britain bagging bronze both times, before sitting out the next 54 years. It was reinstated for Salt Lake City in 2002, when a 29-year-old female Royal Air Force officer named Coomber kick-started a rich heritage. "Prior to 2000, skeleton was a sport done by the Army, Navy and Air Force for recreation, and that was probably the only route into the sport," explained British Skeleton's first performance director Simon Timson, who is now performance director at UK Sport. "Somebody asked BAE Systems to build a sled and they assigned a PhD student to it. He was called Kristan Bromley. None of the soldiers would try Kristan's sled, so the only way he could test it was to ride it himself, so that's how he got into the sport. "Kristan produced a bullet of a sled in the late 1990s and that led to him and Alex Coomber becoming overall World Cup champions in 1999. The sport gained Olympic status later that year and UK Sport invested National Lottery funds. "We really got through to 2002 on Kristan producing the world's best sled, and the pure luck that probably the most natural slider ever to do the sport, Alex Coomber, had fallen into it through the RAF. Alex's bronze medal secured the funding and then we began to really systematise the sport. "We put a very simple plan in place: to identify athletes with the potential to be the fastest starters in the world, put them on the ice every day - because there used to be a big sliding deficit to the other nations - employ the world's best coaches, and put them on cutting-edge equipment. Really for the last 14 years, all the sport has done is ruthlessly and relentlessly pursue that formula." Simon Timson: "If you live in Koenigsee in deepest Bavaria, your Wednesday afternoon PE lesson from age six is luge. It's a finer, more difficult skill to master and takes a lot longer. You can't actually start bobsleigh or skeleton until you are 16, legally. "So even if we don't start athletes like Amy Williams until they are 19 or 20, we don't have that same deficit in practice to make up that we have in luge, because realistically, how many British six-year-olds are going to be on

Summary: Lizzy Yarnold's gold medal in Sochi has cemented Britain's status as the dominant power in world skeleton.


The full-back for Pro12 side Scarlets appeared with four team-mates in fancy dress where he posed as Wilfried Bony. Mr Williams was criticised by Show Racism the Red Card, which said it was "disappointed to see the image". The photo has been removed and he said he was not a racist and there was "no malice behind it". A statement from the Scarlets said: "Scarlets is fully committed to eradicating discrimination and promoting equality for both staff and our customers by treating people fairly and according to their needs. "Scarlets is proud of its record in promoting equality and non-discriminatory behaviour amongst all our employees and this applies to the way we behave to members of the public and to other employees."

Summary: Wales rugby union international Liam Williams has apologised after posting a picture on Twitter of himself "blacked-up" as a Swansea City footballer.


Wisley Property Investments is hoping to build homes, shops, a school, health centre and sports pitch on the former Wisley Airfield site. A decision was expected by 24 December but Guildford councillor Tony Rooth said more information was needed. However, Guildford greenbelt councillor Susan Parker fears the delay will play into the developer's hands. Ms Parker, leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group, said the decision could be taken away from the borough if it doesn't come to a decision by the agreed date. She explained: "The applicant could seek to go to the inspector on the grounds of non-determination which means the council hasn't decided therefore you have to decide Mr Inspector. "And the inspector normally has more of the presumption in favour of approving something if there has been non-determination." But Guildford's lead councillor on housing Tony Rooth said it was a very big project with "all sorts of issues" which would take a long time to evaluate. He added: "What we need are brownfield sites where much-needed housing in Guildford can be built. "Whether Wisley qualifies as a brownfield, or even a white concrete site as opposed to a Greenbelt site, we will evaluate when the applications are fully ready to consider." Guildford Borough Council confirmed the 24 December date was "now unlikely" and said it would be seeking to agree a further extension of time.

Summary: A decision on plans to build more than 2,000 homes on a former airfield in Surrey has been delayed.


The suspension came a day after Germany's Lufthansa said it would suspend its services to the country. The German company said Venezuela owed it millions in ticket revenues. Oil-rich Venezuela has been hit hard by the global drop in oil prices and suffers from high inflation and a chronic shortage of basic goods. Several airline companies have said that currency controls in Venezuela made it impossible for airlines to convert their earnings into dollars and send the money abroad. In a statement, Latam airlines said it would suspend its operations to Caracas airport "temporarily and for an unspecified time". It said flights on its Sao Paulo to Caracas route would end first, within days, and the other routes it runs to Caracas from Lima and Santiago would be halted by the end of July. Strict currency controls were first imposed in Venezuela in 2003 by late President Hugo Chavez. The restrictions were further tightened two years ago, forcing several airlines to reduce their operations in the country as they struggled to repatriate billions of dollars in revenue held in the local currency - the bolivar. Some airlines are now requiring passengers to pay their fares in dollars. Venezuela's government says it is using its foreign reserves - which are now scarce - to pay for essential items such as medicines and industrial machinery. Recently Coca-Cola said it would be halting production of some of its soft drinks because of a lack of sugar while the tyre and rubber products company Bridgestone also ended its more than 60-year relationship with the country.

Summary: The largest airline in Latin America, Latam, says it is suspending its flights to Venezuela because of the worsening economic situation.


Israel made "substantial efforts" to avoid civilian deaths, it said. The militant group Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, called the Israeli report worthless. It comes ahead of the publication of a UN inquiry into possible war crimes committed during the war, a report Israel dismissed as a waste of time. The 50-day conflict between Israel and Gaza militants, lasted from July to late August 2014. It left at least 2,189 Palestinians dead, including more than 1,486 civilians, according to the UN. On the Israeli side, 67 soldiers were killed along with six civilians. The 277-page report, released by the Israeli foreign ministry, disputed the UN figures, estimating that 2,125 Palestinians had been killed, including 936 militants and 761 civilians, with the status of the remaining casualties unknown. It said that Hamas militants disguised themselves as civilians and converted civilian buildings into military centres. "This exploitation of civilian surroundings - which often constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity - posed significant operational, legal and ethical challenges for the IDF," the report said. "Harm to the civilian population... occurred as the result of unfortunate - yet lawful - incidental effects of legitimate military action in the vicinity of civilians and their surroundings," it added. "Israel did not intend, and deeply regrets, the harm caused to the Palestinian civilian population and surroundings during the 2014 Gaza Conflict." A spokesman for Hamas said the Israeli report was "valueless". "Israeli war crimes are clear because they were committed in front of live cameras," Sami Abu Zuhri said. Meanwhile, a report from the UN Human Rights Council on the war is also expected to be published this week. The council says its inquiry will cover "all violations of international humanitarian law" committed by both sides during the Gaza conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday: "Whoever wants a baseless, automatic accusation against Israel can waste their time reading the UN report." In April, a UN inquiry said that at least 44 Palestinians had been killed by "Israeli actions" while sheltering at seven UN schools during the war. The inquiry also found that three empty UN schools were used by Palestinian militants to store weapons, and that in two cases they likely fired from them.

Summary: The Israeli government has issued a report into the 2014 war in Gaza, saying that its military actions were "lawful" and "legitimate".


About 50 arrived in the city in May and the families have spent the last three months settling in to their new lives. A total of 98 refugees have now arrived in Northern Ireland since the conflict. The first group of Syrian refugees arrived in December 2015. The war in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people. Some of the refugees in Derry were at the North West Regional College on Tuesday to find out more about learning courses. Bayan Khello, 18, had to leave many of her family behind including her brother who is currently in Germany. Bayan spoke to BBC Radio Foyle through an interpreter. "I still have family in Turkey and Aleppo, the sons of my cousin are still there, we have put in an application to have our family unified here. "My uncle and my cousin were killed in the war. My cousin was going back from his work when a sniper shot him in the chest. That was one of my worst days," she said. Bayan, who wears a free Syria wristband in the colours of her native country, said she did not want to leave her home. "I didn't want to leave Aleppo, I wasn't eating for two months. Then my father told me 'We have to live our life now, we have to make a new start'. "I saw houses knocked down with children underneath, its time to end this war, its enough." Bayan, who has a degree in accountancy, said she does not yet know what kind of life she will have in Northern Ireland, but she wants to study hard and learn English. Yasser Al Satton left his home in Syria after chemical weapons were used in the area. "Within the last month the house of one my relations was bombed and ten people were killed. "Everything that comes to your mind, we lived it and we saw it. One of my relation's lost both of his hands when a bomb exploded. "If we had hope that the war would end we would have stayed but I don't believe the war will end," he said. Yasser said that he was adjusting to his new life in the North West very well. A particular highlight was how friendly the people of Derry have been. "Everybody says: 'Hello, how are you, how are you doing, what's the craic?" he added.

Summary: A group of Syrian refugees living in Londonderry have spoken for the first time about what life was like in their war-torn country.


Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Mike Pence said the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) had been "grossly misconstrued" as anti-gay. "I abhor discrimination," he wrote, rejecting claims the law limited the rights of gays and lesbians. The measure gives firms and groups the right to express their religious beliefs in the way they do business. The governor went on the attack after a number of famous names, corporations and sporting institutions warned that business owners now had a licence to discriminate against gays and lesbians. Signed into state law last week, the bill prevents the state from forcing people to provide services they say are contrary to their religion. Critics believe it provides a way for opponents of gay marriage, which became legal in Indiana last year, to continue their opposition by other means. The backlash has made allies of Hillary Clinton and Miley Cyrus, and Angie's List and Apple. And the National Collegiate Athletic Association said it was "especially concerned" about how the law would affect its athletes, days before its basketball finals are being held in Indianapolis. A day after an awkward television interview in which he refused to answer questions about how the law might be used against gay people, Mr Pence had a clearer message for readers of the Wall Street Journal. "I abhor discrimination. I believe in the Golden Rule that you should 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' "If I saw a restaurant owner refuse to serve a gay couple, I wouldn't eat there anymore. "As governor of Indiana, if I were presented a bill that legalised discrimination against any person or group, I would veto it." Mr Pence has found himself under intense pressure to amend the law, as other US states have done, to add anti-discrimination language. Fellow Republicans in the state's Senate and House have offered to explore that possibility, after receiving a letter from nine chief executive officers, including the heads of Angie's List and Eli Lilly, to "take immediate action". The White House, Walmart and the mayor of Indianapolis have also expressed concerns. Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy signed an executive order on Monday that bans state-funded travel to Indiana and other states that simultaneously have RFRA and yet no balancing law to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination.

Summary: The governor of Indiana has defended a new law that has unleashed a wave of condemnation across the country.


Shenzhen prosecutors, late on Thursday, said a dispatcher and supervisor of the landfill, the chief and deputy manager of a company in charge of it, and seven other people were arrested. They said they have been charged with negligently causing a serious accident. The landslide happened when a hill of construction waste collapsed, leaving 74 people either missing or dead. The formal arrests come three days after the police took what Chinese media called "coercive measures" against 12 people. It is thought the 11 arrested today were among those. Officials have described the 20 December disaster as man-made, raising the possibility of severe punishments for those they consider responsible. One official, whose job involved regulating construction sites, apparently jumped to his death a week after the landslide. It is not clear if he was being investigated for his role in it. Officials have appealed for police and the public to help them find other suspects apparently on the run.

Summary: Eleven people in China have been arrested for their alleged role in the Shenzhen landslide disaster.


The leading human rights charity said the deal failed to hide the EU's "dogged determination to turn its back on a global refugee crisis". Under the plan, migrants arriving in Greece will be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected. In return, Turkey will receive aid and political concessions. Under the EU-Turkey deal, Greek authorities will still process requests for asylum individually. However, many migrants, including Syrians, are keen to go to Germany and other northern European Union countries and have previously refused to apply for asylum in Greece, as requested by the current procedure. The deal says that for every Syrian migrant sent back to Turkey, one Syrian already in Turkey will be resettled in the EU. John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Director for Europe and Central Asia, said promises by the EU to respect international and European law "appear suspiciously like sugar-coating the cyanide pill that refugee protection in Europe has just been forced to swallow". He added: "Guarantees to scrupulously respect international law are incompatible with the touted return to Turkey of all irregular migrants arriving on the Greek islands as of Sunday. Scepticism hangs heavy in the air about a host of legal issues, and about whether the agreement can actually work in practice. The idea at the heart of the deal - sending virtually all irregular migrants back to Turkey from the Greek islands - is the most controversial. European leaders insist that everything will be in compliance with the law. "It excludes any kind of collective expulsions," emphasised European Council President Donald Tusk. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) will take part in the scheme, but it is clearly uncomfortable with what has been agreed. Read more from Chris Turkey is "not a safe country for refugees and migrants", Mr Dalhuisen said, adding that any deal to return migrants based on claims it was would be "flawed, illegal and immoral". It is hoped the plan, agreed at a summit in Brussels, will deter people from taking the often dangerous sea crossing from Turkey to Greece. As part of the arrangement, EU countries will resettle Syrian migrants already living in Turkey. EU leaders have welcomed the agreement, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of legal challenges to come. Some of the initial concessions offered to Turkey have been watered down and some EU members expressed disquiet over Turkey's human rights record. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu hailed it as a "historic" day. European Council President Donald Tusk said there had been unanimous agreement between Turkey and the 28 EU members. The UN warned that Greece's capacity to assess asylum claims needed to be strengthened for the deal. Implementation was "crucial", the organisation said. Since January 2015, a million migrants and refugees have entered the EU by boat from Turkey to Greece. More than 132,000 have arrived this year alone. Tens of thousands are now stuck in Greece as their route north has been blocked. Greek Interior Minister Panagiotis Kouroublis has compared conditions at the Idomeni camp, on the border with

Summary: Amnesty International has accused European leaders of "double speak" over a deal to return migrants to Turkey.


An image of one of the victims - a young boy lying face down on the beach - has sparked an international outcry over the human cost of the crisis. The picture, released by a Turkish news agency, is trending worldwide on Twitter under the #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik ("humanity washed ashore") hashtag. Thousands of migrants have died this year trying to reach Europe by sea. Warning: This article contains a distressing image The Turkish coastguard said the migrants had set off from Turkey's Bodrum peninsula for the Greek island of Kos in the early hours of Wednesday morning, but the two boats they were in sank shortly afterwards. Twelve bodies, including five children, were recovered. Of 23 people on board the two boats, only nine people are thought to have survived - some made it to shore with life jackets. The image of the young boy, shown wearing a red T-shirt and lying face-down on the beach near Bodrum, was published shortly after the bodies washed up on shore at about 06:00 local time. Turkish news agency Dogan said he and the rest of the group were Syrians from the besieged town of Kobane who had fled to Turkey last year to escape advancing militants from the Islamic State (IS) group. Turkish media describe relatives breaking down as they identified the bodies. The pictured boy is reported to be three-year-old Aylan, who drowned along with his five-year-old brother Galip and their mother, Rihan. Their father, Abdullah Kurdi, survived. He and his family reportedly sought asylum in Canada before attempting the journey - but their refugee application was turned down. Teema Kurdi, Abdullah's sister who lives in Vancouver, told Canada's National Post newspaper that she had been trying to help them leave the Middle East. Abdullah is reported to have been kidnapped and tortured during the siege of Kobane by Islamic State or another jihadist group. "I was trying to sponsor them [...] but we couldn't get them out, and that is why they went in the boat," she said. The family is believed to have no other option because Syrian Kurdish refugees in Turkey find it almost impossible to get an exit visa unless they have a passport, which few do. A local fisherman who discovered the bodies on the shore said: "I came to the sea and I was scared. My heart is broken." According to the BBC's Fergal Keane, the beach where the bodies were found has become suddenly notorious, but on any day there you will find the debris - deflated dinghy parts, abandoned belongings - of the desperate. The BBC has chosen to publish only one photograph of Aylan, in which he is being carried by a Turkish police officer and is unidentifiable. However, several news organisations have published more graphic images of the boy. UK newspaper The Independent said it had decided to use the images on its website because "among the often glib words about the 'ongoing migrant crisis', it is all too easy to forget the reality of the desperate situation facing many refugees". Despite the reaction

Summary: At least 12 Syrians trying to reach Greece have drowned off Turkey after the boats they were travelling in sank.


The proposal concerns routes that make up the Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) plan. Currently bus lanes in Belfast run from 07:30 until 09:30 and from 15:30 until 18:30. Under the proposals this would be extended from 07:00 to 19:00. The project is due to come into operation in September 2018. "We should remember in 2012 the business case for the Belfast Rapid Transit was built upon the concept that these would be 12-hour, seven-to-seven bus lane priorities," said Mr Hazzard. "That is so we can have maximum compliance and avoid confusion." West Belfast East Belfast Titanic Quarter Mr Hazzard said there would be two rounds of consultation on the proposals and said there could be some room for flexibility. "What we can do and looking at other cities - Dublin for example - we may have loading and unloading windows and drop-off and pick-up times, where you have windows into that," he said. "This is through consultation with those commuters, with those stakeholders and the community along the route so we can design our proposals and then go to a formal consultation period after." He added: "These buses and vehicles will be coming across every seven minutes in and out of the city, it's so, so important that we get this right."

Summary: Transport Minister Chris Hazzard is proposing to extend the times of bus lanes on some of Belfast's busiest commuting routes.


Home Retail Group said that like-for-like sales at Argos fell 1.1% in the eight weeks to 27 February, compared to a fall of 2.2% in the previous quarter. The electrical and homeware retailer is being targeted by both Sainsbury's and South African retailer Steinhoff. Both companies have until 18 March to make firm bids for Argos. Last month, a £1.3bn bid from Sainsbury's for Home Retail was trumped by Steinhoff's £1.4bn offer. Home Retail recently sold its DIY chain Homebase to Australia's Wesfarmers last month for £340m, leaving Argos as its only remaining business. Total sales at Argos rose 1.9% to £515m in the eight-week period as demand for furniture and sports goods offset lower sales of electrical goods, such as video games and tablet computers. The company said Argos opened 90 new stores over the year, bringing the total to 845. The new openings held back the like-for-like sales total over the period, it added. Chief executive John Walden, who said it had been "another rather eventful period" for the company, was pleased with the improvement in Argos' sales. Shares in Home Retail closed down almost 0.5% at 179.1p, but have risen more than 80% this year following Sainsbury's interest in Argos. The supermarket has argued that combining both chains would create a "world-leading" retailer bigger than rivals John Lewis and Amazon UK. Retail analyst Nick Bubb said: "Home Retail claim that underlying like-for-like sales were broadly flat, once the cannibalisation from the infamous concession inserts in Homebase and Sainsbury are taken out. Gross margins were up, however, by 75 basis points and Home Retail's year-end net cash was strong." Sainsbury's had offered about 167p a share for Home Retail, but will be forced to at least match the 175p-a-share all-cash offer from Steinhoff, which owns UK furniture retailer Harveys. However, the supermarket may be reluctant to increase its offer to the level needed to win control of Argos. Analysts have also questioned the wisdom of Sainsbury's acquiring the struggling retailer.

Summary: Argos, the retail chain at the centre of a bidding war, has shown a fall in sales over the Christmas period.


Spotlight: A Woman Alone With The IRA investigated the republican movement's handling of sexual abuse allegations against a suspected IRA member. Maíria Cahill waived her right to anonymity to tell how the republican movement responded to her allegations. The programme was broadcast last October. Ms Cahill claimed she was raped by a suspected IRA man when she was a teenager, and that the IRA later helped to cover up the alleged abuse. BBC Northern Ireland Director Peter Johnston said: "This is a fantastic win for our Spotlight team - particularly with a Northern Ireland story winning in the UK-wide Scoop Of The Year category. "This recognition from the Royal Television Society follows Spotlight's long tradition of making award-winning programmes and is a reflection of the dedication of our Spotlight team to produce hard-hitting, high quality investigative journalism." Jeremy Adams, Head of Television Current Affairs, BBC Northern Ireland, said it was a "tremendous achievement". "The team put a great deal of time and dedication into what was a painstaking investigation and also one of the most important and talked-about television investigations of the past year," he said. Other winners at the ceremony in the London Hilton, Park Lane, included ITV News at Ten for Daily News Programme of the Year, and Sky News for News Channel of the Year.

Summary: BBC Northern Ireland current affairs programme Spotlight has won Scoop of the Year at the Royal Television Society (RTS) journalism awards.


It followed soon after an apparent industrial relations dispute at De La Salle college in Andersonstown. It is understood on Wednesday, more than 25 teachers out of a teaching staff of about 70 called in sick. It is believed a dispute at the school, which has about 1,000 pupils, centres on an incident prior to half-term. Many of the teachers are said to be concerned over the way it was handled and sent a letter to the principal. At one point, for a brief time, a large number of teachers stood silently at the doors of classrooms. A staff meeting on Monday, when no pupils were in the school, has been described as robust. So far, there has been little comment from teaching unions. INTO, which represents most teachers in the school, said that it and other unions are attempting to resolve what it described as an "industrial relations issue". It is understood that about 15 teachers called in sick on Friday. The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools has said there will be meetings next week involving it and the Board of Governors and unions.

Summary: About a third of the teaching staff at one of west Belfast's biggest secondary schools called in sick one day this week, the BBC understands.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Reds led at the interval only to suffer a second-half collapse as Sevilla became the first team to win the competition three seasons in a row. The defeat means Liverpool will not play any European football next season. "It was 50-60% of our usual quality and we have to accept that," said Klopp, who took charge at Anfield in October. "I am responsible for this performance. I promise everybody we will use it and come back stronger." Liverpool were on course to secure Champions League football - on offer to the winners of the competition this year - when Daniel Sturridge's magnificent strike with the outside of his left foot gave them the interval lead. But the Reds conceded three goals in the space of 24 second-half minutes - Kevin Gameiro netting 17 seconds after the interval, before Coke struck twice. Media playback is not supported on this device "There is no criticism and I have spoken to my players," added Klopp. "What I think about not being in the Champions League is that we have to use the time. "It is not about the size of the squad, it is about using the time in training to get better." Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson was frustrated by the Reds' second-half collapse. "Experience was key after conceding," said the 1984 European Cup winner, who was part of BBC Radio 5 live's team in Basel. "Where was the central defender or captain saying 'circle the wagons for 20 minutes - we do not concede and we get ourselves back into game'? That is something Liverpool just didn't do. "They had one stonewall penalty in the first half but when you go in 1-0 up at half-time in a cup final, what is the first thing anyone says in the dressing room? "You make sure you don't concede in the first 10 or 20 minutes. What did Liverpool do? They conceded in the first 17 seconds." Left-back Alberto Moreno was at fault for Sevilla's first goal, and Lawrenson was also critical of the 23-year-old's performance. "Yet again Moreno, who used to play for Sevilla, has made a massive mistake," he said. "I've lost count of how many mistakes this guy has made. "It's all very good pouring forward but the clue is in the title - left-back. Try defending occasionally. Moreno has made mistakes all season - basic errors. "Where was he for Villarreal's goal the other week? He was trying to score a goal at the other end." Lawrenson said former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked in October, had to share the blame for not strengthening the left-back area during his tenure. He added: "Liverpool didn't have, by the end of August, another player who could play left-back unless they moved Nathaniel Clyne from the right. "Jose Enrique was never going to play. I'm sorry, Brendan Rodgers gets the blame for me." Lawrenson expects a summer of change at Anfield, but expects Sturridge and Brazilian duo Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho to

Summary: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp took responsibility for his side's 3-1 Europa League final defeat by Sevilla - and said they would come back stronger.


Homes have been added to My NHS, part the NHS Choices site, allowing users to leave ratings and reviews to help other people assess services. Each care home is scored on its level of safety, staff turnover and food hygiene, among other standards. The National Care Association said if information was not up to date, it could be "unfair" to care providers. On the website, a database can be searched using a postcode, region or home name to check on facilities with or without nursing. People can access: Health Minister Alistair Burt said: "We know how difficult important decisions about care for a loved one can be - this is a victory for those who are worried about care - with a click of a button the public will be able to make an informed choice about care and make those difficult decisions easier. "This data will show clearly the difference in quality across care homes and will help drive up standards by highlighting poor performers which will mean they have to shape up their services or lose out." Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, which represents independent care sector providers, said the move could help people "answer some of the questions" they may have about care. But she warned that if the "snapshot" of the provider's rating or profile on the site was not regularly updated it could disadvantage those who improve their service. "I don't know how [improvements] would be indicated... especially if that report is not going to be reviewed for a period of time, which would be unfair." She added: "Nothing beats actually going to see a service for yourself. If you think that it's good [but the website] says there's something that's not quite right, don't let it put you off. "When you look at the website you know that responsible services who may have an inadequate rating will be working towards making that better."

Summary: The performance of every care home in England can now be compared on an NHS website.


Video footage showed the singer striking a photographer with his car after he left a service at The City Church in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Beverly Hills Police Department said the vehicle had been travelling at an "extremely slow speed" when the collision took place. The BBC has contacted the 23-year-old's team for comment. "At 21:24 local time [05:24 BST] we received a radio call about a vehicle-pedestrian collision on Hamilton Drive," Sergeant Matthew Stout of the Beverly Hills Police Department told the BBC. "We arrived on scene and found a 57-year-old pedestrian on the ground. He was transferred to local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. "Justin Bieber remained on scene, co-operated with officers and was released." Bieber was seen standing over and speaking to the injured man, who was reportedly a photographer, after the incident. Sergeant Stout confirmed Bieber "got out of the car and attempted to render aid" after the collision. The pop star was heard asking paparazzi to give the pedestrian some space and offering to help him immediately after the incident. Bieber was seen kneeling down on the ground and asking the man: "Is there anything we can do to help you?" The singer has been hitting the headlines in the last week after being banned from China due to "bad behaviour". He has also cancelled his remaining world tour dates, citing "unforeseen circumstances". The move affects 14 dates in Asia and North America which were coming up over the next three months. His Purpose world tour included a date at London's Hyde Park and attracted attention when his rather demanding tour rider leaked online. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Justin Bieber has been involved in a car collision in Beverley Hills, police have confirmed to the BBC.


Mobile operators, Culture Secretary Maria Miller and communications regulator Ofcom will discuss bringing forward the allocation of spectrum to allow faster mobile download speeds. Ofcom has told the government that the process could be accelerated to launch 4G networks in many places by May or June. It had been thought that it would take until the end of the year. Ahead of the meeting O2 said that it was hopeful that it could launch 4G services in summer 2013. Ronan Dunne, chief executive of O2, said, "It's been a very good process and it feels that we've made a lot of progress, so I'm hopeful that we'll have a basis for moving forward." But he went on to express disappointment that Ofcom had not acted earlier: "We're pleased that we've made progress but frustrated that it's taken so long". An Ofcom spokesman responded: "To suggest that the delay has been caused by anything other than litigation - and the threat of litigation - on behalf of competing companies is inaccurate." Previously O2 and Vodafone had expressed anger that rival network EE - formerly known as Everything Everywhere - had been given permission to use its existing 1,800MHz spectrum to launch a 4G service earlier. O2 had threatened legal action to prevent EE gaining this advantage. A deal could pave the way for EE to announce its 4G launch date, which could be before the end of this month. O2 and Vodafone will not be able to offer 4G until other parts of the radio spectrum - including those previously used for analogue television and air traffic control - are freed up and sold off. The UK's fourth biggest network - Three - is set to take over part of EE's 4G spectrum, but is not due to do so until September 2013. Ofcom has said it could bring forward its airwave auction by about a fortnight from its current January date, and then speed up handover of control of the frequencies. That could help shrink EE's period of exclusivity to roughly half a year. However, if the networks decide to pursue a legal challenge the process would be delayed. "Ofcom made quite a clever move by allowing EE to launch early," said Matthew Howett, a telecoms analyst with Ovum. "Because it's now really set the wheels in motion, and will see the others pull their fingers out." A source at one major network told the BBC that it was also seeking a guarantee from EE that it would not hinder the operation of Mitco, an organisation that has been set up to deal with the possible interference 4G may have on other signals such as digital television. Mitco will eventually be run jointly by the mobile operators and will be tasked with overseeing the distribution of filters and other equipment to prevent disruption - a scheme which is expected to cost in the region of Â£180m. EE gave details of its 4G plans in a lavish press event last month, and said it would offer 4G in 16 UK cities by the

Summary: A meeting about the UK's roll-out of 4G network services takes place later.


In a tweet, Eastleigh candidate Patricia Culligan claimed a Liberal Democrat standing in another seat "deliberately became HIV positive yet free NHS care v costly". She was referring to Paul Childs who is standing in Liverpool Riverside. He revealed he was HIV positive last week. In appearing to question the cost of treating British patients Ms Culligan went further than Nigel Farage, who has controversially said foreigners with HIV should not be treated for free by the NHS. The UKIP leader's comments during last week's TV debate were greeted with heavy criticism from some of the other leaders. He insisted it was right to "put our own people first". Patricia Culligan removed her tweet and apologised after UKIP was contacted by the BBC on Thursday evening. In a statement, the party said: "We wholeheartedly support the NHS being free at the point of access and kept publicly-funded. "We have spoken to Ms Culligan and advised her to retract the comment which seems to conflate two very separate issues." In a follow-up tweet she said she "sincerely" apologised for "any totally unintended offence" , saying she had misread a Mail Online article about Mr Childs. She added: "I have nothing but sympathy for sufferers." It is not clear though if she believes the NHS should ration or reduce treatment of British HIV sufferers. UKIP almost won the Hampshire seat of Eastleigh in a by-election in 2013. Ms Culligan was selected last September to fight it for UKIP. The Liberal Democrats said her comment was "disgusting and deeply offensive". A party spokeswoman said: "The Liberal Democrats will always stand up for the liberal British values of tolerance, generosity and decency." For a full list of the candidates in Eastleigh please click here. For the corresponding list in Liverpool Riverside please click here.

Summary: UKIP's candidate in a key general election seat has been forced to apologise after she appeared to question the cost to the NHS of treating British people who are HIV positive.


United, who registered only one shot on target, fell behind when Alejandro Dominguez diverted home Giannis Maniatis's effort before the break. Arsenal loanee Joel Campbell's precise shot doubled the lead and the visitors only came to life late on. Robin van Persie blazed over the top when they finally opened up the Greeks. It would have been an injustice to the hosts had the Dutchman converted his late chance, however, after United's current limitations were exposed on a chastening night. Olympiakos lead the Greek Super League by 20 points, having won 24 of 26 games, in sharp contrast to their opponents' increasingly forlorn Premier League title defence. And, after reverses for Manchester City and Arsenal last week, the Greeks inflicted the third defeat of the round for English sides. Olympiakos manager Michel had suggested before kick-off that United, whose best hope of passage into next year's Champions League appeared to be winning this season's competition, could fold under the pressure of knockout football. The visitors, who were famously eliminated by Galatasaray in a similarly white-hot atmosphere in Istanbul in 1993, certainly fuelled the noisy home fans' enthusiasm with some early defensive wobbles. Media playback is not supported on this device After Rio Ferdinand had misplaced a couple of passes, a last-ditch challenge from Nemanja Vidic only just ended Dominguez's run after he had advanced into the area unchallenged. Dominguez continued to orchestrate Olympiakos's attacks from an advanced midfield role and with Juan Mata cup-tied, Adnan Januzaj left out of the match-day squad and Rooney frustrated by the referee and his own performance, the visitors lacked a similarly commanding figure. So it was fitting that it was the Argentine who opened the scoring. Maniatis's trundling low shot posed little danger to United goalkeeper David De Gea, but Dominguez's outstretched foot cleverly diverted the ball into the opposite corner giving the Spaniard too much ground to make up. United, who had lacked energy and invention, showed slightly more purpose before the break, but could not create any clear-cut chances, goalkeeper Roberto dealing competently with the visitors' crosses. The last time that Manchester United overturned a two-goal deficit in Europe was when they beat Diego Maradona's Barcelona 3-0 at Old Trafford in March 1984 in the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup. David Moyes's half-time team-talk needed to focus players' minds and change their tactics but neither was in evidence as Tom Cleverley knocked the ball out of play under no pressure soon after kick-off. A goal down, the visitors had no room for further error and Campbell's superb curling effort, after he slipped Michael Carrick's flimsy challenge, threatened to cut them adrift in the tie. Moyes introduced Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck at the expense of Antonio Valencia and Cleverley, but it did little to change the momentum. Michael Olaitan sent a shot fizzing just over as the hosts revelled in the space and uncertainty in United's defence. Only in the final 10 minutes were United able to bring any pressure to bear, but, after two measured touches had given him a clear sight

Summary: Manchester United's Champions League campaign is in serious peril after they were comfortably beaten by Olympiakos in the last-16 first leg in Athens.


The 79-year-old was held on Monday on suspicion of murdering 14-year-old Elsie Frost in October 1965. Elsie was stabbed to death in a tunnel beneath a railway line in Wakefield The BBC understands the arrested man is Peter Pickering, who was first questioned in connection with the murder in 2016. He was arrested near Newbury, in Berkshire. More stories from across Yorkshire The man is also being questioned in relation to an unconnected allegation of a rape and kidnap in 1972. Elsie was murdered as she walked home from her school's sailing club, close to the River Calder and the Calder and Hebble Canal. The West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiries team re-opened its investigation into her death after a series of reports on BBC Radio 4. Mr Pickering was originally arrested in September before being bailed. Police said he had been re-arrested after fresh evidence was uncovered. The allegations of the 1972 rape and kidnap are understood to have emerged during the course of their investigation into Elsie's death.

Summary: A man has been arrested for a second time in connection with the killing of a schoolgirl more than 50 years ago.


Sarries' Australian lock Skelton slapped the GB Olympic Sevens Rio silver medallist in the face late in the 22-22 European Champions Cup draw. BBC pundit Brian Moore was among those to accuse Davies, 26, of over-reacting. "It's not good is it? If one of our players did that I'd be devastated," said McCall. "But I don't think they would. It's terrible, but you don't need me to tell you that." Moore wrote: "Scarlets should have won but, had they done so, it would have been spoiled by another example of simulation (cheating by exaggeration) from Davies." Scarlets head coach Pivac defended Davies' behaviour - and questioned how clean former England hooker Moore was as a player. "I've spoken to our medical staff, and they tell me he [Davies] is getting acupuncture on his neck," Pivac said. "The facts speak for themselves: 140kg, swinging arm, hit him on the chin. We've confirmed that. "Unless you've been hit by 140kg or been struck on the jaw, you really should keep your comments to yourself. "James tells me it [falling over] was more shock from being struck. He fell to the ground and he got straight back up. "If I was the Saracens coach I'd be sanctioning my player for throwing a punch which is against the rules of the game." Asked about Moore's criticism, Pivac added: "I don't condone taking a dive, that's why I don't watch football. "Brian Moore? Well, he was squeaky clean as a player wasn't he?"

Summary: Saracens boss Mark McCall has criticised Scarlets' James Davies after Will Skelton was sin-binned during the meeting of the side last weekend.


The government announced in 2014 that it wanted to build a tunnel alongside the World Heritage site. But Highways England is also considering a route which would take the A303 south of the city. A £2bn 1.8-mile (2.9km) tunnel is the government's preferred option at Stonehenge but some archaeologists argue it could damage the ancient site. In an email, seen by the BBC, Highways England suggests a southern bypass route would be "considered" as part of the "design consultation" phase of the upgrade. Last week, Atkins/Arup was awarded a £17.5m design contract for the scheme. The group will be "developing options" to upgrade the road - including that of a tunnel - with the aim of construction work starting in 2020. £1.4bn Proposed cost of Stonehenge tunnel 1.8 miles is the length of the proposed tunnel (2.9km) 9.6 sq m around Stonehenge is a World Heritage site (25 sq km) 33% of the route is single carriageway 84 years since the A-road opened There are growing concerns over congestion on the A303 which has been described as "highly detrimental" by English Heritage, which manages the monument. However, a group of historians - called the Stonehenge Alliance - has called for "no further damage" to the world heritage site. Historian Tom Holland, from the group, said the southern option was "better than ploughing through the richest archaeological site in Europe" and called for "lateral thinking" over A303 congestion. And Icomos, which advises UN cultural body Unesco, said it was "concerned" any upgrade could have a "highly adverse impact" on the World Heritage landscape around the stones. Both English Heritage and the National Trust have given their support to the option of "the longest tunnel possible". In a statement, Highways England said: "As part of our public engagement we are committed to considering the alternative routes that are being suggested and will look at these as part of our engagement work. "The improvements are currently at an early stage of development. As we develop our proposals in compliance with the statutory processes, we will consult a variety of stakeholders, including local residents, businesses, road users and interested parties. "We are aiming to start a wider and public consultation in early 2017." A similar tunnel scheme for the route, which links London and the South West, was dropped in 2007 because of the spiralling cost. The government said the cost of a bored 1.3m (2.1km) tunnel could not be justified at £540m - double the initial estimate of £223m.

Summary: A southern bypass of Salisbury is being considered as an alternative to a Stonehenge tunnel, the BBC has learned.


13 August 2016 Last updated at 10:12 BST She has become Britain's first woman ever to win a trampolining medal at the Olympics. Bryony took silver place on Friday with a score of score of 56.040, just behind Canada's Rosie MacLennan. The 25-year-old said that she hadn't expected to win a medal at all, but her performance in the final had been the best she'd done all year. Now she wants more kids to get involved in the sport, and says that it's about a lot more than just winning medals. Watch Ricky's interview with her.

Summary: Team GB silver medallist Bryony Page says she hopes more kids will be inspired to take up trampolining after her success in Rio.


Unless of course you are one of the 90 MLAs who - according to the Belfast Telegraph - are set to get a pay rise. That's despite the Assembly not actually having sat for a full day of business since long before the March election. According to the paper, the rise will kick in on April Fool's Day and will see wages increase by £500 per year, bringing salaries to £49,500. The paper reports a Stormont source confirmed the rise would go ahead because "the consumer prices index for the September of the previous year was 1% or greater," and would happen automatically because of a measure put in place by the independent body that sets MLAs' wages. The Belfast Telegraph has also carried out its own poll on the issue and it says 93% of people surveyed would support stopping MLAs' wages altogether while the Assembly isn't functioning. In the Mirror we see the other side of the Stormont-deadlock coin, where it is claimed that 12,000 jobs could go as a result of the stalemate. The paper says a lack of progress by politicians means some 12-month contracts in the voluntary sector won't be renewed because no-one has been able to give the go-ahead for the funding. Staff at First Steps Women's Centre are among those who say they are facing unemployment. "Our hundreds of clients are some of the most vulnerable in the country," said the organisation's chief executive, Michael McGoldrick. "They deserve better, we all do. "We are constantly on a funding rollercoaster, but this situation is particularly stomach churning. "The prospect of us all losing our jobs is awful, but worse is the knock-on effect of us not being here and available to help the people who need us most. "Those who are the most vulnerable are always first to be hit by this sort of problem and they are those who can least afford it." There's further criticism of the lack of leadership up at Stormont in the News Letter - it has chosen to go with the line: "RHI official now controls all our public spending". Northern Ireland's devolved finances have today been passed to David Sterling. The senior civil servant will use emergency powers to release cash and resources to departments until a new budget is in place. But the News Letter has pointed to Mr Sterling's links to the Renewable Heat Incentive. He was the most senior civil servant in the department that set up the "financially disastrous" initiative. Mr Sterling was not personally responsible for designing the RHI scheme, something which was done by the Energy Division within DETI. He has taken over because the last finance minister, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, did not agree a budget. The paper also reports that annual rates bills could be delayed because of the political deadlock. The Irish News reports that a senior civil servant has said a DUP minister who lit an eleventh night bonfire was committing "an offence". The front page is dominated by a picture of the former community's minister setting fire to the

Summary: The effects of the Stormont stalemate are becoming clearer with every passing day - and things don't look good for anyone.


South Shields will host the tie, which takes place on 19 August, with kick-off at 12:30 BST. Match of the Day commentator Conor McNamara and former Manchester United striker Danny Webber will talk you through the action. A game from every stage of the 2017-18 tournament will be streamed live across BBC Sport's digital platforms. This will allow audiences to watch the game live on PC, mobile or connected TV. Matches will also be available live and on-demand on BBC iPlayer. You can send a message to the commentary team using #bbcfacup during the game and they will aim to respond to as many of them as they can. South Shields play in Northern League Division One - the eighth tier of English football - and are captained by Argentine former Sunderland and Middlesbrough full-back Julio Arca. They made a successful appearance at Wembley last season, beating Cleethorpes Town 4-0 in the FA Vase final. Bridlington Town are a tier below, in the Northern Counties East League.

Summary: The BBC will broadcast South Shields' game against Bridlington Town in the preliminary round of the FA Cup.


The injured bird was found by a walker in Hall Lane, Blubberhouses, on Sunday. It had suffered a shattered wing, possibly a few days earlier, and was put down by a vet. PC Gareth Jones, North Yorkshire Police wildlife crime co-ordinator, said: "I am saddened by the scale of persecution of these birds. It has to stop." The birds were all found in North and West Yorkshire and police are concerned by the "unusually high" number of recent attacks on red kites, which are protected by law. In the past two months, four red kites have died after being shot. Another was found shot but released back into the wild after being treated by vets. Three red kites have also died after being found "in circumstances that suggest poisoning". They are being examined by the police's Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme. PC Jones said: "Red kites were persecuted into virtual extinction in the UK, but in recent years they have been re-introduced through breeding programmes at a number of locations nationally. "In Yorkshire, they have spread from their release site at Harewood House, and are now breeding over a large area. Red kites are scavengers, and normally eat carrion, their favourite food being rats and rabbits. "They are magnificent birds than can be regularly seen soaring over our area, bringing pleasure to many people." He urged anyone with information about the most recent incident to contact North Yorkshire Police.

Summary: A red kite found shot in North Yorkshire is the seventh to have been killed in the region in the past two months, police have said.


But the council is to set up a group to "resolve outstanding design issues". The proposed cycle route will link Leith Walk in the east of the city to Roseburn in the west, via the city centre and Haymarket. The plans include reducing four lanes of traffic from Roseburn to Haymarket to two, and using half a carriageway and a bus lane for cyclists. Supporters of the path said it was vital for cutting congestion and would provide a safe route across the city. They said it would also encourage more active travel. But residents and shop owners in the Roseburn area said reducing loading bays to make way for bikes would have a huge impact on passing trade, and that reducing traffic lanes could increase congestion at Roseburn. The council said the new working group would be set up to help resolve outstanding design issues with the plans. It said work would start immediately to secure further funding and to "make preparations to commence the necessary statutory processes for the scheme". A final decision will be taken after the the working group's discussions. Transport convener Councillor Lesley Hinds said the council was still "100% committed" to the project but acknowledged it had divided opinion. She said a new group would be formed to try to reach a conclusion on the final route design "which the majority are happy with". Ms Hinds added: "Given the strength of feeling out there about certain aspects of the plans, there's clearly still work to be done before the final route design is agreed."

Summary: Plans for a controversial cycle path through Edinburgh have been agreed in principle by city councillors.


Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said some forces are "downgrading" 999 calls, in order to justify responding to them more slowly. HMIC's report found that most of the 43 forces in England and Wales were providing a good service. But that others have let victims down. The inspectors said there are now too few detectives and in some areas an erosion of neighbourhood policing. The former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Peter Fahy, said that forces will have to do things differently in the future, if the government continues to ask them "to do more with less". In its annual report on forces, the inspectors said officers were arresting fewer people and too many crimes were being shelved without proper investigation. It found that 67,000 people suspected of crimes were not entered onto the police national computer - so that all forces were made aware of them. The report highlighted measures some forces had deployed to manage demand - although in each case it was not entirely clear whether they were directly caused by cuts or local management decisions. HMIC said: "We are leading to a very serious conclusion regarding the potentially perilous state of British policing," said Zoe Billingham, the lead inspector. "Over the last few years, HMIC has said consistently that police forces were managing well in increasingly difficult circumstances. "Nonetheless, today, I'm raising a red flag to warn forces of the consequences of what is, to all intents and purposes, an unconscious form of rationing." Rated "Outstanding": Durham Rated "Good": Avon & Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, City of London, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Dorset, Essex, Greater Manchester, Gwent, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Wales, North Yorkshire, Northumbria, South Wales, Suffolk, Surrey, Thames Valley, Warwickshire, West Mercia, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Wiltshire. Rated "Requires Improvement": Devon & Cornwall, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Leicestershire, Metropolitan Police, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Sussex Rated "Inadequate": Bedfordshire HMIC also warned there was now a "national crisis" caused by a shortage of detectives - with the Metropolitan Police alone short by 700. One ex-detective has told the Victoria Derbyshire programme why she quit her "dream job". These shortages had led to excessive workloads and stress for investigators who were sometimes carrying out complex investigations without the right skills and experience. In one area, inspectors found a uniformed officer carrying out a rape investigation. HMIC has urged police chiefs to come up with a plan by the summer to attract, recruit and train more detectives. Ms Billingham warned that while neighbourhood teams were the "bedrock of British policing" they were being "chipped away... sometimes by stealth". A survey of neighbourhood officers found they were being pulled from local duties at least once a week to supervise the detention or transport of suspects. A fifth of the officers said they could find themselves on other duties three times a week. One police officer resigned last week after 13 years in the Devon and Cornwall, publishing a damning resignation letter on social media criticising police for "putting their employees last". Dr Alan Billings,

Summary: Some police forces are putting the public at risk by rationing their response as they struggle with cutbacks, the police standards watchdog has warned.


In his most outspoken comments yet, Mr Ahmadinejad told CNN: "Nobody has the right to kill others, neither the government nor its opponents." He said Iran would encourage all sides to reach an understanding, but warned the US not to intervene in Syria. Syria has close ties with Iran, which suppressed its own protests in 2009. Iran has also put down or prevented about a dozen protests since the wave of anti-government uprisings in the Middle East began earlier this year. "We are going to make greater efforts to encourage both the government of Syria and the other side, all parties, to reach an understanding," Mr Ahmadinejad said in the interview with CNN. He warned against any outside intervention in Syria, in particular by the US. "The positions of the United States are not going to help. They have never helped," he said. Iran has been muted in its criticisms of Syria, its most important ally in the region. However in September, Mr Ahmadinejad spoke of "needed reforms", while the Iranian foreign minister called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to "be accountable to his people's legitimate demands". Shia Iran is regarded with suspicion by its Sunni Arab neighbours. Syria's government is dominated by the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam.

Summary: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has criticised the killings in its ally Syria sparked by the government's violent crackdown on dissent.


Sgt Jon Harris had been sent to an alleged assault in the Waterloo Bar in Argyle Street on Wednesday night. After dealing with the incident he surprised customers by belting out the classic 70s track on the karaoke. Peter McKenna-Boyd, who filmed the performance, said: "Everybody just loved it". The officer was in full uniform at the time. Mr McKenna-Boyd told BBC Radio Scotland's The Kaye Adams programme: "Nobody expected it to happen. It was just a normal Wednesday night for us. "They've just launched their new wacky Wednesday which is a bit of a game show and a bit of karaoke." "I think the sergeant was speaking to the karaoke host and she suggested he got up to sing but I don't think she expected him to," Mr McKenna-Boyd said. "But she held him to it just before he went out the door. The other officers were outside and they heard his name called up and they ran straight back in. "They loved it as well. Everybody was clapping and cheering for him. "He was hilarious, especially his pointing and his dance moves. The other policemen were standing and clapping and cheering. Not sure if he was their boss but when they first saw him it was like their dad had just got up on the karaoke." Ch Insp Mark Sutherland, of Police Scotland, said: "Around 19.10 hours on Wednesday evening, officers were called following an alleged assault within the Waterloo Bar on Argyle Street in Glasgow city centre. "A full and thorough investigation led to the arrest of a 23-year-old male who is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 2nd June. "Once the inquiry had concluded and the victim's safety ensured, Sgt Jon Harris from our city centre community policing team was encouraged to participate in karaoke ongoing in the pub. 'Sgt Jon' took to the stage which helped to defuse any simmering tensions in the pub. "I was pleased to see that once the incident had been professionally concluded, my officers were able to share a lighter moment with those who remained in the pub."

Summary: A police sergeant called out to deal with a brawl in a Glasgow pub ended up giving an arresting performance of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive.