The Taliban has already captured a few of the 14 districts of Helmand, which borders Pakistan. According to some estimates, the insurgent group now controls more than half of the province, which produces the bulk of Afghanistan's lucrative opium crop. Reports say that the Afghan security forces pulled out overnight from the district headquarters and the main bazaar, after the Taliban launched a major attack. The Taliban insurgents had been trying to capture the Sangin headquarters for two years. The Afghan soldiers and police who had been fighting hard to repel the repeated attacks by Taliban fighters, at times complained about not receiving reinforcements and being short of ammunition and food. The fall of Sangin, one of the most heavily-populated districts in Helmand, also indicates the Taliban's growing strength in the south, and has a symbolic significance for the US-Nato led mission in Afghanistan. Sangin district was perhaps the most dangerous and deadliest for all sides involved in the war in Afghanistan. Both the US and UK lost more soldiers in Sangin than in any of around 400 other districts in Afghanistan. Of the 456 British lives lost in Afghanistan since 2001, most of them - more than 100 - were killed in Sangin over a period of four years. British forces were deployed in Helmand province in 2006 to secure it and prepare the ground for good governance and reconstruction. Although some progress was made by the more than 10,000 British troops based there, the fighting soon intensified, resulting in the death of many Afghan and British forces as well as civilians. By 2009, the then Afghan president Hamid Karzai and American officials expressed dissatisfaction with the British performance. In 2010, thousands of US Marines were deployed to replace British troops and responsibility for security was transferred from the UK to the US in several areas of Helmand, including Sangin, Nawa, Garmsir, Marjah, Khanshin and Nawzad. Within the first 90 days of their deployment, around 20 US Marines were killed in Sangin. Since responsibility for security was handed over from international forces to the Afghan government in 2014, hundreds of Afghan forces have lost their lives defending Sangin. The fight to capture Sangin also took the lives of more Taliban fighters than any other battle for territory in Afghanistan. Afghan forces say they have made a tactical retreat from the centre of Sangin, which has been fiercely fought over for more than a decade. The Taliban's capture of Sangin will also have a destabilising effect on neighbouring Kandahar, a province of huge strategic and political significance, and whose capital is Afghanistan's second-largest town. The fall of Sangin is an indication that this year's fighting season might be even tougher as the group is planning to push even harder to expand its footprint throughout the country. The Taliban now controls more territory than at any point since the US-led invasion in 2001 which toppled its regime. The loss of Sangin underlines the challenge facing the Afghan government and its Western allies, who, according to US military officials are in a "stalemate" with

Summary: The Taliban's capture of the strategically-located Sangin, once considered the deadliest battlefield for US and British troops in Afghanistan, will increase the group's mobility in the north of the province and give it control of an important supply line with the provincial capital Lashkar Gah


The most important ground floor rooms in the stately home are to be restored, while the upper floors are to be used for exhibitions and events. The principal rooms are to be recreated as they were in the 18th Century. The 8th Earl of Onslow, whose family rebuilt the house in the 1720s, has said it should remain a ruin. The Palladian mansion near Guildford was bequeathed to the NT in 1956 by the Onslow family. About 95% of the Grade I-listed house, which featured in the 2008 film The Duchess starring Keira Knightley, was damaged. The trust said it was confident a number of principal rooms on the ground floor, including the Marble Hall, Speakers' Parlour and Saloon, could be restored. A spokesman said: "The fact that so many features survived and items from the rooms are being recovered from the ashes made the case for restoration compelling. "The enduring significance of the architect Leoni's original designs means it will go back instead to look at the 18th Century decorative schemes and layout of the house." The trust said the upper floors were "less architecturally significant" and had already been altered since the house was first built. Helen Ghosh, director general of the National Trust, said: "The fire at Clandon was shocking, but gives us the opportunity not only to show our respect for the heritage of the past, but also to create new heritage for the future. "The loss of so many of the contents of the house means that we cannot return it to how it looked the day before the fire. "However, we now know more about the original layout and recognise that the enduring significance of the house is its architecture." The trust said it had looked at a number of options for the house to ensure Clandon Park remained open and accessible to the public. A spokesman said the cost of the work was expected to be met largely through the trust's insurance policy, although it would also be asking supporters for donations. Source: National Trust

Summary: Parts of Clandon Park House, which was reduced to a shell by a fire in April, are to be restored to their "original glory", the National Trust (NT) says.


The 45-year-old's Honda Fireblade crashed in the opening practice session of the Jurby Motodrome racing meet on Saturday morning. The Andreas Racing Association said Carswell sustained serious injuries in the crash and was taken to Noble's Hospital, where he later died. An investigation into the crash is due to take place, the association said.

Summary: TT rider Gary Carswell has died after a crash during a practice race on the Isle of Man.


Robert McNaughton, 51, from Halesowen, set up fake Facebook accounts to troll the woman, West Midlands Police said. The force said he was "hell bent" on destroying her life after she spurned his reconciliation attempts. McNaughton, of Tenter Drive, was convicted after a trial of conspiracy to commit criminal damage. See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here Sgt Chris Jones said: "McNaughton could not handle being rejected and became hell bent on destroying his ex-partner's life." During December 2014 and February 2015, he bombarded her with abusive Facebook messages, threatening to release intimate images. He also hired two men, Matthew Barker and Joden Smith, to carry out a string of attacks on her home, culminating with her car being set on fire in February 2015. Barker, 44, of Leicester, admitted conspiracy to commit criminal damage and was jailed for 43 months. Smith, 20, also of Leicester, admitted conspiracy to commit criminal damage and arson, recklessly endangering life and was sentenced to four years at a young offenders institution. The men were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 31 March.

Summary: A man who began a hate campaign against his ex-partner, which culminated in her car being petrol bombed, has been jailed for five years.


A group of scientists have invented a gadget which turns pee into electricity. They hope it could be used in some poorer countries, as a way to create clean and renewable energy. The system was developed by scientists at the Bristol Bioenergy Centre (BBiC) in the Bristol Robotics Laboratory at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). The invention will be tried out this week on festival-goers at the Glastonbury music festival in Somerset. Urine, or wee is fed into a special machine called a microbial fuel cell, which contains a type of bacteria. These tiny bacteria break down the wee and create electrons. These electrons are then forced through an electronic circuit, creating a flow of electricity. This electricity can then be used to power all sorts of things, including your phone!

Summary: The UK's biggest music festival Glastonbury is trying out some pretty special toilets this year, which could help you charge your smartphone.


The woman was taken to hospital after the incident involving a male inmate at Maghaberry Prison, near Lisburn, on Monday. Adrian Smith from the Prison Officers Association (POA) told BBC News NI the woman was one of the newer prison officers. He said he believed she was attacked with a weapon "made from a razor". "She has an approximately three inch deep cut below her left ear," he said. "With the ever increasing budget cuts, I believe this will happen more often," he added. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "The Prison Service utterly condemns this attack and has referred the incident to the PSNI".

Summary: A prison officer has suffered a serious neck wound after she was attacked at a jail in County Antrim.


The hosts led when Ben Richards-Everton volleyed home but Jordan Hugill slotted in to equalise for the visitors. With four minutes of extra time left, Jordan Clark restored the lead but Hugill levelled again in added time. But Billy Kee struck in the third minute of stoppage time to give Stanley victory over their Lancashire rivals. Kee also scored in Accrington's 3-1 win against Colchester on the opening day of League Two. They have now knocked out higher league opposition in the EFL Cup for the second successive year after they beat Burnley last season. Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I'm delighted with the result as it was a difficult game. It was a full-blooded derby and just to be competing against teams like this on what we believe is a level playing field is testament to how far the club's come. "Preston are a good side and they showed that. They moved the ball really well and we knew that from when we played them in a pre-season friendly. "We were a different animal tonight. We created far more problems for them." Preston North End manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire: "To be honest we shouldn't have been forcing for extra-time. At 1-1 we looked like we were going to go on and win the game. "When we conceded the corner I thought I've seen this a million times before. We conceded from a set piece which is really frustrating. "If you look at the game, we had numerous opportunities and chances, we didn't take them or make them count and ultimately we got punished because of that." Match ends, Accrington Stanley 3, Preston North End 2. Second Half ends, Accrington Stanley 3, Preston North End 2. Attempt missed. Daryl Horgan (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Paul Gallagher (Preston North End) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Tyler Hornby-Forbes. Goal! Accrington Stanley 3, Preston North End 2. Billy Kee (Accrington Stanley) header from very close range to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Dallison following a corner. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Daniel Johnson. Goal! Accrington Stanley 2, Preston North End 2. Jordan Hugill (Preston North End) header from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Sean Maguire. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Andrew Boyle. Goal! Accrington Stanley 2, Preston North End 1. Jordan Clark (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kayden Jackson. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Chris Maxwell. Attempt saved. Liam Nolan (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Attempt missed. Billy Kee (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Substitution, Accrington Stanley. Seamus Conneely replaces Scott Brown. Kayden Jackson (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick in the defensive

Summary: Accrington Stanley secured a dramatic late victory over Championship side Preston North End to seal their place in the second round of the EFL Cup.


Speaking at an annual meeting of central bankers, Janet Yellen was cautiously upbeat about the US economy. She said economic growth and a stronger jobs market meant "the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has strengthened in recent months". There has been a growing expectation that US interest rates will rise this year. Some economists are saying that the next hike could even come next month. The central bank raised interest rates at the end of last year for the first time in nearly a decade, but has held them steady amid concerns over persistently low inflation. Ms Yellen, speaking at a three-day symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, did not comment on when rates would rise. But she said "the US economy was nearing the Federal Reserve's statutory goals of maximum employment and price stability". She added: "In light of the continued solid performance of the labour market and our outlook for economic activity and inflation, I believe the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has strengthened in recent months." However, Ms Yellen emphasised that future rate increases should be "gradual". She noted that inflation is still running below the Fed's 2% target, but said this is being depressed mainly by temporary factors. Subadra Rajappa, head of rates strategy at Societe Generale, in Washington, said: "We weren't really expecting her to signal a hike at the September meeting, but she's just kept the door open for a hike sooner rather than later. "I think that the Fed wants to get the market to start pricing in a hike for this year, which they weren't doing earlier, and now I'm seeing the probability of a hike by December has gone up slightly over a coin toss." John Canally, economist at Boston-based LPL Financial, added: "It looks like she is warming a little more to a hike this year, probably not September but probably December." Signs of slow improvements in the US economy came in data published on Friday. Although the growth rate of second quarter GDP was revised down slightly, from an annual rate of 1.2% to 1.1%, consumer spending - which makes up more than two-thirds of US economic activity - was revised up from 4.2% to 4.4%. Separately, US Labor Department figures showed that claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 261,000 for the week ended 20 August. It was the third straight weekly decline in claims. On Tuesday, Commerce Department data showed that US new homes sales jumped in July to their fastest rate in nearly nine years. Ms Yellen's remarks helped lift US share markets in early trading. On the currency markets, the dollar was flat against the euro at $1.1286 and slightly lower against the yen at 100.28 yen.

Summary: The case for raising US interest rates has "strengthened", the head of the Federal Reserve has said.


The Bundesliga club handed the 28-year-old a 2,250 euros (£1,768) fine - 50 euros for every minute. "I didn't hear my alarm," the Denmark international told Germany's Bild newspaper. "It's my mistake." The striker was also punished last month after posting a photo of himself alongside his Mercedes car, when Wolfsburg's policy only allows employees to turn up to training in a Volkswagen. Nicknamed 'Lord Bendtner' by the German press, the player was once fined £80,000 and banned for a game by Uefa for revealing sponsored underwear after scoring against Portugal in Euro 2012. And he was also fined by former club Arsenal in 2014 for an unauthorised trip to Copenhagen.

Summary: Wolfsburg forward Nicklas Bendtner has been fined for turning up 45 minutes late for training after sleeping through his alarm.


Cameroon's Ekeng died aged 26 of a suspected heart attack after collapsing on the pitch during a match on Friday. Thirteen-time winners Dinamo face CFR Cluj in the postponed final on 17 May. "If we win the final, the trophy will be sent to Cameroon, where it will be placed on Patrick's grave," said sporting director Ionel Danciulescu. Danciulescu told Romanian TV channel Digi Sport that Dinamo would ask Cluj to do the same if they win. The final, scheduled to be played on Tuesday 10 May, was postponed following Ekeng's death. Ekeng fell to the ground in the 70th minute of the televised Romanian league match against Viitorul and was pronounced dead in hospital two hours later. Two days later Cameroon women's goalkeeper Jeanine Christelle Djomnang, 26, died after collapsing during a warm-up session.

Summary: Dinamo Bucharest will honour the memory of midfielder Patrick Ekeng by sending the Romanian Cup to his family in Cameroon if they win the trophy.


Her Royal Highness took the baton at the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra's new home, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. It was part of an event where 250 schoolchildren were introduced to music in front of the Duke and Duchess. The Royal party are due back in the UK on Friday evening, after a five-day tour that began in Poland on Monday. On the last day of the tour, the Duchess, who comes from a musical family and played the flute at school, took the musicians through the first notes of Beethoven's fifth symphony. The royal couple then listened to a performance of a symphony especially adapted for young people, and then went on stage to learn more about the orchestra. Earlier, Catherine and William walked around the stage accompanying six children trying out different instruments, including a violin, flute, timpani [kettle drums] and trombone. Later the Duke of Cambridge gave Prince George and Princess Charlotte a guided tour of a helicopter at the Airbus factory in Hamburg. Prince George tried on a pilot's helmet while Princess Charlotte played with buttons in the cockpit. The Duke flew helicopters when he was an air ambulance pilot. Antoine van Gent, head of flight testing at Airbus, said: "The Duke was very relaxed showing his children the professional aircraft he uses. "George was excited, with the first helicopter he wanted to sit in the cockpit and then he wanted to sit in the next one, he already knew there was a difference between them." Charlotte was less impressed after taking a tumble on the concrete after leaving the aircraft but Mr van Gent said she enjoyed playing in the pilot's seat.

Summary: The Duchess of Cambridge tried her hand at conducting a prestigious symphony orchestra on the final day of the royal tour of Germany.


Dale Arnold, 32, died in hospital after being stabbed in Kelloe, near Durham City, on the afternoon of 3 August. Josh Johnson, 19, had been charged with murder, but admitted to the lesser charge of manslaughter, which was accepted at Teesside Crown Court. Johnson, from Ushaw Moor, is due to return to the court on 20 December for sentencing.

Summary: A teenager has admitted killing a man found with stab wounds in a County Durham village.


But VR can also be embedded in reality to give people more understanding of the world around them. Increasingly it is being used as a tool by journalists, teachers, healthcare workers and retailers. The BBC took a look at a few of the more unexpected uses of the technology. Surveys suggest that while 99% of people have heard of autism, only 16% really understand what it means. In the UK, more than a quarter of autistic people have been asked to leave a public place, such as a restaurant. In order to address this, the UK's National Autistic Society made a VR film this summer to show people what it was like to live with the condition. The film takes viewers on a journey with a young, autistic boy as he walks around a shopping centre. They can experience the sensory overload he experiences as he walks around. Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society, says he hopes the film will "help the public understand a little more about autism". The film, along with Samsung Gear headsets, was taken on tour around UK shopping centres this summer and the charity is also putting together a pack for schools to teach their students about autism. The film is available via an app and can be viewed on YouTube. Alzheimer's Research UK also released a VR film this summer, intended to put the public in the shoes of someone with dementia. A Walk Through Dementia aimed to show how everyday tasks such as making a cup of tea can be a challenge for someone with the condition. Virtual meatballs Virtual reality is becoming a common tool for people wanting to sell something. Estate agents use it to offer customers virtual walks from potential properties while Westfield shopping centre is using VR headsets to show off the latest fashion collections. In April, furniture retailer Ikea launched an app that placed users in a fully furnished kitchen. Users could change the colours of the units and walk around the space. The app was available through Steam, using the HTC Vive. Gamers are, said Ikea's Ingrid Franov, "not a typical Ikea customer" but the retailer was amazed by the reaction. "In one month we had more downloads than we had expected for the whole six-months trial and people were asking for more kitchen action," she told delegates at the recent VR&AR World Forum in London. "And what they wanted was meatball," she said. Meatballs are perhaps the most famous dish in Ikea's restaurants. When meatballs were added to the kitchen, one user told the firm: "I want you all to know that I have just spent 44 minutes throwing meatballs around a virtual kitchen and I loved every second of it." "This is really talking to customers," said Ms Franov. Now the retailer is considering rolling out the VR tool in stores to help customers better envisage how a kitchen design might look. Healthcare has become one of the big adopters of VR - using it both as teaching aid and to treat phobias. Surgeon

Summary: Think of virtual reality and you will probably conjure up images of fantastical landscapes in a game or film set.


Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside Wildlife Trust said the skins of insects have been found on Winmarleigh Moss, near Garstang. The baculovirus drives caterpillars on a "death march" to the top of plants, then when it dies the bug bursts out to seek other victims. The trust's Dr Chris Miller said it was "gruesome - like a zombie horror film". Dr Miller was carrying out a butterfly survey on Winmarleigh Moss when he noticed a caterpillar hanging from the end of a branch of a small bush. He then saw another one hanging from a tall blade of grass. "Both were dead but otherwise intact," he said. Dr Miller also noticed "small scraps of caterpillar skin" on other branches he checked. He said research is showing that the baculovirus affects the way the "zombie" insects respond to light, "making them climb to higher and more dangerous places and when they get there they die". "It is really unusual seeing caterpillars high up as they can be eaten by birds. "This is a caterpillar of the oak eggar moth which eats heather and bilberry so it is normally hidden in the undergrowth, not at the top of plants." Source: Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside Wildlife Trust

Summary: Caterpillars are being killed by a bug which turns them into "exploding zombies", a wildlife expert has said.


The company is in talks with several Japanese lenders over money it needs to reorganise its business in the wake of a massive accounting scandal. The embattled electronics giant is hoping for loans of up to 250bn yen ($2.2bn; Â£1.6bn), said Nikkei daily. Toshiba confirmed it was in talks but said the details had not been decided. The Nikkei daily said Sumitomo Mitsui Banking, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank were like to provide the funds as early as this month. The funds are vital for the survival of the Japanese conglomerate as it streamlines its bloated businesses, whose poor performances had gone unnoticed during almost a decade of false accounting. The restructuring comes after the company admitted in 2015 it had overstated its profits by $1.3bn over seven years. As part of the efforts to balance its books, the firm has announced major job cuts and the selling of several plants and units to external investors. Toshiba currently employs almost 200,000 people. Its shares have lost about 40% of their value since April last year, when news of the profit overstatement began to emerge. In July, its chief executive, president and six other high-level executives resigned from the company. Toshiba, which is involved in a wide-range of industries from electronics to nuclear energy, was founded in 1875 and launched the world's first mass-market laptop in 1985.

Summary: Toshiba shares rallied more than 10% on Thursday on reports the firm was about to secure substantial new loans for its restructuring efforts.


Over the past five years, an estimated 70,000 people have left their homes and moved to the gold fields, seeking - if not their fortunes - a way of feeding their families. When I visited Mubende a few weeks ago the dusty hillside was crawling with activity, as if an imaginary film director had shouted "action" on the set of an old Western movie. Everywhere you looked, people were busy. Young men with muddy faces climbed out of pits 150 metres deep, hauling huge sacks of rubble; others were busy breaking down clumps of rock, loading up trucks or panning for gold. Women stood in dark puddles, swishing water around plastic tubs, closely watching for a flash of yellow. "In our culture it's taboo for women to go down the pit," the mine chairman told me. "They believe when they go down there, the gold disappears." Instead, several women were working in the many restaurants and shops that had sprung up in the nearby camp. They were stalls selling bananas, chicken and yoghurt. There was also a medical clinic, some churches and a mosque on site. The houses were made of blue plastic sheeting, wood and corrugated iron - the typical shanty houses that I've seen elsewhere in Africa. I visit the local bar, where music is playing - until the power goes off. Men worked in the mines 24 hours a day, but it was clear the operation was completely unregulated. There wasn't a helmet to be seen, and some of the workers weren't wearing any shoes. But no one I met seemed worried by the long hours or poor conditions. Florence Nampijja, who used to sell second-hand clothes, said her life had changed considerably since she joined the gold rush. "With good panning, I'm able to look after my four children and my extended family," she said. "I hope to buy land and put up a good house for my children, feed them well, and send them to better schools." Pit owner Ivan Kauma Male enthusiastically showed me around the site. He had bigger dreams. "When I find gold most of my wishes will be completed," he told me. "Like driving a Porsche car, putting up good houses, and sending my children to good schools." "This is something I've invested in for two and a half years. So I want to get my money out of it." But those dreams have been put on hold. A few days ago Ugandan soldiers armed with tear gas shut down the Mubende mines. They were acting on the instructions of the country's government. The miners and their families were told they had just hours to evacuate the area. Many are still looking for a way to get home. The mines are a four-hour drive from the capital Kampala, and the only road in is a bumpy dirt track. "People are stranded on the road with mattresses, jerry cans, saucepans and children," Ivan told me, speaking on the phone from a nearby village. The Ugandan government issued a statement blaming the shutdown on unsafe

Summary: For many Ugandans, the gold found deep underground in the hills of Mubende District was a lifeline.


Barry Pring, 47, was killed by a speeding car as he tried to hail a taxi on the hard shoulder of a dual carriageway in Kiev in 2008. His wife, Ganna Ziuzina, had returned to a restaurant for a missing glove. The coroner at Exeter County Hall, Dr Elizabeth Earland, recorded a verdict of unlawful killing. More on the millionaire 'murdered' by his wife, and other news She said: "His guard was lowered by inebriation. The car had stolen licence plates and did not brake or stop. "I am satisfied that having heard all the evidence... much of it circumstantial, nevertheless, in my view it is overwhelming. "I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Barry John Pring has been unlawfully killed." She said the case demonstrated the difficulty in investigating a case of a death abroad, adding: "Our thoughts and condolences must go to the family who have endured years and years of distress and unhappiness." Close friend Peter Clifford, a lawyer, told the inquest he had "no reasonable doubt" that Barry was murdered. Ms Ziuzina, known as Anna, was 19 years younger than her husband. She tried to claim his assets within days of his death. His family believe he was killed in a staged hit and run accident. The couple met online in 2006 and were married in 2007 following a four-day engagement. Mr Pring's mother, Irene Pring, said Ms Ziuzina claimed to be a teacher when the pair first met, but she was in fact a lap dancer and stripper. She said: "We are sure Anna had some involvement in his death to inherit his money and property. "I was quite surprised how cold she was with Barry. She did not lift a finger, she was a lazy thing." The inquest heard Ms Ziuzina sold her husband's Range Rover, contents from his flat and moved funds from his bank account. The hearing was also told she was "entitled to the first Â£200,000 of his estate" and that computer records revealed "she was having an affair with a Ukrainian man". Greater Devon coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland said "strenuous attempts" had been made to get her to attend the inquest, but without success. In a statement, Ms Ziuzina said she had made "three separate statements to Ukrainian police" and did not believe she could "add anything further". Det Con Jonathan Watts, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said Mr Pring was hit by a car with no lights, speeding at 75mph. He also said witnesses at the scene in Kiev described the killing "as a deliberate act". The Ukrainian police closed an inquiry into his death, but relaunched it in 2011 as a murder inquiry. The case is still active "but not actively pursued".

Summary: The family of a millionaire businessman "are sure" he was killed for his money by his Ukrainian wife, an inquest has heard.


Kohli made 107 and shared century stands with both Shikhar Dhawan (73) and Suresh Raina (74) at the Adelaide Oval. When Kohli fell as part of Sohail Khan's 5-55, Pakistan looked to have dragged themselves back into the game by restricting India to a reachable 300-7. But a chase that never gained momentum was wrecked by a collapse of three wickets for one run and they eventually stumbled to 224 all out, Mohammed Shami claiming 4-35. In isolation, India's win earns national pride in what was billed as the most watched cricket match of all time, with an estimated television audience of one billion, and extends their World Cup record against Pakistan to six wins from as many matches. It was also an emphatic way to begin the defence of a trophy they won on home soil in 2011 and represents their first competitive win since arriving for a tour of Australia in November. Pakistan, winners when the tournament was last held in Australia and New Zealand 23 years ago, can take heart from the way they stuck to the task with the ball, but their limp chase was poor. After all the hype, the action was intriguing, rather than exciting. Making first use of an excellent pitch on a baking hot day, India's innings was underpinned by Kohli's calm accumulation all around the wicket, his 126-ball stay containing only eight fours. The right-hander made Pakistan pay for dropping him twice, the first a tough chance in the deep to Yasir Shah when on only three, the second a more straightforward edge behind to Umar Akmal from the spin of Haris Sohail on 76. When the 26-year-old punched Shahid Afridi to long-on for a 22nd ODI hundred - only Sachin Tendulkar has more for India - he became the first man to score a century in his opening match of a World Cup tournament on two occasions. Support came from Dhawan, who curbed his attacking instincts, and Raina, who repeatedly heaved through the leg side in his 56-ball knock. However, after Kohli edged Sohail to Umar, Pakistan fought back through fast bowler Sohail, who demonstrated consistency of length and canny changes of pace. India scored just 27 runs in their final five overs as five wickets fell, four of them to Sohail. A chase of 301 looked within Pakistan's grasp at the interval, but they never threatened to keep up with the six-an-over run-rate. Younus Khan, promoted to open, gloved a Shami bouncer behind early on and, though Ahmed Shahzad and Haris shared 68, Ravichandran Ashwin found turn with a beautiful off-break to have the latter caught at slip. And, when Umesh Yadav removed Shahzad and Saqaib Mahsood in the space of three balls followed by Umar controversially being given out, caught behind off Ravi Jadeja on review, the contest was effectively over. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq did his best to delay the inevitable with some clean striking in his 76, but he was the ninth wicket to fall, to the lively Shami, before Mohit Sharma had Sohail caught at long-on to seal

Summary: Virat Kohli compiled a composed hundred to help defending champions India begin the World Cup with a 76-run victory over fierce rivals Pakistan.


Earlier Prime Minister David Cameron attended the main celebration at Cleethorpes in North East Lincolnshire. It featured an aerobatic display by the Red Arrows, a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and parachute display by the Royal Navy, Army and RAF. On Monday, a flag-raising ceremony was held at City Hall, in London, to mark this year's events. Follow live updates of Armed Forces Day events Alex Baxter, armed forces champion for North East Lincolnshire, said: "Hosting Armed Forces Day will give our residents and others in the region an unparalleled opportunity to show their support and appreciation for serving and former armed forces personnel." The main celebration also included a display of military vehicles, including the Sandown-class mine countermeasures vessel HMS Blyth, the AS90 artillery tank and the Warrior and Terrier armoured vehicles. North East Lincolnshire Council leader Ray Oxby said: "Our local Armed Forces Day has previously attracted more than 60,000 people into the area for the weekend to recognise our past and serving military personnel, and I've no doubt that figure will be dwarfed by hosting the national day."

Summary: Tributes were paid to service personnel at hundreds of events around the UK on Armed Forces Day.


Humans are thought to have arrived in the New World no earlier than 25,000 years ago, so the find would push back the first evidence of settlement by more than 100,000 years. The conclusions rest on analysis of animal bones and tools from California. But many experts contacted by the BBC said they doubted the claims. Thomas Deméré, Steven Holen and colleagues examined material from the Cerutti Mastodon site near San Diego. The site was originally uncovered in 1992, during highway construction work. Possible stone tools were discovered alongside the smashed up remains of a mastodon (Mammut americanum)- an extinct relative of mammoths and living elephants. The researchers behind the latest study were unable to carry out radiocarbon dating on the remains, so they used a technique called uranium-thorium dating on several bone fragments, coming up with a date of 130,000 years. The team members found that some of the bones and teeth bore a characteristic breakage pattern known as spiral fracturing, considered to occur when the bone is fresh. Additionally, some of the bones showed typical signs of being smashed with hard objects. Rocks found alongside the mastodon remains show signs of wear and being struck against other surfaces, the researchers say. They conclude that these represent hammerstones and anvils - two types of stone tool used by prehistoric cultures around the world. Dr Deméré, curator of palaeontology at the San Diego Natural History Museum, said the totality of evidence at the site had led team members to the conclusion that "humans were processing [working on or breaking up] mastodon limb bones using hammerstones and anvils and that the processing occurred at the site of burial 130,000 years ago". Dr Steve Holen, co-director of the Center for American Paleolithic Research in South Dakota, commented: "We have conducted two experiments breaking elephant bones with large rock hammers and anvils. We produced exactly the same kind of fracture patterns as we found on the Cerutti mastodon limb bones." He added: "We can eliminate all of the natural processes that break bones like this. These bones were not broken by carnivore chewing, or by other animals trampling on this bone... the distribution patterns of the fractured pieces of bone right around the anvils is fairly conclusive evidence because we see that experimentally also." It's not entirely clear why early humans were processing these mastodon remains. "We have no evidence that this is a kill or butchery site, but what we do have evidence of is that people were here breaking up the limb bones of this mastodon, removing some of the big thick pieces - probably to make tools out of - and they may also have been extracting the marrow for food," said Dr Holen. But if the team's conclusions are correct, people could have reached the Americas from Asia via a land bridge across the Bering Strait. This bridge periodically emerged during cold periods - when ocean water was locked up as ice - and disappeared when the climate warmed again and sea levels rose. The earliest widely accepted evidence for humans

Summary: A study that claims humans reached the Americas 130,000 years ago - much earlier than previously suggested - has run into controversy.


Media playback is not supported on this device Cavendish finished 29th after his Great Britain team-mates failed to reel in a late breakaway in the 250km race that finished on The Mall. "The British team were a victim of their own success. The same tactics worked at the World Championships [where Cavendish won gold]. Then, in the Tour de France, Cavendish battered them on the Champs Elysees in Paris. There were eight riders helping in Copenhagen, just four today. While four people can influence a race, they cannot control it. The problem is nobody wanted to ride against Cavendish on the Mall because they knew they would come second. The team did everything they could, other riders did not contribute to the race and they missed out too. Andre Greipel is the second best sprinter in the world but he and his German team sat back." Vinokourov sprinted clear of Colombia's Rigoberto Uran in the final stages of an eventful race. Norway's Alexander Kristoff pipped the rest of the breakaway pack to bronze. Cavendish, who finished near the front of the main peloton, refused to blame his team-mates, who included 2012 Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins and runner-up Chris Froome. "We rode the exact race we wanted to ride," Cavendish told BBC Radio 5 live. "We controlled it with four guys for 250km and we couldn't do any more. We are human beings. "There was a group of 22 who got away and we couldn't pull them back. The four guys who ran all day couldn't do it. "I can be proud of how the lads rode today. I'm proud of my country because there was incredible support. The guys are sat there, they are spent. They have got nothing left in the tank. It's incredible to see what they gave for the cause." Media playback is not supported on this device Team GB's race strategy was simple: get Cavendish to Buckingham Palace within striking distance and let the Manx Missile demonstrate his finishing prowess. It was a plan that worked beautifully at the World Championships in Copenhagen last year. But there were two flaws with the plan: one, everybody else knew it; and two, this time the 27-year-old Brit only had four support riders to pace him to the end, not seven. What gave Cavendish - and the millions of British fans watching on the course and at home - so much hope, however, was the fact that this team was undoubtedly the best Britain had fielded at an Olympic road race. With Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, Tour runner-up Chris Froome, seasoned campaigner David Millar and national champion Ian Stannard riding for the world champion, Cavendish's claims that this was a "dream team" were not unfounded. Yet it was not enough. With almost every other nation in the race desperate to avoid a sprint, Team GB were always going to struggle to keep the 144-strong field together. Media playback is not supported on this device A pattern was set from start of the race when, after the riders

Summary: Mark Cavendish's Olympic gold medal bid ended in disappointment as Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan won the men's road race.


It addresses his 1952 conviction for gross indecency following which he was chemically castrated. He had been arrested after having an affair with a 19-year-old Manchester man. The conviction meant he lost his security clearance and had to stop the code-cracking work that had proved vital to the Allies in World War Two. The pardon was granted under the Royal Prerogative of Mercy after a request by Justice Minister Chris Grayling. "Dr Alan Turing was an exceptional man with a brilliant mind," said Mr Grayling. He said the research Turing carried out during the war at Bletchley Park undoubtedly shortened the conflict and saved thousands of lives. 2012 saw a series of events that celebrated the life and work of Alan Turing. The events were held to mark the 100th anniversary of his birth Celebrating Turing Turing's work helped accelerate Allied efforts to read German Naval messages enciphered with the Enigma machine. He also contributed some more fundamental work on codebreaking that was only released to public scrutiny in April 2012. "His later life was overshadowed by his conviction for homosexual activity, a sentence we would now consider unjust and discriminatory and which has now been repealed," said Mr Grayling. "Turing deserves to be remembered and recognised for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science. A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man." The pardon comes into effect on 24 December. Turing died in June 1954 from cyanide poisoning and an inquest decided that he had committed suicide. However, biographers, friends and other students of his life dispute the finding and suggest his death was an accident. Many people have campaigned for years to win a pardon for Turing. Dr Sue Black, a computer scientist, was one of the key figures in the campaign. She told the BBC that she hoped all the men convicted under the anti-homosexuality law would now be pardoned. "This is one small step on the way to making some real positive change happen to all the people that were convicted," she said. "It's a disgrace that so many people were treated so disrespectfully." Some have criticised the action for not going far enough and, 59 years after Turing's death, little more than a token gesture. "I just think it's ridiculous, frankly," British home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair told the BBC. "He's been dead these many years so what's the point? It's a silly nonsense. "He was such a fine, great man, and what was done was appalling of course. It makes no sense to me, because what's done is done." Lord Sharkey, a Liberal Democrat peer who wrote a private member's bill calling for a royal pardon in July 2012, said the decision was "wonderful news". "This has demonstrated wisdom and compassion," he said. "It has recognised a very great British hero and made some amends for the cruelty and injustice with which Turing was treated." Vint Cerf, the computer scientist known as one of the founding fathers of the internet, also welcomed the development. "The

Summary: Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing has been given a posthumous royal pardon.


The Colombia international, who has not played since October following a thigh injury, has been replaced in the squad by new loan signing Alexandre Pato. The 29-year old has made just one Premier League start since signing on a season-long from Monaco last July. Former AC Milan forward Pato, 26, signed for Chelsea last week on a six-month loan from Corinthians. However, the Brazil international has not featured since November as he looks to regain full fitness following a series of injuries. Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink has also included new signing Matt Miazga in both his Champions League and Premier League squad lists for the second half of the season. The United States defender, 20, joined Chelsea on a four-and-a-half-year contract from New York Red Bulls last week. Falcao, who was linked with a deadline day move to former club Atletico Madrid, has been named in Chelsea's 25-man Premier League squad. Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini revealed on Monday that Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho, 19, will replace Samir Nasri in City's 25-man Champions League squad. France international midfielder Nasri, 28, is set for at least another two months on the sidelines following a hamstring injury and tendon surgery in November. Clubs featuring in the knock-out stages of the Champions League were required to supply European football's governing body Uefa with their updated squad lists by Tuesday night, but Arsenal have yet to publicly announce any changes to their 25-man squad. The Gunners are expected to make one change, with new midfield signing Mohamed Elneny, 23, replacing defender Mathieu Debuchy, 30, who has joined Ligue 1 side Bordeaux on loan until the end of the season.

Summary: Radamel Falcao has been omitted from Chelsea's 25-man squad for the Champions League knock-out stages.


As many as 10 suicide bombers carried out the attacks, which reportedly targeted members of the security forces and allied Shia Muslim militias. The Islamic State (IS) group, which holds territory in the north and west, said it was behind some of the attacks. In the deadliest attack, at least 14 people were killed when a bomber blew himself up in a restaurant. The eatery was popular with members of the Popular Mobilisation, a predominantly Shia militia which has taken a lead role in the fight against IS, the Associated Press reports. Other attacks hit the southern city of Basra, Baghdad and Mashada, north of the capital. In recent months government forces backed by Shia militias and US air strikes have regained control over significant parts of Iraq from IS. On Sunday, the army said it had made progress in an offensive to recapture the western city of Hit, which has been under IS control for the last 18 months. It said it had taken the northern edge of Hit, about 140km (85 miles) from Baghdad, but was being slowed down by the presence of hundreds of roadside bombs planted by IS.

Summary: At least 25 people have been killed and dozens wounded in bomb attacks across Iraq, media reports say.


The 25-year-old forward has been signed for the second half of the Womens Super League season, which will resume for Blues on 29 June at home to Arsenal. "It further outlines our intentions and vision of what we want to achieve at the club," said manager David Parker. Blues fought off competition from some major European sides to sign Linden. "It's a signal of the development the club is making not just in England but also in Europe that we are now attracting the top European players," added Parker. She is the third German to join this season following the signing of Corina Schroder from Liverpool and the arrival in April of defender Marisa Ewers from Bayer Leverkusen. On the back of two wins in three matches, Blues have climbed to third in WSL 1, seven points behind leaders Manchester City. Linden said: "The conversations with David, (assistant manager) Marcus Bignot and (chief executive) Tim Andrews convinced me about the project and ambitions at the club. "I'm looking forward to the new challenge to play in another country. I have always wanted to play in England." Linden, who played at SGS Essen and Bayer Leverkusen before joining Frankfurt for the 2015-16 season, has represented Germany at every level.

Summary: Birmingham City Ladies have signed Germany international Isabelle Linden from Champions League holders FFC Frankfurt.


The 40-year-old, who is based near Malpas in Cheshire, fell from her mount Topwood Beau and was airlifted to Bristol's Southmead Hospital. British Eventing (BE) said last week she suffered a traumatic brain injury. In a further update on Monday, BE said she was about to be moved to the neurological ward. "Emily is progressing steadily, and the family would like to thank everyone for their messages of support and thank Southmead Intensive Care Unit for their wonderful care," it said. Topwood Beau, a 14-year-old gelding, was uninjured in the fall, which happened at the third fence - Keepers Question - on the cross-country course. Gilruth, who is married with two young daughters, made her Badminton debut in last year's event. She has competed in British Eventing competitions for 18 years and runs her own yard.

Summary: British rider Emily Gilruth is set to leave intensive care after she was injured in a fall at the Badminton Horse Trials.


The Tykes were knocked out of the FA Cup in the first round on Saturday by National League side Altrincham. They have also lost their last seven league games, and 34-year-old Johnson admitted it had been a "shocking run." Media playback is not supported on this device He told BBC Radio Sheffield: "I understand people want me gone. If I do stay - and I want to and believe I will - I know what we require." Johnson continued: "I have to take full responsibility and I do. It's my place to make changes, whether that be changing personnel or rallying the troops. "We have to put people out there that we believe will play for the badge on the front and not the name on the back." The former Oldham boss joined Barnsley in February on a three-and-a-half year contract, but the Reds have struggled to make an impact this season. They have won just four of their 16 matches, leaving them in 22nd place in League One. "The whole club has to assess the way to move forward because there's too many losing mentality characters around the place," he added. "The Under-18s rarely get a win, the Under-21s haven't got enough wins and we haven't got enough wins. Something has to have a clean sweep of the mindset and change."

Summary: Barnsley manager Lee Johnson has asked for time to change a "losing mentality" at the struggling League One club.


The two countries failed to sign an accord on sharing river water after objections from the chief minister of the Indian state of West Bengal. There was also no deal granting India overland access across Bangladesh to its land-locked north-eastern states. But there was good news for tens of thousands of "stateless border people". The two countries agreed "to put in motion" a deal that allows about 50 Bangladeshi enclaves inside India to be integrated within Bangladesh and about 100 Indian areas inside Bangladesh to become part of India. Officials say that under the terms of a protocol between the two leaders - the details of which will be worked out at a later date - residents of these areas will have the right to decide whether they want to become Indians or Bangladeshis. BBC Bengali editor Sabir Mustafa says that the failure to reach agreement over sharing water from the Teesta river is a big setback for Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, who has staked much of her personal reputation on securing a deal. By Sabir Mustafa BBC Bengali editor There is little doubt that relations between the two countries are at their closest since the early 1970s when India helped Bangladesh gain independence from Pakistan. But the warmth in relations is also serving to mask a growing unease in both countries about the nature of the relationship. There are worries that the Indian leadership may have invested all its goodwill in one political party in Bangladesh, namely the Awami League led by current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As a result, whenever the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP comes to power, relations could take a nose dive. There is also concern in Bangladesh that Sheikh Hasina appears too eager to accommodate Indian demands. The visit lost much of its lustre when the Indian side made it clear at the last minute there would not be any agreement on the sharing of a major river. It has also taken some of the gloss off the first visit to Bangladesh by an Indian prime minister for 12 years. All the two sides could agree on this issue was a commitment to revisit it at a later date. Prime Minister Singh told reporters after the talks that "substantial progress has been made on sharing water of common rivers". He said further discussion was needed. It is widely thought that the deal fell through because of last-minute objections to it from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was reported to believe that India was in danger of supplying too much water to Bangladesh. Bangladesh expressed its "frustration and dissatisfaction" over Ms Banerjee's "sudden u-turn", which it said had kept the two countries from signing two very crucial deals. Correspondents say that the failure to implement the water-sharing deal probably led to them also not agreeing on an Indian overland transit route through Bangladesh because Dhaka has long argued that the one is dependent on the other. They say it will come as a big disappointment to Delhi which is eager to have better

Summary: Indian PM Manmohan Singh has concluded a historic visit to Bangladesh by signing a series of protocols but without agreement on two major issues.


This will be ripe territory for both sides because they believe that is where the highest numbers of undecided voters are to be found. Morgan Brobyn, from Vote Leave, said he was looking to take advantage of the split loyalties many feel because of their previous support for remain-supporting Labour. He said: "It is a combination of failed aspirations which they see around them and because they don't see any tangible benefit to the EU or any difference it's made to their lives. "The level of structural funding is not enough of an incentive for them to remain." Lord Hain, who is running the Welsh Labour In campaign, said between a fifth and a third of voters in its heartland areas were undecided. He said: "People are beginning to get alarmed. We are going to have to fight for a vote that people took for granted. "There is a big section that is undecided and they will hold the key." It means that rock-solid Labour areas will become political battlegrounds during the next week, in marked contrast to normal elections where the results are often foregone conclusions. Unlike in a first-past-the-post general election, every vote in a referendum counts as the the entire UK. In effect, becomes one giant constituency. The Valleys feature prominently in the areas that Vote Leave will be focusing on in the final days of the campaign. As well as Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly, they include Port Talbot, Cardiff and Newport. In the north, extra resources will be deployed in the constituencies of Clwyd West, Aberconwy and Wrexham. Leave campaigners say their blanket leafleting approach will be replaced by more targeted door-to-door canvassing in the final days. Any undecided voters expressing some degree of sympathy for a Brexit to a Vote Leave campaigner can expect another visit on June 23rd as the campaign focuses on getting its vote out. Senior Vote Leave figures admit some of their data is too narrow but they believe they are ahead in most parts of Wales apart from Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Cardiff and in Newport where they say they are neck-and-neck with remain. They claim to have had up to 500 activists operating in Wales in the past week. The make-up of the teams vary. In the Vale of Glamorgan, around 80% of the local Conservative activists who campaigned for the party in the recent assembly and general elections are out campaigning for leave. The remain side is more difficult to characterise because it is made up of a number of different elements. Wales Stronger In is the umbrella organisation, but it works alongside parties like Plaid Cymru, and parallel with the much larger ground operation run by Labour. Labour has run a separate operation involving up to 1,000 people on a weekly basis, and has focused entirely on traditional voters using a combination of doorstep canvassing and town centre stalls. From here until the referendum, Labour's focus will be in the south Wales valleys and Newport, where the party admits there is plenty of heavy lifting to be done. Lord Hain

Summary: The main battleground in Wales in the final week of the referendum campaign will be the south Wales valleys.


Media playback is not supported on this device Tweddle's score of 15.916 took bronze in her uneven bars final after a decade pursuing an elusive Olympic medal. The 27-year-old has four world titles and is the most decorated GB gymnast in history. A step back on landing may have cost her higher honours. Russia's Aliya Mustafina won the gold medal ahead of Beijing 2008 champion He Kexin of China. Mustafina scored a massive 16.133 to win the title, a mark Tweddle had herself posted in qualifying at London 2012. "Everyone kept saying to me, 'You're a great champ, it doesn't matter what happens today.' I kept trying to tell myself that but I knew if I walked out of here without a medal, I'd have been really disappointed," Tweddle told BBC Sport. "I knew the crowd would be good and I got a lot of texts this morning from people saying they were behind me and rooting for me, and that calmed me down. "I know I've done the years of hard work, my coach has too, and she'd have been as gutted as me if we'd come away with nothing." London 2012 marks Tweddle's final outing at this level. She has endured agony to reach this point, her body breaking down in a sport that usually spits out gymnasts by their early twenties at best. The City of Liverpool gymnast slept with an ice machine strapped to her leg for much of this year to calm the swelling from training, and long ago abandoned two of the four pieces of apparatus in women's gymnastics to preserve her fitness for the bars and floor. "This is definitely my last Olympics," she confirmed. "It was a tremendous routine by Beth. She went for the big dismount, and knew she had to go for maximum difficulty, and her work on the apparatus was superb. To get a medal is a wonderful moment for Beth and British gymnastics." "I'm not totally retiring straight away. It would be too much on my mind and body just to stop. "The federation have said I can keep training a bit, so I can decide what I want to do rather than make drastic decisions." While she did not reach the floor final at her home Games, her bars routine was the best in qualifying and she replicated that scintillating form for nine-tenths of her performance in the final. But two large steps back following her landing were enough to end her challenge for the Olympic title. Asked if she might dwell on that moment, Tweddle said: "Do you know what? I don't care. Coming into London 2012 I had a few different routines. I went with that one; it could have gone totally wrong, and it didn't. "I landed on my feet, I've got a medal around my neck and that's all I'm bothered about." Mustafina, the 2010 all-around world champion, came through a serious knee injury in 2011 to reach London 2012 and was a deserving gold medallist. He scored 15.933 behind her. Watch Tweddle speaking about

Summary: Great Britain's Beth Tweddle won a medal at last in the final Olympic appearance of her gymnastics career.


After captaining England to nine victories in a row this year, Hartley is favourite for the Lions job in 2017. But after meeting for a short camp last weekend, Hartley insists all the focus is on England's November opener against South Africa. "Every player has that in the back of their mind," Hartley told BBC Sport. "Lions selection comes off the back of playing well for your country, so at the moment everyone's focus should be on playing well for their clubs and getting picked for England. "You are always judged on your next performance, so I just want to play well for my club and be in [the frame for] selection for that South Africa game in November." England face South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia in successive weekends in the autumn, and can go through 2016 unbeaten if they avoid defeat. "The key message from Eddie is how as a team do we get better, how do we improve?" Hartley added. "Without winning that first game there is no point talking about going unbeaten, [so] every meeting we have had these last few days has been about South Africa and building for that game. "I don't think anyone in our team has beaten South Africa before, so there's a huge opportunity there for us as a group." Meanwhile, Hartley believes the new club and country agreement will be of great benefit to the national side. Under terms of the new deal between the RFU and the Premiership clubs, which was finalised last month, England coach Eddie Jones will have more regular access to his players. A 45-man group assembled in Teddington last weekend, a matter of weeks after the successful tour of Australia in June. "We have a couple more of these camps before [the matches in] November which keeps us all connected and in England mode," Hartley said. "It's hard to go from club to England, so the more we can meet together as a group the better for us as a team. "It keeps us tighter as a group, and the more we meet those bonds stay tight."

Summary: England skipper Dylan Hartley has urged his players not to become pre-occupied with the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand next summer.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 20-year-old told BBC Sport he is motivated by trophies not money after rejecting a £100,000-a-week contract. "Liverpool are one of the superpowers of football and if the owners don't want to sell, they don't have to," said Rodgers. Sterling has two years left on a contract worth £35,000 a week. Rodgers added: "Concentration should be on his football. If his ambition is to win trophies that's aligned with what we do here." Rodgers added that the club had not given Sterling permission to speak to BBC Sport and that he thought it was a "mistake" to carry out the interview. "There was no permission from us," he said. "He will learn. We all make mistakes in life, especially when we are young. "I think the kid has tried to put off all talk about contract and money. For now hopefully the focus will be on football." Sterling, who joined the Reds from QPR in 2010, says he will not discuss a new contract with the Reds until the summer. "I just want to take the time to think about what I've achieved in my career so far, where I need to go and what I need to do to get better as a player," he said. Newspaper reports have linked him with moves to Manchester City,Arsenal,Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. But Rodgers said he and Sterling were "relaxed about the situation". "This is one of the great clubs of the footballing world and, for Raheem, to be playing here it's an honour," added Rodgers. "He understands that, he sees that." Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson, who won five league titles and a European Cup with the club, said Sterling is not yet good enough for the top clubs in Europe. "He's 20 and not going to Real Madrid or Barcelona or Paris St-Germain," Lawrenson told BBC Sport. "He's not at that level and he has a lot of work to do."

Summary: Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling will not be leaving the club in the summer despite a breakdown in talks over a new deal, says manager Brendan Rodgers.


Richards-Ross, 32, revealed in her new book that she had a termination a day before leaving for Beijing 2008, where she won a gold and bronze medal. She later claimed that every female athlete she knows has had an abortion but the issue is "not talked about". "There is a brokenness there," the American told BBC Radio 5 live. "For me, it was really healing to be able to share that with other friends. "Now I've had other women reach out to me, not just in track and field but all over the world. They've said 'your courage is helping me to heal myself'. That's meant a whole lot to me. "I feel bad because I think people misinterpreted when I said 'everyone I know'. I don't intimately know a lot of women in this sport. "When I started to share my story I was like 'wow', so many women around me have been through the same thing and no matter how close you are, it's something that people don't share." Richards-Ross won three Olympic golds in the 4x400m relay for the USA, with her first and only individual gold coming in the 400m at London 2012. She also claimed seven medals at the World Championships - including five golds - before retiring in 2016. During her career, the Jamaican-American athlete became well-known for her style on the track - which included wearing make-up and nail varnish while competing. She hopes that her image, as well as her sporting achievements, will inspire female athletes in the future. "People ask me 'why do you wear make-up when you run?' and 'why are you so stylish?' and a big part of it for me was to show young girls that you don't have to be butch or masculine to be a great athlete," she said. "I've had so many girls during my career saying 'thanks for making it cool to wear make-up on the track'. My hope is that I've empowered some young women to go towards sports because sport is one of the best life teachers you can have." Richards-Ross' time of 48.70 seconds in the women's 400m is the fastest since 2005. The world record of 47.6 was set by East German athlete Marita Koch in 1985 but there has always been doubt cast over the time. Koch competed during a period when it is known that East Germany was doping its athletes but she has denied any wrongdoing and never failed a test. When asked about doping in track and field, Richards-Ross said: "The more we hear about these horror stories of the best athletes in the world not being clean, it definitely impacts on our sport. "I think the IAAF [International Association of Athletics Federations] needs to go back as far as they have records to ensure the records we are competing against are clean and fair. "I want to see the IAAF do everything they can to make sure the sport is clean." You can listen to the full interview with Emma Barnett on 5 live Daily on Tuesday,

Summary: Former Olympic 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross says she has helped other women by speaking publicly about having an abortion.


BBC Sport takes a look at five things you might have missed in the EFL on the last full match day before the festive season. There were six late winning goals in the Championship on Saturday, all with ramifications in the race for promotion and the bid to avoid relegation. Brighton's Glenn Murray headed home in the fifth minute of stoppage time against Birmingham City to ensure the Seagulls will spend Christmas eight points clear of third-placed Reading. Jaap Stam's men had looked like having to settle for a point at Blackburn before George Evans hit an injury-time winner to move them back up to third. Yorkshire rivals Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday ensured they would spend Christmas in the top six thanks to winners in the 89th minute and stoppage time against Brentford and Rotherham respectively. Meanwhile, 23rd-placed Wigan were set to take a point from their home game against Ipswich before David McGoldrick popped up with an 88th-minute winner for Mick McCarthy's men. Match of the day in the second tier must go to Barnsley's 4-3 win at Cardiff. The Bluebirds led in the third minute before trailing 3-1 at half-time. Peter Whittingham and Antony Pilkington's 89th-minute strike seemed to have given Neil Warnock's side an unlikely point but Ryan Williams scored in the fifth minute of injury time to make it a happy journey back to South Yorkshire for the Tykes. Well, maybe not quite miracles but it's probably fair to say neither Wes Brown nor Isaiah Osbourne would have been fancied by many to get on the scoresheet today. Former Manchester United and Sunderland man Brown, 37, scored on his Blackburn Rovers debut to level the match against the Royals. It counted for nothing in the end thanks to Reading's late winner but it was Brown's first goal since netting for Sunderland in December 2011. Walsall midfielder Osbourne only had to wait a shade over three years to end his scoring drought. The ex-Aston Villa player opened his account for the Saddlers to give them a point against Bradford City. He'll probably be pleased this goal meant a little more than his last one which opened the scoring for Blackpool against Derby in December 2013. The Rams went on to win 5-1. Yeovil boss Darren Way, assistant Terry Skiverton and the 18-strong match-day squad put £300 behind the bar at Carlisle as a 'thank you' to fans for making the long trek north. "Special mention must go to the supporters because how far they've travelled to watch this game is unbelievable commitment," Way told BBC Somerset. "This is beyond the end of the Earth. I just hope they feel that the players gave everything and they can be proud of their team." Travelling Glovers fans certainly seemed appreciative as they tweeted the club with pictures of pies and pints. Sadly for the 96 Yeovil fans who made the 660-mile round trip to Brunton Park, the hosts were not in such a generous mood, with the Cumbrians claiming a 2-1 win. Roll the clock back to 27 September and Bury

Summary: They say that Christmas is the time for charity but there are going to be a few football managers across the country wishing their players had not been quite so generous this year.


Residents and an official said the victims were travelling in a pick-up truck that was targeted in the Hiran district of Hajja province. They had been heading to a local market, according to the residents. There was no immediate comment from the coalition, which is fighting the Houthi rebel movement in a bid to restore the internationally recognised government. The coalition says it does not target civilians, but the UN says air strikes have caused the majority of the more than 4,125 civilian deaths recorded since the conflict in Yemen escalated in March 2015. Wednesday's incident comes two days after a 48-hour cessation of hostilities ended. Both sides accused each other of repeated violations of the truce, which brought a brief respite from air strikes for residents of the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa. Fighting continued in and around the south-western city of Taiz throughout the weekend, however, and on Tuesday clashes there reportedly left 11 people dead. Military officials said pro-government forces had repelled an attack on Taiz's western outskirts by Houthis and allied security personnel loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed alarm on Tuesday at the situation in Taiz, where some 300,000 people have been under siege by rebel forces for more than a year. "Sniper fire and indiscriminate shelling has trapped civilians. Dead bodies are in the streets and people are unable to attend to their most basic needs. The situation is desperate," said the ICRC's head of delegation in Yemen, Alexandre Faite. Mr Faite added that the main hospitals in Taiz had reported receiving an average of 200 wounded in three days. Many patients were suffering from blast injuries and had to have limbs amputated.

Summary: Twelve civilians are reported to have been killed in a Saudi-led coalition air strike in north-western Yemen.


Lord O'Donnell told the Times it would take Parliament "years and years and years" to separate fully from Brussels. "It very much depends what happens to public opinion and whether the EU changes before then," he said. He later told the BBC he did not think the EU would make the radical changes needed for the UK to remain a member. As Gus O'Donnell, he was cabinet secretary from 2005 to 2011 and is now a crossbencher in the House of Lords. Lord O'Donnell told the Times: "Lots of people will say 'we've had the referendum, we've decided to go out, so that's it, it's all over'. "It might be that the broader, more loosely aligned group is something that the UK is happy being a member of." Asked about these comments, he told BBC Radio 4 this was an example of a "low-probability event that might mean we don't leave". He also said his "central assumption" was that the EU would not radically change. "The probability of us not leaving is very, very low and we need to get on and implement the people's decision," he added. Lord O'Donnell said making Brexit happen would be difficult, partly because article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - the step required to officially begin the process - was designed "in a way that is very strongly in favour of those who are staying, not the leaving party". He said he "wouldn't be in a rush" to trigger article 50, as the government must first work out a "strategic plan to say 'what kind of UK do we want, what's our place in the world, what are we trying to achieve in these negotiations'". Handling Brexit would be an "unprecedented challenge" for the government and the civil service, he added. In his interview in the Times, Lord O'Donnell said Theresa May - who replaced David Cameron as prime minister after the UK public voted by 52% to 48% to leave the EU - now faced a "really difficult job". "She's got to corral all these different individuals, come up with precisely what version of Brexit we want, what works best for the British people, and then go about implementing it," he said. He said he was "not a big fan of referenda", adding that there were "ridiculous claims" on both sides in the UK's debate on EU membership. Mrs May has said formal talks on Britain's "sensible and orderly departure" from the EU will not begin until next year - but she has been clear that "Brexit means Brexit". Gus O'Donnell served as a press secretary under John Major, and then as cabinet secretary - the UK's most senior civil servant - in the cabinets of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

Summary: A former head of the civil service has said the UK might remain in a "more loosely aligned" European Union, despite the referendum vote to leave.


The 21-year-old, who has also played on the wing, has progressed through Wigan's youth system. Tierney is the son of former England dual-code international Jason Robinson, who also played for the Warriors. "It is a huge achievement for me to agree this contract extension and I'm very happy to be staying at my hometown club," said Tierney. His new deal also includes the option of a further year. "Lewis is a good young Wigan kid who knows what it means to play for this great club," added head coach Shaun Wane. "He has improved a greatly in the last few years and it excites me that there is still a lot more improvement to come."

Summary: Wigan Warriors full-back Lewis Tierney has signed a new three-year deal with the Super League side until 2019.


Caitlin Ruddy had been with a group of teenagers on the north pier at Cullercoats Bay on Saturday evening. Northumbria Police said she was rescued from the side of the bay by a member of the public. Caitlin died in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. Her mother, Sabrina Cook, said she had lost her "everything". Mrs Cook has warned young people "not to take water for granted, because it is dangerous". "I've lost my daughter through it," she said. "She was stunning, she was my everything really, she was my friend." Caitlin's friends and family have been paying their respects at Cullercoats Bay, writing messages in the sand and leaving flowers. A RNLI lifeboat, a Coastguard search-and-rescue helicopter and police were called to the scene at about 20:00 GMT. Caitlin was taken to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington. Another 15-year old girl, and a boy and girl both aged 14, were also taken to hospital as a precaution but were uninjured, police said. Ch Insp Paul Knox issued a warning that "people can be taken unawares by the strength of the waves" when it is dark and cold. "People should always be careful around water and if the sea is looking rough with waves pounding on to the pier, we would advise people to be particularly cautious and keep their distance," he said. A Cullercoats resident who witnessed the rescue operation said the weather had been "absolutely freezing". Newcastle University lecturer Clare Guilding said the beach was a popular place for teenagers to congregate. "It was minus 2C, but once you get out on the front it was just bitterly, bitterly cold," she said.

Summary: A 15-year-old girl has died despite being rescued after she was swept into the sea in North Tyneside.


If Wydad Casablanca of Morocco defeat visiting ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast on Sunday in Group A, Wydad and Zesco will qualify for the semi-finals of Africa's premier club football competition. Zesco have eight points, Wydad seven, Ahly five and ASEC four in a mini-league where head-to-head records count in the event of a tie. Ahly, who needed maximum points to keep up their hopes of progressing, dominated possession for much of the match in Alexandria. But Zesco, looking for a first semi-finals appearance, were quick on the counter-attack, and frustrated the Egyptians who are managed by former Tottenham boss Martin Jol. Kenya's Jesse Were took advantage of slack marking to nod the Zambians into a sixth-minute lead with Rami Rabia levelling on the half hour. Were struck again five minutes later, hitting the ball across goalkeeper Ahmed Adel into the far corner. Veteran striker Emad Meteb was brought on in the second half and snatched an 85th-minute equaliser for the Egyptians. His penalty area bicycle kick deflected off Kenyan David Owino, leaving goalkeeper Jacob Banda stranded. The result means that a semi-final place could be secured for Zesco and Wydad Casablanca, if Wydad can beat ASEC Mimosas on Sunday. Wydad, coached by Wales-born former Real Madrid manager John Toshack, want to get back on the winning trail in Rabat. They have taken only one point of a possible six off Ahly after beating ASEC and Zesco. The loss of form by star striker Reda Hajhouj must be a worry as he has fired four straight blanks in group matches after scoring six goals in six qualifiers. Since shocking Ahly in Alexandria, 1998 champions ASEC have faltered, losing away and drawing at home against Zesco. Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa have won Group B thanks to three consecutive victories, leaving Zamalek of Egypt and Enyimba of Nigeria to fight for the second semi-finals spot. Five-time African champions Zamalek beat Enyimba away and one point from the return match in Cairo Sunday will guarantee their progress, if only on head-to-head records.

Summary: Record eight-times African champions Al Ahly of Egypt are facing elimination from the 2016 African Champions League after being held 2-2 at home by Zesco United of Zambia.


The casualty, who was with a group of paragliders, was airlifted off Slieve Gullion at about 15:00 GMT on Sunday. Mourne Mountain Rescue Team said the man had a "serious leg injury" and was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. The team had been training in the Annalong Valley when the emergency call came at 13:43 GMT. Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, Belfast Coastguard, Irish coastguard, PSNI and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service were all involved in the rescue. "A total of 22 members responded and the team stood down at 18:17 GMT," Mourne Mountain Rescue said.

Summary: A paraglider has been rescued after being injured on a mountain in County Armagh.


The London Taxi Company's (LTC) Ansty Park site in Coventry is the home of its new electric taxi, the TX5. LTC - which now employs up to 1,500 people - has invested more than £300m in the TX5 after manufacturing the black cab in the UK for 69 years. Administrators were called into LTC in 2012 before Chinese carmaker Geely bought the business the following year. Read more news for Coventry and Warwickshire The first electric taxis to roll off the production line will go on sale in London in the final quarter of the year, before being sold around the world early in 2018. It has been described as one of the great comeback stories in UK manufacturing history - and that is exactly what it is. Back in 2013 London Taxis International was on its knees and looking for a new owner. Then Chinese firm Geely came to the rescue and almost immediately announced plans to build a new factory - but not only that, it revealed plans to make electric vehicles and employ more than 1,000 people. It is the first all-new car factory in the Midlands since 2003, when Aston Martin opened its state-of-the-art plant at Gaydon in Warwickshire. That was on a much smaller scale, though. It is also one of the biggest single Chinese investments in the region and it shows that the West Midlands continues to lead the way when it comes to both automotive research and development and production. LTC, previously known as LTI, started life in the 1920s, producing car bodies for Jaguar, Rolls Royce and Bentley. It will retain its existing Holyhead Road premises in Coventry as a paint shop once the production of the existing TX4 taxi ends in the summer. Staff have moved into the Ansty Park plant this month ahead of Wednesday's official lunchtime opening, involving company representatives. The new site will house a research and development centre for the electric vehicle, with engineers accounting for 200 of the newly-created jobs.

Summary: A £300m taxi manufacturing plant which created 1,000 new jobs is to be officially opened later.


Manuela Carmena in Madrid and new Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau are the most striking examples of the change, having led completely new political organisations to success. In Madrid's Cibeles city hall, where many gathered to cheer the counting of votes for a new mayor, Ms Carmena said she wanted to begin "governing by listening". The former judge's main occupation before the campaign was running her shop selling children's clothes stitched by female prisoners. She now plans to arrange for council sessions to focus on single policy objectives, such as child poverty, calling in experts and all available data to help formulate solutions. To the city's poorest, Carmena said: "We are going to improve the situation." Apart from their policy priorities to tackle poverty caused by Spain's economic crisis, all three mayors insist that the style of their rule will be very different. Spain's leading anti-austerity party Podemos is part of the two groups taking hold of city hall in Madrid and Barcelona - Ahora Madrid and Barcelona en Comu. In Valencia, Mayor Joan Ribo's Coalicio Compromis was formed by leftists, Valencian nationalists and greens in 2010. However, more than a simple jerk to the left on the political spectrum, the new mayors say they want to redefine politicians' roles, becoming unalloyed conduits for popular will and participation. Thousands gathered to listen to Ada Colau's acceptance speech in Barcelona on Saturday, watching on screens in Sant Jaume square outside the city hall. "Voting every four years is not enough," she said. "Never trust the idea that we will represent you well. Kick us out if we don't do what we have promised." Until last year when she got involved in BComu, Ms Colau was regularly photographed being removed by police from a cordon of people blocking a repossession. Now she will be in charge of Barcelona's metropolitan police force. In Valencia, as in Madrid, 24 years of uninterrupted Popular Party rule were brought to an end by a veteran left-winger espousing a new way of doing politics. "Authoritarianism is over," said 67-year-old Joan Ribo. "I don't want the rod or the rule. I prefer talking with citizens [and] working side-by-side with neighbourhood movements." However, the three new mayors do not enjoy majorities in their respective council chambers. In Madrid and Valencia, potentially stable deals with other left-of-centre parties have been struck, but the situation in Barcelona is more complicated due to the fragmentation of politics along the axes of left and right as well as Catalan sovereignty. Despite her publicised sympathy for Catalonia's "right to decide", Ada Colau has so far resisted signing up to the nationalist parties' "road map" for independence. Elsewhere, the Podemos-linked Zaragoza en Comun group took control of Spain's fifth most populous city, while Santiago de Compostela, A Coruna and Cadiz are among other towns and cities which now have left-wing coalition chiefs as mayors. With a general election looming at the end of the year, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy described deals between left-wing groups and the chief opposition Socialist Party as "eccentric and sectarian". His Popular Party was

Summary: A 71-year-old anti-Franco judge, an anti-evictions campaigner and a teacher have been elected mayors of Spain's three biggest cities - as left-wing coalitions swept to power promising an end to corruption.


Instead of fees rising to £9,250 per year in the autumn, Jeremy Corbyn is proposing a complete handbrake turn in saying that university tuition should not cost students anything. It's a bolder step than Labour's previous leader, who two years ago opted for a halfway house of cutting fees to £6,000 - and then was accused of pleasing no-one. This is Labour going for an all-or-nothing approach - asserting free education as a fundamental principle - and creating the starkest choice in university policy for two decades. It's a direct appeal to younger voters - with surveys suggesting that students are more likely to vote Labour. It makes the pitch that no-one should be deterred from university because of the cost or fear of debt. Labour has costed the removal of fees - and the reintroduction of maintenance grants - as being worth £11.2bn per year. And this is only England - because education funding is a devolved matter. There are no fees for Scottish students in Scotland and the Institute for Fiscal Studies says scrapping the lower fees charged in Northern Ireland and Wales would cost a further £500m per year. This would be covered by the £48.6bn that Labour's manifesto says will be raised by tax changes - along with the party's other spending commitments. But there are lower estimates. Labour's figure is based on replacing the fees currently paid by students. But the IFS and London Economics say the cost to the Treasury could be lower, when written off loans are taken into account, with forecasts around £7.5bn to £8bn. Labour's big move on fees represents a complete of direction. Previously in government, Labour raised fees and in opposition proposed a modest reduction. But they are now proposing to bulldoze the apparatus of fees, loans and repayments. The most recent figures show £76bn is owed in student loans in England - with this level of student debt having almost doubled in four years. From this autumn, fees will begin increasing every year with inflation and will soon glide past the £10,000 mark, with interest charges also rising to 6.1%. And the Conservative government, before the election, had announced plans to sell off student debt to private investors. Under Labour's plans, this whole push towards marketisation would be ditched - and universities would return to being directly funded by government. But is there any evidence that getting rid of fees would help more young people into university, including the disadvantaged? Universities are worried that such a switch to direct funding, dependent on government finances, would put a limit on places and a brake on expansion. One of the quiet revolutions of recent years has been the complete removal of limits on student numbers - with universities able to recruit as many students as they can accommodate - and opening the door to rising numbers of graduates. The argument for fees has always been that they provide the funding to allow more young people to go to university - and that a much smaller proportion went to university when there were

Summary: Scrapping tuition fees in England is the biggest and most expensive proposal in Labour's £25bn worth of pledges for education.


Dr Christopher Davies, who works for the the Royal Berkshire Hospital, said a matron later purchased the item for £22.95 from Homebase instead. Dr Davies, a respiratory consultant, said it was then fitted for free by in-house staff. A hospital spokesperson said the quote was reviewed and "firmly rejected". Dr Davies said the blackout blind "must have been gold plated" to warrant such a price, the Mail on Sunday reported. He wrote: "So many posts about inadequate funding but here's an example of how the money is used... maybe it's not just about poor funding." In a statement issued to the BBC, the hospital said: "In line with NHS requirements, the trust sought quotes for a blind which meets fire and infection control regulations. "This particular quotation was reviewed by the management team and firmly rejected." NHS England has been approached for comment and said it was looking into the situation.

Summary: A senior doctor has spoken out after his hospital was quoted £855.80 for a blackout blind by its official NHS contractor.


Chris May, 28, was last seen at his home in Kelvedon, Essex, on 25 May. His Volkswagen Golf was found abandoned in the village of Fairstead, according to Essex Police. Police received a letter in June, sent in the post, saying Mr May was dead. Charity Missing People is now advertising Mr May's case nationally. Det Ch Insp Marina Ericson said: "I am really grateful for all the assistance Missing People have given to us and this national advertising will mean we can reach a wider audience with the appeal for information about Chris's whereabouts. "Since Chris went missing in May, I have been appealing for anyone with information to come forward. "There will be someone out there who knows something but, for whatever reason, has not come forward so far. "I made an appeal in June for the author of a letter, delivered by Royal Mail to Witham police station on 1 June, to contact me. "To date that person has not made contact. I would like to appeal to them to make contact with me directly."

Summary: Police investigating the disappearance of a man three months ago say they have yet to trace the sender of a letter claiming he was dead.


The promotion-chasing Lions took an early lead as Byron Webster headed past keeper Reice Charles-Cook from Shane Ferguson's corner, However, Shaun Williams was sent off for Millwall after just 26 minutes when he appeared to headbutt Ruben Lameiras. Coventry took advantage as John Fleck's 30-yard shot was followed up by Marcus Tudgay's toe-poke to grab victory. With four matches remaining, Millwall remain fifth in the play-off places, three points clear of seventh-placed Barnsley. Coventry, climb a place back up to 12th, eights points adrift of the play-off places, after only their third win in 17 matches. Sky Blues boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: "On the balance of the play it was deserved. It's never easy to play against 10 men. "But we saw it home. Now we have to see if we can finish the season strongly. "It's important for the supporters of our club to see that we are fighting for every point." Millwall manager Neil Harris told BBC Radio London: Media playback is not supported on this device "The sending off was a big blow. Having just looked at it quickly, I've got no complaints. "We looked really solid, really organised. I couldn't remember us giving too many chances away other than the opportunity just before half-time. "I'm delighted with the players because the spirit they showed and the fight they showed to get a result was terrific with ten men."

Summary: Coventry overcame 10-man Millwall at the Ricoh Arena to secure their first victory in six League One matches.


Whatever your perspective or personal views of what Mr Aamer is, was, or represents, his return to the UK was greeted with a collective sigh of relief across Whitehall. The 5,017 days of detention were not only a real point of tension in the critical transatlantic relationship; they also soured and compromised attempts by the government to reach out to some of the hardest-to-reach Muslim communities. In the short term, he will begin to receive expert medical help, including a psychiatric assessment. He will finally get to meet the son who was born on the day he arrived at Guantanamo Bay. But for some, Mr Aamer's return represents a risk. Davis Lewin, of the Henry Jackson Society, a security and foreign relations think tank, has urged the UK to think very carefully about how it manages and monitors him now he is back. Mr Aamer's legal team have said he will submit to whatever monitoring is required - although they also argue it is unnecessary because the case against him comes from unreliable allegations extracted during torture. If MI5 decides to monitor him, he may never know for sure that it is happening - such is the nature of that kind of work. There are bigger questions for the UK, questions of legacy and lessons to be learnt. Critics argue that in the wake of 9/11 the US was not the only country to lose its legal map and moral compass. London didn't seem to want to tell Washington that Guantanamo was a bad idea - and it didn't insist that any British men detained in Afghanistan be brought back to the UK. That, say critics, was a dereliction of long-standing British principles of justice. "Human rights and justice and the rule of law are for everybody," says former Conservative cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell, a member of the cross-party group that lobbied Washington to release Mr Aamer. "He has been denied that. Not only is that terrible for him, but we have to be better than that if we're going to defeat the scourge of terror and terrorism. "We're going to have to rise above these things and stick to the rule of law, and accept that human rights belong to everyone." Some American interrogations involved intelligence material provided by Britain - and that could amount to complicity in torture. And so, many MPs are now pushing for real answers to questions about Britain's role in the weeks and months after 9/11. "One of the things that it is absolutely essential that happens in due course is that [Shaker Aamer] looks the camera in the eye in Britain and says what happened to him," says Mr Mitchell. "If as is alleged he was tortured, and if there was any UK involvement in that, we need to get to the bottom of that not only because it's utterly wrong if it was done in our name, but also because we need to ensure that these sort of circumstances don't happen to anyone else." But why haven't those answers come out yet? The government

Summary: As the jet carrying Shaker Aamer landed at Biggin Hill airport, the questions over his future were only just beginning.


A new grading system will use numbers instead of letters, and coursework is being scrapped for most subjects. The changes will be in stages, starting with pupils due to take GCSE exams in 2017. Those who turn 13 in this academic year will be the first. English and maths will be the first subjects affected. Pupils will begin studying the new courses in English language, English literature and maths from the autumn of 2015. And about 20 other popular GCSE subjects will be revamped in the same way, ready for teaching a year later, in 2016, with the first exams for those taken in 2018. The changes apply to England only. Wales is planning its own GCSE shake-up, but Northern Ireland is not planning any changes. Scotland has its own exams system. While they come in, pupils in England will have some exams graded with numbers and some with letters, leading teaching unions to warn this will be confusing for pupils, parents and employers. The GCSE changes being announced will apply only to pupils in England. Scotland has its own exam system, but Wales and Northern Ireland also use GCSEs. Wales is also planning a shake-up, bringing in its own new GCSEs in maths, English and Welsh, which will be taught from the autumn of 2015. In Northern Ireland no changes to GCSEs are planned. A recent review concluded there was "no case for replacing A-levels or GCSEs in the short or medium term". Exams will be graded from 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest. Pupils who fail will be awarded a "U" for an unclassified result. All exams will be taken after two years of study, rather than in modules taken at various stages over two years, meaning a return to the format of O-levels, which pre-dated GCSEs. And there will be more marks awarded for spelling, punctuation and grammar. The head of Ofqual, Glenys Stacey, said the changes were "fundamental". "This is the biggest change in a generation," she said. "They [GCSEs] have been around for over 25 years but now we are seeing fresh content, a different structure, high-quality assessment coming in. "It's a significant change for students and for schools." Ms Stacey said the move to a numerical system meant a new grade was being added and that would help examiners distinguish between candidates' performance - especially at the top grades. She suggested that the move away from traditional grades might be hard for some people to understand, but was important. "The new qualifications will be significantly different and we need to signal this clearly," she said. At the same time, the government is confirming changes to what has to be studied in English language, English literature and maths, because the overhaul of exams covers both what is studied and how it is assessed. It says in English literature, students will have to "study whole texts in detail, covering a range of literature including Shakespeare, 19th Century novels, Romantic poetry and other high-quality fiction and drama". The new maths exam will cover more topics and will

Summary: Exams regulator Ofqual has confirmed the changes it is making to GCSEs, in what it calls the biggest shake-up of exams in England for a generation.