An insipid performance in Tbilisi was bad enough, but in Frankfurt, immediately after that 1-0 victory for Georgia,Germany served up a display against Poland to add another layer of gloom to any analysis of Monday's likely outcome. As Mats Hummels told BBC Scotland afterwards, this was not Germany back to their all-conquering best, but at times against a very good Poland side, they came very close. This was particularly true of the offensive aspect of their play. They swarmed forward, time after time, their incisive passing opening up gaps in the Poland defence. After 20 minutes in the Commerzbank Arena, they had battered the Poles seemingly into submission and the 2-0 scoreline at that point looked like it might become five or six by the end. Thomas Muller, scorer of the first goal, was one of several Germany players on song in that opening period, his languid style belying a sharpness and intelligence that more often than not leads him to be in the right place at the right time in the opposition's box. In Karim Bellarabi, the Bayer Leverkusen winger, Germany appear to have added yet another attacking weapon to their already considerable arsenal. Given his international debut in the defeat by Poland last year, he has become a regular in Joachim Low's line-up and on Friday night showed why. Linking on the left with another relative newcomer - the Cologne full-back Jonas Hector - he gave Lukasz Piszczek, the experienced Borussia Dortmund defender, the run-around, creating Muller's goal and causing havoc. Alan Hutton, or whoever is given the nod by Gordon Strachan at right back, will require support from players in front of and beside him if Germany are not to run amok. Much has been made of the lack of playing time some of Scotland's starters against Georgia had under their belts for their clubs. In the German ranks, a similar issue seemed not to affect Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gotze. The midfielder has started just two of Manchester United's six competitive matches this season, with Gotze starting just once in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich. Yet both men played significant roles in overcoming Poland. Gotze - nominally playing as a striker - drifted to find space, allowing Muller to fill the gaps left behind. He scored twice - the first a finish from the edge of the box after dancing past Polish defenders on the left of the penalty area - and also struck the post as he sought to reward Low's loyalty in the face of Pep Guardiola's continuing quandary about how best to accommodate him at Bayern. And Schweinsteiger, apparently still trying to adjust to the pace of the English Premier League, prowled the midfield, breaking up attacks, starting lightning counter-movements and generally looking majestic. It's no secret. The German side is brimming with talent - and that's without mentioning Toni Kroos or Mesut Ozil! Or indeed Manuel Neuer, who produced two out-of-this-world saves to help ensure the three points stayed in Frankfurt. But there or thereabouts lies the merest chink of light for the Scots.

Summary: It is difficult, in the wake of Friday's fixtures in Group D, to find much to be optimistic about from a Scotland perspective.


However, the 2018 event, set to showcase art, design and innovation, will not be the first in the region. In 1929, the North East Coast Exhibition was opened by the Prince of Wales in Newcastle amid great fanfare. So, will organisers take inspiration from the grand event, which attracted four million visitors? Responding to the Newcastle and Gateshead announcement, the North East Chamber of Commerce said: "The Great Exhibition looks set to be the launch pad of real growth in our regional economy." The Prince of Wales - later King Edward VIII - opened the 1929 event and said: "The industries of the North are not yet knocked out of the ring. "They are fighting back gallantly with a good Northern punch." And the "northern punch" included cutting-edge technology, such as a cow milking machine, a telescope brought down from Edinburgh University, and the local newspaper using a newly-designed electric sign to flash out the latest news items. Industry and consumer items were represented, some of them household names that remain, such as Hoover vacuum cleaners, Singer sewing machines, and Pyrex glass ovenware. Andrews Liver Salts showed off its brand with a 15ft "fountain of health". For entertainment there was an amusement park, a Himalayan Railway, and an African village. More than four million people passed through the turnstiles between May and October that year, including King Alfonso of Spain and the Sultan of Zanzibar. Each millionth visitor was presented with a gold watch. When the exhibition ended, the pavilions were dismantled and the area reverted to a public park. Unfortunately, that "northern punch" would fall victim to the economic depression a few years later, in the 1930s.

Summary: One of the reasons the Great Exhibition of the North was awarded to Newcastle and Gateshead was because of the "ambition" of organisers.


Liverpool City Council used a online budget simulator to ask residents about a proposed council tax rise of 5%, plus a further 6% to pay for social care. Joe Anderson said the plan would not go ahead after 57% of respondents said no. He also revealed plans for a Liverpool lottery in his New Year message on his Liverpool Express blog. He said following the "feedback... I will not be proposing to hold a referendum on any additional increase beyond the 4.99% limit set by government". Work was continuing on the full details of the authority's budget, he said, which would then undergo consultation in 2017. He added that he was "surprised and proud that so many, 43%, said yes". "It's a truly heart-warming reminder of how caring our city really is," he said. Green party leader Councillor Tom Crone said the consultation was a "sham exercise". "The weak consultation was never going to secure support for a tax rise," he said. He said the mayor's decision not to hold a referendum meant there would be "tens of millions of pounds more cuts to services in the coming years". Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Richard Kemp, said: "The public were never going to buy it over concern about the waste of existing council tax income." Mr Anderson said the Liverpool lottery card would help local causes, adding that more details of it would be revealed in the coming months. "Liverpool people are amongst the most generous in the country and I believe will support the initiative to help us cope with the growing numbers of people dependent on us," he said. Councillor Kemp said his party would oppose the lottery idea. He said: "The overwhelming evidence is that existing lottery users are already from the most deprived parts of the community. "A new Liverpool lottery will be a tax on the poor to pay for services to the poor."

Summary: There will not be a referendum on an additional council tax rise in Liverpool after the results of an online poll, the city's mayor has said.


The scandal, known as "uranium-gate", resulted from a 2011 transaction between French nuclear giant Areva and companies both in Niger and abroad. There is also a French investigation into some of Areva's business dealings, with aspects related to this deal. Areva has not commented on the legal case in Niger, but says it is cooperating in the French enquiry. Niger is one of the biggest uranium producers in the world and the metal is the country's largest export. Many people turned up on Friday morning outside the court in the capital, Niamey, as representatives of civil society movements arrived to register the court action, the BBC's Himadou Hamadou said. Their complaint alleges embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, forgery and conspiracy to defraud. The legal action centres on the allegation that Areva in 2011 bought a stock of uranium from Niger at a discounted price. Niger has two significant uranium mines that provides 7.5% of the world mining output from Africa's highest-grade uranium ores, according to the World Nuclear Association, the international organisation that represents the global nuclear industry. Niger's first commercial uranium mine began operating in 1971, with a strong government support for expanding uranium mining.

Summary: Activists in Niger have started legal action into a uranium deal in which the country is said to have lost $3.25m.


The Germany Under-21 forward opened the scoring when his third-minute shot looped in off keeper Jonas Lossl. Emil Forsberg slotted in a second, then cut a ball back for Werner to make it 3-0 at half-time. Scottish teenager Oliver Burke replaced Werner moments before Stefan Bell headed a consolation goal for Mainz. Bayern lead the table only on goal difference, having drawn 1-1 at home to Hoffenheim on Saturday. Match ends, RB Leipzig 3, 1. FSV Mainz 05 1. Second Half ends, RB Leipzig 3, 1. FSV Mainz 05 1. Corner, 1. FSV Mainz 05. Conceded by Stefan Ilsanker. Attempt missed. André Ramalho (1. FSV Mainz 05) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Yunus Malli with a cross following a corner. Corner, 1. FSV Mainz 05. Conceded by Willi Orban. Foul by Davie Selke (RB Leipzig). Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Naby Keita (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05). Foul by Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig). Giulio Donati (1. FSV Mainz 05) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, 1. FSV Mainz 05. Conceded by Marcel Halstenberg. Substitution, RB Leipzig. Dominik Kaiser replaces Emil Forsberg. André Ramalho (1. FSV Mainz 05) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Davie Selke (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by André Ramalho (1. FSV Mainz 05). Attempt saved. Gaëtan Bussmann (1. FSV Mainz 05) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Offside, 1. FSV Mainz 05. André Ramalho tries a through ball, but Karim Onisiwo is caught offside. Hand ball by Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig). Foul by Oliver Burke (RB Leipzig). Alexander Hack (1. FSV Mainz 05) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05). Substitution, RB Leipzig. Davie Selke replaces Yussuf Poulsen. Attempt blocked. Daniel Brosinski (1. FSV Mainz 05) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Diego Demme (RB Leipzig). Yunus Malli (1. FSV Mainz 05) wins a free kick on the left wing. Oliver Burke (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by André Ramalho (1. FSV Mainz 05). Goal! RB Leipzig 3, 1. FSV Mainz 05 1. Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05) header from very close range to the top right corner. Assisted by Alexander Hack with a headed pass following a corner. Corner, 1. FSV Mainz 05. Conceded by Willi Orban. Attempt blocked. Gaëtan Bussmann (1. FSV Mainz 05) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Yussuf Poulsen following a fast break. Attempt blocked.

Summary: RB Leipzig moved level on points with Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich after Timo Werner scored twice in a comfortable 3-1 win over Mainz.


The 17-time Grand Slam champion beat France's Gasquet 6-4 6-2 6-2 to give the Swiss an unassailable 3-1 lead. "This one is for the boys," said Federer, who was in tears at the end of the match. "This is not for me, I have won enough. I am just happy we can give everyone in our country a historic moment." Federer, 33, also paid tribute to compatriot Stan Wawrinka, who helped set up the victory in Lille by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before partnering Federer to win the doubles. Federer and Wawrinka were involved in a row at the ATP Tour Finals in London, which the world number two later described as "heat of the moment". "Stan has put in so much effort over the years. He played an unbelievable weekend and that is what gave me the opportunity today," said Federer. Federer, who lost his singles rubber to Gael Monfils on Friday, played an inspired match as he crushed Gasquet, who replaced Tsonga due to an arm injury. In front of a passionate crowd of 27,448 - a world record for a competitive tennis match - Federer dropped only four points on his imperious serve in the opening set, which he sealed with a whipping forehand winner. World number 26 Gasquet dropped serve in the first and seventh games of the second set, which Federer took without conceding a single break point. He broke the Frenchman twice in the final set to serve for the match and claimed victory with a deft backhand drop shot - collapsing in tears onto the clay at the Stade Pierre-Mauroyto. The Swiss win comes a week after Federer pulled out of the Tour Finals title match against Novak Djokovic at the O2 in London to protect a back injury.

Summary: Roger Federer beat Richard Gasquet to seal Switzerland's first Davis Cup triumph, then dedicated the victory to his team-mates.


The eight-day race, a precursor to the Tour which begins on 2 July, starts with a 4km time trial on Sunday. "There will be many challengers [in the Tour]. But if I must pick two, I would say Froome and Nairo Quintana," said Contador, also a two-time Tour winner. "The Criterium will allow me to test myself against my rivals." Team Sky rider Froome has won the Criterium in each of the two years he has won the Tour - 2013 and 2015 - but Contador, who rides for Tinkoff, has never won the Criterium. "My primary objective is to finish [the Criterium] in good physical condition with respect to the Tour - to be ready," said the Spaniard. "I'm not thinking about the overall victory but, obviously, if the chance is there..." Astana's Fabio Aru and FDJ's Thibaut Pinot will also contest the Criterium, but Movistar's Quintana is not competing in the race.

Summary: Alberto Contador believes the Criterium du Dauphine is the perfect stage to renew his rivalry with two-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome.


But it has perhaps been more like Pinter than Shakespeare. The menacing silences, the bullying over polite exchanges, the brutal quest for dominance as self-confidence drains from one man to another. So here is a cut-out-and-keep guide for any budding dramatist on what we know and what I've found out. The day of the referendum. I'm told Michael Gove and Boris Johnson go to bed with only one speech prepared - to acknowledge defeat. 04:45 BST A mobile phone rings in the Gove household. His wife, Sarah Vine - as she explained in her Daily Mail column - hears her husband's phone go off. Then this exchange. "Michael, guess what? We've won!" "Gosh." She wrote in her column: "Given Michael's high-profile role in the Leave campaign, that means he - we - are now charged with implementing the instructions of 17 million people. "And that is an awesome responsibility." As the mobile phones go mad: "'You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off,' I said, in my best (ie not very good) Michael Caine Italian Job accent. "In other words, you've really torn it now." The tear widens as David Cameron resigns. Boris Johnson was at home with a small team, watching the prime minister resign live on TV. Victory, one insider said, was the moment it all went wrong. Another told me Boris felt he was staring down both barrels of a gun. He had rather a nice life - did he really want to be PM? Watching the prime minister resign, Team Boris think Gove, who'd been talking to Osborne, might come on board. Then pretty much public silence from the man who hoped to be prime minister. Cut to a close-up of the thwack of willow on leather - Boris at the wicket of a rather posh, rather jolly, cricket match. Then an apparently quite amusing barbecue at his country house. Michael Gove joined him - and said that together they were the dream team. He was promised he'd become chancellor and be in charge of Brexit negotiations. But had the Tory establishment decided, as one insider told me, they did not want another Old Etonian - another face from that Bullingdon Club photo - as their leader in an anti-elitist age? Did someone urge Gove to sign up with the intention of doing the indecent thing? Morning Please, no clichÃ©s of the spinning presses. However, Boris Johnson's Daily Telegraph column is the next scene. "It is said that those who voted Leave were mainly driven by anxieties about immigration," he writes. "I do not believe that is so... British people will still be able to go and work in the EU; to live; to travel; to study; to buy homes; and to settle down." Was this the turning point? Too soft, too un-Brexity, for Michael Gove? Hardly. He had sent an email at 18:00 on Sunday urging only minor changes and describing it as "very, very good." 17:00 BST Gove is shown the spreadsheet of MPs supporting Boris. One source told me that early in a

Summary: The comparisons to a Shakespearian tragedy have become a clichÃ©, so obvious are the parallels with Caesar, Macbeth, and more profoundly Coriolanus.


The images appeared to show the pair on foot during a safari in June at the Gir National Park in western Gujarat state. Officials at the park said they imposed a preliminary fine because "the cricketer flouted the rules". Visitors to the park are not allowed to leave their vehicles. Jadeja's photos were posted days after Gujarat forestry officials warned of the dangers involved in taking selfies with lions, following a number of attacks. Wildlife officers say they will submit a final inquiry report to their superiors soon. A.P Singh, chief forest conservator in Gujarat state, told AFP they "had instituted a probe and called Jadeja for a statement... but since he was not available, his father-in-law Hardevsinh Solanki gave a written statement on his behalf" and paid the fine for him. Jadeja, 27, was part of India's team for the recent World T20 tournament. A photo posted on Jadeja's Instagram account showed the cricketer pointing to a pride of lions behind him, with the caption, "Family photo, having good time in Sasan (Gir) #rajputboy #wearelions". A second photo posted to the cricketer's account showed him and his wife, Reeva, with a lion looking on in the background. The national park at Gir is the only place where Asiatic lions remain in the wild. The animals, which are slightly smaller than African lions, were listed as endangered in 2008.

Summary: Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 20,000 rupees (Â£229; $300) after posting photos online of him and his wife posing in front of endangered Asiatic lions.


Mr Morales ordered the military to take over the subsidiary of Spanish power company REE, which owns and runs around three-quarters of Bolivia's power grid. Mr Morales said he had ordered the move in honour of the Bolivian people fighting to regain control of their natural resources. Last month Argentina took control of Spanish-owned oil company YPF. Speaking at a May Day ceremony, President Morales said that "in honour of all Bolivian people who have struggled to recuperate our natural resources and basic services, we are nationalising Transportadora de Electricidad (TDE)". 'Failure to invest' He said he was expropriating the company because it had failed to invest sufficiently in Bolivia. Spanish power company REE bought 99.94% of shares in TDE in 2002. The remaining 0.06% are in the hands of the Bolivian employees of TDE. TDE owns and runs 73% of the power lines in Bolivia, providing 85% of Bolivians with electricity, according to the company's website. Mr Morales did not say how the Spanish company would be compensated, but in his decree he stipulated that the state would negotiate a payout with REE. TDE's nationalisation is the latest in a series of expropriations decreed by President Morales. On May Day 2010, he expropriated four power-generating companies. One of them, British electricity utility company Rurelec, is currently seeking compensation for the take-over at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Spanish government officials said they were still gathering information about the move, but said it was different from Argentina's takeover of Spanish-owned oil company YPF just over two weeks ago. Spain reacted angrily to YPF's nationalisation, threatening retaliation and rallying international support against it.

Summary: Bolivian President Evo Morales has nationalised a Spanish-owned electric power company.


The rail union is calling on the Scottish government to set out an immediate timetable for Abellio to be stripped of its ScotRail franchise. It has said making Scotland's railways safer can only be done with a publicly-owned service. ScotRail said it had invested hundreds of millions of pounds on new trains and improved technology. Protests are being held at railway stations across the country. The RMT claims that Dutch firm Abellio is plundering a Â£1m-a-month profit which Scotland's railways desperately need. A Scottish government spokesman said: "Any notion excessive profits are siphoned off is quite simply a fallacy." Abellio was awarded the ScotRail franchise in 2015 for 10 years but could be stripped of the contract after five years if punctuality falls below 84.3%. ScotRail said the union's comments bore no scrutiny. It accepted that performance had dipped, but insisted it was still around 90%. Almost 20,000 people have signed a petition calling on Transport Minister Humza Yousaf to "make ScotRail bosses improve Scotland's trains or strip them of their contract". ScotRail was recently fined Â£483,000 for failing to meet required standards for trains and stations. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week indicated that stripping the company of its contract to run the railways was on the table if performance failed to improve. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT is campaigning to make Scotland's trains safer, more secure and accessible. "This can only be done with a publicly-owned service where profit isn't the main motive of the operator." He added: "RMT calls on the Scottish government to set out a timetable for bringing ScotRail under public ownership, and with the current level of anger that's reinforced in the petition there can be no excuse for the dragging of heels. "The union is available for talks with ministers to take the issues of safe staffing, investment and public ownership forwards." A ScotRail spokesman said: "These comments bear no scrutiny whatsoever. "Performance has dipped by around 1% - but is still tracking around the 90% mark - and we have a robust performance improvement plan to rectify that. "At the same time, we are investing hundreds of millions of pounds on new trains, refurbishing our existing fleet and introducing queue-busting smart technology to keep people moving." A Scottish government spokesman said: "This government has ensured profits are capped, that this cap is tighter than any previous franchise and that at least 50% of revenue above that cap is reinvested into our railways. "A manifesto commitment was made to facilitate a public sector bid for our railways and ministers remain firmly committed to this. "Currently, 89 trains out of 100 arrive within five minutes of the timetable - our contract demands 91. "That is why we asked ScotRail to implement the improvement plan which looks at addressing service-quality issues and tackling congestion, while minimising 'skip stopping', until new train fleets arrive." The spokesman added: "We fully expect ScotRail to hit their anticipated targets to lift performance. "This contract will deliver very real improvements across the term - new and better trains, improvements at

Summary: The RMT union is staging a day of protests in support of "safer Scottish railways".


London's first Lumiere festival will feature illuminations and animations projected at 20 locations in the West End and Kings Cross over four nights. Julian Opie will be among more than two dozen artists taking part. The Durham version has been running since 2009 and attracted 175,000 people in 2013. Almost 180,000 turned out when producers Artichoke staged a Lumiere in Londonderry when it was UK City of Culture the same year. The London event will take place from 14-17 January. Mayor Boris Johnson said it would be "a dazzling new festival for the capital" that would "expel the post-Christmas blues". The first artists to be confirmed for London are: Artichoke director Helen Marriage said: "Lumiere was born in Durham and its incredible success has been recognised across the world. Lumiere London will be a very different event with its own artistic programme, but the principles remain the same." This year's Lumiere will take place in Durham from 12-15 November.

Summary: A major festival of light art is to be staged in London next year by the people who organise the biennial Lumiere festival in Durham.


Aaron Saucedo, 23, had already been charged with murder in connection with a killing in August 2015, police say. Now he has been linked to the deaths of eight other people, between January and July 2016. Police say they have not identified a motive but believe he acted alone. His lawyer has not commented. The 2015 victim was a 61-year-old man who had dated the suspect's mother, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said. The other victims, including a 12-year-old girl and a 55-year-old woman, seem to have been targeted at random. "Today is a good day in the city of Phoenix," Mayor Greg Stanton said. Police gave few details on how they linked the man to the killings, which stopped last July amid extensive media coverage. But they said the evidence included surveillance video, witness statements and ballistics material. He faces 26 additional felony counts, including multiple counts of homicide, aggravated assault and drive-by shootings. The Maricopa County attorney has not yet decided which charges to formally bring against him.

Summary: Police in the US state of Arizona say a man arrested last month is responsible for a series of deadly shootings in Phoenix last year.


The 25-year-old has been with Carlisle since 2008, making 160 appearances for the club and turned down a new deal to join the Saddlers. "We knew he was after a new challenge. He can come in and be a dominant number one for us," Walsall manager Jon Whitney told the club website. Meanwhile, 22-year-old goalkeeper Liam Roberts has agreed a new one-year deal. The contract signed by former Chester loanee Roberts, who has made one senior appearance for Walsall, includes the option of a further year in the League One club's favour. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Walsall have signed goalkeeper Mark Gillespie on a two-year contract from Carlisle United on a free transfer.


The order loosens a provision of the tax code which prohibits religious organisations from directly supporting or opposing political candidates. Mr Trump often complained about the rule as a candidate. Repealing it would require action in Congress. LGBT groups and several human-rights groups oppose the order. The order was signed by Mr Trump as he hosts conservative religious leaders at the White House for the National Day of Prayer. "We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced ever again," Mr Trump told the audience. The Executive Order on Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty directs the IRS to provide "regulatory relief" to faith-based organisations that are tax-exempt, a White House spokesman said on Wednesday night. A current provision in the US federal tax code, known as the Johnson Amendment, says that churches can be investigated and lose their tax-exempt status if they directly support or oppose any political candidate. Since he cannot repeal the law without congressional legislation, Mr Trump is directing the IRS to "exercise maximum enforcement discretion to alleviate the burden of the Johnson Amendment". Few religious groups are known to have lost their tax status for violating the law, despite many churches openly advocating for political causes and hosting candidates during their campaigns. "A crippling financial punishment," Mr Trump said ahead of his signing, adding "very, very unfair. But no longer". The order also directs federal agencies to exempt some religious groups from providing birth control to employees and staff, as required under President Obama's Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The American Civil Rights Union sent out an "action alert" on Wednesday, calling upon supporters to flood lawmakers' inboxes in opposition to the measure, and threatening to sue the White House administration. The White House says the order is necessary to protect religious groups that had been "persecuted by the Obama administration" such as the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group which faced huge fines over their refusal to pay for contraception under Obamacare. In a full-page ad printed in Politico, more than 1,300 members of clergy argue that the order would turn religious freedom "into a weapon to discriminate against broad swaths of our nation, including LGBTQ people, women, and children in foster care". Some religious groups, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, said that the order did not go far enough in its protections for businesses "simply expressing a religious point of view on marriage that differed from that of the federal government". An earlier draft order that was leaked in February sounded alarm bells among LGBT-rights groups, who have been wary since the election of President Trump and Vice-president Mike Pence. Mr Pence, a fierce social conservative, signed a religious liberty bill during his time as governor of Indiana, leading to a national backlash from LGBT-rights supporters and the bill's eventual revision. The earlier draft of Trump's executive order allowed religious organisations and private corporations to deny services to any individual based on "sincere religious beliefs". Though this version is less sweeping, LGBT-rights groups held rallies outside the

Summary: President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ease a ban on political endorsements by churches and religious groups.


Sgt Brian Wood, who served in Iraq in 2004, told the BBC the allegations had been damaging to him and his team. IHAT's closure was announced after a lawyer in charge of many of the abuse cases was struck off for misconduct. Veterans minister Mark Lancaster said IHAT was set up for the right reasons but was "completely abused" by lawyers. Sgt Wood, who served in the 1st Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment told BBC Breakfast the Ministry of Defence said the government had "big lessons to learn". Talking about the Al-Sweady Inquiry into allegations against service personnel in Iraq, he said: "The allegations were of the highest order - unlawful killing, mutilation and mistreatment of prisoners of war," he said. "That just did not happen and I just don't know where they got the fuel from. He said the closure of IHAT was "good news". "We had holes in our system which were exploited." Sgt Wood said it would have been better for the team to consider allegations in detail first before releasing them as part of a public inquiry. He said: "I can speak for me and my soldiers and what they've put us through for that period of time, it was damaging to a degree of careers, marriage split ups and also fuelling the fire of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and the trauma that we had seen on the battlefieldâ€¦ just to get these allegations thrown at you is a bitter pill to swallow." Former Army Captain Rachel Webster, who was arrested and questioned after a dawn raid in January 2014, said the closure of IHAT was "too little too late". She told ITV News: "I hadn't done anything. I was humiliated and I will never, ever, forget it and neither will any other soldier or veteran that has had this done to [them] as well. "It has ruined lives. It has destroyed me, literally destroyed me." Mr Lancaster told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government had a duty to investigate allegations of abuse, saying: "We can't simply sweep things under the carpet." Without IHAT, he said, UK troops could have been subjected to inquiries by the International Criminal Court, but he said the decision to close it now was "positive". IHAT was set up in 2010 to examine allegations against UK servicemen and women made by Iraqi civilians. But on Friday, the Ministry of Defence said the unit, described by the Commons defence committee as an "unstoppable self-perpetuating machine, deaf to the concerns of the armed forces", would be shut down in the summer and its remaining cases handed to the Royal Naval Police. It came after Phil Shiner, from the now-defunct law firm Public Interest Lawyers, was struck off for misconduct last week after he was found to have acted dishonestly in bringing murder and torture claims against Iraq war veterans. As a result, IHAT's caseload would be slashed from 3,000 to 20 cases by the summer, the Ministry of Defence said. More than 3,500 allegations of abuse have been taken up by the team since

Summary: A soldier who was investigated by the Iraq Historic Abuse Team after being falsely accused of war crimes in Iraq says its closure is "long overdue".


Amina Al-Jeffery, 21, who was born and brought up in Swansea, was taken to Jeddah in 2012 by her father, Mohammed, who said he did it to "save her life". Mr Al-Jeffery has denied the allegations at the High Court. But Mr Justice Holman said she had been "deprived of her liberty" and her father must facilitate her return. Ms Al-Jeffery, who has dual nationality, says her father took the action against her will after she "kissed a guy". Delivering the court order, Mr Justice Holman said Mr Al-Jeffery "must permit and facilitate the return of Amina if she so wishes to Wales or England and pay the airfare" by 11 September. However, he accepted there was "little or nothing this court could do" to enforce the order if Mr Al-Jeffery "was determined not to comply with it". But he said Mr Al-Jeffery might face contempt of court proceedings if he returned to Britain without having complied. Mr Justice Holman added: "There are no conventions between Britain and Saudi Arabia. The courts in Saudi Arabia would not even recognise the basis of the claim, because it does not recognise dual nationality." Her lawyer, Anne-Marie Hutchinson QC, said she has been unable to take instruction from Ms Al-Jeffery, who sent her emails in December 2015. She said she had been "physically abused" and there were times when she had not been allowed to leave her room, meaning she had to use it as a toilet. She described having her head smacked against the wall. Ms Hutchinson later told BBC Newsnight it had been a "difficult" but "compelling" case to work on. "I'm absolutely delighted that the judge has said he has got jurisdiction and that he has gone on to exercise his jurisdiction and make orders. "I'm expecting him [Mr Al-Jeffery,] to comply with the order," she said. Mr Al-Jeffery, who did not attend the case, denied his daughter wanted to return to England or Wales. He said he put up a barrier partition to stop her running away because he was concerned for her welfare, which was taken down on the advice of the authorities. He said he wanted to make sure Ms Al-Jeffery was safe and was not being mistreated. Neither Amina nor her father were in court to hear the ruling. And the question now is what difference a ruling in the High Court of England and Wales will make in Saudi Arabia. Mr Justice Holman said he accepted that there is "little or nothing" this court could do to enforce the order if Amina's father was determined not to obey or comply with it. Certainly the basis on which it was granted, that Amina has dual British and Saudi nationality, is not recognised in Saudi Arabia. And it is perhaps telling that Mohammed Al-Jeffery's legal costs have been paid for by the Saudi embassy. However, the judge stated that to do nothing "would in my view amount to a dereliction towards Amina". The court was told that in April Mr Al-Jeffery instigated legal proceedings against his daughter in Jeddah

Summary: A woman who claims her father has kept her locked up against her will in Saudi Arabia must be allowed to return to Britain, a UK judge has ruled.


Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) called for urgent government action as it revealed a 47% increase in food bank inquiries on its services. It said it provided advice on emergency food providers 7,400 times in 2014/15. The UK government said the report failed to recognise that poverty in Scotland was at a record low. A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said it spends Â£90bn a year on working-age benefits to help the most vulnerable in society. The food bank statistics emerged in a new report - Living at the Sharp End - in which CAS researchers investigated the root cause of the trend. The report revealed clients often arrived at citizens' advice bureaux hungry, having not eaten for days, and with no money for essentials. A total of 71% told researchers they cut down on food when they were faced with a gap in their income. The report also found the service was increasingly seeing people who had exhausted all forms of government support and whose only option was to go to a food bank. The Scottish government is set to gain control of some aspects of welfare in September. Scottish Secretary David Mundell is expected to sign off the transfer and timetable later this week. The report's findings included a profile of the CAS clients who sought advice about food banks. It found that: CAS head of policy and public affairs Susan McPhee, called for urgent government action to prevent people slipping through the safety net of social security. "When reports like this have been published in the past, the standard reaction of the UK government has been to say that there is a support network in place that prevents people falling into destitution," she said. "Our evidence today shows beyond dispute that this is simply not the case. "If it were, there would be no need for food banks at all, yet Scottish CABs had to give food bank advice over 7,000 times last year, and our report shows that too many Scottish families are struggling in severe poverty." The report found changes to the benefits system, low pay, insecure work and the rising cost of living contributed to their clients' money problems. It also discovered that benefits problems - including administrative errors and sanctions - forced people to seek crisis support. The report makes a series of recommendations designed to increase people's resilience to "income shocks", prevent gaps in income and improve crisis assistance. Ms McPhee said: "As our new prime minister takes office, this report makes clear that the social security system is simply not working for the most vulnerable people in our society. "We make a number of recommendations in our report about how to improve this, and we want to work with both governments to make those changes happen. "But it is clear that action is needed now." The DWP said the report failed to take into account the latest statistics on poverty in Scotland. A spokeswoman said: "Work is the best route out of poverty and since 2010 there are 140,000 more people

Summary: The most vulnerable people in Scotland are falling into destitution because the benefits system is "simply not working", according to a charity.


Lucas failed to complete the first of the 10-race series but recovered to win seven of the next nine. The 40-year-old is the only confirmed member of the British Paralympic team for the Rio Games. "It's been a really good regatta and great to start 2016 off with a win," she said. "We have had some great winds and some good conditions in different directions which has made it a good regatta." The Sonar crew of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Stephen Thomas missed out on a medal by finishing fourth. The trio were second behind Canada going into the final day but three fifth places ended their medal hopes.

Summary: Britain's Helena Lucas finished with three wins out of three to secure overall victory in the 2.4mR event at the Sailing World Cup in Miami.


Gary Nixon, 44, fled to Scotland after advertising tickets online for the Sweden v England match in Germany and said he could arrange accommodation. But two victims from Ogmore Vale, Bridgend county, received nothing. Nixon, of Dundee, admitted obtaining property by deception at Bridgend magistrates. Nia James, prosecuting, said: "He left his home address in the south Wales area after realising he was in trouble and couldn't refund the money." The court heard Nixon was forced to "beg and borrow" under false names when he lived in Fintry, Dundee. Magistrates were also told he "had lost everyone and everything over this passage of time" all because of his World Cup con but was now in full-time employment in England and was keen to pay his victims back. A third victim could not be traced. Magistrates ordered him to pay his victims back the sums of £590 and £220 and he must do 80 hours unpaid work.

Summary: A conman who went on the run for nine years after staging a £900 scam selling England tickets for the 2006 football World Cup, has handed himself in.


The East Superleague side fell behind when Paul Quinn fired in from a corner for his second goal in two games. Rose drew level through a Jamie Reckord own goal, but Graham and Alex Schalk put the Premiership side in control. However, the semi-professionals refused to buckle and Ruari MacLennan scored his fourth cup goal before Graham pounced to finally settle the tie. While County move into the quarter-final draw, the first junior side to reach the last 16 of the competition were far from disgraced. It is an indication of the strength of his squad that County manager Jim McIntyre was able to make six changes to the side that beat Celtic in last week's League Cup semi final. There was certainly no sign of disruption early on as the Premiership outfit raced into the lead in their first serious attack after a bright start by the visitors. Colin Leiper nearly headed Ian McShane's corner into his own net with Ryan Baptie clearing off the line, but the ball broke to Quinn, who hammered home from 12 yards for his second goal since his return from Aberdeen. Many would have expected the Rose to wilt after that fourth-minute setback, but they showed real character to take the game to the Staggies and create a couple of decent chances. Conor Kelly fired a shot over the bar from the edge of the box then Tommy Coyne swapped passes with Graham Weir before forcing Gary Woods into a save from a similar distance. County's main threat continued to be from set pieces, with Quinn and Raffa De Vita going close, while Linlithgow goalkeeper Ally Adams made an outstanding diving save low to his left to prevent Brian Graham converting Jonathan Franks' inviting cross. Rose have shown resilience throughout their Scottish Cup adventure and, after Ruari McLennan then Blair Batchelor had shots blocked, Scott Boyd blasted it off the goal-line against Reckord and into the empty net to spark wild celebrations among the Rose players and their large travelling support. They continued to give as good as they got at the start of the second half, with Batchelor forcing Woods into a save, but the Premiership side's superiority at set pieces paid off. McShane whipped in another corner from the left and Graham raced clear to head home from six yards. Schalk finally killed off the tie five minutes later as Jackson Irvine found space in the box to head on for the Dutchman to slam the ball in from close range. Back came the junior side with a slick passing move climaxed by MacLennan's finish in 75 minutes only for the Staggies to spoil any chance of a fairytale finish. Graham scored his seventh goal of the season with a shot from the edge of the area to leave Rose to concentrate on next week's Scottish Junior Cup tie away to Kilwinning Rangers.

Summary: Brian Graham's double helped Ross County end junior side Linlithgow Rose's brave Scottish Cup run.


Sunderland's Giaccherini slotted home in the first half after collecting Leonardo Bonucci's superb long pass. Southampton's Pelle sealed the win in injury time with an emphatic volley following an incisive break. Belgium were very disappointing, with Romelu Lukaku and Divock Origi wasteful in front of goal. Everton forward Lukaku curled over from the edge of the box with just the keeper to beat while Liverpool's Origi missed two opportunities to head his side level. Before the tournament began some pundits condemned this Italy squad for a lack of quality, and even coach Antonio Conte said: "It isn't a good time for our football." The soon-to-be-Chelsea boss added: "It's important the squad has a good spirit. I work a lot at this." On the evidence of this game, that is not the only thing he has worked at. Italy's triumph was a result of superior organisation and discipline against 11 Belgian individuals who appear to possess, on paper at least, the greater talent. Both sides now face games against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden, who drew 1-1 in the Group E opener earlier on Monday. With 16 of 24 teams progressing from the group stage, Italy took a huge step towards advancing with victory against their likeliest challengers. Italy have won this competition once, in 1968, and finished runners-up twice - most recently in 2012, when they were demolished 4-0 by Spain in the final. While the current Azzurri side went unbeaten through qualifying, winning seven of their 10 matches, they compare unfavourably with the side of four years ago, lacking the calm, creative brilliance of Andrea Pirlo in midfield and an attacking spearhead to adequately replace a faded Mario Balotelli. What they do have is a meticulous and tactically astute coach in the Chelsea-bound Conte and a stubborn Juventus-centric defence. Such a foundation allowed them to limit and frustrate Belgium, leaving them vulnerable to one piece of ruthless counter-attacking brilliance - which Bonucci's 50-yard, defence-splitting pass and Giaccherini's cool finish provided. The second half would have been more comfortable for Italy had a second goal been scored from an unmarked position by Pelle, who also had a second header saved by Thibaut Courtois after the break. However, Conte's imperious rearguard held firm before Pelle volleyed home a neat chipped cross from Antonio Candreva. Despite only having qualified for one major tournament in the past 14 years, Belgium came to France as Europe's top-ranked side and one of the favourites to triumph in Paris on 10 July. Their status is built around the attacking potential and club-forged reputation of individuals such as Kevin de Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Lukaku, as opposed to consistent evidence of a cohesive international team. However, the Red Devils did little to suggest they are ready to convert this promise into something concrete on the big stage. They were pedestrian in the first half, failing to get in behind the Italian backline, with De Bruyne particularly isolated. They upped the speed after the break but still struggled to test Gianluigi Buffon, with Lukaku curling over a good chance

Summary: Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle scored as Italy began their Euro 2016 campaign with victory over much-fancied Belgium in Lyon.


The 20-year-old, who played for the Old Trafford club at the youth tournament, has featured regularly for the Red Devils first team this season. "I played in the competition two years in succession and it was a fantastic experience," said McNair. United are back at the Milk Cup this year, competing in the Premier Section. The club have been to 12 finals, winning six titles and they will be attempting to become the first team ever to secure three successive victories after triumphs over County Tyrone in 2013 and French club Vendee last year. "I'm proud to be asked to make the Milk Cup draw," added McNair, who played in the 2011 and 2012 competitions. "It makes me proud to see the Milk Cups won by the club displayed in the trophy room at Old Trafford. "That alone indicates how much prestige is placed on the competition at Manchester United." Impressive displays in the Premier League earned McNair a call-up to the Northern Ireland squad with his first appearance coming in a 1-0 defeat to the Scots at Hampden Park. Among the newcomers at the Milk Cup this year are Zacatepec from Mexico in the Junior Section. Another Mexican outfit, Club America, will contest the Premier Section which has again attracted the popular Strikers from California and OC Blues, who are based in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Japan will be represented by Higashi Fukuoka and long-time supporters Otago from New Zealand are back once more for the 26-31 July tournament.

Summary: Manchester United and Northern Ireland defender Paddy McNair will make the draw for this year's Milk Cup in Belfast on 26 May.


Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy and John Thurso were beaten by the SNP. The turnout for the constituencies involved exceeded 70%. The SNP's Angus MacNeil held his seat in Na h-Eileanan an Iar - which covers the Western Isles - with 54% of the votes. Mr Kennedy, who lost Ross, Skye and Lochaber to Ian Blackford, said the 2015 election's defeat of Lib Dems and Labour in Scotland would become known as the "night of the long sgian dubhs". The former Lib Dem leader said: "I am very fond of political history and tonight, if nothing else, we can all consider and reflect in years to come, and perhaps tell our grandchildren, we were there the night of the long sgian dubhs." His opponent Mr Blackford said the election in Scotland had not been about last year's referendum, but about "sending MPs from Scotland who will stand up for" Scotland's interests. In Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland Council leader Drew Hendry gained almost 29,000 votes, a rise of more than 31% on the party's 2010 result to defeat Mr Alexander. Mr Alexander said he had polled about as many votes as he had in 2010 but they had not been enough to get him re-elected. He said the Liberal Democrats should hold their heads high for what they achieved in government, but conceded that "clearly we have a lot of rebuilding to do". Mr Alexander added: "The flame of Highland liberalism will keep burning and our job is to burn brighter in years to come." Lord Thurso lost Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, a seat he had held since 2001, to the SNP's Paul Monaghan who won 46% of the vote. The SNP's Mr MacNeil said his job now was to fight for the needs of the Western Isles and help his party's desire to end austerity.

Summary: High profile Liberal Democrats have lost three strongholds in the Highlands and Islands.


Southern Cross is holding a crisis meeting with landlords, lenders and government officials. Of central importance is how to ensure continuity of care for the 31,000 people at the firm's 751 care homes. The care home provider says it cannot afford to pay the full rent on its homes. Families and staff 'in the dark'Q&A: Care home closures Landlords will agree to a compromise in order to allow the care home provider to remain solvent, the BBC's business editor, Robert Peston, has learned. The restructuring may leave the Darlington-based firm with just 250 to 400 homes, with the others being taken over by different care providers. But the biggest landlord, NHP, which owns 249 of the homes, is expected to stick with Southern Cross. The government has been putting intense pressure on landlords not to abandon Southern Cross altogether, according to Robert Peston. Southern Cross said last month it planned to stop paying about a third of its rental bill. The company's landlords met on Monday, and are expected to table their own proposal for the firm's future at the meeting on Wednesday. "The landlords have agreed in principle that they will make significant financial concessions in order to achieve a sustainable solution," said Daniel Smith, who chaired their meeting on Monday. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News Read Robert Peston's blog "Our overriding concern at this time remains minimising disruption and concern for residents and their families." In return, it is expected that the government and lenders will also agree to write off some of the money Southern Cross owes them. Under their joint proposal, individual landlords would reportedly be given various options, including: Southern Cross is the UK's largest care home operator, employing 44,000 staff, of which the company has already said it will cut 3,000.

Summary: Landlords at troubled care home provider Southern Cross have pledged to do all they can to help it avoid bankruptcy, the BBC understands.


He was appointed by Nigel Farage in 2014. Nevertheless, he still thinks he enjoys the support of the majority of UKIP members. Now he must convince party members in north Wales to put him on top of their list of candidates for May's assembly election. In each of the assembly's five regions, UKIP's candidates will be ranked in a ballot of party members. Mr Gill says he fought for that ballot inside the party's National Executive Committee (NEC). Some were worried about candidates imposed on them from outside Wales - candidates like former Tory MPs Mark Reckless and Neil Hamilton. Mr Gill won't be drawn on individuals. It's up to members to decide, he says. But some say Mr Gill didn't do enough - that the entire selection process should have been handled in Wales and that Mr Gill should stand down "I've worked in Wales for UKIP for 11 years. I know the vast majority of members. I've canvassed with people all over Wales in every single area," he says. "I know the quality of the people that we've got, the passionate membership, the capability that we have. And I've stood up for them. "And maybe some of the members haven't seen that because it's happened behind closed doors. But I've stood up for Wales." Critics in other parties, who dismiss UKIP as anti-Welsh, will raise an eyebrow at that statement. But the critics in his own party are the bigger problem. And because the decisions on how candidates are selected were taken in three private NEC meetings, unless those critics were in the room they have to take Mr Gill at his word. "There are people obviously who don't like me. There are people who do like me. But I think the people who back me by far outweigh those who don't." Some of those speaking out are motivated by "personal reasons", he thinks, having changed their minds about standing as candidates. And those who say he fails to represent the rank-and-file are talking "nonsense". Compared to the other parties, UKIP's selection procedure has been messy. But UKIP sells itself as the antidote to other parties. Despite being an MEP, Mr Gill doesn't see himself as part of a political class. Perhaps that's not surprising in a climate where politicians are routinely traduced. Who would identify themselves as members of the political class? I met him his at his home - a family-run bed and breakfast on Anglesey where he and his wife Jana are raising their five children. Does part of him think he could do without the flack from those who want him to quit? "Part of me does think that of course, I'm human. I've got a beautiful family. I've got a life outside politics." So why carry on? "Because we have the most important election in Wales for us in five years. We must get UKIP representation in that assembly. "And also, very likely in five or six months time we will have the whole raison d'etre of UKIP. "The whole reason why I joined UKIP

Summary: Unlike the other four main party leaders in Wales, Nathan Gill wasn't elected by his party members.


Jack Mackreth and Chris Holroyd both fired wide as the visitors pressed for an opener in the first half. Danny Rowe finally put the Silkmen ahead after the break with a deflected strike, and Mitch Hancox slotted in to make it 2-0 shortly after. Danny Whittaker's shot put the result beyond doubt, before Wrexham's Jordan White put a late penalty over the bar. The result lifts Macclesfield up to seventh in the table, seven points outside the play-off places, while Wrexham remain 15th. Match ends, Wrexham 0, Macclesfield Town 3. Second Half ends, Wrexham 0, Macclesfield Town 3. Curtis Tilt (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Wrexham 0, Macclesfield Town 3. Danny Whitaker (Macclesfield Town). Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Jack Sampson replaces Jack Mackreth. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Richard Brodie replaces Chris Holroyd. Substitution, Wrexham. Jordan White replaces Paul Rutherford. Substitution, Wrexham. Antony Barry replaces Jordan Evans. Goal! Wrexham 0, Macclesfield Town 2. Mitch Hancox (Macclesfield Town). Jordan Evans (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Wrexham 0, Macclesfield Town 1. Danny M. Rowe (Macclesfield Town). Second Half begins Wrexham 0, Macclesfield Town 0. Substitution, Wrexham. Rekeil Pyke replaces Gerry McDonagh. First Half ends, Wrexham 0, Macclesfield Town 0. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

Summary: Macclesfield scored three second-half goals to earn a comfortable win at Wrexham in the National League.


For months she's resisted closing her country's borders and setting an upper limit on the number of asylum seekers allowed into Germany despite rising, and at times frantic, public and political pressure to do so, including from within her own CDU party. Iron Angie - as she's sometimes known at home - demonstrated her unwavering determination once again at yesterday's EU-Turkey summit and in the lead-up to it. There have been dark mutterings in the German media that, despite increasing problems at home linked to the arrival of over a million asylum-seekers, the German chancellor has spent more time in Ankara than Aachen, Berlin or Cologne of late. But there was stubborn purpose behind the shuttling. Mrs Merkel's political future - and her legacy, after a decade as German chancellor - are hanging in the balance. She faces three key regional elections this weekend, with polls predicting huge gains for the anti-immigrant AfD party. She needed something big and bold on migration, allowing her to avoid performing an awkward U-turn on her national policies but at the same time sending a clear message to the people of Germany that she has the situation in hand. Make no mistake - it was Germany and no other European nation that insisted on a summit with Turkey this week. Turkey is key to resolving Europe's current migration chaos. That's where most refugees and others jump on board people smugglers' dinghies, risking their lives to enter Europe via the Greek islands. But trust between Turkey and the EU is not strong. An "action plan on migration" between the two back in November failed to yield many results. There has been little sign of Turkey cracking down on people-smugglers along its coastline, and limited evidence of the â‚¬3bn (Â£2.3bn; $3.3bn) the EU then promised Turkey in humanitarian aid. So Mrs Merkel began a new push for what she hoped would be a better Turkish deal. Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council, which represents all EU member countries in Brussels, joined in the efforts (after all, he would be the summit host), flying to Turkey ahead of Monday's meeting. But neither of these seasoned politicians were quite prepared for what is now being described as a "Turkish bazaar" here in Brussels. Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived at the summit all smiles for the cameras. "Turkey is ready to work with the European Union," he beamed - omitting to say at what price. Then, behind closed doors, he slammed the EU with a whole host of additional political and funding demands: Even a few months ago, my bet is that faced with this steep list of demands, EU countries would simply have turned their back and walked out. Not now. Chancellor Merkel isn't the only one desperate to solve the migrant crisis: The EU's credibility is crumbling, its members have never looked less unified and Greece, stuck with tens of thousands of stalled migrants on top of being saddled with crippling euro debt repayments, threatens to implode. The bottom line, for the EU, is to put

Summary: "Where there's a will, there's a way," Angela Merkel has insisted since the migration crisis exploded across Europe last year.


In 2014-15, 83% of critical care patients were discharged to another ward, up from 79% in 2011-12, while the numbers treated rose by 8% to 9,700. But health boards have been told to cut delays in transfers and discharges, equivalent to the loss of 16 beds. Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said continuous improvement was needed. He said the report "highlights some of the excellent work taking place in critical care units and hospitals across Wales". The minister added: "The report also identifies areas where more rapid improvement is needed and health boards must make sure they have robust plans in place to drive out inefficiencies in the system, such as delayed transfers of care."

Summary: Survival rates for patients treated in critical care units in Wales are increasing, according to the latest annual report on the service.


They include schemes to revamp Newport and Bridgend centres, move people back into empty homes in Port Talbot and make properties in Pontypridd energy efficient. Vacant flats above shops in Swansea will also be converted into homes and derelict sites in Merthyr Tydfil will be built on. Schemes totalling £36m for north Wales were announced by ministers last week. The funding is from the Welsh government's Vibrant and Viable Places initiative. Housing and Regeneration Minister Carl Sargeant said he was "delighted" with the range of projects being supported. "There are several excellent projects targeted at renovating empty properties, derelict buildings and empty shops, attracting more people to live in town centres and making the necessary improvements to existing housing stock," he said. "I've also approved significant funding for a wide range of different projects, from a state of the art business facility in Pontypridd to an integrated transport hub in Port Talbot. "Facilities like these, in conjunction with the new homes, will create jobs, improve links and breathe new life into town centre centres."

Summary: Projects worth £58m to regenerate areas across south Wales have been approved.


Carlisle's Hallam Hope was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Darnell Furlong before the U's James Dunne was denied by Mark Ellis block. Ben Williamson's tap-in for Cambridge was ruled offside and Derek Asamoah lifted over the bar from two yards. Ellis then picked up a second yellow for time-wasting and was sent off. Carlisle move down to 11th while Cambridge sit 12th, four and five points off the play-off places respectively.

Summary: Cambridge United were held to a goalless draw against nine-man Carlisle United, a result which damages both clubs' League Two play-off hopes.


The 26-year-old England tight-head prop, who was sent off, pleaded guilty at a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. Brookes will miss Saints' Premiership game at Leicester on Saturday and their Champions Cup game with Leinster. Newcastle lock Calum Green, 26, has also been banned for a week after admitting striking with his arm. Green, who will miss Falcons' home game with Harlequins on Sunday, struck Brookes with his forearm during the same game and was cited by the citing commissioner after the incident was missed by referee Andrew Jackson. Brookes was dismissed in the 38th minute of Saints' 22-16 defeat when he charged into the ruck and struck the head of Newcastle hooker Scott Lawson with his shoulder.

Summary: Northampton's Kieran Brookes has been banned for two weeks after admitting charging into a ruck without using his arms in Friday's loss to Newcastle.


31 March 2017 Last updated at 09:10 BST That's because she has a very strong type of anxiety called selective mutism. But she's started taking a special music class which has helped her to speak at school. Meet Ruweyda by watching our video. You can find out more about what anxiety is and how it can affect you by reading our guide, here.

Summary: Ruweyda is seven years old and has only recently said her first words at school.


Chapel Bay Fort and Museum at Angle will open on 3 April after years of restoration work. The coast artillery fort was completed in 1891 and is the earliest known fort in the world constructed in concrete. Twelve Victorian forts were built in the 19th Century to defend the Milford Haven Waterway. On display will be the biggest gun and shell in Wales; a 25-pounder gun howitzer, a 5.5 inch gun and a 10 inch, 18 ton rifled muzzle loading gun. There will also be displays on World War One, bomb disposal, artillery, small arms, the telephone exchange and the Royal Artillery forge and workshop.

Summary: A Victorian fort and museum in Pembrokeshire is opening to the public for the first time and is appealing for volunteers to help run it.


The prosecution was brought by the RSPCA following a raid at a puppy farm at a traveller site in Essex. Teresa Wade, 57, Victoria Montgomery, 54, her daughter Roxanne Montgomery, 33 and Tony Hammond, 34, admitted fraud at Basildon Crown Court. The gang, from Essex and east London, will be sentenced later. Live: For more on this and other Essex stories All four admitted handling about 750 puppies between July 2013 and October 2014. The court heard the animals were sold for an average of £450 each and the RSPCA estimates the fraud was worth more than £300,000. The court was shown video footage shot by the RSPCA of dozens of cockerpoo (a cocker spaniel and poodle crossbreed) puppies kept in cages inside dark sheds near South Ockendon. The dogs - some barely two weeks old - had soiled newspapers for bedding, no toys and some had no heating. Teresa Wade, of Ship Lane, Aveley, South Ockendon, admitted advertising them over the internet as being home-reared, and that they were shown to prospective buyers at houses belonging to the other defendants, before being sold for up to £750 each in cash. But some of the animals were so sick they died shortly after arriving at their new homes, or cost their new owners thousands of pounds in vet bills. Wade will be sentenced later along with Victoria Montgomery, of Melford Avenue, Dagenham, and Hammond and Roxanne Montgomery, both of Grafton Raod, Dagenham.

Summary: Three women and a man have admitted fraud in connection with the sale of hundreds of puppies, some of which died or suffered serious health problems.


But images of famous civil rights campaigners, including Martin Luther King Junior, Nelson Mandela and Bob Marley with the same string around their heads have appeared on the singer's Facebook page. It's causing controversy with some people claiming she's comparing herself with them and exploiting their images to promote her album. Next to anti-apartheid campaigner, Nelson Mandela, Madonna wrote 'This #rebelheart fought for freedom!' But the promo campaign's faced criticism on social media. The star later posted another picture of Princess Diana saying "Yes Princess Diana was. #rebelheart! Anyone who fights for freedom is a #rebelheart" -Madonna". She also issues an apology: "I'm sorry, I'm not comparing myself to anyone. I'm admiring and acknowledging there (sic) Rebel Hearts. This is neither a crime or an insult or racist!" Some of the songs from Madonna's latest album, Rebel Heart, were recently leaked online. She compared it to 'artistic rape' and urged fans to wait for their official release on March 10. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: Madonna's new artwork for her album Rebel Heart shows her with black string tied around her head and face.


Police officers and veterinarians had chased the animal around the course near Toki city in the central Gifu prefecture for hours. It ran into the lake shortly after it was shot with a tranquiliser dart. The animal died despite being pulled out within minutes. Officers said it had likely drowned and that its heart had stopped. The two-year-old male zebra was owned by a mobile zoo, reported the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, but was being housed at the Mikuni West Farm, a local stable and riding club. On Tuesday evening, farm managers were bringing in the zebra for the night when it became agitated, trampled the paddock fence, and escaped, fleeing towards a nearby mountain. By early Wednesday morning police were receiving reports of a zebra running along a highway. They quickly tracked it to the Toki International Golf Course, where veterinarians and police tried to catch it. It ran into a lake shortly after being darted. "We pulled it out, but its heart had stopped," said police spokesman Takahiro Taniguchi, saying it had likely drowned. The unusual story quickly became a talking point among Japanese netizens who expressed shock and sadness on Wednesday, with the Japanese word for zebra "shimauma" trending on Twitter. Many retweeted a photo by a girl who said she had spotted the animal galloping down a road on Tuesday night and expressed surprise at spotting "a zebra in the forest".

Summary: A zebra that ran away from a horse riding club in Japan has died in a golf course lake after it was tranquilised.


The aim is to learn more about the behaviour of a species that experts say could cause millions of pounds of damage to crops if left untreated. Usually, if you want to study an animal, you do a survey and count it. The problem with slugs is you can't always see them as they spend much of their time out of sight in the top 10cm (4in) of the ground. But improved tracking technology will allow scientists to accurately follow slug movements for the first time. The aim of the research is to answer an interesting problem facing farmers: how do slugs live amongst their crops? The researchers at Harper Adams University have a theory slugs are not evenly distributed over a field. Instead they believe they are concentrated in patches. That's important because if the scientists could help farmers find these large patches of slugs you could target them with pest control measures. That would be cheaper and greener than spreading chemicals over an entire field. Slugs are slimy and enjoy squeezing into tight spaces so the trackers need to be placed inside the slugs themselves just under the skin. The slugs are anaesthetised before a small cut is made in the skin and the tracker inserted. The tracker itself is smaller than a grain of rice. The slugs I saw were implanted a month ago and seemed happy. It's important to the researchers that the trackers don't cause the slugs to behave any differently to their non-implanted cousins. In the lab it appears neither slug movement or appetite is affected. Tracking the slugs involves equipment that looks very like a metal detector. Researchers will go out at night when the slugs are most active and release the slugs with the trackers. There will be hundreds of them over the duration of the experiment. Then every 20 minutes throughout the night the team will scan the fields with the detector. This will automatically log the slug's individual tracker number and it's GPS location building up a very accurate map of where the slugs go and what they are doing. There's increasing pressure on farmers to reduce the chemicals they use against slugs and some are being banned outright. So if this research comes up with a better way to control them by revealing more about their behaviour it could be very useful. Funding for this study has come from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), The Potato Council and Cereals and Oilseeds who estimate that slugs could cause Â£100m of damage to UK crops if they aren't properly controlled. And finally a confession. We did take a slug out into the field and we put it down on the ground to track it. We certainly managed to find it again, the signal from its tracker was loud and strong, but we couldn't actually see it. Which means we couldn't recover the slug and he had to go and join his colleagues in the soil. It did rather show how trackers beat traditional visual slug surveys. And soon our slug implanted

Summary: At Harper Adams University they are fitting tracking devices to slugs.


The raiders drove into the Metro Bank branch at Babbage Gate, Oakgrove in Milton Keynes at 04:20 BST, police said. The cash machine was put in a dark 4x4, and the thieves drove off in that vehicle and a white VW Golf. Police are appealing for anyone with mobile phone footage of the raid to get in touch. Ray Cardy, who walked past the bank shortly after the raid, said: "The dumper truck had been driven through the front doors, turned round and smashed the ATM from behind. "The remains of it were on the footpath - the dumper's engine was still running." A Metro Bank spokeswoman declined to reveal how much money had been taken.

Summary: Four balaclava-clad men smashed a dumper truck into the front of a bank and escaped with its cash machine.


Alexander Reid repeatedly told Department of Work and Pensions staff in application forms and at interviews that he was single. But in reality he was living with his wife Kathleen Reid, despite having claimed to be separated. Reid was found guilty following a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court. The 59-year-old, from Dundee, had denied a charge under the Social Security Administration Act that he fraudulently claimed employment support allowance and income support totalling £39,808. Defence solicitor John Boyle asked that Reid be spared jail and given a community payback order as an alternative to a prison sentence. Sheriff Tom Hughes told Reid: "Because of the sum of money involved a custodial sentence is the only option."

Summary: A man who fraudulently claimed nearly £40,000 in benefits over the course of almost 11 years has been jailed for 18 months.


Jordan's significance results partly from its strategic location at the crossroads of what Christians, Jews and Muslims call the Holy Land. It is a key ally of the US and, together with Egypt, one of only two Arab nations to have made peace with Israel. The desert kingdom emerged out of the post-First World War division of the Middle East by Britain and France. Population 6.5 million Area 89,342 sq km (34,492 sq miles) Major language Arabic Major religion Islam Life expectancy 72 years (men), 75 years Head of state: King Abdullah II King Abdullah II, Jordan's monarch since 1999, has extensive powers: he appoints governments, approves legislation and is able to dissolve parliament. Over the past few years, he has been facing growing demands for political reform, and following the popular uprising in Tunisia which led to the flight of the president in January 2011, King Abdullah dismissed his government and appointed the first in a series of prime ministers to oversee the introduction of political change. The Jordanian media have traditionally been under tight state control. "Veneration for the monarchy, religion, but also state institutions and the men who head them are all 'red lines' that journalists must not cross," said Reporters Without Borders in its 2011-12 country report. Jordan Media City - one of the first such ventures in the region - aims to attract media investments and operates as a regional hub for satellite TV broadcasts. Some key dates in Jordan's history: 1946 - The United Nations recognizes Jordan as an independent sovereign kingdom. 1948 - State of Israel created in British-mandate Palestine. Thousands of Palestinians flee Arab-Israeli fighting to West Bank and Jordan. 1950 - Jordan annexes West Bank. 1951 - King Abdullah assassinated by Palestinian gunman angry at his apparent collusion with Israel in the carve-up of Palestine. 1952 - Hussein proclaimed king after his father, Talal, is declared mentally unfit to rule. 1957 - British troops complete their withdrawal from Jordan. 1967 - Israel takes control of Jerusalem and West Bank during Six-Day War, major influx of refugees into Jordan. 1994 - Jordan signs peace treaty with Israel, ending 46-year official state of war. 1999 - King Hussein dies. His eldest son Crown Prince Abdullah succeeds to the throne.

Summary: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a small country with few natural resources, but it has played a pivotal role in the struggle for power in the Middle East.


A robot arm builds "babies" that get progressively better at moving without any human intervention. The ultimate aim of the research project is to develop robots that adapt to their surroundings. The work by teams in Cambridge and Zurich has been published in the journal PLOS One. It seems like a plot from a science fiction film: a robot that builds other robots - each one better than the previous generation. But that is what researchers in Cambridge and Zurich have done. But those concerned about machines taking over the world shouldn't worry, at least not yet. At this stage the "baby robots" consist of plastic cubes with a motor inside. These are put together by a "mother" robot arm which glues them together in different configurations. Although the set up is simple the system itself is ingenious. The mother robot assesses how far its babies are able to move, and with no human intervention, improves the design so that the next one it builds can move further. The mother robot built ten generations of children. The final version moved twice the distance of the first before its power ran out. According to Dr Fumiya Iida of Cambridge University, who led the research with colleagues at ETH Zurich, one aim is to gain new insights into how living things evolve. "One of the big questions in biology is how intelligence came about - we're using robotics to explore this mystery," he told BBC News. "We think of robots as performing repetitive tasks, and they're typically designed for mass production instead of mass customisation, but we want to see robots that are capable of innovation and creativity." Another aim is to develop robots that can improve and adapt to new situations, according to Andre Rosendo - who also worked on the project. "You can imagine cars being built in factories and the robot looking for defects in the car and fixing them by itself," he said. "And robots used in agriculture could try out slightly different ways of harvesting crops to see if they can improve yield." Dr Iidya told me that he came into robotics because he was disappointed that the robots he saw in real life were not as good as the ones he saw in science fiction films such as Star Wars and Star Trek. His aim was to change that and his approach was to draw lessons from the natural world to improve the efficiency and flexibility of traditional robotic systems. As to whether we'd ever see robots like those in the sci-fi films that inspired him, he said: "We're not there yet, but sure, why not, maybe in about 30 years." Follow Pallab on Twitter

Summary: Engineers have developed a robotic system that can evolve and improve its performance.


Groups who use the hall in Llanwinio said they would hand in their keys after the rent tripled and they were asked to sign up to a 25-year lease. Peter Walton, from the association that runs the hall, described the changes as "unreasonable and unfair". But the Diocese of St Davids said as a charity it was "obliged by law" to charge market-value rent. Rent costs charged to the Community Association of Volunteers are set to increase from £250 to £750 a year and it will also have to meet the costs of the insurance for the first time. The St Davids Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) said: "A proper valuation of [the rental value] was undertaken and the rental charge increased in line with that. "The rental goes to the parish, not the DBF, hence keeping it within the local community." But Mr Walton from the Community Association of Volunteers told Newyddion 9 the finance board was behaving in an "unfair, unreasonable and unjust manner". He added: "It's not just the money... we will be taking all of our belongings out of this building on Saturday 27 February and we'll be handing the keys back unless there's a change of heart."

Summary: A row has broken out between community groups and a Carmarthenshire diocese over the cost of using a church hall.


The move by Flintshire council is partly aimed at increasing recycling rates to meet Welsh Government targets. A report to the council's cabinet said if enforcement action fails, it will need to reconsider introducing three-weekly bin collections. From June 2017, all rubbish will need to go into wheelie bins and anything else will not be collected. Then from September, anyone still leaving rubbish outside bins will face fixed penalty notices.

Summary: Householders who persistently leave out too much rubbish in Flintshire will face fines from next year.


Eight people were found dead in the vehicle in a Walmart car park in San Antonio, Texas, and 31 others were treated. Two later died in hospital. The driver, named as James Mathew Bradley, 60, could face the death penalty. He says the immigrants were placed in his trailer while he was distracted. They were inside the trailer without access to air conditioning or water while outside temperatures hit 38C (100F). Police say they believe the incident is linked to people smuggling. Video footage from the store reportedly showed a number of vehicles arriving to pick up some of the survivors. Several others may have managed to escape on foot into the woods nearby. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting head Thomas Homan said more than 100 people could have been in the truck at one point. Mexico's government said it was working closely with US authorities to identify the nationalities of the victims. San Antonio is a few hours' drive from the border with Mexico, and the US immigration department is trying to establish the victims' legal status. Officials were brought to the trailer by a man who had approached an employee of the Walmart store and asked for water. San Antonio police chief William McManus said in a press briefing that the people ranged from school age to in their 30s. Local fire chief Charles Hood said the survivors had heart rates of over 130 beats per minute and were very hot to touch. The fire chief confirmed at least two of the victims were school-age children. Their condition is not clear. The US attorney for the Western District of Texas, Richard Durbin, said the people were helpless victims of "ruthless human smugglers indifferent to the wellbeing of their fragile cargo". Experts say people smuggling is a serious issue in southern Texas, and there have been a number of similar cases in the area just in this past month. On 7 July, US Border Patrol agents found 72 undocumented immigrants from Central American countries locked inside a trailer "with no means of escape". The next day 33 people were found locked inside a trailer at a checkpoint on the road to San Antonio.

Summary: A truck driver has been charged with illegally transporting immigrants after dozens of people were discovered in the back of his trailer.


Congo needed a draw to progress and went ahead when Thierry Bifouma swept home Ferebory Dore's cross. Burkina Faso required a win and offered little until the last 10 minutes when Aristide Bance scored at the far post. Congo won it in the 87th minute when goalkeeper Germain Sanou punched the ball on to the shoulder of Fabrice Ondama and it trickled into the net. Congo's qualification added to the remarkable record of manager Claude LeRoy, who has now achieved seven quarter-finals in eight appearances at the tournament with five different countries. Congo had the best chance of a very disappointing first half in the 21st minute when Delvin N'Dinga played in Bifouma on the left-hand side of the penalty area, but the striker dragged the ball wide of the far post. Burkina Faso, who reached the final of the last tournament in 2013, finally woke up as the match approached half-time. First Jonathan Pitroipa set up Prejuce Nakoulma, who could not control the ball and Congo goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi rushed out to clear. Then Pitroipa received a pass inside the area, chested it down but sent his shot high over the bar. The second half started in a much more eventful way with Dore heading a good chance past the near post from a 47th-minute corner. Burkina Faso almost took the lead in remarkable fashion three minutes later. Goalkeeper Sanou cleared the ball downfield from well inside his own penalty area and it reached the opposite area where it bounced over his counterpart Mafoumbi and rolled just past the post. Bifouma put Congo in front a minute later from close range from a right-wing cross by Dore, who seemed to be clearly offside when he received the ball. Burkina Faso needed to score twice to have a hope of going into the last eight but rarely looked likely to do that. Congo nearly added to their lead with a 72nd-minute free-kick, but N'Dinga's powerful shot was saved by Sanou. Burkina Faso finally found the net in the 81st minute when Mafoumbi spilled an Alain Traore free-kick, but substitute Issiaka Ouedraogo's finish was ruled out for offside. Bance gave Burkina Faso's fans fleeting hope when he scored from Ouedraogo's cross, but 90 seconds later it was all over when the ball went in off Ondama as Congo secured victory. Congo coach Claude LeRoy: "It's incredible. I feel a lot of emotion and incredible happiness. "We conceded a goal that shouldn't have stood because there was a foul on Bissiki at the start of the move, but although a 1-1 draw would have been enough, we hit back right away. "We have come from nowhere. We knocked out Nigeria, the reigning champions, and now we have beaten Burkina Faso, who were runners-up last time. Anything that happens from now on is a bonus." Burkina Faso coach Paul Put: "The luck was not on our side."

Summary: Congo reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 1992 by topping Group A.


The stormy weather made for treacherous racing on slippery roads but Team Sky's Froome survived the final descent into Morzine to maintain his overall lead. Froome's lead over Romain Bardet of four minutes five seconds will not be tested on the final stage in Paris. Stage 20 was won by Spanish Movistar rider Jon Izaguirre. He rode clear of fellow breakaway riders Jarlinson Pantano of the IAM Cycling team and 2014 Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali to win the 146km stage in four hours, six minutes and 45 seconds. Froome, who crashed on a rainy descent on Friday, was more cautious on Saturday's drop into Morzine and finished more than four minutes behind Izaguirre but only a few seconds adrift of his rivals in the overall standings. "I still need to get the yellow jersey to Paris tomorrow but certainly the racing side is done and dusted," said Froome, who won the 2013 and 2015 editions of the three-week race. "It's an amazing feeling of relief, just coming over the last line today. Thank you to all my team-mates, they've really been there for me every step of the way and I couldn't ask for more." Frenchman Bardet finished six seconds ahead of Froome to cement second place, while Quintana, who said he "suffered from allergies" during the race, will finish third. Tradition dictates that the man in the race leader's yellow jersey is not challenged during Sunday's largely processional final stage in Paris which is expected to end in a bunch sprint. The 113km route from Chantilly will start in pedestrian fashion with Froome posing for photographs with his team-mates, sipping the obligatory glass of champagne. The stage finishes with nine laps around the centre of Paris and Froome still has to race on the cobbles of the Champs-Elysees and make it across the finish line to be crowned champion for a third time. In doing so, he will become just the eighth rider to win three Tour titles, following legendary five-time winners Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain, while joining Philippe Thys, Louison Bobet and Greg LeMond who have all won three. Froome is also set to become the first man since Indurain, who won his five titles consecutively from 1991, to successfully defend the title. Tour director Christian Prudhomme said it was Froome's incredible attacks on stages eight and 11 that were the stand-out moments for him. "There was no surprise because Chris Froome won. But for me it was not the same as in previous years," he said. "When he attacked in the Peyrsourde descent it was such a surprise. And he did it again when he went with Peter Sagan in Montpellier. I liked it very much. Chris Froome was very good, his opponents less good." Britain's Adam Yates will finish a terrific fourth overall and in possession of the white jersey as the best rider under the age of 25. The 23-year-old from Bury was second from stages seven to 12, and only lost third place to Nairo Quintana, one of the

Summary: Chris Froome is set to become the first Briton to win three Tour de France titles after safely negotiating a rain-soaked penultimate stage in the Alps.


Sandra Bland was arrested during a heated traffic stop captured on film. She was found dead three days later. The 28-year-old's death and the video footage of her arrest sparked outrage. The arresting officer, Brian Encinia, has been charged with allegedly lying about it, a prosecutor announced after a day of grand jury discussions. Hours later, he was fired from his job. The grand jury had picked out the officer's affidavit as behind their decision, said special prosecutor Shawn McDonald. In that affidavit, Mr Encinia had claimed that Ms Bland was "combative and uncooperative" after he pulled her over. The argument began after she was asked to put out her cigarette and he demanded she get out of her car. Video footage showed the police officer drawing his stun gun and threatening Ms Bland with the words: "I will light you up!" After the argument moved off-camera, she was heard screaming that he was about to break her wrists and she complained that her head knocked against the ground. Mr McDonald said grand jurors found Mr Encinia's statement that he had "removed her from her vehicle to further conduct a safer traffic investigation" to be false. Soon after the indictment, the Texas Department of Public Safety said "termination proceedings" would start immediately. Ms Bland's death three days after her arrest was ruled a suicide and the sheriff's officials and jailers were cleared of any crime. But it sparked national headlines for days amid a debate about the police use of force against African Americans. The perjury charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Summary: A Texas police officer has been charged with perjury over his confrontation with a woman who died in jail shortly after being arrested.


Thomas blasted home for the relegation-threatened Robins in the 94th minute after being picked out by Nicky Ajose to boost Swindon's survival chances. Up to that point the game was lacking many clear-cut chances, with both teams unable to break the deadlock. The first half was evenly contested and the first opening fell to promotion-chasing Millwall in the fifth minute when Lee Gregory ran on to a long kick from goalkeeper Jordan Archer but could only manage a tame shot from a tight angle. Swindon's best chance of the half came in the 21st minute when, following some intricate football on the edge of the Millwall box, Charlie Colkett took a shot destined for the right corner only for Archer to push it behind. Swindon were the better team in the second half but were unable to capitalise on their dominance until Thomas' late heroics. Jonathan Obika earlier seemed to have passed up the opportunity to snatch victory when he was unable to get a good connection on a header. Match report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Swindon Town 1, Millwall 0. Second Half ends, Swindon Town 1, Millwall 0. Goal! Swindon Town 1, Millwall 0. Conor Thomas (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Attempt blocked. Nicky Ajose (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Hand ball by Lee Gregory (Millwall). Dion Conroy (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Dion Conroy (Swindon Town). Fred Onyedinma (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Charlie Colkett (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Lee Gregory (Millwall). Substitution, Swindon Town. Bradley Barry replaces Nathan Thompson. Nathan Thompson (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Mahlon Romeo. Callum Butcher (Millwall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Rohan Ince (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Callum Butcher (Millwall). Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Dion Conroy. Attempt blocked. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Rohan Ince (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Shaun Williams (Millwall). Attempt missed. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Tony Craig. Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Mahlon Romeo. Rohan Ince (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Shane Ferguson (Millwall). Corner, Millwall. Conceded by James Brophy. Attempt saved. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Callum Butcher. Substitution, Millwall. Shane Ferguson replaces Steve Morison. Substitution, Swindon Town. Luke Norris replaces John Goddard. Substitution, Swindon Town. James Brophy replaces Fankaty Dabo. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Lawrence Vigouroux (Swindon Town) because of an injury. John Goddard (Swindon Town) wins a

Summary: Substitute Conor Thomas scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Swindon ended Millwall's 16-match unbeaten run in League One.


Police said the 41-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing contestant, from Virginia Water in Surrey, was arrested in Eton, Berkshire, on Saturday. Ms Gallacher, who works for Sky Sports, has been bailed to appear at Slough Magistrates' Court on 4 September. Thames Valley Police said she was charged with one count of "driving a motor vehicle when alcohol level was above the legal limit".

Summary: Television presenter Kirsty Gallacher has been charged with drink-driving.


Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) reported 2,405 insolvencies between April and June - 7.8% up on the previous quarter. There were 1,144 bankruptcies, which was up 14.7% on the previous quarter and 51.1% more than a year ago. However, AiB said the figures showed a "return to trend". A year ago, the number of personal insolvencies in Scotland fell to its lowest level for more than 14 years following the introduction of the Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Act. The legislation introduced new measures such as mandatory money advice for people seeking access to statutory debt relief solutions such as sequestration. Although the latest bankruptcy figures were sharply up on a year ago, they were 41.7% lower than the same quarter in 2013-14 and 34.9% lower than in 2014-15. Personal insolvencies include both bankruptcies and protected trust deeds (PTDs). The number of PTDs recorded between April and June remained largely stable at 1,261, a 2.1% increase from the previous quarter. New debt payment programmes approved under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) fell slightly by 5.2% on the previous quarter, to 510. Quarterly figures for bankruptcies and PTDs since 2005-06: Business Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "These figures indicate that people are becoming more accustomed to the new insolvency legislation and processes. "We are now seeing the numbers settling down to a more regular pattern following the significant, and expected, drop after the introduction of the new laws. "Compared to the same quarter from two years ago, prior to these changes, the number of people falling into insolvency today is down by more than a third. "This shows those most in need can access the debt relief they require to help them on the road to a fresh financial start - but also that the long term movement is a downward one." Eileen Blackburn, from insolvency trade body R3, said: "This quarterly rise, driven mostly by an increase in bankruptcies, bucks the wider downward trend in Scottish personal insolvencies we've seen in past years. "The number of insolvencies have been falling steadily since their peak in 2012, and this quarter represents a return to more stable levels. "The rise is probably less do with the EU referendum result, which only happened towards the very end of the quarter, and more to do with ongoing difficulties in the Scottish economy and the end of the financial year in March."

Summary: Personal insolvency numbers have returned to "relative stability" in Scotland following the introduction last year of new bankruptcy legislation, according to officials.


This is, said shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith, "the most important general election for a generation". The prime minister agrees. David Cameron cannot be accused of inconsistency on this issue. He said exactly the same in 2010. Perhaps they should agree that it's the most important general election since the last one. Owen Smith made his remarks in Ammanford as Labour launched its Welsh campaign in a seat it lost to Plaid Cymru in 2001. Labour used the launch to unveil its Welsh campaign pledge card (above). These cards have become an essential campaign tool since John Prescott took to his battlebus in 1997. Not for the first time at these gatherings, I asked the obvious question of the politicians, candidates and activists present: how many of the five pledges can you name? Some of the replies were more on message than others. One sticker-wearing supporter was honest: "Oh, not many....I haven't read it yet." His friend got closer: "The bedroom tax is going to go...more money for the NHS? That is very important." Once candidate told me: "I don't know....let me see...I knew you were going to ask me that......I haven't actually seen it yet." So I thought I'd try asking Welsh Labour leader, Carwyn Jones: "Well if you look at the pledges, they are UK pledges. They are pledges around UK issues as you know. What we've got to be careful about is to make sure the pledges affect the UK and not just of course Wales." Pressed, he mentioned the living wage, looking at improving the economy and helping people live in safer communities. The "safer communities" pledge doesn't appear to be one of the five pledges, which may explain why, after our interview, the first minister was seen asking a spin doctor for his own pledge card.

Summary: There's one thing the political parties agree on.