Jaz Oberoi, from Hanwell in west London, said he was "accommodating" with police when they found the wires to be a headphone lead, but found being questioned a second time "unnecessary". His train was held for 30 minutes on Friday evening while he was questioned. Police said the matter was "concluded". Mr Oberoi said: "They explained to me someone had put in a complaint there's an Asian man with a backpack with a wire hanging out of his bag. "They saw pretty quickly it was a headphone cable - I understood they were just doing their job." He said he was allowed back on the Paddington-bound train, only to be removed again for further questioning. "To be marched off twice was a bit much - I wasn't rude, I was very accommodating. I felt it was completely unnecessary to humiliate me twice," Mr Oberoi said. Thames Valley Police said its officers had supported British Transport Police after "concerns were raised about a group of passengers". "The incident has now been concluded as far as Thames Valley Police involvement and no arrests have been made," a spokesman said.

Summary: A rail traveller has spoken of his "humiliation" after being twice detained by armed police at Reading station over concerns about wires seen in his pocket.


Zipping up a thick jacket and pulling on a pair of gloves, Mohammed is ready for a hard day's graft. He is one of a number of refugees and asylum seekers living in Belfast who spend their spare time doing voluntary conservation and preservation work in the Mourne mountains in County Down. In Algeria, his home country, he was a police officer, but "problems with my government and a terrorist group" forced him to flee. He has been in Northern Ireland for 18 months now - it is his "new home". These mountains are where Mohammed and others displaced from their homelands come regularly to find peace. They are working with the Mourne Heritage Trust, which looks after this area of outstanding natural beauty, to rebuild dry-stone walls and repair mountain paths. The walls are one of the most unmistakable features of the Mournes, with hundreds of miles stretching over mountain peaks, dividing land and providing shelter for livestock and other wildlife. The skills to build them - patience, an eye for a good stone, and a strong back, among other things - have been passed down through generations. And now these refugees are learning them, too. For Mohammed, this is his first time working on the walls: "I think it's very good experience for me." With about 100 Syrian refugees expected to arrive in Northern Ireland before Christmas, the volunteer scheme could soon play a bigger role in offering a tranquil retreat to more people who have left conflict-hit countries. Mediation Northern Ireland is one of the charities helping refugees and asylum seekers to settle into their new lives. Mary McAnulty from the organisation says it works closely with the Mourne Heritage Trust. The intention has been to help the refugees to make new friends, improve their language skills and explore part the country they now call home. "Lots of people suffer from anxieties, so having a day out of Belfast is great," Mary says. "If your world is very small, just the area you live in, then these can be your hills. "I love to see people becoming proud of it and feeling that they have a sense of place." Amar, who has moved to Belfast with his family from Sudan, says getting outside the city "is good for me". And for Elizabeth, who is Colombian, the fresh countryside air is "good for my mind". But it is not just a one-way thing. Large areas of walls have become damaged due to erosion and increasing visitor numbers, and the Mourne Heritage Trust relies on volunteers to do the repair work. Ranger John McEvoy says the trust is indebted to the refugees. "They're willing to get the sleeves rolled up, get stuck into it," he explains. "As the day goes on, you'll see them lifting the stone, doing exactly as we're doing." And Dean Fitzpatrick, a Mourne man who comes from a family of stoneworkers, says you do not have to be born and bred in the shadow of the mountains to chip in. "There are boys here who aren't stonemasons

Summary: "I'm here to help my new friends to build a big wall, like the Chinese wall."


Darren Heath, 45, from Taynton, was sentenced to three years and nine months after pleading guilty to five counts of misconduct in public office. Bristol Crown Court had heard how Heath got one of his victims pregnant and convinced her to have an abortion. Gloucestershire Police believe there may be more victims. In sentencing, Judge Neil Ford QC described Heath's behaviour as "corrosive to the reputation of the police service generally". The force said Heath used his position to identify women - "often victims of crime who were already extremely vulnerable" - whom he could offend against. He was described as "manipulative and calculating" by the force, which suspended him last year following an investigation into a complaint made against him in 2012. The offences took place between 2002 and 2012. Previously, Bristol Crown Court had heard that Heath was first warned about his behaviour in 1996 - a year after joining Gloucestershire Police - following a complaint by a student. He had asked her if she "fancied a bit of fun". "She subsequently made a complaint which was dealt with by Pc Heath being given advice." Heath met his first victim in 2002 after she was arrested for drinking and driving. Six years later he met another victim who approached him in a police car after a man fell unconscious in the street. He later visited her home where the pair had sex and then persisted with visits - up to four times a week - before the woman fell pregnant with twins. Heath, who has two children of his own, then convinced her to have a termination. He met another victim after arranging a restorative justice programme for her son. The woman ended the relationship after realising Heath was "only interested in a sexual relationship", the court heard.

Summary: A "manipulative and calculating" police officer who abused his position to have sex with vulnerable women he met while on duty has been jailed.


Officials earlier identified the remains as belonging to a female passenger called Hayati Lutfiah Hamid. Ms Hamid, 49, was buried at a ceremony attended by family and friends in the Indonesian city of Surabaya. The discovery of two bodies on Thursday brings the number recovered to nine. Bad weather has continued to hamper the search for the plane and other victims. The Airbus A320-200 came down four days ago en route from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on board. No survivors have been found and the cause of the crash remains unknown. The identity of Ms Hamid was confirmed using fingerprints "and other means," East Java disaster official Col Budiyono said. Her body was handed over to family members in a brief ceremony at a police hospital in Surabaya. The coffin was then transported to a village, before being buried according to Islamic burial customs. One of Ms Hamid's relatives told AP news agency: "We have been fraught with worry because at this point, three of our family members are still missing... we pray together every night that they will be found soon." Previous media reports had incorrectly identified Ms Hamid as a flight attendant. The nine recovered bodies were flown to an airbase in Borneo but some have since been sent onto Surabaya where relatives, providing DNA samples, are waiting for them to be identified. For a second day in a row, search efforts have been hampered by heavy rain and rough seas. Some 50 divers from Indonesia were on standby to investigate a large shadow in the sea, thought to be part of the airliner, but they were unable to gain access due to the bad weather. AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes said on Thursday he believed the search was closing in on its final location, tweeting: "I am hoping that the latest information is correct and aircraft has been found." Ships and planes have been scouring the Java Sea off Borneo since the plane disappeared on Sunday. Malaysia, Australia and Thailand are helping Indonesia with the search, while the US destroyer USS Sampson has been sent to the zone. They are hoping to locate the fuselage of the plane on the seabed and find the plane's "black box" recorders, which could provide clues about the cause of the crash. "It's possible the bodies are in the fuselage," said search and rescue co-ordinator Sunarbowo Sand. "It's a race now against time and weather." Flight QZ8501, from Surabaya in Java to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday. Debris from the plane was located in the sea on Tuesday. There were 137 adult passengers, 17 children and one infant, along with two pilots and five crew, on the plane. The majority of those on board were Indonesians. Some investigators are reported to believe that the plane may have gone into an aerodynamic stall as the pilot climbed steeply to avoid a storm. Officials quoted by the Reuters news agency say that the plane was travelling at 32,000ft (9,750m) when it requested to climb to 38,000ft to avoid bad weather. When air traffic controllers consented

Summary: The first victim of AirAsia Flight QZ8501, found in the Java Sea after the crash on Sunday, has been laid to rest.


Tall and like football? Go and play centre-back. Enjoy rugby union and have a bit of pace? Winger. Step forward Somerset's Dom Bess, who took 6-28 on his County Championship debut on Tuesday. How did he come to bowl off-spin? "I was always a little porker when I was younger, so I never took the long run-up," he said. "I always took five or six steps and just trotted in." Bess now has the best figures by a Somerset debutant for 55 years, since Tony Pearson returned 7-63 against Worcestershire in 1961, according to the Guardian. But any 'puppy fat' the 19-year-old may have had has long gone, with the help of strength and conditioning coach Darren Veness. "I met Daz and he made me run a lot, which I'm grateful for now," Bess told BBC Radio Bristol. "Ask Daz about me, I was always a porker." Just a month ago Bess, from Sidmouth, was taking 6-65 for Devon in the Minor Counties Championship as they lost to bottom-of-the-table Oxfordshire. At Taunton, however, his victims included Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, who have played a combined total of 170 Tests for England. His family have a strong presence in the sport, with cousins Zac and Josh also representing Devon, but who was at the County Ground to watch his moment of glory? "Dad was on holiday and mum was working, so I just had my girlfriend, her parents and a couple of my mates (watching)," he said. "I think dad will be a bit disappointed - he's gone to Greece, somewhere like that, for a week away."

Summary: Whether it comes down to skill level, body shape, or pure accident, anyone who has played a sport will have some memory of how they came to be given a particular role.


Brentford goalkeeper Daniel Bentley saved Aluko's initial shot but the winger followed up from close range to give Fulham a deserved half-time lead. The Bees did not register a single shot on goal in the first period. Ex-Brentford keeper David Button superbly saved Josh Clarke's effort before Cairney slotted in Fulham's second on the break in stoppage time. A win for Dean Smith's Bees would have taken them into the play-off places before Saturday's Championship fixtures, but they failed to find the net for the fourth time in six league games. Instead, they were leapfrogged by a Fulham side that is only outside the top six on goal difference. Fulham, who had scored 11 times in their previous four Championship matches, should have been further ahead by the interval. Full-backs Scott Malone and Ryan Fredericks were constant attacking threats but some wayward finishing let the visitors down, while Bentley rescued Brentford with saves from Stefan Johansen and Cairney. Brentford struggled to seriously test Button too often on his return to Griffin Park following his summer move to Craven Cottage. He made an excellent one-handed stop to deny Clarke an equaliser and Fulham survived a number of scrambles from set-pieces before Cairney's calmly-taken goal sealed victory. Brentford boss Dean Smith told BBC Radio London: "We didn't perform well and didn't deserve to win. We knew they would come and press us but our use of the ball was not good enough. "In the second half our midfielders had to get on the ball higher up the pitch and we were better. "While not playing at our best, we showed some spirit and stayed in the game until the 93rd minute." Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic told BBC Radio London: "I am very happy. We showed another positive step and our progress. We tried to show our identity and our style and I am very satisfied for my lads and the Fulham fans. "We didn't win in the last four games against Brentford and this is a nice present for people around us. "We are in a learning process and want to be better." Match ends, Brentford 0, Fulham 2. Second Half ends, Brentford 0, Fulham 2. Lasse Vibe (Brentford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Lasse Vibe (Brentford). Goal! Brentford 0, Fulham 2. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Chris Martin. Substitution, Fulham. Tim Ream replaces Scott Malone. Andreas Bjelland (Brentford) is shown the yellow card. Offside, Fulham. Stefan Johansen tries a through ball, but Floyd Ayité is caught offside. Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Harlee Dean. Attempt blocked. John Egan (Brentford) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. John Egan (Brentford) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sullay Kaikai with a cross. Corner, Brentford. Conceded by David Button. Substitution, Brentford. Philipp Hofmann replaces Josh Clarke. Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins a free kick

Summary: Goals from Sone Aluko and Tom Cairney gave Fulham a west London derby win over Brentford at Griffin Park.


Media playback is not supported on this device City, who shocked Chelsea en route to last season's quarter-final, went ahead from Kyel Reid's 18-yard finish before James Hanson's angled strike. Sam Youngs went close for Chesham, who play in the seventh tier and were 104 places below League One Bradford. Despite a cameo from Chesham's Barry Hayles, 43, Gary Liddle and Devante Cole scored in injury time. Chesham reached the second round after claiming their first ever Football League club scalp by defeating League Two Bristol Rovers, one of Hayles' former teams. But once Reid fired the home side ahead after latching on to Hanson's knock-down, Chesham faced a long afternoon. Hanson fired in a second after racing on to Lee Evans' long pass to make it 2-0 just before the break. Second-half substitutes Liddle and Cole flicked in from close range to complete a straightforward afternoon for the Bantams. Bradford manager Phil Parkinson: "We spoke to the lads about the experience of playing non-league teams last year and and what had to be done to get through. "We enjoyed the fantastic ties against Chelsea and Sunderland last year, but a lot of hard work had to be done to earn those, and we've done it here. "If we went back down to Chelsea we wouldn't argue with that. The lads involved and the fans around town are still talking about that cup run. "They are fantastic memories and they are the reason why we are all professional footballers. Everyone at Bradford is delighted to be back in the hat." Chesham manager Andy Leese: "We started okay and the manner in which we let in those (first) two goals was a shame because they were so predictable. "But there are over 100 places between the two sides and that was probably reflected in the score line. "It was a huge positive for us to reach this round and make history and the finances are incredible, season-changing stuff. "The excitement of the build-up to this game has been huge and there's a real sense of deflation in the dressing room. We have got a real pick-up job to do." Match ends, Bradford City 4, Chesham United 0. Second Half ends, Bradford City 4, Chesham United 0. Goal! Bradford City 4, Chesham United 0. Devante Cole (Bradford City) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Tony McMahon. Goal! Bradford City 3, Chesham United 0. Gary Liddle (Bradford City) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the top left corner. Assisted by Tony McMahon with a cross following a corner. Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Nick Beasant. Attempt blocked. Tony McMahon (Bradford City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Foul by Tony McMahon (Bradford City). Ashley Smith (Chesham United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Bradford City. Gary Liddle replaces Billy Knott. Corner, Chesham United. Conceded by Devante Cole. Corner, Chesham United. Conceded by Ben Williams. Attempt saved. Ryan Blake (Chesham United) right

Summary: Bradford City ended non-league Chesham United's FA Cup dream as a comfortable win booked a spot in the third round.


Vincent Hudson has been charged with the historical offence on a boy under the age of 16, Cumbria Police said. A spokesman for the force said the attack was reported to have taken place in 2001. Mr Hudson, 54, of Loweswater Avenue, Whitehaven, is due to appear before North Cumbria Magistrates' Court later, the spokesman added.

Summary: A man from Cumbria has been charged in connection with the rape of a boy 14 years ago.


The 57-year-old took over at Elland Road in April and is currently with the players on their pre-season tour of his native Italy. "Next season I do not want one single player who lives outside of Leeds, no way. That is mandatory. "Last year there were players who were coming late to games," Cellino told BBC Radio Leeds. Cellino added that next season before a home game the players will stay together, have dinner together and go to games together. "It is important to do this because the players must be able to sleep well the day before a game and maybe they cannot do that if they have small children or if their neighbour is having a party," he said. "I found out that most of the games that are close to Leeds we go to by bus, but we don't have our own. Why not? I would love to have a Leeds bus and I am going to buy one." Cellino is confident the club are close to bringing in more new signings following the £11m departure of striker Ross McCormack to Fulham. The Championship side have brought in two players so far this summer, goalkeepers Stuart Taylor and Marco Silvestri. Midfielder Tommasso Bianchi and defender Jonathan Rossini, both of Serie A club Sassuolo, are currently training with the team, while Catania striker Souleymane Doukara is also expected to join. Leeds announced losses of £9.5m for the 2012-13 financial year and Cellino said the club had to "stop wasting money that isn't ours" when he took over. Cellino, who claims that the club is now debt free, is now targeting a buyout of the 25% of the club still in the hands of previous owners GFH Capital as well as buying back Elland Road. "There is no debt anymore and we have found a deal with GFH and I am glad for that," he added. "We are close to raising £30m of capital and that is without the money we got for McCormack. We did not budget for his sale because we did not want him to go. "The decision to buy back the stadium had been made before Ross was sold but now we can use that money for the deal. We want to take back our house."

Summary: Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has ordered that all of the club's players must live in the city.


The UK and Scottish governments and Dundee City Council have agreed a public service obligation (PSO) contract worth almost Â£3.7m. Loganair will continue to operate the route from 26 March. The service will see two return flights each weekday and one return flight on a Sunday. The UK Government will contribute 50% of the total funds, with the Scottish government putting in Â£1.4m and Dundee City Council providing Â£400,000 of funding. UK Aviation Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: "I am delighted that Loganair will continue to operate this direct air service between Dundee and London Stansted for another two years. "Passengers and businesses will continue to benefit from the connectivity this route provides. It will further boost trade and tourism opportunities will continue to flourish in Scotland." Scotland's Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: "The award of this contract to Loganair is welcome news which provides continuity of service on this important route. "This flight not only provides a direct link to London, but also offers passengers a wide number of onward connecting destinations from Stansted. This will continue to benefit business and leisure travellers alike." Dundee City Council leader Ken Guild added: "Securing the route for a further two years through this latest PSO gives the council and its partners an opportunity to build on the service and attract other routes." The UK government funding is through the Regional Air Connectivity Fund, which aims to maintain connectivity between London and smaller regional airports, where routes are at risk of being withdrawn.

Summary: A new deal to secure the air link between Dundee City Airport and London Stansted for another two years has been announced.


A statement says to meet the criteria for the revamped 2014 Super League they had to establish a partnership with a men's club or similar institution. It is the chairman's belief that by incorporating the ladies' team with the men's team, we can develop a one-club mentality The club say the shared chairmanship of Ray Trew will bring "mutual gain". "The players will have access to the kind of facilities and resources the Notts squad have," the statement read. "This was another key driving factor. Together with the benefits for the playing staff, there are numerous off-field advantages also, with the ladies' side able to tap into the well-established commercial, media and marketing facilities available at Notts County." Many Lincoln Ladies supporters were angered by the move, which will see the club playing their home games around 35 miles away from their current temporary home at Lincoln City's Sincil Bank. The Lady Imps, who had an application to relocate blocked by the FA Women's Super League in 2012, say they understand fans' concerns and "are working closely with organisations in both Nottingham and Lincoln to ensure that following the club in our new home will be as easy and affordable as possible". The statement added: "It is the chairman's belief that by incorporating the ladies' team with the men's team, we can develop a one-club mentality that will benefit both sides and aid growth of the combined brand." Lady Imps player Megan Harris told BBC Lincolnshire: "It's a really tough situation. I have been with Lincoln since the very beginning so it is hard to see something that I have been part of move. "But obviously I work for the club as well and can see behind the scenes and what's going on and how the women's game is progressing. It is turning into much more of a business now and money is starting to talk. "Liverpool are sitting top of the Super League because they had a massive cash injection and the men's team are backing them. If you want to compete at the highest level then that's what you have to do."

Summary: Lincoln Ladies have insisted their controversial relocation to Nottingham and decision to play as Notts County next season was their only option.


A JCB spokesperson confirmed that the company had ended its membership of the CBI, but did not give reasons why. Sky news had earlier reported that it was due to the group's response to the referendum outcome JCB's chairman, Lord Bamford, was a prominent supporter of the Brexit campaign. During the campaign he said: "The UK is the world's fifth largest trading nation. We therefore have little to fear from leaving the EU." He also wrote to his 6,500 UK employees to explain why he favoured a vote to leave the European Union, saying he was "very confident that we can stand on our own two feet". The CBI, on the other hand, warned that a UK exit from the EU would cause a "serious economic shock", potentially costing the country Â£100bn and nearly one million jobs. A CBI spokesman said: "It's always a shame to see any member leave the CBI, but we recognise that businesses have competing priorities and we respect that." A spokesperson for JCB said only: "I can confirm that JCB is ending its membership of the CBI." The Sky report said that the Staffordshire-based company had ended the membership in the summer, after the referendum.

Summary: The construction firm JCB has left the business lobby group, the CBI, reportedly because of its anti-Brexit stance.


Nottinghamshire Police said it would expand its categories to include misogynistic incidents. It means abuse or harassment which might not be a crime can be reported to and investigated by the police, and support for the victim put in place. Nottingham Women's Centre said it hopes it will help give more victims the courage to report incidents. Chief Constable Sue Fish claimed it will make the county a safer place for women. "What women face, often on a daily basis, is absolutely unacceptable and can be extremely distressing," she said. "Nottinghamshire Police is committed to taking misogynistic hate crime seriously and encourages anyone who is affected by it to contact us without hesitation." Work on the idea first started with the Nottinghamshire Safer for Women Conference last year, co-hosted by the police with the Nottingham Women's Centre. BBC TV reporter Sarah Teale was harassed in the street while reporting on the conference. The force defines misogyny hate crime as: "Incidents against women that are motivated by an attitude of a man towards a woman and includes behaviour targeted towards a woman by men simply because they are a woman." The classification now means people can report incidents which might not be considered to be a crime and the police will investigate. Nottingham Women's Centre has been helping train call centre, force control staff and officers on the beat to recognise misogynistic hate crime and ways to tackle it. These officers will also examine if and how a victim can be supported or if anything can be done to help prevent them being targeted again. Domestic abuse will not be recorded as a misogyny hate crime because it has its own procedure, the force said. Melanie Jeffs, centre manager at Nottingham Women's Centre, said: "We're pleased to see Nottinghamshire Police recognise the breadth of violence and intimidation that women experience on a daily basis in our communities." She added: "Recording this as a hate crime will give us a detailed picture of how often, when and where it is happening. It has been very difficult to build that picture before but we will now get detailed data to analyse. "Showing that the police take it seriously will also give people the confidence to come forward and report offences." A crime that the victim or any other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards any aspect of a person's identity. Police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland annually monitor five strands of hate crime: Forces can include their own definition of a hate crime with several recently adding sub cultures.

Summary: Harassment of women is to be recorded as a hate crime in a bid to tackle sexist abuse.


Chiefs, third in the Premiership, had only four players included in squads for this year's Six Nations. That compares to the seven players called up from each of leaders Wasps, second-placed Saracens and fourth-placed Bath's squads. Asked if that was a surprise, Baxter replied: "not particularly". "You've got to understand that although we've finished the end of the season very well and we had guys away on Saxons duty and other internationals, we actually didn't start this season very well," he told BBC Radio Devon. "We weren't performing either as a team or individually at the intensity that you need to to demand an international selection. "I think Luke Cowan-Dickie is getting close now, you can see the level of his performances the last month or so have been fantastic, and I think Henry [Slade] is very close. "But overall if we want to drive our players into the international setups we have to perform at a very high intensity and as individuals they have to perform at a very high intensity."

Summary: Exeter head coach Rob Baxter says his side need to perform consistently at a "high intensity" if they are to earn more international recognition.


The all-rounder has been included in the T20 squad to face Sri Lanka on 5 July at the Ageas Bowl, having been part of the World T20 squad in March. "It's nice to be involved again," the 26-year-old slow left-armer and right-handed batsman told BBC Radio Solent. "I wasn't expecting to be as I thought Moeen Ali would, but him being rested hands me another opportunity." Dawson failed to make an appearance during England's run to the World T20 final in India this year, but his limited-overs performances for Hampshire this season have kept him in contention. "I'm not sure what team they'll go with," he said. "I've had some good performances for Hampshire in one-day and T20 cricket and if I keep going with that, hopefully I might get a chance."

Summary: Hampshire's Liam Dawson says it would be "amazing" to make his England Twenty20 debut on his home ground.


The report, carried out by charity Relate and based on a survey of 20,980 people in relationships from 2013-15, suggested 2.87 million people were in "distressed" relationships. Dr David Marjoribanks, from Relate, said constant bickering could have a "far-reaching" impact on children. On average they did worse in school and could even fall into crime, he said. "It is not just the actual breakdown of the relationship itself, it's specifically the conflict that surrounds that," Dr Marjoribanks said. "It means that when relationships end, it is not deemed to inevitably harm children, far from it. "It is the conflict in intact relationships that can be just as damaging, as when relationships end," he added. "Children who grow up with parents who have highly-conflicted relationships are much more likely to have mental and physical health problems, to not do as well at school and end up in antisocial behaviour and criminality even." It may have seemed a small thing but Sophie*, 28, knew her marriage was over when she came home from work to have lunch with her out-of-work husband and he expected her to make it. Things had not been right for some time. There had been arguments about money, jobs and housework shortly after the wedding, often in front of their young son. But soon communication shut down almost entirely as both felt the arguments were always the same and nothing would ever change. Days would go by with neither of them talking to each other. They tried counselling but it came at a cost and they found themselves forced to choose between a counselling session or buying food for the week. In January last year, after three years of marriage, Sophie told her husband, 41, it was over. "As soon as we separated I immediately felt lighter. I did not have to do all this stuff for someone who did not do anything," she said. Both are now in new relationships, and Sophie, who lives in West Yorkshire, says she now tries to make time to talk about things as soon as they come up and to be more open about money. *Not her real name Researchers looked at data from the Understanding Society survey of 20,980 people which asked people how often they argued, how frequently they considered divorce and regretted the relationship, and the extent of their unhappiness. They said their findings suggested 2.87 million people, which equates to 18% of married or cohabiting couples, were living in "distressed" relationships, where the strains were deemed to be "clinically significant" by counsellors. The number of "distressed" relationships reached a high in 2011 and 2012 but have not yet returned to pre-recession levels, the data showed. "There is a pattern of relationship strain increasing during recession years - where economic strain increases, for example low income, unemployment, a build-up of debt, the strain on the relationship increases," Dr Marjoribanks said. The research also found: Dr Marjoribanks said many couples suffered in silence for years and only sought help when it was too late to salvage their relationship. Jan Artingstall from

Summary: Almost one in five (18%) couples in the UK argue regularly or consider separating, a study suggests.


It launched a scheme for 500 UK teenagers amid looming staff shortages, with the Guardian reporting the young people would only get free food. But following online criticism, the sandwich chain said it would pay participants and give them free food. The firm said it saw "how passionately people feel about the initiative". One in 50 Pret applicants is British The company launched its Big Experience Week after it said it would struggle to staff its outlets following Brexit because just one in 50 job applicants is British. Its director of human resources, Andrea Wareham, said UK job seekers did not see it as a desirable place to work. The Big Experience Week would give participants exposure to aspects of its business, including food production, customer service, "social responsibility" - described as care for the homeless - and financial control, Pret said. However, following criticism on social media that the placements would be unpaid, the company tweeted a statement saying it would now be paying participants. Pret CEO Clive Schee said: "Pret's work experience week is not about making sandwiches for free. "We set it up so that 16-18-year-olds can shadow our teams and get a flavour of what working at Pret is like. "We've seen how passionately people feel about the initiative, and in response I would like to confirm that we will pay all participants." A spokeswoman for the company added that the teenagers were "not there to work themselves" and would instead be shadowing team members.

Summary: Pret A Manger has said it will pay teenagers on a week's work experience its starting hourly rate after reports it planned to "pay them in sandwiches".


Cpl Kylo Gorman's medals for service in Afghanistan and at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee were taken from his car in Bolton-le-Sands on 4 or 5 January. He said he "wasn't that bothered at first", but the reaction online "got me thinking 'it is a really big deal'". Lancashire Police said they were investigating the theft. The Port Talbot-born 28-year-old, who has served five tours of Afghanistan, said he had left the medals in the car after removing them from a uniform he was having altered. "I didn't think twice about them. I'm based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire during the week and when I came home and the car had been broken into, I realised my medals had gone," he said. "I want my children to be able to look at their dad's medals and be proud of what I did," he added. Cpl Gorman, who has also served in the Falklands, Africa and Cyprus, has been in the RAF for 10 years and is due to leave the armed forces in April.

Summary: A RAF airman has made an appeal for the return of two stolen medals after hundreds shared his post about the theft on social media.


Staffordshire bull terrier Ziggy was found in remote woodland near Wansford in Peterborough on Wednesday morning. X-rays showed the weapon had just missed his skull and vital organs. RSPCA Insp Justin Stubbs helped a vet "slowly, slowly pull the bolt out" of the sedated dog. "It was a heart in the mouth moment but Ziggy is making a fantastic recovery," he said. The two-year-old dog had been deliberately shot. It was "a very intentional shot at very close range", the RSPCA said. It is thought Ziggy only survived by moving his head "at the right time". An examination of his injuries showed Ziggy had been roaming the woods for a few days, "terrified and in complete agony", before being found by two walkers. Despite having a 50cm (20ins) carbon fibre bolt embedded from one side of his head to the other, Ziggy was still wagging his tail and wanting people to make a fuss of him, Mr Stubbs said. However, the vet was faced with the task of removing the weapon. "It had missed Ziggy's brain, ears, eyes and skull bone by millimetres, but X-rays don't show up major blood vessels," Mr Stubbs said. "It really was a heart in the mouth moment and hoping for the best, but we had everything in place in case anything happened." When the bolt was slowly inched out, Mr Stubbs, the vet and a nurse realised it had not hit any blood vessels. "I don't think anyone took a breath for about a minute. Then there was a collective sigh of relief," Mr Stubbs said. "It had just gone through soft tissue and didn't even hit muscle." Ziggy is now being looked after at nearby kennels where he is said to be making "a miraculous recovery". "He is bounding around as if nothing happened," Mr Stubbs said. "If ever a dog had a guardian angel, Ziggy had one that day." The RSPCA is continuing to investigate and has appealed for information about the attack.

Summary: The delicate operation to remove a crossbow bolt embedded in a dog's head took "just one minute", the RSPCA said.


Media playback is not supported on this device In a tough breeze, 22-year-old Spieth carded a one-over 73 to lead for a record seventh consecutive round. Smylie Kaufman will play with his fellow American on Sunday, with former champion Bernhard Langer and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama a further shot behind. McIlroy, 26, started the day one behind Spieth, but ended five back after a 77. The Northern Irishman started his third round with genuine hopes of winning the Green Jacket after a late rally on Friday. But his bid to become only the sixth man to win all four majors suffered following a birdie-free round featuring three bogeys and one double bogey which left him in a tie for 11th place. McIlroy will tee off at 18:55 BST on Sunday, with the final pairing of Spieth and Kaufman going out at 19:45. Sunday's tee-off times Relive Saturday's third round at Augusta Media playback is not supported on this device Saturday was billed as a showdown between the final pairing of Spieth and McIlroy, but the expected battle between golf's youthful poster boys failed to materialise. World number three McIlroy struggled to find his rhythm throughout, allowing Spieth to take control without the defending champion being at his fluent best. But while McIlroy was unable to pick up any shots, blowing a decent chance at the last by pushing wide a nine-foot putt, his rival still managed to grind out five birdies. However, Spieth's card suffered considerably with two rare double bogeys. The Texan three-putted on the 505-yard, par-four 11th, offering hope to his nearest challengers who, at this stage, were Matsuyama and Langer. He rectified that sloppy mistake with three birdies in the next four holes, opening up another four-stroke lead over 24-year-old Kaufman, who had emerged from the pack with three birdies of his own in the final six holes. But Spieth's poor final hole - driving right into the trees before falling 50 foot short of the pin with an undercooked third shot - gave renewed belief to the rest of the leaderboard. "Two under with three to go and the wind at your side, I just got really wayward from there," said Spieth. "I just have to absolutely throw away the finish to this round, pretend it's a new round, everyone is tied and you have to shoot the best score to win. "I have to understand it's the position I wanted to be in after 54 holes and not think about the finish to this round." Media playback is not supported on this device Spieth had earlier extended his lead with a two-putt birdie on the par-five second, where McIlroy had to settle for a par after missing from nine feet. McIlroy dropped his first shot on the par-four third, whereas Spieth recovered from a wayward drive to save par and extend his lead to three. By the turn, the world number two was four shots ahead, before McIlroy's challenge faded when he pulled tee-shots at 10 and 11 on his way to dropping three shots. That may have

Summary: Jordan Spieth will begin the final day at the Masters with a one-shot lead but playing partner Rory McIlroy's bid faltered on day three at Augusta.


Cheryl Cope, 51, from Haringey had suffered flu-like symptoms for 10 days before she was admitted to the Whittington Hospital. Her inquest heard she should have been diagnosed as having sepsis when she was admitted at 07.40 GMT on 27 February. She died 24 hours after being admitted to hospital. Blood poisoning or sepsis is a potentially life threatening condition that can be easily treated with antibiotics quickly but is often missed. Coroner Jacqueline Devonish said that while the cause of death was natural, Mrs Cope was not given the "best chance" of survival. She added it was "not possible to say whether Mrs Cope would have survived if treated promptly". The inquest at Poplar Coroner's Court heard the hospital was overcrowded that day. It had space for 280 patients, but there were 320 patients in the hospital at the time. Mrs Cope, an interior designer, was seen by a nurse who tried to carry out observation tests but could not complete them because of a malfunctioning blood pressure monitor. She took Mrs Cope to the urgent care centre where she asked a colleague to repeat the tests but this took longer than she had hoped because staff there also struggled to get a blood pressure reading. The hospital admitted Mrs Cope should have been treated earlier than she was. Ms Devonish said she would not be making recommendations to the hospital because it had already drafted a new policy to diagnose sepsis following Mrs Cope's death.

Summary: A woman from north London died in hospital because staff failed to identify she had blood poisoning quickly enough, an inquest has ruled.


Finally, after all the hype and excitement, consumers are about to get their hands on virtual reality headsets - and we will find out whether there really is a market for this technology. Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive are both released in the next few weeks, and at the Games Developer Conference in San Francisco Sony unveiled its launch date and price. While Playstation owners will have to wait until October to get their hands on the Sony VR headset, they will pay far less for it than for a Vive or Oculus setup. With nearly 40 million PS4 owners around the world, there's a ready-made market for Sony's offering, so by Christmas it's a fair bet that it will be the leader in VR. Mind you, while there is now a huge amount of experimentation around VR and 360 degree video (see last week's BBC Click for example) there is still confusion about how it will be used beyond gaming. At a launch event for Nokia's Ozo 360 camera last night, I was shown a number of demos filmed with the device. I stood next to the vocalist as a band performed, watched as a bear approached a group of nervous people at a campsite, and saw trainee astronauts learning about weightlessness in a swimming pool. The VR headset meant I could choose my own perspective on each scene, but once the novelty wore off the question remained - what is this for? Still, music producers, moviemakers and educationalists are all now producing 360 and VR material, so hopefully they will find an answer to my question. At the end of a week where Google's AI program AlphaGo defeated a champion Go player, the artificial intelligence community is discussing what this triumph of machine over man means. I visited Microsoft's UK research lab in Cambridge where a number of artificial intelligence projects are under way , including one experiment using AI in the game Minecraft and another where a program examines scans of brain tumours. The man who runs the lab, Chris Bishop, says it's wrong to paint a dystopian future in which machines gradually replace us as they get ever smarter. Instead he sees AI as a collaboration between humans and computers - for instance doctors using the brain tumour scanning program to assist their diagnoses rather than replacing them. "We need to talk instead about a partnership in which machine intelligence and human intelligence work together," he says. "It's the case today, and will be the case for some time to come that the capabilities of machines, the capabilities of humans are different and complementary and if they work together they will be stronger than either of them alone." Incidentally, for a different view, have a look at this piece from Tom Chatfield in the Guardian. He argues that in designing AI systems, we humans are making too many concessions to inflexible computers. Back to gaming and we look at the boom in a phenomenon which is familiar to anyone under 25 but a mystery to the older

Summary: On this week's edition of Tech Tent we look at two visions of the future of gaming, and we ask whether we should be worried or excited by the latest advances in artificial intelligence.


Under the proposals, 120,000 additional asylum seekers will be distributed among EU nations, with binding quotas. It comes after a surge of thousands of mainly Syrian migrants pushed north through Europe in recent days. Mr Juncker told the European Parliament it was "not a time to take fright". Germany, the main destination for many migrants, supports quotas, but some EU countries oppose a compulsory system. Mr Juncker's plans were set out in a "state of the union" annual address in which he outlined the priorities of the European Commission. He opened his speech by admitting the European Union was "not in a good situation. There is a lack of Europe in this union, and a lack of union in this union". He said tackling the crisis was "a matter of humanity and human dignity. It is true that Europe cannot house all the misery in the world. But we have to put it into perspective. "This still represents just 0.11% of the EU population. In Lebanon refugees represent 25% of the population." The mass migration has seen those seeking an end to persecution, conflict and hardship travel from Turkey across the sea to Greece, through Macedonia and Serbia, and then to Hungary from where they aim to reach Austria, Germany and Sweden. On Wednesday, Denmark suspended all rail links with Germany and shut a section of motorway after migrants crossed the border and began walking north, apparently trying to reach Sweden. In southern Hungary, migrants on the border with Serbia broke through police lines at the Roszke camp, forcing the closure of the M5 highway. Among Mr Juncker's proposals: "It's 160,000 refugees in total that Europeans have to take into their arms and I really hope that this time everyone will be on board - no rhetoric, action is what is needed," he told MEPs. The new plans would relocate 60% of those now in Italy, Greece and Hungary to Germany, France and Spain. The numbers allocated to each country would depend on GDP, population, unemployment rate and asylum applications already processed. Countries refusing to take in migrants could face financial penalties. 14 Sept: Special meeting of EU interior ministers on refugee crisis, with Juncker proposals on agenda 15-16 Oct: EU leaders' summit, with refugee crisis high on agenda. European Parliament then to decide on any new asylum measures with EU governments Early 2016: EU proposals for better management of legal migration to EU due What next for Germany's asylum seekers? Peston: Why Germany needs migrants more than UK What can the EU do to solve the crisis? Nine key moments in crisis The other exodus to Germany - people from the Balkans Migrant crisis in pictures Are you affected by the crisis? Spain on Wednesday said it would accept a quota of almost 15,000 extra migrants migrants set by EU. However Mr Juncker's proposals was criticised by both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said compulsory quotas were "not a good solution", while his Slovak counterpart called them "irrational". Poland and Romania have also opposed the idea,

Summary: European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has announced plans that he says will offer a "swift, determined and comprehensive" response to Europe's migrant crisis.


New research suggests that biodiversity around the globe will be significantly impacted if temperatures rise more than 2C. But the scientists say that the losses can be reduced if rapid action is taken to curb greenhouse gases. The paper is published in the journal, Nature Climate Change. An international team of researchers looked at the impacts of rising temperatures on nearly 50,000 common species of plants and animals. They looked at both temperature and rainfall records for the habitats that these species now live in and mapped the areas that would remain suitable for them under a number of different climate change scenarios. The scientists projected that if no significant efforts were made to limit greenhouse gas emissions, 2100 global temperatures would be 4C above pre-industrial levels. In this model, some 34% of animal species and 57% of plants would lose more than half of their current habitat ranges. According to Dr Rachel Warren from the University of East Anglia, this would have major impacts for everyone on the planet. "Our research predicts that climate change will greatly reduce the diversity of even very common species found in most parts of the world. This loss of global-scale biodiversity would significantly impoverish the biosphere and the ecosystem services it provides," she said. "There will also be a knock-on effect for humans because these species are important for things like water and air purification, flood control, nutrient cycling, and eco-tourism." The projected impacts on species will be felt more heavily in some parts of the world such as sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, the Amazon region and Australia. However the researchers say that if global emissions of greenhouse gases are cut rapidly then the impact on biodiversity could be significantly curbed. If global emissions reach their peak in 2016 and temperature rises are held to 2C, then losses could be cut by 60%. "The good news is that our research provides new evidence of how swift action to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gases can prevent the biodiversity loss by reducing the amount of global warming to 2C rather than 4 degrees, said Dr Warren. "This would also buy time – up to four decades - for plants and animals to adapt to the remaining 2 degrees of climate change."

Summary: More than half of common plant species and a third of animals could see a serious decline in their habitat range because of climate change.


Uefa has taken the disciplinary action following some of the Italian club's fans' continued racist behaviour. Earlier this season, the Rome-based club were fined £120,000 by Uefa following racist chanting in a Europa League game against Tottenham Hotspur. Lazio supporters have been found guilty of racist behaviour by Uefa four times during the current campaign. The latest incident came during their Europa League last-32 match against Borussia Monchengladbach on 21 February. The Serie A club won the second leg 2-0 to progress 5-3 on aggregate. Uefa said the two-match supporters' ban will start with Lazio's Europa League game against VfB Stuttgart on 14 March. "The remaining game behind closed doors applies to the next Uefa competition match for which the club would qualify. The Italian club have also been fined 40,000 euros (£34,475)," Uefa added. Lazio president Claudio Lotito said the sanction was "incredible" and that his club would appeal against the decision. "To suffer a punishment of one or two games behind closed doors, which will cause serious economic damage to the club and prevent fans from participating in an event like this, seems absurd to me," he added. Meanwhile Uefa has also warned Turkish side Fenerbahce that they face suspension from European competition if problems with supporters continue. The club's last European game, against BATE Borisov, was played behind closed doors but was still disrupted when fans threw fireworks from outside the stadium.

Summary: Lazio have been ordered to play their next two home European games behind closed doors following crowd trouble.


The Spaniard, 27, spent three years at Barca and joins the Blues after Arsenal turned down a first option to buy him. Fabregas joins for an undisclosed fee and said Chelsea matched his football ambitions, adding he had "unfinished business" in the Premier League. "I considered all the other offers very carefully and I firmly believe that Chelsea is the best choice," he said. While the fee for the move is unknown, the Spanish club were happy for Fabregas to leave for a fee in the region of £30m. His arrival comes 10 days after England midfielder Frank Lampard announced he would end his 13-year stay at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is also keen to finalise the transfer of Spanish international Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid, as he bids to improve on his side's third-place finish in 2013-14. "Twelve months ago, Fabregas was not prepared to let his Barcelona dream die by joining Manchester United. Now he has decided the time is right for a return to the Premier League. "At Chelsea he will be filling the role of Frank Lampard, who signed off this summer after 13 glorious years when he won three Premier League titles, the Champions League and became the club's highest scorer. "That is the legacy Fabregas will be expected to live up to. Jose Mourinho will demand it." "They have an amazing squad of players and an incredible manager," added Fabregas, who has 89 caps for Spain. "I am fully committed to this team and I can't wait to start playing." Fabregas, who scored 50 times in 305 games for Arsenal during his previous spell in England, will wear the number-four shirt and join Ramires, Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel as central midfield options for Mourinho. He scored 35 goals in 129 appearances for Barcelona, but it failed to earn him a regular midfield role at the Nou Camp, with the trio of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets viewed as the club's main central combination. Still Arsenal's youngest ever player at just 16 years and 177 days, Fabregas was expected to have been subject of a bid from his former club. But with Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Mikel Arteta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all able to fulfil central roles, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger chose not to sign the man he made captain in 2008. "Yes, everyone knows that Arsenal had the first option to sign me," added Fabregas, who said it was "extremely important" the move was completed before the World Cup finals. Media playback is not supported on this device "They decided not to take this option and therefore it wasn't meant to be. I wish them well in the future." Chelsea look set to lose defender David Luiz to Paris St-Germain after a deal was agreed for the Brazilian, but goalkeeper Petr Cech welcomed the signing of Fabregas. "Obviously he's a great player, with a lot of experience of playing in England and the Premier League so it's a great addition to the team," said Cech. Barcelona schooled Fabregas

Summary: Chelsea have signed former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona on a five-year deal.


Media playback is not supported on this device Clement's side dropped to 17th place after the loss and are three points clear of the relegation zone. The Swans, who have let in nine goals in their past four games, also have the league's worst defensive record. "Bournemouth have just shown when you put two good home results, it gives them breathing space," Clement said. "We have to reflect on the bigger picture as well, we started January rock-bottom. We play two home games and we have to respond quickly." Swansea were bottom of the Premier League when Clement took over in January but have won four of their nine league matches since. However, they have conceded 63 goals this season - the highest in the league - and have managed just one clean sheet in their last 14 games. "The fact is, we're 17th, out of the bottom three with two home games coming up. There's lots of football," added Clement. "We've come a long way in the last two and a half months. We're confident we can still go on and do well this year." Swansea resume after the international break with a home game against fellow strugglers Middlesbrough, before hosting Tottenham just three days later.

Summary: Swansea City manager Paul Clement has said his side must reflect on the "bigger picture" after their 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth in the Premier League.


More than 300 people entered Alternative Model of the Year with the winner being decided by judges in Newcastle on Saturday. Vintage-fan Zoe Waters, 19, from Bishop Auckland, is a student at Newcastle University. Ms Waters said she was shocked to be declared the winner. "I've always dressed a bit crazy," she said. "I don't know why I wanted to be different, I guess I just always choose to wear what I like and look how I want to look rather than worrying about what's in fashion." She said she now plans to pursue a career in modelling. "I'm only 5ft 3in tall and I never wanted to look normal so I never thought I could actually be a model, I hadn't realised how big the alternative modelling world is." Organiser Kieran Martin said: "There is a lot of prejudice and hatred for people from sub-cultures so we wanted to create something that would celebrate the different lives we have, we are proud of what we are achieving." The final was held at Northumbria University in Newcastle.

Summary: A philosophy student who wears vintage clothing has won a national contest for alternative models.


But they have no need to do that now. O'Neill is taking his side into a Euro 2016 clash with the world champions in Paris with a place in the competition's knockout stage at stake. As he told the Irish Times, he needed to hitch-hike with some Germans during a scouting trip to Euro 2012, shortly after he had taken the job. But he doesn't plan on returning any favours this time around. O'Neill's and a friend went to the last European Championships in Poland and Ukraine to cast an eye over Portugal and Russia, who would be among Northern Ireland's opponents in their qualifying group for the 2014 World Cup. He said they rented a car in Poland and but were not allowed to take it out of the country, which caused them a problem when they went to cross the border into Ukraine. Crossing the Irish border is much easier than venturing between the two eastern European countries, he said, but German fans were on hand to help out. "That border's not like Newry is today, there were checkpoints and all that," he said. "We had a brainwave when we saw this bus with Germany fans - lots of people were staying in Poland and going across to Ukraine," he explained. He "approached this wee bus" and soon they were on their way to the Ukrainian city of Lviv. "My mate tried to explain what we were doing and who I was, so that we could get on," he said. "They didn't know who I was, I was only in the job about six months, so when we got on they started to Google me and 'Northern Ireland manager' to see who I was. "I didn't have accreditation or anything, we just wanted to go on our own steam." O'Neill said he "wanted to go to the tournament and see what it's about" from a fan's point of view. "I wanted to see Russia and Portugal and I saw them both twice," he said. But now he and his team are making an impact at the tournament for real - a win against Ukraine in Lyon last week means they are within touching distance of extending their stay in France. "We belong in this tournament," he said. "I sampled that one, now we're in this one and we're part of it." One thing is for certain - if O'Neill leads Northern Ireland to a shock result over Joachim Low's global stars on Tuesday, his stock will only rise higher. And no German fan will never need to Google his name again.

Summary: It's a mark of how much Michael O'Neill has achieved as Northern Ireland boss - this time four years ago a group of Germany fans he met had to Google his name to find out who he was.


In October, 321 patients were delayed for more than four weeks after they were ready to go home. The issue, known as bed blocking, has left people stuck in hospital while support arrangements are put in place. The NHS is also continuing to miss a range of waiting time targets, including for A&E and child patients. The four-week bed blocking target is being cut to two weeks next April. Scotland's new health secretary, Shona Robison, said reducing delayed discharges from hospital was one of her top priorities. The latest figures for patients delayed in hospital compared with 274 in July and 156 in October 2013. Of the 321 patients included in the latest figures, 145 were waiting for a place to become available in a care home, while a further 90 were waiting to return to their own house. The figures also showed 215 patients were delayed for more than six weeks in October this year, compared with 175 in July and 100 last October. 'Nightmare scenario' Ms Robison said: "Reducing delayed discharge and tackling its impact on services is something I will take forward as an absolute key priority. "That is because reducing delayed discharge not only helps individual patients, who benefit from getting home or to a homely setting as quickly as possible, but also eases pressure across the system - including in A&E. "Although delayed discharge has been reduced by two thirds under this government, these figures show that there is still much to do." Meanwhile, one in 10 people are waiting longer than four hours in Accident and Emergency, although more people than ever turned up for treatment. A target to treat children with mental health problems within six months is also being missed. Ms Robison said the "overwhelming majority" of people were receiving care within shorter timescales but accepted that more must be done. She welcomed NHS Scotland continuing to meet the target to treat patients within 18 weeks of referral, with 90.1% of people seen within time in September. NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Grampian and NHS Lothian were the only health boards to miss the target. The national standard for 98% of new attendances at A&E departments to be seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours was met for 93.5% of patients in September. Figures show that the last time the standard was met across Scotland was September 2009, with the target hit on only eight occasions since July 2007. Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume blamed the government for the bed blocking and waiting time delays. He said: "With patients aged 75 and over accounting for three quarters of bed days occupied by delayed patients, it seems SNP mismanagement is failing Scotland's older people." Mr Hume said waiting times showed "a health system creaking at the seams as a result of SNP mismanagement". Labour's Rhoda Grant MSP said: "Bed blocking is a significant issue for Scotland's NHS, draining essential resources from a system already stretched to breaking point. "As Shona Robison takes over from Alex Neil, she must

Summary: The number of patients having to wait longer than the target time to be discharged from hospital has risen again, according to official figures.


The lowest is Knowsley which could fall to zero as the last school teaching A-levels is closing its sixth form. In a further seven authorities there are less than 20% of students taking A-levels in schools in their boroughs. Nick Timothy of New Schools Network, which carried out the research, said it was a "glass ceiling" on ambition. But a Department for Education spokeswoman said the figures were "misleading", because pupils could be studying A-levels in schools in other local authorities. The analysis shows the wide differences in the numbers of young people taking A-levels in state schools and colleges in their council areas and getting qualifications that would help them apply for university places. Source: New Schools Network In 27 authorities, fewer than a quarter of pupils in this age group are taking A-levels in their council area. In contrast, Harrow has 74% of pupils studying for A-levels in schools in the borough, and it's 71% in Darlington. Teenagers might be travelling to take A-levels in schools and colleges in neighbouring local authorities. But the study found that the authorities neighbouring these areas of low A-level take up were themselves likely to have below-average provision, so that students would have to compete for limited numbers of places. The study warns of a "deep-seated problem" in ensuring that young people in poorer areas are able to take A-levels, saying that "access to A-levels is closely linked to deprivation" - with consequences for higher education and jobs. But it shows that there is nothing inevitable about poorer areas being linked to low A-level take up and lower levels of university entry. It highlights St Helens and the London boroughs of Lewisham and Islington as examples of authorities with both higher levels of deprivation and higher levels of young people taking A-levels. Highest proportion of students taking A-levels Source: New Schools Network The analysis has been produced by the New Schools Network, which supports the opening of free schools, and it argues that these cold spots in A-level provision show the need for more schools serving this age group. "Gaps in A-level provision are creating a glass ceiling for the poorest pupils by limiting access to A-Levels - which still offer the best chance of access to higher education and good employment prospects," said the organisation's director, Nick Timothy. Leon Riley, who will become head of New College Doncaster, says that it will support students who at present have to go elsewhere. "Currently 1,200 students travel outside Doncaster to access post-16 education. This cannot be right: we want to make a difference by providing local young people with access to top quality post-16 education," he said. The analysis by New Schools Network follows the decision by the last school in Knowsley to offer A-levels, Halewood Academy, to close its sixth form. The authority, which already has the lowest rate of A-level students and one of the lowest university entry rates in the country, will have no one taking A-levels in schools in the borough from next year. As an academy, Halewood can decide to

Summary: The stark regional differences in the proportion of pupils studying A-levels in local state schools in England has been revealed - ranging from 2% to 74%.


Kadiza Sultana, who joined so-called Islamic State (IS) last year aged 16, is feared dead after an air strike in Raqqa, her family solicitor has said. Labour's Rushanara Ali said the Prevent strategy needed a "proper assessment". Security minister Ben Wallace said it had been reviewed "to ensure it works". Ms Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme the government needed to establish "what's working and what's not". But Mr Wallace said "ever since Labour introduced Prevent in 2007, the government has continued to review the policy to ensure it works to protect people from being radicalised". "For Prevent to work we all need to get behind it not stand on the sidelines undermining it," he added. Who are Britain’s jihadists? The Britons signing up for Jihad Kadiza and school friends Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15 at the time, flew from Gatwick to Turkey on 17 February 2015 after telling their parents they were going out for the day. The Bethnal Green Academy pupils later entered Syria and were thought to be living in Raqqa, an IS stronghold. The three girls had been studying for their GCSEs at Bethnal Green Academy, in Tower Hamlets, east London - where they have been described as "straight-A students". Tasnime Akunjee, a solicitor representing the families of the three schoolgirls, told BBC Newsnight they heard a report of Kadiza's death following a Russian air strike a few weeks ago. He said they had not been able to independently confirm it because of the nature of information from Syria. By Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent Kadiza Sultana and her two travelling companions were part of a surge of young British Muslims heading out to Syria to join so-called IS in a movement that peaked more than a year ago. Today the surge has turned to barely a trickle. The latest UK Government counter-terrorism strategy report puts the number of Britons who reached Syria at about 850 - although unofficial estimates are higher. Of those, about 125 are believed to have been killed, either by air strikes or by fighting on the ground, and about 400 are thought to have returned to Britain. Anyone known to have travelled to IS-controlled territory is automatically questioned by the police and assessed on a case-by-case basis. If there is any evidence of terrorist-related activity they face prosecution, but others are steered towards deradicalisation programmes and given counselling, with a view to reintegrating them into society here. It is the job of the Home Office and the police to make the correct assessments. Under laws brought in last summer, schools have a legal obligation, known as the "Prevent Duty", to spot and report individuals who might be vulnerable to extremism and radicalisation. Schools have to assess the risk of pupils being drawn into extremist ideologies and schools must ensure pupils do not access extremist material online. Teachers have previously warned the strategy is "shutting down" open debate in schools, encouraging a climate of "over-reaction", and creating "suspicion and confusion" in schools. The government has

Summary: A Labour MP has expressed "huge concerns" about the counter-terrorism strategy in UK schools, after reports one of three east London teenagers who fled to Syria has been killed.


Russia was suspended by governing body the IAAF for state-sponsored doping in November 2015, a ban extended on Monday to cover the 2017 World Championships. Mutko, who was criticised by the IAAF on Monday, accepted "there were many abuses and breaches" but says "colossal work has been done" over the last year. Russia expects to be back by November. A return to competition will require the reinstatement of the national drug-testing agency, which remains suspended over various allegations of covering up doping. Mutko - who assumed his role in October - has been outspoken since the McLaren report alleged there had been a state-backed Russian doping programme. In January he said female doping results can be distorted if athletes have had sex in the days leading up to a test. But on Monday he said: "Athletes broke the rules and many coaches don't understand how to work without doping and it's high time for them to retire." Russia will miss the World Championships which begin on 4 August in London, but some athletes from the country could compete in London under a neutral banner. The IAAF is so far considering 35 applications from athletes, who could be included if they can show a record of independent drug-testing by agencies other than the suspended national body. Russian track federation vice president Andrei Silnov said he was against the inclusion of neutral athletes in principle but also questioned if the country's problems were as bad as the IAAF outlined. "It's all being solved, slowly but surely. We're doing what we need to do," Silnov said. `"They say we have a culture of doping. What culture of doping?"

Summary: Russian coaches who "do not understand how to work without doping" should "retire" says the country's deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko.


The message "united against extremism" will be carried on posters on 50 buses. Mr Shah was an Ahmadiyya, a group known for its peaceful interfaith concerns. He died after an attack outside his shop on 24 March. Murder accused Tanveer Ahmed, 32, from Bradford, later said he killed the 40-year-old as he had falsely claimed to be a prophet. Politicians and police joined with different community and faith groups, including Christian, Jewish and Sikh, for the launch of the campaign in Glasgow. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Scotland president Abdul Abid said the campaign had been running in London and the Scotland launch was moved forward following Mr Shah's death. He said: "We want to reassure people and to discourage the extremists by showing that we are united. We want to increase the awareness of Islam and reverse the misconceptions. "People in other communities have given their support for this campaign and it shows that we stand united." Mr Abid said Mr Shah had donated money for a previous bus campaign raising awareness of the Ahmadiyya community, an Islamic sect which moved its headquarters to the UK after a law in Pakistan banned its members from identifying themselves as Muslims and calling their places of worship mosques. Paul Morron, president of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council, is also backing the campaign. He said: "I think it's important for all the communities to be united but even more important that they are seen to be united. An attack on any one community is an attack on all our communities. "The purpose of extremism is to cause division and I think the response is for us to come together. We in the Jewish community stand shoulder to shoulder with our Muslim cousins." Charandeep Singh, general secretary of Glasgow Gurdwara, said he hoped the campaign would help get the anti-extremism message across. He said: "It's important that we are coming out with these types of messages. "It's already a message that we support and believe in and it's very warming for me to see different faith communities come together to support this. It shows that one Scotland approach." Mr Shah, who had moved from Pakistan to Glasgow almost 20 years ago, was found with serious injuries outside his shop on Minard Road, in Glasgow's Shawlands area on 24 March. He was pronounced dead in hospital. The shop keeper was killed just hours after he posted an Easter message on Facebook to his customers. The message said: "Good Friday and a very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nationx" During the police investigation officers claimed the incident was "religiously prejudiced" and confirmed both men were Muslims. Mr Ahmed has been charged with murder and made two court appearances where he made no plea and was remanded in custody.

Summary: Scotland's Ahmadiyya Muslim community has launched a campaign promoting "peace, love and unity" following the death of Glasgow shop keeper Asad Shah.


Sweeney, 20, made 16 appearances for Rovers during a loan spell last season, while Telford, also 20, moved to Stoke from Blackpool in July 2015. "I am now looking forward to playing in League One with Rovers and can't wait to get started," Telford said. "I am really pleased to be coming back to Bristol Rovers," added Sweeney. "I know that there were other clubs interested in taking me on loan, but once I knew that Rovers were interested there was only one club I wanted to join." Sweeney was named as Young Player of the Year at Bristol Rovers last season. Manager Darrell Clarke said: "I am looking forward to working with both of them as the season progresses and would like to thank Mark Cartwright and Mark Hughes at Stoke for allowing Ryan and Dominic to join us." The Gas begin their season on Saturday with a trip to The Valley to face Charlton Athletic. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Bristol Rovers have signed defender Ryan Sweeney and striker Dominic Telford on season-long loan deals from Premier League side Stoke City.


The Norwich City skipper - along with his team-mates - has remained in Malta for a training camp following Sunday's disappointing 1-0 loss to Italy. And with the Scots having failed to reach this summer's tournament, it will be the players' last game of a long season. However, it is a very different story for the French who face Gordon Strachan's side in their final warm-up match before they open the tournament against Romania in Paris on 10 June. And Martin acknowledges they need to improve if they are to avoid back-to-back friendly defeats after struggling to impose themselves on the Italians. "I think we're disappointed that we didn't show how good we can be, but it's the end of a long season, you have to take that into account," he told BBC Scotland. "We need to be braver on the ball and show a bit more quality and I think in the second half we did that. We're pleased with how we dug in and showed a lot of team spirit. "Now we're looking forward to another game against extremely tough opposition. "Hopefully on Saturday we will be able to put on a bit of a better show with the ball and keep that spirit and doggedness without it." Martin agreed with Strachan that Sunday's defeat will prove valuable if Scotland again need to counter the 3-5-2 tactics deployed by Italy coach Antonio Conte. The 30-year-old - who could earn his 25th cap in Metz - also believes taking on opponents of the standard of the Italians and French will benefit the younger players in the squad in particular. "I think we learned how to play against a difficult system that we're going to come up against in the World Cup qualifying campaign," he said. "The manager and players have taken quite a bit out of that, but we also learned to be a top team, the kind of risks you have to take. "We played against a top team on Sunday and I think the young lads, even those who didn't play, will look at those players as something to aspire to, because we have some really good young ones in this squad. "They have a chance to hit those heights if they want to, if they really want it. It'll show them how hard they'll have to work, it gives them someone to emulate and look up to. "We need to make sure we can compete with these nations and qualify for a tournament." Although accepting that the French will likely represent a superior challenge, Martin wants the squad to embrace it and use the occasion as inspiration for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. "It'll be a step-up in terms of intensity and tempo I think," Martin said. "They're obviously the home nation, they've sold it out already and it'll be a taste of what the atmosphere is going to be like at the Euros. "We'll need to be at it from the start, it's as simple as that and we know that. "They've probably got a little bit

Summary: Scotland defender Russell Martin wants the team be brave when they travel to Metz on Saturday to face Euro 2016 hosts France.


We've seen a great deal of attention given over the weekend to a poll from YouGov printed in the Sunday Times, which put the "Yes" campaign ahead by 51% to 49%, excluding the don't knows. The first thing to say is that we should not get too excited about a single poll - another poll from Panelbase, for example, still puts the "No" campaign ahead. The second thing is that one-off, yes or no elections present peculiar difficulties for pollsters, as the Alternative Voting System referendum in 2011 showed. The way YouGov's polls work is that they have hundreds of thousands of people registered on their site who may be asked to take part in a poll. The company's computer systems will take a group of people to reflect as closely as possible the electorate in terms of both demography and political views. The responses given will then be weighted to make up for any parts of the panel that were not quite representative of the electorate. One-off elections cause problems because it is hard to predict how big the turnout will be (although pollsters say that is more of a problem for low turnouts than high ones). With general elections, polling organisations may learn from mistakes made in previous campaigns, but with one-off elections they are breaking new ground. So what can we learn from the last two weeks of polling? The gap between the two campaigns does seem to have narrowed to the extent that many commentators now see the referendum as too close to call. It would certainly be a mistake to see a difference of two percentage points between the campaigns as significant. Perhaps more significant is a less well-publicised aspect of the YouGov polling. Because its results are taken from a panel, it can check people's responses against what they said in previous polls. Apparently, almost half of the just over one thousand people included in each of the last two YouGov polls had taken part in another poll since January. Looking at just the people who had expressed an opinion in the past, "in the last few weeks there has been a real and significant shift to yes", YouGov's Peter Kellner told BBC News. One tenth of those saying "yes" now, had not said "yes" when asked previously, he said. But while the London-based national newspaper headlines are all about saving the union, another source seems less convinced. Gambling odds are often a good place to look for this sort of information, because they reflect views that people are prepared to back up with money. Looking at the range of odds available on the referendum, most bookmakers are offering about 2-1 against a yes vote and about 4-11 on a no vote, which means you would have to bet Â£110 to make a Â£40 profit. Gamblers still clearly think that no to Scottish independence is by far the most likely outcome.

Summary: It's not easy taking opinion polls for an unprecedented election, such as the forthcoming Scottish independence referendum.


Former champion Murray has never played Broady, the world number 234 who has received a wildcard to the tournament. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Compatriot James Ward, also a wildcard, will play defending champion Novak Djokovic in his opening match. In the women's singles, British number one Johanna Konta faces Puerto Rican Monica Puig, while Serena Williams will face a qualifier or lucky loser. Sixteenth seed Konta, ranked 18th in the world, has met Puig once. The Australian Open semi-finalist came from behind to win 4-6 6-4 7-6 at last year's grass-court tournament in Nottingham. British number two Heather Watson starts against Annika Beck and could then face top seed Williams in a repeat of last year's gripping third-round match, while Laura Robson has drawn Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber. Robson and Kerber have met three times, including at Wimbledon in 2011. The Briton won in three sets then, but Kerber has triumphed in the other two matches, the most recent in Beijing in 2013. Media playback is not supported on this device In the men's draw, Murray is in the more favourable half and would only face Djokovic or third seed Roger Federer in the final. Djokovic and Federer are scheduled to meet in the semi-finals. If Ward overcomes Djokovic in round one, he could play countryman Kyle Edmund in round two. Edmund takes on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The highest seeds in Murray's half of the draw are Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori and Richard Gasquet. Frenchman Gasquet, a semi-finalist last year, will play British number two Aljaz Bedene in his opening match. Women's singles: Naomi Broady v Elina Svitolina (17) Katie Swan v Timea Babos Tara Moore v Alison van Uytvanck Men's singles: Dan Evans v Jan Lennard Struff Brydan Klein v Nicolas Mahut Alex Ward v David Goffin (11) BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller: Murray won't be looking too far ahead - he was taken to five sets in his opening two matches at the French Open - but a fourth-round match with Nick Kyrgios on Centre Court could be fraught with danger. It could be considered an advantage for Murray that Federer is in the other half of the draw with Djokovic, but the seven-time Wimbledon champion, 34, has played little tennis in recent months. Robson's draw suggests her recent luck is showing no sign of improvement, while Konta will have her work cut out to live up to her seeding. She could face the 2014 runner-up Eugenie Bouchard in the second round and former Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova in round three. Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary: Andy Murray will face fellow Briton Liam Broady in the first round of Wimbledon, which starts on Monday.


Rangers say the defender slipped over during the squad get-together the day after Saturday's 2-0 win over Burnley. The Sun claimed Caulker was injured after a fight broke out at a pub that Crystal Palace players were also at. But QPR's head of communications Ian Taylor insisted: "Steven Caulker was not involved in an altercation." Taylor added: "He suffered a cut to his head, which he received treatment for at hospital before being discharged the same evening." Taylor also explained that players had been given permission to have Sunday lunch together given QPR's next game against Everton was not until Monday, 15 December. QPR owner Tony Fernandes took to Twitter to comment on the claims. "Steven Caulker slipped over and hurt his head and is fine," wrote Fernandes. "Nothing else to report." Former Tottenham and Cardiff centre-back Caulker, who has one England cap, has made 15 appearances this season, scoring once.

Summary: QPR have denied Steven Caulker was involved in an altercation and say he was taken to hospital after cutting his head during a lunch with team-mates.


The Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information said that the social network had not obtained effective approval from WhatsApp's 35 million German users. Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19bn (Â£14.6bn) in 2014 as a way to reach out to a younger audience. It is to appeal against the order. "We will work with the Hamburg DPA in an effort to address their questions and resolve any concerns," it said in a statement. The data watchdog said that Facebook and WhatsApp were independent companies and should process their users' data as such. "After the acquisition of WhatsApp by Facebook two years ago, both parties have publicly assured [users] that data will not be shared between them," said commissioner Johannes Caspar in a statement. WhatsApp caused controversy in August when it announced that it was changing its privacy policy to allow its data to be shared with its parent company. It said that better co-ordination with Facebook would help it to fight spam as well as allowing Facebook to offer "better friends suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them". It will share phone numbers and the details of the last time that users signed on to WhatsApp. EU and US regulators reacted with caution, saying that the update needed to be investigated. The UK's Information Commissioner is also looking into the changes.

Summary: Facebook has been ordered by a German privacy regulator to stop collecting and storing the data of German users of its messaging app WhatsApp.


The pair have signed two-year deals with Carlton Fairweather's WSL 1 side. Staniforth, 23, made her Lady Black Cats debut aged 16 and helped the club to the FA Womens' Premier League North title and 2009 Womens' FA Cup final. Canada international Sjoman, 28, has played in America, Germany and England prior to her last move to Glasgow. "They are two players with fantastic experience at the very top level of the game and will bring so much to our squad in terms of competition and quality," Fairweather told the club website.

Summary: Sunderland Ladies have re-signed midfielder Lucy Staniforth from Liverpool and added defender Kylla Sjoman from Scottish side Celtic.


Arek Jozwik, 39, was attacked in Harlow, Essex, last month. Two Polish men were assaulted in the town a few days later at a vigil for Mr Jozwik. Polish officers are there to "reassure the community", Essex Police said. Essex's police commissioner said there had been an increase in people saying "rude things to people who aren't British" since the Brexit vote. Police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst told the BBC: "I think there's certainly a swell of opinion... that wasn't there a few months ago. It seems to coincide with the Brexit vote." Follow updates on this story and other Essex news The officers - 2nd Lieutenant Bartosz Czernicki and Chief Sergeant Dariusz Tybura - will be working in the town for seven days "on the community engagement side, to meet and greet the public and to reassure the community," he said. Ch Insp Alan Ray, from Essex Police, said some people told him: 'We don't trust police officers... from our experience from Poland. "Others are saying, 'we welcome these Polish police officers in'." Mr Jozwik died from head injuries on 29 August, two days after he was believed to have been knocked to the floor by a single punch in The Stow, Harlow. The presence of the Polish officers was "about reassurance in all communities", Ch Insp Ray said. "There is a fear of Polish police and there is a fear of English police, and that comes from all different communities. Some people will trust us, some people won't." Six teenagers have been arrested and released on police bail in connection with Mr Jozwik's murder.

Summary: Two Polish police officers have started patrols in a town where a Polish man died after being punched to the ground.


It was scrapped this week at the eleventh hour when the government removed it from parliament moments before it was due to be voted into law. Under the proposal, which had already passed a first round of voting, it would have been illegal to share information electronically that could "destroy, alter or subvert state institutions" or "damage national integrity or independence". This would have meant anyone criticising the government on social networking sites such as Facebook, or receiving an email containing anti-government sentiment, could have faced up to 12 years in prison. The law also wanted to ban the online sharing of videos, pictures or recordings without the subject's consent, criminalise "whistle-blowing" under the crime of "espionage" and make it illegal for anyone to search for information about the state, even if it was not classified. Minister of State Carlos Feijo told reporters in the capital, Luanda, that a decision had been made instead to insert special clauses about internet crimes into the new penal code currently under revision. But many believe pressure from civil society and local journalists, who had strongly opposed the legislation claiming that it was "totalitarian" and violated basic freedom of expression, played a role in the decision to abandon the law. US-based lobby group Human Rights Watch said the legislation would have "undercut both freedom of expression and information, and posed a severe threat to independent media, whistle-blowers, and investigative journalism". With most of Angola's traditional media controlled by the state, or owned by government ministers and their business associates, there is little free debate in the newspapers or on television and radio. Opposition parties are rarely afforded column inches or air time, while government and presidential activities are covered in minute detail and nearly always with a positive spin. Civil society and opposition groups have therefore turned to the internet, even though only 1% of Angolans have access to the web, to hold their debates and share information through blogs and social networking sites. In recent months, several anti-government marches have been organised and promoted through Facebook, where there are pages dedicated to opposing the president of nearly 32 years, Jose Eduardo dos Santos. There, people make comments they would not dare speak out loud in public. Angolans living in the diaspora have also been busy online, creating websites to rally support for regime change, and there have been several solidarity protest events held in South Africa, the UK and Belgium. Many are growing weary of the current regime and want more to be done to share the country's oil wealth among the majority, two thirds of whom still live in poverty and many without access to water or electricity. The introduction of a special internet law was seen as a deliberate attempt to quash the online discussion that was fuelling this unrest. In an uncharacteristically emotional speech last month, President dos Santos lashed out at social media sites, saying they were being used to "insult, denigrate and provoke uproar and confusion". Officially the government stuck to its position that the technology legislation was needed to

Summary: In a rare climbdown, the Angolan government has withdrawn controversial legislation severely restricting how people use the internet.


The Australian was poised to take the lead from eventual winner Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes only for a slow pit stop because his tyres were not ready to delay him. The problem followed a mistake costing him a win in Spain two weeks ago. "I got called in and the tyres weren't ready. I didn't make the call," Ricciardo said. "The guys were running around like ducks, I don't like being up here and being miserable because I got a podium in F1 and it should be a good day but when it happens two races in a row it is hard to take." He had earlier told the team over the radio on the slowing-down lap: "Nothing you could say would make that any better. Save it." Watch: Allan McNish explains Red Bull's "colossal mess-up" Ricciardo pitted a lap after Hamilton finally made a stop to switch from his 'extreme' wet tyres, which he had used from the start of the race, and had built enough of a margin on that tour to reclaim the lead. But the delay at the stop meant Hamilton blasted past as he rejoined the track. He added: "I felt it should have been me. If Barcelona wasn't clear, this one was crystal clear. I took Barcelona on the chin and this one I don't know if I can handle it as good as I did. "This is such a prestigious race. I may win it in the future but this one I will never get back so it hurts a lot more than any other." As for any explanation from the team, he said: "Right now I don't want to hear it. I just want to get out of here. It will be talked about but now is not the time to do it." Red Bull motorsport chief Helmut Marko said: "We presented it to Mercedes. Unfortunately, a lot of misunderstanding and not the right communication. "We will investigate and find out [what happened], but it was a human mistake. "We will check it, make an investigation, and then we can tell you more. I feel really sorry [for Ricciardo], all we can do is apologise to him." Race result Monaco Grand Prix coverage details

Summary: Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo said he felt "screwed" by the pit-stop error that cost him victory in Monaco.


Hamilton survived a scare at the start, when he ran wide at the first corner after locking a front tyre. But otherwise he was untroubled en route to his 51st career win. In the championship, the result changes little, and Rosberg can win the title by finishing second to Hamilton at the last two races of the season. Hamilton is 19 points adrift with a total of 50 available in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Rosberg can now regroup after a weekend on which Hamilton was in almost total control throughout. The German will doubtless keep to his well-worn mantra that he is taking it one race at a time and trying to win each one, but he has the luxury of knowing he can afford to take it easy in both remaining races and clinch his first world title. Rosberg also had a scare, and a more eventful race than Hamilton, as 120,000 fans had little to excite them under blue skies and warm sunshine in Mexico City, until some frantic and bad-tempered late action in a battle over third place between Red Bull's Max Verstappen, Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. Hamilton spent the first stint controlling his pace to ensure he did not overwork his damaged tyre, while Rosberg was under pressure from Verstappen. Rosberg and the Dutchman had collided at the first corner as Verstappen tried to take second place, Rosberg taking to the grass behind Hamilton after the collision. The incident was investigated by the stewards but given the all-clear. It was a foretaste of what was to come. As Hamilton controlled the race - on the way to a victory that puts him equal with Alain Prost in second place in the all-time winners' list, with Michael Schumacher way ahead on 91 - Rosberg spent much of the afternoon watching his mirrors for Verstappen. There was stalemate for a long time, until Rosberg locked up into Turn One on lap 50 while trying to lap Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz. Verstappen saw his opportunity and dived down the inside into Turn Four. Although he was briefly ahead, he could not stop in time and ran wide, sliding across the track on opposite steering lock, and Rosberg regained the place. It was Verstappen's one and only chance. Once he was back up to speed, the gap was out to 2.5 seconds and Rosberg edged gently away for the rest of the race. Red Bull's gamble of starting on the super-soft tyres to try to mix it with the Mercedes did not really pay off, but it led to a dramatic battle in the closing laps. Instead of challenging Rosberg, Verstappen found himself under pressure in the closing laps from Vettel and Ricciardo. Vettel started on the soft tyre like the Mercedes and ran a very long 33-lap first stint, leading for 16 laps after Hamilton's first stop. That gave him tyres that were 20 laps fresher than Verstappen's for the final stint and he closed in inexorably until he was within 1.2secs with six laps to go.

Summary: Lewis Hamilton kept his title hopes alive with a comfortable victory from Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in the Mexican Grand Prix.