The officer said he found the black animal toy wearing an officer's shirt at a police station in central London. Scotland Yard promised to look into the matter but the detective was himself investigated for making the story up. He was later cleared at a misconduct hearing and received damages from the force after taking legal action. The details emerged after a separate case at Thames Valley Police in which an officer put a monkey on a black colleague's desk. A misconduct panel concluded last month that Det Sgt Andrew Mottau was not being racist but should have realised the toy animal could be offensive. The incident involving the Metropolitan Police began in September 2013 when the Indian-born detective constable claimed to have seen a large monkey toy in the office of the Case Progression Unit at Belgravia police station. He said the stuffed black toy had a police officer's shirt on and a label saying "night-duty ERO" - Evidential Review Officer. One of the EROs at the time was a black police officer. The detective was concerned the use of the toy was racist and had not been investigated properly. He raised the matter during a live internal website chat known as the "Commissioner's Forum", where staff are encouraged to discuss problems with the Met Commissioner, who at the time was Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. The detective received an online reply saying: "What is described - if accurate - is unacceptable" and was told that it would be looked into "immediately". But a month later, the detective himself was put under investigation for allegedly posting "untrue and potentially inflammatory comments". He was told his actions had "breached the standards of professional behaviour... relating to "honesty and integrity" and "discreditable conduct", claims which, if proved, could have led to his dismissal Eventually, in June 2015, after protracted internal disciplinary proceedings, the officer attended a gross misconduct hearing where it was ruled there was "no case to answer" and he was cleared. Paul Turpin, who was a representative for the Metropolitan Police Federation and supported the officer through the process, said: "I was surprised when the matter was referred to a gross misconduct hearing and was not surprised when that hearing found the officer had no case to answer." He suggested the allegation should never have got that far: "Matters should be dealt with at the lowest appropriate level at the earliest possible opportunity." Scotland Yard said there had been an "internal review" of the handling of the case after the hearing. It said the original allegation about the monkey had been "investigated locally and progressed as far as it could be", though the inquiry was unable to establish who had placed the black toy animal in the police station. The Asian detective, who has not been named by the BBC at his own request, began legal proceedings against the Met at an employment tribunal alleging he had been racially discriminated against and victimised. But before a full hearing took place the force reached a settlement and agreed to pay damages. The details of

Summary: An Asian police officer who raised concerns about a "racist" toy monkey at work was accused of gross misconduct, BBC News has learned.


Media playback is not supported on this device Imagine for a moment you are privileged enough to be on your way to Monaco to witness F1's greatest race in any way you choose. How do you do it? Standing on one of Monte Carlo's neoclassical verandas overlooking Casino Square - champagne flute in hand? Maybe take in some lobster and fine wine as the cars race by at any given restaurant lining the circuit? Perhaps the Paddock Club, for a grandstand seat and a place in the harbour at the Monaco Yacht Club.... Or being bent over the boiling exhaust of a Formula 1 car whilst wearing a race suit in 80-degree heat? "I got to wear me own suit and helmet in the garage. I really didn't want to do the VIP thing, so I was in charge of Eddie Irvine's right-rear tyre," remembers Jordan mechanic, and multi-million album-selling, car-themed singer-songwriter Chris Rea. "I did it a few times, but the only time it was hard was at Monaco." It's the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix and Eddie Irvine is returning to the pits with a problem with his right-rear wheel. "My wheel. It was very warm and it's quite a way to run in that gear, probably because I had a terrible hangover. "Thank you, Eddie Jordan." For the opportunity. And the hangover. And it was Monaco where it all began for Rea. But not amongst the F1 and entertainment world's cognoscenti. Like it does for everyone. At home in front of the telly. "It was Sunday afternoon, a very small broadcast live from Monte Carlo - and Stirling Moss was leaving everybody for dead and as Moss went by as leader, down at bottom of the hill and you'd see these strange little things, and you says to your dad: "what are them?" And he'd say: 'squale' - sharks. "I was only about eight. 'What's the colour?' I say, and he gets his wine, and he says: 'Blood red, son, blood red.' "'And who's that driver?' He's like a benign Darth Vader with his modern helmet on, and his name is Wolfgang Alexander von Trips, and he lives in a castle. "That was it. After that night there was nothing else than the shark nose Ferrari." But it would be years before Rea turned a passion for F1 and Von Trips into the reality that he could witness at first hand… "When you grow up… that area of your life has gone - as if you have concussion, because you can't afford it." It wasn't money, or fame and the access that comes with it that handed Rea an epiphany which would lead him to witness some of F1's greatest moments with his own eyes. "Many years later you're walking though Cologne on your day off from the arena, and around the corner you see this museum for Wolfgang von Trips. They just got all this stuff down from the top floor, including a box with tins of film - of all his holiday films from 1957 to 1960. "I

Summary: What type of F1 fan are you?


On Sunday, the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran held a funeral for two of its men killed in action in Syria, the latest of dozens in recent weeks. Revolutionary Guard commanders say they are defending their own country by fighting in Syria against the kind of terrorism that may eventually reach the streets of Tehran. Iran's support for the beleaguered Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has been costly in both blood and treasure. So when the invitation came from the US to join a push for establishing a new political process with the aim of ending the war in Syria, Iran was happy to accept. The invitation to Iran, which until recently was regarded by the US and its allies as part of the problem in Syria, could not have come without the nuclear deal reached in July. Nearly two years of direct nuclear talks led to an understanding that there were regional issues both nations had a strong interest in resolving. A telephone call from US President Barack Obama to King Salman succeeded in persuading Saudi Arabia to drop its objection to Iran's participation - for now. On Friday, for the first time in four and a half years of civil war in Syria, many of the main actors were at the table. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called it a historic meeting. Tehran's involvement in the talks on Syria alarmed Iranian hardliners. They fear the nuclear agreement may have opened the floodgates to undesirable Western influences, and they see Iran's participation in the talks as another worrying sign President Hassan Rouhani is deviating from the Islamic revolutionary path. It comes only weeks after the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, himself a hardliner, had declared there would be no negotiations with the US on any issue. Furthermore, the hardliners discovered to their consternation the Syria talks involving top Western powers, Russia, China, Syria's neighbours, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt had made modest progress. All participants, including Iran, agreed to push forward with a political process that would: For Iran's hardliners, even this most general outline of a possible political process is a step too far. They criticised Foreign Minister Zarif for giving too much away and accused him of forgetting about what they regard as the central issue - the need to fight armed groups the West portrays as moderate forces. "We did not sell out the political future of Syria at the talks," countered Hossein Amir-Abdolahian, Deputy Foreign Minister, who is Iran's point man on regional policies. What the negotiators agreed to disagree on in Vienna, however, was the position of President Assad. Some wanted him gone soon after a ceasefire, but Iran is adamant he should stay until elections at the end of any transitional process. "It's the people of Syria who can decide on this," said Mr Zarif. Iraq and Syria are Iran's only allies in the Arab world. Syria provides Iran with vital access to southern Lebanon, where Iran is deeply committed to the Shia population and Hezbollah. Iran's policy of ensuring the survival of President Assad has

Summary: Coffins are being flown back to Tehran from Syria at an alarming rate.


Forecasts were for quarterly growth of between 0.5% and 0.7%. Official statistics also showed that household consumption expenditure boosted the quarterly growth numbers. But economist Shane Oliver told the BBC the numbers were "well below potential". On an annual basis the economy expanded 2.3%, beating expectations for 2.1%. Economic growth in the March quarter of 2014 was 2.9%. "The March quarter GDP [gross domestic product] growth was far better than feared just a few days ago," said Mr Oliver, who is chief economist with AMP Capital in Sydney. "However, Australia is still not out of the woods, as annual growth at 2.3% is well below potential, and a full 0.8% percentage points of the 0.9% growth came from higher inventories and trade." He said domestic demand remained "very weak with consumer spending and home construction only just offsetting the ongoing slump in mining investment". "So the Australian economy has not crashed - as many had feared would happen after the end of the mining boom - but it is continuing to grow at a sub par pace," he added. Australia's economy has been adjusting to a post mining-boom landscape. It saw its economy grow 0.5% in the October to December 2014 period from the quarter before, when growth was 0.4%. On Tuesday, the country's central bank, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), did not cut its lending rates further to help boost the economy, despite pressure from businesses to do so. The decision saw Australian stocks fall 1.72% as investors saw little hope of a further cut in the near future. However, Evan Lucas from IG Markets in Melbourne said "the collapse of [Australian stocks] on the back of the RBA not having an explicit easing bias... was a bit of an overreaction". In May, the RBA cut its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points to an all-time low of 2%. Rising property prices in Australia's biggest city, Sydney, a strong currency and a drop in iron ore prices were among the reasons for the cut. The May rate cut was the second this year, following a previous 25 basis point cut in February and followed similar action from central banks in China, Canada, Singapore, Korea and India. A rising Australian dollar had also been cause for concern, particularly for Australia's big mining and energy exporters. Mr Oliver said more help would likely to be required "in the form of an even lower Australian dollar - and to ensure this happens the RBA may yet still have to cut interest rates further into record low territory."

Summary: Australia's economy grew at a better-than-expected 0.9% in the first quarter of 2015, compared to the previous quarter, boosted by mining together with financial and insurance services.


Plans were approved for Coastal Oil and Gas Limited to drill in a field at St Nicholas. The permit does not allow the company to carry out fracking - hydraulic fracturing of the land - to extract any oil or gas. Fracking is subject to a temporary ban in Wales until decision-making powers on the practice are devolved. Natural Resources Wales said it had carried out a "thorough assessment" of the company's plans before approving them, with all work including reinstatement of the land to be completed within 12 months. "It's important that any activity of this kind doesn't harm the environment, and this permit makes it clear what Coastal Oil and Gas Limited will need to do to comply with this," a spokesman said. "Once the work begins, our officers will regulate and monitor the site to ensure it complies with the conditions of the permit, to protect people and the environment." The permit for exploratory drilling comes despite a moratorium on fracking in Wales pending devolution of responsibility for such decisions. In August, the UK government urged councils in England to speed up the process of approval for fracking projects. However, Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said fracking technology was "unproven", and that Welsh Labour ministers preferred to look at renewable energy.

Summary: Permission has been given for exploratory drilling for oil and gas in the Vale of Glamorgan.


Crews were called to the blaze at a building in Stewartville Street, in Partick, at about 12:15. The fire broke out in a communal area of the block. Four people were treated at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation. The blaze triggered a large response from the emergency services. A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "On arrival crews found a well-developed fire on the third floor of a six-storey residential block of flats with residents unable to leave the building. "Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control, whilst at the same time rescuing 17 people from the property, some of whom were suffering from slight smoke inhalation and minor injuries." Crews worked through the night to deal with any fire spread and make the scene safe. A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: "About 25 to 30 persons were evacuated." The Scottish Ambulance Service sent four resources from their special operations response team, two A&E ambulances and an ambulance car. A spokesman said: "We did not transport anyone to hospital. We dealt with smoke inhalation."

Summary: Firefighters have rescued 17 people from a six-storey block of flats in Glasgow's west end after a serious fire left them trapped in the building.


His lawyer Brian Webber told the AFP news agency that a decision over his early release has been referred back to the parole board. The Paralympic star was jailed for five years in 2014 for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp. He has been fighting a lengthy battle to be released early from jail. Pistorius was due to be released in August, but remained in prison after Justice Minister Michael Masutha made a last-minute intervention blocking it. The parole review board - the final recourse for parole disputes - met on Monday to decide if the star, 28, should be allowed out on house arrest. A definitive parole ruling is now unlikely to be made before the athlete in a separate legal process appeals against his conviction on 3 November in Bloemfontein. This ruling could result in him receiving a longer prison term. Mr Webber explained that the parole review board decided to refer the matter back to the original parole panel - the body accused by Mr Masutha of "prematurely" wanting to release him in August. There will not be much sympathy for Pistorius because many people felt that the judge erred by acquitting him of murder. The double amputee will have to remain behind bars because while his case joins the lengthy queue of other parole hearings that need to be heard, and there is no indication when this will happen. Legal experts say the decision by the justice minister Michael Masutha to intervene was correct in terms of the law. At the time of his intervention, Pistorius had been granted parole only six months into his five-year sentence. The law states clearly that an offender can only be considered for parole after serving one-sixth of his sentence, in this case 10 months. But because he has now served one-sixth of his sentence, he probably should be released by now. Prosecutors argue that the judge who presided over his trial did not apply the law correctly by acquitting him of murder. The judge instead found him guilty of a lesser charge of culpable homicide - equivalent to manslaughter. Reeva Steenkamp's parents are strongly against Pistorius' possible release, telling an Australian TV channel in August that the Paralympian has ruined their lives. "He killed her. He admits he killed her. She's dead. Why didn't he just let her walk away? Why?" Reeva's mother June Steenkamp asked in the interview.

Summary: Oscar Pistorius must remain in jail and not be transferred to house arrest after a decision to grant him parole was again delayed.


Relatives say they have evidence that she was murdered as part of a policy of deliberately killing journalists. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed at a district court in Washington DC. Colvin was reporting from the rebel-held area of Baba Amr, in Homs, in February 2012, when she was killed by government artillery. Shortly before, she did live broadcasts for the BBC, Channel Four and CNN. "I watched a little baby die today," she said, talking over pictures of a child who had been hit by a sniper bullet. "That is happening over and over and over." She told the BBC that President Assad's forces were "shelling with impunity, with merciless disregard for civilians". She told CNN it was "a complete and utter lie that they're only going after terroristsâ€¦ The Syrian army is simply shelling a city of cold, starving civilians". The Colvin family believes that the satellite phone used in these broadcasts was traced by Syrian intelligence and used to locate the Baba Amr media centre, where she was based. According to documents obtained by their lawyers, a government informant then confirmed the location. An attack on the journalists was ordered that night, the lawsuit says. "The transmissions were intercepted, and they were tracked to their GPS co-ordinates," said one of the legal team, Scott Gilmore. "On top of that there was a whole web of informants who were already out searching for the journalists. Any journalist in Homsâ€¦ could have been a target". Marie's photographer, Paul Conroy, had told the BBC shortly after the attack that the incoming rounds were "bracketed" on the media centre, meaning they were being deliberately targeted. Conroy had served in an artillery regiment in the British Army. "As an artilleryman, I think that was a good day's work for a for a well-trained team. Nothing smacked of randomness in that situation," he said. Now the family's lawyers say they have witnesses and documents smuggled out of Syria to prove this. The lawsuit is the fruit of four years of research by the US-based Center for Justice and Accountability. The documents are said to show that the artillery strike was approved or ordered by President Assad's brother Maher, commander of the Republican Guards. The policy of targeting journalists is alleged to have been made by senior officials in the Central Crisis Management Cell, President Assad's war cabinet. "I'm really proud to be able to bring this lawsuit," said Marie Colvin's sister, Cat. "We know who Marie's killers are now; we want them brought to justice. I want them to be held accountable." She went on: "I'm very sensitive to the suffering of the Syrian people. I know I'm not the only one who's lost a sister and my mom is not the only one who is mourning the loss of a daughter. "I'm in a unique position to be able to use the court to be able be bring Marie's killers to justice. I want to give a voice to the Syrian people. I want them to know we haven't forgotten them." The shelling in

Summary: The family of Marie Colvin, the American journalist who died in Syria four years ago, is suing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.


The animal, nicknamed Menai, was discovered at Tan-y-Foel close to Anglesey Sea Zoo a month ago. The zoo said it was the first time an Olive ridley turtle had been in the UK. Staff, who took it to a vet, said Menai was now progressing to the next stage of its recovery by being moved to a larger tank inside their aquarium. Zoo owner Frankie Horbo said: "As she is now so active we are hoping this new environment will allow her to start diving and moving around more, and may help to resolve some of her buoyancy issues." She said records dating back to 1748 showed Menai was the first Olive ridley to arrive in the UK. "It's incredibly unusual. The nearest breeding population is in Gabon, in south western Africa," she said. Ms Horbo said Menai was comatose when she arrived but had managed to retain "a core of body heat" and was now back to her ideal temperature.

Summary: A rare tropical turtle found in a serious condition after washing up on an Anglesey beach is more lively and improving every day, a zoo has said.


Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian said conflict between development and nature had never been so serious. He said if China meant to quadruple the size of its economy over 20 years without more damage, it would have to become more efficient in resource use. Otherwise, he said, there would be a painful price to pay. His comments came ahead of China's annual session of parliament, which opens on 5 March. They also came a day after Premier Wen Jiabao said China was lowering its annual economic growth target from 7.5% to 7%, in part because of its impact on the environment. Mr Zhou's comments came in an essay posted on the website on the Ministry of Environmental Protection. By Shirong ChenBBC China Editor Zhou Shengxian wants to see environmental protection become a key plank of the new Five Year Plan (2011-2015) to be debated during the annual session of the National People's Congress. Chinese ministers do not often publish their ideas like this. (It happened nearly two years ago when China's central bank governor published a series of essays on reserve currencies and reform to the international financial system.) The environment minister's statement is an open call for a paradigm shift away from the model of high input, high resource consumption, and high pollution, to sustainable growth to ease the conflict between economic and social development, and the environmental damage it has caused in the past three decades. Chinese scholars say China's energy intensity per unit of GDP is at least five times that of Japan. Social stability is another factor as more people are enraged by worsening air, water and soil pollution. It remains to be seen if his call will be translated into real action as China's economic engine roars ahead. "In China's thousands of years of civilisation, the conflict between humanity and nature has never been as serious as it is today," he wrote. "The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the deterioration of the environment have become serious bottlenecks constraining economic and social development." China, he said, would suffer unless issues of air and water pollution were prioritised. He suggested that his ministry should take on a greater role in tackling greenhouse gas emissions and that new development projects be assessed for their impact on climate change. In recent decades, development has been prioritised over the environment, meaning that China now has some of the most polluted skies and waterways in the world. It relies heavily on coal and is the world's leading CO2 emitter. It overtook the US as the world's biggest car and van market in 2009. In recent years there have been numerous examples of industrial spills or dumping that have damaged waterways and in some cases harmed residents. The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says that the government has repeatedly promised to tackle pollution, but then failed to enforced these decisions.

Summary: The man in charge of protecting China's environment has warned that pollution and the demand for resources threaten to choke economic growth.


MPs on the Public Accounts Committee accused them of making corporate taxable income "vanish into thin air". But the tax chiefs, including from PwC and KPMG, said many common assumptions about avoidance schemes were wrong. Jane McCormick, KPMG's tax head, said there was "no appetite among clients" to do anything outside the law. The committee was taking evidence from the Big Four accountancy firms, which also includes Deloitte and Ernst & Young, at a time when issues of tax avoidance have moved centre stage. Revelations about the tax arrangements of companies including Google, Amazon and Starbucks - which use the Big Four - have sparked a debate about tax avoidance. Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron said countries had to work together to clamp down on aggressive avoidance schemes. The tax heads defended the use of tax havens, arguing that it was wrong to say that companies just routed money through "doors with a brass nameplate". If a company is registered in a tax haven, it has to have staff and facilities there, said Kevin Nicholson, PwC's head of tax. "If there was no substance there, the advice would not work," he said. The panel of experts also rejected suggestions that by advising companies to avoid tax, they were breaching the spirit of the Companies Act, which requires directors to act in good faith and maintain high standards. Asked by PAC chairwoman Margaret Hodge about the legality of some avoidance advice, the tax heads accepted that 10 or more years ago, the advice may have sailed closed to the wind. However, John Dixon, tax head at Ernst & Young, said: "The advice we give is based on substance and fact. I think that the world you refer to is gone." The four experts were also questioned on their relationship with government. All the Big Four provide technical advice to Whitehall on the drafting of tax legislation. The MPs accused the firms of then advising corporate clients on how to avoid this legislation. Ms Hodge said the firms should be barred from getting government contracts in order to avoid a conflict of interest. But PwC's Mr Nicolson said: "The role we play makes the tax system work." As the committee hearing came to a close, the tax experts also took exception to Ms Hodge's parting shot. She praised their abilities, intelligence and expertise, adding: "You could give so much more to the public good, but you choose to work in areas that reduce resources" for schools, hospitals and society. All the experts replied that they were very proud of what they did.

Summary: Tax chiefs at the big accountancy firms have defended themselves against claims they are behind avoidance schemes that damage the UK's interests.


Abbott is expected to make his debut when the North Group quarter-final hopefuls play twice in two days away to Durham, then at home to Derbyshire. With Kiwi Matt Henry extending his stay until the early part of July, it gives the county a second overseas player. "We are all excited to get Kyle on board," said bowling coach Mason. "It's always exciting when an overseas player, especially someone with the success he has had, arrives at the club. The fact that he has played before in England, in English conditions, bodes well." This summer's original overseas player arrangement at New Road was that 24-year-old Henry would fill in from early April until the end of June, before Abbott arrived to take over in early July for the second half of the season. Henry's New Zealand international Mitchell Santner was signed purely for the T20 Blast but, after one surprise County Championship appearance, he then fractured a finger on the opening weekend of the T20 Blast against Durham. It has left Worcestershire a little light, at a time when they have won just once in four T20 matches following a three-game winning start. But, with Henry staying a little longer and Abbott arriving a little sooner, it allows Worcestershire to get back up to their full complement of two overseas players. Abbott played for Hampshire when they gained promotion alongside Worcestershire from County Championship Division Two in 2014. He will not arrive until after Friday's T20 Blast match with Lancashire at Old Trafford, after which Worcestershire do not play again until visiting Chester-le-Street in the same competition on 30 June. But he should come in well rested, since finishing a busy post-Christmas stint with a spell in the Indian Premier League playing for Kings XI Punjab alongside South Africa team-mate Hashim Amla. As well as making the two most recent of his seven Test appearances against England, he played in four one-day internationals, seven T20 matches and five IPL games. In the past month, his only cricket has been South Africa's two 50-over defeats by the West Indies and Australia in the Caribbean. "He has had a little bit of a rest," said Mason. "But I imagine when he gets here he will be itching to get going and it won't take him too long to settle in. "Hopefully, he brings in a fresh set of legs. And, with his recent stuff in the IPL and one-day cricket, he's got lots of experience to pass onto our guys. "Mitch Santner, although it was a brief stay because of his injury, was very keen to help out 'Dolly' (Brett D'Oliveira) and our young spinners. "Matt Henry has been terrific passing on his international experience, although he is only young himself and I'm sure Kyle will be the same. "Our lads are very open to picking the brains of these experienced cricketers."

Summary: Worcestershire assistant coach Matt Mason says the arrival of South African fast bowler Kyle Abbott at the end of June can boost their T20 Blast hopes.


Barry Gardiner said he would ask the Audit Office to investigate revelations by the BBC Spotlight programme about Invest NI's Belfast headquarters. The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) was a way for the government to get buildings now and pay later. But many contracts have been criticised as they turned out to be too expensive. Invest Northern Ireland is a business development agency which aims to promote economic growth by providing government support to firms. It signed a PFI contract for its new headquarters in Belfast in 2005. After the property crash, it became a very bad deal. Spotlight's research indicates that Invest NI's rent in 2012 was at least double the market rate and set a record for Belfast which still stands. Invest NI has said that these are not valid comparisons, given the long-term nature of the projects. Labour MP Mr Gardiner, who was Northern Ireland's direct rule enterprise minister when the 2005 contract was signed, said he will ask the Audit Office to investigate. Tuesday's programme also reveals details of Invest NI's current multi-million pound debt to the controversial US investment fund, Cerberus. Spotlight will be broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland at 22: 40 BST on Tuesday, 20 June.

Summary: A Shadow Cabinet member and former Northern Ireland minister has called for an investigation into Invest NI's Private Finance Initiative contract.


It said a detailed, time-bound plan for implementation should be outlined as the move could improve safety and efficiency. A plan for the system has been in place since 2007 but prescribing is still paper-based in Welsh hospitals. The scheme must be in place by 2023, but the WAO wants it brought in sooner. WAO director David Thomas said a number of the NHS staff auditors spoken to cited "frustration" that it was taking so long to bring in an electronic prescribing system in Wales. He said implementing one would result in a "much more effective and efficient system within hospitals". The report also looked at other areas of prescribing and found there were some safety issues caused by incomplete medicine information on paper drug charts, including some which did not have information about patients' drug allergies. There were also some instances where notes were unclear about whether patients had received the doses they were due. The report also looked at how new medicines were chosen and although there is a national process for appraising new drugs, it found there were three instances where decisions had been taken outside that process. The WAO would not provide details of the cases, but Mr Thomas said where new drugs are given there needed to be very clear reasons for doing so. The report also found that while NHS Wales was taking steps to improve prescribing in the community, there was scope to further improve quality and costs. It said health bodies were working together well to improve the way medicines are prescribed and managed, and in hospitals, pharmacy services were rated highly by staff. However, auditors highlighted problems with medicine storage and gaps in information about drugs. A Welsh Government spokesman said it was pleased the report recognised there were many good aspects of medicines management in Wales. It added that since last year, it had made good progress on a number of earlier recommendations by the auditor general, and it would respond to the latest advisories shortly. Responding to the report, Nick Ramsay, chairman of the assembly's public accounts committee, said it showed there was "still much to do to ensure the safe and cost effective use of medicines in Wales".

Summary: The NHS in Wales must speed up plans to introduce an electronic system for prescribing drugs, a Wales Audit Office report has said.


Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire MP Simon Hart says "absolute clarity and absolute accountability" is needed. The charity has been criticised for prosecuting members of the prime minister's local Oxfordshire hunt. The RSPCA said it was created to investigate animal cruelty and its various roles were independently run. The charity spends Â£5m a year prosecuting cruelty cases, which it says accounts for just five pence in every pound donated. Mr Hart opened a debate among MPs about the RSPCA's various roles on Tuesday. Earlier, he told BBC Radio Wales he thinks the charity can be a prosecutor but added "if it's also a political campaigner and a commercial organisation, which it is, I think there's a danger that they will pick and choose their cases to suit their political and commercial needs. "That wouldn't be allowed as far as any other prosecutor's concerned and I think there should be a very distinct separation between, if you like, its public interest role in bringing prosecutions and its political and commercial role. "Because at the moment the two things are blurred." Mr Hart said a Daily Telegraph report showed the Charity Commission had reprimanded the RSPCA for prosecuting members of David Cameron's local hunt, instructing it to review its prosecutions process. "The RSPCA has rightly built its reputation on dealing with animal welfare issues," sad the MP. "What I'm saying is if you're going to drag people through the court system which is expensive for them, its expensive for the nation, then there needs to be absolute clarity and absolute accountability in terms of the reasons that you brought them there." Mr Hart added that police have to submit files to the Crown Prosecution Service for any prosecution to proceed, something designed to stop any officers "perhaps being tempted to chase a personal vendetta, or a target, or coming under pressure from the community". He denied that his former role as chairman of the Countryside Alliance, which supports fox hunting, meant he resented the RSPCA for seeking to prosecute lawbreakers. He said: "This is about whether a prosecuting body which is a vigorous and prolific prosecuting body can also pursue a very, very high-profile political campaign and also whether it can at the same time obviously feed its hungry mouth to the tune of Â£100m a year." In a statement, the RSPCA said it was created in 1824 to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty offences in order to improve animal welfare in England and Wales. It was also created to improve public understanding and knowledge of animal welfare and to campaign for legislative change on animal issues. The RSPCA's prosecutions department is independent of its inspectorate and its campaigning work which ensures an objective approach when considering cases for prosecution, the statement said. It added only five pence in every pound donated goes on prosecutions. The charity prosecutes about 1% of the incidents it is asked to investigate and has a success rate of about 98%.

Summary: A Conservative MP is calling for the RSPCA's role as a prosecutor to be separated from its political and commercial activities.


The nation's athletes thrilled the country by winning 65 medals, including 29 golds. This was the best total since 1908 and way ahead of the minimum medal aim of 48. But away from the overall picture, each sport was also given a target and this is vital for future funding allocations from UK Sport. While two thirds of Great Britain's sporting teams hit the mark, nine sports failed to reach the standard set and will have to wait to see if their budgets are cut. Here, BBC Sport examines the success of each sport against their target. Larry Godfrey and the men's team made it to the last 16, as did the women's team, but nobody broke through to the quarter-finals. In reality, that's not far off expectations. The sport is dominated by other nations, most notably South Korea, and a British medal was not considered likely. The governing body may be a little disappointed that nobody got closer, but it's not a major under performance. Archery GB says the sport has "rocketed in popularity" since its appearance early in the Games at Lord's Cricket Ground. "Larry was a one-arrow shoot-off from making the last eight," added performance director Sara Symington. Britain's athletes won six medals, within the target range of five to eight set by funding body UK Sport, although head coach Charles van Commenee had always publicised eight as his own target. There were some high-profile casualties: world champion Dai Greene finished fourth in the 400m hurdles, while triple jumper Phillips Idowu failed to reach his final after a build-up much-publicised for its bewildering secrecy. But quality compensated for quantity. In a dazzling golden hour on the night of Saturday, 4 August, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, long jumper Greg Rutherford and distance runner Mo Farah all picked up Olympic titles, the latter going on to complete a distance double later in the Games. Christine Ohuruogu will be delighted with 400m silver and Robbie Grabarz similarly content with high-jump bronze. Van Commenee has previously said he would step down if the team did not meet his target - the question is whether those four gold medals are considered enough to counterbalance the two medals missing from the tally he had hoped to see. With such a large squad, there are plenty of other talking points. The emergence of Adam Gemili, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Andrew Pozzi and Andrew Osagie is worth taking into account, as is the now-traditional baton catastrophe in the men's 4x100m relay. None of the four British badminton competitors got past their group stage, a new format which caused controversy later in the tournament when some entrants appeared to engineer their own defeats so as to secure a better draw for the knockout stage. Rajiv Ouseph and Susan Egelstaff went out of the men's and women's singles respectively after two matches, while Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier played three mixed doubles group games before making their exit. Adcock and Bankier won world silver medals last year but were seen as a long shot to replicate that in London. "We are not

Summary: Have British sports delivered under the spotlight of London 2012?


Goals from Robert Wurube and James Moga helped South Sudan complete a 4-1 overall victory in the Central Eastern Zone qualifier to set up a meeting with Uganda in the next round. On Saturday, Malawi and Seychelles went out to Madagascar and Mauritius respectively. The CHAN - a tournament for locally-based African players featuring in their own country's domestic leagues - will be staged in Kenya from 12 January to 4 February 2018. Malawi were beaten 1-0 at home in the second leg of their opening Southern Zone qualifier with Madagascar winning 2-0 on aggregate. Seychelles could only draw the second leg of their qualifier in Mahé 1-1 as Mauritius progressed 3-2 overall. Madgascar had Rokotoarimaldla Tsilavina to thank for their victory in Lilongwe as he scored the only goal just after the break, beating advancing Malawi goal-keeper Ernest Kakhobwe. The visitors were then the better side for most of the second half, displaying offensive and passing football. Malawi were left to rue their three missed chances in the first half with striker Muhammad Sulumba the main culprit after his weak shot from inside the six-yard box was easily stopped by the Madagascar keeper. The defeat to Madagascar means Malawi's new coach Ronny Van Geneugden is without a win in three games. The result will provide food for thought for Malawi who bolstered their squad on return from Madagascar by including among others former captain Joseph Kamwendo and forwards Binwell Katinji and Ishmael Thindwa . Madagascar will play Mozambique in the next round. On a good day for Indian Ocean nations, Mauritius sealed their place in the next round of the CHAN qualifiers with a 1-1 draw against Seychelles at the Stad Linité in Mahé to progress 3-2 on aggregate. On a rainy afternoon, Mauritius opened the scoring with a 14th minute goal from defender Marco Dorza. Mauritius thought they had doubled the lead but Kevin Perticot's goal was disallowed for offside. Seychelles then scored two minutes after the break from a penalty having also had a goal disallowed, but they could not add to their tally, with Mauritius booking their place against Angola in the next round.

Summary: South Sudan booked their place in the next round of regional qualifying for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Sunday, defeating Somalia 2-0 in Juba.


Police have confirmed the deaths of four people. Three were killed in Dungog, where homes have been washed away by flooding. An 86-year-old woman died in the Central Hunter region when her car was swept into floodwaters. Emergency services have declared 12 communities natural disaster areas. The fierce weather is expected to ease later on Thursday. All severe weather warnings have been cancelled across NSW. The storm has left some areas devastated, with roads flooded, homes swept away and power poles snapped. Emergency Services Minister David Elliott told ABC News that it would be some time before the full cost of the disaster is known. He said: "There are cells still active off the coast of New South Wales, and indeed the fact that the flood waters may well still increase, means that we won't know the entire cost of this particular disaster for many days to come." Some 190,000 homes in the state are still without power but state-owned supplier Ausgrid said that electricity had been restored to 30,000 properties. During the days of stormy weather, parts of NSW experienced more than 30cm (one foot) of rainfall, wind gusts of more than 100km/h (60mph) and waves reaching record heights of 15m (50ft). On Wednesday, police divers retrieved the body of a missing woman whose car was swept off a causeway in Maitland, near Newcastle. NSW Police Insp Brian Tracey told ABC News that the incident was a "tragedy" and that her family were devastated. Two elderly men and an elderly woman have also been found dead in Dungog, one of the worst affected areas. The region has been declared a natural disaster area, along with 11 others. These areas will receive special assistance packages in the coming days. Earlier, rising river levels also threatened more than 200 homes in south-western districts of Sydney and forced residents to evacuate. The flood risk has eased since then but local media report that it is still a concern to authorities. There is still some travel disruption in Sydney, with a number of roads closed due to flooding. An Anzac day event for 10,000 people in the capital has also been affected. The camping event was due to take place on Friday night but has been postponed because of the stormy weather. The State Emergency Service (SES) says that it has received more than 12,000 requests for help since the bad weather began on Monday and conducted more than 100 flood rescues. The Insurance Council of Australia has said that it has received 19,500 claims, with losses estimated at US$100m.

Summary: A clean-up operation has begun in New South Wales in the wake of violent storms that battered the Australian state.


The 23-year-old back will leave Bristol at the end of the season in May. "I had a number of offers from England, France and Japan, but moving back to Wales was the correct decision at this point in my career," said Morgan. "I feel I can test myself and develop the skills I need to keep knocking on the door for Wales." Newport Gwent Dragons were also keen to sign Morgan, who can play at full-back or fly-half, and started against Fiji in last year's World Cup. He is in his second season at Bristol and has scored 167 points in 28 appearances for the Championship side he joined from Ospreys in May 2014. Morgan was named Championship player of the season in his debut campaign in England. Blues head coach Danny Wilson worked with the player at Bristol and with Wales under-20s and expects Morgan to play most of the time at full-back. "He has the ability to cover other positions but it's primarily full-back that we have recruited him for," said Wilson. "It dovetails in with what Wales have done with Matthew recently. Matthew on our (artificial) surface (at the Arms Park) will be a real threat with his footwork and his ability to beat defenders." Morgan played 66 games for the Ospreys but found his game-time at fly-half limited by Dan Biggar and the emerging Sam Davies, prompting his move to Bristol.

Summary: Matthew Morgan says he turned down offers from around the world to join Cardiff Blues in the pursuit of adding to his five Wales caps.


Divers found the juvenile's bones by chance in a vast, flooded limestone chamber on the Yucatan Peninsula. Aged 15 or 16 at death, the girl lived at least 12,000 years ago. Researchers have told Science Magazine her DNA backs the idea that the first Americans and modern Native American Indians share a common ancestry. This theory argues that people from Siberia settled on the land bridge dubbed Beringia that linked Asia and the Americas some 20,000 years ago before sea levels rose. These people then moved south to populate the American continents. The genetics of modern Native Americans would certainly appear to link them into this story. But their facial features set them apart from the oldest skeletons now being unearthed. These ancient people had narrower, longer skulls. The differences have hinted that perhaps there were multiple immigrations from Siberia (or even Europe). However, the remains of the Yucatan girl, dubbed Naia - which means "water nymph" in Greek - does not follow that line of thinking, because although she had the slender features associated with the earliest Americans, her DNA shares commonalities with modern Native Americans. Lab analysis of teeth and bone samples link her to a particular genetic lineage known as Haplogroup D1. This same marker is found in substantial numbers of modern Native Americans. "This lineage is thought to have developed in Beringia, the land that now lies beneath the Bering Sea after its ice age occupants became genetically isolated from the rest of Asia," explained lead author Dr Jim Chatters. "Thus, Naia, one of the earliest occupants of the Americas yet found, suggests that Paleoamericans do not represent an early migration from a part of the world different than that of the Native Americans. "Rather, Paleoamericans and Native Americans descended from the same homeland in Beringia. "The differences between them likely arose from evolution that occurred after the Beringian gene pool became separated from the rest of the world." The Yucatan Peninsula is famous for its giant limestone sinkholes, or cenotes. The chamber where the girl was found represents one of these pits before its roof has collapsed to produce a wide surface opening. To reach the natural amphitheatre, divers had to swim almost 1km (0.6 miles) through a water-filled tunnel. "The moment we entered inside, we knew it was an incredible place," recalled Alberto Nava. "The floor disappeared under us and we could not see across to the other side. We pointed our lights down and to the side; all we could see was darkness. "We felt as if our powerful underwater lights were being destroyed by this void. So we called it 'black hole', which in Spanish is 'Hoyo Negro'." Scientists can only speculate as to why Naia had been in the cavern. Skeletal remains of many animals also litter the pit's floor. The suspicion is that they all were looking for water, because the region had a very dry climate 12,000 years ago and the cavern would have been mostly dry but for a few pools. Perhaps they stumbled and fell to their death in

Summary: The ancient remains of a teenage girl discovered deep underground in Mexico are providing additional insights on how the Americas came to be populated.


Homosexual acts are illegal in the East African nation and punishable by up to 30 years in jail. Those who advertised homosexual activities online would also be targeted, the politician warned. Tweeters accused him of homophobia and infringing on the right to freedom of expression online. But Hamisi Kigwangalla argued that homosexuality did not scientifically exist and was a social construct. In a tweet written in Swahili and English he said: "Have you ever come across a gay goat or bird? Homosexuality is not biological, it is unnatural." The 42-year-old, who is a medical doctor by profession, argued that homosexuality could only be associated with an urban lifestyle. He said that in the small town in central Tanzania where he came from, there were no homosexuals. Tweeter: "Consider the fact that your move will only fuel more hatred, violence and increased mob lynchings" Response: "Fulfils my duty as head administrator of the rules and policies of our country! I do not have any trouble with the 'community'" Tweeter : "Freedom of choice, freedom of expression and right to privacy are constitutional justifiable rights. May God change your heart" Response: "Freedoms/rights have boundaries and both are protected by law! The law in Tanzania has boundaries when it comes to sexuality" Tweeter: "It seems politics has made you forget the basics of science. Homosexuality is partly a result of biogenetics" Response: "There is no literature to suggest so. Homosexuality has no any scientific backing! I am a scientist and I read a lot than you think" Earlier this month, Dr Kigwangalla ordered three men he accused of being gay to report to the police for "spreading" homosexual activity through social media, in violation of the law. It is not clear whether they have been charged. Dr Kigwangalla's outspoken comments on Twitter follow the health ministry's move last week to suspend the activities of 40 drop-in HIV/Aids clinics, accusing non-governmental organisations of using them to promote gay sex. The BBC's Sammy Awami in Dar es Salaam says most Tanzanians are strongly opposed to homosexuality - and the gay community keeps to itself. But homosexuality was named as one of the three major challenges facing the country in a parliamentary debate about Aids earlier this month. MP Hussein Bashe said the other issues were drug use and poor education.

Summary: The threat to publish the names of suspected homosexuals in Tanzania has been defended by the deputy health minister in a fierce row on Twitter.


First, the oil major is preparing for a low oil price for the foreseeable future, saying that it is working towards a "financial frame" by 2017 that assumes a price of $60 a barrel. When I interviewed Bob Dudley at the start of the year, he said that low energy prices could last for three years. Nothing since then seems to have changed his view. "Last year, we acted decisively to reset BP for a sustained period of lower oil prices and the results are coming through well," he said today. "We are now in action to rebalance our financial framework in this new price environment." Second, low oil prices are not all bad news for integrated oil companies. Yes, life upstream (the exploration and production part of the business) might be tougher because the business is not being paid as much for every barrel of oil it produces. But, for the downstream business (that's refined oil products such as fuel, lubricants and petrochemicals for making things like paint and plastic bottles) a low oil price can be a veritable boon. That's because the input costs - essentially the low oil price - are down and therefore the profit margin can be boosted. If you compare the upstream and downstream profit numbers for BP, the difference is stark. For upstream, pre-tax underlying profit was $800m (£520m) compared with $3.9bn (£2.54bn) in the third quarter of 2014. That's a pretty precipitate drop. For downstream, pre-tax underlying profit hit $2.3bn (£1.5bn) compared with $1.5bn (£980m) in the third quarter of 2014. So, for the moment, BP's downstream business is creating considerably more profit than its upstream partner. BP also revealed that the cost of the Deepwater Horizon disaster has now reached $55bn (£35.85bn). When the Macondo rig blew up in 2010, killing 11 people and leading to a major oil spill, many predicted it would cost BP several billion dollars in clean-up costs, fines and compensation. Few people foresaw just how high the price would be. Or for how many years it would weigh on the company. VW should take note. Scandals are more expensive than you initially think. And take a lot longer to clean up.

Summary: Two things are clear from BP's results this morning.


The England opener hit nine sixes and nine fours to take Notts to 106-0 off the first six overs at Trent Bridge. Hales, 28, almost equalled Chris Gayle's fastest-ever T20 century, which came off 30 deliveries, but top-edged James Weighell to the wicketkeeper. Notts chased down Durham's 183-7 in just 13.5 overs to win by five wickets. Jets spinner Cameron Steel conceded 60 off his four overs. Nottinghamshire's 106 runs in the Powerplay overtook the previous best of 105-0 made by Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL earlier this year. In the other North Group game, Ben Duckett hit an unbeaten 92 for Northants in their 24-run victory against Worcestershire at New Road. The Outlaws, who now sit top of the group, had raced to 55-0 off 4.1 overs when a heavy rain shower forced the players off. On their return Hales and his opening partner Riki Wessels teed off. Brydon Carse's fifth over went for 27 either side of the rain delay, before Hales struck three sixes and two fours as 28 runs came off spinner Ryan Pringle's sixth. Hales cleared the rope three more times in Steel's next over, meaning a staggering 75 runs had been scored in just 18 deliveries leaving Notts 126-0 off seven overs. He eventually fell at the start of the eighth over, while attempting to drive Weighell for his 10th maximum. Hales later said "he was thinking about Gayle's fastest T20 record" during his innings. The West Indian's 30-ball hundred came in the 2013 IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore and he finished with a world-record 175 not out. Hales is now the leading scorer in the 2017 T20 Blast, with 445 runs in 10 innings at a strike-rate of more than 212. "I knew there was a chance to go for the quickest T20 century of all-time and you don't get those opportunities very often," he said. "I love batting at Trent Bridge, for me it is utter paradise, the wickets are great and there are some short boundaries, so I knew there was a chance of doing it. It's a special feeling to play here and to get so many in the Powerplay overs with Riki. "As a team we've got real momentum at the moment and hopefully we can keep it going." Is Alex Hales England's best T20 player?

Summary: Alex Hales made a breathtaking 95 off 30 balls as Notts Outlaws piled up the highest Powerplay score in Twenty20 history in beating Durham Jets.


But analysts say high European gas stocks will limit the turbulence. Gas futures climbed by up to 10% in early trading, while the benchmark price for oil rose by more than 2%. Traders are worried about the stability of supplies from Russia, which provides a quarter of Europe's natural gas, half of it through Ukraine. However, a relatively mild winter has reduced demand for heating fuel, with storage levels at the main gas hubs about 20% greater than last year. In Germany, Europe's biggest gas consumer and Russia's largest customer, stocks are at more than 60% of capacity, capable of satisfying 60 days of demand. Russia is Europe's biggest supplier of natural gas, but the continent has been weaning itself off dependence on its neighbour for the last decade. It now imports less than 30% of its natural gas from Russia, compared with 45% in 2003, according to European Union statistics. Europe is also less reliant on the Ukraine link, with improved gas infrastructure now meaning supplies could go via alternative routes in the event of disruption. The Nord Stream pipeline, which goes through the Baltic Sea to Germany, or another route to Germany via Belarus and Poland, are two options. Russian state gas producer, Gazprom, also plans to build another sub-sea pipeline - the South Stream - to bypass Ukraine by 2016. "Low utilisation means Ukraine's gas network is of lesser importance today than in the past," said US market analysts, Bernstein Research, in a note to clients. There are also doubts that Russia could afford to disrupt or cut part of its gas supply to Europe, which is worth almost $100m (£60m) a day. Analysts estimate it accounts for about 3% of Russian economic output. Russia's economy registered disappointing growth of 1.3% last year, and its central bank has lowered its own forecasts, anticipating growth of below 2% until at least 2016. Gazprom said on Monday that supplies to Europe via Ukraine were unaffected, but a previous Russian supply cut to Ukraine caused major disruption across the continent and pushed up prices significantly. In January 2009 Russia turned off the taps to its neighbour in a row over contract prices and accusations that Ukraine had been siphoning off gas meant for European customers. The two-week shutdown, during a very cold spell, resulted in severe disruptions across the continent, with more than a dozen countries without their expected supplies of Russian gas. By Andrew WalkerBBC World Service Economics correspondent Energy is at the heart of the commercial links between Russia and the European Union. Russia is the EU's biggest outside supplier of oil, and of coal and gas, which are important fuels for electricity as well as heating. Curtailing that trade is unappealing to both sides. Russia needs the income from its largest export market, and Europe needs the energy - though the timing makes it less vulnerable than it might be. A relatively mild winter is coming to an end, and Europe has healthy gas stocks. But energy is a battleground where neither the EU nor Russia wants to fight.

Summary: Gas and oil prices have risen amid fears the Ukraine crisis could have a damaging effect on one of Europe's main energy supply routes.


The technology is being trialled at New York Red Bulls' stadium, with a video assistant referee taking 30 seconds to review a challenge in a Red Bulls II match against Orlando City. A screen at the side of the pitch helped the officials decide to dismiss Orlando's Conor Donovan for denying a goalscoring opportunity just outside the penalty area. Video replays will be used to advise on "game-changing" decisions in United Soccer League matches - the third tier of US football. That includes goals, red cards, mistaken identities and penalties. They will also be tested in six other countries in the next two years, including Germany and Italy. The game's lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), wants to decide by 2019 on whether to introduce video replays across the sport.

Summary: Video replays were used for the first time to send off a player for a professional foul in a Major League Soccer reserve match.


Sri Lanka made 248-9 after half-centuries from Kusal Mendis (53), Dinesh Chandimal (62) and captain Angelo Mathews (56), as Liam Plunkett took 3-46. Rain delayed the start of the run chase and England were 16-1 as the weather forced the abandonment at 17:30 BST. England lead the five-match series 1-0. Alex Hales, who scored 133 not out in the second ODI, was out for a golden duck to the third ball of the run chase, leaving fellow opener Jason Roy and Joe Root at the crease when play ended. Plunkett took control at Bristol with the key wickets of Kusal Perera, Mendis and Seekkuge Prasanna after David Willey had removed Danushka Gunathilaka in the first over. Chandimal top scored for the visitors and held partnerships of 56 and 80 with Mendis and Mathews respectively. Chris Woakes (3-34) helped stifle Sri Lanka's innings towards the end, and finished with wickets in successive 49th-over deliveries. The next ODI takes place at The Oval on Wednesday. Plunkett appears to be getting into his groove against the Sri Lankans, having only returned to ODI cricket in June 2015 after more than four years out. The Yorkshire bowler has seven wickets so far in the series, although the highlight to date came with the bat when he smashed a six off the final ball of the opener at Trent Bridge to earn England a tie. At Bristol, Plunkett showed his ability across spells, dismissing Perera in his first over, before accounting for half-centurion Mendis just when Sri Lanka looked set for a productive recovery. He followed it up by removing the dangerous Prasanna for two in his third spell, leaving Woakes the task of helping to mop up the tail. Plunkett's wickets took his ODI tally to 52, and ensured Sri Lanka could not mount a serious challenge with the bat. The visitors, already reeling from Friday's 10-wicket defeat, were dealt an injury blow on Sunday when Lahiru Thirimanne was being flown back home with a lower back strain and replaced by Niroshan Dikwella. Captain Mathews and vice-captain Chandimal are also nursing hamstring niggles but played on. And Farveez Maharoof batted with a fractured finger on his left hand, becoming one of Woakes' victims late on. Overall, it paints a worrying picture for Sri Lanka, who are yet to win a game on their England tour, though Mathews and Chandimal making half-centuries would have been a positive. England captain Eoin Morgan on Sky Sports: "We're building a lot of momentum towards where we want to be. We are being harsh on ourselves and want to be the best. "I think the bowlers have coped well so far. I haven't felt light, and it is very useful to have Joe Root as well. He is more than a part-time bowler. "I thought our disciplines were a lot better today and reducing them to 248 was a good achievement." England bowler Liam Plunkett told BBC Sport: "We felt like we bowled well and kept them to a gettable target so we are disappointed we didn't finish the game off

Summary: England and Sri Lanka were thwarted in the third one-day international at Bristol as rain allowed just four overs of the hosts' run chase.


"It is not a symbol, but it was a message," Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said of 34-year-old mother-of-two Sherri Papini's injuries. On Wednesday, her husband Keith said she had suffered "repeated beatings". Investigators are searching for two Hispanic adult women, last seen driving a dark-coloured SUV. Mrs Papini was discovered with a bag over her head and chained at the waist and wrists on the side of a highway, about 140 miles (225km) from her home in northern California before dawn last Thursday. She was abducted while jogging near her home in Redding, California, on 2 November. Sheriff Bosenko said of the unspecified message branded on her skin: "I would think that that was some sort of either an exertion of power and control and/or maybe some type of message that the brand contained." He also said her blonde hair had been cut off, speculating the attacker was "a very sick person who may have wanted not only to cut it off to change her physical appearance, but also as to humiliate them, wear her down". Mr Papini told ABC News his wife was "was covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black". "My Sherri suffered tremendously and all the visions swirling in your heads of her appearance, I assure you, are not as graphic and gruesome as the reality." Her nose had been broken and "her now emaciated body of 87lb (39kg) was covered in multicolored bruises, severe burns, red rashes and chain markings," he added. Police have cleared Mr Papini of suspicion after he submitted to a polygraph test. In his written statement, Mrs Papini's husband added: "Rumors, assumptions, lies, and hate have been both exhausting and disgusting. "I understand people want the story, pictures, proof that this was not some sort of hoax, plan to gain money, or some fabricated race war. I do not see a purpose in addressing each preposterous lie." Mrs Papini has spoken to investigators at least three times since her release on 24 November. Police hope to soon release a sketch of the suspects, who are believed to be armed with a handgun.

Summary: A missing California jogger found on Thanksgiving day last week after a three-week abduction had been branded with a "message" by her captors.


When we arrived in darkness all was calm and quiet. We were greeted courteously by men carrying copies of the US constitution, who told us they were unarmed. They had draped the US flag over a sign at the entrance to the wildlife refuge and they offered us a cup of coffee. The guards told us that the armed men inside were not taking visitors at present but would be happy to come out and meet the media face to face in the morning. One of the men tried to give me a small US Fish and Wildlife Service sign from the building "as a souvenir". "It's mine," he said, "I paid for it," making a reference to his taxes. A short distance away, down a slope in the darkness, sat the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge itself, a collection of more than a dozen buildings which serves as the headquarters for a sanctuary established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. A spot popular with birdwatchers keen to catch a glimpse of a greater sandhill crane may seem an improbable symbol of oppression but the men here insist the federal government has overreached its authority and has no right to this land. The refuge abuts property owned by the two men whose incarceration sparked this whole protest, Dwight Hammond and his son Steven. Their lawyer told the BBC that the Hammonds, who have already served time in prison for setting fires which spread to public land, had travelled to California on Sunday to hand themselves in after federal prosecutors won an appeal that resulted in lengthier jail terms. Publicly they have distanced themselves from the action, taken by people who are not neighbours or locals. But some people in the community around the town of Burns say while they do not approve of the methods, they are in tune with the sentiment. Back at the bird reserve, the mood changed slightly as the day dawned, the birds started singing and the winter sun struggled to pierce the hazy clouds. The media were now at the gate in force and the men there were more reluctant to talk. "We need to stick to the narrative," one told us as he explained why we needed to wait for their leader Ammon Bundy. Down a slight hill, we could now see the headquarters clearly, the red roofs of the sheds standing out against the snow. Several dark-clad figures moved around in the complex. At the top of a metal observation tower two men surveyed the surroundings. There was not much for them to see apart from satellite trucks, camera crews and a solitary, unexplained drone. For miles around there was no sign at all of any law enforcement officers although the word in Burns, some 30 minutes away, is that the hotels are packed with FBI agents. Critics of this occupation are putting pressure on the federal authorities to enforce the law and end it. They have accused the occupiers of this building of being domestic terrorists, using force to impose their will. Those involved insist

Summary: The latest clash between Washington and the west is playing out on a snowy desert plain in the wilds of Oregon.


The private service is at Althorp House in Northamptonshire on Saturday, which would have been her 56th birthday. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, and her two sisters will also be there. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be in Canada. The service will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. The Princess of Wales died on 31 August 1997 in a car crash in Paris, when the Duke of Cambridge was 15 and his brother was 12. The princes have commissioned a statue of Princess Diana to mark the 20th anniversary of her death. The sculpture will be placed in the public grounds of her former residence, Kensington Palace.

Summary: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry are to attend a service to rededicate the grave of Diana, Princess of Wales, almost 20 years after her death.


Bedene, ranked 51 places below Coric at 109 in the world, won 7-5 4-6 6-1 and goes on to face German fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the last 16. The Slovenian-born 27-year-old slipped out of the world's top 100 in a disappointing second half to 2016. Serbia's Marin Cilic and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are the top two seeds in Marseille.

Summary: British number four Aljaz Bedene beat Croatia's Borna Coric in three sets to reach round two of the Marseille Open.


It's part of attempts to streamline operations at the new Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, which will open next year, costing just under $11bn (Â£8.45bn). Under the new plan, passengers will be able to undertake border clearance procedures for both Hong Kong and China successively in one building in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. And it will be mainland law which will be in force in parts of the terminal, even though it's on Hong Kong soil. The government says that will be more convenient for passengers, but opponents say it could violate Hong Kong law. For those travelling overland, the process is similar to most border crossings between countries. At the busiest land crossings, passengers must first clear immigration and customs in one physical jurisdiction, then walk or be driven a fair distance to clear immigration in the other jurisdiction. Hong Kong immigration procedures are handled on undisputed Hong Kong territory, and Chinese immigration procedures are handled in Shenzhen, which is the mainland. Hong Kong officials are touting this as a "one-stop" clearance. Passengers will be able to complete both Hong Kong and Chinese clearance procedures under one roof inside the West Kowloon terminus building, before boarding trains to all cities on the national high-speed railway network. Hong Kong officials say this will be like similar arrangements between for example the US and Canada, and the UK and France on the Eurostar. China will lease the so-called "Mainland Port Area" from Hong Kong. The area will comprise the Chinese section of immigration and customs and the waiting hall for departure passengers, as well as all platforms and trains. Full Chinese law, both criminal and civil, will prevail in this entire area, even though it is physically located on Hong Kong soil. Hong Kong officials say the area will be considered to be outside the territorial boundary of Hong Kong. There will be immigration, customs, quarantine, administration and police officers stationed in the area. Hong Kong has a separate legal system from mainland China, under the One Country Two Systems framework. Under this Basic Law, Hong Kongers have a far greater degree of freedom to protest than mainland citizens have, among other differences. Mainland officials also have no jurisdiction in the territory. Critics say the proposal could lead to Hong Kongers being arrested on Hong Kong soil for actions which are legal here, but not in mainland China. It also feeds in to growing concern in recent years about Chinese encroachment into Hong Kong affairs, after the disappearance from Hong Kong of several people who sold books critical of the Chinese government, and the removal of several MPs who had protested against Beijing while being sworn in. It is currently unclear whether Western social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, which are blocked in mainland China, will be accessible within the port area. The Hong Kong government proposal must be approved by Chinese authorities, before it can be implemented in Hong Kong through a change or addition in local legislation. Pro-democracy legislators say they will try to veto the plan.

Summary: Hong Kong's government has unveiled a controversial plan which would allow Chinese mainland law to apply in the territory for the first time.


Ali Assadalla scored a superb goal after 32 minutes, as he dribbled past several players prior to a calm finish. Qatar threatened several times in the first half, and the visitors dominated the second but rarely looking like finding an equaliser. The closest they came was a volley from substitute Ishak Belfodil. The 2022 World Cup hosts are led by former Algeria international Djamel Belmadi. Elsewhere, Ivory Coast beat Angola 2-0 at home in the Elephants' first match on home soil since winning last month's Nations Cup. Diarrassouba Viera scored in the first half, before Salomon Kalou struck deep into the second as Ivorian fans had a chance to celebrate their second African crown. It was also a chance to say farewell to stalwarts Kolo Toure and Boubacar Barry, who were in the squad to say goodbye. They retired after finally winning the trophy at what was both players' seventh Nations Cup appearance. In Cairo, Argentine coach Hector Cuper made a winning start to his Egypt career as the seven-time African champions beat this year's Nations Cup hosts Equatorial Guinea 2-0. The Pharaohs left it late though, as Bassem Morsi and Mahmoud Hassan scored in the closing minutes. On Friday, The Gambia play Mauritania while Tunisia take on Japan.

Summary: Algeria lost their first game since exiting the Africa Cup of Nations in the quarter-finals, losing 1-0 to Qatar in a friendly in Doha on Thursday.


The result means the Senegalese join Zambia as the only African sides in the round of 16. South Africa and Guinea are already on their way home after being eliminated from the tournament. Senegal put the ball in the back of the net after 54 minutes but the video assistant referee ruled that Aliou Badji's effort was illegal as the forward had fouled Ecuador goalkeeper Jose Cevallos. Senegal finished the match with 10 men after Cavin Diagne was sent off following a second bookable offence. The share of the points in Jeonju means that Senegal finish as Group F runners-up to the United States who drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia in the group's other match. Next up for Senegal is Mexico while Zambia will face Germany.

Summary: Senegal are through to the second round of the Under-20 World Cup in South Korea after a goalless draw with Ecuador.


"It was very professional, but it was also emotional," he said. "It was very dignified but I would also say at the end it was quite emotional. "He reflected on how many cabinet meetings he had chaired [215], he reflected on people had been in the cabinet from the outset but also there was an awful lot of respect for what he'd achieved from the time when he came into that brave decision of a coalition because the economy needed stability, about saving the economy from the brink of bankruptcy right through to that great win just over 12 months ago." Mr Cairns praised David Cameron's leadership, even on a policy he personally opposed. "He confounded the critics - everyone said he would never get away with it...gay marriage for example, all the other social changes that have been brought about as well as the economic changes which are the most important, having brought us back from the brink of bankruptcy." The new prime minister will find Brexit at the top of her intray, with the Welsh Government asking the UK government to make up the shortfall left by the absence of EU funds for poorer areas. Mr Cairns told me: "Just changing one source of income for another is not the answer. The referendum threw out some clear issues. The sort of projects and the nature of spend wasn't having traction in those communities so we want a much higher level of debate. "A business person in Wales said to me last week the previous situation was unsustainable. It had to be addressed and this has been brought about now through the Brexit referendum." He added: "It's easy to ask for money but I think we need to be looking at what the root causes of those issues are We looked at life chances in the cabinet today, we looked at what the barriers were to allowing people to get on. "Why are white working class people less likely than their peers to go on to university? Those are the sorts of issues that we need to be addressing, those sorts of literacy skills, those sorts of numeracy skills that we need to overcome, the opportunities we need to give to people so that every person feels that they've got a part to play in society. "That's what the agenda is about rather than one money coming from one pot and going to another. Focusing on spend is not the outcome." Mr Cairns also rejected calls for Theresa May to hold an early general election: "The last thing we need is more instability." And will he be among ambitious ministers keeping their phone fully charged tomorrow? Mr Cairns said: "There'll be lots of anxious people tomorrow. There'll be many people delighted, many people disappointed but I would say that's the privilege of being prime minister and I would also say one of the burdens".

Summary: I spoke to Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns after he attended David Cameron's last cabinet meeting in Downing Street.


Lt Col Lucy Giles, 46, will be at the helm at New College to help prepare young British Army officers for their chosen regiments. She said: "I have to pinch myself really, because it's an enormous privilege to be in this unique position." The academy was founded in 1947 after two older military institutions merged. Lt Col Giles from Wincanton, Somerset, will oversee the academic programme and the physical training aspects of the intermediate and senior terms of the course. The married mother-of-two said: "It's interesting to see people's reactions in this traditionally male environment. I'm a mother and wife of a soldier, so I am bound by juggling those domestic considerations as well as delivering a day job, so to speak." She said she would "lead by example" and encourage permanent staff to "try and make time for their families". During her 24-year career Lt Col Giles has led soldiers on operations and deployments in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, East Timor, South Africa and Northern Ireland She spent two years as the first female Officer Commanding at 47 Air Dispatch Squadron. She said: "I like to think I was boarded for this appointment because I had the right key skills, knowledge, and experience to be able to do this effectively, as opposed to me being here because I'm female. "Although, I recognise that being in this position means I may come across as a role model for our future female officers." Famous royals to have trained at Sandhurst include Princes William and Harry.

Summary: The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst has appointed the first female college commander in its history.


The US economy added 215,000 jobs in July, while the unemployment rate held at a seven-year-low of 5.3%. The Dow Jones closed down 46.37 points at 17,373.38, while the S&P 500 dropped 5.99 points to 2,077.57. The tech-focused Nasdaq index fell 12.90 points to 5,043.54. Although the number of jobs added in July was slightly below expectations, the figures for May and June were revised upwards by 14,000. Among individual stocks, Groupon fell 5.34% after the daily deals website reported disappointing revenue growth. Second quarter revenues rose 3.1% to $738.4m, which was below expectations. The firm also said revenues for the current quarter were set to fall to $700m-$750m, from $757.1m a year earlier.

Summary: (Close): US stocks fell and the dollar fell against the yen and euro, after the latest jobs figures were seen as leaving the door open to a rate rise in September.


The Rhinos have been training across the city of Leeds since the river Aire burst its banks at Christmas. Chief executive Gary Hetherington told BBC Radio Leeds: "It is looking like £1m in total. It has caused massive disruption. "But sport throws up all sorts of challenges and this is another one." All seven training pitches and the main building at the Kirkstall site the Rhinos share with rugby union side Yorkshire Carnegie were contaminated by flood water at the end of December. The Rhinos, who begin the defence of their Super League title against Warrington on 4 February, say that 80 members of staff based at the site, plus 120 players, have been kept out for the last month. "We couldn't get anywhere near the site," said Hetherington. "When we were able to access it, the reality hit everybody. The whole site was under water. The changing rooms, medical rooms and gymnasium, and all the equipment was completely destroyed. "All the pitches are contaminated so they need to be dug up and reseeded. The 3G pitch needs to be replaced. The buildings need to be replastered, all the floors need to come up. "It will be the best part of six months before we can use the grass pitches and gymnasium."

Summary: Leeds Rhinos rugby league team face a £1m bill for flood damage that could keep them out of their training ground for a further six months.


The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) suspended Russia from the Rio Games starting on 7 September because of state-sponsored doping. Putin said the ruling was "cynical" and "humiliates those who take such decisions". Only Russian track and field athletes were banned from the Olympics. Putin, speaking at an award ceremony for Russian Olympians at the Kremlin, said the country would hold special competitions for banned Paralympic athletes, with the winners awarded the same prizes as in Rio. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russian Paralympians had taken "collective responsibility for an unproven crime".

Summary: Russian President Vladimir Putin says the country's Paralympics ban is "outside the bounds of law, morality and humanity".


After the problems last week, many doubt the system will cope. Transport for London (TfL) remains confident, although it admits there will be breakdowns. The trick will be in getting the system back up and running quickly. So here's some friendly advice for tourists and Olympic visitors to try and make the transport experience as easy as possible. If anyone thinks of any more please post below.

Summary: The busiest summer ever looms for London's transport system.


Djokovic won 6-3 7-5 in a largely commanding performance. The 29-year-old, who has now won seven titles this year, has beaten the Japanese on nine successive occasions. Djokovic, who was beaten in the third round at Wimbledon by Sam Querrey, will represent Serbia at the Rio Olympics. "I don't need to explain that every athlete dreams of being a part of the Olympic Games," he said. "I'm competing in singles and doubles. "Hopefully I'll get at least one medal."

Summary: World number one Novak Djokovic won his first title since his surprise exit from Wimbledon with a straight-sets win over Japan's Kei Nishikori in the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto.


The 19-year-old has been with the Shakers since 2013 and scored two goals in 14 appearances last season. However, he can return to Gigg Lane if Bury use the recall clause in his contract, which expires on 28 April. He has had previous loan spells with National League North side Stalybridge Celtic and Norway's Bergsoy IL.

Summary: Macclesfield Town have signed midfielder Scott Burgess on a season-long loan deal from League One club Bury.


The home side had an Alfredo Morelos goal disallowed and saw Bruno Alves' header cleared off the line. Hearts struck the crossbar through John Souttar, but Caixinha was positive about Rangers' display. "One team dominated from the beginning to the end," Caixinha told Rangers TV. "I'm disappointed with the result, of course, which is the most important thing, but I really liked the team. "[Hearts] tried to create something at the beginning of the game to delay our pace, they did it, but we finish the first half completely dominating, with some very good chances to score, which we could not do. "I'm happy with the way they fought until the end. "You cannot control this type of situation but what you can control is what the boys did, the effort, the hard work, the teamwork, not allowing the opponent to play and always looking to play our game." Rangers have now dropped five points in consecutive home games - against Hearts and then Hibs - as Caixinha integrates the nine new players who arrived during the summer. The Ibrox manager insists his side are playing well, but failing to convert chances and not maintaining a high enough intensity to their play. "The only point I need to refer to is the pace of the passes needs to be higher, a higher tempo of passing and moving," Caixinha said. "Regarding to the overall and especially the ending position on attack, we were very good. "I don't remember one single transition from the opponent, or one single time where they could get the confidence to try to beat our last line. "We did everything we could to win the game, we had the chances to win it but we could not do it. "The timing and the tempo of the passes, the way we move in attack, yes definitely we need to improve that - that's all I take because the boys leave everything, they play the way we want them to play. We created chances and avoided the opponent having transitions, but we didn't score goals. "We are controlling the moments of the game but should be more aggressive in the last third. To win you need to score goals, and we didn't do that."

Summary: Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha declared himself "happy" with Rangers' performance but "disappointed" with the outcome of the goalless draw with Hearts.


Emergency services were called to the scene at Main Road, where the A78 Largs to Seamill road was closed to traffic. The woman's 60-year-old husband and the lorry driver, 54, were rescued and taken to hospital with minor injuries. The building is split into five homes and the couple had been watching television in their bottom-floor flat. One other man who was in the building at the time was evacuated unhurt. Another resident Callum Calvey had been out at work when the lorry struck the building at about 13:45. "My bathroom has been wiped out," said the 21-year-old tree surgeon, who lives directly upstairs from the the couple. "There are five flats and none of the other residents are about, but I believe the couple's dog got out as well." Photographer Arlene Foster, who works for Anna Conway Photography, was quickly at the scene from her local shop. "The lorry is literally in someone's front room," she told BBC Scotland. "The lorry seems to have been going towards Ardrossan but hit the building on the opposite side of the road. "Fortunately, it was quite quiet at the time - school kids could have been affected as well if it happened later." Police are urging drivers to stay away from the area, with southbound traffic being diverted at Largs onto the A760 at Hayley Brae and northbound traffic being diverted at the Hunterston Roundabout. The local community had been pressing for a widening of the main road to Hunterston power station and Clyde Port. Steve Graham, chairman of Fairlie Community Council, said: "This was an accident waiting to happen. "There have been a number of near misses, but nothing on this scale. It is a very narrow road with premises adjacent to the road. "We in the community council have been complaining about the weight of traffic coming through the A78, which it's not built for. It would not meet current standards for a trunk road." A Strathclyde Police spokesman added: "The ground floor of the building has been seriously damaged and has been deemed structurally unsound."

Summary: A 55-year-old woman has died after a couple became trapped under rubble when a coal lorry ploughed into a house in Fairlie, Ayrshire.


They went in front on eight minutes when a superb Lloyd James free-kick was headed back across goal and Jordan Moore-Taylor poked home the loose ball from close range. The Grecians, who lost striker Reuben Reid in the warm-up, then saw Ollie Watkins limp off injured and as they struggled to regroup, George Cooper curled a long-range shot off the top of the crossbar for Crewe. Exeter were indebted to Christy Pym, who made an astonishing double save to deny Cooper and keep their lead intact. Two minutes later, it was 2-0 as David Wheeler headed in from close range from Liam McAlinden's 58th-minute cross to make it a club-record seven goals in seven successive matches. Simpson laid the ball off to Wheeler and he drilled a brilliant 20-yard shot into the bottom corner for the third on 68 minutes. Crewe's misery was compounded by a straight red card for substitute Charlie Kirk for an awful tackle on Exeter's Jake Taylor and on 86 minutes, James curled in the fourth from 25 yards. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Exeter City 4, Crewe Alexandra 0. Second Half ends, Exeter City 4, Crewe Alexandra 0. Luke Croll (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jordan Bowery (Crewe Alexandra). Attempt missed. Jordan Bowery (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Goal! Exeter City 4, Crewe Alexandra 0. Lloyd James (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Attempt missed. Chris Dagnall (Crewe Alexandra) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Substitution, Exeter City. Joel Grant replaces Ryan Harley. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Charlie Kirk (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the red card. Foul by Charlie Kirk (Crewe Alexandra). Attempt saved. Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Ryan Harley (Exeter City). (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Ben Garratt. Substitution, Exeter City. Luke Croll replaces Jordan Moore-Taylor because of an injury. Delay in match Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) because of an injury. Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. Charlie Kirk replaces Danny Hollands. Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Lloyd James. Attempt saved. Jordan Bowery (Crewe Alexandra) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jordan Bowery (Crewe Alexandra). Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Jordan Moore-Taylor. Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Troy Brown. Attempt blocked. Callum Cooke (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by David Wheeler. Goal! Exeter City 3, Crewe Alexandra 0. David Wheeler (Exeter City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Robbie Simpson. Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. Chris Dagnall replaces Alex Kiwomya. Foul by David Wheeler

Summary: Exeter City made it 12 games unbeaten with a ruthless demolition of 10-man Crewe at St James' Park.


The wager on Murray - the competition's 5/2 second favourite, behind Novak Djokovic - would net a £175,000 return, including the stake. Ladbrokes believes it to be the largest tennis bet ever placed in Scotland. The company's Alex Donohue said: "Our Murray fan in Aberdeen has given his hero the ultimate vote of confidence with this record-breaking bet." Murray ended Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles champion in 2013 when he beat Djokovic in the final. The British number one is due to get his campaign under way against Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Summary: A punter in Aberdeen has placed a bet of £50,000 on Andy Murray to win Wimbledon.


Joanna Michael, 25, from St Mellons, Cardiff, rang 999 twice before Cyron Williams stabbed her to death in 2009. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) ruled she was failed by South Wales and Gwent Police. The Supreme Court said Ms Michael's family would not be able to proceed with claims against the two forces. Ms Michael's parents and children won the right to try to bring a claim for damages against both police forces in 2011, but it was thrown out by the Court of Appeal because police officers have immunity from negligence claims. The family had hoped the Supreme Court would overrule the ruling, but were left disappointed on Wednesday when the justices sitting decided by a 5-2 majority to dismiss the family's appeal. Speaking on the steps of the court Ms Michael's mother Angela said: "I have lost a wonderful daughter. The children have lost a loving mother and provider. "I brought this case to secure damages for the children and also to make the police answerable for their failures to deal effectively with serious domestic violence cases." She added: "I take some comfort that the appeal may bring this problem to the attention of the nation. It is unacceptable in modern Britain that a doctor can kill a patient through a negligent act or omission and be liable to pay compensation, but where the police fail and someone dies, they are immune in negligence." The seven justices also unanimously dismissed a cross-appeal by the chief constables of South Wales and Gwent Police. The forces wanted to block the appeal court judges' linked ruling that the family should be allowed to go ahead with a claim that their Article 2 rights under the European Convention on Human Rights were breached by a police failure to protect Joanna's life. Reading out the judgement, Lord Neuberger passed on his "considerable sympathy" for Ms Michael's family. On the night of the murder on 5 August 2009, Williams, 19 at the time, broke into Ms Michael's home and found her with another man. She called 999 at 02:29 BST and told the Gwent Police operator that Williams was at the house and had threatened to kill her. The call went through to Gwent Police but was passed to South Wales, the force covering the area of Ms Michael's address. Once transferred, the call should have been graded as requiring an immediate response, but was instead graded at a lower level. When officers had still not arrived, Ms Michael called 999 again at 02:43 BST and was heard screaming before the line went dead. Police arrived at 02:51 BST but in the 22 minutes it took them to respond to her first call, the mother of two had been stabbed 72 times. Her children were in the house at the time. Williams was jailed for life in March 2010, after admitting murder at Cardiff Crown Court.

Summary: The family of a woman who was murdered by her boyfriend after a 999 delay have been told they cannot sue two police forces for negligence.


Cardinals held prayers and swore oaths of secrecy at their first meeting, held by the College of Cardinals. There will be a series of daily meetings leading up to a conclave, expected to begin next week, in which a new Pope will be chosen. The election process comes after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down last week. He was the first pontiff to resign in 600 years, after nearly eight years in office leading the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. The first pre-conclave meeting on Monday morning was headed by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. The Vatican said 101 of the 115 cardinals involved in the conclave have arrived in Rome. A further 12 are due to arrive either today or tomorrow, while two are not attending. They are the UK's Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who is standing down amid allegations of improper behaviour, and Indonesia's Julius Darmaatmadja, who is ill. At the pre-conclave meetings, cardinals - known as the "princes" of the Church - will discuss future challenges and discreetly weigh up possible papal candidates. The conclave - to be held in the Sistine Chapel - is expected to take place next week, though the exact date will be agreed on in the coming days. Correspondents say the cardinal electors, those under the age of 80 who will take part in the conclave, will want the new Pope to be officially installed in time to preside over Holy Week. Ceremonies start with Palm Sunday on 24 March and culminate in Easter the following Sunday. Last year's "Vatileaks" scandal is expected to be high on the agenda during the meetings. Corruption and infighting in the Vatican were exposed through a series of leaked documents, and the cardinals are expected this week to be briefed on a confidential report into the scandal seen by Pope Benedict. The BBC's David Willey in Rome says strict precautions against leaks of unauthorised information will be in operation at the Vatican until the next Pope has been chosen. Technicians will debug the cardinals' lodgings and mobile phones will be banned altogether during the conclave. But some cardinals have suggested the internal workings and possible failings of the Vatican's bureaucracy will not be a major factor in the decision to elect the next pope. "I think the real priority in the conclave is to choose the pope who is going to deal with these great, global issues," said Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, speaking to the Associated Press in Rome, before the meetings began. "If there are some internal problems in the Vatican, administrative problems in the Vatican, that'll eventually be dealt with. But it certainly isn't going to condition how I am going to be looking at who is going to guide and lead the church in the next years." The church's handling of allegations of sexual abuse is another recurring issue. Cardinal Keith O'Brien, formerly Britain's former most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has said he will not take part in the conclave after standing down amid allegations of improper behaviour. On Sunday, he

Summary: Roman Catholic cardinals from around the world have gathered in Rome to begin the process of electing the next Pope.