The Street & Arrow food truck, in Glasgow's Partick, is to take on additional trainees by March 2017. And it plans to expand operations across Scotland to address the social challenges of those with criminal convictions. The scheme has received £208,000 of Scottish government funding. The social enterprise company behind the project, Braveheart Industries (BHI), operates the airstream-style food truck providing training, mentoring and support for offenders who have made a commitment to change their lives away from violence and crime. It is supported by Police Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) BHI trades under the banner of Street & Arrow in a play on the phrase "straight and narrow", which often describes the aim of people with convictions. It is based on the successful Homeboy Industries Programme in Los Angeles, which has taken on more than 10,000 former gang members in an effort to make a positive change. The BHI social enterprise model was initially targeted at deprived areas in Glasgow, but Insp Iain Murray of the VRU said it is hoped to expand the idea across Scotland. "There is a need in many locations. We would like to see this throughout the country," he said. "These are guys and girls who deserve a second chance. If we don't give them a second chance, the risk is they become a risk to everyone else. "So it's important to offer them hope and opportunity. "They are keen to show they want to make amends, to be productive members of society and the community, to demonstrate to their families and their kids that this is the way things should be." One of the trainees working on the food truck, Leanne Bell, 27, has a history of drug and alcohol dependency, and has served sentences in the women's prison, Cornton Vale. She said she had now been clean for a year, and was happy that customers could see an ex-offender putting something back into the community. "It's proof that you can change. Your life doesn't need to be chaotic and there is a way out," she said. "I'm earning a proper wage, and I'm paying taxes now. I have a place of my own and I'm paying the council tax, so I am contributing to society." Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said it was important that members of the public being served at the food truck know that offenders taking part must be free from drugs or alcohol dependence. "This is a very good example of individuals who are seeking to turn their lives around by trying to get themselves into employment and put something back into the community. "It's a facility which is well valued in the local community, it's well used, and it's also producing a very high quality and high standard of food and drink. "What's important here is equipping these individuals with the skills to be able to move into employment in the future, and we know in the catering industry there are opportunities to move into that industry." BHI has operated with offenders at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo since 2012,

Summary: Offenders with a violent history are to be offered a new chance to change their lives, following the success of an American-style training project.


The 24-year-old, played stormtrooper Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and was a member of Theatre Peckham's company from age nine to 14. Newsround sent Jonas who goes to Theatre Peckham now to interview Boyega and even got John to do his best Chewbacca impression. Boyega is currently filming Star Wars Episode Eight. "As a graduate of the company, I am honoured to be in a position to give back." He said. The theatre's founder Teresa Early, said: Boyega "will be a huge boost for our young members", adding: "Now there's an act for them to follow."

Summary: Star Wars actor John Boyega has given his support to the theatre he worked with when he was younger.


The 400-member Santee Sioux tribe already runs a casino, hotel and ranch and hopes the resort will be a new revenue generator. Marijuana is not legal in South Dakota but the tribe has been permitted to grow and sell pot since June. It will open on New Year's Eve and only be sold on the reservation. Sioux leaders would grow the marijuana to be offered in a smoking lounge. The lounge would have games, food and a bar, and eventually slot machines and a music venue. "We want it to be an adult playground," tribal president Anthony Reider told the AP news agency. "There's nowhere else in America that has something like this." Tribe leaders predict the resort would make up to $2m (Â£1.3m) per month. Marijuana is growing at a facility on the reservation now and they hope to sell it for the first time on 31 December at a New Year's Eve party. The Justice Department put out a new policy allowing Native American tribes to grow and sell marijuana in a similar way to some US states like Colorado in 2014. The strict provision does not allow tribes to sell marijuana to minors or grow it on public land. Marijuana will be sold in sealed one-gram packages for $12.50 (Â£8.27) to $15, and people will only be able to buy one gram at a time. "[The tribe] must look at these opportunities because in order to preserve the past we do have to advance in the present," said Mr Reider.

Summary: A Native American tribe in the US state of South Dakota has said it plans to open what would be the first marijuana resort in the US.


All 108 MLAs met to sign the roll of membership, with 29 newly-elected members doing so for the first time. The Ulster Unionists announced they will form an opposition. UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said "let battle commence". Mr Nesbitt, said the first and deputy first minister would not have the support of his party at the executive table, as the "Ulster Unionist MLA group have unanimously decided to form the first official opposition of this Northern Ireland Assembly". He said: "This is a big and bold move to bring a better and a more normal democracy to the people of Northern Ireland - let battle commence!". Mr McGuinness said Mr Nesbitt's move was "deeply disappointing" and a "huge mistake". "It will be seen as a lack of leadership," he added. SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party) leader Colum Eastwood said they have some work to do before making any decisions. Alliance party leader David Ford congratulated Mr Nesbitt on the "sound bite of the day". "Some of us recognise that government is a bit more substantial than the sound bite of the day" he said. The DUP's Robin Newton has been elected as the new speaker, replacing Mitchel McLaughlin, who announced his retirement before the election. Mr Newton said he wants to "uphold the standards that his predecessors have set". "The people of Northern Ireland are looking to us," he added. "I want to prove to them that we are moving forward." Sinn Féin's Caitríona Ruane, the SDLP's Patsy McGlone and the UUP's Danny Kennedy have been elected as deputy speakers. Ms Ruane has been elected as the principal deputy speaker. People Before Profit Alliance MLAs Eamonn McCann and Gerry Carroll were among the newly-elected members signing the roll. Mr Carroll revealed via social media that when they were asked to designate as "unionist, nationalist or other", he and Mr McCann wrote "socialist". "We will be put in the 'other' camp, but we are clear where we stand," he said. "This isn't the Alliance Party. This is the new socialist alternative." MLAs also undertook to support the rule of law, challenge paramilitary activity and accept no authority but a democratic mandate. Live coverage of proceedings at the new NI assembly The full Northern Ireland Executive will be formed when a programme for government has been agreed. The parties, who were given an outline of a framework for government programme on Tuesday, have until Thursday to make a response. Negotiations on the framework could go on for two weeks. In last week's election, the Democratic Unionist Party maintained the 38 seats it held in the last assembly, while Sinn Féin lost one and now holds 28. The Ulster Unionists have 16 seats, while the Social Democratic and Labour Party lost two and now have 12. The Alliance Party secured eight seats during the election, meaning it does not have enough seats to automatically qualify for a ministerial department.

Summary: The DUP's Arlene Foster has been reappointed as Northern Ireland first minister and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister, with the UUP announcing they will form an opposition at the Stormont assembly.


"I genuinely believe that being on death row for 22 years ultimately saved my life. It was the greatest adventure of my life, and I survived it." Nick Yarris has never had an apology for being imprisoned for crimes he did not commit. He spent almost all that time in solitary confinement, sometimes being beaten so badly by prison guards that, on one occasion, his retina detached. "The hardest thing to do when people are hurting you is to remain a decent person," he told the Victoria Derbyshire programme. While on death row, he educated himself about the law, and sometimes read up to three books in a day. "The whole purpose of my education ultimately was so I could deliver a statement eloquently before my execution," he said. For 22 of the 23 years he spent in prison, Nick genuinely believed he would be executed. Nick has now written his own book about his life called "The Fear of 13", because he believed bad things happened to him around the 13th date. "I didn't mind the 23 hours a day solitary confinement for the majority of the time, because after the first few years in prison, when I stopped being angry and started to like myself and understand myself, it was OK. I still enjoy my own company sometimes. "I've never had any psychiatric help since leaving prison. I studied psychology in there and applied it to myself." Nick grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia with his parents and five siblings, but his happy childhood was shattered when, aged seven, he was attacked by a teenage boy who hit him on the head so hard it gave him brain damage and then raped him. He did not tell his parents. The trauma of this assault led his behaviour into a downward spiral and as he got older he began drinking and taking drugs. He was arrested, aged 20, after being accused of the attempted kidnap and murder of a police officer - a charge of which he was later acquitted. But while in custody before that trial, Nick was desperate to get out and so made up a story, telling police he knew who committed the murder of a woman, Linda Mae Craig, who he had only read about in the newspaper and had never met. "I was just desperate, a drug-addled kid who didn't know what to do to get out of jail." He said the murderer was a man with whom he once briefly lived. Nick thought the man - who had stolen money from him - had later died and so believed he could safely trade this false information for his own freedom. However, the man Nick accused was still alive and the lie was exposed. The police then charged Nick with these crimes instead. In 1982, he was convicted of the woman's rape and murder and sent to death row. During his imprisonment in Pennsylvania jails, Nick's only possessions were a couple of paper sacks full of legal materials, some novels, toiletries and a small radio.

Summary: Nick Yarris spent more than two decades on death row in the US after he was wrongly convicted of rape and murder, before a DNA test eventually freed him.


Bristol Sport Ltd, which owns the football club, wants to replace two stands to increase capacity. The plan is an alternative to proposals to build a new stadium at nearby Ashton Vale, which has been delayed by an application for a town green. Majority shareholder Steve Lansdown confirmed the club would begin work at a shareholder meeting on Tuesday. The work was approved by Bristol City Council in November. Mr Lansdown told the club's official website: "We'll sign the section 106 agreement any day now, and then we have six weeks to wait for the judicial review period. "We wanted to give some certainty to supporters, so if we get through to March with no judicial review, then we will be going ahead with the redevelopment plans, starting in May."

Summary: A £40m revamp of Bristol City's Ashton Gate ground will go ahead this summer, the club has announced.


Mr Farage had previously said he would stand down after failing to win a seat in last week's general election. But the party said there was "overwhelmingly evidence" that UKIP members did not want Mr Farage to go. Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Farage said he had been "reluctant", but decided he "owed it to the party to stay" on as leader. UKIP won a 13% vote share in the election - some 3.8 million votes - and has one MP, Douglas Carswell, who held his Clacton seat. It puts the party in third place behind the Conservatives and Labour in terms of share of the vote. Mr Farage failed to gain the seat of Thanet South, losing out to Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay. Speaking about his defeat, he insisted he had "never felt happier", with a "weight lifted off his shoulders". Who is more important to UKIP, Nigel Farage or Douglas Carswell? The answer to that question came just before 16:00 BST when the party announced its ex-leader was now its leader again. Nigel Farage has been persuaded to stay on. Technically he has managed to honour his pledge to stand down after he failed to get elected in Thanet South on Thursday. Two things are now clear: UKIP can't countenance a post-Nigel world. He is the party's biggest asset and it thinks a big chunk of those four million votes last week were down to him. But one senior figure has told the BBC Mr Farage's decision to stay is a "mistake" which will only undermine his reputation for straight talking. I think it's a safe bet to say that UKIP's only MP, Douglas Carswell, will not be happy. He heaped praise on his leader this morning but he spoke about him very much in the past tense. Party chairman Steve Crowther said the national executive committee believed the election campaign had been a "great success" and members had "unanimously" rejected Mr Farage's letter of resignation. "He has therefore been persuaded to withdraw his resignation and remains leader of UKIP," a party statement said. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage said he had initially been reluctant, but then "breathed deep, and thought for as long as I possibly had, given the meeting was ongoing". "I decided that as much as I had earned my holidays. As much as I wanted to spend the summer fishing, walking, and of course, in the European Parliament where all hell is currently breaking loose - that I owed it to the party that got me here," he said. He added there were "huge battles ahead", such as new EU proposals for Mediterranean migrant quotas and issues of electoral reform. Mr Farage had said repeatedly ahead of and during the general election campaign he had no intention of staying in the leader's job. In his autobiography, The Purple Revolution, he wrote: "It is frankly just not credible for me to continue to lead the party without a Westminster seat. He added: "Was I supposed to brief Ukip policy from the Westminster Arms? No -

Summary: Nigel Farage is to remain as UKIP leader after the party rejected his resignation.


London 2012 Olympian Andrew Lawrence scored 14 points while NBA player Ben Gordon added 13. Coach Joe Prunty's team led for most of the first three quarters before being overhauled by their guests in the last 10 minutes of a well-contested game. GB now begin their Eurobasket qualifying campaign with a game in Hungary in midweek. "The key to the qualifiers will be completing on every play. We have to make sure that we're going as hard as we can on both ends of the floor," Prunty told BBC Sport. "I think at times tonight we lost a little of our fire." Prunty turned to his strongest line-up in the final warm-up match before he cuts the roster for the six-game qualifying programme. GB led 35-24 on Lawrence's three in the second quarter but the Dutch took the lead early in the third. Gordon then hit three threes in a row - his first points of the game - to restore GB's advantage. Netherlands, who were led by 18 points from Worthy De Jong, scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to lead 71-60 and held on to win despite the hosts' comeback in the last six minutes. Prunty was pleased with the contribution of Gordon, a player who has joined the team despite missing out on the place available to him for London 2012. He said: "You're always trying to find to your rhythm as a player and with one another. I thought he [Gordon] had a good showing tonight, he certainly had a very good stretch in the third quarter."

Summary: Great Britain lost to the Netherlands in Manchester for the second time in two days, going down 79-68.


England's win over South Africa on Sunday secured the Twenty20 series. The game was officially sold out, as were England's two ICC Champions Trophy matches at the SSE Swalec Stadium. The near-15,000 crowd comes as counties bid for the next round of five years' worth of international games. "To have three full houses over 19 days for England matches is something we've very proud of," said Morris. Cardiff hosted England's win over New Zealand and semi-final defeat to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, along with Sri Lanka versus Pakistan and the less well-attended Bangladesh v New Zealand match. Around 3,000 seats were not occupied for the England v New Zealand match because of poor weather forecasts, while cancelled trains are believed to have contributed to some empty seats for the T20 on Sunday. But a rapid re-allocation of tickets worked well for the England-Pakistan game after fears that India supporters, who bought tickets for both semi-finals, would not turn up. "It's particularly important (to have big crowds) this year, because at the back end of the year we are likely along with other counties to be bidding for our international programme between the years 2020 and 2024," explained Morris. "There's also the new city-based franchise T20 as well, so it's important we can demonstrate we can fill houses and people have a great time when they are here." England's score of 181 in 20 overs against South Africa could also come as a relief, after captain Eoin Morgan criticised the use of a previously-used wicket for the Champions Trophy semi-final, a choice attributed to the International Cricket Council. "I wasn't surprised (with the score), it's a wicket that has played extremely well this year in domestic and international cricket, in recent years we've had some very good marks," said former county captain and England opener Morris. Glamorgan have forecast an operating profit for 2017 on the back of five days of international cricket. But it appears unlikely they will add another overseas player to their squad for the T20 Blast, after signing South African paceman Marchant de Lange on a three-year deal for all forms of cricket.

Summary: Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris says Cardiff's third sell-out for an England match in June will boost their hopes of attracting further international matches.


The 25-year-old Canadian lost to 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer in three sets in last year's final. But Raonic produced an impressive display at the Pat Rafter Arena on Sunday to clinch his eighth tour title. Federer, who has been suffering with flu, said: "I'd like to congratulate Milos on a great start. This year you deserve it, well played and good luck at the Aussie Open." The Swiss world number three added: "I was a bit sick but we made it to the final." Raonic, who is ranked 14th in the world, had only beaten Federer once in their previous 10 encounters. He said after his victory: "Hopefully we have a better year this year than the last. I hope in 2016 we learn to love each other a little bit more and the world becomes a safer place." The Brisbane tournament helps players prepare for the Australian Open - the first Grand Slam of the year - which starts on 18 January.

Summary: Milos Raonic beat Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 to win the Brisbane International.


The YouGov poll for The Times suggests that in the final round of voting, Mr Corbyn would get 53% of support, six points ahead of Andy Burnham. Shadow minister Tristram Hunt warned a Corbyn victory could reduce Labour to the status of a pressure group. Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are the other candidates for the leadership. The YouGov poll suggests Mr Corbyn is the first preference for 43% of party supporters, ahead of Andy Burnham on 26%, Yvette Cooper on 20% and Liz Kendall on 11%. Taking second preferences into account the poll, of 1,054 people eligible to vote in the contest and carried out between Friday and Tuesday, pointed to a 6% Corbyn victory.

Summary: Tony Blair is to make a rare speech to Labour activists as turmoil grows after a poll suggested left-winger Jeremy Corbyn was ahead in the leader contest.


Richard Broughton, 37, died on Sunday after he was knocked down by a car in Elsecar at around 19:00 GMT on Friday. The car did not stop at the scene. South Yorkshire Police has since recovered a vehicle in connection with the crash. A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and a 35-year-old man has been held on suspicion of violent disorder. Both men remain in custody. Police said a disturbance was reported prior to the incident on Welland Crescent. Officers have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Summary: Two men have been arrested following an alleged hit-and-run in Barnsley.


Wolverhampton City Council said in 2014 the authority faced the prospect of "becoming insolvent", unless it made "very deep and very fast cuts". The Labour-run council approved plans on Wednesday to cut a number of services, including neighbourhood wardens, and increase council tax. However, unions said they feared service standards would drop. The council said the scale of cuts it would need to make by 2019 had risen to £134m - an increase on the £123m it predicted in 2014. The authority said this was "largely due" to the rising costs of children's services, pay and pensions, and continuing government cuts. In 2014, it announced it would have to cut 1,400 jobs and make massive service reductions or it would be down to its last £620,000 and "bankrupt shortly after". Cabinet member for resources Andrew Johnson said: "We are now realistically looking at the prospect of becoming insolvent unless we make cuts." The council said it had moved on "dramatically" since that announcement. "This no longer reflects where we are," it said, in a statement. "The council has made it abundantly clear that it will do what was required to balance the books." However, Wendy Thompson, leader of the Conservative group, said the authority had simply pushed its debt repayments back to give itself some "breathing space". "That's they only way they are staving off this situation," she said. "Their priorities over the years have been 'spend, spend, spend'. It's an unhappy situation for Wolverhampton. Our poor residents have a city centre that has so much dereliction and so many empty shops. "We desperately need to turn the city around." On Wednesday, the council agreed to axe the neighbourhood wardens service, despite a 4,500-signature petition from the public, and raise council tax by 1.99%. Council leader Roger Lawrence said: "The savage cuts from central government that continue to unfairly target areas like Wolverhampton have made it impossible to continue to offer the level of services the city deserves." Nick Keleher, secretary of the TUC in Wolverhampton, said the wardens did a "very useful job". "The petition forced a debate in the council but now it is intending to cut the service despite the public campaign," he said. "A lot of services have already been cut or transferred to the private sector. "I have seen colleagues who have lost their jobs with the council move into the private sector. They have been very disappointed with the standards." The government said: "Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to pay off deficit left by the last administration, including local government." It said Wolverhampton's spending had increased during its time in office.

Summary: A council that said it feared becoming "bankrupt" has agreed to make a further £46m of cuts by 2019.


Media playback is not supported on this device Rogers needed 14 stitches in his lip after a challenge by Tyrone's Tiernan McCann at the start of the game. "I think Brendan was quite shocked. Some people were quite horrified," said the Derry manager. "I'll leave it to other people to make up their minds." The Slaughtneil man had the stitches inserted last Sunday and Barton expects Rogers to be out of action for a couple of more weeks. Rogers was named at midfield for the McKenna Cup final and the match video suggested he may have been caught by McCann's right elbow immediately after challenging for the initial throw-in. After the ball was thrown in, McCann came in from the side and the footage showed the Tyrone man clattering into Rogers although the Red Hand county player appeared to be focusing on the ball rather than the Derry midfielder when the contact was made. "Brendan has been very quiet about it and we have been very quiet about it as well," said Barton after Derry's opening 3-13 to 1-10 Division 2 Football League victory over Fermanagh at Celtic Park. "It was quite an horrific incident. I wouldn't like to expand on it to be quite frank. Media playback is not supported on this device "It was an incident that thankfully you don't see very often." Barton added that he "couldn't speak" after the game such was his upset about the incident. "I think it affected the mood of all of us. "It overshadowed for me what was a positive night for football. "I think the amount of respect that was shown between Derry and Tyrone was very evident but it's one of those things I'll let people make up their own minds about." In terms of Sunday's opening league win, Barton felt that his team had laboured badly in the first half before going on to clinch a nine-point victory over the Erne County. "We were very flat at the start of the game. We turned over a serious amount of ball under no pressure. "I was glad to see our first goal going in (before half-time) and I was very happy to see half-time because it gave us an opportunity to restructure and talk about what we felt we were going wrong. "Getting in the ball in early in the second half to our men inside worked nicely in the inclement conditions but we'll have to up our performances over the next couple of weeks."

Summary: Derry football manager Damian Barton has described the facial injury sustained by his player Brendan Rogers in last weekend's Dr McKenna Cup final as "horrific".


Clive Weatherhogg's counsel told appeal judges that prosecutors now conceded there had been a miscarriage of justice over the coercion charge. Appeal judges also agreed that a jury was misdirected over charges relating to the footage sent to relatives. Mr Weatherhogg, 43, was jailed last May after being found guilty by a jury. It is understood he will now be released from prison. Sheriff George Way had remitted the case from Dundee Sheriff Court to the High Court in Edinburgh to be dealt with because of its greater sentencing powers. Defence counsel Shelagh McCall QC told the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh that the Crown conceded there was insufficient evidence to prove lack of consent on the coercion charge. The Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian, who heard the appeal with Lady Paton and Lord Turnbull, said: "We are satisfied the concession is well made." Lord Turnbull said that information conveyed to the court seemed to show that even at an earlier preparatory marking stage in the case there were concerns over a lack of corroboration. Lady Dorrian said the appeal judges were also satisfied that misdirections given to jurors by Sheriff Way over the charges relating to the footage sent to relatives were "material and constituted a miscarriage of justice". Mr Weatherhogg, of Guthrie, near Forfar, Angus, had denied the charges during the trial, but admitted a separate charge of uploading the film to the internet. He was jailed for four-and-years by Lady Wolffe with an additional 18 months for the charge he admitted. The appeal hearing was told that Mr Weatherhogg had been in custody since March last year and had served the 18 month sentence, taking into account early release provisions.

Summary: A man jailed for six years for coercing a woman into having sex with a stranger and sending "revenge porn" to her family has had the convictions quashed.


Borth Animalarium said 32 dragons, which were cold and not moving, were left in a cardboard box on the counter by a friend of a disabled man who could no longer take care of them. Staff warmed them and fed them, and found homes for eight of the animals. They are a docile and quiet species, and require a heated tank, light and UV sources. Animalarium owner Jane Mumbray said: "Many people bred bearded dragons last year as they were selling for Â£80 each in some pet shops. However, there are so many of them about now they do not sell. "They are probably the best pet lizard species of all. Bearded dragons greet each other by waving a front leg and will often greet their owner in the same way. "It is not a light commitment to take on a pet lizard and should be taken seriously but they are a very rewarding pet."

Summary: A zoo in Ceredigion is looking for homes for 24 abandoned Australian bearded dragons.


24 July 2017 Last updated at 08:25 BST Fresh off the back of their win in the World Wheelchair Basketball, the team is back together, practising and getting ready for their next competition. Hayley caught up with them in Yorkshire, and even set them a cheeky challenge! Watch this...

Summary: Wheelchair basketball is fast-paced and requires skill and determination - something Great Britain's under-23 team have in bucketloads!


The woman, who has not been named, was operating a paramotor - a motorised paraglider - when she had a "very close encounter" with an Airbus A400M near Andover, Hampshire, in July, the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) said. She told investigators "she thought she was going to die". The UKAB assessed the incident as having the most serious degree of risk. The woman, who was taking part in a training weekend with the British Paramotor Team at the time, "turned abruptly to the right" after spotting the aircraft, which was flown 600ft (183m) from her, the report said. The A400M pilot, who was approaching Boscombe Down Airport in Wiltshire, said he did not take any avoidance action when he saw the woman as "it was quickly apparent" she would pass down the left hand-side of his aircraft. Investigators concluded that both pilots "shared an equal responsibility for collision avoidance". They added that "providence had played a major part" in the woman escaping unhurt. A member of the board stated that there was a "very real risk" from the wake turbulence caused by the aircraft and concluded that "the paramotor pilot's concerns about the risk posed were justified".

Summary: A paraglider feared for her life during a near miss with a military transport aircraft, a report has said.


A masked man holding a gun approached him at about 10:35 BST in a car park in Glenarm on Sunday and demanded the man's car keys. He then made off from the car park on New Road in a red Ford Fiesta. A robbery at a shop on Coast Road in Ballygally in County Antrim was reported about 15 minutes later. A masked man with a gun entered the premises and left with a sum of cash after demanding money from staff. The red Ford Fiesta was found abandoned at about 11:15 BST on Dickeystown Road in Glenarm. Police believe the two robberies could be linked. No-one was injured in the incidents but both the man whose car was stolen and the shop staff were left "very badly shaken", police said. Police are appealing for anyone who saw the car to contact them.

Summary: A man has been robbed at gunpoint as he was taking photographs in a village on the County Antrim coast.


The A344 next to the monument was shut in June to "restore the dignity" of the stone circle as part of a Â£27m project. Residents of villages including Shrewton and Orcheston say their lanes have become "rat runs" for drivers avoiding congestion on the A303. Campaigners will collect signatures for a petition this weekend. Janice Hassett, from the Shrewton Traffic Action Group (Stag), said: "The A344 should not have been closed before the A303 was dualled. "The A303 at Stonehenge Bottom was bad before, but it's a nightmare now. "Traffic is stupidly backing up to Thruxton on a holiday weekend. "Sat-navs are sending people right through our villages. There's going to be an accident." The petition is asking for "urgent action" to be taken to tackle high volumes of non-local traffic using the B3086 through Shrewton, a 20mph speed limit to be introduced and better signage to be installed.

Summary: People concerned with traffic congestion in villages near Stonehenge are stepping up a campaign for "urgent action" to be taken.


The election will take place at the SDLP's annual conference in November. Mr Eastwood said his party has had poor election results, was lacking in ideas and he wanted to take it in a fresh direction. The 32-year-old, who is the SDLP's youngest MLA, said an Irish nationalist party cannot be led from Westminster. He said Dr McDonnell has "given his life to the SDLP " and would continue to be South Belfast MP. Mr Eastwood has been nominated by nine party branches to challenge the SDLP leader. He said his challenge "was not personal " and said politics needed "a new generation". Mr Eastwood is a former Mayor of Derry and in 2012, he faced controversy after carrying the coffin of a friend who was a former member of the Official IRA and the INLA. He told the BBC: "Seamus Coyle was a friend of mine and I carried the coffin out of respect." He said Mr Coyle was on his "own peace process journey". Mr Eastwood, who has been in the party since he was 14, said the SDLP should "stand for a positive brand of progressive nationalism". Dr McDonnell has led the SDLP since November 2011 Last week, he told the BBC he did not expect a leadership challenge. "I don't expect to face a challenge, but if there's a challenge, I'll face it," he said. Dr McDonnell has faced calls to stand down as leader from a number of party grandees including Brid Rodgers and Seamus Mallon. The Foyle MP, Mark Durkan, used an interview on the BBC The View programme to call on the South Belfast MP to step aside as leader, arguing that the party leader needs to be at Stormont.

Summary: The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MLA Colum Eastwood has confirmed that he is set to challenge Alasdair McDonnell's leadership of the party.


Research suggests women will not earn as much as their male counterparts until 2069, nearly 100 years after the Equal Pay Act was introduced in 1970. Holyrood's economy, fair work and jobs committee will examine why women working in Scotland still earn an average of 6.2% less than men. Ministers said they were committed to removing the barriers faced by women. The difference between men and women's median hourly earnings for full-time work in Scotland fell from 7.7% in 2015 to 6.2% in 2016. Studies show fewer women work in higher-paid sectors like technology, IT and engineering, and continue to be under-represented in senior management and leadership roles. Despite 51% of workers in finance and insurance being female, it is the sector with the highest pay gap, at 29.9%. The committee cited UK government figures as showing that "equalising women's productivity could add almost Â£600bn to the economy" across the country. Convener Gordon Lindhurst said much had changed in the labour market since the 1970 legislation. The Conservative MSP told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that the inquiry aimed to be "open-minded" about how closing the gap could affect the economy. He said: "The committee wants to hear from businesses and individuals who may be affected by this issue and we want to take their views and experiences on board, and look at how we can weave that into policy recommendations for the Scottish government. "We want to encourage companies to look at the issue in perhaps a more positive way than sometimes is thought, and to see how this can be of benefit not just to the employees but also to the companies themselves. "The committee is open-minded about this. We're interested in seeing how this can affect the economy - it's not a matter of presupposing the answer. It's a very complex matter - work patterns have changed since the 1970 Equal Pay Act was brought in, we've got remote working, internet working, we have flexitime, we have all sorts of things in which the world has moved on, and it's important to review matters and see how this all fits together." Mr Lindhurst said the education system and the way people were brought into the workplace "may be key" to the inquiry. Tricia Nelson, a partner at professional services firm EY, told the programme that it was "such a good thing" that the issue was being discussed. She said: "In my own experience, you don't set out in your career thinking 'gosh, is there a gap?'. "But the more experienced you become and as you progress through the years, you do start to think, 'is everything fair? Am I getting treated the same as everyone else?' And without the data and without the conversation we can't be bold for change and move the agenda forward. "There is empirical evidence that the economy works better when women are a massive contributing factor to the workforce. And the more we can encourage organisations to look at the data and understand how they can proactively drive change the better. "Certainly the

Summary: MSPs are to examine the gender pay gap in Scotland and how tackling it could boost the economy.


The scores were level at the break with Theo Fages and Matty Smith crossing for the visitors and Alex Mellor and Patrick Ah Van going over for Widnes. Saints took the lead when Mark Percival kicked a penalty, after the Vikings had been penalised for offside. That looked to be the winning score, but the hosts eventually made their pressure tell when Ah Van crashed over. The New Zealander's second try of the night gave the hosts a first home win of the season, and they are now just one point off 11th-placed Huddersfield. Victory will ease some of the pressure on coach Denis Betts, but his team did it the hard way. They were much the better team in the first half but went in level at the break after individual errors contributed to them failing to add to their 12 points. Saints had a Luke Thompson try ruled out by the video ref at 14-12 up, before Ah Van's decisive score gave Widnes a vital two points. Widnes: Hanbury, Thompson, Bridge, Runciman, Ah Van, Mellor, Gilmore, Dudson, Johnstone, Buchanan, Houston, Dean, Gerrard. Replacements: Whitley, Burke, J. Chapelhow, D. Walker. St Helens: Bailey, Swift, Fleming, Percival, Grace, Fages, Smith, Richards, Lee, Amor, Taia, Wilkin, Thompson. Replacements: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Walmsley, Peyroux, Knowles. Whitehaven v Halifax in the Challenge Cup fifth round is live on on Sunday, 23 April on Connected TV and online from 14:55 BST, along with live text commentary online.

Summary: Widnes Vikings claimed just their second Super League win of the season with a narrow victory over St Helens.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped 1,000 (Â£11.8) and 500 notes in a surprise move last week as part of a tax evasion and corruption crackdown. People have a limited time to exchange the notes for smaller denominations, but will have their fingers marked. The government wants to stop holders of "black cash" offloading their old rupee notes in small tranches. Authorities often use indelible ink to stop people from voting more than once in Indian elections. People were told they should deposit their high denomination notes in the banks, or could only exchange up to 4,500 rupees, ($65; Â£52) for smaller notes. But to clamp down on holders of unlawfully held or untaxed cash, depositors can only make such transactions once and so the banks are using the ink to prevent them from making multiple deposits. India scraps 1,000 rupee notes overnight Chaos at banks over India money ban Supporters say it is a handy way for the Indian government to tackle corruption. The finance ministry suspects "unscrupulous" people have been trying to get around the crackdown by sending proxies to exchange their banned rupee notes. The withdrawal of the big notes is aimed at 'black money' and targets people who have been dodging taxes by holding stockpiles of cash. While the authorities say people will not be allowed another cash swap, critics are wondering what happens if the ink wears off? During elections, people have used chemicals to remove the ink from their fingers so that they can vote more than once. The government's ban on big bank notes first received widespread approval because less than 3% of Indians file tax returns. But the switch has caused chaos with tens of millions of Indians queuing for hours to exchange and withdraw cash. The government was ill-prepared for the ban which suddenly put 86% of the country's money supply out of circulation. Many businesses only accept cash and hundreds of millions of Indians do not have bank accounts and only use cash.

Summary: India is using indelible ink on fingers to ensure people get only one chance to change their big bank notes.


Two armed men wearing masks broke into the 44-year-old victim's house in Meadowbank Terrace at about 00:50. During the assault the men knocked the victim to the ground and hit him repeatedly with a blunt object before fleeing the property. Police Scotland have appealed for witnesses. The first attacker was white with a pale complexion, in his early 20s, 5ft 10ins tall and had dark hair growth on his face, brown eyes and dark unkempt hair. He was of skinny build and was wearing a light grey cotton zip-up tracksuit with the hood up, grey gloves, white Reebok classics-style trainers with air holes and a grey scarf. The second attacker is in his early to mid 20s, between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall and of skinny build. He spoke with a local accent. He was wearing an old, black, waist-length outdoor jacket with a dark scarf covering his face and his hood up. He was wearing dark gloves. Det Insp Alan O' Brien, of Police Scotland, said "This is a particularly vicious attack on a disabled man in his own home and we would ask anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the Meadowbank Terrace area in the early hours of Monday morning is asked to contact police immediately. "In addition, anyone with any information that can help us with our inquiries and assist in tracing the men responsible should also get in touch."

Summary: A disabled man has been left with serious injuries after being attacked in his own home in Edinburgh.


It follows the first formal talks since Carwyn Jones and Leanne Wood were tied 29-29 in a Senedd vote on Wednesday. The aim was to form a minority Labour administration rather than a coalition, a joint statement on Friday said. "We are confident that we can find a way forward that will result in the successful nomination of a First Minister next week," it said. "We will continue to work over the weekend, and look to resume formal talks on Monday." The Conservatives and UKIP, had joined Plaid Cymru in backing Ms Wood in the vote for first minister, with Labour and the sole Liberal Democrat, Kirsty Williams, backing Mr Jones. Jane Hutt represented Labour and Simon Thomas Plaid Cymru in Friday's talks, which took place at Welsh Government offices in Cardiff Bay, with neither party leader attending. Labour fell short of a majority at the 5 May election and needs opposition support to govern. Plaid Cymru AMs insist they did not do a deal with other parties before the tied vote on Wednesday. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies told BBC Radio Wales on Friday there had been three sets of "substantial" talks involving two AMs from his party and two AMs from Plaid. But he later released a statement suggesting the Tories would drop their backing for Ms Wood if a deal with Plaid was not forthcoming. "We have an historic opportunity to break the mould in Wales... but this will only be possible with clear enthusiasm from others," he said. "Should such ambition not be shown... Welsh Conservatives will not be minded to repeat our action from Wednesday's vote." UKIP assembly group leader Neil Hamilton said the average Plaid voter did not back the party to see it "effectively" go into coalition with Labour. "We are all in favour of talks, but minority parties should stick together against Labour arrogance," he said. On Thursday, some UKIP AMs suggested they could switch their votes if parts of their manifesto were made law, although Mr Gething said for Labour: "That is not something we would consider." Meanwhile, Labour and the Lib Dems confirmed talks were continuing between their parties. BBC Wales understands Mr Jones has discussed appointing Ms Williams as a cabinet minister, but neither party would confirm any details of the talks. Even with Ms Williams on board, Labour would still need an arrangement with another party to secure Mr Jones's re-election as first minister. At the assembly election Labour won 29 seats, Plaid Cymru 12, the Conservatives 11, UKIP seven and the Liberal Democrats one. AMs have until 1 June to nominate a first minister or face another election. Former first minister Rhodri Morgan has suggested Welsh Labour could learn lessons from the SNP in the way the two parties reacted to last week's elections. Nicola Sturgeon's SNP was two seats short of a majority in the Scottish Parliament, with Welsh Labour winning 29 of the 60 seats in the Senedd. Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru's O'r Bae programme Mr Morgan said: "Nicola Sturgeon was saying this is the

Summary: Labour and Plaid Cymru say they are "confident" of breaking the deadlock over the election of a first minister.


The animals, which include a leopard, two lynx and two ring-tailed lemurs, were found at Borth Animalarium, near Aberystwyth. Owners Alan and Jean Mumbray admitted not having the correct paperwork for a commercial premises in court on Monday. They were both fined and told the animals would be found new homes. Jean Mumbray was fined £937.50 and ordered to pay costs of £250, and Alan Mumbray was fined £300 and £100 costs at Aberystwyth Magistrates' Court, said Dyfed-Powys Police. Sgt Ian Guildford, a wildlife and environmental police officer with the force, said: "The use of the licensing system to control the sale and display of protected animals is a valuable tool in the fight against the trade in endangered animals. "Anyone who is involved in dealing with protected animals on a commercial scale such as zoos and other similar establishments should be aware of this and make every effort to comply with the legislation. "Without this, compliance loopholes are left open to those who treat endangered animals as a financial commodity." Nevin Hunter, of the Animal Health Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service, said the prosecution was "very significant" and showed that illegal use of endangered animals would not be tolerated. He added: "The vast majority of zoos and animal parks in the UK do so lawfully and play an important part in conserving endangered species. "However, those who choose to flout the regulations are on notice that we will take decisive action with police wildlife crime officers to ensure that prosecutions are taken forward. "I commend Sgt Ian Guildford, Dyfed-Powys Police, and the Crown Prosecution Service for taking forward the case and achieving this outcome."

Summary: Nine endangered animals are to be confiscated from a Ceredigion zoo after its owners admitted displaying animals without the proper paperwork.


Hull City's Chester, Dummett of Newcastle United and Celtic's Matthews missed March's 3-0 win in Israel because of injuries. Andy King returns after serving a two-match ban but injuries rule out James Collins and Ben Davies. Blackburn defender Adam Henley is also in the 23-man squad. Goalkeeper Danny Ward of Liverpool, Owain Fon Williams - recently released by Tranmere - and Leicester City striker Tom Lawrence are the other uncapped players included. The squad will meet up for a training camp in Cardiff on Monday 1 June for five days before the match squad reconvene on Monday 8 June. West Brom striker Tyler Roberts, Liverpool winger Harry Wilson, Cardiff full-back Declan John and Everton defender Gethin Jones have been called up to train with the squad that week. Real Madrid's Gareth Bale is set to win his 50th cap at Cardiff City Stadium while Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, the other goal scorer in the victory in Israel, is also in Chris Coleman's squad. Leicester City midfielder King is back after a a two-match suspension following his red card in the qualifier against Cyprus last October. Wales are currently second in Euro 2016 qualifying group B, behind Belgium on goal difference. Tottenham left-back Davies has been ruled out after having surgery on a dislocated shoulder while West Ham United centre-half Collins is absent because of a calf injury. Collins started against Israel in place of Chester, who missed the game after suffering a shoulder injury. Crystal Palace's Jonny Williams and George Williams of Fulham are also missing because of injuries. Belgium and Wales are both unbeaten after playing five of their 10 Group B games, and the match at Cardiff City Stadium has already sold out. Coleman's Wales drew 0-0 with the 2014 World Cup quarter-finalists in Brussels in November. Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Fon Williams (Tranmere),Ward (Liverpool), Williams (Swansea City - captain), Chester (Hull City), Gunter (Reading), Taylor (Swansea City), Dummett (Newcastle), Matthews (Celtic), Richards (Swansea City), Henley (Blackburn Rovers), Allen (Liverpool), Ledley (Crystal Palace), Ramsey (Arsenal), King (Leicester City), Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), MacDonald (Bournemouth), Cotterill (Birmingham City), Robson-Kanu (Reading), Lawrence (Leicester City), Bale (Real Madrid), Church (Charlton Athletic), Vokes (Burnley).

Summary: Defenders James Chester, Paul Dummett and Adam Matthews have been included in the Wales squad for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Belgium on 12 June.


As part of our fight against this, we have a very much underutilised tool - food. In BBC One's Doctor in the House, I try to help 34-year-old Emma Gleeson, who has been experiencing anxiety, depression and panic attacks for many years. She was 19 when she really began struggling with mental health. Following a severe episode of pneumonia, she ended up in intensive care in a coma. When she woke up she was petrified. She developed an extreme fear of death, and this can precipitate her panic attacks. During an attack, Emma feels terrified, and can often scream out loud. It is extremely worrying for her family and can be scary to onlookers. Emma has tried various medications and counselling therapies but was still struggling and getting three to four panic attacks per day. One of the ways in which I helped her was by changing her food choices. Despite being sceptical at first, I was able to show Emma the hidden power of food in helping her mental state. "I had been living on a diet of takeaways, fizzy drinks and general processed and convenience foods for as long as I can remember, and didn't for one moment think that what I ate was contributing in any way to the anxiety and panic attacks I'd been experiencing for years," she said. "Since meeting and spending time with Dr Rangan, he has changed my entire outlook on food, and why certain foods were potentially having a negative impact on my mental health. "I now only buy and cook with fresh food, I make my own stocks, I eat plenty of fish and I try to reduce the amount of sugar I consume. "I feel so much better and intend to keep this up." The evidence of food's link to mental states has been growing. A landmark 2015 article in the prestigious Lancet journal stated that nutrition may be as important to mental health as it is to cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology. Plus, a small but important interventional Australian study from earlier this year showed that a modified Mediterranean diet significantly helped many patients with severe depression within 12 weeks. Unfortunately, this has not translated into routine patient care and most doctors still do not discuss food with their mental health patients. This has to change. Many of us do not think about how food can impact the way we feel, but we all know the feeling of using food as a quick pick-me-up. When we are feeling a little tired, a little stressed or a little low, we often reach for a sugary snack to help us feel good in the short term. But, this can actually make things worse in the long term. The food you are eating is literally "shocking" your body. By changing her diet, as well as reducing her alcohol intake, Emma experienced a reduction in anxiety, an improvement in mood and fewer panic attacks. She also described feeling mentally stronger, having a clearer head, more energy and a greater ability to cope with stress. It has

Summary: Approximately one in four of us will experience a mental health problem each year in England.


Ann Clwyd criticised Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, claiming Owen Roberts died "like a battery hen". Although that and 20 other allegations out of 31 were not upheld, the independent investigation did find he died of hospital-induced pneumonia. Ms Clwyd maintained she would be "vindicated". Results of the review show nine of her allegations were entirely upheld and one partially. But 17 were rejected, 11 were not upheld due to insufficient evidence and two were rejected because of insufficient information. A second independent review is now taking place to examine the findings. Among the upheld allegations in the report were responses to the following comments by Ms Clwyd: However, those allegations not accepted by the investigation included claims by Ms Clwyd: Other allegations not accepted included "almost every request I made was ignored or dismissed" and "I saw a nurse in the corridor and asked her why my husband wasn't in intensive care. She just said, 'There are lots worse than him'". Up until now, the results of the investigation - carried out a year ago - went unpublished. But parts of the report were released under a Freedom of Information request. Ms Clwyd told BBC Wales the report summary should not have been made public, especially while another investigation is under way. She disputed there was insufficient evidence for her claims, and said she had additional evidence. She said: "I think that when the other investigation is concluded then my views will be substantially vindicated." By Tomos LivingstoneBBC Wales political correspondent This case has led to a huge political row. We ended up with the extraordinary situation of a Labour MP, Ann Clwyd, being criticised by the Labour First Minister, Carwyn Jones, for failing, in his view, to provide evidence to back up her claims. At the same time, we recently had the Welsh Conservative Party conference in Llangollen and delegates there standing and applauding Ann Clwyd for the work she had done campaigning for better standards of care in the health service. There is a general election of course coming up next year - health care standards are already a central part of that campaign, not least perceived differences in standards between Wales and England. So we are going to hear a lot more about the political row this case has caused and we are going to hear a lot more about the individual case itself, I think, with a second investigation now on its way. The health board has denied breaching confidentiality and said the details released were statements already in the public domain. A health board spokesman said: "We would like to make quite clear that the health board has not released the full report and it is not our intention to breach any confidentiality. "The investigation into Ms Clywd's concerns was overseen by an expert independent panel and completed in April 2013. Since then the health board has received a number of requests under Freedom of Information legislation to release that report. As part of that standard process Ms Clwyd's permission was sought to release the

Summary: Some serious complaints made by a Labour MP over the hospital care given to her husband before his death have been rejected following a review.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 16 October 2014 Last updated at 08:45 BST Alcohol is responsible for around 1 in 20 of all deaths in Wales - 29 a week - according to Public Health Wales. A higher proportion of children in Wales aged 11 to 16 were drinking alcohol than in England or Scotland. The report said progress was being made with heavy drinking falling among adults under 45 but could be on the increase among older people. Linda Bailey, a consultant with Public Health Wales, said advertising and sports sponsorship needed to be tackled.

Summary: Heavy drinking remains a major problem stretching health services in Wales, a new report has warned.


The singer told The Sun he had performed 10 concerts in "agony" on his European tour before he called in doctors. "I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time," he said. According to his website, he is on a course of "intensive antibiotics" and is expected to undergo surgery "in the coming weeks". Sir Elton has had to postpone a series of summer festival dates including shows in Italy, Germany and London's Hyde Park this week. A spokesman said the diagnosis had been made "following a number of exploratory scans and blood tests with his medical team in the UK". He confirmed the singer would not return to touring until he had fully recovered from both the planned surgery and any damage caused by the appendix abscess. "Elton is incredibly disappointed to postpone these tour dates," he said. "To know that he made such super-human efforts and continued to perform to thousands through his illness only confirms his dedication to his European fans. "He is eager to be back on top form and return to play the remaining shows starting in early September 2013." Sir Elton had been due to perform at the Collisioni festival in Italy on Tuesday, with further shows in Germany on Thursday and a headline gig at London's Hyde Park on Friday. British Summer Time festival organisers AEG Live said the Hyde Park show would still go ahead with Elvis Costello and former Kinks frontman Ray Davies on the bill, with existing ticket holders receiving a full refund. Other July dates now scrapped include festivals in Spain, France and Monaco. Sir Elton is due back in the UK in September, performing at the First Direct Arena in Leeds and at Bestival before heading back to Las Vegas for a month-long residency at The Colosseum.

Summary: Sir Elton John has said he is "lucky to be alive" after being diagnosed with appendicitis.


The 29-year-old world number 21 took the first game 12-10 after an impressive trick-shot between his legs with the scores tied at 10-10. But Egypt's 2014 US Open winner edged the second and third games 11-9 and 12-10 before winning the fourth 11-5. Simpson had beaten Egypt's Karim Ali Fathi in the opening round. "Played my first trick shot today. Wanna know how I did it? Me too....," Simpson wrote on Twitter after the match.

Summary: Guernsey's Chris Simpson has been knocked out of the US Open, despite pushing world number one Mohamed El Shorbagy in their second-round tie.


The evacuation of the Jet2 plane at East Midlands Airport was hampered when one of the escape chutes did not work. It came after the pilot was unable to check whether landing gear had deployed and the failure of the cabin PA system. The initial fault was caused by a loose connection the Air Accident Investigation Branch concluded. Because of the landing gear problems, the pilot - flying from Ibiza last September - was forced to fly over the airport at 1,000 ft (300m) so ground crew could check if it had come down, the report said. But it was too dark to tell and the co-pilot had to look out of windows in the main cabin, before the pilot was cleared to land. As the plane taxied on the runway, passengers reportedly panicked when the smoke began to seep into the cabin. Because the PA system was not working, cabin crew tried to use a loud hailer to tell passengers but the volume button had fallen off. The escape chute then failed to deploy effectively, forcing some of the passengers to run out on to the wing before leaping onto the ground. One member of cabin crew only realised the plane was being evacuated when she saw passengers on the wing. According to the report, a problem was first spotted when the pilots realised the address system was not working. Several other failures were noticed including an equipment cooling fan, a radio, weather radar, the autobrake, power to the standby altitude indicator and compass. It was realised there was a problem with a battery connection, known as a busbar, forcing the pilots to request a quick landing at the airport. After a successful landing, passengers and crew could smell smoke but the commander could not announce a full evacuation. Since the incident, Jet2 has included a procedure within its manual which will better-prepare pilots in the event of a repeat and also reduce the chance it will result in an evacuation, the report said. The AAIB concluded all the problems - bar the escape chute - stemmed from the loose connection possibly caused by the over-tightened nut. It also noted smoke started to seep into the cabin because a fan stopped working creating a build up of dust and oil in the air conditioning. It was suggested the problem with the escape chute could be because a crew member was more used to opening a door on the opposite side of the plane.

Summary: Passengers escaped a smoke-filled plane by jumping from the wing after a series of problems caused by an electrical fault, investigators say.


Winners of the cup competition earn a place in the Europa League. Four-time cup winners Forest have failed to progress past the third round for the past 11 seasons and start their campaign at Doncaster on Tuesday. "It's very important because it is the only way to go into the Europa League," Montanier told BBC Radio Nottingham. "I know it's difficult because there are a lot of teams from the Premier League and Championship. It will be a very important game." Forest, two-time European Cup winners under Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980, who also guided the club to its four League Cup titles, last featured in European competition in the 1995-96 season, reaching the Uefa Cup quarter-finals. The Reds, who last won the League Cup in 1990 and featured in the final in 1992, were knocked out of the competition by League One side Walsall 12 months ago. Their trip to face League Two side Doncaster comes three days after Montanier oversaw Forest's Championship season opening victory against Burton Albion, in what was his first competitive match in English football. Former Rennes boss Montanier also confirmed that the injury to goalkeeper Dorus de Vries, suffered in the 4-3 victory over Burton on Saturday, is not as bad as first feared. "It will be a few weeks, but not serious," Montanier said.

Summary: Nottingham Forest manager Philippe Montanier says he wants to guide the Championship side into Europe next season as EFL Cup holders.


The man known as Kazu, or 'King Kazu' by some fans, will stay with the second division side past his 49th birthday. Kazuyoshi first played for Brazilian side Santos in 1986, so his deal will see his career span over 30 years. "I'm thankful to the club staff and supporters who always offer me support," said Miura, who scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan. "I'll continue to give everything I have and strive," added the former Genoa and Dinamo Zagreb striker. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miura holds the record as the oldest scorer in Japanese football - a winner in a second division match four months after his 48th birthday. He was particularly prolific in guiding Japan to the 1998 World Cup, scoring 14 goals in qualifying, and last played for the national side in 2000. His career, which started when he moved to Brazil to play youth football aged 15, is one of the longest in football history. Last week ex-England striker Teddy Sheringham registered himself as a player for Stevenage - where he is manager - at the age of 49 but opted out of playing in a local cup competition.

Summary: Japanese footballer Kazuyoshi Miura has signed a one-year contract extension with Yokohama FC at the age of 48.


Speaking to the BBC, Thomas Thabane said he would return from South Africa, which surrounds Lesotho, "as soon as I know I am not going to get killed". Reports say the capital, Maseru, is now calm after soldiers seized buildings. The army denied staging a coup. Lesotho has seen a series of military coups since independence in 1966. Mr Thabane has headed a unity government since elections in May 2012, but suspended parliament sessions in June amid feuding in his coalition. He denied accusations that his actions had undermined his government. Mr Thabane said the army had rendered the government "dysfunctional", an action that amounted to a coup. "I have been removed from control not by the people but by the armed forces, and that is illegal," he told the BBC's Newshour programme. "I came into South Africa this morning and I will return as soon as my life is not in danger. I will not go back to Lesotho to get killed." South Africa's government described the situation as "worrying", with spokesman Clayson Monyela saying the country would not tolerate "unconstitutional change of government". At the scene: Basildon Peta, Maseru, Lesotho This whole thing started around 03:00. There were gunshots since early morning. The city is currently calm. People are playing it safe within their homes, but there is basically a media blackout. To all intents and purposes it is a military coup with the aim of ousting the prime minister. There can be no other reason of soldiers behaving the way they have been behaving other than to seize power. So far we have no reports of killings. It would be correct to call it a bloodless coup attempt. But I am not going to stick around. The chances are the situation may deteriorate. One does not know what is going to happen. Basildon Peta is the publisher of the Lesotho Times The army is understood to have acted after the prime minister attempted to remove its chief, Lt Gen Kennedy Tlai Kamoli. The army said the general was still in charge, saying the military "supports the democratically elected government of the day," Reuters news agency reported. A spokesman, Maj Ntlele Ntoi, denied staging a coup, saying: "There is nothing like that, the situation has returned to normalcy... the military has returned to their barracks." Earlier, troops were seen on the streets of Maseru and there were reports of gunfire. Radio stations were taken off air and phone lines were cut, although later reports suggested they were working again. Sports Minister Thesele Maseribane told the AFP news agency that troops had surrounded State House, a key government building.

Summary: The prime minister of the southern African kingdom of Lesotho has fled to South Africa, alleging a coup by the army and saying his life is in danger.


Menzies said rectifying "operational issues" at the airport would cost an extra Â£6m in the second half of 2015. It warned full-year profits could be Â£2m lower than previously forecast. However, it reported strong profit growth at its US hubs, while its distribution arm was "delivering ahead of forecast". In a trading update for the 10 months to 30 October, Edinburgh-based Menzies said: "Within the aviation division, service levels at London Gatwick have been restored. "However, the actions we have put in place to mitigate the operational issues and deliver the customer's operational requirements will cost Â£6m of additional investment, mainly in manpower, in the second half of the year, and will impact this year's earnings. "Contract negotiations with this customer continue, and we are working towards a resolution before the year end." Menzies said its aviation division continued to perform well in all regions outside the UK. Ground handling turns and cargo tonnes were up 9% and 4% respectively, with revenue in the period up 6% on last year. Chief executive Jeremy Stafford said: "During a busy period of transition, we continue to progress with the group's strategic objectives. "Our distribution business is quickly gaining traction in the UK e-logistics market, whilst continuing to deliver cost and cash improvement initiatives. "Aviation continues to benefit from growth in the Americas, whilst we continue to work through UK operational matters. "I am disappointed that contractual issues at London Gatwick have led us to revise our aviation outlook for this year, albeit largely offset with strong progress in our distribution business. "The group remains well placed to drive earnings."

Summary: Logistics group John Menzies has issued a profits warning following problems with its ground handling contract at London Gatwick Airport.


The higher education sector largely supported remaining in the UK and since the vote, has voiced concerns about the financial implications of leaving. Universities fear losing research funding, students and staff in the event of a "hard" Brexit. But some universities are considering expanding into Europe as a way round the problem. The University of Kent has had a centre in Brussels for almost 20 years, for more than 200 postgraduate students from 60 countries, and also runs branches in Paris, Athens and Rome. These sites are recognised by relevant legal and educational authorities in each country and allow the university "to develop and foster connections that enable our students to gain important access to professional networks", said a University of Kent spokesman. Other universities could follow suit as Brexit negotiations gather pace. "You can imagine a situation post-Brexit where UK universities are operating as aggressively in Europe as they are in China and India and elsewhere, Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, told the Guardian newspaper. There is evidence that UK universities are already losing out on research collaboration with European partners. British universities, in collaboration with small businesses, receive Â£850m in research grants each year from the European Union. Universities also worry that they would find it harder to recruit students and staff from EU countries if freedom of movement restrictions were brought in and the rules on fees for EU students were changed under the UK's new relationship with the EU. EU students currently pay the same fees and have the same access to loans as UK students - and Universities UK president Dame Julia Goodfellow has already called for reassurance for those who have already started degrees at UK universities that these arrangements will last for the duration of their courses. Branches within the EU could allow UK universities to retain research links and European funding while also allowing them to continue to attract staff and students. The Guardian quotes one vice-chancellor as saying that institutions were "window shopping" for the EU countries with the most co-operative regulatory regimes. Germany, Finland, the Republic of Ireland and the Baltic states are said to be emerging as the preferred options of some universities. Alistair Jarvis, deputy chief executive of Universities UK, said British universities faced "significant challenges". "British universities can thrive post-exit with the right support from government," said Mr Jarvis. "To thrive post-exit, we need government to take action to make the UK an even more attractive destination for talented university staff and students from around the world and develop new policies and funding to enhance international research collaboration." Oxford University says it has no plans to expand overseas, though vice-chancellor Louise Richardson has voiced concerns about losing staff to other countries. "Our academics might decide to leave if they're concerned that they may not be able to get their research funded in the future. "There are many universities in the world who would be thrilled to have them and who are approaching them," she told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has told the

Summary: UK universities could open campuses in Europe to offset the effect of Brexit, some vice-chancellors have suggested.


Diamond, 47, says some internationals could join Sale at the AJ Bell Stadium in time for next season. "We're in talks with four or five international players to join us," he told BBC Radio Manchester. "We're well on the way to bringing some real experienced quality players to the club next year." Diamond said there is no urgency to bring in players and that he was happy with the way the club plans to bring in recruitments. "I don't need to rush into signing players. We've got a good protocol with how we find our players and it's not let us down yet in five years," he said. "There's offers gone and there's offers been accepted, we've just got to tie the details up. "There's one or two people who have decided to come to Sale for less money than they're being offered. "They've got mates who are here and they've asked the question. How do they run it? What's it like? "One or two of these are leaving big clubs to come here which will be a statement when we announce them."

Summary: Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond says the club will not rush into making signings and insists they will bring in "quality" talent.


Bernard Hender, 19, and Doug McTavish, 39, died in the blaze above a funeral director's office in Llanrwst, Conwy county, in October 2014. The Abergele inquest is examining if a Hotpoint dryer caused the fire. On Thursday, a fire engineer told the hearing there was "no compelling evidence" it started in the dryer but he could not rule it out. Clifford Christie, a member of the Institute of Fire Engineers, was asked to look into the cause of the fire by domestic appliance company Whirlpool. Giving evidence on the second day of the hearing, he said the dryer was "severely damaged" by fire but some components on the machine were intact. Mr Christie said he was "satisfied" it had not started in the timer, the motor or the drum, and there was no accumulation of lint in the machine. But he said he could not rule out that it started in the machine's starter switch, which was not recovered following the blaze. He also told the hearing it was possible there was a fault in an iron kept in the same room. He said evidence given to the inquest on Wednesday that the iron was switched off might have been "mistaken". On Wednesday, a tenant who lived in the flat spoke of surviving the fire. Garry Lloyd Jones, 50, told the inquest: "I just remember walking down the corridor to see what was going on and seeing flames coming out of the tumble dryer. "I went down to the living area and went to the kitchen and there was nothing there but when I looked out of the kitchen window I could see an orange glow." Notices had previously been issued by Whirlpool telling customers to unplug Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit models manufactured between 2004 and 2015 after a potential fire risk was identified. The inquest continues.

Summary: A tumble dryer could "not be ruled out" as the cause of a flat fire in which two men died, an inquest has heard.


The stowaway was identified by Chinese media as a 16-year-old boy from Sichuan named Xu. He was found on 27 May, hiding in the cargo hold of flight EK303 from Shanghai. The official Xinhua news agency and the Chengdu Economic Daily reported the boy had said he did it because he had heard beggars in Dubai could make 470,000 yuan ($71,275; Â£49,300) a month. Earlier this year, there was a story being shared widely on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo with the hashtag #DubaiBeggarsMake470000YuanMonthly. The China Daily report said non-United Arab Emirates citizens were making a fortune begging, some making 270,000 dirhams (that is where the 470,000 yuan figure comes from). At the time, people online were saying they were "prepared to go begging in Dubai" and some posts showed flight tickets with the caption "Do not stop me going". After Tuesday's story about Xu the hashtag is trending once again, with some people expressing amusement and others being much more critical. "People with dreams deserve praises," said Chi Ma Xiao De Xiao Ma Fa. But Kai Ge Lu - Deng Ta Hui Lai said on Weibo: "Are people who praise the teenager being serious? Everyone knows that entering the country in that way is illegal. "Also, the teenager wants to reap without sowing if he wants to be a beggar in Dubai to make money." Some users were blaming the media for spreading rumours about the riches of Dubai. On CCTV's official Weibo account, a user left the comment: "Media that have been publishing inaccurate reports should bear responsibility. They should be held accountable." BBC Chinese also spoke to two travellers from Shanghai to Dubai who thought social media reports had misled the boy. So is there any truth to the story? The China Daily report appears to be based on a story on Gulf News from April this year when Dubai police arrested a beggar who they said was making 270,000 dirhams per month. Dubai police carry out campaigns to stop begging on the streets and the man was arrested as part of the raid. Police said they had caught "professional" beggars, some of them carrying passports with business or tourist visas, but did not say how many of the 59 beggars detained were found with large amounts of money. Reporting by Grace Tsoi, Yashan Zhao, Saira Asher and Kerry Allen

Summary: The story of a Chinese teenager who stowed away on a plane to Dubai, reportedly hoping to make money there as beggar, has sparked a conversation in China about misinformation.


The two-time Masters champion, 38, carded a six-under-par 66, which included an eagle and five birdies, before play was suspended. Five players are one shot behind Watson in China. England's Tommy Fleetwood is three shots back after a three-under-par 69. The 56 players who still have to finish their opening rounds will do so early on Friday before the second round takes place. Shenzhen International leaderboard

Summary: American Bubba Watson has a one-shot clubhouse lead at the storm-interrupted Shenzhen International, with 56 players set to finish their first rounds early on Friday.


Lawnmowers, a scarifier and a turfer were taken from the Lockerbie site some time between 09:00 on Thursday and the same time on Friday. Det Con Scott Barr said it appeared to have been a "targeted raid" with a vehicle needed to remove the property. He appealed for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area to contact them as soon as possible.

Summary: Grass cutting equipment worth about £20,000 has been stolen from a south of Scotland bowling club.


Hend, 43, carded a one-over-par 73 to finish on nine under after the third round at Wentworth. Hatton, 24, birdied five of his last eight holes to shoot a six-under 66. England's Lee Westwood (68) and YE Yang (75) are tied for third on seven under, while Masters champion Danny Willett (76) is a shot further back. Hend complained after his round about the behaviour of some spectators towards him over the closing holes, as he played in the final match with Willett. The Australian said: "Danny was getting all the crowd support and I had no problem with that. But there were a couple of guys out there who were really over the top and it wasn't very nice what they were saying. "It was quite rude and personal and if it was up to me I would have had them thrown out. "Danny and I are mates. I've played with him before and he wants me to do well and I want him to do well. But when you get hecklers in the crowd saying pretty rude things as they were, I was ready to punch them." Willett again struggled on the back nine. Having coming home in 39 after a tournament record first-nine of 29 in his second round, Willett took 41 strokes on Saturday. The 28-year-old Englishman said: "It's disappointing to be somewhere there or thereabouts and then to play poorly on the back nine like we did yesterday. "We had everything under control nicely and then a couple of loose shots, a couple of bad decisions, a couple of missed putts and very quickly it kind of slipped away." Hatton, who has finished fifth, 13th and 12th in his last three events, set the clubhouse target more than two hours before the leaders finished after firing the day's lowest score. He said: "I've been walking around this place since (I was) a five-year-old and I was in awe of the guys inside of the rope. "For me now, playing my third BMW PGA, it's great. I love this event." England's Westwood is playing the event for a 23rd year in a row and is targeting a first win after a second-place finish in 2000 and losing a play-off to Luke Donald in 2011. Westwood, who finished second to Willett at the Masters in April, maintained his ever-present run after taking painkillers to help overcome a foot ligament injury sustained while running on Tuesday. He said: "For a pro to win the PGA at any stage in their career is special. But to do it at 43 years old, in my 23rd appearance and having been in contention a lot before, would be great. "I've played well here in the past and having finished second in the Masters and 10th in the Irish Open, I was surprised to be 33-1 going into this week. "I haven't played a lot at the start of the year, so I'm pretty fresh coming into this part of the season. Normally I would have played 15 events and I've only played six.

Summary: Australia's Scott Hend eagled the 18th hole for the second successive day to take a one-shot lead over England's Tyrrell Hatton at the PGA Championship.


Media playback is not supported on this device Mignolet struggled as the Reds twice gave away the lead in a thrilling 3-3 draw with the Premier League leaders. "For the second goal he needs help from all the players," said Klopp, in reference to Mignolet scrambling as Olivier Giroud scored from a corner. The Belgium goalkeeper, 27, is set to sign a new five-year contract. Mignolet, who joined the Reds from Sunderland in a £9m deal in June 2013, was also beaten at his near post by Aaron Ramsey for Arsenal's first equaliser. Klopp, who has consistently backed Mignolet, added: "On the second goal, on a perfect day he can make a save but there were a lot of mistakes before. "We have to defend this better." Liverpool's goalkeeping weaknesses have been exposed by errors from Mignolet's deputy Adam Bogdan in the 3-0 defeat at Watford and the 2-2 FA Cup draw at Exeter. That has prompted Klopp to recall 22-year-old Welshman Danny Ward, a substitute on Wednesday, from a successful loan spell at Aberdeen. Liverpool snatched a deserved draw with Arsenal thanks to Joe Allen's late equaliser. Roberto Firmino twice gave Liverpool the lead in a breathless first half, the second a spectacular 20-yard drive, but Arsenal levelled through Ramsey and Giroud. Giroud's second-half strike - his 18th goal of the season - looked to have put the Gunners on course for a crucial victory, but substitute Allen rewarded the hosts for a display bursting with energy and spirit with a low 90th-minute finish. Media playback is not supported on this device Klopp was delighted with the performance of Brazil forward Firmino, who has struggled to live up to his £29m transfer fee since arriving from Hoffenheim in the summer. The German said: "I could talk about this for half an hour. He doesn't know how good he is. If you are good, you have to show it. "He had a really good game but he was not the only one. I could talk about special performances - we had a lot of other players." Klopp was also involved in an angry first-half exchange with fourth official Robert Madley and was calmed down, amiably, by his opposite number Arsene Wenger. He said: "I told Arsene why I was a little bit emotional. It was a clear throw-in for us in a good moment, a good phase. I said what I said, he said what he said. "We had nothing, it was friendly."

Summary: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp defended under-fire goalkeeper Simon Mignolet after his latest uncertain display in the draw with Arsenal at Anfield.


In 2013 a working group, set up by the Scottish government, recommended eligible couples should be offered up to three treatments. But that would only be after health boards had reduced IVF waiting times. Infertility Network UK said it was a "no-brainer" there should now be three cycles as waiting times have fallen. New IVF criteria was introduced in July 2013, following recommendations by the National Infertility Working Group. The changes were designed to standardise fertility treatment across Scotland to prevent a "postcode lottery". Giving evidence to Holyrood's health committee, the charity's chief executive Susan Seenan said: "The group recommended three cycles and said that once the waiting times were down to below 12 months, at the latest early 2015, they would consider moving to three cycles. "It just doesn't seem to be happening as fast as we would like it to. "We just think now that the waiting times are down, that it is a no-brainer - we should move to offering everybody who is eligible three cycles." Susan Seenan added: "Everybody in the group was agreed that...three cycles was the best possible way to move forward for patients. "Why anybody would not want to move forward with that, I have no idea, unless it is finance related." A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said Scotland was "leading the way" in the provision of NHS IVF treatment, with Â£12m of investment over the last three years. She said the number of IVF cycles that couples were entitled to was under review. The spokeswoman added: "The reconvened expert group has met twice and its review will consider a range of issues, including the number of IVF cycles, to ensure access to IVF treatments remains fair, reliable and timely. "The views of patients and our stakeholders, including Infertility Network Scotland who are part of the Infertility Group, will be instrumental to this process, along with data collection and modelling." Fertility treatment is currently available to those under 40, and is not offered to women who are obese. In addition, couples need to have been in a stable relationship for two years and neither partner can smoke for three months before treatment begins. Both partners also need to be methadone-free for a year before IVF starts. Women aged between 40 and 42 are eligible for one cycle of fertility treatment if they have never previously undergone the procedure.

Summary: A charity is calling for couples in Scotland who need help conceiving to have access to three cycles of IVF instead of two.


As Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashed in their first one-on-one debate it was the senator from Vermont who started to trend worldwide. So what are Bernie's supporters doing differently to bolster his support amongst younger voters? One place where he is a surprising hit is the dating app Tinder. Kevin Smit from Alkmaar in the Netherlands has used Tinder to spread the Bernie gospel. "I'm not a heterosexual male and I too believe he's sexy" he joked to BBC News. "He's a hit because there's a lot of millennials on the app and he polls amazingly with them". Fans of Bernie's Tinder triumphs share their success on Facebook and Tumblr. Logan Jantzi from New York told BBC News that it was Bernie's policies which lead to his Tinder appeal. "He discusses problems that are of actual concern to young voters" he said. "Gender inequality, low wages, high student loan debt, climate change, these are the things that 18-30 somethings are concerned with." Nelson Evans, a Bernie Sanders supporter from California, told BBC News that the popularity of Bernie on social media was because his supporters didn't think their candidate received enough attention in traditional media. "There's people who even pay the full Tinder membership fees in order to reach others across the country" he said. "I think it's effective because, prior to the Iowa caucus, the media has completely shut Bernie out of the news cycle. For every 81 minutes of election coverage he'd get 10 seconds and Bernie supporters know that." "But people who get their election news from the mainstream media, they have no idea what Bernie is all about. That's sort of what started the Tinder thing. "It's amazing how you see people from 17-29 who have gone from never being interested in politics to being completely enveloped by it. "This election represents more than just a candidate. It's an indication that the youth know what direction they want our country to go, and they're ready to work vigorously for it," he added. The hashtag #demdebate has been used more than 600,000 times over the past 24 hours to discuss the debate between Clinton and Sanders: Both candidates have their names shortened on Twitter to fit with the platform's character limit. Hillary Clinton is commonly called '#HRC' by supporters, a term which has featured in more than 49,700 tweets over the past 24 hours while the term #Bernie far surpassed that and was used in 322,000 tweets. On Facebook, Bernie Sanders' personal page has almost three million likes while Hillary Clinton is only able to manage 2.3 million. But his popularity on social sites won't necessarily translate into Bernie Sanders becoming the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Left-leaning young voters in the UK frequently made the Labour leader Ed Miliband the top trend on Twitter and other social sites during last year's general election, as part of the hashtag #milifandom campaign. Unfortunately for him, his online fans did not turn into a majority in voting stations last May.

Summary: As the race to become the Democratic presidential candidate heats up in the United States, the left-leaning Bernie Sanders has become a surprising star on social media, with young voters using mobile phone apps to push others to #feelthebern.


But if ordinary Greeks retain faith in democracy - their vote is all they have left, in the considered words of one struggling cafe-owner I met in Thessaloniki - they are rapidly losing trust in Europe. For many, the EU remains a "one-way" street, as another man put it. For instance, older people used to the modernity EU membership brought back in 1981 cannot envisage ever leaving. But for some younger Greeks in Thessaloniki, capital of a region with 30% unemployment, exit is an attractive idea, or at least the abandonment of the hated euro. "You cannot put a lion and a cat in the same cage," one unemployed young man told me on the street, describing how he sees relations between Greece and the economic giants of the north. Change may take a generation if it ever happens, given the continuing support for the parties tied to the financial crisis, New Democracy and Pasok, and doubts over the willingness of the radical left in the form of Syriza to really effect change. Meanwhile there is marble-cold anger at the relentless impoverishment of a nation on the edge of Europe. Former businessman Stefanos Dimoulas now works as a pizza delivery "boy", in his words, for 3.3 euros (Â£2.7; $4.5) an hour without medical insurance. He has business debts of 50,000 euros but also, after a recent operation to remove a rare tumour in his neck, he owes 3,000 euros in medical bills. Now he needs more treatment. Mr Dimoulas did not say for whom he would vote, but expressed dismay at the way Pasok and New Democracy were ruling together after decades on opposite sides. He sees Greece's future outside the eurozone and outside the EU full stop, prospering with control over its own resources and currency. His is a positive position, imbued with love for Greece, with none of the nationalist hate associated with the far-right Golden Dawn party. I encountered some Golden Dawn supporters. Not the aggressive men I was used to seeing in TV reports, but two old-age pensioners getting drunk on spirits at a cafe table and a careworn middle-aged farmer, incensed at the low price of milk offered for his dairy herd. None of them spoke to me. It was their friends nearby who informed me of their stance. Making it my mission to interview unemployed or economically vulnerable Greeks primarily, quite at random near the cafes in Thessaloniki where they sit outside on walls or lawns because they cannot afford a simple cup of coffee anymore, I invariably met people preparing to vote for parties of the left. Again, they gave no names of parties, but there was a distaste for the traditional left and a readiness to experiment, it seemed to me, with newer parties. These include Antarsya, an anti-EU, anti-capitalist coalition created five years ago which won less than 1% of the vote at the last national election in 2012. One of its European election candidates, Foteini Rizou, I met out of the blue at a backpacker hostel, where she works as a receptionist

Summary: Champions of the European Union can take heart from the fact that in urban Greece, people ground down by poverty still take the 25 May elections seriously.


The South American country will be the first in the world to legally sell the drug over the counter for recreational use. The move was set in motion in 2013 with a law that fully legalised the cannabis trade. However, it has been a slow process to put the law into practice. "Cannabis will be dispensed in pharmacies starting in the month of July," presidential aide Juan Andres Roballo told a press conference. The law requires buyers to sign up to a national registry, which Mr Roballo said would be up and running by 2 May. The price will be US$1.30 (Â£1) per gram. Registrants - who must be Uruguayan citizens or permanent residents - can purchase up to a maximum of 40 grams (1.4 ounces) per month. The marijuana sold will come from state-supervised fields. The law also allows users to grow their own at home, or join cooperative clubs that farm it. Many pharmacists have doubted the financial benefits of selling a cost-controlled product. Some Uruguayan buyers were also reluctant to sign up to a national registry, complaining of the invasion of their privacy and of having to keep to the monthly limits. The government has now done a deal with 16 pharmacies, but it hopes to sign up more. Mr Roballo said there would be a public health campaign before the registry was opened. He also said the government was not close to covering the predicted demand, but it does not believe there will be "an avalanche of users" signing up,

Summary: Uruguay will begin selling cannabis in pharmacies from July, the final stage in the country's pioneering regularisation of the drug.


The Labour authority voted in favour of changing 2,700 contracts from 52 weeks to term time-only. The council said it would bring staff in line with the other 17,000 workers and "reduce the risk" of staff making claims for equal pay. Union Unison said it was "bitterly disappointed" with the decision. Regional officer, Helen Metcalf, said: "This is a devastating blow for the 2,700 teaching assistants in the county, who now face being driven into poverty and relying on food banks through losing Â£200 - Â£400 per month of their salary." She said there was "no option" but to lodge a formal dispute and ballot members for industrial action. Teaching assistant Tony Lowery, said: "It is really devastating for my family because I'm the main wager. I don't mean things like going on holidays or a second car, I mean things like food on the table and clothes on our backs." Liberal Democrat councillors voted unanimously against the plans. Councillor Owen Temple said the affected staff would "find themselves the poorest teaching assistants in the North East" and the council was "very likely to face legal challenge". The council's corporate director of resources, Don McLure, said there was a "real risk" that, under the present contracts, other council employees could make claims for equal pay with the teaching assistants. He said: "I fully understand the position teaching assistants are in but they are very valued, they do a great job and support the education of our children, but we are doing this to bring them in line with the rest of our workforce." He said two consultations with assistants and the unions had failed to find agreement but it was hoped further discussions would resolve the matter without strike action being taken.

Summary: Durham County Council has approved plans to cut the salaries of teaching assistants by nearly 23% by not paying them during school holidays.