He remains the world's richest person, despite giving away 64 million shares in Microsoft. The shares are equivalent to 5% of his total fortune, currently estimated to be $89.9bn. Since 1994 Mr Gates, 61, and his wife Melinda have given away a total of $35bn in cash and stocks to a range of charitable causes. The donation was made in June but became public on Monday following the filing of a document with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr Gates' share in Microsoft is now just 1.3%. Prior to this, Mr Gates gave away $16bn in Microsoft shares in 1999 and $5.1bn in 2000. The majority of all previous donations have been made to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is primarily focused on reducing world poverty, combating infectious diseases and providing universal access to computers. It is not known who the recipient of this latest donation is, however when federal documents are filed, it usually means new money is being given to a foundation, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports. In 2010, Mr and Mrs Gates and the well-known investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett created the Giving Pledge, and as of May 2017, 158 individuals or couples have agreed to contribute at least half of their wealth to charity. This latest donation is the biggest charitable gift to have been made anywhere in the world so far this year. The second largest was made by Mr Buffett, who donated almost $3.2bn to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last month. And the third biggest came from Dell Computer Corporation founder Michael Dell and his wife Susan. In May the couple gave more than $1bn to their foundation, which focuses on children's issues and community initiatives.

Summary: Bill Gates has given away $4.6bn (Â£3.6bn) to charity in his largest donation since 2000.


He was speaking in an emergency debate at the European Parliament in the wake of last week's EU referendum. The UK voted by 52% to 48% to leave the union after 43 years of membership. Mr Smith used his speech in Brussels to urge the EU to respect the will of Scotland after its electors voted by 62% to 38% to remain in the EU. He won applause form the chamber when he said he was "proudly Scottish and proudly European". Mr Smith went on to say: "I want my country to be internationalist, cooperative, ecological, fair, European. "And the people of Scotland, along with the people of Northern Ireland and the people of London, and lots and lots of people in Wales and England also, voted to remain within our family of nations. "I demand that that status and that esprit European be respected. "But colleagues, there are a lot of things to be negotiated. We will need cool heads and warm hearts. But please, remember this: Scotland, did not let you down. "Please, I beg you, chers collÃ¨gues, do not let Scotland down now." After his short address he received a standing ovation. The leader of UKIP and pro-Leave backer Nigel Farage did not join in the applause. MEP Mr Farage had earlier spoken to his fellow EU parliament colleagues. He told them that "the little people" had rejected "big politics" in order "to get their country back". Mr Farage believed the UK now offered "a beacon of hope" across Europe for other countries that wanted to leave the EU. He said: "When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well, I have to say, you're not laughing now are you?"

Summary: SNP MEP Alyn Smith received a standing ovation from his European colleagues after he begged them not to "let Scotland down".


The accident happened on the Edinburgh bypass between Baberton and Dreghorn at about 17:00 on Monday. Police said a woman on the bus was taken to hospital with a "serious leg injury". Her injury is not thought to be life-threatening. Four other people who suffered minor injuries were also taken to hospital but were later released. The eastbound lane of the road was closed following the accident causing lengthy tailbacks. It was re-opened at 18:45.

Summary: Five people have been injured following a crash between a bin lorry, a bus and two cars.


Jackie Stokes, from Burton-upon-Trent, said she spent Â£9,500 on implants in Hungary but an investigation found her treatment plan caused "irreversible damage to otherwise healthy teeth". Dentist Dr Zsolt Csillag was given a one-year supervision order by the General Dental Council. He did not respond to attempts to contact him. The Forest and Ray Medical Care Group said he had left the company due to "personal reasons". The clinic said it "always puts patients first" and treated Mrs Stokes with extra care, above and beyond its normal routine. Mrs Stokes said: "It has left me feeling like I have been assaulted, butchered and robbed of my life savings. "I was advised by an NHS dentist to go down the implant road... because it wasn't on the NHS I would go seek help elsewhere. "A friend of mine had been over to Hungary so we decided to go down that line," the 65-year-old added. Mrs Stokes had implants in her upper jaw and crowns on eight teeth in her lower jaw, over two trips to Budapest. On her second visit in June 2013, she said she was left with a "bulldog bite" - a gap between her gums and upper teeth through which food would seep. The implants failed and were later removed. She now has to wear dentures. In total, Mrs Stokes said she had 27 visits to the dental group over four years. The General Dental Council found Dr Csillag should not have put crowns on her eight lower teeth because they were healthy. In relation to Mrs Stokes and another patient, his treatment plan for them included "irreversible damage to otherwise healthy teeth", the investigation found. The restrictions placed on Dr Csillag can only be imposed when he is working in the United Kingdom.

Summary: A woman who spent her life savings on dental implants that had to be taken out feels "butchered" by the dentist.


Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott said the Welsh government had "wasted" more than £52,000 on them at railway stations in south Wales. She accused ministers of spending public money to "promote themselves before an election". The Welsh government said it was unapologetic about the campaign. A spokesman said: "We are not going to apologise for informing the Welsh public about one of the most important economic and social projects in Wales' history. "Are the Liberal Democrats really saying that we should not be providing people in Wales with this important information?" Ms Parrott said her party backed the project, but added: "To all intents and purposes, here we have Labour ministers spending over £50,000 of public money to promote themselves before an election. "This is money spent only on marketing the fact that one day, years in the future, there will be a Metro in south Wales. "This is a cynical way of spending public money. The minister is wasting tens of thousands of pounds on a useless poster campaign." Work on the Metro is set to start in 2017 and finish in 2020, a government spokesman said. Formal consultation for the £600m programme to develop an integrated network of rail, bus and light rail services begins in 2016.

Summary: An advertising campaign promoting the South Wales Metro has been criticised as "useless" and a "cynical way of spending public money".


The Conservatives claimed the amount councils are spending on education is at its lowest level for six years. But the Scottish government said the figures being quoted were "inaccurate and misleading". Each council decides for itself just how much to spend on education although some important costs like teachers' pay are set nationally. The Conservatives claimed official government figures said spending on education by councils had fallen to its lowest level for six years. They said councils spent Â£4.67 billion between them last year - down Â£140m on the previous year. The government said the Conservatives' figures were wrong as some of the numbers quoted were not directly comparable. Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Mary Scanlon said: "At a time when the schools budget in England has been protected, these new figures reveal another cut in funding for schools in Scotland. "The cost of this is clear. In England the number of full-time teachers has increased by more than 3,000 between 2010 and 2013. "But in Scotland, over the same period, the numbers have fallen by around 1,000. "This is the price schools are paying for the SNP's failure to take any responsibility for our schools system and undertake the reforms that are necessary to turn it around. "It's not good enough for them to blame others - the cuts to spending and the fall in literacy and numeracy standards is happening on the SNP's watch." But the Scottish government insisted the Conservatives' use of figures is wrong. A Scottish government spokesperson said: "This comparison is completely inaccurate and misleading, as it compares net expenditure in 2014/15 with gross expenditure for past years. Provisional outturn was higher in 2014-15 than it was in 2013-14. "We also know councils are planning to spend 3.3% more on the delivery of education in 2015-16 - the largest increase in six years. "We know spending per pupil is significantly higher in Scotland than England. "Despite Westminster austerity, we remain wholly committed to mitigating the effects of welfare cuts and ensuring our education system is resourced to continue to meet the needs of children, parents, schools and communities." The largest teaching union, the EIS, said education budgets had been under pressure, but had little sympathy for the Conservatives' claims. General secretary Larry Flanagan said: "The damaging age of austerity imposed by the UK government has had a significant detrimental impact on the funding available to public services in Scotland. "Education has not been immune from the downward pressure on Scottish government and local authority budgets, and this had led to serious challenges in our schools owing to declining teacher numbers, lack of school resources and rising class sizes. "The attempt by the Tory party, however, to exploit the impact of an austerity programme which they are imposing seems somewhat hypocritical. "Scottish education needs additional resources but it does not need the type of retrograde policies pursued so disastrously in England by the likes of Michael Gove." Each council decides for itself just how much to spend on education, although some important costs like teachers' pay are set nationally.

Summary: A row has broken out over claims councils have slashed their education budgets.


In fact, it's actually 21-year-old student Morgan Jensen from Arizona in America. Taylor shared photos of Morgan (and her friend Kasey) on her Tumblr with the message "lol I thought that was me". "I am just shocked and in disbelief that Taylor Swift saw those photos of me," Morgan told Newsbeat. "I just find that so funny 'cause she was so casual about it. I was freaking out for so long. "I kept refreshing it and checking it on my computer and my phone again to make sure it was real before I acknowledged it and really realised what had happened." Morgan says she's a huge fan, but she's never met Taylor. "If I go an hour without mentioning Taylor Swift then something's probably wrong," she joked. "I have been compared to Taylor Swift a lot because I'm tall like her and all it takes is sunglasses and red lipstick pretty much because we have the same hair colour." The lookalike comments started mainly among friends and family - until she went to a Taylor Swift concert in Nashville in 2013. "I was like, I might as well wear lipstick and sunglasses to see... if anyone thinks I look like her. It turned out to be a lot bigger than I ever thought it would be. "As soon as I got to Nashville, people were stopping me to get photos on my way into the venue. "It got to the point when I couldn't walk through the crowd 'cause so many people were trying to get photos. "I ended up standing outside the venue for two hours taking pictures with her fans. I explained to all of them, 'I'm not Taylor' and they were like, 'Oh that's alright'." Morgan was also offered free food by workers at a Mexican restaurant. She says she might "dress up" (well, wear red lipstick and sunglasses) again to one of Taylor's concerts in Arizona this summer. There have been some negative comments online about Morgan's look. "I don't want to be Taylor Swift," Morgan responded. "I think it's cool that I sometimes can resemble her. So far none of the negative comments have got to me. "I'll say that the haters gonna hate!" Morgan has no ambitions to follow her idol into music though. She's studying graphic design at university and also models part-time. "I have no musical talent," Morgan admitted. "So if I get asked to sing, it's going to be really bad. I can draw and I can paint but music is no!" She does have one particular ambition: "I just hope that I can maybe someday meet Taylor." Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: This is the Taylor Swift lookalike that even the superstar singer thought was her.


However, once it had served its usefulness, two-thirds of it was given an unceremonious burial beneath the city's post-war buildings and the new A474 road up the Tawe valley. Now - thanks to a dedicated band of enthusiasts - a small but vital section is to be put back to water. When it was formed in 1981, the Swansea Canal Society managed to save the last remaining five miles (8km) between Clydach and Ynysmeudwy. In recent years, more than 25,000 hours of volunteer work has seen lock chambers re-pointed, eroded banks repaired, and new steps and walls built at both Clydach Lock and Lower Trebanos Lock. In the latest stage of the project, Swansea council has donated part of a former transport depot off Pontardawe Road in Clydach, which was built over the canal and lock number seven. When reinstated, this 300ft (90m) stretch will link two sections of the canal already in water. But, as Martin Davies of the Swansea Canal Society explains, the entire project was greatly helped by the extraordinary farsightedness of a council engineer, back in 1973. "The society had talked for years about trying to excavate the section of the canal which runs through pipes beneath the transport depot, but we had no way of knowing what remained of the lock, and therefore whether there'd be any point," he said. "Then a few years ago John Evans, the man who built the depot in 1973 made contact with us. "He said that even then he'd envisaged a time when people would want to save our industrial heritage, so before burying it under concrete, he'd re-pointed and reinforced lock number seven, and had only to remove the top five feet of the lock chamber to level it off. "It's incredible. Without his imagination it would have been lost forever; so it's fitting that his son has gone on to be waterways manager on the Kennet and Avon Canal." In its heyday the Swansea canal was a feat of 18th Century engineering; with 36 locks and five aqueducts carrying the water from 365ft (111m) at Abercraf, to where it reached sea-level at North Dock. For a century and a half it carried around 400,000 tonnes of coal, iron and steel each year to feed the Industrial Revolution. Indeed, several towns and villages such as Ystradgynlais, Ystalyfera and Clydach owe their very existence to its success. But by the turn of the 20th Century it was feeling the pinch from the competition of railways, and the last commercial barge to travel the canal was in 1931. "So much of our history came down that canal, from the copper works of Swansea, to the iron of the valleys, The Mond Nickel Works, and what was at the time the biggest tinplate works in the world at Pontardawe," said Mr Davies. "After its closure in 1931 it was briefly used during World War Two, but after that it was gradually covered over. "Back then there was no interest in preservation. There's even a piece of 1960s BBC news footage, talking about what

Summary: Constructed between 1794 and 1798, the Swansea canal once ran for more than 16 miles between Swansea and Abercraf, and was the artery which created the Swansea valley as we know it.


Photos on the internet appear to show Diouf in a nightclub, just hours before the match at Southampton on 24 March. "I've made some inquiries and I've asked him about it and he denies he was there," Saunders told Radio Sheffield. "It's still ongoing and I want to get to the bottom of it. It's something I can't comprehend if it is true." Rovers lost the match at St Mary's 2-0, with Diouf playing the full game, and are currently six points adrift of safety with six matches to play. Diouf has scored six goals in 22 games since joining the club in October.

Summary: Doncaster Rovers boss Dean Saunders says the club are continuing to investigate claims that forward El-Hadji Diouf breached club discipline.


Industry magazine What Car? says prices of VW models have not collapsed as might have been expected. VW cars which are three years old, or have done 36,000 miles, are typically worth 42.21% of their original value, the magazine said. That is 2.7% lower than in September 2015, just before the scandal broke. However, across the industry as a whole, second hand values have fallen by 2% over the same timeframe, suggesting that Volkswagens have performed only slightly worse than the average car on the market. "I'm sure there are motorists out there who were rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of used VW prices falling off a cliff because of the emissions debacle," said What Car? editor Steve Huntingford. "That simply hasn't come to pass, however, and while the VW story continues to rumble on a year after the story first came to light, the Golf and Polo are still among the most popular new cars in the UK." The German car-maker admitted on 16 September last year that software had switched diesel engines to a "clean mode" whenever they were tested for emissions. VW has recalled 200,000 cars in the UK as a result. But while it is offering to repair them, it is not offering owners compensation. VW drivers in the US have been offered up to $10,000 each to make up for the deception. The What Car? research suggested that cars made by VW under the Audi brand experienced a similar drop in value to VW-badged cars over the past year. It also found that the value of second hand Seat and Skoda models, also made by the VW group, fell by less than 0.5% over the 12-month period.

Summary: Second hand Volkswagens appear to be holding their value well, a motoring magazine says, despite the emissions scandal which emerged a year ago.


Leading F1 commercial figure Zak Brown has been contacted by McLaren as the company seeks a replacement. Dennis has been told by the two parties that own 75% of McLaren Group that his contract will not be renewed for 2017. But Brown, a 44-year-old American, is also considered a potential chief commercial officer for F1's new owners. The US media group Liberty is in the process of buying a controlling interest in the sport's commercial arm from investment group CVC Capital Partners. The deal is expected to be completed early next year. Brown is of particular interest to McLaren because of his success in finding new sponsors for a number of teams on the grid in his former role as boss of the marketing agency JMI, from which he resigned in September. McLaren have not had a title sponsor since parting company with mobile phone company Vodafone at the end of 2013. Ironically, McLaren have had a major success in recent weeks in securing a new partnership deal for BP/Castrol to become their fuel and lubricant supplier. The deal has been signed but has not yet been announced. The company will replace Exxon Mobil, which has been poached by Red Bull for next season after 21 years with McLaren. That deal is expected to be announced imminently. The three names revealed by BBC Sport over the US Grand Prix weekend - ex-F1 team bosses Ross Brawn, Martin Whitmarsh and former Sainsbury's boss Justin King - remain of interest to McLaren and have been contacted by the team. But all three are now considered unlikely to take on the position. They may be unwilling to put themselves forward or it may be decided they are not the best person for the role. It is also possible Dennis, who is chairman and chief executive officer and has been in charge at McLaren for 35 years, would be replaced by two different people, as would be a more conventional company structure. Brown is friendly with all the main shareholders at McLaren, including Dennis. But BBC Sport understands that the Bahrainis and Ojjeh are now reaching out to him as they seek a new man to run the company. If McLaren can persuade him to take the role, it would be something of a coup for the team, since it has long been known that Brown has been favourite for the commercial head of F1 job at Liberty Media. Despite the ultimatum by his fellow shareholders, Dennis has been telling friends and confidants that he will decide when or if he will step down, not anyone else. But it is far from clear that he is in a position to make that decision. If his contract is not renewed, he would remain a 25% shareholder but would probably have no active role or power in running the company. Dennis will fight hard to retain his position as the head of McLaren, despite the fracturing of relationships between him on the one hand and Ojjeh and the Bahrainis on the other. He has run the company since

Summary: A surprise new name has emerged as a potential successor to long-standing McLaren boss Ron Dennis, whose position as chairman is under threat.


More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements were also revealed by looking at infra-red images which show up underground buildings. Initial excavations have already confirmed some of the findings, including two suspected pyramids. The work has been pioneered at the University of Alabama at Birmingham by US Egyptologist Dr Sarah Parcak. She says she was amazed at how much she and her team has found. "We were very intensely doing this research for over a year. I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the "Aha!" moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found and I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt. "To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist," she said. The team analysed images from satellites orbiting 700km above the earth, equipped with cameras so powerful they can pin-point objects less than 1m in diameter on the earth's surface. Infra-red imaging was used to highlight different materials under the surface. Ancient Egyptians built their houses and structures out of mud brick, which is much denser than the soil that surrounds it, so the shapes of houses, temples and tombs can be seen. "It just shows us how easy it is to underestimate both the size and scale of past human settlements," says Dr Parcak. And she believes there are more antiquities to be discovered: "These are just the sites [close to] the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt. This is just the beginning of this kind of work." BBC cameras followed Dr Parcak on her "nervous" journey when she travelled to Egypt to see if excavations could back up what her technology could see under the surface. In the BBC documentary Egypt's Lost Cities, they visit an area of Saqqara (Sakkara) where the authorities were not initially interested in her findings. But after being told by Dr Parcak that she had seen two potential pyramids, they made test excavations, and they now believe it is one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt. But Dr Parcak said the most exciting moment was visiting the excavations at Tanis. "They'd excavated a 3,000-year-old house that the satellite imagery had shown and the outline of the structure matched the satellite imagery almost perfectly. That was real validation of the technology." The Egyptian authorities plan to use the technology to help - among other things - protect the country's antiquities in the future. During the recent revolution, looters accessed some well-known archaeological sites. "We can tell from the imagery a tomb was looted from a particular period of time and we can alert Interpol to watch out for antiquities from that time that may be offered for sale." She also hopes the new technology will help engage young people in science and will be a major help for archaeologists around the world. "It allows us to be more focused and selective in the work we do. Faced with a massive site, you don't know where

Summary: Seventeen lost pyramids are among the buildings identified in a new satellite survey of Egypt.


It's that time when clubs scramble to strengthen their squads, to find a player who can shoot them to glory or one who can save them from relegation. Some are flops soon to be forgotten, while others go on to become club legends. But who has been the best January signing? We are not just talking goals, but their value and contribution to the club. Take a look at our shortlist below and decide for yourself. Who do you think is the best January signing? Use the selector below to pick from our shortlist. Once you are done download your image and share with your friends.

Summary: The January transfer window is about to close for another year.


The idea will be looked at as part of a wider study of transport issues across southern Scotland. Campaign for Border Rail spokesman Simon Walton said they would have preferred a report looking solely at rail services in the area. However, he said it was welcome progress nonetheless. Transport Scotland announced earlier this week that it intended to award the contract to look at wider transport issues across the south of the country to Jacobs UK Ltd. It is hoped the study can get under way later this month and will take about seven months to complete. Mr Walton said it was good to see the CBR's case for extending the railway was being recognised. "It is a first step if not exactly a giant leap - it is certainly a move in the right direction," he said. "We at the CBR would have been happier with a feasibility study looking solely at railway extension but this is a positive move. "It does back our findings that it makes sense locally, socially and strategically to take the railway through Hawick and on to Carlisle."

Summary: Borders Railway campaigners have welcomed moves to examine the possibility of extending the route to Carlisle.


Mr Ordonez said Gen Palomino would be investigated over the alleged creation of a male prostitution ring. The general is also under investigation for alleged illicit enrichment and conducting illegal wiretaps. Gen Palomino welcomed the probe, which he said he knew would clear his name. "I hope that the justice system can restore the dignity which has been taken from me through lies and infamy," the general said in a statement. The investigation was triggered by allegations by a police captain who said he had been abused by higher-ranking officers during his time as a cadet. Mr Ordonez said that allegation had been backed up by a complaint by a now retired police captain. According to the complaint, young male police cadets were cajoled and threatened into having sex with higher-ranking officers. Mr Ordonez said that according to the testimony gathered by his office, a senator had also allegedly been implicated in the prostitution ring, called "Community of the Ring". He also said that the alleged incidents had taken place "with the help and complicity of police officials, including the director general [Rodolfo Palomino]". The wiretapping accusations also relate to the case. Allegedly police officers tapped the phones of journalists investigating the scandal. Gen Palomino has strongly denied any wrongdoing. He has also denied allegations of illicit enrichment and has provided prosecutors with documents which he says show where his money and properties come from. He says the allegations are a political vendetta designed to drive him out of office.

Summary: Colombia's prosecutor general, Alejandro Ordonez, says he will open a "disciplinary investigation" against the country's chief of police, Gen Rodolfo Palomino.


St Clare's Catholic Primary School in Birmingham has met with equality leaders at the city council to discuss a complaint from the pupil's family. The council is supporting the school to ensure its policies are appropriate. But Muslim Women's Network UK said the school was not at fault as young girls are not required to wear headscarves. Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country The Handsworth school states on its website that "hats or scarves are not allowed to be worn in school" alongside examples including a woman in a headscarf. Labour councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transparency, openness and equality, met the school's head teacher last week. In a comment posted on Facebook at the weekend, claiming the school had contravened the Equality Act, the councillor wrote: "I'm insisting this matter is addressed asap with a change of policy. "Senior education officers from Birmingham City Council will also discuss this matter with the concerned school early next week whilst the head and governors discuss their next action." In a council statement, Brigid Jones, cabinet member for children, families and schools, said: "Each school's governing body is responsible for the creation and implementation of its own uniform policy. "However, the local authority is supporting the school to ensure its policy is appropriate, in line with legal requirements, and we are engaging with all schools to remind them of their responsibilities when it comes to setting school uniform policies." Shaista Gohir, from Muslim Women's Network UK - which works to improve equality for Muslim women and girls, said: "The school is allowed to set its uniform policy and schools do have to be mindful and inclusive and cohesive and make sure that they don't breach their duties under the Equality Act. "But they haven't done anything wrong because there is no Islamic requirement for a four-year-old to be wearing a headscarf." The school has not commented.

Summary: A school has been accused of breaching anti-discrimination laws after claims a four-year-old Muslim pupil was told she could not wear a headscarf.


Net mortgage lending fell to £2.4bn in the April-to-June quarter, down from £3.5bn a year earlier. The building society also said more people opened a current account with it during the three-month period than with any other provider. Nationwide's profits for the quarter fell 20% to £322m, after last year's results were helped by a one-off gain. A year earlier, the building society had received a £100m boost to its profits from the sale of its investment in Visa Europe. Announcing the latest results, chief executive Joe Garner said "Profit performance in the first quarter remained comfortably within our strategic target range and, after allowing for one-off items, was broadly consistent with the prior period." Nationwide had a 13% share of the mortgage market in the quarter, down from 15% in the same time last year. A spokesman for the building society said it expected its buy-to-let lending to remain "broadly flat". Nationwide had "raised the bar for landlord's affordability before most other lenders with the aim of helping ensure our borrowers can meet future repayments", he added. "This, together with a softening of lending due to Stamp Duty and tax changes, led to a decline in buy-to-let." In the first quarter Nationwide opened 202,000 new current accounts, a rise of 17% on the same time last year. The company also said that more than a fifth (22.4%) of all people switching current accounts had moved to Nationwide.

Summary: Nationwide has reported a sharp fall in mortgage lending, mainly due to making fewer buy-to-let loans.


Yet for some chocolate firms the fact that most Easter eggs are hollow is more than just disappointing, it's problematic. "It sounds ridiculous, but there is a lot of air in Easter eggs relative to their value in weight," says Helen Pattinson, co-founder of boutique British chocolate chain Montezuma's. The oval shape of eggs and the boxes required to keep them intact means that, compared to the amount of space they take up in a shipping container, it is impossible for Montezuma's to charge the end customer enough to make a decent profit. Foreign sales account for about a fifth of the company's overall sales and for this financial year, ending in May, it expects exports to hit the £1m mark for the first time. Despite the strong demand from abroad, the firm is yet to send its chocolate eggs overseas. "The economics just haven't added up so far," says Mrs Pattinson, who co-founded the firm in 2000 with her husband Simon. The company has six shops in the South East of England and sells directly to customers in the US and Europe via its website, and further afield via export arrangements. So far most of its overseas customers have come via a partnership deal with a large US retailer. Despite the more established reputation of Swiss and Belgian chocolatiers, Mrs Pattinson says she is seeing a growing demand for British-made chocolate. "The most contemporary artisan foodies are beginning to realise Britain is a fantastic producer of chocolate," she says. Last year, the UK exported a whopping £245m worth of chocolate, up by almost a quarter on 2015. Exports of unfilled chocolates and chocolate products, which include Easter eggs, totalled just over £30m, up 3% on 2015. While the vast majority of these went to EU countries, the biggest growth was in exports to non-EU countries which increased by almost a fifth, according to the Department for International Trade. It is a trend that hasn't escaped the notice of Sean Ramsden, chief executive of Ramsden International. The family firm specialises in exporting British food overseas and Mr Ramsden says Easter is its busiest period after Christmas. The awkward shape of chocolate eggs isn't a problem for the company because it supplies a much wider range of products, enabling it to mix Easter eggs with other food orders. "Easter eggs are a popular UK product and they're very exportable. They [Easter eggs] are not as advanced in other countries," he says. When the Grimsby-based firm first started exporting in 1970, business was largely driven by expats. Marmite, brown sauce and baked beans were the items most in demand in the company's markets in Spain, Portugal, France, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. Now it delivers to 130 countries and turnover last year was £50m. Mr Ramsden says the company's growth reflects demand from a growing global middle class. "The food becomes premium by virtue of being imported. There is an element of snob value in certain markets," he says. Particularly in Asia, he says, customers are keen to have "something a little bit different

Summary: Cracking open a large chocolate egg to find nothing in the middle is one of life's perennial disappointments.


27 September 2016 Last updated at 06:53 BST Well, someone who knows a thing or two about baking is Amari, winner of Junior Bake Off in 2015. So we thought who better than Amari to rate the remaining Bake Off contestants on their skills! Watch her give Ricky her verdict on the bakers - and who she tips as the winner of this series.

Summary: Who's your favourite baker left in the Great British Bake Off tent?


More than 1,000 drivers and engineers were set to stage the walkout on Bank Holiday Monday in a dispute over rosters. It was supposed to be the second day of strike action after Unite members at Tower Transit took action on Friday. It said it decided to suspend Monday's industrial action after "solid support" for Friday's protest. A spokesperson said it wanted to give the company time to "reflect and respond". Transport for London said Tower Transit operated less than 5% of the bus network.

Summary: A planned bus drivers' strike which threatened to disrupt Notting Hill Carnival has been called off.


The seamer goes straight into the squad for the opening County Championship match at Northampton on Friday. The Welsh county are set to give a debut to South African paceman Marchant de Lange but are missing four of last season's seamers. It is a second Glamorgan loan period for Podmore, 22, after he spent a stint last season in Wales. Front-line bowlers Timm van der Gugten (shoulder), Graham Wagg (groin), Michael Hogan (hip) and Ruaidhri Smith (abdominal tear) are all missing along with batsman Will Bragg (back). Podmore will be available for an initial period of a month including three Championship games, while teenager Lukas Carey could get an early season chance. "Harry proved himself a reliable option on loan last season and has continued to take wickets for Middlesex," said Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris. "He's developed from working with the England fast bowling programme to become a young, but high calibre fast bowler who will add depth to our seam attack. "Although we've added Marchant de Lange to the squad, we've suffered some injuries to our bowlers with Ruaidhri Smith, Graham Wagg, Timm van der Gugten and Michael Hogan all missing pre-season fixtures and unavailable for tomorrow's game. "So the bowling department needs strengthening in the short term." Batsman Colin Ingram is set play his first championship match for Glamorgan since 2015 following knee surgery last August, while wicketkeeper Chris Cooke returns after missing most of last season with back trouble. Glamorgan (from): J Rudolph (capt), N Selman, D Lloyd, C Ingram, C Cooke, A Donald, K Carlson, C Meschede, O Morgan, A Salter, M De Lange, L Carey, H Podmore.

Summary: Glamorgan have signed Harry Podmore on loan from Middlesex to ease the county's fast bowling injury concerns.


12 August 2016 Last updated at 11:51 BST The report was commissioned by former PM David Cameron in the wake of the Tower Hamlets election fraud scandal in 2015. He said the review had heard evidence that in a London borough at the general election someone arrived at the polling station with 500 postal votes. "I'm very worried - I don't believe political parties should touch or handle in any way a completed ballot paper," he said.

Summary: Former communities secretary Sir Eric Pickles has told the BBC about his concerns over the findings of his report on tackling electoral fraud.


Miller turned in Lloyd Dyer's cross in the fourth minute of added time. Lucas Akins had a first-half penalty saved by Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme after Richard Stearman, in his first game since re-joining from Fulham, handled. Prince Oniangue had broken the deadlock for Wolves in the second half of a tight match with a half-volley after good work from Jon Dadi Bodvarsson. The Brewers edged the first half in the first meeting between the sides, with Jamie Ward forcing another good stop from Ikeme. But Wolves, who are unbeaten in the league at home in 10 matches, came on strong late on with Bodvarsson wasting a free header from 10 yards, and Joe Mason poking wide from close range. Miller's equaliser was the first time a visiting side had scored from open play at Molineux since February and left Burton 14th in the table, while Wolves dropped to 11th. Wolves' manager Walter Zenga: "I'm feeling good because the team played good, especially in the second half. "We deserved to win the game without a doubt but we have to understand we can't give them one chance like this in the last minute of the game. "Perhaps in the first half the quality wasn't there as we had hoped but then in my opinion the quality showed, we played some nice football. "It is true sometimes that too much change can create confusion but if you work it the right way, change means you have a fresh team all the time." Burton manager Nigel Clough: "It was a bit frustrating that we had to wait until the 95th minute but it does feel like a win when you get a result so late in the day. "I thought for long spells of the game that we were the ones who were creating the chances and looked the more likely to take the lead. "Had we scored the penalty you never know it might have been a different story. "It was only in the last 20 minutes when Wolves stepped it up a little bit and had chances. Apart from that we were comfortable. "We are going to have a go this season. We will not sit back. We will try and take the game to teams and I think that has been evident in the first six games." Match ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Burton Albion 1. Second Half ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Burton Albion 1. Jón Dadi Bödvarsson (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Kyle McFadzean (Burton Albion). John Brayford (Burton Albion) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Burton Albion 1. Will Miller (Burton Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lloyd Dyer. Attempt saved. Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by John Brayford. Foul by Hélder Costa (Wolverhampton Wanderers). Matthew Palmer (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by John Brayford.

Summary: Substitute Will Miller grabbed an injury-time equaliser as Burton denied Wolves a third win of the season.


On Monday it emerged a pit bull named Stella had been kept in a 3ft by 9ft cage for two years without exercise. Now former kennel workers have released a video showing both Stella and a seized Rottweiler named Vinnie. Devon and Cornwall Police said "immensely frustrating" delays in the judicial process left Vinnie in kennels for two years before he was destroyed. The video, taken on the day Vinnie was put down, shows kennel staff playing with Vinnie while Stella, in the kennel next door, rubs noses with the Rottweiler through the metal mesh. The BBC understands Vinnie had been trained as a guard dog and police said he was used to attack three people in 2013. He was seized and placed in kennels but the court process took two years before a destruction order was carried out around 26 July 2015. Former staff at the kennels say Vinnie had a "Do Not Enter" sign on his kennel and, as far as they were aware, was not let out for a period of two years. Laura Khanlarian, who until December 2015 worked as an assistant at the private kennel used by Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "To move him from one cage to another he just went through the internal doors. "He wasn't assessed like Stella so he really didn't leave the kennel at all. "Vinnie had no contact until the day he was put down. I made that video an hour before when we were allowed in his kennel with him." Another former worker at the kennel, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "Vinnie the Rottie had no human contact except being fed. He was deemed too dangerous to get out. "But this was the dog that, once he knew you, wagged his tail, pushing himself against the bars, desperate for any attention. "As far as I know he belonged to a man who trained him as a guard dog. Because he was possibly trained to bite we were told not to walk, go in with him, same as Stella as he was too dangerous." Former staff at the kennels have told the BBC they offered to work with Vinnie and exercise him but were not given permission to do so. After the BBC revealed Stella's plight, Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Superintendent Jim Nye said: "The welfare of dogs is extremely important to us. "In the past year we have seized in the region of 100 dogs, and only Stella has been assessed as too dangerous and unpredictable for kennel staff to walk." Following the release of the latest video, the force did not say if they or another body had ordered Vinnie - who is understood to not be among the last 100 dogs seized - to be kept without human contact. However, in a statement they said: "Vinnie the Rottweiler was a dog seized and placed into kennels in 2013. "Vinnie was a legal breed and was seized after it had bitten three people. Later the courts granted a destruction order on the dog who was put

Summary: A second dog seized by police was kept locked in kennels for two years without exercise, the BBC has been told.


The Real Madrid forward headed the vital goal in Cyprus as Wales won 1-0 in Nicosia and stay top of Group B. With the top two qualifying for France, three more points will be enough to seal Wales' place at a major finals for the first time since 1958. "We've never done it so I'm guessing it's going to be hard," Bale said. "But this group is focused, we really know what we need to do and hopefully we can deliver on Sunday. Media playback is not supported on this device "It would probably be the best thing we've achieved. If we can get across the line it'll be an amazing thing, not just for us but the whole nation and the whole of Welsh football. "We know what's coming. All out attention has been focused on the Cyprus game, we haven't thought about the Israel game at all. "That's the good thing about this team, we haven't taken our eyes off the ball once." Wales had not won in Cyprus since 1992 and as chances came and went in Nicosia on Thursday it seemed as though they would be denied once again. But with eight minutes remaining on the clock, Jazz Richards picked out Bale and the 26-year-old met the ball with a thumping header that gave the excellent Antonis Georgallides in the Cyprus goal no chance. "I've not scored too many better [headers] and at a vital time, which was important," added Bale. "Obviously it wasn't our best performance in terms of attacking but we defended well as a unit and showed again what a good team we are. "We try to defend as a team from front to back, but the backline were incredible. In the end we deserved to win, we created the better chances." Wales boss Chris Coleman said that Joe Ledley remained a "huge doubt" for Sunday's match against Israel with the hamstring problem that saw the Crystal Palace midfielder miss out in Cyprus. But West Bromwich Albion defender James Chester has a chance of playing after his hamstring injury kept him out in Nicosia. West Ham United's James Collins is another option at the heart of defence. But after the performance of skipper Ashley Williams, Chris Gunter and Ben Davies in Nicosia, Wales manager Chris Coleman may be unwilling to tinker with his winning formula. Former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe: "We kept it nice and tight at the back and weren't chasing things. "Cyprus had a lot of possession in the second half but never really got in behind us and hurt us. "I was a little bit concerned down the left-hand side on one or two occasions and I think a better side might have exploited that. "We've got to rectify that for the next game, because Israel would have seen that we're lacking left-sided players with the nous to get across the pitch on a consistent basis. We are lacking that with Joe Ledley not in the squad. "But we are resilient at the back: Chris Gunter and Ashley Williams were immense along

Summary: Gareth Bale says Wales will be stepping into the unknown on Sunday when they attempt to beat Israel in Cardiff and seal their place at Euro 2016.


One of Tata's two galvanised steel lines could be closed from the end of October or November, according to Keith Jordan from the Community union. The company said the line could be restarted in better market conditions. Last month, Tata announced it was mothballing part of its plant in Newport for the third time in six years with the loss of hundreds of jobs. Mr Jordan said it was hoped many of the Shotton workers will be moved to the second line, which produces 350,000 tonnes of steel per year or 7,000 tonnes per week. The Shotton site is part of Tata Steel Colors which produces metallic and paint coated products for the construction industry and domestic appliances. A company spokesman said: "We continue to be in discussions with employees, their representatives and the employers of contractors and agency staff about possible implications for employment levels. "Every effort will be made to redeploy any affected employees within the business."

Summary: A production line at Deeside's Shotton steelworks is being mothballed which could affect 40 jobs, a union has said.


It was in response to a bomb threat made over the phone, local media said. The incident was not terror related. The man, 39, is now in hospital for medical assessment, police said. The area has since been declared safe. Last December, three people died, including a gunman, after a hostage situation in nearby Martin Place. Superintendent Mark Walton from Sydney Police told ABC News that the area was shut down as police searched the man's vehicle for dangerous items. An explosive detection dog and bomb technicians cleared the area, he said. "It's apparent this man made those threats to draw attention to a grievance that he has," Supt Walton said. The man was being detained under the mental health act and undergoing questioning and assessment, Supt Walton added.

Summary: A man has been arrested in Sydney after reports of a suspicious package caused police to lock down a part of the central business district.


A Ray Winstone-like voice is programmed to say "Don't even think about it" and "Put it down, put it back" as soon as the card is removed from the bag. Rebecca Smith, Leanne Fischler and Kirsty Sneddon created the bag for a degree project. The fourth-year students said the design was "very conceptual". All three are in their final year at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee. The bag - designed to be a "unisex satchel" - has all the electronics hidden inside a false bottom. A slot has been sewn in for a credit card which conceals an led light and a sensor which acts as a trigger to play the voice recordings. Ms Fischler, 21, said: "As soon as you take the credit card out, it sends a signal and inside the bag we have a whole load of electronics which we coded ourselves using a platform called Arduino. "It receives a signal when you take the credit card out and it tells the circuit board that the credit card's moved and it starts to play sequences from our recordings." The students said at first the bag tried to deter you from spending money, saying things like "Don't you think that's a bit much?" and "Oh, not again". After a while the bag assumes you have made the purchase and starts to "publicly embarrass you". However, if you put the credit card back right away it rewards you with a gruff: "I knew you could 'ear me". Ms Smith, 21, told BBC Scotland they had been asked to make a project with an "element of whispering". She said they had designed the bag as a concept, rather than hoping it would be manufactured for the mass-market. "We're all passionate about using design to create change and starting conversations," she said. "We want people to see it and interact with it."

Summary: Three students in Dundee have designed a handbag which berates you for spending money when you try to use your credit card.


A Scottish Canals team used Google Street View's Trekker camera backpack to capture attractions including the Crinan Canal and the Falkirk Wheel. The camera is designed to allow easier access to narrow footpaths and bridges. Neptune's Staircase on the Caledonian Canal and Stockingfield Bridge have also been captured. The 4ft-high backpack, which weighs 40lbs, is fitted with a 15-angle-lens camera which takes 360 pictures every 2.5 seconds. Scottish Canals' head of information and communication technologies Andrew McSherry said: "When Scotland's canals were first carved through the heart and highlands of the nation during the Industrial Revolution, they were considered at the cutting edge of engineering and design. "It's been incredible to see every nook, cranny, and lock captured using this 21st Century equipment. "The Trekker has been ideal for the narrower towpaths and bridges of Scotland's canals and allows us to show off some of the more hard-to-reach places along the canal network as well as the sights known the world over." A Google spokesman said "We believe the world is better explored than explained. "The Trekker enables you to travel to some of the most beautiful places on Earth, such as the Scottish canals, from the comfort of your own home."

Summary: Mobile 360-degree camera technology has helped open up 137 miles of panoramic views of Scotland's waterways to online visitors.


Richard Callaghan, of Rathmore Crescent in Creggan, Londonderry, pleaded guilty to being involved in the supply of cocaine and herbal cannabis. The court heard that police valued the drugs at almost Â£130,000 but the defence said it was half that amount. The judge sentenced Callaghan to two years and eight months, half of which will be spent on licence. Almost 0.5kg of cocaine, with a purity level of between 12% and 13%, and 5kg of herbal cannabis were found in a wheelie bin at the back of a car driven by Callaghan at Beechwood Crescent in Derry on 13 June last year. Police officers saw Callaghan, along with another man who ran off, lifting out the spare wheel of the car and loading the drugs from the boot into the bin. The car used in the drugs run was bought by another man on the internet and given to Callaghan in return for him driving the drugs to Beechwood Crescent. Callaghan drove the car from a garage in County Armagh where the drugs had been loaded into the vehicle. On his way to Derry, he stopped to check on the consignment of drugs. The judge at Londonderry Crown Court described Callaghan as an active courier, and said whatever the value of the drugs it was still a significant amount. He said Callaghan got involved in what he called "this crazy scheme" because he was in debt due to his own cannabis habit. PSNI Det Insp Tom McClure said the sentence was "the result of a substantial proactive investigation". "The message from this sentence is clear: all those involved in the supply chain of large quantities of controlled drugs can expect to go to prison when they are caught. "Police will work to ensure Northern Ireland remains a hostile environment for those who seek to benefit in any way from peddling the misery of drugs."

Summary: A man who was caught in a police anti-drugs operation last year has been jailed.


The Louisiana governor, a likely contender for his party's presidential nomination in 2016, said a number of Republicans had "damaged the brand" by making "offensive and bizarre" comments. He's talking of course about those remarks about "legitimate rape" and how rape can't lead to pregnancy. The Republicans who made those comments did seem to be going out of their way to back up John Stuart Mill's 1866 comment: "I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it." OK. That's the headline grabber. But it is hardly a revelation to point out that those who make weird noises during an election campaign should shut up. So it is worth looking at Gov Jindal's prescription in full. It is, after all, among the first contributions from a big name of the Republican party on how not to go down to defeat for a third time in a row. He's adamant the party shouldn't change its principles. Not on taxation or big government, of course. But not on abortion or gay marriage either. He rejects Mr Romney's apparent contention that 47% of voters were out of reach for Republicans, which was always, when you think about it, a counsel of despair. Gov Jindal identifies a core Republican problem: they are overwhelmingly white in a country that is becoming more of a melting pot day by day. "We must reject the notion that demography is destiny, the pathetic and simplistic notion that skin pigmentation dictates voter behaviour," he said. He's a good person to say this. His parents came to the US from India in 1970. It says a lot about the way America has changed that he has become the governor of a state that resisted civil rights and defended segregation to the bitter end. I don't want to underplay how important that is - but his speech doesn't say how Republicans can reach the fastest growing ethnic group - Latinos - without shifting their stance on immigration reform. Moreover, I am puzzled by what appears to be the core of his message. He rejects big government - but also seems to reject the fights about it in Washington. He calls not only the debates about gun control, but also those on the fiscal cliff and debt ceiling "sideshows". "These are in reality sideshows in Washington that we have allowed to take centre stage in our country - and as conservatives, we are falling into the sideshow trap," he said. This is not an isolated point. "We seem to have an obsession with government bookkeeping," he says. "We as Republicans have to accept that government number crunching - even conservative number crunching - is not the answer to our nation's problems." Of course he's underscoring an inherent irony in conservatism - those politicians who dislike government put all their time and effort and will and money into becoming part of the government, so

Summary: Bobby Jindal is warning that the Republicans must stop being the "stupid party".


Too many pupils with symptoms of depression or anxiety are let down or ignored, claims charity MindFull. It has launched a new online counselling service to support and advise 11- to 17-year-olds. MindFull's founder Emma-Jane Cross said poor mental health among young people was "one of the last great medical taboos in the UK today". The charity's inaugural report calls for a "sea-change" in approaches to young people's mental health. In her foreword, Ms Cross describes the scale of the problem as "epic" with thousands "teetering on the brink" of serious mental illness, risking "terrible long-term effects" for both individuals and society at large. Too many "are having to resort to harming themselves on purpose in order to cope, or worse still are thinking about ending their own lives", she added later. The report calls for awareness of the importance of mental health to be integrated into every aspect of young people's development particularly in schools and health services. "We need to move away from only tackling the symptoms of acute poor mental health and well-being to focus on education, prevention and early intervention," say the authors. "Young people need to be encouraged to speak out about their mental health and well-being and feel confident that, when they do, they will receive the support they need as swiftly and as easily as possible." The charity says its new online support service will help do this by providing professional counselling and peer support for young people. It says it will also be working with schools to educate young people on how to cope with mental health issues. The charity has the backing of Labour leader Ed Miliband and of campaigners for better mental health support for young people. Psychologist Prof Tanya Byron said: "Just as we look after our children's physical health, it's vital we offer support for their mental well-being. "Children and young people are clearly not getting the help they need. That's why this new online support from MindFull is so important." Lucie Russell of the YoungMinds charity said: "Children and young people are growing up in a toxic climate. They exist in a 24/7 online world where they never switch off, where cyberbullying, consumerism and pornography, sexting and the pressure to have the perfect body bombard them daily, where any exam grade below a C means failure and employment prospects are bleak. "We know from our extensive work with young people that the support they so desperately need when they aren't coping is grossly lacking but we also know from services that they are under huge funding pressures and are overwhelmed with demand." Health minister Norman Lamb said the government was "placing an unprecedented emphasis on mental health", particularly for children and young people. "More than a third of children and young people now live in an area where children and adolescent mental health services have been transformed. "We are investing £54m into improving access to mental health treatments for children and young people."

Summary: Mental health lessons should be on the timetable in every secondary school in the UK a new charity has urged.


David Buchanan, 18, of Haslemere, Surrey, admitted two counts of hacking and one of impairing the operation of or hindering access to a computer. The charges refer to "computer intrusion and damage to network profiles" in July and August 2015. Mr Buchanan will be sentenced on 2 August at Guildford Magistrates' Court. The Mumsnet homepage was redirected to a now suspended Twitter profile page and had some posts edited during a cyber attack in August. It was also subjected to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, where an attempt is made to force a site offline by swamping it with internet traffic. Mumsnet users were made to reset their passwords as a "precautionary measure" following the attacks.

Summary: A teenager has pleaded guilty to a cyber attack on Mumsnet which caused the parenting site to reset the passwords of 7.7 million members.


A Gareth Anscombe drop-goal edged Blues 23-20 ahead after Gloucester Josh Hohneck was yellow carded. Alex Cuthbert had helped level the scores after the sin-binning, scoring his second try after Ross Moriarty and Tom Marshall scores put the hosts up. But unanswered second-half tries from Jonny May, Marshall, Mark Atkinson and Henry Purdy sealed Gloucester's win. The Cherry and Whites, who went out at home at the quarter-final stage last year, won the competition in 2015. Defeat for the Blues means they have failed to progress beyond the last eight of any European Cup competition since winning the continent's second-tier title in 2010. In a seesawing opening 40 minutes, scores were locked on four separate occasions, with Cuthbert and Moriarty trading tries before Blues' Steven Shingler and Gloucester's Billy Burns swapped penalties. More of the same followed when Billy Twelvetrees took over kicking duties from Burns, following a head injury, as both sides landed further penalties and Marshall's first try put Gloucester 20-13 up. However, Blues racked up 10 points while Gloucester were a man down to take a three-point advantage into the break. Shingler extended that lead to six, but that is as good as it would get for the Pro12 side, who had Wales' Sam Warburton at blind-side flanker after impressing in the position for Wales during the Six Nations Championship. England coach Eddie Jones was in the stands at Kingholm to see May, the only Gloucester player he called upon for their triumphant Six Nations campaign, cross for the first of the hosts' four second-half scores to seal an ultimately convincing win that sees them progress to play La Rochelle - a side they met twice and beat once in the group stage this term. Gloucester: Marshall; Sharples, Trinder, Twelvetrees, May; Burns, Heinz (capt); McAllister, Hibbard, Hohneck, Savage, Thrush, Moriarty, Rowan, Morgan. Replacements: Matu'u, Thomas, Afoa, Galarza, Ludlow, Braley, Atkinson, Purdy. Cardiff Blues: Morgan; Cuthbert, Lee-Lo, Shingler, Scully; Anscombe, Williams; Jenkins (capt), Dacey, Filise, Earle, Hoeata, Warburton, Navidi, Williams. Replacements: Rees, Domachowski, Assiratti, Cook, Bennett, Williams, Halaholo, Summerhill. Referee: Pascal Gauzere (France) For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.

Summary: Gloucester overcame Cardiff Blues to set up European Challenge Cup semi-final at La Rochelle.


It comes after Denbighshire council was granted permission to compulsorily purchase the former North Wales Hospital in Denbigh. Owner Freemont (Denbigh) Ltd had opposed the compulsory purchase. There has been a long-running dispute between both sides concerned about the future of the historical building. The Rightmove website advert said the council "does not intend to develop the site but to work with a third party/developer that will". The council had agreed to pass ownership of the building to the North Wales Building Preservation Trust, a non profit-making organisation which will receive support from the Princes Regeneration Trust. The property is set for auction later this month. A Denbighshire council spokesperson said the owners had the right to try to sell it as the hospital site has still not been transferred into the ownership of the council. He said the authority would still continue with the compulsory purchase process. "The High Court's ruling in March means that we are one step closer to handing over the site to the trust. "However, there are many issues to be resolved before the council can take ownership and for the council to pass the ownership on to the trust. "If the site is sold in the meantime, the council would need to negotiate with the new owner."

Summary: The owners of a former Victorian asylum in north Wales have put it on the market for potential redevelopment with a £2.25m price tag.


The UK government has announced measures to speed up development. Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant has written to councils reminding them of the temporary ban on fracking in Wales. He said fracking technology was "unproven", saying Welsh ministers preferred to look at renewable energy. Fracking is a process of using high pressure water to break up rocks deep underground to release gas and pipe it to the surface. It is a major industry in the United States, but there are concerns about safety, the environment and underground water. There have been protests against applications for test drilling for gas in both the Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham, as well as sites in England. Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has stressed the UK government's support for fracking, and frustration at delays in its development. She has told councils in England to make decisions on applications within 16 weeks, to stop the process being "dragged out for months". In his letter to Welsh councils, Mr Sargeant said the new guidance only applied to England and that the moratorium in Wales remained in place. "The UK government's general support for oil and gas applications is contrary to the approach of the Welsh Government of promoting renewable and low carbon forms of energy through the planning system and other measures," he said. "We still see renewable energy as a key element in ensuring that Wales achieves sustainable development for the benefit of future generations. "Local planning authorities must ensure that planning applications for renewable energy projects are determined within statutory timescales." Plans to devolve control over fracking were confirmed in the Queen's Speech in June following the Conservatives' general election victory.

Summary: Fracking for shale gas in Wales should still be opposed despite plans to fast-track such schemes in England, the Welsh government has said.


Govia Thameslink (GTR), parent company of Southern rail, paid £2,233,000 in 2015-16, which it said was about 50% more that in 2014-15. The company went on to face further disruption this year, with months of strikes in a row over guards' roles and high sickness levels on Southern. Compensation figures for 2016-17 have not yet been released. Last December, consumer group Which? lodged a "super complaint" amid claims the system for obtaining compensation for delayed journeys was too complicated. The rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), also made a number of recommendations to the industry - such as raising awareness of what compensation was available and making claim forms easier to understand. Independent watchdog Transport Focus has found the proportion of people claiming compensation has nearly trebled over three years, from 12% in 2013 to 35% this year. The ORR's deputy director for consumers, Stephanie Tobyn, called for continued progress and said: "More needs to be done." Rail minister Paul Maynard said: "Passengers need to know that they will be compensated fairly. "We have been working with partners in the rail industry to ensure passengers are aware of their right to recompense for disruption and, at the same time, we are making the claim process simpler and swifter so that it is easier and more attractive to apply." Data released by the government and Network Rail also showed GTR received more than £22m from Network Rail in compensation for disruption, but GTR said those payments had gone to the government. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said Network Rail's payments were "entirely separate" from those made to passengers. The net payment received by the rail company from Network Rail was £22,444,616.71.

Summary: A troubled rail firm paid over £2m in compensation last year for disruption to passengers, figures have shown.


The visitors, who were fourth having drawn 10 of their 17 unbeaten games, led through Nadiem Amiri but Timo Werner tapped in an equaliser. Hoffenheim then had top scorer Sandro Wagner sent off for kicking Stefan Ilsanker. And second-placed Leipzig took advantage with Marcel Sabitzer's deflected strike proving the winner. The season's surprise package remain three points behind Bayern Munich, who won 2-1 at Werder Bremen. Match ends, RB Leipzig 2, 1899 Hoffenheim 1. Second Half ends, RB Leipzig 2, 1899 Hoffenheim 1. Davie Selke (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Sebastian Rudy (1899 Hoffenheim). Substitution, RB Leipzig. Rani Khedira replaces Timo Werner. Davie Selke (RB Leipzig) is shown the yellow card. Offside, RB Leipzig. Marvin Compper tries a through ball, but Davie Selke is caught offside. Attempt missed. Diego Demme (RB Leipzig) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is just a bit too high. Assisted by Davie Selke following a set piece situation. Substitution, RB Leipzig. Dominik Kaiser replaces Naby Keita. Benjamin Hübner (1899 Hoffenheim) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Benjamin Hübner (1899 Hoffenheim). Ádám Szalai (1899 Hoffenheim) is shown the yellow card. Bernardo (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Mark Uth (1899 Hoffenheim). Foul by Bernardo (RB Leipzig). Steven Zuber (1899 Hoffenheim) wins a free kick on the left wing. Offside, RB Leipzig. Marvin Compper tries a through ball, but Davie Selke is caught offside. Attempt missed. Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Marcel Sabitzer. Offside, RB Leipzig. Marcel Halstenberg tries a through ball, but Timo Werner is caught offside. Attempt missed. Kerem Demirbay (1899 Hoffenheim) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick. Marvin Compper (RB Leipzig) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Marvin Compper (RB Leipzig). Mark Uth (1899 Hoffenheim) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Offside, RB Leipzig. Diego Demme tries a through ball, but Timo Werner is caught offside. Offside, RB Leipzig. Marcel Halstenberg tries a through ball, but Davie Selke is caught offside. Foul by Timo Werner (RB Leipzig). Sebastian Rudy (1899 Hoffenheim) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! RB Leipzig 2, 1899 Hoffenheim 1. Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Naby Keita. Bernardo (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ádám Szalai (1899 Hoffenheim). Substitution, 1899 Hoffenheim. Ádám Szalai replaces Nadiem Amiri. Foul by Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig). Kerem Demirbay (1899 Hoffenheim) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Naby Keita (RB Leipzig). Mark Uth (1899 Hoffenheim) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Niklas Süle (1899 Hoffenheim).

Summary: The final unbeaten start in Europe's top five leagues ended as Hoffenheim lost to title-chasing RB Leipzig.


Scotland voted No to independence in 2014 following an often frenzied campaign and a record-breaking turnout of 84.6%. But things have changed since then - most notably the decision by the UK to leave the European Union. So have Scottish voters changed their minds? Ruairidh Forbes was so keen to vote No to independence in 2014 that he delayed moving from Edinburgh to London where he was due to begin a PhD in physics. Ruairidh, from North Berwick, says he was not convinced that the financial security of an independent Scotland could be guaranteed. But now he plans to vote Yes. "I am worried about a decline in science and technology funding in the UK after Brexit," Ruairidh explains. "Independence is our best shot at staying in the EU." Ruairidh is now three years into his doctoral studies and sees the benefits brought to the UK by the Â£7.6bn received from the EU for scientific research in 2007-13. "The British government relies on EU funding to prop up UK science and technology - I am worried that the sector will collapse once Brexit happens. "This means that we won't be able to take part in visionary research or cutting-edge projects like the Large Hadron Collider at Cern in Switzerland." "There are no contingency plans being laid at Westminster." Although there is no guarantee that an independent Scotland would become a member of the EU, Ruairidh believes signs suggest that voting for independence is Scotland's best chance to preserve science and technology research. But is he worried that this is also a vote for the SNP, a party that he does not support? "I don't think they are the right party for Scotland - I'm not a nationalist, I see myself as British. "But I believe the independence movement is motivated by social issues and this is a unique opportunity for fairer politics." Hadron Collider: Has it discovered a new particle? "I used to think Scotland had the ability to do well alone," explains Nichola Dadds, who is 50 and lives in Edinburgh. "I voted Yes to independence in 2014 but a lot has changed since then." Nichola wanted to stay in the EU - but now that Britain has decided to leave, she is worried that as a small country Scotland would be marginalised in the European Union. "Much of Scotland's trade is with the UK or non-EU countries like China or the US - if we left the UK, I am not convinced we could get a good trade deal. "I would be concerned about joining the EU as a small country. Look at countries like Ireland and Italy - they have little say in Europe," explains Nichola. "I believe if Scotland became independent from the rest of the UK we would end up beholden to the EU and my thoughts are, 'Better the devil you know,'" Nichola says. Instability caused by the fallout from Brexit is another reason why she changed her mind. "I want to vote for stability and security. We have had enough of referendums - it is

Summary: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that she is seeking a second referendum on Scottish independence to take place before Britain leaves the European Union.


At the start of each month Elena, a 40-year-old Muscovite, spreads all the family cash on the table and starts dividing it into small piles. "When I do this I shake, I feel nauseous," she says. "This goes to one bank, that to another, then the third one… There's one more bank, but we don't have the money for them - I had to go and buy some food. I guess we'll have to put up with their telephone reminders." Elena and her husband owe well over 1m roubles (about £10,800; $17,000) to those four banks. After the cash piles are sorted the family of three is left with only 10,000 roubles (£107; $167). That puts them below the poverty line - and recently Elena lost her job. Millions of those in debt live like Elena. According to the Russian United Credit Bureau (UCB), 40 million Russians have loans or mortgages. By June, 12.5m of those loans had not been paid for at least a month, and in another 8m cases the arrears stretched back over three months. The Russian Central Bank says total personal debt has risen to 1tn roubles (£10.7bn; $16.7bn). At least 10% of that amount cannot be recovered by the banks. For Elena and her husband, this is a story of almost two decades of borrowing. They started getting loans in the mid-1990s to pay for their daughter's medical treatment. Then they took a bigger loan to pay off the smaller ones. It all seemed manageable, says Elena, but then new expenses came along - and two banks offered credit cards with generous conditions. "We were a bit stupid," Elena says. "They told us the minimum payment was 5,000 roubles a month and we paid that every month. But that was just the interest, not the loan itself." During Russia's boom years credit history checks meant virtually nothing. An individual already saddled with loans could take out another one, hoping to pay off previous debts. The small print was often too small to bother about. Then the music stopped. Money got tight after the 2008 global financial crisis and Western sanctions against Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict. The average personal loan in 2014 was 54,600 roubles. Olga Mazurova is head of Sentinel Credit Management, one of Russia's largest debt-collecting agencies. She says that often Russians are hit by a sudden drop in income, because "the firm goes bankrupt, the working week is cut, there are layoffs or wage cuts - we see that especially in industrial cities in Siberia and the Urals". Few Russians have insurance for such contingencies, she says. Debtors cannot get much help. There are plans to amend the law on insolvency, to allow individuals to be declared bankrupt. But nothing will happen on that until October. Russian MPs decided that criminal courts were unprepared for the likely flood of such cases and that courts of arbitration should handle debt cases instead. Each debtor has to beg the bank to cut them some slack. But Russia's financial ombudsman Pavel Medvedev says that

Summary: Millions of Russians took out loans during the economic boom years, but now they face crippling debts and the law is not on their side, the BBC's Oleg Boldyrev reports.


Andre Andre gave Porto the lead, volleying in after Asmir Begovic pushed away Yacine Brahimi's effort. Midfielder Willian equalised on the stroke of half-time with a superb free-kick from the edge of the area. Maicon put the home side ahead again with a flicked header at the front post, before Diego Costa rattled the bar with a curling shot. Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas and Pedro both forced Spain team-mate Iker Casillas - making a record 152nd appearance in the competition - into saves early on. But despite their early pressure, and a late penalty claim for a handball by Ivan Marcano, they came away from the Estadio do Dragao with nothing. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho surprisingly left out last year's PFA player of the year Eden Hazard, who has struggled for form this season. On-loan striker Radamel Falcao failed to even make the bench against his and Mourinho's former team. Meanwhile, Brazil midfield duo Willian and Ramires - who both came on and scored in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle at the weekend - were named in the starting side, as was striker Diego Costa, currently serving a domestic suspension. But it was in defence that the Blues looked to have the biggest problems when the Portuguese league leaders - who won the competition when Mourinho was in charge in 2004 - went ahead six minutes before half-time. Full-back Branislav Ivanovic's indifferent season continued when he was too easily beaten by Algerian Brahimi in the lead-up to Andre's goal. Mourinho described his side's first-half performance against the Magpies as "minus one out of 10" and this tie looked to be heading the same away until Willian levelled with a curling free-kick. Chelsea have conceded the second most goals (14) in the Premier League this season and Jolen Lopetegui's Porto underlined the London club's problems at the back as Maicon lost his marker to reach a near-post corner and head past Begovic. Danilo also hit the post from another set piece. Media playback is not supported on this device Toiling in 15th place in the defence of their Premier League title, eight points behind leaders Manchester United, Mourinho's side have now suffered five defeats in 11 games in all competitions this season. The Portuguese manager has had disagreements with the media and differences with his coaching staff as his team have stuttered so far domestically - and Mourinho's troubles appeared to have spilled over into Europe. Mourinho's side easily defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 4-0 in their opening group game and Chelsea might have taken a point from a hardworking Porto side. But they saw efforts either hit the woodwork or deflected wide, while Marcano appeared to handle the ball in the area. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: "We watch dozens and dozens of repetitions of Porto taking corners. We were completely ready for that and in a moment when the game is under control we concede a goal that is ridiculous. "They hit the post from a similar mistake. Apart from that, the game was balanced. Two ridiculous moments and we were punished." Porto coach

Summary: Chelsea's poor start to the season continued as they were beaten by Porto in the Champions League.


Ministers are looking to limit access to benefits, health care and housing when freedom to work controls on Romanians and Bulgarians end. The detail of how changes might differ from current rules is not yet clear. Downing Street said the curbs were being considered in response to "widespread public concern". The PM's official spokesman said there was particular concern about the pressure created by migrants on local services, housing and the health service. He declined to give any details about specific measures, or say whether the government was poised to introduce an "entitlement card" to limit access to the health service. The measures would be announced in due course, he said. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the government was drawing up a package of measures designed to bring the UK into line with policies in other European member states already deemed legal by the European Court of Justice. Councils will be urged to use new powers to give priority on council house waiting lists to those with local connections - whether born, educated or with relatives in their area - which could make it harder for outsiders to get housing. Ministers are also examining the possibility of linking some benefits to contributions, which would have the effect of excluding new arrivals from eligibility. On Sunday, Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC people should not be attracted to the UK just by the benefits available and "benefit tourism" had to end. He said ministers wanted to remove "artificial, perverse incentives" to come to the UK. One immigration pressure group estimates 50,000 people will move to the UK every year from Romania and Bulgaria once the movement restrictions expire at the end of the year, but Mr Hague said any attempt to estimate the number would be "guesswork". People from Romania and Bulgaria have been free to live in the UK and anywhere else in the EU since the countries joined the EU in 2007, but in the UK they have either had to apply for one of the limited work permits available, be self-employed, or work in specific jobs such as seasonal agricultural or as domestic servants. Under EU rules, these temporary restrictions must come to an end at the beginning of 2014, after which Romanian and Bulgarian migrants will have the same rights to live and work in the UK as those of other EU countries, which will give them access to benefits and the NHS. Ministers say the impact of the temporary work restrictions, and the fact that eight other EU countries are also ending their restrictions at the same time as the UK, make forecasting the number of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants who might come to the UK difficult. When the first wave of former East European states joined the EU in 2004, the UK was one of just three existing members that did not bring in any temporary work restrictions - instead the UK introduced a Worker Registration Scheme to prevent "benefit tourism" by EU migrants coming to the UK for less than a year and claiming

Summary: Government plans to clamp down on "benefit tourism" could see both Britons and immigrants affected by changes to the rules on entitlement.


Ibori was jailed in the UK for fraud totalling nearly £50m in 2012. He was due to be released on 20 December but instead was held in immigration detention. After he was released he launched his claim against the Home Secretary Amber Rudd for damages for false imprisonment and breach of his rights. On Monday Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the home secretary had been "wrong throughout her dealings with Mr Ibori over the weeks leading to his release" and that he had been unlawfully detained. However, she rejected Ibori's claim for £4,000 in damages. Instead she awarded "nominal damages" of £1. The judge also said that the decision to keep him in immigration detention was probably because of millions of pounds the authorities have still not recovered from him. A Home Office email, published in the court judgement, recommended to keep him in immigration detention to buy time to work out how to recover at least £57m. "The best course of action at present is to place him in immigration detention and review the position in February or when we know more about the confiscation process", it said. On 21 December a High Court judge ordered his immediate release from prison. Ibori eventually left the UK in February. Who is James Ibori? James Ibori went from petty thief to Nigerian state governor to convicted money launderer. He came to the UK in the 1980s and worked as a cashier at a DIY store in London. He was convicted in 1991 of stealing from the store but then returned to Nigeria and got involved in politics. When he ran for Delta State governor he lied about his date of birth to hide his UK conviction - which would have prevented him standing for office. He became governor in 1999 and soon began taking money from state coffers. The British police began to take an interest in Ibori again in 2005 after they came across a purchase order for a private jet, made through his solicitor in London. He evaded capture in Nigeria after a mob of supporters attacked police, but was arrested in Dubai in 2010 and was extradited to the UK.

Summary: Convicted fraudster and former Nigerian state governor James Ibori has been awarded £1 ($1.30) for being unlawfully detained for 42 hours in the UK.


Raban Alou, 18, is charged with aiding and abetting the killing of police accountant Curtis Cheng, 58, on 2 October. Talal Alameddine, 22, is accused of supplying the weapon used by Mr Cheng's killer, 15-year-old Farhad Jabar. Neither appeared in court and no applications for bail were made. Mr Alou's lawyer, Moustafa Kheir, told reporters outside the court that his client would be fighting the charges. He said his client had been held for more than 200 hours "for the purpose of interrogation" and that the charges against him relied on circumstantial evidence. Police have alleged that Mr Alou handed the gun to Jabar. They also allege Mr Alameddine supplied the gun to Mr Alou hours before the murder. The case has been adjourned until 10 December. Mr Cheng was killed outside police headquarters in the Parramatta area of Sydney and Jabar was then shot dead by police. Officials described it as a terror attack. More than 200 officers later raided properties in the area. Jabar, an Australian born in Iran and of Iraqi-Kurdish heritage, is reported to have shouted religious slogans as he killed Mr Cheng. In the wake of the killing, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called a meeting with security chiefs. He warned that radicalisation was spreading among the young. "We are dealing with an evolving threat," he said. "The shocking murder of Curtis Cheng, the shocking act of terrorism perpetrated by a 15-year-old boy reminds us yet again that radicalisation, extremism can be seen in the very young." Australia's police chief had earlier warned that the terror threat facing the country was getting worse.

Summary: Two men charged in connection with the terrorism-linked shooting of an Australian police worker have been remanded in custody by a Sydney court.


The hosts dominated the match but could not find a way past the Tigers goalkeeper, who brilliantly kept out Zlatan Ibrahimovic's long-range strike and Paul Pogba's driving effort in the first half. Media playback is not supported on this device In between, Harry Maguire should have done better with a header which he put wide of goal. Ibrahimovic hooked an effort wide in the second half and Jakupovic made his best save to prevent Juan Mata from scoring at the back post, as well as keeping out Paul Pogba's curler. The visitors could have won it with five minutes to go, but on-loan Lazar Markovic's clipped shot came back off the post and Abel Hernandez struck tamely at David de Gea. The point keeps United in sixth place, but allowed Hull to move off the bottom of the table. The rules are different for me - Mourinho Relive the entertaining draw from Old Trafford Jakupovic made a total of six saves, punching the air in delight with each effort he kept out and taking the acclaim of the jubilant away supporters at full-time. Hull have shipped 47 goals this season - only Swansea (52) have conceded more in the division - and this was just their second clean sheet in 23 league games. Asked by BBC Sport if it was his best game in a Hull shirt, Jakupovic replied: "I try to be my best for the team all the time but today I caught a good day. "The striker celebrates when he scored, and I celebrated to myself with some saves." United striker Ibrahimovic was not impressed by the Hull player's performance. The Swede said: "I did not see any chances where it was difficult for the goalkeeper. It was not a good save from Mata, it was a bad finish. Some saves he made for the cameras." United had seen all the top four sides drop points in this round of fixtures as they chase a Champions League spot, but failed to capitalise even though they had 66% possession in the match. Despite extending their run to 14 games unbeaten in the top-flight, they have drawn their last three games and are four points adrift of Liverpool in fourth place. United only had themselves to blame in a wasteful performance. Marcus Rashford, who completed a full 90 minutes for the first time since November, highlighted his team's sloppiness by losing possession 21 times - more than any other player on the pitch. Wayne Rooney was brought off the bench at half time, but failed to change the game, having become the club's leading all-time goal scorer in the previous league match at Stoke. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho: "We didn't score. You don't score, it is not possible to win. "Their goalkeeper was good. "We needed to score, we needed more time to play. If you played 35-40 minutes in both halves, it is a lot. I think Hull City tried to see where they could go, the way they could behave and tried to see what the referee would

Summary: Eldin Jakupovic made a string of fine saves as Hull frustrated Manchester United by claiming a goalless draw in the Premier League at Old Trafford.


The comments came ahead of his Budget speech, in which he cut the country's growth forecast for 2016 to 0.9%, down from 1.7%. He conceded the economy was struggling with shrinking growth, 25% unemployment, and widespread poverty. The South African currency, the rand, which has halved over the past five years, fell after the speech. It dropped 2.25% to make one rand worth around $0.0639. In a briefing ahead of the Budget, Mr Gordhan said: "There is no doubt about the fact that we are in crisis." The measures announced in Parliament were aimed at stopping the country falling into recession and to appease the rating agencies who have threatened to downgrade South Africa to junk status, which would raise borrowing costs for the country. Mr Gordhan unveiled government spending cuts, a civil service job freeze and some moderate tax rises. These tax increases affect property sales, fuel, sugary drinks, alcohol, tobacco and and capital gains, as well as environmental levies, which are expected to bring in an extra 18bn rand ($1.18bn; Â£840m). He had been expected to announce plans on privatising state assets - he fell short of that but said the government was looking at the possibility of merging the loss-making national carrier, South African Airways, with the state-owned SA Express airline "with a view to engaging with a potential minority equity partner". Privatisation has long been resisted by sections of the ruling African National Congress. Mr Gordhan was blunt on his outlook for the country. "We cannot spend money we do not have. We cannot borrow beyond our ability to repay. Until we ignite growth and generate more revenue we have to be tough on ourselves." Maike Currie, investment director at Fidelity International, said she was unsure if the measures announced would stop the rating agencies cutting their outlook for the country, as they have warned: "There was no increase in VAT, which has remained unchanged at 14% for two decades now, or income tax hike as the finance minister looked to moderate the impact of tax increases on struggling South African households amid a testing economic backdrop. "Whether this will be enough to appease rating agencies and businesses, however remains to be seen". She added that it was interesting that Mr Gordhan had focused on cutting down government spending without enforcing austerity measures on everyday South Africans, such as raising income tax. In his Budget speech, South Africa's finance minister Pravin Gordhan was cautiously optimistic and realistic about the challenges facing the country. He spoke about the need to tackle wasteful expenditure and was candid about corruption. The most blatant example of misuse of public funds is the Nkandla scandal where officials used taxpayers money to renovate the president's private country home. His strategy seems to be that of spending less in order to save more. The minister said that his focus will be to reduce the government deficit to 3.2% this year, and over the next three years. The rand weakened after he had finished speaking which suggests the markets are not convinced that the minister has

Summary: The South African economy is 'in crisis' says the country's finance minister Pravin Gordhan.


Max Jowitt crossed early on after good work by Craig Hall, but three quick tries by Tony Gigot, Dave Taylor and Justin Horo put the hosts in control. Wakefield drew level at 18-18 at the break when Jonny Molloy powered over and Hall touched down. The teams both scored two further tries but Pat Richards missed a late kick with his side trailing by two at 30-28. And Wakefield, who were already assured of their place in the top eight, held on for a victory which ends a three-match losing run. The Wildcats had regained the lead after an even first period when Bill Tupou made the most of some quick thinking by Hall to go over. Catalans responded again when Morgan Escare ran onto a Lucas Albert kick. Mikey Sio then crossed for the visitors and the reliable boot of Liam Finn made it 30-24, but although Fouad Yayha scored in the corner, Richards' missed conversion proved costly for Catalans. Catalans Dragons: Escare, Yaha, Garcia, Duport, Richards, Gigot, Albert, Baitieri, Taylor, Horo, Maria, Pelissier, Casty. Substitutes: Bousquet, Da Costa, Mason, Navarrete. Wakefield: Jowitt, Lyne, Arundel, B Tupou, Hall, Miller, Finn, Simon, Moore, Arona, Ashurst, Molloy, Sio. Substitutes: Scruton, A Tupou, Walton, Fifita. Att: 8,562. Ref: Chris Campbell (RFL).

Summary: Wakefield moved up to sixth in Super League after edging a thrilling topsy-turvy encounter with Catalans Dragons.


It happened at about 20:30 GMT on Saturday at the Antrim Road shop. Two men wearing hooded tops made a purchase, then one asked the assistant for another item. When she opened the till, one of the men brought out a knife. He lunged towards the woman, jabbing the knife in her direction. The second man them removed cash from the till. Both were challenged by a male member of staff as they left and one of the robbers took the knife out again. They then fled on foot. Neither member of staff was injured, but police said they were left very badly shaken. Detectives have appealed for witnesses to contact them.

Summary: A woman working in an off-licence has been threatened with a knife during a robbery in north Belfast.