Pakistan's telecoms regulator said the ban was no longer necessary because Google, which owns YouTube, had now launched a Pakistan-specific version. YouTube has denied claims that the authorities can filter content. Many young Pakistanis have welcomed the lifting of the ban but some activists want details of the deal with Google. They say there should be greater transparency of the terms agreed between Google and the government. A Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) official confirmed to the BBC that all internet service providers had been directed to open access to YouTube. The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd posted on its Facebook page on Monday: "Welcome Back YouTube". Pakistan's ministry of information technology said: "Google has provided an online web process through which requests for blocking access of offending material can be made by the PTA to Google directly. "Google/YouTube will accordingly restrict access to the said offending material for users within Pakistan." However, a YouTube spokeswoman said government requests for the removal of content would not automatically be granted. "We have clear community guidelines, and when videos violate those rules, we remove them," she said. "In addition, where we have launched YouTube locally and we are notified that a video is illegal in that country, we may restrict access to it after a thorough review." She said requests by governments for content to be removed would be recorded in YouTube's Transparency Report. Pakistan's ban on YouTube was imposed by the Supreme Court in 2012 after the US-made film Innocence of Muslims was uploaded. The amateur-made video was condemned in the Muslim world and sparked widespread protests for its mocking portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. More than a dozen people died in protests in Pakistan. Blasphemy is a crime in Pakistan and can carry the death penalty, although such a sentence has not been carried out. Google revealed last week that it had launched local versions of YouTube for Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Summary: Pakistan has unblocked the video sharing site, YouTube, more than three years after it was banned for posting a video deemed insulting to Islam.


Reporters Gavin Sherriff and Darryl Smith worked for the Dundee-based Sunday Post, which closes its London office on Friday. For decades Fleet Street was synonymous with the nation's biggest newspapers. Ex-Sunday Express editor Robin Esser said it was once a "very, very important place" through which most of the public received its information. The first British daily newspaper, the Daily Courant, was published in Fleet Street on 11 March 1702. At its height, "the Street of Shame" - as it was dubbed by some - was the pinnacle of a journalist's career, with nearly every national paper and several provincial newspapers having offices within a half-mile radius. Mr Smith, 43, worked as a feature writer for the Sunday Post and was based in the street for 25 years. He is quick to point out that the paper's London address is the same as Sweeney Todd's barber shop, where the fictional character took a razor to his clients' throats. Although the death of journalism has finally arrived here, he says it was announced too soon by some of London's tour guides. "I was standing by the window once a few years ago, and a tour bus had stopped outside. I heard the guide tell the passengers that Fleet Street no longer had any journalists working here. "I stuck my head out and shouted: 'We are still here'." The street was famous for its many bars and pubs, constantly occupied by journalists both socialising and seeking stories, and Mr Smith tells a tale of once needing to speak to a colleague in the notorious El Vino wine bar - which for many years refused to serve women. He says he was not allowed in until he squeezed into an ill-fitting jacket, provided by the staff. "There is so much history here, and to be one of the last ones, I feel unworthy of the torch that I'm carrying." Mr Sherriff, 54, has worked on Fleet Street for 32 years, and rose to become the Post's London chief reporter. He says on his first ever day he walked into a smoke-filled newsroom to the sound of typewriters being bashed about. "The phones didn't even work properly, I'd be amazed if I called someone and it connected the first time." His memories of the street in its heyday are of "watching lorries with large rolls of paper struggling to get down side-streets to printing presses and lots of pubs, filled with journalists and printers". "Now it's an endless number of sandwich bars out there. Unthinkable 30 years ago." Mr Sherriff describes the atmosphere back then of "certainly living up to the image you had before you came, but you wouldn't be able to produce newspapers now the way it was done back then". Following their redundancy, Mr Smith is becoming a freelance journalist, while Mr Sherriff is taking time out to write his memoirs. Robin Esser's Fleet Street career spanned some 60 years, during which time he also became executive managing editor of the Daily Mail. "At its height, Fleet Street was very, very important because

Summary: The last two journalists working in Fleet Street are leaving what was once seen as the centre of UK journalism.


Belgium's Gianni Meersman sprinted to victory, while Darwin Atapuma retained his overall lead despite being one of the riders caught behind the collision. Colombian Atapuma lost more than a minute, but organisers applied the 3km rule to determine finishing times. Froome and second-placed Alejandro Valverde were part of the bunch sprint having been ahead of the crash. The accident split the pack in the closing stages and ended the race of Dutch rider Steven Kruijswijk, who sustained a suspected broken collarbone. It was a second win in this year's Vuelta for Meersman, who held off the challenge of Italy's Fabio Felline and Kevin Reza of France. Team Sky's Froome is aiming to become the first man in 38 years to win the Vuelta and Tour de France in the same season. 1. Gianni Meersman (Bel/Etixx-Quick-Step) 4hrs 16mins 41secs 2. Laurent Didier (Lux/Trek) same time 3. Kevin Reza (Fra/FDJ) 4. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa/Astana) 5. Zico Waeytens (Bel/Giant) 6. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) 7. Romain Hardy (Fra/Cofidis) 8. Jempy Druecker (Lux/BMC Racing) 9. Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel/Cofidis) 10. Jose Goncalves (Por/Caja Rural) 1. Darwin Atapuma (Col/BMC) 17hrs 39mins 52secs 2. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +28secs 3 Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +32secs 4. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +38secs 5. Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica) same time 6. Gonzalez Sanchez (Spa/BMC) +1min 7secs 7. Andujar Fernandez (Spa/Movistar) +1min 10secs 8. Leopold Konig (Cze/Team Sky) +1min 12secs 9. Peter Kennaugh (GB/Team Sky) +1min 14secs 10. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita/Etixx-Quick-Step) 1min 22secs

Summary: Britain's Chris Froome remains third in the Vuelta a Espana after a late crash caused chaos on Wednesday's stage five.


The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, attacked Gwen Louden in the court's foyer in January. The girl had been told to leave the court by PC Louden but returned and assaulted her. The court was told that the police officer was still off work. Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan previously told Dundee Sheriff Court: "The accused was informed she was under arrest for another matter no longer before the court. "PC Louden took the girl's hand and she pulled away, before PC Louden took her by the wrist. "A struggle ensued and she then punched PC Louden in the face with her right fist then headbutted the officer to the left side of her face and repeatedly punched her on the head several more times." PC Louden and a colleague struggled with the girl and pulled her into the main reception area. Mr Duncan said: "She continued to repeatedly punch and headbutt the officer to the head and face. "The accused was eventually forced face down on the ground and handcuffed to the rear." The court was told PC Louden attended Ninewells Hospital with swelling and pain to her forehead and severe swelling to her left cheekbone. The 16-year-old, of Dundee, admitted a charge of assault to injury on 28 January. She also admitted breaching a community payback order previously imposed for another offence. Sheriff Tom Hughes sentenced the girl to eight months detention for the assault and a further four months, to be served consecutively, for the breach of the community payback order. He said: "This is an appalling offence to a police officer while she was on duty. "Police officers have a very difficult job and are on the front line of protecting us. "They should be able to go to work and carry out their duty without injury. "Both officers are to be commended for how they dealt with this. A custodial sentence is inevitable."

Summary: A 16-year-old girl who attacked a police officer inside Dundee Sheriff Court after being ejected from the building has been sentenced to be detained for 12 months.


She will become the new Bishop of Stockport. The Church's ruling body, the general synod, voted to allow women to become bishops in July. The appointment will end centuries of male leadership of the Church and comes 20 years after women became priests. Mrs Lane said: "It is a remarkable day for me and an historic day for the Church. "This is unexpected and very exciting. On this historic day as the Church of England announces the first woman nominated to be bishop, I am very conscious of all those who have gone before me, women and men, who for decades have looked forward to this moment. But most of all I am thankful to God." While priests are normally in charge of a church, a bishop is in charge of a large area like a county - called a diocese - with hundreds of churches. Some people within the church are against the change because they say tradition dictates that only men should hold the most senior positions. But supporters say there is no reason that women shouldn't be in the Church's positions of power. Churches in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already allow women as bishops, but haven't appointed one yet.

Summary: The Reverend Libby Lane has been announced as the first female bishop for the Church of England, just a month after a historic change to church law.


Crabtree & Evelyn said distribution and packaging services at its Pontyclun distribution centre will be taken over by a Northampton-based provider from April 2017. Its Pontyclun support office will move to head office in London. The company said it was in talks with staff about the "transfer of employment" and "relocation of roles". It added that the consultation process was ongoing and that it was focussing on "supporting our staff". Crabtree & Evelyn employs 54 people at its Pontyclun site.

Summary: A retailer has announced it is transferring services and relocating an office from Rhondda Cynon Taff.


Sam Boulton, 26, was hit by a van at about 13:20 BST on 27 July on London Road. He later died in hospital. Leicestershire Police said a 50-year-old man was questioned and released. The road was closed between Station Street and the entrance to the station but later reopened. Police have appealed for witnesses. In a statement, Mr Boulton's father Jeff said: "We would like to thank you all for your kind wishes, love and support for our beautiful son, brother and fiancÃ©. We are asking you to respect the privacy of both families during this sad time."

Summary: A man arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a cyclist died near Leicester railway station has been released on bail.


17 December 2016 Last updated at 12:26 GMT Garry Reed joined Swimbridge Primary School in 1982, but retires this Christmas. Known by his students as "a funny teacher with very good jokes", Mr Reed said he has never arrived at school in North Devon without looking forward to the day ahead. Russell Hobby, the general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "Mr Reed is one of the longest-serving heads in the country. "What a fantastic achievement to have led a school so well for so long"

Summary: One of the longest-serving head teachers in the country is retiring after 35 years at the same school.


The Council for Science and Technology (CST) wants "public good" GM varieties to be grown and tested in the UK. It says GM crops should be assessed individually - like pharmaceuticals - taking potential benefits into account. A new UK regulator similar to NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) should be set up, it says. The UK is a world leader in plant biotechnology research, but GM field trial applications have fallen from 37 in 1995 to just one in 2012. By David ShukmanScience editor, BBC News The controversy over genetically modifying plants is riddled with contradictions. Take the European Union. Its internal politics have caused a logjam in approvals but the EU science budget is also funding some of Britain's research. Europe grows very few GM plants but most of its imported animal feed is genetically modified. It was America's agricultural giants whose hard sell of GM put off so many European consumers but it is also US science that provides the evidence, gathered over the past two decades, that supports the assurance that GM plants and food are safe. And while Britain's leading plant scientists appeal to the prime minister to help foster this new technology, its leading supermarket chains avoid stocking GM products because no-one is asking for them. So can anything shift? The key is whether ministers can change minds in Brussels - and that's no easy task given the hostility towards GM in big players like France and Germany. A long haul lies ahead. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has spoken in favour of increasing UK research into GM, which he said offers the "most wonderful opportunities to improve human health." The CST was asked by Prime Minister David Cameron for the latest evidence on the risks and benefits of GM technologies in agriculture, and for advice on UK and EU regulation. In turn, it commissioned a group of leading plant scientists from Rothamsted Research, The Sainsbury Laboratory and Cambridge University to make recommendations to the prime minister. The scientists say they are being held back by strict EU regulations - based on the principle that GM crops are inherently more dangerous than conventionally-bred varieties. Only two GM varieties have been licensed for commercial harvest in Europe - despite the fact that 12% of the world's arable land is cultivating GM crops. The CST report argues GM crops have now been shown to be safe - and may be necessary in future for Britain to grow its own food supply, rather than depending on imports. It says the UK should regulate commercial GM varieties of wheat and potatoes based on their individual benefits and risks - rather than follow the EU's blanket approach. It also recommends a new programme of publicly-funded field trials to test "public good" GM crop varieties, which it calls "PubGM". "Public good" traits could include nutritional enhancement, such as antioxidants in tomatoes, or vitamin A in "Golden Rice". They could also include "climate-proofing" properties such as drought resistance or heat resistance. "With PubGM, seed companies, consumers and regulators will be able

Summary: A new report on genetically modified (GM) crops, commissioned by the prime minister, calls for more UK field trials and fewer EU restrictions.


The Manx rider, 24, finished 22nd on the final time trial to top the general classification by 12 seconds ahead of his Team Sky team-mate Dario Cataldo. Cataldo won the final day's 10km individual time trial to make it a one-two for the British team. It's like being in dreamland. To win four out of five stages is not a common thing to do but the team was super strong this race The victory is the Isle of Man cyclist's first stage-race triumph of his professional career. He later said on Twitter: "Was a nervous time trial yesterday with my tri bars coming loose but nice to finally finish it off and also have Dario on the podium with me." The British team dominated the race after Isle of Man-based Ben Swift won the opening stage on Thursday before a quartet of Team Sky riders won the afternoon's time trial. Kennaugh recorded the first stage win of his career on Friday and the Manxman did not relinquish the leader's jersey. Team Sky director Dan Frost said: "It was a perfect end to a perfect week for us. "It's like being in dreamland. To win four out of five stages is not a common thing to do but the team was super strong this race. "Now having Dario win the trial and to move up to make it a one-two overall is also a really nice result. We won the points jersey with Swifty, the team classification and it was really nice to see Pete take the overall. "It is great for morale going forwards."

Summary: Peter Kennaugh recorded a landmark overall victory at Settimana Coppi e Bartali in Italy on Sunday.


Watford's Etienne Capoue scored early in the second half, but Freddie Hinds and Bobby Reid responded for City. Hornets defender Jose Holebas was sent off in the 88th minute before Niclas Eliasson increased the visitors' lead in stoppage time. Adrian Mariappa scored a 95th-minute consolation as Watford fell to their first defeat under boss Marco Silva. The Portuguese made six changes to his side after their league win over Bournemouth on Saturday, while City manager Lee Johnson made nine. The Watford side was still strong with summer signing Will Hughes handed his debut and Troy Deeney making his first start of the season. After falling behind, City responded excellently through 18-year-old Hinds' superb strike from distance and Reid's goal eight minutes later. Brazilian Richarlison hit a post for Watford before Holebas received a second yellow card for a trip on Eliasson. Eliasson netted a breakaway goal to put the game beyond Watford. Match ends, Watford 2, Bristol City 3. Second Half ends, Watford 2, Bristol City 3. Goal! Watford 2, Bristol City 3. Adrian Mariappa (Watford) header from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Christian Kabasele with a headed pass following a set piece situation. Richarlison (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Lloyd Kelly (Bristol City). Goal! Watford 1, Bristol City 3. Niclas Eliasson (Bristol City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Callum O'Dowda. Corner, Watford. Conceded by Niclas Eliasson. Adrian Mariappa (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City). Foul by Tom Cleverley (Watford). Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt saved. Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Matty Taylor with a cross. Second yellow card to José Holebas (Watford) for a bad foul. Foul by José Holebas (Watford). Bobby Reid (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Watford. Conceded by Aden Flint. Richarlison (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lloyd Kelly (Bristol City). Attempt missed. Richarlison (Watford) header from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Isaac Success with a cross. Foul by José Holebas (Watford). Niclas Eliasson (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Isaac Success (Watford). Korey Smith (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Lloyd Kelly (Bristol City) because of an injury. Foul by Adrian Mariappa (Watford). Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Watford. Tom Cleverley replaces Etienne Capoue. Substitution, Bristol City. Matty Taylor replaces Freddy Hinds. Foul by Sebastian Prödl (Watford). Aden Flint (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Watford. Conceded by Frank Fielding. Attempt saved. Andre Gray (Watford) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved

Summary: Championship side Bristol City came from behind to beat Premier League Watford in the EFL Cup second round.


A Department for International Trade report shows 5,443 new posts were created in 2015-16 - a 7% increase on the previous financial year. Almost 7,000 jobs were created or safeguarded by foreign direct investment during the same period. The report said the UK remains the most popular EU destination for overseas firms. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said Wales had a "tremendous platform" to build on as the UK prepared to leave the EU. He said: "These figures demonstrate that Wales remains an attractive destination for overseas investment, providing a valuable boost to the economy and creating thousands of jobs. "Our country now has a tremendous platform to build on over the coming months as we make plans to leave the EU, forge stronger relations with international partners and attract more investment from emerging markets." The figures come as First Minister Carwyn Jones said the referendum result meant it was time to sell Wales to the world like "never before". He has appointed officials to represent Wales in EU negotiations and reiterated his support for the UK to remain in the single market at a press conference to mark 100 days since he was reinstated as first minister.

Summary: More than 5,000 new jobs were created in Wales as foreign investments in the UK hit a high, government figures show.


The Catalan regional parliament has voted to start the secession process, but Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has gone to the Constitutional Court to suspend the resolution. Secession is banned under Spain's constitution and the prime minister has accused campaigners of trying to "liquidate" the nation. When Catalan nationalists held an unofficial poll in November 2014, 80% of those who voted backed independence. The vote was non-binding as the Constitutional Court had ruled it illegal. But the secessionists viewed it as a defining moment and declared regional elections in September 2015 would be a de facto referendum on independence. Catalan nationalist parties won an absolute majority in the 135-seat regional assembly and on 9 November pushed through a motion to start the process towards independence. The Spanish government has hit back, declaring the secessionist step unconstitutional. The votes suggest they have popular support, but last November's non-binding poll was based on relatively low turnout of 2.2 million voters out of a potential 5.4 million. And the Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) coalition of two major separatist parties which won this year's regional election relied on the support of a radical left-wing party, CUP, to secure its majority in the Catalan parliament. Even then, they fell short of a majority of voters, with 48% support. So the secessionists control the regional parliament but Catalan opinion on secession appears evenly divided. And with Spain facing a general election on 20 December, and no party expected to win a clear majority nationally, the Catalan issue is only adding to political uncertainty. Catalonia - its history, politics and language That is the process that the Catalan parliament has voted to start - with plans for legislation to begin by early December on a separate constitution, treasury and social security system. Catalans already have extensive autonomy in education, health and policing. But acting Catalan President Artur Mas wants the rapid creation of other trappings of an independent state, too, such as a diplomatic service, central bank and armed forces. But Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, whose Popular Party is facing a critical test in December national elections, may invoke article 155 of the constitution that allows the national government to compel an autonomous regional authority to meet its constitutional obligations. Before the 2014 vote, he took the case to the Constitutional Court and the poll was declared illegal. Artur Mas is facing criminal charges as a result. And now Mr Rajoy has returned to the court to have the regional assembly's motion suspended. But there is a growing demand in Madrid for the government to engage with Catalan leaders. So far, the independence movement remains peaceful and organised, in stark contrast, for instance, to the separatist violence which plagued the Spanish Basque Country until recently. Spain's rapid return to democracy after the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975 brought devolution for Catalonia, along with Spain's other regions. Prosperity followed, with Barcelona becoming one of the EU's most high-profile cities, famed for its 1992 Summer Olympics, trade fairs and its football. But Spain's economic crisis hit

Summary: Pro-independence parties in Spain's richest region, Catalonia, are pushing ahead with a historic plan for an independent state within 18 months, and the national government in Madrid is fighting back.


Renfe chief Julio Gomez-Pomar was speaking to a parliamentary panel about the crash near Santiago de Compostela. The derailment on 24 July also left about 170 people injured. Train driver Francisco Jose Garzon Amo is under investigation but has not been formally charged. "Throughout the journey there is no record of communication from the train to the monitoring centre to report any damage or abnormality," Mr Gomez-Pomar said. He said all normal security procedures had been followed and that the driver had not been on duty more than the standard number of hours, having just returned to work after two days off. The BBC's Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid says the parliamentary session is not expected to look at the causes of the accident. Instead, MPs want to know what measures have been taken since then to improve safety. The train's "black box" data recorder has revealed that Mr Garzon was talking to a colleague on his work phone and consulting documents just before the derailment. Judicial authorities have said the train was travelling at 192km/h (119mph) - more than twice the speed limit - on the bend where it derailed. All eight carriages careered off the tracks on the express route between Madrid and the port city of Ferrol on the Galician coast. The Renfe chief said that on the day of the crash the train had undergone a thorough technical inspection and nothing abnormal had been found. The brakes were in perfect condition, he said. In addition, he said there were three warning signs on the line telling drivers about the bend near Santiago de Compostela where the train derailed and where the speed limit was 80km/h. Mr Gomez-Pomar said that under Renfe's rules drivers are banned from sending text messages during journeys, they can only use their work phone if strictly necessary and are not allowed to make calls on their personal phone. Spain's Minister of Public Works Ana Pastor will address the panel on Friday and announce extra measures to prevent such accidents in future, the Renfe chief said.

Summary: The head of Spain's public railways says the crew of the train which derailed at high speed last month killing 79 people had not reported any problems before the crash.


As the economist Paul Krugman put it, it was as if Europeans were holding up a sign which read "time to stage a run on your bank". In Europe's corridors of power there is the sound and sight of officials pointing fingers and rowing back from previous positions held. Here's the reality: Cyprus's banks will remain closed at least until Thursday while they try and unravel this. The Cypriot parliament may delay again today voting on a bailout deal that has brought protesters onto the streets. Bank shares in Europe have been under pressure. The markets are unnerved. Fear has returned to the eurozone. The EU's reputation has been damaged. Not a good day's work. So what's happening? After a conference call on Monday, Europe's finance ministers said that small savers, who were going to be taxed at 6.5%, should be protected. A new proposal from the finance ministry has surfaced today. The aim is to better protect the small savers. Under the plan those with savings less than 20,000 euros would pay nothing. Those with deposits between 20,000 and 100,000 would pay a one-off levy of 6.75%. Savings above 100,000 would face a 9.9% tax. The proposal leaves in doubt whether it could raise the nearly 6bn euros that was a central part of the bailout deal. And in a further indication of just how complicated this could become, the Cypriot Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades said he expected that 10% of deposits would be withdrawn when banks finally open. The Cypriot government appears to have decided against raising the levy on those with deposits of more than 100,000 euros to over 15%. Here's the rub: The government fears this would effectively destroy its financial sector. Those wealthy Russians, who are the largest foreign investors, are likely to pull their funds out of the island if the one-off tax is too high. The Russians are angry and the Cypriot finance minister is heading to Moscow to explain. The Cypriots argue that the bailout would end up undermining a key sector of the economy. The suspicion in Nicosia is that it is precisely what countries like Germany want. They don't like tax havens for the wealthy. So how did Europe get itself into this tangle? As always Germany is the starting point. For Chancellor Angela Merkel there was a moral element to this. "Anyone having their money in Cypriot banks," she said, "must contribute to the Cypriot bailout". In other words it can't just be left to the taxpayers of other countries. The Cypriots say that the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was a strong proponent of taxing savers. At the talks the IMF also played tough. It insisted that Cypriot debt had to be sustainable and that meant reducing the size of the debt. So depositors were lined up to take a "haircut" - a slice from their savings. The Cypriots tried to hold out but they were faced with a veiled threat. The European Central Bank (ECB) might stop providing funds to Cyprus's two major banks. Without support, the banks

Summary: Almost nobody now believes the Cypriot bailout deal negotiated in the early hours of Saturday morning was smart.


It says the current TV deals saw Premier League clubs generate £3.3bn record revenues in 2014-15, up by 3%. Top flight clubs also recorded a second straight year of pre-tax profits in 2014-15, for the first time since 1999. With more lucrative TV deals from 2016, Deloitte says clubs are "looking at at least three more years of big growth". Launching its 25th Annual Review of Football Finance, Dan Jones from the business consultancy's Sport Business Group said: "What we are seeing is a continuation of club profitability, it is certainly not a one-off. "We feel Premier League clubs have turned the corner, and are entering a new era of sustained profitability. Clubs are now attractive propositions to investors, and not merely as vanity projects." He said increased profitability meant that top flight English clubs could compete with overseas teams in order to buy up the best players in the world, and still have money left in reserve. From 2016-17 clubs will receive even more cash from broadcasters, with Sky and BT Sport paying a record £5.136bn (up from £3.018bn in 2013-16) for live Premier League TV rights for three seasons. "When the enhanced new broadcast deals commence in the 2016-17 season, operating profits could rise as high as £1bn," Mr Jones said. He also said that it was encouraging to see that much of this new-found TV wealth was being spent by clubs not only on players, but also on improving stadia and infrastructure. "The pace of football's financial growth in two and a half decades is staggering," said Mr Jones, referring to the foundation of the Premier League in 1992. "By half-time of the second televised Premier League game next year, more broadcast revenue will have been generated than during the whole of the First Division season 25 years ago." He added: "The impact of the Premier League's broadcast deal is clear to see. For the first time, the Premier League leads the football world in all three key revenue categories - commercial, match day and broadcast - and this is driving sustainable profitability. Although the wages/revenue ratio has increased for the Premier League clubs, Mr Jones does not see this as cause for concern. "Wage costs grew at a faster rate than revenues in 2014-15 and as a result the division's wages/revenue ratio rose from 58% to 61%," he said. "However, this represents the second lowest level since 2004-05 and is 10 percentage points lower than in 2012-13. "In fact, in the last two years, only 30% of revenue increases have been consumed by wage growth, whereas in the five years to 2012-13 this figure was 99%." Premier League highlights 2014-15 The 92 clubs in the English Premier League and Football League generated more than £4bn in revenues for the first time in 2014-15, a new record. Meanwhile, the UK government's tax take from the top 92 professional football clubs in 2014-15 was roughly £1.5bn, up from £1.4bn the previous season. Deloitte's review of football finance also found that combined revenue for the "big five" European leagues (England, Germany,

Summary: Increasingly large TV deals are helping English Premier League clubs to enter "a new era of sustained financial performance", according to Deloitte.


"Of course I wouldn't rule that out, but that's not for now," he told the BBC's Newsnight. Yentob said the decision to drop Clarkson as a presenter of Top Gear was right, but also a sad day for the BBC. He said it would be a disappointment if the other presenters quit, but the programme might still continue. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have worked together on Top Gear since 2003. The BBC has so far not commented on the future of Hammond and May. Yentob acknowledged it was "perfectly natural" for the presenters to have reservations about continuing on the BBC Two show: "They are a team - they have worked together for a very long time, they are all very attached. "The question of what happens next for Top Gear is a conversation which must go on between the controller of BBC Two Kim Shillinglaw, between Andy [Wilman - producer of Top Gear], and the team." On Wednesday, Hammond tweeted: "Gutted at such a sad end to an era. We're all three of us idiots in our different ways but it's been an incredible ride together." May also appeared to suggest he was contemplating his own departure, telling Sky News: "I'm sure Top Gear can continue in some way. It existed before us and has been reformatted several times." Clarkson was suspended on 10 March, following what was called a "fracas" with Top Gear producer Oisin Tymon. On Wednesday it was announced the presenter's contract would not be renewed. An internal investigation, led by Ken MacQuarrie, the director of BBC Scotland, found that Mr Tymon took himself to hospital after he was subject to an "unprovoked physical and verbal attack". North Yorkshire Police are also looking into the incident, which took place at a local hotel. "We have a duty to investigate where we believe an offence might have been committed, and that is what we have been doing with this case," a spokesperson said. "As is usual in these circumstances, we have made contact with Mr Tymon through his lawyers, to ask him to speak to us so we can ascertain how he wishes to pursue this matter." "When these routine enquiries are completed, we will be able to assess whether or not further action needs to be taken from a police perspective." Speaking to reporters outside his home on Thursday, Clarkson refused to answer when asked if he was worried about a potential arrest. Instead, he said: "All I would like to say is... I wish people would leave Ois [Oisin Tymon] alone because none of this was his fault."

Summary: BBC creative director Alan Yentob has said he would not rule out Jeremy Clarkson making a return to the BBC in the future.


A ruling will allow users and expert analysts to carry out repairs. But changes such as extracting and selling code would still breach copyright. Vehicle manufacturers opposed the move, saying repair garages could fix any issues. The ruling follows claims the right to modify software could have prevented the Volkswagen emissions scandal. The Library of Congress, which oversees the US Copyright Office, agreed with fair use advocates who argued that vehicle owners are entitled to modify their cars, which often involves altering software, Reuters reported. Manufacturers, including General Motors (GM) and Deere, spoke out in opposition. A GM representative referred to a statement from an industry group that said the new rules would weaken safety innovation. "Sensitive vehicle data could be easily manipulated, altered, or distributed - undetected - if these changes are implemented," the statement said. Deere spokesman Ken Golden said the company stands by its earlier opposition. But he added that some systems that transmit data from the vehicle to Deere could still be protected by copyright. Security researchers also pushed for copyright liability protection because computer programs are "pervasive" in modern machines and devices, including vehicles, home appliances and medical devices. "We are pleased that analysts will now be able to examine the software in the cars we drive without facing legal threats from car manufacturers," said Kit Walsh, a staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which advocated for the rule changes. In the wake of the Volkswagen emissions deceit, the EFF said car manufacturers' software should not be protected from independent scrutiny. "When you entrust your health, safety, or privacy to a device, the law shouldn't punish you for trying to understand how that device works and whether it is trustworthy," Walsh blogged. The new rules must be renewed in three years, he said. Some US government agencies expressed serious reservations about the new rules, and the Environmental Protection Agency flatly opposed them. "EPA explained that vehicle modifications are often performed to increase engine power or boost fuel economy, but that these modifications increase vehicle emissions and thus violate the Clean Air Act," the Library of Congress said in its final rule. However, the new rules do not allow vehicle owners to break any other laws, the Library said, and will not take effect for a year so the EPA and other agencies have time to prepare.

Summary: Security researchers have been given the green light to hunt for flaws in car software by US authorities.


An Amsterdam judge told the tech firm to release internet and email addresses, phone numbers and names related to four reviewers, one of whom assumed the identity of a dead woman. Google deleted the reviews but the nursery's lawyer said it has not yet handed over the information. Google is reviewing the decision. The nursery, which was not named in the judge's ruling, complained that the reviews were making serious and unfounded claims that it was neglecting children, and that this was harming its business. Three of the reviews were removed by Google for breaching its anti-spam rules after the nursery complained, including one written in the name of a woman who died in the US in November 2006. Others were found to have been copied and pasted from other websites. In a ruling handed down last week, the judge CM Berkhout ordered the fourth to be removed because it too was in breach of the rules. Google was given two weeks to hand over the information related to the four accounts - all of which remain active on Google+ - as well as the exact dates and times the reviews were posted. It was also told to pay more than â‚¬1,500 (Â£1,100, $1,600) to the nursery by the same date. Paul Tjiam of Simmons and Simmons, who represented the nursery, said he believed the case would make it more difficult for fake reviewers to "hide themselves behind their computers." He added that the nursery would contact the people behind the fake reviews before deciding whether or not to pursue civil action against them. He told the BBC that fake reviews online were not just an issue in the Netherlands, but a "worldwide problem." He said the courts' decision "shows that Google has a long way before its notice-and-take-down policy functions properly." Mr Tjiam said it was "stunning" that Google allowed the reviews to remain online. "Hopefully, another consequence of this decision is that it will make Google rethink their own policies and the way they enforce their policies." He added: "Google's attorneys informed me that Google is still considering an appeal, but as far as I know they have not made a decision." A Google spokesman declined to confirm that and said: "We've received the ruling and are currently reviewing it." The BBC understands that this is not the first time Google has removed reviews in the Netherlands, nor is it understood to be the first time it has been ordered to hand over internet protocol information, which identifies computers online.

Summary: Google has been ordered to hand over all contact details linked to accounts behind a series of damaging fake online reviews of a nursery.


South Africa-born Berg suffered the injury while playing against Nottinghamshire in Barbados. The 35-year-old will be assessed in the next two weeks to decide whether he will need an operation. "If there is an operation then you're looking at probably mid-season," said Benkenstein. "I'm hoping it's only six weeks if he doesn't have to have an operation," he told BBC Radio Solent. "I never like operations and there's a chance he can get better without the operation."

Summary: Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein says all-rounder Gareth Berg could be miss up to half of the upcoming season should he require knee surgery.


He was speaking in a BBC interview in which he paid tribute to the Queen on the eve of her 90th birthday. She had been a "guiding example" of what a good monarch should be, he said. Meanwhile, a picture of the Queen, the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince George, for stamps to mark the monarch's birthday, has been released. The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, met staff and viewed an exhibition at Windsor's Royal Mail delivery office in the first of a series of events to mark her birthday on Thursday. Text and video coverage of the day's events 'Super fans' turn out to glimpse Queen in Windsor In pictures: The Queen at 90 in 90 images BBC - iWonder - Queen Elizabeth II- Britainâ€™s longest reigning monarch Full coverage: Queen at 90 Her visit marked the 500th anniversary of the postal service and she was welcomed with singing from the Royal Mail choir. The royals then headed to Alexandra Gardens in the town for a ceremony to officially open a new bandstand and met pupils from the six schools involved in its decoration. The children also sang Happy Birthday. Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn were among the political leaders who said they were looking forward to wishing the Queen a happy birthday, at Prime Minister's Questions. Mr Cameron said Thursday was an "important landmark", adding the monarch had served the nation with "dignity". In an interview with BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, Prince William said: "The Queen's duty and her service, her tolerance, her commitment to others - I think that's all been incredibly important to me and it's been a real guiding example of just what a good monarch could be." The prince's own commitment to royal duty has been questioned in recent months, with headlines in some newspapers referring to him as "work-shy William". He said he did not ignore such criticisms but did not take them completely to heart. "I take duty very seriously. I take my responsibilities very seriously. But it's about finding your own way at the right time and if you're not careful duty can sort of weigh you down an awful lot at a very early age and I think you've got to develop into the duty role," he said. He said both his father and grandmother fully supported the fact that he was not yet fully engaged with royal duties, but when the time came to accept more responsibility he would do so. 'I don't lie awake waiting to be king'- full Prince William interview BBC deputy royal correspondent Sarah Campbell The recent headlines about William being a "work shy" prince signalled a change in the relationship between the prince and a press pack who, up until now, have rarely criticised him. In the BBC's interview, it was interesting to see his response. He accepts that he will be criticised "but it's not something I take completely to heart". An indication that negative headlines are likely to be par for the course in his

Summary: Prince William has answered criticism of his commitment to royal duties, saying he is willing to take on more responsibility when the time comes.


Watson, 56, will work alongside Mark McGhee as assistant to Scotland manager Gordon Strachan. McCall left his role with Scotland after more than three years to take over as manager of Bradford City. "It is an honour and a privilege to have been asked to help my country and, it goes without saying, I had no hesitation in doing so," said Watson. It is a second spell as part of the of the coaching set-up for the former Birmingham City, Hibernian, Motherwell and Rangers coach, having worked under Alex McLeish during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Watson knows his new colleagues well, having played alongside Strachan and McGhee at Aberdeen in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He added: "I actually missed Gordon's call when he phoned and, when I called him back, I thought it would be to organise scouting, so I was humbled when he asked if I would be willing to help out for the World Cup qualifiers. "It was a great experience to work with the national team set-up before, under Alex, and we came really close to qualifying then. "I am confident that we can go a step closer this time and I am really excited about getting started and helping Gordon and Mark in any way I can."

Summary: Andy Watson has been brought into the Scotland coaching set-up to replace Stuart McCall.


Polling stations opened their doors at 07:00 BST and will close at 22:00. Votes are being cast in council elections in Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. In Liverpool, voters will also elect a city mayor. Voters across Merseyside will also be asked to choose a police and crime commissioner. In England, elections are taking place for more than 120 councils and the London Assembly.

Summary: Voting has begun in local elections across Merseyside.


Media playback is not supported on this device With four rounds of fixtures to go, the Crues are now on the verge of securing back-to-back league titles for the first time in the club's history. Whyte rounded Ross Glendinning and flicked the ball home on 88 minutes. Substitute Forsythe fired the second into the top corner in stoppage time. Linfield went into the crucial top-of-the-table clash on the back of a formidable record of just one defeat in their previous 15 Premiership fixtures. However, Crusaders had suffered only three reverses in the last 16 Premiership meetings between the sides. Goalscoring chances were at a premium in a cagey first half but Ross Glendinning denied Paul Heatley and Jordan Owens fired wide of the post for the hosts. Linfield were the superior team for much of the second period and Sean O'Neill pushed a fine Stephen Lowry drive onto the post. Glendinning produced another fine save as Heatley attempted to find the top corner, before Whyte grabbed his first goal since October and his first in the league at his side's home ground this season. Owens flicked on a long ball out of defence and Whyte ran in behind the Linfield defence, rounded the Blues stopper and flicked the ball into the net. Forsythe caught Glendinning off his line in added time as the Blues pushed for an equaliser which may have kept any realistic hopes of maintaining a title challenge alive. Crusaders are now unbeaten in 15 league encounters on their home patch, their only defeat of the campaign on their own ground coming against Portadown on the opening day of the season on 8 August. Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter: "It was a pulsating game with a great cup-final type atmosphere and it was great to be a part of it. "It is definitely not over as we have two very difficult away games against Cliftonville and Glenavon to come and we have to stay focused. We still have a big job to do. "They are all big matches at this stage of the season but it's important that we won on our home ground and tried to drive our advantage home." Linfield manager David Healy: "We just didn't get the rub of the green today and we missed a few chances, but it's a difficult place to come to and credit to Crusaders, they should go on and win it now. "We needed to win this game but now we must make sure that we finish second and qualify for Europe, plus we have a cup final to look forward to."

Summary: Late goals from Gavin Whyte and Jordan Forsythe saw champions Crusaders beat Linfield 2-0 at Seaview and extend their lead over their nearest rivals at the top of the table to eight points.


Police said the vulnerable man was targeted by two "despicable individuals" in East Kilbride on Friday night. They threatened their 32-year-old victim with a knife before punching him and robbing him. Det Con Stuart Burnside appealed for help in tracing the men. He said: "These despicable individuals preyed on a vulnerable man who clearly could not stand up for himself and has been left absolutely traumatised by what happened. "This type of abhorrent behaviour will not be tolerated and extensive enquiries are underway to find these criminals and hold them to account for their cowardly actions. "I would appeal to anyone who was in the surrounding area late on Friday night, who may have witnessed the incident or may have seen two men matching the descriptions, to please get in touch." The men approached their victim at a bus stop near Calderwood Square at about 23:00 on Friday. They were last seen heading towards Maxwellton Road. Both men were white and in their mid teens or early 20s. The first was about 5ft 6in, and he was wearing a white T-shirt and dark coloured bottoms. His accomplice was slim and about 5ft 8in. He wore a dark coloured tracksuit. Their victim was treated at Hairmyres Hospital following the incident.

Summary: A man with learning difficulties has been left "absolutely traumatised" after being punched and robbed at a bus stop.


The anti-IS group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently said a water pumping station had been hit, along with the Taj Hall and Furousiya area. IS-linked news agency Amaq also said Raqqa's water supply had been cut. Russia said its bombers had targeted an arms depot, a chemical weapons factory and a training camp. A defence ministry statement said the strikes had inflicted "significant damage" and that a large number of militants had been killed. Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), whose activists have reported on developments on the ground in Raqqa since IS militants seized control of the city in early 2014, said the water pumping station hit in Thursday's strikes was located in the nearby village of Kasrat. Residents found their water had been cut off "totally" afterwards, it added. Amaq also reported the "interruption of the water supply in all neighbourhoods". RBSS said 20 civilians had been killed and 50 others wounded in the air strikes, but the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll higher. It said 24 civilians had died, along with six others whose identities could not yet be confirmed. Raqqa, estimated to have a population of between 250,000 and 500,000, has become the de facto capital of the "caliphate" whose creation was proclaimed by IS two years ago after it took control of large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. IS militants are currently under pressure from two separate offensives west and north-west of Raqqa by Russian-backed Syrian government forces and an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters supported by the US.

Summary: Air strikes on so-called Islamic State's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa have cut the city's water supply, with 20 civilians reported dead.


Type 22s HMS Cumberland, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Chatham and HMS Cornwall are currently moored in Portsmouth Harbour. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) expects to receive just under £3m from the sales agreed earlier this month. HMS Cornwall has been sold to Swansea Drydocks while the other three have been bought by Turkish firm Leyal. The two companies will recycle as many parts of the former Devonport-based ships as possible. Aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Invincible have also been sold to the Leyal yard in recent years. The four frigates were put up for sale in January with a preference for at least one of them to go to a UK ship recycler to determine the capacity of the UK's industry in the field. An MoD spokesman said: "We believe this deal represents value for money and a number of tenders were received both nationally and internationally. "Certain aspects of the ships' equipment will be recycled for use on other vessels and we have tried to be as economical with the disposal as possible." Penny Mordaunt, Conservative MP for Portsmouth North, had hoped one of the frigates could have been sunk and turned into a diving attraction but bids in that field were rejected. The ships are expected to leave Portsmouth in the autumn.

Summary: Four decommissioned Royal Navy frigates are destined for the scrapyard, the BBC has learned.


He was speaking after crowds in Tehran cheered negotiators who had agreed to curb some of Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. The six-month interim deal agreed in Geneva prompted a fall in oil prices on markets on Monday. But Israel's prime minister has warned the agreement is a "historic mistake". On Monday Benjamin Netanyahu announced that an Israeli team led by national security adviser Yossi Cohen would travel to Washington for talks on the deal. "This accord must bring about one outcome: the dismantling of Iran's military nuclear capability," he said. On Sunday, US President Barack Obama told Mr Netanyahu in a phone call that the US understood Israel "has good reason to be sceptical about Iran's intentions" and promised to consult its ally closely, the White House said. Mr Netanyahu has warned that Israel "will not allow a regime that calls for the destruction of Israel to obtain the means to achieve this goal." Saudi Arabia - Iran's regional rival - cautiously welcomed the deal on Monday. "This agreement could be a first step towards a comprehensive solution for Iran's nuclear programme, if there are good intentions," a statement said. However, a London-based Saudi official earlier told the BBC his country had been lied to. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the Geneva accord, but said it was only a "first step". "We are right to test to the full Iran's readiness to act in good faith," he told the House of Commons. Mr Fabius told French radio that "Iran is committed to giving up the prospect of nuclear weapons. It's perfectly clear". However, he insisted the temporary deal could be reversed if its terms were not adhered to. Asked when sanctions could start to be lifted, he said it could begin "in December." France, the UK, Germany, the US, Russia and China took part in the talks with Iran, hosted by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Baroness Ashton's spokesman Michael Mann said the timing would be co-ordinated with Iran. "It could be in December, it could be in January, it depends how long the legislative process takes," he told reporters. Under the deal which will last six months, Iran would receive some $7bn (Â£4.3bn) in "limited, temporary, targeted, and reversible [sanctions] relief" while a permanent agreement is sought. In return, Tehran has agreed to a series of measures. Key points of the deal include: Arriving at Tehran's Mehrabad airport, Iran's negotiators were welcomed by hundreds of cheering supporters carrying flowers and flags. Addressing state TV, Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said Iran was prepared to take the necessary steps to keep the deal on track. World powers have suspected Iran of secretly trying to develop a nuclear bomb - a charge Iran strongly denies. A raft of sanctions has been imposed on Iran by the UN, US and the European Union. President Obama welcomed the deal, saying it would "help prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon". It has also been revealed that the US and Iran held a series of face-to-face talks in recent months

Summary: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says some EU sanctions on Iran could be lifted as early as next month, as part of a nuclear deal with world powers.


Marginally missing the grades needed, or even getting much better results than expected, can throw everything into turmoil. With only a few days to secure a university place or take an alternative path, good advice is crucial. Experts Alex Neill of Which? University and Tom Laws of the National Careers Service are on hand to offer personalised advice. My daughter received her AS results this morning which were disappointing. She got Bs in the two subjects she sat, with her other two subjects coming under the new rules where she simply takes her A-level in those two subjects next year. She is predicted an A* in English and 2s at A-level but wonders what the impact of the AS B grades will have. She was hoping to study English at Durham. Her father wants her to resit the year, change schools or just give up which is totally over the top. Any advice would be most welcome. Amanda Hi Amanda, Firstly, congratulations to your daughter on what is a good set of AS results. With promising grades like these I certainly wouldn't suggest she gives up either! The entry requirements for Durham University's English Literature BA course are certainly competitive: A*AA at A-level for 2017. If she has her heart set on going there, I'd suggest she sits down to discuss the year ahead and the work she'll need to put in with her subject tutors, as well as having an informal chat on the phone with an admissions tutor if possible. Remember she has five options to apply for on her Ucas form, so researching some alternative unis and heading to a few open days will be worth doing to keep her options open. All the best in the year to come! Alex Hi Amanda, The the most important thing at the moment is to see how your daughter feels - after all, she is going to be the one doing the hard work. Resitting the AS year is the most likely way of increasing her grade. She could certainly look at changing to a different school if she feels the quality of teaching or environment is the reason for her grades, but the downside would be having to adjust to new surroundings which could affect her studies. Durham University will look at her AS grades when considering any application but if her teachers have predicted that she can get the right grades then there's no real reason why she would not be able to achieve them. You and your daughter could discuss her options with a National Careers Service adviser on 0800 100 900 or the Exams Results Helpline on 0800 100 8000. Good luck! Tom. I've been on the phone most of the morning trying to appeal one of my grades because it's just on the border of me getting a A and I need it to get into my university. We've been told the appeals process has changed this year, so wondering whether it'll all be done in time so I can actually go to uni in September?

Summary: While some young people celebrate their A-level results, others will have very different emotions after not receiving the results they were expecting.


The Carnival Triumph docked in Mobile, Alabama, at 21:15 (03:15 GMT Friday). Disembarking the passengers took more than four hours and many still faced a long bus journey to New Orleans or to the port of departure, Galveston. Passengers had reported sewage on the floors, poor sanitation and lack of access to toilets. Some lined the decks as the 900ft (275m) ship docked, waving and cheering at people on shore. Chants of "Let me off, let me off!" could be heard coming from the ship as they waited to disembark. One homemade sign read: "Sweet Home Alabama!" and another: "The ship's afloat, so is the sewage." Disembarking passenger Brittany Ferguson said: "I'm feeling awesome just to see land and buildings. The scariest part was just not knowing when we'd get back." Carnival Corp, which operates the ship, was also the owner of Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that ran aground off the Italian coast and sank last year, killing 32 people. On Thursday, tugboats began pulling the vessel to a shipyard for repairs. The Carnival Triumph took six hours to be towed through the 30 mile (50km) channel to Mobile - the largest ship ever to dock there. One passenger, Clark Jones, told the BBC the last day was "especially nightmarish because we knew we were so close to land and getting off". The passengers were taken by bus either to Galveston in Texas, which is about seven hours away, or to New Orleans, where the firm said it had booked 1,500 hotel rooms. New Orleans is two hours away. One bus broke down as it carried passengers to New Orleans, local media reported. Carnival chief executive Gerry Cahill apologised again for the "very poor" conditions on board. "We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience, and clearly we failed in this particular case," he said. Hospitality staff will be sent on early holiday with full pay or transferred to other ships, depending on the length remaining in their contracts, senior vice-president Terry Thornton said. Passenger Janie Baker told NBC by phone on Thursday that conditions on the ship were "extremely terrible''. There was no electricity and few working toilets, she said. Ms Baker described using plastic bags to go to the toilet and that she had seen a woman pass out while waiting for food. The stench from overflowing toilets and drainpipes made some cabins uninhabitable and many people slept in corridors, while others took bedding out into the open to escape the heat and foul smell. Passengers will be offered a full refund and discounts on any future cruises. Carnival announced on Wednesday passengers would each get an additional $500 (Â£322) in compensation. But the firm has disputed the accounts describing the ship as filthy, saying employees were doing everything they could to ensure people were comfortable. Carnival has cancelled more than a dozen planned voyages aboard the Triumph, while acknowledging that the crippled ship had other mechanical problems in the weeks before the fire.

Summary: All 3,200 passengers have now disembarked from a crippled cruise ship that reached the US coast five days after an engine fire knocked out power.


Dear Alison I am compelled to write and seek review of an historic case of rape. Unusually, and contrary to current practice and the ACPO/CPS Guidance on the Investigation and Prosecution of Rape Cases, the investigation into the serious allegations in this case was dropped before the suspect was interviewed. The elements of lack of freedom and capacity to consent - which may even have triggered the "no consent" legal presumption - make the decision highly irregular. This is shocking in itself. It further troubles me that the senior police officer who dropped the case revealed to the victim he apparently took a series of worthless stereotypes and other irrelevant points into consideration. He did this after apparently consulting with an unnamed CPS official. Most of these stereotypes have been blown out of the water in recent months. Or so I thought. There has been a sea change in the climate surrounding rape, historic cases in particular. Why is it that the tide has not reached this case? I am driven to the unpalatable conclusion that the identity of the alleged perpetrator - Leon Brittan - may in some way have influenced treatment of the case. I hope I am wrong. But in my view the case demands your personal attention and an immediate review by the CPS Area Head of Sexual Offences. As you know, I have been working with the Metropolitan police on a number of cases involving sexual crimes over the last 18 months. I have been the recipient of a considerable amount of information from victims directly, much of which I have passed on to the police. You will know that some of this information has already led to arrests. I anticipate that, under your leadership, more work will follow. I enclose a contemporaneous note written by victim _________ of a rather blunt conversation she had with DCI Settle concerning his decision to drop the case. I invite you to note, in particular, that he told the victim - who had been locked in a flat and tried to escape from the bathroom window: "There is no evidence he asked you for sex, forced you to have sex, or asked you to take off your clothes, which you did voluntarily" This was apparently considered to be a fatal deficiency. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the victim has not has this confirmed in writing as promised. I asked _______ to share her thoughts after her experience of reporting a crime. These are her words: "My feelings are that I have been brutally misled having been encouraged by the DPP statements to come forward with my historical case following the Savile affair. All the public pronouncements after Savile suggested that these investigations would be treated sensitively, non-judgmentally and in a victim-centric way. I have been interviewed twice in long, harrowing video sessions first by ______ Police, then MPS [Metropolitan Police Service]. I have been encouraged by the MPS to believe that my evidence is both credible and corroborated. I have repeatedly had to relive the most harrowing night of my life, long pushed

Summary: Below is the full letter that deputy Labour leader Tom Watson sent to the director public prosecutions Alison Saunders in April 2014 urging her to look again at the Lord Brittan allegations.


PepsiCo said in March it was consulting about plans to close the Peterlee factory to help it make "productivity and efficiency savings" in the UK. A spokeswoman confirmed earlier that production would be moved to the company's other UK sites by December. She said 355 workers had been given notice earlier and all those affected would be offered support. The company is still consulting with its subsidiary firm PRDC Transport about the fate of 23 additional posts associated with the crisp factory. Tracey Foster, Peterlee manufacturing director at PepsiCo UK said: "We appreciate that this is very difficult news for everyone at the Peterlee site. "We would like to emphasise that this decision in no way reflects the performance of our colleagues at Peterlee and we remain very grateful for their hard work and commitment. "Efficiency savings are crucial for ensuring the long-term sustainable growth of our business in the UK." At the time of the consultation, the Labour MP Grahame Morris said the closure proposal was a "bitter blow" for East Durham. In a statement released earlier, the Easington Labour prospective parliamentary candidate said: "PepsiCo has confirmed it has decided to proceed with the closure of the Walkers manufacturing site at Peterlee by the end of December 2017." Some of the famous crisps made at the factory include Walkers, Lays, Sensations, Scampi Fries, Bacon Fries, Cheese Moments and Cheetos Twisted, the firm said. 1960: The factory opened as Tudor Crisps 1961: It was bought by Smith's Crisps 1989: Walkers bought the factory from Smith's Crisps 2017: The factory is due to close

Summary: More than 350 jobs in County Durham will be axed when Walkers crisp factory closes, the owner has confirmed.


The discovery of the town lying along a hill-slope near Winterborne Kingston has been described as "extremely significant" by archaeologists. Miles Russell, of Bournemouth University, said: "What we've discovered is one of the earliest and largest open settlements in Britain." It is hoped the finds will show how life was before the Roman invasion. Animal remains, a number of quern-stones used for grinding corn to make bread, weaving and metalworking materials were also uncovered. Paul Cheetham, senior lecturer in archaeological sciences and project co-director, said: "It exposes the myth that everyone lived in protected hill forts - these inhabitants lived in this fertile farmland, away from the traditional hill forts we are all used to hearing about." The students were taking part in the Durotriges Project, an archaeological field school run annually by the university, studying the transition from the late Iron Age to the early Roman period in southern England. Students have uncovered Roman villas and skeletal remains during previous digs.

Summary: A pre-Roman town of 150 roundhouses has been found by university students during an archaeological dig in Dorset.


He was a surprise choice to lead the Fifa investigation, and ruffled feathers at football's governing body. On one occasion, he turned up unannounced to interview members of the senior executive committee who had cast votes in the World Cup bids. Even before he dismissed Fifa's report as "erroneous", there were signs that he was not afraid to pick a fight with his employers. In an interview last year he said his authority was to investigate "any official, top down, for misconduct... no-one is above the ethics code". He acknowledged that he took on the investigation as an outsider. "I come into this case with no history or experience of what might have happened," he said. "I will look at the facts and my jurisdiction and make decisions on whether the ethics code was violated." In a recent talk to lawyers in London about ethics in sport, Mr Garcia said Fifa's ethic's code needed transparency and leadership - a comment seen as a thinly veiled critique of Fifa boss Sepp Blatter. He eventually quit Fifa in December 2014, saying that a "lack of leadership" at the organisation had led to his decision. Mr Garcia made his name in his native New York, serving as a federal prosecutor with the Southern District of New York from 1992 to 2001 and working on a series of high-profile cases. These included the prosecution of four defendants for the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, and the investigation into the 1998 bombings of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He once told his daughter that his goal was "to punish people who do bad things and break the law". In March 2003 President George W Bush appointed Mr Garcia, a Republican, as assistant secretary for immigration and customs enforcement. The post put him in charge of more than 20,000 staff and a budget of more than $4bn. Later he moved back to New York's Southern District, serving as a US attorney from 2005-2008. There he supervised investigations into securities fraud, bringing a series of insider trading prosecutions. An investigation he led ultimately forced the resignation of Democratic governor Eliot Spitzer over a prostitution scandal. But he also took on some major international corruption and fraud cases, including the oil-for-food programme in Iraq and alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by the Norwegian energy firm Statoil. He is currently a partner at private US law firm Kirkland and Ellis, and it was from here that he was chosen by Fifa in 2012 to lead the investigation into the bidding process that awarded the World Cup to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. A year later he was among 18 Americans barred from entering Russia in Moscow's response to the Magnitsky List, which banned Russian officials from the US. Married to an FBI agent, he has kept largely out of the media spotlight and has not run for public office, despite speculation that he could be in a strong position to do so.

Summary: Michael Garcia, the American lawyer hired by Fifa to investigate the World Cup bidding process before criticising the organisation's summary of his own report and eventually resigning, is a former prosecutor with a history of launching corruption probes.


The African nation took a first-minute lead, but Grealish quickly levelled. Skipper James Ward-Prowse's penalty put England ahead, before Nathan Redmond's screamer and another from Grealish gave them a 4-1 half-time lead. Cauley Woodrow's shot was deflected in by a Guinea defender, with the Fulham forward adding two more in an easy win. Gareth Southgate's men opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Portugal on Thursday, Chelsea midfielder Lewis Baker scoring the winner. Next they meet Paraguay on Wednesday, rounding off their group campaign against Japan on Friday. "We spoke before the game about any team being capable of scoring against you," Southgate said. "We started in a sloppy manner, so that was disappointing. "Our response was good, we showed composure to work our way back into the game. The goal difference might end up being important. "But if we start games like that against better opposition, it will be a struggle to get back into it." England: Gunn, Stephens, Holding, Hause (Chambers 54), Targett, Ward-Prowse (Chalobah 41), Swift, Grimes, Grealish (Watmore 60), Redmond (Palmer 54), Woodrow. Subs not used: Pickford, Iorfa, Loftus-Cheek, Baker, Chilwell.

Summary: Jack Grealish scored twice on his full debut as England Under-21s continued their perfect start to the Toulon Tournament by thrashing Guinea.


Because of the extraordinary C. Her life had revolved around "her looks, men, material possessions and living the high life", the judgement said. She had had four marriages and several affairs and "spent the money of her husbands and lovers recklessly before moving on when things got difficult or the money ran out". Last year, C had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but had refused treatment that would "make her fat". A long-term relationship had broken down, she had been plunged into debt, and she had tried to kill herself by washing down paracetamol tablets with Veuve Clicquot champagne. She had later told her daughters - by whom, despite her quirks, she was held "dear" - she had "royally cocked it up", the court heard. The suicide attempt had badly damaged her liver - but with dialysis, her prognosis would be positive. In a statement, C's daughter told the court: "Put bluntly, her life has always revolved around her looks, men and material possessions. "She understands that other people have failed relationships, feel sad and continue living, but for her, as she has said, she doesn't want to 'live in a council flat', 'be poor' or 'be ugly', which she equates with being old." Absolutely not. Assisting a suicide is a criminal offence that carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. This case is about the right of every individual who has mental capacity to refuse medical treatment. Sitting in the Court of Protection, which makes decisions on behalf of those who lack mental capacity, Mr Justice MacDonald quoted a statement of the law from an earlier case, which could not be clearer. "An adult patient whoâ€¦ suffers from no mental incapacity has an absolute right to choose whether to consent to medical treatment, to refuse it or to choose one rather than another of the treatments being offered," it said. "This right of choice is not limited to decisions which others might regard as sensible. "It exists notwithstanding that the reasons for making the choice are rational, irrational, unknown or even non-existent." So, for example, a Jehovah's Witness who has mental capacity can refuse a life-saving blood transfusion. King's College Hospital, in south London, had applied for a ruling from the Court of Protection that C lacked the mental capacity to make decisions about the dialysis treatment. The hospital wanted to be able to treat her against her expressed wishes. The judge considered the evidence from three psychiatrists, one of whom concluded C was not able to use and weigh up information about her condition and future due to an "underlying diagnosis of histrionic personality disorder and her current circumstances". Critically, he also heard from C's daughters. In a statement, one said: "'Recovery' to her does not just relate to her kidney function, but to regaining her 'sparkle' (her expensive, material and looks-oriented social life), which she believes she is too old to regain." Having considered all of the evidence, the judge decided C did have mental capacity to refuse dialysis treatment. Not at all. The facts may be extraordinary,

Summary: A judge has ruled a 50-year-old "socialite" known only as C, who tried to kill herself, can refuse kidney dialysis treatment and so end her life because she feels she has lost her "sparkle".


The Reverend Gavin Ashenden, a senior clergyman in the Church of England, left his position as chaplain in order to be free to criticise the move. A passage from the Koran was read during an Epiphany service at St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow earlier this month. Mr Ashenden said the reading had caused "serious offence". The cathedral has said it is standing by its decision. St Mary's invited local Muslims, who also revere Jesus as a prophet, to join the service. A student, Madinah Javed, read from the lectern in Arabic from the chapter of Maryam, or Mary. The chapter tells the story of the birth of Christ to the virgin Mary, and includes the Islamic teaching that Jesus is not the son of God and should not be worshipped. Mr Ashenden told BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme: "The problem with what happened in Glasgow was that, although it was presented as a way of building bridges and a way of educating people, it was done badly, in the wrong way, in the wrong place, in the wrong context. "There are a number of members of the congregation who have written open letters complaining of the profound upset they experienced as people who are part of the Eucharistic community who had come to worship Christ." The cathedral's provost, the Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, has said readings of the Koran in the cathedral were part of efforts to build relationships between Christians and Muslims in Glasgow. He said: "Such readings have happened a number of times in the past in this and in other churches and have led to deepening friendships locally, to greater awareness of the things we hold in common and to dialogue about the ways in which we differ." Asked if he had known what the Koran verse specifically said about Jesus, Mr Holdsworth declined to comment further.

Summary: One of the Queen's chaplains has resigned after a row about reading from the Koran in a Glasgow church.


The world champions routed Wales 46-6 in Saturday's final Test, Wales' heaviest loss for nine years and their 29th in a row against the All Blacks. Gatland's side conceded 16 tries in the three Tests, scoring five, but he says they have also benefited. "We'll take a lot of lessons from what we've learned," he said. "We need to make sure that we apply that to the next time we're back together. "It's pretty disappointing. We thought there were a lot of positives out of the first two Tests... but in fairness to the All Blacks I thought they were absolutely outstanding." Wales, without a win over New Zealand since 1953, were beaten 39-21 in the first Test at Eden Park, before a 36-22 defeat in Wellington. Steve Hansen's side blew Wales away in scintillating spells in those games, crossing for five tries in each. Gatland's team also suffered an embarrassing 40-7 defeat against Super Rugby side the Chiefs, who were missing all eight of their current All Blacks. In Dunedin, Wales could only muster two first-half Dan Biggar penalties as the All Blacks ran in six tries without reply. It was Wales' heaviest defeat since a 62-5 thrashing by England in 2007. But asked if his players would be better for the experience, Gatland said: "Yeah, absolutely. "Obviously they're disappointed, they're pretty gutted. Media playback is not supported on this device "We've got to learn from those experiences, making sure that when we go back that we apply those learnings back into their regions and back when we're together the next time. "Their back three caused us a lot of problems in terms of their pace and their counter-attacking, so that will be a big work on for us. "The big thing is that collision dominance at the breakdown, just in terms of that acceleration into the contact area and that for us is a big work on that we need to continue to improve at because that creates that quick ball. "That was definitely a difference between the two sides tonight and we need to learn from that. "You can get away with it sometimes in the northern hemisphere because they are not as aggressive there at the breakdown, and the All Blacks were clinical in that area." Gatland's side have conceded 21 tries in their last four Tests, including the 27-13 defeat by England in May. But Hansen says Wales should not be judged on their performance in Dunedin, suggesting perhaps some Welsh players were already thinking about returning home as their long season came to a close. "They go home tomorrow, so maybe some of them were on the plane, I don't know," he said. "They'll re-group, they're a good team and they're better than that. "They'll get a decent pre-season hopefully and come back and be a force in the Six Nations. "It's always a difficult time for Test teams to be playing at the end of their season, particularly in the World Cup year when they don't get a break and they just play right through."

Summary: Wales will be better for the experience of their New Zealand tour despite suffering a 3-0 series whitewash, coach Warren Gatland says.


Bielik, 17, who underwent his medical at Arsenal last week, signed for Legia from their Polish rivals Lech Poznan in July and has made six appearances in all competitions this season. Arsenal say the deal "is subject to the completion of regulatory processes". The Poland Under-17 international can play in both a holding midfield role and at centre-back. He said: "I've decided to move to Arsenal and although I cannot be sure of what's to come in the future, I'm going to London to fulfil my dreams. "I'm grateful to my team-mates and manager Henning Berg for trusting such a young player and giving me a chance to play for the first team. It's mostly thanks to him that I'm able to move to Arsenal." Berg said: "Krystian is a very talented player, who is going to achieve big success in football in the future." For each position, select whether you think Arsenal are sorted, or if a player is needed.

Summary: Arsenal have signed teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw for a reported £2.4m.


It was only the Scots' first match, but the history of this competition is not littered with teams who got off to losing starts and then recovered to qualify for the knockouts. Some have done it, of course. Bath and Wasps didn't just lose their opening match in this competition last season - they lost their opening two. And yet they both made the quarter-finals. In the story of how they did it, we see a glimpse of what Glasgow must do now in order to give themselves a chance of qualifying for that final eight. Wasps beat Castres and Harlequins away from home to qualify as one of the best runners-up. Bath beat Montpellier and Toulouse away - with a four-try bonus point - to make it as group winners. Those were major victories on the road and that is now the world that Glasgow have been plunged into in the wake of Saturday's loss to the Saints. The reality of European rugby hit them right between the eyes. The tea-leaves told us that Glasgow would win this. They had a stellar cast of international players. They had home advantage in the fortress of Scotstoun. And they had some form. Northampton had few of those things. They had lost three of their four games in the Aviva Premiership, albeit by narrow margins. From last season's quarter-final team, they were missing the front-row of Alex Corbisiero, Dylan Hartley and Salesi Ma'afu, who is now on Toulon's books. One of their go-to second-rows from last season, Samu Manoa, has also gone to Toulon and the other, Courtney Lawes, is injured. This was a new Saints pack at Scotstoun and yet they were convincing winners in every department. Glasgow had a beaten scrum and had a ropey line-out, they were second best in the collisions and error-prone at critical times. Warriors can get away with some of these things - and occasionally many of these things - in the more merciful environment of the Pro12. Not so in Europe. Certainly not against a team as rugged as Northampton, a side who spend their weekly lives engaged in dogfights in the Premiership. They were battle-hardened and clinical on Saturday in a way that Glasgow were not. The scrum wasn't even a contest. Northampton won six penalties in that area. They garnered six points and a sin-binning, which brought a converted try, from their overwhelming dominance in the scrum. Kieran Brookes, at tight-head, had a field day. They looked like men with twin targets - not just Champions Cup but, for some, the Six Nations. When Eddie Jones, the new England coach, gets a look at Brookes' performance, he's going to like what he sees. When he watches Luther Burrell, jettisoned by Stuart Lancaster, he's going to like it all the more. Burrell was top class. Northampton drive on. They were tougher, physically and mentally, than Glasgow. The group now looks like a scrap between them and Racing 92, who took five points from the Scarlets in Wales, unless Glasgow can find the kind of venom

Summary: The Champions Cup is such unforgiving terrain that already Glasgow Warriors are looking ahead and trying to figure out what they might have to do to make amends for their wounding defeat to Northampton Saints at Scotstoun on Saturday.


The hardware retailer's fourth quarter sales rose 9.5% to almost $21bn (Â£14.9bn) between November and January compared with the same period in the previous year. The company has benefited from pent-up demand in the housing market. On Tuesday the National Association of Realtors reported existing home sales rose by 0.4% in January - on top of a 12% surge in sales in December. Low interest rates, combined with growth in the job market and wage increases, have bolstered the US housing market, but fears of slowing global growth could dampen confidence this year. Home Depot sales were also helped by unusually warm winter that has allowed more people to continue home improvement projects throughout the winter. Like-for-like sales rose 8.9% - far higher than analysts' estimates of 5.3% growth. The higher sales resulted in Home Depot posting a profit of $1.47bn for the fourth quarter, higher than the $1.37bn for the same period in 2014/15. Shares of Home Depot rose 2% in afternoon trading in New York. The company also announced it would increase its quarterly dividend by 17% and conduct a $5bn share buyback this year. Despite the recent gains, the outlook for the US housing market in 2016 remained uncertain. The National Association of Realtors said that housing inventory fell by 2.2% from last year, leading to higher prices. The median existing home price was $213,800 across the US, up 8.2% from January 2015. "The spring buying season is right around the corner and current supply levels aren't even close to what's needed to accommodate the subsequent growth in housing demand," said Lawrence Yun, the association's chief economist. "Home prices ascending near or above double-digit appreciation aren't healthy - especially considering the fact that household income and wages are barely rising," he added.

Summary: Home Depot has reported better than expected sales growth, helped by a strong US housing market.


I feel like I'm playing well right now and can't wait for the second week. I'll be back on Centre Court on Monday but before the action starts again, I thought I'd use this column to answer some of the questions you sent using Twitter and Facebook. Q) What did Seppi say to you to make you laugh at the end? (John Parsons) I didn't really hear exactly what he said, but he said it and then laughed, so I laughed as well. Q) Does Ivo Karlovic have the best serve and how do you prepare for facing it? (Alan Bingle) He has one of the best for sure. It's difficult to pick who has the best. To prepare for it I usually have my coach or whoever it is I'm hitting with stand just behind the service line and basically just serve from there and try to react. I ask them to try and ace me for 10 minutes so I get used to seeing the ball go past me, and also reacting to a serve coming at me from that height. Media playback is not supported on this device Q) What do you think about Wimbledon's dress code? (Danyal Khan) It is very strict but I do like that it's all white because it's different. We don't have that the rest of the year and that is one of the things that makes Wimbledon unique. Q) Should the rules of tennis be changed since toilet breaks & medical time-outs are being increasingly used to break up sporting momentum, and the integrity of the sport? (James Walker) Yes, they should be. Why not? They could get rid of the medical time-outs, for sure. You can't get rid of toilet breaks but you could have them at the end of the set. Normally the toilets are right by the side of the court. Maybe on the outside courts it's not the case but normally they are right there and there's no reason for a toilet break to last 10 minutes. But sometimes we play for four or five hours and you're drinking so many fluids, you can't get rid of them altogether - what if someone needs to go? You don't want to see what might happen on the court! Q) What is your pet preference after dogs? (Alexander Broadbean) That's a good question. We talked about having a cat before but none of my family ever had cats while I was growing up. I think with what I do for a living, having cats is actually not a bad thing because they don't need as much attention as dogs. I had a hamster when I was a kid, called Whisky. He escaped down the floorboards never to be seen again and I was absolutely devastated. Q) Who would win a fastest sausage-eater contest between your dogs Maggie May and Rusty? (Amanda C) Rusty's a quicker eater. He's just bigger. He's a boy and wolfs his food down. Q) Would you ever consider Grand Slam doubles? (Jake) I would like to. I

Summary: Saturday's match against Andreas Seppi was a tough one but I got through it, and the crowd on Centre Court really made a difference.


The Grade II-listed Drummond Mill on Lumb Lane in Manningham was ravaged by a fire which started in the basement on Thursday. The building has now been partially demolished to prevent further collapse. Historic England said West Yorkshire's mills are "important landmarks which need to be cherished". The organisation, which preserves and lists historic buildings, is currently part-way through a review into West Yorkshire's mills to establish best practice for future redevelopments. Spokesperson Deborah Wall said: "The community is deeply affected and emotional about the loss of this historic building. "It just shows how important these landmarks are to people and why the work to find ways to capture the stories of these places and to cherish them is so important." Last month, property consultants Cushman and Wakefield began work with architects and Historic England to examine ways in which West Yorkshire's vacant textile mills could be brought back into use. Trevor Mitchell, Historic England's planning director for Yorkshire, said: "West Yorkshire's textile mills are iconic buildings that people care deeply about. "Some have been brilliantly and creatively converted into places to work, live or socialise. "We are working to understand how these successful conversions have been achieved and try to find solutions for those mills that need a new purpose to become great landmarks in our region again." Successful redevelopments include Tower Works and Marshalls in Leeds, Sunny Bank Mills in Pudsey, Lister Mills in Bradford, Salts Mill in Saltaire, Red Brick Mill in Batley, and Dean Clough in Halifax. Yorkshire has 172 listed textile mills. Ms Wall said the future of Drummond Mill was "totally uncertain" until Bradford Council and the fire service had determined the full extent of the damage.

Summary: A fire which destroyed a Bradford mill has "underlined the urgency" of working to preserve West Yorkshire's mills, Historic England has said.


Intervening against the extremist forces who call themselves the Islamic State in Syria - it seemed impossible less than a month ago. But in the weeks since the Paris attacks, the prospect of extending bombing strikes into Syria from Iraq has taken on a reluctant inevitability. Planes may be dropping bombs by tonight. But for the prime minister, with this, his third big foreign intervention - Libya, Iraq, now Syria - pulling together a wider plan to achieve real peace is a far more complex task, one he acknowledges the UK cannot complete on its own. Yet by choosing action, that's a task he faces new pressure to help deliver. For Labour too though the months ahead will be wracked with tensions that have been wound even tighter by the last few days' events. The decision to take military action is never taken lightly. But its political consequences could be heavy indeed. Pass one political test, another immediately follows.

Summary: David Cameron has achieved his long-held goal.


A plant that typically colonised volcanoes in Japan was imported to Britain to help hide, or possibly even stabilise, railway embankments. Since then its spread has caused much unhappiness amongst home-owners and prospective house purchasers. It can crack tarmac, block drains, undermine foundations and invade homes. Its presence can be enough to cut a property's value by up to 20%, or prevent a mortgage lender approving a loan. But just as new technology created the problem originally, new technology may help to solve it. Five years ago, the Environment Agency commissioned a new app to track Japanese knotweed, using the crowd-sourcing principle. More than 20,000 people have now downloaded it, and their data has pin-pointed over 6,000 knotweed locations. Click here to view full UK map, and then zoom in to your area "If we can get more people taking an interest and submitting records, so much the better," says Dave Kilbey, director of Natural Apptitude, which designed and launched the app. "Hopefully it will mean people will become a bit more aware of the problems, and what to look for." So far the results show a particular concentration of knotweed in South Wales, the Midlands, London, Scotland's central belt and Cornwall - where the plant was also introduced by Victorians into ornamental gardens. Those looking for a property can use the app to find out if knotweed has been found nearby - but the fact it is not on the map does not mean it is not present; it is simply that no one has reported it. The data provided by the PlantTracker app is also added to the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) atlas, which aims to track the whereabouts of all the UK's plants and animals, from bee orchids to goshawks. Even though it has only been available to the public since April, and is not yet fully functional, the atlas has further information about Japanese knotweed locations. The map shows more than 43,000 historical records for the plant, going back to 1900. But Purba Choudhury, communications officer for the NBN, says that if there are no records in your area, that doesn't guarantee its absence. "Conversely, the record you are seeing might be an old record, and the Japanese knotweed might have been removed since the record was uploaded," she says. Click here to view full NBN map of the UK, then zoom in to your area The South Wales section of the NBN map (above) shows how knotweed spreads along the course of rivers and canals. In such locations tiny fragments of knotweed float downstream, and quickly establish themselves elsewhere. Trying to destroy Japanese knotweed by yourself is virtually impossible. That is because the roots, or rhizomes, spread rapidly underground, and can regenerate from tiny amounts of material. In fact it can grow at the rate of 10cm a day during the summer. "Digging it out of the ground can just spread it terribly," warns Stephen Hodgson, the chief executive of the Property Care Association (PCA). "If you've got it in your garden, either leave it alone, or

Summary: Two centuries ago, when Victorian engineers were designing the latest in transport technology, Japanese knotweed sounded like a very clever idea.


The English 16-time world champion beat the Belgian 4-2 at Alexandra Palace. Taylor will meet five-time world champion Van Barneveld for the fourth time at the tournament. Dutch top seed Michael van Gerwen beat England's Darren Webster 4-1 while Scottish third seed Peter Wright beat England's Ian White by the same score. Taylor battled back from behind in each of the opening three sets to lead 3-0, only to see 13th seed Huybrechts narrow the gap to 3-2. But the fourth seed survived the spirited comeback, sealing victory at the second opportunity in the sixth set to tee up the meeting with long-time rival Van Barneveld on Friday. Taylor has won two of their three previous encounters at the event, with Van Barneveld prevailing 7-6 in an epic 2007 final. Fellow Dutchman Van Gerwen was pushed by Webster - who was the lowest-ranked player left in the competition - in the first two sets, then took the third without dropping a leg. Webster, 46 from Norwich, arguably raised the biggest cheer of the night when he held off the Dutchman to win the fourth set. Both players came close to nine-dart checkouts in the fifth set, with Van Gerwen punishing his opponent's inability to complete the feat by sealing victory with his next throw. In Thursday's afternoon session, sixth seed James Wade twice fought back from two-set deficits to beat fellow Englishman Michael Smith 4-3. Smith raced into a 2-0 advantage and then led 3-1 before Wade clinched victory by winning seven straight legs. England's Dave Chisnall reached the quarter-finals for the first time as he held off Dutchman Jelle Klaasen to earn a 4-2 victory. Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney also progressed to his maiden last-eight appearance after edging past Welshman Mark Webster in a thrilling 4-3 win. Daryl Gurney (NI) 4-3 Mark Webster (Wal) Dave Chisnall (Eng) 4-2 Jelle Klaasen (Ned) James Wade (Eng) 4-3 Michael Smith (Eng) Peter Wright (Sco) 4-1 Ian White (Eng) Phil Taylor (Eng) 4-2 Kim Huybrechts (Bel) Michael van Gerwen (Ned) 4-1 Darren Webster (Eng) Friday's afternoon session (13:00 GMT) James Wade (6) v Peter Wright (3) Gary Anderson (2) v Dave Chisnall (7) Friday's evening session (19:00 GMT) Daryl Gurney (24) v Michael Van Gerwen (1) Raymond van Barneveld (12) v Phil Taylor (4)

Summary: Phil Taylor set up a tantalising PDC World Darts Championship quarter-final against Raymond van Barneveld with a hard-fought win over Kim Huybrechts.