Pae Jun-ho, known in the US as Kenneth Bae, smuggled anti-government materials and plotted the state's downfall, a Supreme Court spokesman told state news agency KCNA. He denied Mr Bae was being used as a "political bargaining chip" with the US. Mr Bae was detained last year after entering North Korea as a tourist. North Korea has arrested several US citizens in recent years, including journalists and Christians accused of proselytism. They were released after intervention from high-profile American figures, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, both of whom went to Pyongyang. The court spokesman told KCNA that Mr Bae was "dispatched to China as a missionary". There he was involved in setting up "plot-breeding bases" from which he "infiltrated at least 250 students" into the North Korean port city of Rason with the aim of "bringing the government down". US citizens held by N Korea "He committed such hostile acts as egging on overseas [North Korean] citizens and foreigners to perpetrate hostile acts to bring down its government while conducting a malignant smear campaign," he said. He added Mr Bae's full confession was the reason why he did not receive a possible death sentence. "He dared commit such hideous crimes as hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership," he said. The spokesman denied that Mr Bae was "not tried in a transparent matter and [the North] was trying to use this issue as a political bargaining chip". Mr Bae, 44, was arrested in November as he entered Rason, a special economic zone near North Korea's border with China. South Korea activists believe he was arrested for taking pictures of starving children. Other reports have described him as a devout Christian. His conviction on 30 April came amid high tension between the US and North Korea, after Pyongyang's third nuclear test. The UN expanded sanctions against the communist state in March, in the wake of its 12 February nuclear test and December long-range rocket launch. Pyongyang reacted angrily both to the measures and the annual US-South Korea military exercises, threatening to attack US military bases and cutting key hotlines with its southern neighbour.

Summary: North Korea has released details of the alleged crimes of a US man it sentenced to 15 years of hard labour.


British and Irish Lion North, 23, has signed a new contract with Northampton Saints in England's Premiership. The 23-year-old's previous deal was due to expire next summer and he had been linked with a return to Wales. "We'd all want to see our best players playing in Wales," Davies said. "Why would we want it any different?" Davies was Scarlets chief executive when North left them for Saints in 2013, and moved to the Pro Rugby Wales role in September 2014. He would like to see players such as North back in Wales to offer a "return on investment to the regions that have developed them" as well as to reward fans and to inspire younger players. Davies added: "From the national squad's point of view, the coaches are very clear that they fundamentally believe that it is a better environment in terms of player management for the players to be playing in Wales. "They can manage them better in conjunction with the regions." North, capped 55 times by Wales and also a 2013 Lions tourist in Australia, has appeared 42 times for Saints. There was speculation he might emulate Wales team-mate and former regional colleague Jonathan Davies, who will return to Scarlets from Clermont Auvergne on a Welsh Rugby Union dual contract next season. Former Wales centre Tom Shanklin is also disappointed North will remain in England. "It's probably good for him personally because he's at a very good club and in a very good league," Shanklin told Scrum V Radio. "But I want to see all the Welsh players back. That's going to strengthen our league and strengthen our product on the field. "We had some great news Jon Davies is coming back so it's a bit of a shame."

Summary: Wales wing George North's decision not to return to a Welsh region is a disappointment, says Rugby Wales chief executive Mark Davies.


Molinari stormed into contention with two eagles in the last seven holes to set a clubhouse target of nine under par, which Dunne was able to match thanks to a birdie on the last. The players then returned to the 18th hole for a sudden death play-off. A scrappy par proved to be enough for Molinari to secure the title. Dunne, who had enjoyed a two-shot lead going into the final round, found trouble off the tee and failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker. The 24-year-old's second place finish was his best ever on the European Tour however. "I felt like there were just so many shots that slipped away from me. It's just one of those days," said Dunne. "I felt like I was really close to shooting four or five under and stuck with one under in the end. I'm happy with my form and looking forward to next week. "I'm just a bit disappointed not to come out with the result we wanted but it's a step in the right direction." For the Italian, it was his first European Tour success since 2010.

Summary: Ireland's Paul Dunne lost to Italian Edoardo Molinari in a play-off at the Trophee Hassan II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco on Sunday.


Steve McQueen's drama will play at more than 1,000 locations in the US and Canada from Friday, up from 411 last weekend, according to Variety. The memoir on which the film is based has seen a similar boost, jumping more than 300 places in Amazon.com's chart. Solomon Northup's book is now in 16th place, having previously been ranked in 326th place before Sunday's ceremony. The title charts even higher on this side of the Atlantic, currently occupying third place in the Amazon.co.uk bestsellers' countdown. 12 Years a Slave was named best picture at this year's Oscars and won additional honours for supporting actress Lupita Nyong'o and screenwriter John Ridley. The film has made more than $50 million (Â£27 million) in North America, according to the Box Office Mojo site, and has just been released on DVD and Blu-ray. McQueen's film tells of how a free-born black man, played by British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, is kidnapped and forced into slavery before finally winning his freedom 12 years later. Interest in Northup's 19th Century memoir has been revived following the success of the film, with many public high schools adding it to their curricula and reading lists. According to Screen Daily, film distributor Lionsgate is also planning to increase the number of screens that Dallas Buyers Club is playing on in the US and Canada. The film, about an HIV positive rodeo cowboy who uses illicit means to obtain unlicensed Aids medication, also received three Oscars on Sunday. Stars Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto were named best actor and best supporting actor respectively, while the film received an additional accolade for its make-up and hair styling. Meanwhile, the Walt Disney studio has announced that Frozen - winner of this year's best animated feature Oscar - has now made more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. It says the film is now the biggest non-sequel animated film ever released and the second biggest animated film of all time globally, after Toy Story 3.

Summary: Cinemas in the US are scheduling extra screenings of 12 Years a Slave after it won the best picture Oscar.


Bowe, 32, played in the first half of the game in Naas and came through unscathed before being replaced at half-time as had been the plan. The Lions star had been out since sustaining a knee injury in Ireland's World Cup defeat by Argentina. Bowe suffered posterior cruciate ligament and meniscal damage. His return is a timely boost as the Belfast club attempt to secure a place in the Pro12 play-offs. Les Kiss's men are currently fifth in the standings and have three matches left, against Zebre, Leinster and Ospreys. Darren Cave captained the Ulster A team as they earned a 38-31 win in Thursday's game.

Summary: Ireland winger Tommy Bowe played his first match since October in the Ulster's A game against their Munster counterparts on Thursday.


Laser mapping will be used to measure the impact of extreme weather on six Welsh islands in the Irish sea. The aircraft beams will assess the effect of rising sea levels and storms on locations, including Bardsey and Ramsey islands. The mapping will also create "stunning" animations as part of the first 3D data for many of the islands. Led by the Royal Commission of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, the five-year project will assess the damage done to archaeology and heritage sites by coastal erosion. "This is an exciting new project, bringing a strong partnership of archaeologists, geoscientists and maritime specialists to bear on the significant challenges posed by climate change," said commission secretary Christopher Catling.

Summary: Animation showing the threat of climate change is on the horizon, thanks to new 3D laser mapping.


The 32-year-old made the last of his 63 Test appearances in the 16-12 victory over Italy in Turin last month. Hamilton made his Scotland debut against Romania in November 2006. "I have loved every single moment of wearing the thistle and feel extremely humble to have done it for nine years," the Saracens player said on Twitter. "Today is both a sad day and a day that I feel extremely proud to have had. "Thank you to the Scotland supporters for making it so special." Hamilton was one of 11 players to miss out when Cotter cut his 42-man training squad to his final selection on Tuesday. John Barclay, Blair Cowan, Adam Ashe, Hugh Blake, Chris Cusiter, Alex Dunbar, Rob Harley, Ruaridh Jackson, Duncan Taylor and Greig Tonks were also omitted. Scotland open their World Cup Pool B campaign against Japan in Gloucester on 23 September. They then face United States in Leeds before meeting South Africa and then Samoa in Newcastle.

Summary: Scotland lock Jim Hamilton has announced his retirement from international rugby after he was left out of Vern Cotter's World Cup squad.


But that requires a very patient man or woman to select the most important periods of play. Now scientists in Spain are trying to make that work easier by getting a computer to do it. The technology is being designed to automatically edit a whole game down to the key moments. The people behind it at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have been working on it for a few years and have just published 18 pages of exactly how it works. Arnau Raventos is the lead professor on the project. He tells Newsbeat they have "been working with the local television companies in Spain in order to try to make the job easier for the person who manually does the summaries currently." Without having to read the full report (we did that for you) - in short - it analyses what are known as key-frames. So, every part of the match is looked over by the computer to spot tell-tale signs of when something interesting is happening. That might be lots of players grouped together, lots of zoomed-in action, extra noise from the crowd or the sound of the referee's whistle. Arnau calls them "occasions". "We want to find specific combinations of moments in a football match. A goal is an occasion." We thought of an example: if a defender goes down in the penalty box, everyone groups around them, you'll hear a whistle, there's lots of faces in the shot and a penalty happens. In theory, the technology should capture that. There is a long way to go though. The technology could frustrate even the most lukewarm of football fans because it hasn't quite nailed exactly the magic moment - when the goal goes in. In a test on five matches, the technology detected 70 per cent of the total goals. "We need to be sincere," says Arnau. "We need to say that at the moment it's not possible to perform a complete automatic summary just yet. It's difficult to detect all the goals." "However, we think it's very easy to discard those moments that are not important. For example, the panoramic views. They are easy to detect and to discard them so that already makes the job of the editor easier." Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube

Summary: For years Match of the Day has satisfied impatient football fans by condensing a 90 minute match into a handy chunk of highlights.


A court heard Aidan Chaves, 26, reacted angrily to taunts from fans and was spat on during a home game for Sawbridgeworth Town FC on 25 March. But he denied screaming threats at Clacton supporters on the touchline at the Hertfordshire club. Stevenage Magistrates Court adjourned the case for a later hearing to decide if he had made threatening comments. The three magistrates were told that Chaves faced derogatory remarks from the fans of the opposing team, including songs about his skill as a player, his tattoos and his mother. One fan is said to have spat on him as he prepared for a throw in. The court heard Chaves ran from to the changing room and emerged carrying a broken corkscrew. Prosecutor Prosecutor Rufia Khatun said that, holding it aloft and running towards the Clapton fans, he allegedly screamed "Come here. I'm going to cut your throat." Chaves - who gave his address as Mount Mellick Road, Portlaoise in the Irish Republic - pleaded guilty to a charge of having an offensive weapon in a public place. The court was told he entered the plea on the basis that he had not uttered the threats that had been referred to by the prosecution. In a statement he said he had grabbed the corkscrew to "ward the fans off". Magistrates adjourned the case so that another hearing can take place on 10 August to decide if he had made the threats as claimed by the prosecution. Chaves was granted unconditional bail.

Summary: A footballer accused of threatening fans with a corkscrew has admitted possession of an offensive weapon.


The 14-month old tabby and white called Pumbaa was found bleeding in a Peterborough alleyway on Saturday. The stab wound was so deep the vet was unable to operate before Pumbaa died. A second cat - Mischief - was shot by an air rifle in an area near to where Pumbaa was stabbed, according to the RSPCA. It is unclear whether the two incidents are linked. RSPCA inspector Justin Stubbs said: "These were two shocking and completely senseless attacks." Pumbaa's owner, Kirsty Cracknell, 29, of Croyland Road, said: "I am utterly devastated about Pumbaa - he was such a soppy little mummy's boy. I just keep expecting him to jump through the window. "What particularly breaks my heart is that I think he must have been on his way home to me, considering where he was found."

Summary: A cat's death after being stabbed with a screwdriver has sparked an RSPCA appeal for information in Cambridgeshire.


The think tank says teachers' pay has declined in real terms. The report also shows students in public higher education institutions in England pay the highest tuition fees. But the OECD says high fees are accompanied by the highest levels of student support. The Education at a Glance report compares the costs and characteristics of education systems in industrialised countries, from early years through to university. How UK education compares: It highlights that many countries face a challenge to recruit teachers - particularly when on average a primary school teacher earns 22% less than someone with similar qualifications. "These uncompetitive salaries will make it harder to attract the best candidates to the teaching profession," says the report. In England, head teachers have warned of a worsening teacher shortage, with recruitment targets being missed for several years running. Teachers' unions have complained that an excessive workload is deterring people from staying in teaching - and the OECD's report shows how teachers in the UK compare with their classroom counterparts. It shows that primary classes are bigger than average. For state schools in the UK - not broken down into devolved administrations - there were 27 pupils per class, compared with an OECD average of 21 pupils per class. In secondary schools, teachers spent an unusually high proportion of their working days in the classroom, rather than preparing lessons or training. In secondary schools in England, teachers taught for about 100 hours more than the average for OECD countries per year. In Scotland, the proportion of time spent teaching was even higher, more than 200 hours above average. The report also shows that teachers' pay in England has had an above-average decline in real terms, between 2005 and 2013. Despite the recession, countries such as Poland, Germany, the United States and Australia had increased teachers' pay in real terms. But in England, based on an analysis of secondary school teachers, pay had fallen, with only countries such as Greece and Portugal having a more substantial decline. A spokesman for the Department for Education said the report recognised "above average funding" for education in England. "Great teachers are at the heart of this government's commitment to delivering educational excellence everywhere," he said. "This is why we are not only tackling excessive teacher workload but have also given head teachers the freedom to pay good teachers more, meaning the best teachers can access greater rewards earlier in their careers." But John Bangs, of Education International, an international federation of teachers' unions, said the OECD report showed that the "teachers' pay freeze is damaging education across many countries and that includes England". "The best potential teachers are finding jobs in other, better paid professions," he said. "The message on class size is also clear. "In larger classes, teachers are spending more time on classroom control and less time on teaching. "We also know that larger classes lead to teacher burnout and teacher shortage." The study showed the high cost of university in England - with high levels of fees, high levels of student finance and high levels

Summary: Teachers in England and Scotland have more teaching hours and bigger primary classes than in most other developed countries, according to an OECD annual education report.


Ben Heaton's try put the visitors ahead before John Davies and Scott Turner went over to help give Featherstone a 13-6 half-time lead. Turner grabbed his second try before Ben Johnston jinxed his way through to reduce the deficit for Halifax. Anthony Thackeray kicked his second drop goal of the night and Josh Hardcastle's try made the game safe. In the battle of the two Championship sides, Scott Murrell sent Heaton clear to put Halifax ahead, but the lead only lasted four minutes as Keal Carlile spun out of a tackle to set up Davies. A brilliant finish from Turner and Thackeray's drop goal on the stroke of half-time gave the hosts a seven-point lead. Turner cleverly grounded the ball in the corner for his second try, but Halifax hit back with a fine solo try from Johnston. Hardcastle went over from the scrum with seven minutes remaining as Featherstone became the first team in reach the quarter-finals. Featherstone: Hardman, Turner, Ulugia, Taulapapa, Briscoe, Thackeray, Aston, Moore, Carlile, Cooper, Knowles, Davies, Lockwood. Replacements: Wildie, Griffin, Tagg, Hardcastle. Halifax: Sharp, Saltonstall, Woodburn-Hall, Tyrer, Worrincy, Murrell, Robinson, Tangata, B. Moore, Cahalane, Grady, Heaton, Fairbank. Replacements: Morris, Boyle, Barber, Johnston. Referee: Chris Campbell (RFL).

Summary: Featherstone beat Halifax to reach the Challenge Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 20 years.


Researchers believe achieving a healthier weight could cut the risk by a fifth in breast cancer. Around 3,200 women will take part, with half of them shifting a tenth of their body weight. Experts said the trials were vital as it was still unclear if weight made a difference. Dr Jennifer Ligibel, from the women's cancer centre at the Dana-Faber Cancer Institute, said: "We have known now for many years that women who are overweight or obese and are diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of their cancer recurring and ultimately dying." She said this had been seen in more than 100 studies, though the explanation for it was unclear. She said preliminary evidence showed that losing weight after diagnosis could be helpful. But the idea has never been tested in a large randomised trial, considered the gold-standard of medical research. The two-year trial will start recruiting overweight and obese patients, with a BMI of at least 27, in August. After their cancer therapy is completed, the women will have regular advice from dieticians to help them reduce their calorie intake to 1,200-1,500 calories per day. Eventually, they will also exercise for up to 250 minutes a week. For every 100 women in the study who do not lose weight, they expect to see 23 have a recurrence of the tumour. If the researchers are right, then they expect only 19 in every 100 women who did shift the pounds to have a recurrence. Dr Ligibel added: "I think it would be premature to say we know these things make a difference and that's why studies are important. "I am quite convinced but I think we need the data to really prove it, but also to look at who benefits." It is far from clear what changes inside an obese body could be leading to cancer recurrence, but there are theories around levels of the hormone insulin or inflammation, both of which are altered with weight gain. If the concept is confirmed then it could apply to a wider range of cancers. Prostate and colorectal cancer incidence is already known to be closely connected to waistline, however, patients with tumours such as lung or skin cancers, which are linked to carcinogens, may not benefit. Dr Harold Burstein, an American Society of Clinical Oncology spokesman and breast cancer doctor, said there was "mixed evidence" on weight. He argued: "There is a tendency to overstate the benefit, as yet there's no real known benefit for these interventions - that's why they're doing the trials." "It's not clear that if you change your weight after a breast cancer diagnosis that it affects the breast cancer coming back. "Either because it doesn't matter, or the damage has already been done, or the tumour is what it is and does its thing regardless of what you're eating." Meanwhile, a study presented at ASCO has suggested chemotherapy is less effective in obese women with breast cancer. A team at a Turkish hospital analysed data from 295 patients to show obese women were both less likely to

Summary: The first major trial to see if losing weight reduces the risk of cancers coming back is about to start in the US and Canada.


Out of nearly 12,000 fans, 52% were in favour and 48% against a game which would raise funds for the Ladies' team and a final decision will now be made. The match would be the final public game at Upton Park but some fans want the Premier League win over Manchester United to be the last at the stadium. The Hammers are moving to the Olympic Stadium after 112 years at Upton Park. West Ham beat United 3-2 and then held a 45-minute celebration after full-time, involving fireworks and former players. Eastenders actor Danny-Boy Hatchard, who plays Lee Carter in the BBC One soap opera, is one of those backing the Ladies' game.

Summary: A West Ham Ladies' charity match at Upton Park on 5 June narrowly won a vote over whether it should take place.


The vehicles, which were travelling in the same direction, collided on Red Hill Way, Leicester, at 21:17 BST on Tuesday. Police said the 19-year-old on one of the bikes was killed. A 29-year-old man was arrested and remains in police custody. Officers have asked anyone with information about the collision to get in touch.

Summary: A man has been arrested after a fatal road crash involving two motorbikes.


16 October 2015 Last updated at 16:43 BST Karen Liu, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, said a falling robot can damage its components and also the people around it. She said the algorithm could help reduce the impact when a humanoid robot takes a tumble. She hopes robots will eventually be able to learn how to recover from a fall. Watch the video to see the algorithm in action when a robot gets pushed over.

Summary: Researchers have developed an algorithm to help robots fall more gracefully, to protect them from damage.


An inquiry was launched in June last year following reports that face paint was used to impersonate a staff member in a student-led performance. It caused offence to eight students of African heritage, prompting the review by Prof Dinesh Bhugra from King's College London. He sets out 13 recommendations to help the university avoid similar incidents. The college has accepted all of the recommendations, which include: The report was sparked by complaints to officials following a student production called "Anaphylaxis", and led to 30 students being suspended from clinical practice for their part in the show. Prof Bhugra said: "Whilst the university and School of Medicine did their best to deal with this incident in accordance with its established procedures, our report does highlight a number of specific and overarching issues that the university needs to consider and address. "Our recommendations are intended to help the university avoid similar incidents in future and address wider equality and diversity issues identified. "We are encouraged by the extremely positive way the university - at all levels - engaged with our work and its clear commitment to equality and diversity. We also welcome the university's commitment to take action in response to our recommendations." Responding to the report on Wednesday, Cardiff University Vice-Chancellor Prof Colin Riordan said: "Whilst the review was prompted by an incident involving our medical students this was not about pointing the finger of blame or repeating the investigation undertaken by the university - rather it was about highlighting important areas of change that will help avoid similar incidents in the future. "As a university we accept the report's recommendations and are already undertaking a number of proactive measures to address them. "Our message is clear: offensive stereotyping of any person, or group of persons, is not acceptable."

Summary: Cardiff University leaders say lessons are being learnt after a report into racial equality at its medical school.


Until recently, AI seemed firmly stuck in the realm of science fiction. The term "artificial intelligence" was coined 60 years ago - on August 31 1955, John McCarthy proposed a "summer research project" to work out how to create thinking machines. It's turned out to take a bit longer than one summer. We're now entering the seventh decade, and just starting to see real progress. So, it's worth asking: why the long wait, and what has made for today's renaissance in AI research? Well, as is usually the case with technology "revolutions," there's actually been a steady evolution of hard research leading up to today. For example, Geoff Hinton, one of the pioneers of artificial neural networks, came up with many of his key insights in the 1980s, when computers were too slow for the insights to have a big practical pay-off. He continued to work for the next 20 years, and in 2009 he and his students beat the state of the art for speech recognition. Google quickly adopted their methods (and later hired the team) and cut errors in speech recognition on the Google app by around 25% - the equivalent of about ten years of research all at once. So it was really a long effort. But something changed in those last few years, an inflection point, a final push over the line from "This could work" to "Wow, this works better than anything else we've come up with!" Indeed, deep learning really took off when it got an infusion of computing at immense scale, using networks of thousands of computers working together. And it's been accelerated by tackling real-world problems: how do you build a system that recognises speech in 58 languages? How do you find someone's first photo of their golden retriever when it's never been labelled? (These aren't just rhetorical questions; the Google app and Google Photos do this, and many other companies are working on similar real-world applications of machine learning). In other words, the same consumer needs that gave rise to the web and the cloud computing that powers it - people wanting to get any question in the world answered or communicate effortlessly across languages - were what refreshed and refocused the basic research in AI. These turn out to provide tougher and more rewarding challenges than the "toy" problems that had been the benchmarks of AI research in decades past, such as getting a program to navigate a simple maze. The real world is far bigger and messier, and it provides a much higher bar for machine learning. It's not until the theoretical bumps up against the practical that you get real progress. That's why we bring dozens of visiting faculty from universities every year to Google, and why our researchers publish their research openly and go to all the major academic conferences on AI. We offer computing resources, real-world problems and practical expertise building systems; outside researchers bring long experience and ideas for novel approaches. We love the exchange, and we welcome experts in machine learning to conduct their research at

Summary: As part of the BBC's Intelligent Machines season, Google's Eric Schmidt has penned an exclusive article on how he sees artificial intelligence developing, why it is experiencing such a renaissance and where it will go next.


3 April 2017 Last updated at 09:17 BST Demand for property in China's top cities is so red hot, some couples are even undergoing fake divorces in order to buy additional homes. China's central bank has tried to clamp down on rising prices but that has done little to allay the woes of young workers who earn low wages. The BBC's Stephen McDonell reports on one of the world's most unaffordable property markets.

Summary: If you're young, Chinese and living in Beijing, you're probably locked out of the property market.


BBC Radio 5 live found football ticket-touting laws are being flouted, leaving fans vulnerable to online brokers. Some ticketing websites have deals with clubs but others could be "duping" customers on "an industrial scale". The FSF says supporters "would not mind paying an administration fee" to clubs to keep secondary ticket prices down. "Any company that gets between fans and a club will try to make a profit," Michael Brunskill, FSF spokesperson, which represents the rights of football supporters in England and Wales, told BBC Sport. "We understand fans might want to sell on tickets because they can't make it to a game, but our preference would be that clubs manage that." Arsenal are one club that already provides an in-house service where season ticket holders who cannot attend a game can resell tickets to members. The club says that 50,000 tickets were redistributed through their exchange last season, with 44,000 so far this season. The general resale of football tickets was banned in 1994 because of safety fears over the possibility of rival fans mingling together. Only outlets officially authorised by clubs can offer unwanted seats, with Everton and Tottenham having deals with one firm, Stubhub. Another website, Twickets, has a deal with Crystal Palace where tickets cannot be sold for more than face value. But overseas firms can avoid UK consumer law and the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers warns the online trade allows unscrupulous firms to "dupe unsuspecting ticket buyers". Under UK law, tickets advertised must include the cost and location of seats in the stadium, but during its research 5 live Investigates found many examples where this did not happen or the tickets arrived late. The investigation also found that Premier League tickets with a face value of £23 were being be resold for as much as £130 each. In a bid to clamp down on illegal trading, Manchester United have seized more than 1,750 tickets during the past two seasons. One firm, Ticketbis, was found to have distributed season tickets and it was also claimed it was reselling tickets associated with people already banned from a stadium. When asked to respond to the allegations, Ticketbis, which is based in Spain, said it is a "secure online platform that works as an intermediary between individuals that want to buy and sell tickets in 40 countries". The company did not comment on the illegal sale of football tickets. Brunskill added: "It's important fans understand there are different types of secondary ticket companies. Some have no affiliation with football clubs, and are often based offshore so are not subject to UK law. "If anyone is planning to buy tickets, do your research because with these companies there is a danger that your tickets don't turn up. "There is a place in the market for the fair reselling of tickets and we would like clubs to use their own in-house systems."

Summary: Clubs could prevent fans being ripped off by creating their own secondary ticket exchanges, says the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF).


Officers raided a workshop in the port of Izmir, where they say they found life jackets stuffed with packaging rather than buoyancy aids. The four workers making the jackets included two young Syrian girls. On Tuesday, the bodies of 34 migrants were found along Turkey's coast. Many were wearing life jackets. Several children were among the dead. More than one million migrants crossed the Mediterranean in 2015 and the vast majority went from Turkey to Greece. Many migrants buy life jackets to help them survive the dinghy journey. A properly made jacket costs up to a £100 (€130; $150), reports the BBC's James Reynolds in Istanbul. But many migrants make do with cheaper, badly made ones, which cost just £10 and may offer no protection whatsoever, our correspondent says. Izmir: Migrants' life jacket capital The life jacket 'mountains' of Lesbos Migration to Europe explained in graphics According to the UN, 3,771 people were listed as dead or missing in 2015. In Wednesday's raid the authorities seized 1,263 life jackets that failed to correspond to safety standards, Turkey's Dogan news agency said. The workshop was in the centre of Izmir, a major hub for refugees and migrants. Four people were found working in the workshop, including two young Syrian girls, the news agency said. It did not publish the girls' ages. The confiscated life jackets have been sent to the local police for examination and an investigation has been launched. It comes one day after the bodies of more than 30 migrants were washed up in Turkey. Their boats capsized in bad weather on the way to the Greek island of Lesbos, the authorities say. Turkish media published harrowing images of the corpses, many still wearing life jackets that had apparently been of no use. Migrants are continuing to arrive on the Greek islands every day, despite the wintry weather. Lesbos is by far the most popular destination for migrants leaving Turkey. More than 500,000 reached the island in 2015. Late last year, Turkey reached a deal with the European Union to tighten its borders and reduce the numbers crossing to Greece in return for €3bn (£2.1bn) and political concessions. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.

Summary: Police in Turkey say they have confiscated more than 1,000 fake life jackets made for migrants wanting to cross the Aegean Sea to Greece.


At a post-match conference the French Open champion was asked whether she knew which stars had been watching her play from the Royal Box at Centre Court. David Beckham was a "great guy" she said. But what about the other sportsman at the scene, Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar? She did not know who he was. This is how Indians responded. #WhoisMariaSharapova is now trending worldwide. As Sachin Tendulkar is clearly a god, then there is one perfectly understandable reason why Maria Sharapova would not know who he is - she must be an atheist, many tweeted. Doctored images of Sharapova, picturing her hunched on the ground in apparent supplication in front of Tendulkar, made their rounds on the internet One user @prasadvanjale urged God to "forgive her, for she doesn't know, what she is doing" â€

Summary: Maria Sharapova may have been knocked out of Wimbledon, but in India she has hit the headlines with comments that are, for many Indians, akin to blasphemy.


Mr Turnbull, who was communications minister under Mr Abbott, is the fourth prime minister since 2013. After taking the oath of office, Mr Turnbull attended his first Question Time in parliament as prime minister. Mr Abbott on Tuesday said his removal was "tough" but promised not to undermine the new government. In his first public comments since his removal by the Liberal party late on Monday, Mr Abbott said it had been "a tough day, but when you join the game, you accept the rules". He said he was proud of what his government had achieved, while also taking swipes at party members who had leaked to the media and carried out "a sour, bitter character assassination". He did not say if he would remain on the backbench or eventually resign from politics. Mr Abbott's removal followed weeks of tumbling polls ratings and speculation about a challenge to his leadership. In a move led by Mr Turnbull and his deputy and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Mr Abbott was voted out by the Liberal party by 54 votes to 44. In his first Question Time session in parliament, Mr Turnbull paid tribute to Mr Abbott, and said these are "the most exciting times to be an Australian". "The future is one of great opportunities and that requires confidence and leadership and it will be lost if we embrace the politics of fear and scaremongering." He said policies would "change in the light of changed conditions", but did not signal any immediate amendments to contentious issues including same sex marriage and climate policy. Opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said Mr Abbott had been "a formidable fighter" in office, and praised his "generous and personal" nature. Mr Turnbull is not expected to announce a new cabinet line-up until the end of the week. But following his fierce criticism of Mr Abbott's economic leadership, there has been speculation that Joe Hockey might lose the Treasury portfolio. Ms Bishop, who has retained her role as deputy, said that Mr Abbott had "done a fantastic job in winning the 2013 election" but that "a number of people felt that he hadn't met their expectations". After surviving another leadership challenge in February, Mr Abbott had asked for six months to turn the Liberal Party's electoral hopes around, she said. "Now seven months later the majority have decided they wanted a change of leader and that he had lost their confidence." But she said Mr Abbot was "obviously very hurt". Mr Turnbull said on Monday night the government would serve a full term, meaning a general election is likely in mid-2016. The first real test of how the public has taken the news will be on Saturday in a by-election for the seat of Canning in Western Australia. The seat is held by the Liberal Party. Opinion polling done before Monday night's ballot suggested the Liberals would retain the seat but at a reduced majority.

Summary: Malcolm Turnbull has been sworn in as Australia's new prime minister, after Tony Abbott was ousted by his party in a leadership challenge.


Media playback is not supported on this device Former world player of the year Messi, 27, has inspired Argentina in Brazil. The Barcelona forward has scored in all three games and is one goal shy of Maradona's 1986 five-goal haul, but Mehmedi says it is not all about Messi. "With all due respect for his qualities and class, I think too much is talked about just Messi," said Mehmedi, 23. Media playback is not supported on this device "He is exceptional, no question, but that is not all, he has very good players around him. We will not neglect the preparation nor in the game itself," the Freiburg striker said ahead of their last-16 clash. Argentina are unbeaten in their six previous games against Switzerland but Mehmedi says his side are not heading into the game at Corinthians Arena just to make up the numbers against one of the pre-tournament favourites. "Swap jerseys with Messi? I'm not here as a tourist," he said. "Switzerland is in the second round of a World Cup." Mehmedi knows if his side can defeat Argentina in Sao Paulo they will cause one of the biggest shocks of the 2014 tournament in Brazil. "I know the quality and potential of this team," he continued. "If we defeat Argentina, we write a piece of World Cup history and many people in Switzerland will be proud of the team. "I even think such success would see the world take notice, but we are not naive. "It will take an absolutely top performance of each one of us. And I assure you, everyone will do everything we can to provide these and tearing for Switzerland."

Summary: Lionel Messi is not the only threat in the Argentina team, according to Switzerland's Admir Mehmedi ahead of Tuesday's last-16 World Cup clash.


The Queen's Park Rangers player made his NI debut in March and scored in his second game against Slovenia. Washington, a postman just four years ago, followed that up with another goal against Belarus on Saturday. "The last few months have been a crazy time and I don't think it has sunk in yet. I know I have been fortunate," said the 24-year-old. "Football can be about being in the right place at the right time, and I have been lucky. "Maybe in a couple of years I will look back and realise how mad it has all been." Washington combined representing non-League St Ives between 2010 and 2012 with a job delivering mail. Having averaged more than a goal-a-game in his 50 appearances for a club in the ninth tier, he then got his break with Newport who paid £5,000 for him. The Welsh club were promoted to the Football League in his first season, although Washington barely featured. He then moved to Peterborough in 2014 and by mid-January of this year, when QPR took him from London Road, Washington had scored 15 goals and aroused the interest of Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill. Washington had only been to the country once before his international bow against Wales in March but he qualified through the grandparent rule. "It was nice to be accepted so quickly and so readily with Northern Ireland," he added. "Life doesn't get much better. I'm proud of my achievements and just have to try to enjoy it."

Summary: Northern Ireland striker Conor Washington counts himself a lucky man as he prepares to head to Euro 2016.


Centre-left candidate Daniel Scioli led exit polls, and just edged centre-right Buenos Aires mayor Mauricio Macri with most votes counted. Many had expected Mr Scioli to lead by a greater margin. The run-off on 22 November will be the first time an Argentine election will be decided by a second round. With 96% of the votes counted, Mr Scioli was marginally ahead with 36.7% of the vote, while Mr Macri had 34.5%. To win outright in the first round, a candidate needed 45% of the vote or a minimum of 40% as well as a 10-point lead over the nearest rival. "What happened today will change politics in this country," Mr Macri, the mayor of Buenos Aires, told supporters. Sergio Massa, a former ally turned rival of outgoing President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, came a distant third with 21.3% of the vote and admitted defeat. Mr Massa has not said who will get his backing in the second round next month. With Mr Macri and Mr Scioli neck-and-neck, Mr Massa's support could prove crucial. Mr Scioli was handpicked as candidate by President Fernandez, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term. The governor of Buenos Aires province, he is a former world powerboating champion who lost his right arm in a race in 1989. Late on Sunday, he spoke before thousands of his supporters, saying: "United together we will triumph. I call upon the undecided and independent voters to join this cause." Last week, Mr Scioli pledged tax cuts for workers earning under a certain income, a move expected to affect half a million people. He has also vowed to bring down Argentina's inflation to single digits in less than four years and promises to introduce policy changes to invigorate the economy. Ms Fernandez, who stands down after eight years in power, says she leaves Argentines a better country. "We are voting today in a completely normal country," said Ms Fernandez said after casting her vote in the Patagonian town of Rio Gallegos. In previous decades, Argentines always went to the polls "in the middle of a serious crisis," she added. Ms Fernandez said achieving stability and leaving Argentines "a normal country" was the promise made by her late husband, Neston Kirchner, when he took office in 2003. He died in 2010, three years after handing over the presidency to his wife. Argentina elections: All to play for 14.5% Official, but disputed, inflation level 28.2% the inflation level in 2014, according to the World Bank 0.7% amount IMF predicts the economy will shrink in 2016 Whoever wins the presidency faces significant economic challenges. While the country gained strength after a financial crisis in 2002, its economy, the third-largest in Latin America, has slowed in recent years, with GDP growing by only 0.5% last year. The government is also locked in a battle against American hedge funds who disagree with how it wants to restructure $100bn (Â£65bn) of debt on which it defaulted in 2001. While the firms successfully sued Argentina for repayment, Ms Fernandez refused to pay.

Summary: Argentina will face a run-off election next month after neither presidential candidate gained enough votes to win the poll outright.


Media playback is not supported on this device Malan targeted South Africa's seamers, striking 12 fours and two sixes in a 44-ball knock as England posted 181-8. Chris Jordan took 3-31 and Tom Curran - in only his second game - 2-22 to restrict the Proteas in their chase. AB de Villiers made 39 and Mangaliso Mosehle 36 off 22 balls but South Africa could manage only 162-7. England, returning to the venue of their Champions Trophy semi-final defeat by Pakistan, put in a professional performance to wrap up the series. Middlesex left-hander Malan, 29, made the highest score by an England player on T20 debut, beating Paul Collingwood's 46 in England's maiden match in this format in 2005. England, whose next white-ball series is not until September against West Indies, begin a four-Test series against South Africa on 6 July. It was a polished performance from England's bowlers, using the short ball to discomfort South Africa, and they were backed up by some strong fielding. Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane, who played in the opening T20 at Southampton, was put under pressure as de Villiers struck him for consecutive sixes. However, the 20-year-old showed admirable confidence as he continued to toss the ball up and was rewarded when he drew an error out of the tourists' skipper, who slapped the ball to Alex Hales on the deep square leg boundary. Crane rounded off his spell with a superb over, conceding only two runs as England turned the screw. The Proteas were lacklustre. Of the top six, only De Villiers and opener JJ Smuts (29) reached double figures and it took some big hitting from wicketkeeper Mosehle to push their total up. England's seamers were excellent, with Curran in particular showing a maturity at the end of the innings as he bowled full and straight. The result means the visitors have won only two of their six limited-overs matches on this tour. England captain Eoin Morgan chose to rest himself for the match, a decision that initially drew criticism given this was a must-win game for England, but big-hitting Malan adapted quickly to international cricket. Arriving at the crease after Jason Roy fell for eight, Malan left his first delivery but pulled the second ferociously into the stands for six. On a pitch tinged with green, he took on the short ball against the seamers. He did not let up against a change of pace, nonchalantly flicking leg-spinner Imran Tahir over his shoulder to bring up his half-century from 31 deliveries. Malan and Hales, who was struggling to run after edging the ball on to his knee, put on 105 in 10.3 overs. When Malan finally fell, caught at long-on off Tahir, stand-in captain Jos Buttler struck two flat sixes to push England above 180. Media playback is not supported on this device The manner in which England went about such a calm and assured victory will be more heartening giving the changes they made to their side. As well as Morgan being rested, England gave Crane another opportunity, as well as Curran.

Summary: Dawid Malan hit an aggressive 78 on debut to help England beat South Africa by 19 runs and complete a Twenty20 series victory in Cardiff.


Ciaran Williamson, eight, was playing with friends in Craigton Cemetery when a headstone fell on him on 26 May 2015. Council employee David MacCall told the inquiry in the days after Ciaran's death, between 500 and 900 headstones were laid flat over safety concerns. It also emerged that another boy was injured by a headstone there in 2010. Mr MacCall, who the assistant bereavement services manager at Glasgow City Council, was giving evidence at the inquiry which is taking place at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The inquiry will try to establish if there were any reasonable precautions that could have prevented the tragedy at the cemetery in Cardonald. Mr MacCall told the inquiry he joined the council in 2013 and had raised concerns that there were no regular checks of memorials in the city. The witness said he was told "what we carry out at the present time was proportionate to the resources available". He said there was no permanent staff at Craigton Cemetery at the time and the council had teamed up with the Scottish Prison Service to have inmates who are preparing to leave prison work at some of their cemeteries. Mr MacCall said this was done at cemeteries in the east end of the Glasgow because it was in the lead up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The witness was asked by procurator fiscal depute Gail Adair about the response by the council after Ciaran's death. He said that once the area had been made safe they "secured the site" and "attempted to make all memorials they felt were unsafe, safe". Mr MacCall said staff laid flat the memorials that were deemed unsafe. When asked how many were judged to be unsafe, he replied: "Between 500 and 900." Asked if that was a realistic number, he said that Craigton Cemetery had been subject of a "significant amount of vandalism". Ms Adair told Mr MacCall the inquiry has heard evidence that Ciaran and his friends went into the cemetery through a hole in the wall. She asked: "Do you know when, or if, that hole was reported to Glasgow City Council?" The witness said that he had since learned there was a complaint in 2014 and there were two follow ups. The fiscal depute confirmed with Mr MacCall that it was passed between different departments and followed up but was not repaired. She put to him: "I think we heard in evidence the hole in the wall was repaired shortly after Ciaran's death." Mr MacCall answered: "Yes, that's correct." The inquiry also heard that another child had been injured by a gravestone in the same cemetery. Mark Gibson, the solicitor representing Ciaran's mum, Stephanie Griffin, cross-examined Mr MacColl. He put the details of a council incident report form, of an incident said to have taken place in July 2010, at Craigton Cemetery. Mr Gibson read: "Received call on July 20 informed headstone had fallen on to a 14-year-old boy. "Govan Police mentioned lock had to be cut open by the fire service." Mr MacColl said he could not comment on anything

Summary: A fatal accident inquiry into the death of a boy at a Glasgow cemetery has heard that up to 900 headstones were deemed unsafe days after the tragedy.


Hughie Maughan's teak tone under the spotlight had viewers doing their own keyboard tap dance. The Dublin man was appearing on Irish broadcaster RTÉ's Dancing With The Stars at the weekend. Hughie told RTÉ's Ryan Tubridy he had laughed off the comments, claiming he had "thick elephant skin". "The entire place was staring at me and the whole studio was looking at me, laughing and were gobsmacked," he added. "I just found it funny. I'm one of those types of people, I'm bonkers when it comes to certain things. "It's made people speak about me which is probably a good thing, I am on a TV show… Isn't that the point of television?" Hughie's boyfriend Ryan Ruckledge was among those who contributed to the comments sparked by his partner's polished visage. "He really shouldn't have taken tanning tips from me," he joked, before adding, "bad boyfriend advice hahah sorry". The pair met on Channel 5's Big Brother programme last year. Others compared Hughie to Ross Geller from the hit US TV show Friends when David Schwimmer's sitcom character has a spray tan fiasco. Host Nicky Byrne said: "Hughie, you are trending on Twitter - we don't know why."

Summary: An Irish dance show contestant has sent viewers into a spin with the intensity of his fake tan.


Colonel Steve Warren said more than 20 strikes have been carried out in the past four days, destroying IS positions. The raids are in support of Iraqi forces who are trying to retake Falluja from IS. Meanwhile there are dire warnings about conditions in the city. The IS commander in the city, Maher Al-Bilawi, was killed in bombardments targeting IS fighter positions and gun emplacements, Col Warren said. However, the colonel warned that it was unclear how long the battle to retake the city would last. Islamic State: The full story Some 50,000 civilians remain trapped in the city and have been told via leaflet drops to avoid IS areas and put white sheets on their roofs, Col Warren said. The UN says it has reports of people dying of starvation and being killed for refusing to fight for IS. "We have dramatic reports of the increase of the number of executions of men and older boys, refusing to fight on behalf of Isil," said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, using an alternative acronym for IS. "Other reports say a number of people attempting to depart have been executed, or whipped. One man's leg was amputated reportedly." The UN says hundreds of families were able to flee the city on Friday with the help of government forces. The assault is being carried out by a combined force comprising thousands of Iraqi army troops, the federal police and Sunni tribal fighters, Col Warren said. Militia forces were also involved but had pledged to remain outside the city, he added. Falluja fell to IS in 2014, a key moment in its rise that saw it declare a caliphate across swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Summary: The Islamic State group's commander in the besieged Iraqi city of Falluja is among 70 militants killed in coalition air strikes, the US military says.


Jessica Taylor suffers debilitating fatigue and painful muscles caused by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). The 25-year-old, of Cliffe Woods, Kent, met Samuel Bearman, 24, through friends and they plan to marry next year. She is working with a physiotherapist in her bid to walk again, and said the wedding would be a "dream come true". "I've tried to defy doctors. They've given me boundaries and I've tried to extend those boundaries as much as possible," she said. Mr Bearman said his fiancee was much more than just "someone stuck in a bed". Ms Taylor added: "There's still a life you can live and it's not wasted years." Two years ago, with her sister Ruby, Ms Taylor started a charity called Share a Star, which supports sick children who spend their lives indoors. Last month she was invited to the Houses of Parliament to talk to her local MP, Kelly Tolhurst, about its work.

Summary: A woman is planning to walk down the aisle on her wedding day despite being bed-ridden for almost half her life.


Son Paul Cooke was jailed for almost 30 years for a robbery and knife attack that led to the death of Ronald Smith, in his 60s, in West Bromwich. Colin Raymond Cooke, 62, who was jailed for seven years, has had his term increased to 11-and-a-half years at London's Criminal Appeal Court, He had been convicted of conspiracy to rob and assisting an offender. The father had been jailed for seven years at Wolverhampton Crown Court in May this year. Paul Cooke was one of several men who plundered Mr Smith's house in Cottage Walk in May 2015. Others involved in the raid have not been traced.

Summary: A man who helped his son plot a robbery, during which a man was killed, has had his jail term increased.


Brad McKay crouched to volley in Greg Tansey's deep free-kick early in the match. And Tansey converted a penalty after Massimo Donati had fouled Ross Draper. Accies were upset Ali Crawford was not awarded a second-half spot-kick for a challenge by goalkeeper Ryan Esson but netted late on through Danny Redmond. The gap between Caley Thistle and Motherwell also stands at four points, with Well behind Hamilton on goal difference after losing to Ross County. The first-half performance was exactly what Inverness manager Richie Foran has been searching for and came with their backs planted firmly against the wall. They were terrific. Adversity sometimes brings out the best in people, although nerves did seem to take effect after half-time. Foran has said for some time his side just needed one win to get going. They have it and look capable of more as the pressure turns, at least temporarily, to sides above. Tansey, who has agreed a pre-contract to join Aberdeen, was at the heart of the Saturday lunchtime victory. It was his delivery that found McKay ghosting in and the defender's finish was perfect. Another Tansey delivery was rewarded when Donati wrestled Draper to the ground. Tansey took the responsibility and delivered under pressure. In truth, Inverness could have been out of sight by the break. Billy Mckay should have done better from close range twice and Alex Fisher somehow screwed a header wide from a few yards after Remi Matthews had parried Tansey's drive. And, in the second period, Scott Boden could have sealed the win when clean through but dinked over. Martin Canning's side improved significantly after the break as Crawford and Redmond were sent on in place of Donati and Rakish Bingham. And Crawford thought he had earned a lifeline. As Gary Warren tried to shepherd the ball out, Esson came flying out and inexplicably took the substitute down. Referee Andrew Dallas did not point to the spot, leaving Hamilton players in disbelief. It was a huge escape for the home side. Having offered little earlier in the match, other than a great chance for Darian MacKinnon which he prodded wide, the second-half response was firm. Dougie Imrie, Crawford and Greg Docherty all came close but ultimately they did not threaten enough and gave themselves too much to do after leaving themselves repeatedly exposed in defence. Redmond's late finish was little consolation, although the goal may yet have an important part to play in the final make-up of goal difference with so few points separating the sides. Match ends, Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Second Half ends, Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Goal! Inverness CT 2, Hamilton Academical 1. Daniel Redmond (Hamilton Academical) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dougie Imrie. Substitution, Inverness CT. Billy King replaces Jake Mulraney. Corner, Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Kevin McNaughton. Substitution, Inverness CT. Kevin McNaughton replaces Brad McKay. Attempt saved. Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Delay over.

Summary: Premiership bottom side Inverness Caledonian Thistle moved to within four points of opponents Hamilton Academical with three games to play.


Mr Corbyn told the BBC Labour would consider the question "as a party". Ministers have been talking to Labour MPs to try to persuade them to back intervention ahead of a Commons vote expected by Christmas. Mr Corbyn is against military action, but a number of his MPs support it and may rebel if ordered to vote against. On his first visit to Wales as party leader, Mr Corbyn said the priority should be a political settlement in the war-torn country, in order to "isolate" so-called Islamic State. Asked whether he would allow his MPs a free vote - which means they would not have to follow the chosen party line - he said: "No, we would have to consider it as a party, consider it as a group and decide how we would react at that point, I can't predict at this stage." Events in Syria are "beyond appalling" he said, adding that "there has to be a political solution - all wars end with a political solution". Prime Minister David Cameron has dismissed suggestions a UN resolution - which Labour is calling for - would be needed before the UK takes action in Syria. MPs rejected air strikes on Syria in 2013, when the target was President Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria, but later approved British participation in air strikes against Islamic State extremists in Iraq. The BBC has been told ministers are increasingly confident they will have the numbers to secure Commons backing to extend the campaign into Syria. Mr Cameron has said he will set out a detailed case for intervention and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon is planning to brief Labour MPs collectively at an open meeting. Some Labour MPs have already said they will refuse to vote with Mr Corbyn if ordered to oppose air strikes.

Summary: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he will not allow his MPs a free vote on whether to extend UK air strikes into Syria.


The money was raised by angel syndicate Equity Gap, along with venture capital firm Par Equity, US syndicate Aero-Den and the Scottish Investment Bank. The move has led to five new skilled jobs which have been filled by former oil and gas supply chain workers. The company said it planned to add further posts in the future. Vert Rotors was founded by Olly Dmitriev in 2013 and produces ultra compact low-vibration gas compressors for aerospace, medical and other applications. The funding will be used to increase capacity at Vert's manufacturing facility in Gracemount and expand its customer base. Mr Dmitriev said: "This investment brings valuable highly skilled manufacturing jobs to Edinburgh and allows Vert Rotors to increase our sales outreach. "Our products are fully manufactured in Scotland and exported to Europe and the USA. We look forward to scaling up our operations following this investment." Jock Millican, from Equity Gap, said: "Vert Rotors has potential to disrupt the established marketplace significantly with its high quality products. "Olly has an excellent track record in business and has a clear vision for the future of the company."

Summary: Gas compressor maker Vert Rotors has been given a £1.5m funding boost to scale up manufacturing at its factory in Edinburgh.


Desmond Ricks' lawyers say homicide detectives switched bullets in his mother's gun to pin a shooting on him. He was convicted of gunning down a friend outside a restaurant in Detroit, Michigan, in March 1992, and sentenced to at least 32 years in prison. Mr Ricks, 51, was released from prison last Friday. On Thursday, Wayne County prosecutor's office said Mr Ricks would not face a second trial. "I hope you enjoy your newfound freedom," Judge Richard Skutt told the exonerated man, who heaved a sigh of relief. Mr Ricks' case was championed by lawyers and students from the Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan's law school. They managed to get the investigation reopened in 2016 after pointing out that two bullets taken from the victim, Gerry Bennett, looked different from the rounds presented at trial. Police investigators had maintained the bullets held up as key evidence were fired from Mr Ricks' mother's pistol. 'How I survived 22 years on death row' US man freed after 28 years in prison But a state police report last month established the bullets from the victim did not match the 38-calibre gun that belonged to Mr Ricks' mother. "I've got no time to be bitter at anybody," Mr Ricks said outside Wayne Circuit Court after Thursday's hearing, reports the Detroit News. "There's no excuse for what they did, but I have to move on. I just didn't want to die in prison. "Now, I'm just trying to get some semblance of my life back. I just want to pay my taxes and be a good citizen." Mr Ricks is expected to be compensated thanks to a new Michigan law that awards wrongly convicted prisoners $50,000 (Â£38,800) for each year spent in prison, which would make him eligible for $1.25m. David Moran, director of the Innocence Clinic, said the police conduct was criminal, but no retired officers can be brought to justice because too much time has passed. "If it happened once it would be very surprising if there's not a lot of other cases like it," he said. The Detroit police gun laboratory that handled the case was shut down in 2008 because of errors in ballistic testing.

Summary: US prosecutors have dropped all charges against a man who spent 25 years in prison for murder, amid allegations police had falsified evidence.


To the strains of the late reggae star's One Love, Mr Obama was shown around the sprawling house in Kingston that was Mr Marley's final home. The US president said he was a fan of the musician, telling his museum guide: "I still have all the albums." Mr Obama is in Jamaica to meet the 15-member Caribbean Community bloc. But his first stop after landing in Kingston was the old Victorian-style house in central Kingston that Mr Marley called home between 1975 and his death in 1981. Mr Obama spent 20 minutes in the museum, which now houses artefacts from the singer's life including gold records and his Grammy Lifetime Achievement award. His arrival aboard Air Force One on Wednesday made him the first sitting US president to set foot in the country since Ronald Reagan visited 33 years ago. He was greeted by Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller and the US Ambassador to Jamaica, Luis Moreno. Mr Obama will meet representatives of the 15 countries in the Caribbean Community group on the three-day trip to Jamaica and Panama, and is expected to discuss energy and security issues.

Summary: Barack Obama has taken a tour of the Bob Marley museum in Jamaica after becoming the first US president to visit the country since 1982.


Aiden Webb, 22, from Norwich, was climbing Fansipan mountain alone on Friday when he fell down a ravine and lost his way, his girlfriend Bluebell Baughan said. Mr Webb, described as an experienced climber, was last heard from on Saturday when his phone went dead. The Foreign Office confirmed it was assisting his family. Mr Webb and Miss Baughan were on a four-month trip when he injured his arm and knee in the fall on the 3,100m (10,300ft) high Fansipan mountain in the north of Vietnam. More on this and other stories from Norfolk "He went to the mountain alone without a guide at 06:00 and aspired to climb it in one day," Miss Baughan said. She was in touch with Mr Webb by phone when he informed her he had fallen and could not find his way back to the trail. "He was sure he could make it back but by nightfall it was apparent he wasn't going to," she said. "Aiden said a rock had cut his arm open and he had hurt his knee. We were in touch all night. "He said no-one would be able to find him, but by 6am on Saturday he finally agreed to me getting help." Miss Baughan, who is helping co-ordinate the search from the town of Sa Pa, said rescuers had been on the mountain since Saturday morning. "Thirty-two men spent last night on the mountain, a mixture of military police, forestry workers and local police. "There is only one police officer here in Sa Pa who speaks English, but everyone has been very helpful," she said. Miss Baughan said conditions on the mountain were "very cold and wet". "Aiden is a very good climber, but he is injured," she said. Mr Webb's father and uncle are expected to arrive in Vietnam this evening although they will not reach the north until Tuesday. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: "We are supporting the family of Aiden Webb, a British man reported missing in Vietnam. We are working closely with the local authorities leading the search."

Summary: A British man is missing in Vietnam after falling while attempting to climb the country's highest mountain.


Ed Joyce and Chris Nash both hit half-centuries between interruptions in play, before Nash was bowled by Rob Keogh for 53 before lunch. Joyce was trapped lbw by Ben Sanderson after the break to give the visitors a slight hope of grasping a win. Bad light stopped play with the hosts 145-2 as they held on to share the points with no further play possible. Northants' seventh draw from their eight Division Two matches leaves them seventh and leave them trailing leaders Essex by 34 points. With only one side promoted from the second tier this season, both sides are struggling, with Sussex lying in sixth position and only three points better off - albeit with a game in hand.

Summary: Heavy rain denied Northants the opportunity to push for victory as they drew against Sussex at Arundel.


Matt Wilmot, 40, was found by police after reports of concern for the welfare of a man. He was pronounced dead at the scene, in Devon Road, Luton. Affinity Water confirmed "the body of a man was found at the bottom of one of our excavations". Bedfordshire Police said Mr Wilmot's death, at about 07:15 BST on Sunday, was not being treated as suspicious. The force said it was not possible to speculate on how he died until the coroner's full report had been released. More news from Bedfordshire It is understood Mr Wilmot, a father-of-two, had been walking home from Dunstable, where he had been watching the FA Cup Final on Saturday afternoon. Mr Wilmot's partner of 24 years, Tania Banks, said: "I just can't believe that he's gone and the circumstances [in which] he's gone. "We're just angry at the situation... and how something like this could happen." The Health and Safety Executive has been informed about the incident, police said.

Summary: The body of a man has been found at the bottom of a hole dug by a water firm.


Sheikh Ali Salman told the BBC that for national dialogue to be meaningful, the government had to show its willingness to offer "concrete solutions". "We want someone who can speak for the royal family," he said. Crown Prince Salman al-Khalifa is seen as a reformist in a court divided on how to respond to opposition demands. Hardliners - centred around the unelected Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, who has been in his post since 1971 - are said to be opposed to a dialogue process which has only just been agreed between the government and six opposition societies. They fear that any concessions will only serve to encourage more demands from opposition leaders they deeply distrust. However, speaking to the BBC during a visit to London, Sheikh Salman insisted that now was the time for dialogue. "We welcome it, we are ready for it," he said. "We believe that dialogue and negotiations are necessary." The al-Wefaq leader acknowledged that many young protesters had lost faith in the main opposition parties. "A lot of young people do not believe that we should ask for permission to go on a demonstration, or that we should call for a constitutional monarchy with this family, which until now is still killing people". But he believed that the only way forward was to work with reformists within the Sunni Muslim royal family, including the US- and UK-educated Crown Prince Salman, who has has long been considered a proponent of accommodation with the country's Shia majority. Sheikh Salman noted that hours before King Hamad brought in Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) troops to restore order and crush dissent on 14 March 2011, the crown prince and opposition had agreed a seven-point plan that would have moved Bahrain towards a constitutional monarchy. "We had an agreement with the crown prince," he said. "The seven principles were announced and then 12 hours later, GCC troops came in and severed the dialogue." Asked about the appointment of Senator John Kerry as US secretary of state, Sheikh Salman said he was "hopeful" that he would "do more than his predecessor", Hillary Clinton. "US policy needs to be more clear and direct. The United States government needs to pressure harder for human rights and democratic practices. We are told that Mr Kerry has more interest in Bahrain and so we hope he will achieve more." On the UK's approach to the crisis in Bahrain, the al-Wefaq leader was more blunt. "If the UK government and [Prime Minister David] Cameron are serious about putting an end to violence and human rights abuses, then they have to speak out publically. "It is not enough to say: 'We are privately urging reform.' That has been done for years. Unfortunately, the Bahrain government is not listening to these private conversations. "So, the question I would ask the British government is: 'Shall you continue to say it privately and not put public pressure?' This is not, I think, a good policy." Sheikh Salman also reiterated al-Wefaq's position that it would continue to call for "peaceful demonstrations", even

Summary: The leader of Bahrain's main opposition group, al-Wefaq, has called for the crown prince to attend talks aimed at ending nearly two years of unrest.


Christopher Clarke, 29, contacted girls, aged 15 and 16 at the time, via Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter. He also bought the Ysgol Bro Dinefwr pupils gifts including T-shirts, earrings, sweets and games consoles. An Education Workforce Council hearing concluded his actions amounted to professional misconduct. One girl told how Mr Clarke sent her a message saying: "I kept having the same thought over and over again. How much I wanted to grab you, kiss you..." The girl, now 19, said he also invited her to one-on-one sessions in his chemistry office and told her not to show anyone the gifts her gave her. Another girl, now 17, said his actions made her feel uncomfortable and he was "acting in a creepy nature". A third student said she told Mr Clarke she thought his messages were inappropriate and he later asked her to delete their conversation. Police investigated but no charges were brought against Mr Clarke. The school also began an investigation but he resigned before any findings were made. Education Workforce Council chairman, Steve Powell, said Mr Clarke's conduct "clearly breached boundaries between teachers and pupils". "His actions fell very short of the standards expected of a registered person and amounted to unacceptable professional conduct," he added.

Summary: A Carmarthenshire teacher who sent thousands of sexual messages to three pupils has been banned from teaching for five years.


As an EU member, the UK and UK-based firms can sell their goods to EU customers without having to pay additional taxes. Likewise, British firms and consumers can import from the EU tariff-free. The prime minister has already ruled out continued membership of the EU's single market post-Brexit, with many assuming this means the UK will also leave the customs union. Essentially there are two options: The WTO is an international agency with 164 member countries and its purpose is to promote international commerce. All the leading world economies are members of the WTO, including the UK. European Union countries are also all members, but they act together in the WTO as the EU. One of the most important principles of the WTO is that you should not discriminate between other WTO members. The UK and the EU would both have to impose on one another's exports the same barriers they apply to goods from the other WTO member countries. In fact, in the absence of a free trade agreement they would be obliged under WTO rules to do that. They include import tariffs, which are taxes applied only to imports. WTO members make commitments that they will not raise tariffs above a certain level. Those maximum levels, known as bound levels or bindings, vary from country to country and product to product. The tariffs they actually apply can be, and in many cases are, below those levels. But if you do go below bound levels, you have to do it for imports from all WTO members. For the EU the average maximum tariff is 4.8% for all goods. But there are some big variations. It's generally higher for agricultural produce, 10.9% on average. For most industrial goods it's quite low, but for cars, the tariff is 10%. Assuming the UK were trading with the EU under WTO terms, the figures are an indication of the levels of tariffs British exporters would face on their goods. It would make them less competitive in the EU market than they currently are with no tariffs at all. The UK's new schedule will have to have the consent of the other WTO members. It is administratively easier and less likely to be contested if we stick with the arrangement that we already have, as the UK's ambassador to the WTO, Julian Braithwaite. wrote in his blog: "So to minimise any grounds for objection, we plan to replicate our existing trade regime as far as possible in our new schedules." However, the UK would be free to apply lower tariffs. In some cases it is highly likely we would. For example, the EU imposes seasonal tariffs on orange imports when the Mediterranean producers have their harvest. Getting rid of that is an example of what one former trade official described to me as "low hanging fruit". Some economists, including Patrick Minford of Cardiff University and one of the leading members of Economists for Brexit (now renamed as Economists for Free Trade), favour a more comprehensive exercise in cutting tariffs and other barriers unilaterally. But these cuts

Summary: With Theresa May's end of March deadline for triggering the UK's exit from the EU fast approaching, much remains undecided, not least what will happen to British trade.


The film, written by JK Rowling and starring Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, took a total of £15.3m. It is the third highest opening weekend from the JK Rowling series, behind the two final Harry Potter films. Warner Bros executive Josh Berger said: "We are thrilled with the huge response from British and Irish audiences." The film also worked its magic at North American cinemas, taking an estimated $75m (£61m) over the weekend - more than the rest of the US box office top 10 combined. Harry Potter creator Rowling has planned scripts for a total of five films in the series. The first instalment is set in New York, and tells the story of a fictional author mentioned in the Potter stories. Redmayne plays the part of the animal-loving magizoologist Newt Scamander, who visits New York's secret community of witches and wizards. The film is set 70 years before Harry Potter reads his book at his school, Hogwarts. It has received broadly positive reviews from critics. The opening weekend haul in the US and Canada was lower than for any of the Harry Potter films, however. Elsewhere in the box office charts, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange fell to second with $17.7m (£14.3m), with Trolls third on $17.5m (£14.1m). Sci-fi movie Arrival, starring Amy Adams, took fourth spot with $11.8m (£9.5m), while the comedy Almost Christmas, starring Danny Glover and Gabrielle Union, rounded out the top five with $7m (£5.7m). Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them has had the biggest UK box office opening weekend of the year so far.


The PM revived a line used during her Tory leadership campaign to respond to claims the two clashed over dinner. She also declined to commit to settling the issue of expats' rights by June. EU sources claim UK misunderstanding of the talks process, and ignorance about how Brussels works, could lead to no deal being agreed on the UK's exit. According to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, the prime minister and Mr Juncker clashed last Wednesday at Downing Street over Mrs May's desire to make Brexit "a success" and whether the issue of protecting the rights of expat UK and EU nationals could be agreed as early as June. Speaking to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Mrs May said there were a lot of similarities and common ground in the two sides' positions. She added: "But look, I think what we've seen recently is that at times these negotiations are going to be tough. "During the Conservative Party leadership campaign I was described by one of my colleagues as a bloody difficult woman. And I said at the time the next person to find that out will be Jean-Claude Juncker." The "bloody difficult" quote came from former Conservative chancellor Ken Clarke, who was recorded discussing her after a TV interview last year. Asked about the German newspaper report, Mrs May said: "I don't recall the account that has been given of the meeting that took place, I think that a lot of this is Brussels gossip." But she said that the talks would be tough and would involve either her or Jeremy Corbyn lining up for the UK against the other 27 EU leaders. Theresa May's comment is revealing about her strength, and also her weakness. No political leader wants to be seen to be pushed around. When the UK talked tough as a member of the EU the others had no choice but to listen. But now the UK is on the way out, the incentives for the others to pay attention - let alone do our bidding - is very different. Refusing to be pushed around is one thing, refusing to show any sign of compromise or listen quite another. Read more from Laura Pressed on whether she did believe the issue of the rights of EU nationals in the UK - and Britons abroad - could be settled in June, she said: "I've always said that I want this to be an issue that we address at an early stage." "I've always said that there are complexities to this issue and lots of details that will need to be agreed. What people want to know is to have some reassurance about their future. I believe we can give that at an early stage. I've got the will to do this," she added. She also said she would have "no intention of doing anything other" than serving a full term until 2022 if she wins the 8 June general election. Opposition parties have accused the Tories of pursuing a "hard Brexit" strategy, with the PM insisting no deal is better than

Summary: Theresa May says she will be a "bloody difficult woman" towards European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker during Brexit talks.


The National Police Chiefs' Council said a "significant number of calls" had been received after several former players alleged past abuse by coaches. Its figures are also based on details from existing investigations as well as referrals from a new NSPCC helpline. Greater Manchester Police said it was investigating reports from 35 people, and had identified 10 suspects. Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Ford said the force had received calls on a daily basis from victims as well as people with concerns. "We are currently in the process of speaking to victims in person and providing them with specialist support," she added. Meanwhile, Devon and Cornwall Police and Warwickshire Police have become the latest forces to confirm they are investigating claims. The 17 forces looking into allegations of historical child sex abuse in football also include the Metropolitan Police, North Yorkshire Police, Police Scotland and Cheshire Police. The NSPCC says more than 860 people have called its dedicated football hotline, set up a week ago. Within the first three days of it launching, the charity made more than 60 referrals to a range of agencies across the UK. That was more than three times as many referrals as in the first three days of the Jimmy Savile scandal, the charity added. The phone line is available 24 hours a day on 0800 023 2642. Southampton ex-footballers claim abuse Child protection project 'stopped by FA' Scandal one of FA's biggest crises - Greg Clarke How do you talk to your children about sexual abuse? The Football Association has announced an internal review and a number of football clubs are conducting their own inquiries. Outlining the police action to date, NPCC lead for Child Protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey said the number of victims was "an indicative figure only", and with information still being collated numbers could change. He said some of the cases being investigated had come from information supplied by forces across the UK to Operation Hydrant, set up in 2014 to oversee investigations into historical child sex abuse concerning prominent people. "We are working closely with the Football Association to ensure the response to this significant and growing number of victims, at all levels of football, is co-ordinated effectively," he added. "We continue to encourage those who have been the victim of child sexual abuse to report it, regardless of how long ago the abuse may have taken place." He said all reports would be treated "sensitively and seriously". The former Newcastle United footballer David Eatock has become the latest to say he was abused by coach George Ormond. He told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show he had been groomed by Ormond, later to be jailed for six years, between the ages of 18 and 21. Mr Eatock, now 40, was not part of the court case that saw Ormond convicted in 2002 of assaulting seven boys, but he has now filed a complaint to police. Northumbria Police said it had launched Operation Tide into non-recent child abuse at Newcastle United. The force said it had received "a number of reports" and

Summary: About 350 victims have reported child sexual abuse within UK football clubs, police chiefs have said.


Damien 'Dee' Fennell made an application to Belfast Crown Court to amend his conditions so he could go to Co Donegal for a week. The 34-year-old faces three charges for a speech he gave during an Easter Rising commemoration event last year. Mr Fennell has denied the charges. He is due to go on trial later this year. He was charged with encouraging acts of terrorism, inviting support for the IRA and addressing a meeting to encourage support for the IRA after speaking at the event in Lurgan, County Armagh. His lawyer pointed out that Mr Fennell had been on bail "for a significant period without breaching his conditions" and that his client would adhere to any requirements, such as reporting to the GardaÃ (Irish police). "He is not going to abscond," said a defence lawyer. The judge granted the bail variation if a cash surety of Â£2,000 was lodged. He also ordered Mr Fennell, of Torrens Avenue, Belfast, to report to GardaÃ in Donegal twice a week and said both the house number and phone number of his accommodation should be provided to police.

Summary: A prominent dissident republican facing trial over charges of encouraging terrorism has had his bail conditions changed so he can go on holiday.


Sharbat Gula, whose haunting green eyes made her famous, fled Soviet-occupied Afghanistan as a child and was pictured in 1984 in a refugee camp in Pakistan. Mrs Gula has been accused of living in Pakistan on fake identity papers and faces up to 14 years in jail. Pakistan recently launched a crackdown on fake IDs. There are strict restrictions to getting a Pakistani ID card, which is needed for opening a bank account or to buy property. Why Now?: M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad Technically, Sharbat Gula cannot deny she committed fraud. But on a humanitarian level, many believe she is just one among thousands of Afghan refugees who committed the same offence. Unfortunately for Mrs Gula, she has become the victim of a rather sudden turn in Pakistan's policy towards refugees. It wants them out of the country in the shortest possible time. Pakistan's decision has come amid its rapidly deteriorating relations with India and Afghanistan. Officials say militants have been using hideouts in refugee settlements to launch attacks in Pakistan. Another reason, according to some quarters, may be Islamabad's likely desire to inflict economic pain on Kabul for co-operating with India. The Afghans forced to go home Afghanistan's looming refugee disaster Mrs Gula was arrested in Peshawar, near the Afghan border after a two-year investigation. She allegedly applied for an identity card in April 2014, using the name Sharbat Bibi. On Sunday Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said she should be granted bail, but a judge denied her application, saying she had failed to make her case. If the fraud claims are true, she is one of thousands of Afghan refugees deploying desperate measures to avoid returning to their war-torn homeland. The celebrated "Afghan girl" picture was taken by photographer Steve McCurry in 1984 in a refugee camp in north-west Pakistan, during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. It led to one of the most recognisable magazine covers ever printed. He tracked her down 17 years later, living in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan. Mrs Gula later moved back to Pakistan and he kept in touch. He told BBC Newsday on Wednesday that he had hired a lawyer for her. He added that he believed the Pakistani authorities may have singled her out because she is so well known. "Perhaps they are trying to send the message to other Afghan refugees that 'we couldn't care who you are, we are going to hunt you down and drive you back into your country'." Recent UN figures show that Pakistan hosts 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees. A further one million unregistered refugees are believed to be in the country. Pakistan recently started cracking down on fake IDs. It has been illegal for non-Pakistanis to have IDs since they were first issued in the 1970s but the law was not enforced, says our reporter M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad. At first, the procedure was for a village council member to endorse a citizen's application. Few village councillors objected to endorsing an application for someone who, to them and to the

Summary: An Afghan woman immortalised on the cover of National Geographic magazine has been denied bail after being arrested on fraud charges.


The 27-year-old Israeli international joins from Ashdod for an undisclosed fee, after spending last season on loan at Easter Road. "It was not so easy, but I'm happy to get it done finally," Marciano told Hibs TV. "My first season was hard and I didn't really know what Hibs means, but it was an amazing experience." Marciano made 28 appearances for Hibs last season as the Edinburgh club secured their return to the top-flight by winning the Championship. He is the club's fourth signing of the summer - after Efe Ambrose, Danny Swanson and Simon Murray - and will compete with Ross Laidlaw for the starting goalkeeper slot in the Premiership this season. "I wanted to become a better player when I came here and I think I did that," Marciano said. "That's why I wanted to come back to Hibs - because I have everything here to be a better player. "And of course the fans are amazing and it's a privilege to play in front of them every week."

Summary: Hibernian have completed the permanent signing of goalkeeper Ofir Marciano on a four-year contract.


Donald Skene grappled with worshippers and headbutted prayers posted on the walls of the Taj Madina Mosque in Victoria Road last December. Skene, 38, was ordered to complete 156 days of the unexpired portion of his jail term for breaching his licence. He was also sentenced to a year's supervision following his release. Dundee Sheriff Court was told Skene shouted: "I'm white but I'm one of you, brothers", to the Muslim congregation after being arrested. In CCTV footage shown to the court, Skene was seen entering the mosque's wash room and wandering around crying, as members of the congregation prepared to enter the prayer room. Depute fiscal Charmaine Gilmartin the court: "His behaviour is bizarre - attempts are made to try and calm him down." Skene is then seen running in circles around the prayer room as worshippers speak to him. Mrs Gilmartin said: "There are various religious texts in glass frames around the room. "The accused punches some of them and latterly headbutts them. "He had entered using Islamic greetings, and when he was arrested he refers to members of the congregation as brothers and shouts 'I'm white but I'm one of you'." Ross Donnelly, defending, said: "He is very apologetic." Skene admitted charges of breach of the peace and resisting arrest. Allegations that the offence was religiously aggravated were deleted by the Crown. The court was told Skene had already spent 10 weeks on remand for the offence.

Summary: A man who rampaged through a Dundee mosque while on licence for seriously assaulting his sister has been returned to prison.


The 46-year-old Scot was appointed in January 2013, succeeding Ashley Giles, when he became coach of England's limited-overs teams. Under Brown's leadership, the Bears won two trophies, the T20 Blast in 2014 and One-Day Cup last month. But they only avoided relegation in their final County Championship game. Brown's departure by 'mutual consent' after four seasons in the job ends an association going back to when he first joined the playing staff, making his debut as a Second XI player in July 1989. His job has not been made easy over the past two years by the dressing-room complications brought on by the enforced early retirement of captain Jim Troughton in 2014 and the decline of Ian Bell's England career. This culminated in a sequence of captaincy changes, which saw Varun Chopra appointed, only to then stand down and consequently return to Essex after Bell became county skipper. "The club has a very proud history of challenging for silverware and, despite winning the One-Day Cup this season, failure to qualify for the T20 Blast quarter finals and narrowly avoiding relegation from Division One of the County Championship on the last day of the season is not where the club should be," said Brown, in a statement. "It is, therefore, the right time for me to agree to step down from my role as Director of Cricket. Bears chief executive Neil Snowball added: "Dougie is a true Bear, having served the club with great distinction as a player, coach and director of cricket." Former Warwickshire boss Ashley Giles is among the list of candidates to succeed Brown, according to the BBC's Pat Murphy. Giles has been in charge of Lancashire for the last two years, but still lives in the Midlands. Another possibility is ex-England team director Andy Flower, who lives in Stratford and works in a high-ranking coaching capacity for the ECB at Loughborough. But no announcement is expected soon and the process of finding a successor could roll into November, as historical precedent suggests that Warwickshire will not rush into any new appointment. When Giles left in November 2012, it was a month and a half before Brown was appointed. by BBC WM's Richard Wilford "Dougie Brown has been at the heart of Warwickshire cricket for three decades as a player, coach and director of cricket. "He is one of the last links to the Bob Woolmer/Dermot Reeve era at Edgbaston, and has consistently set high standards for himself and the county, filling the trophy cabinet along the way. "The summer was a difficult one for Brown's Bears despite their Royal London One-Day Cup triumph at Lord's last month. "Their form in the County Championship was sketchy at best. Nonetheless, this is not a decision either Warwickshire or Dougie will have taken lightly." •Having first represented Warwickshire's second XI in July 1989, Brown made his first-class debut in April 1992. •He played 197 first-class matches in his 15 years with the Bears, making 8,066 runs at 30.50, as well as taking 515 wickets. •Brown also hit 4,096 runs in 263 one-day

Summary: Warwickshire director of cricket Dougie Brown has left Edgbaston after 27 years' service to the club, as both player and coach.


The rail operator had warned ongoing negotiations meant that drivers were not volunteering for Sunday shifts. ScotRail said it aimed to run two-thirds of its services and buses would replace trains on some routes. The operator has published an amended timetable listing cancelled services and those with reduced frequency. On Wednesday, ScotRail said it had offered drivers a 2.5% pay rise and a one-off bonus, and would increase driver numbers. But Aslef accused the Abellio-owned operator of trying to push new terms and conditions through. Scottish Trades Union Congress general secretary Grahame Smith said: "It is simply astonishing that significant service reductions are being announced only three months after Abellio assumed control of the ScotRail franchise. "Their approach to workforce planning and industrial relations appears nothing short of shambolic and contrary to the impression they were anxious to portray during the bid process. "The Scottish government must now answer serious questions over how service cuts and amateur industrial relations are permissible under the terms of a very detailed franchise agreement." A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: "Industrial relations are a matter for the employer and the union. "It is in the best interests of passengers that ScotRail and Aslef come together to resolve this issue as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary disruption. "Keeping passengers informed and ensuring they can plan ahead with confidence in advance is a key priority and people should check the updated timetables on the ScotRail website before they start their journey." ScotRail have said that although they will be running fewer trains on Sundays, most of the trains that do run will have more carriages. It claimed this would provide almost the same capacity as was offered by the normal services on every route. The rail operator has advised customers to plan ahead for the weekend.

Summary: ScotRail has cancelled a third of its usual services this Sunday, after pay talks with train drivers' union Aslef stalled.