The Met Office warning came as it said the weather had led to widespread ice on roads across Scotland. Two police officers were taken to hospital after they were hit by a car while dealing with a road crash in icy conditions on the A77 near Kilmarnock. Alex Salmond thanked emergency staff and other workers for keeping the country running over Christmas. The government's resilience committee is reviewing the latest information on weather-related problems. The Met Office said rain and sleet showers had caused ice to form on roads across the Highlands and central Scotland. Northern Constabulary said all Highland trunk roads were open, but the force warned the freezing temperatures overnight meant a "significant risk" of black ice. In the first minister's Christmas message, Mr Salmond paid tribute to all those who have helped keep Scotland going during the "extraordinary" winter weather. "In these extraordinary circumstances, I want to break with tradition to pay a personal tribute to those who keep Scotland moving, working and smiling," he said. BBC Travel online updates Scotland-wide travel updates National rail enquiries BBC weather updates Met Office weather warnings Traveline Scotland Advice on protecting pipes "The white-out began in late November and has more or less continued since then, making this month the coldest since records began in 1910. "Coping with the weather has been one of Scotland's toughest challenges of recent times." The male and female police officers were taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock. The woman is believed to have had a broken arm and ankle, and her colleague received minor injuries. It is not known if ice contributed to the collision, and a Strathclyde Police spokesman said: "Inquiries are ongoing in respect of this." On the railways, ScotRail urged train passengers to check services before travelling in the days ahead. It said it was constantly reviewing timetables and, where possible, it would run normal services. There will be no rail services on Christmas Day and a limited Strathclyde service on Boxing Day. Latest updates will appear on the journey check website. Steve Montgomery, managing director of ScotRail, told BBC Scotland work was carrying on to keep trains free of ice and snow. He said: "Although it's not been snowing in the central belt, we've still seen quite significant snow in the Aberdeen and Inverness areas and trains are picking up a lot of snow, so we've still got to bring the trains back into the central belt and de-ice them. "That's making a lot of work for over the weekend and we'll hopefully get most units sorted out for next Monday."

Summary: Drivers are being urged to take extra care, as sub-zero temperatures stretched into the Christmas weekend.


Figures indicate that 15% of people were very concerned while 37% were fairly concerned, about their spending. The average cost in the area is expected to be £497.23, the highest after North Yorkshire at £508.82. The figures also suggest 13% of people could resort to borrowing, more than twice the level in other areas. Across the county, North Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, 50% of people surveyed for the BBC said they were concerned about their festive spending. Concern is highest amongst those aged 18-34 and those with children under 18. Jane Symonds, money expert at the Money Advice Service, said: "Christmas can be an expensive time of year, but it's important to know that you don't have to live beyond your means to make it a fun time. A big financial hangover is the last thing anyone wants to start the new year with. "Planning ahead by looking carefully at costs will help you to take control of your spending and reduce some of the pressure. It's best to avoid credit if you can, but if you need to borrow there are more options if you think ahead." Across all the areas surveyed, of those planning to borrow 68% said they would use their credit card, 18% plan to ask friends and family for help, 18% will use their overdraft, 6% will go to a pay day lender, 6% will take out a loan, and 2% say they will go to a credit union. On average people said they expected to borrow about £180. On average, men said they were likely to borrow £214.76 while women said they expected to borrow about £146.36. More than half of all borrowers said it would take them between a few weeks to a year to repay their debt. Kevin Peachey, personal finance reporter, BBC News Financial advisers say it is never too late to draw up a budget for your Christmas spending. Those who get into trouble often forget to factor in those little extras that add to the festive bill. So, as well as presents, food and travel, advisers urge families not to ignore the cost of replacing decorations, calling relatives and even taking the children to Santa's grotto. They suggest shopping around on the internet for all these things to get the best deal. Those who turn to credit may be deferring the pain, but missing repayments in the new year could start or continue a debt spiral that may be difficult to pull out of. Instead, advisers say, keep things under control this year, and start saving now to bring some Christmas 2015 cheer to your family and your finances. Market research agency ComRes interviewed 1,270 people across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, of which 501 were in West Yorkshire, 305 were in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, 335 in North Yorkshire, 179 in East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire and 189 in Lincolnshire. The online survey was carried out for BBC Radio Sheffield between 27 November and 1 December.

Summary: More than half of people in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire are worried about the cost of Christmas, a survey suggests.


The Reid Building sits facing Rennie Mackintosh's famous 1909 landmark. Designed by US architect Steven Holl, the new Â£30m building - which is part of a Â£50m project - replaces a 1970s concrete tower block. It will bring the departments of design together under one roof, along with a new lecture theatre, workshops, canteen and staff offices. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a 28-year-old junior draughtsman at a Glasgow architecture firm when he drew up the designs for the building that many consider his masterpiece. The dramatic art nouveau design of the Glasgow School of Art building in the Garnethill area of the city centre took another 12 years to be completed, finally opening in 1909, but it heralded the birth of a new style in 20th Century European architecture. It is now considered one of Scotland's most admired and influential buildings and Mackintosh, under-appreciated in his own time, is lauded as one of the country's finest designers. The task of designing a 21st Century building to sit on the opposite side of Renfrew Street to Rennie Mackintosh's masterpiece went to Steven Holl, along with local practice JM Architects. Its design has proved controversial, with The Architectural Heritage Society for Scotland branding it "alien" and questioning the "use of large unrelieved stretches of grey opaque glass". New York-based Holl, 66, won the 2010 competition to design new 11,000 sq ft accommodation for the art school's design department. The building, which will house about 800 students, is named in honour of the art school's former director, Seona Reid. It extends for the same length as its illustrious neighbour, so the temptation to compare them is very great. Holl has described his approach as "complementary contrast". He said he wanted to do the opposite of everything Mackintosh did. Whereas Mackintosh has thick sandstone, Holl has developed a thin skin entirely of glass, which he hopes will pick up the light. Mackintosh worked with detail and ornament and Holl uses modern techniques of glass-making. Inside studios and social spaces have large areas of unobstructed window. As well as that, translucent glass has been extended over all external walls and forms a second layer to a number of windows. Famous Glasgow School of Art graduates includes Dr Who actor Peter Capaldi and Harry Potter actor Robbie Coltrane, as well as novelist and muralist Alasdair Gray. Artist Peter Howson and Scotland's national poet Liz Lochhead attended the school as well as Fran Healy and Dougie Payne from Glasgow band Travis and members of Franz Ferdinand. In recent years, Glasgow School of Art has produced many of the UK's leading contemporary artists such as Douglas Gordon and David Shrigley and three recent Turner Prize winners: Simon Starling in 2005, Richard Wright in 2009 and Martin Boyce in 2011.

Summary: The new Glasgow School of Art building is being officially opened across the road from Charles Rennie Mackintosh's masterpiece.


Ron Stone has been described as a "true champion" of St George West, the ward he had represented on Bristol City Council since 1985. The leader of the Labour group at the council, Helen Holland, said: "Ron will be remembered as a steadfast campaigner and committed socialist." Mr Stone died aged 73 on Wednesday. Ms Holland said he was "dedicated to furthering social justice and equality in Bristol and beyond". She added: "The Labour Party has lost one of its most committed councillors. "Bristol is a better city because of Ron Stone's unwavering public service." The city's mayor, George Ferguson, said Mr Stone had "an undying passion for Bristol". "I always enjoyed his directness and wry humour - even when directed at me. "As a councillor for St George West for 30 years, Ron had a vast knowledge of his neighbourhood and the people he served, making him an excellent ward councillor who made a real difference. "With his keen sense of social justice, Ron made an enormous contribution to life in Bristol. He was an 'establishment rebel', always without his civic robes but seldom without his camera, recording people and events." Mr Stone's roles at the council included chairing the licensing committee and the St George Neighbourhood Partnership. The lord mayor of Bristol, councillor Clare Campion-Smith, said: "Ron was a hugely dedicated councillor who made a great contribution to his community, constituents, the council and the city over his 30 years of service. "He was an active and passionate councillor whose presence in the chamber enlivened and enriched any debate."

Summary: Tributes have been paid to a long-serving Labour councillor who has died following a short illness.


England Under-18 captain Ryan Ledson was one of four debutants as Roberto Martinez - whose side had already won Group H - gave his youngsters a chance. Laborde ran on to a through ball and checked to score at the near post, with keeper Joel badly positioned. Striker Arouna Kone played 90 minutes as he ended a 14-month injury absence. Kone's inclusion in the Everton line-up was one of 10 changes Martinez made to the side beaten 1-0 at Manchester City in the Premier League last Saturday, with only Gareth Barry retaining his place, as 17-year-old midfielder Ledson made a solid impression. Forward Kieran Dowell - capped by England at Under-18 level along with Ledson - also made his first senior appearance as an early substitute for hamstring injury victim Christian Atsu, while striker Chris Long and midfielder Gethin Jones came on late in the game. But the most impressive of the young players given a chance by Martinez was left-back Luke Garbutt, making only his third Everton start as Leighton Baines was rested. Garbutt, 21, made a number of surging forward runs, the best of which came after a quarter-of-an-hour, when Conor McAleny just failed to connect with his low cross before the ball ran loose for Steven Pienaar's 25-yard shot to be pushed aside by keeper Andrei Sinitsin. The former Leeds United youngster also tested Sinitsin with a second-half drive from out on the left. Joel, making his first Everton appearance since March, suffered a bloody nose in keeping out Wanderson's drive towards the near post shortly after Pienaar's effort at the other end. But the Spanish keeper was at fault as Krasnodar - who were already eliminated - took the lead in the 30th minute. Laborde escaped Pienaar's attentions to run clear, and although he was forced to check as Joel narrowed the angle, the keeper left his near post open for the Colombian forward to fire in from a tight angle. Kone, harshly booked for an accidental first-half elbow on Vitali Kaleshin, completed his first senior match since suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury in October 2013. He had a smart shot on the turn beaten out by Sinitsin after Tyias Browning's cross was deflected into his path, but Everton could not find an equaliser despite a brighter second half. Everton manager Roberto Martinez: "I thought we saw young players with a lot of talent, but they were very nervous in the first half. I don't think we saw their real quality in the first half, but in the second half they got rid of that fear and expressed themselves a lot better. "The experience will be really helpful. They are different players after the game than they were before, and that is part of the development of a youngster. "I know the talent the young players have and I think they have learned a massive lesson about how to enjoy yourself on a football pitch. I think these young players will be much more ready to compete on a football pitch after this."

Summary: Everton's much-changed side fell to a Europa League defeat as Krasnodar's Ricardo Laborde took advantage of a Joel Robles error to score the winner.


The takeover of the Gulls by Swindon-based Gaming International (GI) was confirmed on Tuesday. Prior to the deal being finalised, Nicholson had said he was unsure what it meant for his own future. "They have got to show that they are in it for all the right reasons, and they assure me that they are," the 36-year-old told BBC Radio Devon. "I spoke to them very openly and honestly, making them aware their takeover has not been overly positively taken (among fans). They're aware of that. "These guys have got a lot to prove but they have technically saved Torquay United right now." Nicholson, who has been in charge since September 2015, continued: "They've got to gain the trust of thousands of Torquay fans." "We're going to sit down and put together a five-year plan and then we're going to hold a forum as soon as possible so that these fans that are worried can come in." Torquay are currently 17th in the table, and play Forest Green Rovers at home on Boxing Day, before a trip to Gloucestershire for the return game to start the new year.

Summary: Manager Kevin Nicholson says Torquay United's new owners must earn the trust of the National League club's fans.


They looked at responses to annual surveys that the WHO had sent to 127 countries between 2012 and 2014 asking about capacity and usage of blood tests that check HIV status and health. They found worrying gaps in provision. They warn that United Nation targets for HIV could be missed as a result. The targets say that by 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV should know their HIV status, 90% of those diagnosed should receive antiretroviral therapy and 90% of these treated patients should have "durable viral suppression" (a measure of effective treatment). Laboratory testing is vital to meet and monitor these aims. But Vincent Habiyambere and his colleagues say in the journal PLoS Medicine that some low and middle-income countries, including African countries where the HIV burden is high, are not yet geared up for the challenge. The surveys were sent to: • all 47 countries in the WHO African Region • 33 countries in the WHO Region of the Americas • all 21 countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region • eight high-burden HIV countries in the WHO European Region • all 11 countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region • seven high-burden HIV countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region Over the three survey years, 55 (43%) countries responded to all three surveys, 35 (28%) to two surveys, 25 (20%) to one survey, and nine (7%) responded to none of the three surveys. Testing provision did improve over the years, but shortfalls remained in some parts of the world. Reasons for the gaps in provision included lack of reagents, equipment not being installed or maintained properly and inadequate or absent staff training. In some laboratories, machines were not serviced regularly. In others, machines broke down and were not covered by contracts to be serviced or fixed. Dr Habiyambere and his team say: "A national laboratory strategic plan to strengthen services must be developed, implemented, and monitored by governments and their national and international partners. "The focus of the international community, to ensure optimal use of laboratory technologies, should be on those countries where interventions for scaling up access to HIV diagnostic technologies are most needed." They acknowledge that they did not look at private sector testing and that some countries might rely more heavily on this than others. In an accompanying editorial, HIV experts Peter Kilmarx and Raiva Simbi say the findings show some programmes may have been "overly focused" on buying equipment without planning for how it would be used and maintained. In Zimbabwe, for example, only 5.6% of HIV patients on drug treatment in 2015 received regular blood checks to monitor their viral load - far fewer than the goal of 21%. This was largely down to problems with resource mobilisation and specimen transport as well as equipment procurement, they say. "Strong leadership, resources, planning, and management are needed to scale up laboratory services," they conclude.

Summary: A shortage of HIV testing could undermine global efforts to diagnose and treat people with the infection, warn experts from the World Health Organization.


The company blamed the "market decline in Eastern Europe" for offsetting strength in Asian markets. Carlsberg shares are down more than 9% in Copenhagen. Ukrainian sales fell by an estimated 17% "as a result of the deteriorating economic climate as well as significant price increases" applied to keep up with high inflation, the company said. "For the full year, we therefore do not expect that the strong Asian performance will be enough to offset the weaker than expected results in Western Europe and the challenging market conditions in Eastern Europe," said chief executive Cees 't Hart. Bad weather also hurt the brewer's bottom line in Western Europe. The company also reported adjusted net profit fell 23% to 1.73bn Danish kroner (Â£163m) in the first half of the year. Mr 't Hart joined the company in mid-June. "While I'm delighted with the enthusiasm and commitment of our employees, I also recognise that we must step up further to achieve the full potential of the group," he said. "To do so, we have initiated a process of revising the group's strategy to re-establish and further strengthen our financial flexibility." Carlsberg's brands include Kronenbourg 1664, Holsten Pilsner and of course, Carlsberg. Earlier this month, Carlsberg's rival, Heineken, reported better than expected first-half results.

Summary: Shares of Danish brewer Carlsberg are falling sharply, after the company lowered its annual profit forecast.


The far-right group posted a video on YouTube showing members in the Al-Manar Islamic Centre in Cathays on 20 August. The visit followed claims made in national newspapers in July that Shaykh Ali Hammuda, an Imam at the mosque, was a "radical" preacher, which he strenuously denied. Ali Hammuda has been approached by BBC Wales to comment. In the video, Britain First members can be seen entering the mosque and questioning a member, who told them the mosque rejected extremism. The Muslim Council of Wales also said the "radical" claims were "bizarre and certainly unfounded". In a statement, the council said the mosque was "a vocal and committed partner in both countering the ideology of the so-called Islamic State and the social factors that lead to radicalisation." By entering the mosque Britain First members could have broken an injunction which banned members from entering any mosque in England and Wales. South Wales Police confirmed a complaint had been received and "the matter is being investigated". Bedfordshire Police, which secured the injunction, also confirmed it is investigating.

Summary: Police are investigating a complaint from a Cardiff mosque which received an uninvited visit from Britain First.


The 22,000-strong African Union force (Amisom) fighting the Islamist militant group al-Shabab is funded by the EU. An European Union source told the BBC that last six-month payment was being withheld over "accounting issues". The head of Amisom told the BBC the correct papers to account for the last tranche had now been submitted. "These papers are on their way; the money is also on its way," Francisco Madeira said. The EU provides $1,028 (Â£700) for each Amisom soldier each month; their respective governments then deduct around $200 for administrative costs meaning the soldiers are supposed to take home about $800. This deployment allowance is much more than the meagre salaries the soldiers receive from their governments. The funds are only released to Amisom by the EU once the accounts from the previous payment are signed off. The BBC understands there have been delays over the last two tranches - and last year's June-November payment has only just arrived. So soldiers are now receiving money owed to them last year but have not received any of it owed to them this year. Ugandan military chief General Katumba Wamala said he unable to describe the extent of his frustration over the late payments. Gen Wamala also said that Uganda would pull its soldiers out of Somalia by December 2017, because of frustrations with the Somali army and military advisers from the US, UK and Turkey. Uganda joined Amisom in 2007 and is the force's biggest contributor, with more than 6,000 troops. Burundian military officials also said their troops had not been paid. Amisom officials fear that the late payments are having a negative impact have on troop morale. EU ambassador to Somalia Michele Cervone d'Urso said he was "concerned about the delay" in the stipend which he said was "essential for the motivation of soldiers". In the past 12 months four Amisom bases manned by Burundian, Ugandan, Kenyan and Ethiopian troops have been attacked by the militants. According to the Somali president, 180 Kenyan troops being killed in a single incident in January. Kenya has never confirmed how many soldiers it lost in the attack and African Union does not release full casualty figures.

Summary: The allowances for African troops fighting al-Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia have not been paid for at least six months, the BBC has learned.


Police and firefighters were called to the fire, in Elgin Road at its junction with Inchbroom Road, at about 16:10 on Wednesday. The body of the elderly man was found inside. His name has yet to be released. No-one else was injured. Police said a joint fire investigation would take place but their initial inquiries suggested there were no suspicious circumstances.

Summary: An 88-year-old man has died following a fire at a house in Lossiemouth.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Newtownards man became the first Irish cyclist to win a world track title in 117 years when he triumphed in the scratch race in Belarus. Irvine, 28, also won silver in the points race at the World Championships plus a World Cup gold in Manchester and a European bronze this year. "This is a tremendous honour," said seven-times Irish champion Irvine. "I want to thank BBC Northern Ireland for this award as it is fantastic recognition for everything that has happened in the past year and also for the sport of cycling which has been going through somewhat of resurgence in popularity recently. "I'm really looking forward to the next year with the Commonwealth Games, the World Championships and hopefully the Giro d'Italia. "With any luck I will be chatting to some of the guys from BBC Sport NI from a podium sometime next year!" After winning his historic world gold and silver in Belarus during February, Irvine then suffered a fractured hip at a road race event in Taiwan a month later which ruled him out until August. However, the battling Irvine regained his fitness to win bronze at the European Track Championships in Netherlands before taking victory in the World Cup points event in Manchester two weeks later. The judging panel of Northern Ireland sports journalists chose Irvine ahead of runner-up AP McCoy and motorcyclist Michael Dunlop. Others shortlisted for the award were boxer Carl Frampton, Ireland cricket captain William Porterfield and triathlon star Aileen Reid. The panel of judges comprised of Shane Glynn, editor Sport BBC NI, BBC NI sports reporter Nikki Gregg, Belfast Telegraph sports editor Stephen Beacom, Kenny Archer of the Irish News, News Letter sports editor Richard Mulligan and author and freelance journalist Orla Bannon. "Once again the judging panel had a tough decision to make this year but we felt that Martyn's achievements were just outstanding," said BBC NI sports editor Glynn. "I'm delighted that he's been voted BBC Northern Ireland's Sports Personality of the Year for 2013. "To become a world champion, literally within an hour of winning a silver medal in another discipline, is nothing short of phenomenal. "And to beat the likes of AP McCoy and Michael Dunlop to this award speaks volumes about Martyn's achievements."

Summary: World champion cyclist Martyn Irvine has been named the 2013 BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year.


Katari Anuradha was shot and stabbed by at least three men wearing burkas, Indian media reported, quoting police. A motive has yet to be established. Her husband, who was with her, is in a critical condition with bullet and stab injuries. The attack took place at the Chittoor Municipal Corporation office, where the staff tried to stop the attackers. Senior police official G Srinivas told the Indian Express newspaper that they were exploring several angles, including old rivalry and new enemies. The assailants fled the scene after the attack, although reports say two people later handed themselves into police. The attackers had been wearing burkas, one-piece veils that cover the face and body, as they forced their way into Ms Anuradha's office, media reports said. Security has been tightened in Chittoor and state police are closing borders with neighbouring Tamil Nadu state in an attempt to find the killers.

Summary: The mayor of Chittoor town in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has been killed by unknown attackers.


It comes days after IS was pushed out of the nearby ancient city of Palmyra. IS captured al-Qaryatain in August, and abducted hundreds of residents, including dozens of Christians. Many were later freed. A monitoring group said there were still pockets of fighting in the town. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday there were still IS fighters in the eastern parts of the town, but that they were withdrawing. If the government reasserts its control over al-Qaryatain, it would be a further boost for President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces - backed by Russian air strikes - have made a string of gains against rebels in recent months. The capture of the town would also provide a central base for government troops and their allies to attack IS-held areas near the Iraqi border, observers say. A Syrian army general said troops had "restored security and stability to al-Qaryatain and farms surrounding it" and would cut off IS supply routes between the east and the Qalamoun mountains region in the west. Al-Qaryatain, about 80km (50 miles) west of Palmyra, was taken over by IS fighters in their first major offensive since they seized Palmyra last May. The mixed city had a large Christian population, many of whom fled, though dozens were abducted and reportedly taken to IS' de facto capital, Raqqa. They were released weeks later, reports said. There has been a dramatic drop in fighting in Syria since a partial ceasefire came into effect last month, though IS and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front were excluded and are still being targeted.

Summary: Syrian forces and their allies have retaken the central town of al-Qaryatain from so-called Islamic State (IS), dealing a further strategic blow to the militant group, state media say.


Pottery fragments and the remains of kilns used for drying grain were among discoveries made at Torvean. Archaeologists who have been monitoring the building of the West Link displayed some of the items at Lochardil Primary School last week. The new road is being built for Highland Council to ease traffic flow through Inverness. The finds include Bronze Age burnt mounds. The mounds are large piles of burnt waste, often including ashy deposits and stones that have been shattered by heat. They are usually horseshoe-shaped and found close to streams, and archaeologists say that they are the product of repeated events of burning. The mounds are connected to the heating up of stones which were then placed in water-filled pits to heat water, possibly for use in cooking, washing wool or even as small saunas.

Summary: Prehistoric and Bronze Age finds have been made during work to construct the new Inverness West Link road.


Chase, who was mid-way through a four-year deal at the end of this season, was revealed as a 2016 signing by Leigh on BBC Radio Manchester, although the deal has not been formalised to date. The 29-year-old had already been granted a free transfer by Salford. He was suspended internally by the club in September pending the hearing. Media playback is not supported on this device The 2011 Man of Steel, who missed the final four games of the season because of that suspension, joined the Red Devils from Castleford for 2014 and scored seven tries in 17 league games in 2015. The New Zealand-born half-back qualified for England on residential grounds in 2011 and has since gone on to win 11 caps, but has not featured since losing his place to Gareth Widdop for the 2013 World Cup semi-final defeat by the Kiwis. Chase was banned for seven matches in April for a dangerous throw on Huddersfield forward Brett Ferres, but also showed off his skills during the campaign, notably with an assist for a Josh Griffin try against Hull FC.

Summary: England playmaker Rangi Chase has had his contract terminated by Super League side Salford Red Devils following a 'disciplinary procedure'.


Massaro will take on Perry in the first all-English women's final since 1991 after beating top seed Nour El Sherbini of Egypt 5-11 7-11 11-5 11-3 11-6. Perry then upset Malaysia's five-time champion and sixth seed Nicol David 11-8 7-11 13-11 11-7. Matthew beat Egypt's top seed Mohamed Elshorbagy 11-8 11-8 8-11 11-5. He will face Frenchman Gregory Gaultier in Sunday's final in Hull after the third seed led 11-9 when Egypt's Ramy Ashour retired. Fifth seed and 2013 winner Massaro looked to be heading out when she trailed reigning champion El Sherbini by two games. However, the 33-year-old from Chorley fought back to win in 63 minutes - reversing last year's World final, when she lost to the same opponent from two games up. "I'm just proud of myself that I lived to see another day," she told PSA World Tour. "I'm really pleased, a chance to play again at home. I love coming here. A British Open final is where you want to be." Perry, seeded seventh, was playing in her first British Open semi-final but led from the front against eight-time world champion David. "I'm really proud of the way I fought, even when it was really tight, and I'll just be trying to do the same again tomorrow," said the 26-year-old from Birmingham. "There's no pressure on me. I'm not just here to make up the numbers, I'm here to try and win these tournaments." Matthew, from Sheffield, is closing in on a fourth world title after a brilliant win over Elshorbagy, who had been hoping to claim his third successive British Open. "I was trying not to let the adrenaline get to me, I could feel my heart beating through my head knowing the crowd were cheering," said the 36-year-old. "I felt him wavering at the end which gave me belief."

Summary: Laura Massaro, Sarah-Jane Perry and Nick Matthew produced superb performances to give England three of the four finalists at the British Open.


Mr Obama asked Congress for the funds after a week of nationwide protests over perceived policing injustices. Ferguson in Missouri was rocked by riots after a grand jury decided not to charge a white police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man. Protests spread across the US and a mass walkout was held on Monday. Students and workers held a lunchtime protest in several cities to highlight the issue. "This is not a problem just of Ferguson, Missouri. This is a national problem, Mr Obama said. "But it's a solvable problem." The president spoke after a day of meetings with mayors, civil rights leaders and law enforcement officials at the White House. They discussed a programme that currently provides redundant US military tactical gear to local police departments, free of charge. Mr Obama said he has asked federal agencies for recommendations to ensure the programme is not building a "militarised culture" in domestic police forces. Police in Ferguson, Missouri, were criticised for being heavy-handed in dealing with protests sparked by the shooting of Michael Brown in August. The funds requested by Mr Obama would be spread over three years and some of the money will go towards purchasing 50,000 body cameras for police officers as well as resources to reform law enforcement departments. Body cameras can provide evidence of encounters between police and civilians, particularly in disputed cases such as the Ferguson shooting. The president said the stories of discrimination that young people had told him at the White House on Monday "violate my belief about what America can do". He also unveiled a taskforce on modern policing, to be chaired by Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey. Also on Monday, a commission tasked with making recommendations on issues stemming from the fatal shooting has convened in Ferguson. The 16-member panel, stood up by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, will consider changes in areas including public interaction with law enforcement and community stability. The officer who shot Brown in Ferguson, Darren Wilson, resigned from the force over the weekend. The decision not to charge Mr Wilson days earlier triggered a nationwide debate over relations between black communities and law enforcement. The policeman said he had feared for his life. Brown's supporters said the teenager was attempting to surrender when he was shot. Some witnesses said the 18-year-old, who was unarmed, had his hands up.

Summary: US President Barack Obama has requested $263m (Â£167m) to improve police training, pay for body cameras and restore trust in policing.


Chasing a revised 327 from 47 overs in the one-day game, the Red Rose lost their last nine wickets for 31 runs on their way to a 242-run thrashing. It was Lancashire's heaviest defeat in List A cricket. "I'm not going to be rip anyone in particular apart as it is a team effort, and it's not good enough," Giles told BBC Radio Lancashire. "I do think there is a danger of thinking we're a better side that we are in one-day cricket, and we're not. "We got away with it a little bit last year in T20 and in the end in 50 overs we almost qualified at the last minute, and we're doing the same thing again and we're not that good. "Every time you go to play and wear that Lancashire shirt we've got to play better than that." With Neil Wagner being called up by New Zealand for their Test series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, Giles has also spoken about the possibility of a replacement. The Kiwi has taken 28 wickets so far this season after joining at the start of the campaign. "We'll look at all the options but there needs to be the availability of the right person," Giles added. "If there is then we'll certainly be interested. He'll be available for the next three Championship games and then missing until September."

Summary: Lancashire head coach Ashley Giles has questioned the attitude of his team after their record loss to Yorkshire.


Mr Trump called off a rally on Friday night in Chicago after clashes between protesters and supporters. The Republican who has won a string of primary contests has blamed the supporters of Democrat Bernie Sanders and denied responsibility for the violence. On Sunday, he said his campaign is "not provoking" and "wants peace". He said no one gets hurt at his "love-fest" rallies. A Quinnipiac University poll shows that Mr Trump is leading the way in Florida and tied with Ohio Governor John Kasich in Ohio ahead of crucial state primaries on Tuesday. Here's what people are saying about Mr Trump and the violence at his rallies: What Trump says about protesters at his rallies Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders: Called Mr Trump a "pathological liar" after he said he had sent protesters to disrupt his rallies. Florida Senator Marco Rubio: Said it is "harder every day to justify" backing Mr Trump should he win the Republican nomination and said conservatism is not about "how angry can you get, how offensive you can be, how loud you can speak". Ohio Governor John Kasich: Asked his staff to make a list of Mr Trump's quotes promoting violence at his rallies and that Mr Trump's "toxic" tone makes it even more important for him to win his home state in the primary election on Tuesday. Senator Ted Cruz: Said that the culture of violence is Mr Trump's fault, telling reporters that "any candidate is responsible for the culture of the campaign". New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio: Tweeted that there is no question Mr Trump a racist. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton: Said Mr Trump's campaign consists of "hate" and "fear". President Barack Obama: Said over the weekend: "Our leaders - those who aspire to be our leaders - should be trying to bring us together and not turning us against one another and speak out against violence and reject efforts to spread fear or turn us against one another. And if they refuse to do that, they don't deserve our support." House Speaker Paul Ryan: Said the violence at Mr Trump's rallies is "very concerning" and that candidates must take "responsibility for the environment" at their events Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Republican candidate: Told NBC's Today programme that the violence could get worse, placing blame on the protesters, saying "I think certainly if the protesters continue with their... tactics, there is a real possibility of escalation". Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee: Defended Mr Trump, condemning the Chicago protesters. "I think it's ridiculous to blame Trump for a bunch of thugs out on the street," he told the Huffington Post. Conservative pundit Ann Coulter:Tweeted that "left-wing fascists violently shut down a peaceful Trump rally last night & Cruz + the entire media took the animals' side"

Summary: Presidential candidates for the 2016 race and other politicians are speaking out against Donald Trump after a string of violence at his rallies.


The UK Personal Genome Project could provide a massive free tool for scientists to further understanding of disease and human genetics. Participants will get an analysis of their DNA, but so will the rest of the world, and anonymity is not guaranteed. They are warned there could be unknown consequences for them and relatives. Unlocking the secrets of DNA could transform the understanding of disease. A deeper understanding of Alzheimer's disease is emerging by looking for differences in the DNA of people with and without the disease. Prof George Church, who runs the US version of the project, said analysing 100,000 genomes could lead to advances in common diseases such as diabetes. He said: "We're finding more and more of these common diseases are a collection of rare diseases. "Cancer used to be a disease, then it broke up into lots of different diseases by tissue, then lots of sub-categories based on the genes that are impacted, so now it's thousands of diseases." Participants will have to pass tests to prove they fully understand the risks of making their genetic identities freely available for the world to use before taking part. There will be immediate risks and those that emerge as genetic technology advances including: Dr Peter Mills, who is investigating the ethical issues around biological and health data with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, told the BBC: "The difference with genetic data is you're not just committing yourself to something you might not fully envisage, but you're also implicating biological relatives. "There is potentially huge public benefit, but there is the potential for it to rebound, but how that rebounds on the person, families and those yet to be born is very difficult to know." Cian Murphy, a 24-year-old PhD student at University College London, wants to take part. He said: "Very few people live their whole lives not affected by some genetic illness, your sample could be the difference between a cure being discovered or not." As part of the study, participants will find out intimate details about their genome, such as the presence of any high-risk breast-cancer genes. They will be given a list of doctors they can go to if they need further medical advice. While people will not have their name published, studies have shown it is possible to work out someone's identity from genetic databases and other public records. Dr David King, from the group Human Genetics Alert, said: "Human Genetics Alert would strongly advise people not to give their genetic information to a project which will share it with the world. "Once your data is online, you will never be able to recall it. The project's informed-consent procedures are not valid, because they do not tell you all of the risks. That is not informed consent." He warned the data could be used for any purpose including those people objected to ethically and said there was "no reason" for it to be public. Meanwhile, the government's Genomics England project is trying to sequence 100,000 NHS patient's DNA, which is private and carries a threat of

Summary: Scientists are looking for 100,000 volunteers prepared to have their DNA sequenced and published online for anyone to look at.


It was the 29-year-old Spaniard's first Grand Tour stage win and Movistar's first at this year's Giro - still led by Jungels, with Geraint Thomas second. Thomas' Team Sky team-mate Mikel Landa's late attack was caught as time gaps in the top 10 stayed the same. Thomas is six seconds behind Jungels, with fellow Briton Adam Yates third. Orica-Scott rider Yates is 10 seconds behind Quick-Step's Jungels, on the same time as favourites Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali, who also finished safely in the main bunch on Saturday. Landa had built up a lead of 15 seconds on Jungels - a gap that would have seen him climb into the overall lead - before being reeled back by the peloton on the up-and-down finish into Peschici. Sunday's stage takes the riders into the high mountains for the first time since stage four, with a summit finish on the category-one Blockhaus ending a relatively flat 149km from Montenero di Bisaccia. 1. Gorka Izagirre (Spa/Movistar) 4hrs 24mins 59secs 2. Giovanni Visconti (Ita/Bahrain) +5secs 3. Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa/Astana) +10secs 4. Enrico Battaglin (Ita/LottoNL) +12secs 5. Michael Woods (Can/Cannondale) Same time 6. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ) 7. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Bahrain) 8. Adam Yates (GB/Orica) 9. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/LottoNL) 10. Bob Jungels (Lux/Quick-Step) 1. Bob Jungels (Lux/Quick-Step) 38hrs 21mins 18secs 2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +6secs 3. Adam Yates (GB/Orica) +10secs 4. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Bahrain) Same time 5. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/AG2R) 6. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Sunweb) 7. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) 8. Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek) 9. Andrey Amador (Crc/ Movistar) 10. Thibaut Pinot (Fra/FDJ)

Summary: Gorka Izagirre emerged strongest from a breakaway group to claim victory on stage eight of the Giro d'Italia as Bob Jungels retained his overall lead.


Johnston has been at the club for 15 years, serving as chairman for 10. Recently, he has faced pressure to step down altogether from fans who felt his presence was an impediment to attracting potential club investors. "It has been an honour to serve Kilmarnock FC in various capacities over the last 15 years," Johnston said. Meanwhile, BBC Scotland has learned negotiations are continuing between the club and Lee McCulloch and his representative, as Killie look to make him their permanent manager. McCulloch has been in interim charge at Rugby Park since Lee Clark's departure for Bury in February, and successfully kept Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership. Johnston is also standing down from the board of the Kilmarnock Community Sports Trust (KCST) on which he represented the club. In a statement, Kilmarnock said: "When Michael took over as chairman and majority shareholder the club had around £13m of debt. "Aided by a number of high value transfer fees which he personally negotiated, Michael gradually reduced this while maintaining the club's competitive position in the top tier of Scottish league football. "In March 2014 Michael completed a transformational restructuring of the club's finances which delivered the arm's length sale of the Park Hotel for full market value, with the proceeds going towards reducing the club's bank debt of £9m. "Billy Bowie acquired the balance of the bank debt and converted this into equity in the club, combined with the permanent write-off by former chairman Jamie Moffat of the balance of his loans to the club, which originally totalled £1.8m. "The outcome was the elimination of almost £11m of debt from the club's balance sheet. "In the wake of that, Michael introduced a new board of directors and stood down as chairman in 2015. He also formed KCST, a registered charity, to run the club's community department in a more financially efficient manner." Troon-born Johnston said the death of his wife Joanne in March hastened his decision to relinquish his positions at the club. "I have been fortunate to meet so many interesting people through football and greatly enjoyed serving on the council of the Scottish FA for over 10 years and the board of the Scottish Premier League during the historic amalgamation with the Scottish Football League in 2013," he said. "There have been many challenges to confront along the way and these have taken their toll on not only me but also my family, to whom I extend my heartfelt thanks for their unqualified support. "The recent loss of my wife Joanne, who was my greatest source of inspiration and encouragement at all times, has prompted my decision to retire from all active duties at the club and I look forward to attending Rugby Park as a committed supporter in future, unburdened of the worries of the past. "I wish Billy Bowie and John Kiltie the very best of luck and good judgement in running the club, ably supported by club secretary Kirsten Callaghan, who was a key member of staff during my time as chairman. "I also wish to record my

Summary: Former chairman Michael Johnston has resigned from his positions as a director and the company secretary of Kilmarnock.


The accusations were made by Russell Davy in an interview with the Sunday Mirror. Mr Davy said he has informed the Football Association that he had been abused in 1986 by scout Eddie Heath, who is now dead. He said Heath began working at Charlton after working for Chelsea. Charlton said in a statement: "Upon being made aware of an allegation of historical abuse in the early 1980s, Charlton Athletic has immediately activated an internal investigation the matter. We of course take the issue raised by Russell Davy seriously. "Charlton Athletic is fully committed to working alongside the police and regulatory authorities to investigate any such historical allegation of abuse at the club. "The club works closely with English football's governing bodies and have been in contact with the EFL to make them aware of this investigation. "In addition, we would strongly encourage anyone with an allegation of, or information regarding, historic child abuse to report it to the NSPCC / FA Helpline on 0800 023 2642 and to the police, where specially trained staff will be able to provide advice and guidance." The NSPCC children's charity has said more than 860 people have called its dedicated football hotline, set up a week ago after several former players alleged past abuse by coaches. On Saturday, Chelsea FC apologised "profusely" to Gary Johnson over sex abuse he suffered as a youth team player in the 1970s. Mr Johnson signed a confidentiality agreement in 2015 and accepted Â£50,000 from the club, but Chelsea did not accept liability. In a statement, the club said Mr Johnson had "suffered unacceptably".

Summary: Charlton Athletic have begun an investigation into claims a youth player was sexually abused while at the club in the 1980s.


Media playback is not supported on this device After 13 days and with 36 of the 51 games played, the traditional heavyweights are all safely through the group stage, along with all of the home nations, the Republic of Ireland - and a few so-called minnows too. Has it been enjoyable to watch though? BBC Sport's pundits Rio Ferdinand, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Danny Murphy, Mark Lawrenson and Neil Lennon give their verdict on the spectacle so far in France, which teams and players have impressed them, and how things might change in the last 16. There are more teams here, with more to play for, but there have been fewer goals. This is the first European Championship to feature 24 teams, and 23 of them were in contention for a place in the last 16 going into the last round of group games - the exception being Ukraine. But there has been an average of 1.92 goals per game so far, only the second time it has been lower than two per match in a group stage since the first finals in 1980. Alan Shearer: In the final set of group games especially, we saw lots of teams defend very deep just to get a point so they could get through, like Slovakia against England for example. Media playback is not supported on this device That's what happens when you have third-placed sides getting out of groups. I don't think the quality so far has been as high as previously but, with an extra eight teams here, that has not surprised me. Rio Ferdinand: It has made the groups interesting until the end. On Wednesday in Group F, for example, all four teams were going for it in their final games because they needed to win. Media playback is not supported on this device Having a third-placed team go through has given some of the countries who haven't been here before an opportunity to progress but I think we will see a better standard of football now the knockout stage is here. Danny Murphy: Overall, it is a huge positive to have more teams here. Yes, some of the quality might not have been so good but it has given a few teams and tens of thousands of their supporters the chance to experience a tournament that otherwise they never would have done. That is beneficial for those nations and football generally. But I am excited now because we are at the point where the games really start to matter. People are going home if they lose and that should create some better games, a bit more end to end and people having a go. Media playback is not supported on this device Mark Lawrenson: This tournament has reminded me a lot of the Champions League. There have been a few surprise results but all the heavyweights got out of their groups. Once you get to the knockout stages, the real competition starts. 45 of the 69 goals (65%) in the group stages were scored in the second half, 27.5% of

Summary: There have been a few great goals, and plenty of late ones, but how is the expanded European Championship shaping up as a tournament to remember?


Police were called to Argyle Street near the Argyll Arcade at about 01:00 A 32-year-old man was found injured and taken to Glasgow's Royal Infirmary. A 19-year-old man has been arrested and detained.

Summary: A man in is hospital with life threatening injures after an early morning disturbance in Glasgow city centre.


Andrea Lewis, 51, was found dead at a home in Fairyland Road, Tonna, Neath, on 30 January 2016, with 43 injuries including to her skull and torso. Rhys Hobbs, 46, of Tonna, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in July and was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court. On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal upped his sentence to 12-and-a-half years. A statement from the Attorney General said the case was returned to the courts by the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Speaking after the hearing, he said: "Hobbs has a history of violent abuse and has shown very little remorse or regret concerning the incident. "It's important we send a message that violence in a domestic setting is completely unacceptable and I'm pleased the court has agreed Hobbs should spend longer in jail for his crimes." During the original sentencing, Swansea Crown Court heard Ms Lewis had been stamped on following a drunken row. In the weeks running up to her death, she was covered in bruises and had a black eye - but told friends she had fallen. After Hobbs attacked her in his home, Ms Lewis was dragged outside while half-dressed. She was found dead the next day.

Summary: A man who was jailed for killing his ex-girlfriend in a "violent and protracted" attack has had his eight-year sentence increased.


Earlier this week, a councillor in the Scottish Borders said she believed people were being short-changed by the rollout of the service. BT has said it has invested heavily in providing services in areas where it was not commercially viable to do so. It has also pointed out that there are a wide range of factors at play in determining the speeds received. The BBC Scotland news website asked for your experiences of the service in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. Iain Rennie emailed: I live in the village of Ednam. Barely 2 miles from Kelso. We get a max of 1.5Mb. It is frustrating in the extreme to see constant TV adverts for high speed broadband when ours is too slow to stream or watch BBC iPlayer etc. As far as I'm aware there is no date or plan to upgrade this area. Byron Raistrick, of Ruthwell, emailed: Since the announcement by the Scottish Executive that the initiative was up and running, I've not seen any evidence of the Â£126m being distributed fairly and efficiently to the areas that need it most - rural locations. Major cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh would have been upgraded as a matter of course by BT Openzone to cater for the businesses there and in turn the residential areas would have benefited, yet (they) have been upgraded first with the money. Linda Lonsdale emailed: We pay extra money to get superfast broadband and it is not any faster load of rubbish conned again. Susan Cook emailed: Broadband speed in our village 0.9Mb and sometimes even lower. We have been told by BT that it will be four to six years before we get anything better! And we pay the same as all their other customers. There are people living in the Borders other than in Melrose and Galashiels yet no consideration is given to them. Siobhan Liehne emailed: We live on the Mellerstain Estate near Gordon. We keep reading of ministers complaining that constituents in some Borders areas are "only getting 2Mbps". Frankly I would give my eyeteeth for that kind of speed. We get 0.7 Mbps if we are lucky and sometimes it drops out altogether. Then we have to see signs up telling us that towns only a very short distance away are getting superfast. When we ring BT to try and find out when things are going to improve we get someone in India telling us that it must be our computer. If it is, then it's every computer on the estate, no matter how new it may be. Andrew Gray emailed: I live near Chirnside in the Scottish Borders which is enabled for fibre broadband. However only those residents who live within a mile of the cabinet can get anything like the speeds advertised. My house is two and a half miles from the cabinet so the fibre signal does not reach it at all. According to most comparison websites (including BT's) I can receive broadband speeds of up to 40Mb but in practice I get just over 2Mb,

Summary: The speed of broadband in southern Scotland has provoked some intense discussion.


The Anglo-Dutch giant's chief executive Ben van Beurden accepted that Arctic drilling "divides society", but said the world needs new sources of oil. Greenpeace said Shell was taking a "massive risk" in a "pristine" region. Shell also announced a $15bn (Â£9.9bn) cut in global spending, and profit figures that disappointed investors. The cut in investment - spread over three years - comes after a fall in the oil price. Although the price is expected to remain lower in the medium term, Mr van Beurden said: "We are taking a prudent approach here and we must be careful not to over-react to the recent fall in oil prices. "Shell is taking structured decisions to balance growth and returns." Shell also said profits for the last three months of 2014 had risen to $4.2bn compared with $2.2bn in the same period a year earlier. The numbers were below analysts' forecasts, prompting a big sell-off of Shell's shares, which were down by 4.3% at the end of Thursday. Shell put its Arctic plans on hold two years ago after a drilling vessel ran aground and legal wrangles in the US. The company has already spent $1bn on preparing its drilling work in Alaska's Chukchi Sea. It was costing Shell several hundred millions of dollars a year to keep the existing operations ticking over, the company said. Mr van Beurden said there were still issues to resolve before drilling began, such as over operating permits and getting further facilities in place. But he hoped to see work begin in the summer. "We will only do this if we feel that we can do it responsibly," Mr van Beurden told the BBC. "I think that we are as well prepared as any company can be to mitigate the risks." He also pointed out that there are already other energy companies operating in the Arctic. Mr van Beurden said that the world needs new sources of oil and gas to meet demand and that the Arctic offered potentially the biggest resource base ever found. Estimates have put the estimates at some 24bn barrels in Alaska. Environmentalists have campaigned against Shell for years. Greenpeace's Charlie Kronick, said: "Despite announcing cuts [in global investment], Shell hasn't taken the opportunity to cut its most high-cost high-risk project. "Shell is taking a massive risk doggedly chasing oil in the Arctic, not just with shareholder value, but with the pristine Arctic environment. "A spill there will be environmentally and financially catastrophic. It's time for investors to recognise that it's impossible for Shell to justify its continued pursuit of offshore Arctic oil." As the first of the major oil companies to report its figures for last year, Shell plays the role of the canary in the coal mine - or on the oil rig. After a rather sickly 2013, profits are actually up. But the impact of the low oil price is clearly biting. The company announced that it would be cutting investment over the next three years in new exploration and the development of oil and gas fields, a move that will raise

Summary: Royal Dutch Shell is reviving plans to drill for oil in the Arctic in a move likely to intensify its battle with environmentalists.


In a dismal Dons performance, Samir Hadji gave the hosts a deserved lead when he raced onto a loose ball and lashed it home just before half-time. As Aberdeen continued to create little after the break, Emmanuel Francoise thumped the ball off the post. But despite dominating, the hosts could not find the second goal they needed. The Dons live to fight another day and will face Latvian side Ventspils in the second qualifying round, with the first leg at Pittodrie next Thursday. But they were well short of their best, with Fola Esch claiming their first-ever win in a European tie. It was Fola who were the more dangerous of the two sides in the opening minutes as they attempted to pull back the two-goal deficit from the first leg. An audacious effort from the halfway line almost caught out Dons goalkeeper Joe Lewis, before Hadji raced to the near post and tested the Englishman from close-range. The hosts pressed again when Mehdi Kirch sent a left-foot shot wide from distance, before Shay Logan had a similar strike at the other end with Aberdeen's first effort of the game. Peter Pawlett, making a rare start for the Dons in place of the rested Niall McGinn, cut a neat ball across from the byline for Jayden Stockley and goalkeeper Thomas Hym had to be alert to deny him from close-range. The best chances were continuing to fall to the hosts, though. Hadji was not too far away with a back-post header from a corner, before Stefano Bensi volleyed over. A goal was coming and it was no surprise when Hadji found the net on the stroke of half-time. Bensi stabbed the ball through the heart of the defence, and with Ash Taylor caught between the player and the ball, Hadji raced past him and fired beyond goalkeeper Joe Lewis. Manager Derek McInnes' frustration was apparent with a double substitution at the interval, with Pawlett and debutant Anthony O'Connor being replaced by Willo Flood and Mark Reynolds. The Dons though continued to toil and goalkeeper Lewis twice denied the hosts in quick succession; first tipping Bensi's curling effort wide before getting to Tom Laterza's low shot from the resultant corner. A second goal from the hosts would have been enough to send the Dons out of Europe, and that nearly became a reality when Logan stood off Francoise and allowed him to rattle the ball off the inside of the post. Flood appeared to have injured himself in a clumsy challenge on Fola's Ryan Klapp, and with Aberdeen having used all three substitutes, he was a passenger for the final 20 minutes. That allowed the home side to continue to go forward in numbers, and Gerson Rodrigues should have done better with a weak shot from the edge of the box. Adam Rooney was booked for diving after going down in the box in a rare reprieve from late Fola pressure, with Hadji nearly poking a cross beyond Lewis in the last minute.

Summary: Aberdeen limped into the second qualifying round of the Europa league with a 3-2 aggregate win, despite going down to Fola Esch in Luxembourg.


Evie Markham, 18, from Albrighton in Shropshire, made it to the embassy in Kathmandu on Friday evening only to be told it was closed, her mother said. Sue Markham said her daughter was now safe in a hostel. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it was looking into her case. In a statement, a spokesperson said FCO teams were "working around the clock" to to help British nationals in Nepal and had assisted more than 350 people, arranging flights for 140 of them. Sue Markham, however, said her daughter had received "no help whatsoever" after arriving at Kathmandu airport. "Most countries had representatives there taking people to the embassies and sorting them out," she said. "Evie got there and there were no British people out there at all. She made her way to the embassy and was told it was closed. "They said 'our doors are closed, we work nine to five'. "She's 18 and on her own completely. When she got upset they got her inside and gave her a drink and a Snickers bar and that's all the help she's had." Evie has been on a gap year since September, visiting a number of countries. "She met up with some people she'd previously met in Cambodia and she decided to join them trekking to Everest base camp," Mrs Markham said. She said her daughter had just left base camp when the earthquake struck a week ago. "They had to run for their lives to a village, where they stayed for a couple of days. "Food was running low and and they had no access to money, so they decided to trek to Lukla, nine hours away, which was quite hazardous." With no access to money, a British man she met at Lukla airport stepped in and offered to pay the $130 for her flight to Kathmandu. Mrs Markham said her daughter was now safe and hoped to fly back to the UK on Monday or Tuesday. She said she had spoken to the FCO and would be lodging a formal complaint. The FCO said it was still heavily involved supporting British nationals in Nepal. "Helicopter airlifts continue to assist Brits in remote areas. We have emergency response teams working to locate British nationals and they have assisted several groups in the mountains over the past 48 hours," a spokesperson said. "An RAF C-17 is on its way to Kathmandu and will take British nationals out of Nepal and to New Delhi."

Summary: A woman whose daughter was travelling around Nepal when the earthquake struck has said she was shocked at the lack of support from the British embassy.


Ibrahimovic is a free agent at the end of the season and has announced he is likely to leave Paris St-Germain. The 34-year-old scored four goals on Sunday as PSG beat Troyes 9-0 to win a fourth successive French league title. "Look, at the moment, no," Wenger said when asked if he was interested in a deal for Ibrahimovic. The Swede has also played for Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Ajax and Malmo in his 17-year career, winning league titles in four countries. This season he has scored 31 goals as PSG clinched the Ligue 1 trophy with eight games to spare. Arsenal, meanwhile, are 11 points behind Premier League leaders Leicester and face Everton on Saturday at 12:45 GMT. Wenger said: "We have other worries at the moment. It's short-term. We are not on Zlatan's case. Even at 34, he's had a great season at PSG." He added: "I'm just surprised by the name you've thrown at me." In 2000, Ibrahimovic turned down a move to Arsenal, refusing to take a trial for Wenger. "I couldn't believe it. I was like 'No way. Zlatan doesn't do auditions'," said the striker.

Summary: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he is "surprised" the club has been linked with a summer move to sign Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.


Tawel Fan ward at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Denbighshire, was closed more than three years ago and a report found some patients were treated like animals. It has emerged that at least seven patients' families were told treatment may have contributed to their deaths. Betsi Cadwaladr health board said an investigation was under way. It acknowledged the quality of care provided could have been a contributory factor to the deaths of some patients. A review of mortality rates on the ward has never been published although it is understood it has been completed. Relatives of one patient told BBC Wales Today they were told medical care on the ward was inadequate. Correspondence seen by the programme included an apology from the health board to the family, who do not want to be identified. One letter said: "Experts found that there were problems in the health care which may have contributed to the death." It added that "the board is very much engaged in a thorough search for the truth about the Tawel Fan ward". But the family were unconvinced lessons had been learned and said questions remained unanswered and, as far as they were aware, nobody had lost their job, let alone be prosecuted. The scandal of Tawel Fan pushed the already troubled health board into close supervision by the Welsh Government. It remains in special measures which costs Â£5m a year. An initial report into what happened at Tawel Fan was published almost three years ago. Two more reports are due later this year. One of them, being compiled by the Health and Social Care Advisory Service (Hascas), is expected to include details of a mortality review of Tawel Fan patients. But Geoff Ryall-Harvey, who leads the patient watchdog Community Health Council in north Wales, said it should be released as soon as possible. "It may stop this practice elsewhere," he added. A Betsi Cadwaladr health board spokesman said: "We acknowledge that the quality of care provided could have been a contributory factor to the death of some patients. "Whether this is the case will be established as part of the independent Hascas investigation, which is currently being carried out. "In order to establish whether or not the quality of care contributed to any patients' death, every aspect of every patient's care has to be investigated. "This is a complicated and time consuming process, but must be carried out in order to determine whether or not the care provided was a contributory factor to any patients' death. "Every family involved in the investigation will receive an individual report detailing the care provided to their relative. These reports will also help inform the findings of the Tawel Fan investigation."

Summary: The quality of care on a scandal-hit ward for dementia patients may have contributed to at least seven deaths, BBC Wales can reveal.


Media playback is not supported on this device The hosts had the better of the chances against their League One rivals and were denied three times by the woodwork in the second half. Chances were in short supply during the first half. Shrewsbury's best opportunity in the early stages fell to Ivan Toney but the Newcastle loanee's header from a Louis Dodds cross was comfortably saved by Alex Cairns. Dodds then had a close-range effort blocked as Shrewsbury, who reached the fifth round last season before bowing out to Manchester United, pushed for a breakthrough. Fleetwood midfielder Bobby Grant's overhead kick cleared the bar before visiting captain Nathan Pond's header from Kyle Dempsey's free-kick was acrobatically saved by Jayson Leutwiler, diving low to his right. Shrewsbury hit the same post twice within a minute early in the second half. A low shot from Dodds beat keeper Cairns but came out off the inside of a post before Junior Brown's flick from a Dom Smith cross also struck the woodwork. The Shrews continued to look the most likely side to break the deadlock and Toney's 25-yard free-kick clipped the top of the bar before Grant hammered a late shot from distance narrowly wide for Fleetwood as deadlock ensued. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Shrewsbury Town 0, Fleetwood Town 0. Second Half ends, Shrewsbury Town 0, Fleetwood Town 0. Attempt missed. Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town) header from the centre of the box is too high. Foul by Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town). Kyle Dempsey (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Ethan Jones (Shrewsbury Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Ethan Jones (Shrewsbury Town). Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. Ethan Jones replaces Ivan Toney because of an injury. Delay in match Ivan Toney (Shrewsbury Town) because of an injury. Foul by Ivan Toney (Shrewsbury Town). Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation. Foul by Gary Deegan (Shrewsbury Town). Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. George Waring (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town). Ivan Toney (Shrewsbury Town) hits the bar with a right footed shot from outside the box from a direct free kick. Ivan Toney (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town). Ryan McGivern (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by David Ball (Fleetwood Town). Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. George Waring replaces Ian Black. Attempt blocked. Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Ashley Hunter. Attempt missed. Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Attempt blocked. Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from outside the box is

Summary: Shrewsbury and Fleetwood face a replay at Highbury after playing out a goalless draw in the second round of the FA Cup.


Liverpool-bound striker Dominic Solanke picked up Lewis Cook's pass to score the winner shortly after the interval. England played the last 17 minutes with 10 men after Josh Onomah was sent off. Freddie Woodman was required to make key saves late on as Paul Simpson's side held on to reach the semi-finals for the first time in 24 years. Italy beat Zambia 3-2 after extra time and will face England in Jeonju on Thursday. The other semi-final sees Uruguay take on Venezuela. After a goalless first half, Bournemouth midfielder Cook split the Mexico defence with an exquisite ball from deep that Solanke, who will join Liverpool from Chelsea next month, ran on to before firing past Abraham Romero. England also saw a goal-bound deflection cleared off the line and Onomah hit the post before the Tottenham midfielder was dismissed in contentious circumstances. The 20-year-old appeared to make accidental contact with Juan Aguayo as he ran past his marker but was shown a second yellow card that rules him out of the Italy game. England Under-20s last reached the final four of this competition in 1993, when a squad featuring Nicky Butt and Nick Barmby lost to Ghana in the semis before beating Australia to finish in third place. BBC sports editor Dan Roan These are encouraging times for English youth football. Last season, the Under-21s won the Toulon tournament for the first time in 22 years. Last month the Under-17s reached the final of the European Championships. The U20s have now done something no England team has managed since 1993. In fact, England failed to qualify for five of the last 11 Under-20 World Cups, and did not win a game in the other six. The FA believes this current success is testament to the continuity and technical support representative teams receive at the National Football Centre at St George's Park, and improved trust with clubs over the release of young players. But with the top clubs awash with TV money and increasingly able to buy proven foreign talent, the concern will be that the path to first-team football for home-grown youngsters is harder than ever.

Summary: England will face Italy in the semi-finals of the Under-20 World Cup in South Korea after a 1-0 victory over Mexico in Cheonan.


Convicted murderer Sweat, 35, was shot twice and captured less than two miles (3km) from the Canadian border. His prison-break partner Richard Matt, 49, was killed by police on Friday. The two murderers escaped three weeks ago from the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora through the sewer system after using power tools to break out of their cell. The spectacular escape set off a massive manhunt. Sweat was shot and seized in the town of Constable on Sunday, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference. He said Sweat was shot twice in the torso and was now in hospital in stable condition. The convict was spotted by a police officer on patrol and shot when he tried to run away. "The nightmare is finally over," the governor said. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote on its Twitter page: "#DavidSweat of the #PrisonBreakNY captured. Sleep peacefully New York." The Buffalo News website earlier quoted a source who said that the convict's wound were "life-threatening" and he was bleeding badly. Matt was shot dead near the town of Malone. The pair had been making their way through rugged forests in upstate New York, stealing food and guns from woodland cabins along the way. US officials have charged prison worker Joyce Mitchell with aiding the two inmates in their escape. Prosecutors allege that she gave the men power tools that allowed them to saw through a steel cell wall before bashing a hole through a brick wall and crawling through. Ms Mitchell denies the charges. Clinton correction officer Gene Palmer is also accused of aiding the convicts. Officials allege that he gave Sweat and Matt the frozen hamburger meat Ms Mitchell had used to hide hacksaw blades and a screwdriver. Mr Palmer's attorney said his client had no knowledge that the meat contained the escape tools. Matt was serving a prison sentence of 25 years to life for the killing and dismembering of his former boss. Sweat was serving a life sentence for murdering a sheriff's deputy. Manhunt timeline

Summary: Second New York State prison escapee David Sweat is in custody after being shot by police, US officials report.


The body will also be responsible for the registration and regulation of youth support workers and work-based learning practitioners. They join more than 75,000 school and further education teachers and learning support staff on the national register. The council's chief executive Hayden Llewellyn said regulating all these groups was a "world-first for Wales". He added it was "a bold and welcome step". "By bringing non-formal and in-work education in line with formal education, we are enhancing the status of the often overlooked professions of youth work and work-based learning and the increasingly important role they play in young people's wellbeing and education," Mr Llewellyn said. Keith Towler, chairman of CWVYS (Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services), said good quality youth work "saves young lives". "The trusted relationship between young people and youth workers and youth support workers is vital for the development of resilience, self-esteem and delivery of professional responses to a huge range of issues," Mr Towler said. "Recognition of informal and non-formal learning in a wider educational context is important and this will support the development of quality youth work provision." Julie James, minister for skills and science, said the new registration system "supports our ambition to achieve the highest possible professional standards throughout the whole education sector and it will provide a vital component in ensuring the people of Wales receive high quality learning throughout their lives".

Summary: Wales' youth workers will be regulated by the Education Workforce Council for the first time from 1 April.


Dr Barry Morgan, who has been at the head of the Church in Wales for nearly 14 years, is set to retire on 31 January - his 70th birthday. During that time he has supported numerous causes, including gay marriage and more powers for the Welsh Assembly. But he said he still believes the law introducing presumed consent for organ donation was the "wrong way". Under the law, adults are regarded as having consented to organ donation unless they have opted out. "I think what I did object to was people thinking that I was against organ donation," he said. "I wasn't against organ donation at all, I was just against the method by which they were going about it. "And I still feel that to be honest because it's much better if people voluntarily say 'we want to give organs'. That's what a gift actually means." He has also backed women clergy during his leadership and carried out the consecration of the Church in Wales' first female bishop on Saturday. "I think that was pretty important as a matter of justice, as a matter of equality and as a matter of doing what was right," he said. "That's been pretty important and I never expected a woman bishop to be elected in my time." On gay marriage, Dr Morgan has previously called for the church's view on same-sex marriage to change with popular opinion. "I haven't done that on my own. I've done that with the full support of the present bench of bishops and also with the support of the governing body," he said. "That's quite something, I think, in a church that hasn't always been known for its liberalism." He admitted attendances at church had not done "terribly well" but said he has seen church communities become "more engaged" with society than ever before. "Were it not for church people, lots of organisations would not be in existence. I'm thinking of food banks and dementia groups." His successor will be chosen in the summer. "I take the view that once you're gone, you're gone... you've had your period in office," he added. "I just want to leave the field clear. I don't want to make another public statement about issues again because that would be unfair on whoever succeeds me and I hope I can keep to that."

Summary: The Archbishop of Wales has reflected on his time at the helm of the church ahead of his retirement.


The 51-year-old had only signed a new contract with the Premier League champions in May. Former PE teacher and Chelsea scout Walsh will work with new Toffees manager Ronald Koeman, who replaced Roberto Martinez last month. "It feels very much like a new era at Everton," said Walsh. He becomes Leicester's second key departure of the summer after midfielder N'Golo Kante joined Chelsea for £30m. Walsh has been credited with helping discover bargain signings such as winger Riyad Mahrez and Kante for the Foxes, who last season became top-flight champions for the first time in their 132-year history. Professional Footballers' Association player of the year Mahrez joined from Le Havre in 2014 for £400,000, while Kante was signed from French club Caen for about £6m. "I am genuinely excited to be here at Everton and very much looking forward to getting down to work," said Walsh. "I know the club well, my roots are in the north west and my brother, Mickey, was an Everton player in the Bob Latchford era and always proud of that fact." Dutchman Koeman added: "It is really good for the club to have someone in Steve who has shown his quality in his job at a number of clubs over many years. "That is the experience and quality he will bring to us at a good time in the season." Pat Murphy, BBC Radio 5 live: "Arguably, Walsh became the most important figure in Leicester's football department because he kept delivering unpolished gems from his countless scouting missions without breaking the bank. "Although he signed a new and improved contract only in May, he has been tempted away by what he sees as a career promotion and the vision of Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri. "The London-based Iranian businessman has ambitious plans for Everton, with money seemingly not an issue. Landing first Koeman as manager and now Walsh within a month is a double coup. "Leicester will be seeking full compensation for the loss of Walsh but just as in the pursuit of Koeman, money is no longer a thorny problem at Everton."

Summary: Everton have appointed Leicester City joint assistant manager and head of recruitment Steve Walsh as their new director of football.


The loggerhead turtle was affected by the cold, had shell damage and had signs of an infection. It was found on the stretch of beach between the Dicq shack and Rice bowl and was taken to the nearby New Era Veterinary Hospital for treatment. After an appeal it is being moved to a special tank at the fresh fish company at La Collette. A number of turtles have washed up in the UK in recent months, but most have been too ill to save. Vets have been treating it with antibiotics and fluids and say the turtle has a "poor prognosis". They will use the tank to slowly raise its temperature.

Summary: A turtle which was found on a beach in St Clement is being treated at a veterinary hospital in Jersey.


The National Union of Farmers organised the event as a protest about delays in distributing EU farm payments. It was changed to be about "wider rural economy and food chain issues" after the Scottish government pledged Â£200m to support farmers in the interim. Scottish ministers Richard Lochhead and John Swinney, and Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson addressed the rally. Farmers have been hit by delays in processing Common Agricultural Policy payments due to problems with a Â£178m computer system set up to administer the newly-reformed system in Scotland. The Scottish government said 59% of payments have now been made. Some protestors called for Rural Affairs Secretary Mr Lochhead to resign, as he told them "we'll get the payments out, we'll fix the problems." He said: "While we have robust political debate inside the chamber, all political parties agree that food production in this country is an absolute priority. "Helping out our food producers in their hour of need, whether that's because of the issues we've had with payments or the weather, or because of low market prices, we have to do what we can to make sure that the skills you represent and the jobs you sustain and the support you give to Scotland is maintained going forward." Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson urged the protestors to keep up the pressure on the government. She said: "If this had been an issue affecting urban Scotland it would have been solved months ago. "There's a real question of what happens now. There's still a real question over next year's claims, given we know the computer system doesn't work." Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie told the protestors that the Scottish government needed to "act quickly to get the money out the door", while Finance Secretary John Swinney told them "your voice has been heard".

Summary: Dozens of farmers gathered outside the Scottish Parliament for a rally highlighting rural issues.


The officer was carrying a handgun in the railway station in Inverness on Tuesday as he walked through the main concourse. Police Scotland said the officer had breached new force policy. A spokesman said he had been reminded of the strict criteria about the issue. It was a sight more common in 2013 when a policy was introduced allowing firearms officers to carry handguns with them at all times while on duty. However, after concerns from politicians, the chief constable of Police Scotland, Sir Stephen House, stated last October that specialist armed police officers in Scotland would only be deployed to firearms incidents or where there was a threat to life.

Summary: A police officer in Inverness has been photographed carrying a firearm despite assurances that sidearms would only be deployed under special circumstances.


Both players could make their Rovers debut at Accrington on Saturday. Mason, 19, a junior player with Real Madrid who then featured for Blackburn and Southampton youth teams, is yet to make a first-team appearance for Villa. Houghton, 20, an academy player at Chelsea, had loan spells with Gillingham and Plymouth last term. Meanwhile, Chelsea goalkeeper Matej Delac, 24, has joined Belgian side Royal Excel Mouscron on a season-long loan, while 19-year-old midfielder Bekanty Victorien Angban will spend the coming campaign on loan at Granada in La Liga. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Doncaster Rovers have signed Chelsea midfielder Jordan Houghton and Aston Villa defender Niall Mason on loan until January.


Tom Hardy and Russell Brand have also pulled their fingers out - four to be precise - for the #1in4 campaign. Alison Kirkham, the BBC's controller of factual commissioning, said one in four were affected by mental health issues. "I'm delighted so many high-profile people have come together to raise awareness of this important cause." Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw and Frozen voice star Kristen Bell have also snapped their digits to show solidarity. "I wanted to get involved with the #1in4 campaign to help people realise they're not alone," said Grimshaw. "Having mental health issues is nothing to be ashamed about." The initiative accompanies the BBC's Minds Matter season, a range of programmes across TV and radio about mental health. They include Mind Over Marathon, a documentary featuring the Duke of Cambridge that will air later on BBC One. 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: Broadchurch stars David Tennant and Olivia Colman have posted selfies of themselves to show their support for a BBC mental health initiative.


He was pulled from the water by the RNLI's Penlee Inshore Lifeboat at about 13:35 BST on Sunday, Devon and Cornwall Police said. A crew member swam to the man and "recovered him" after he was found near the bow of an angling boat moored alongside Albert Pier, the RNLI said. The man, said to be local, was airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro and pronounced dead. Police said the man had been reported floating face-down in the water by a sailing club.

Summary: A man died despite a rescue attempt at Penzance Harbour.


Mr King is not the rather better-known writer of horror novels (though his robust opinions on the dangers of monetary largesse can tend towards sleepless nights). This Mr King is senior economic adviser at HSBC. And a China expert. Writing about the country's economic slowdown in 2012, he said: "China's debt fuelled expansion was never likely to be sustainable." The amber warning lights came back on this morning when the ratings agency Moody's downgraded China's credit rating, its investor benchmark for analysing the country's economic performance. Now, the rating is still A1 - the agency's fifth highest - but nevertheless does highlight growing concerns about the amount of debt the world's most populous country is carrying. The problem is not the government's direct debt, which at less than 40% of GDP is modest by Western standards, or the eminently manageable 3% deficit (the rate at which that debt is rising). The issue is the debt being carried by the country's companies, or more specifically the "state-owned enterprises" (SOEs) that constitute the grumbling and sometimes out-of-date engines of the Chinese economy. And the debts being carried by the country's local governments - which, of course, in a state the size of China, are a little more significant than those of an English town council, say. Here, the picture is different. SOE debt stands at 115% of GDP, a figure that is steadily rising and is far higher than, say, comparable figures for Japan and South Korea (where comparable debts are around 30%). Moody's estimates that bringing the leverage of those firms down to more manageable levels would cost more than $400bn (£308bn). At the same time, China's own finance ministry has warned that some local authorities are struggling to meet day-to-day operating costs, as they find themselves caught between supporting often inefficient local businesses - making steel, for example - or funding the unpaid debts and unemployment costs associated with shutting down or reforming the mainstays of regional economies. Now, China certainly has deep pockets. Its foreign currency reserves stand at more than $3tn and its annual current account surplus is $200bn. So, debt sustainability is not a near and present danger. But, if the old joke is that when America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold, when it comes to China, it only has to think about reaching for its handkerchief and the global economy can suffer a fit of the vapours. When China announced weaker-than-expected economic data at the beginning of 2016, world stock markets went into free fall and commodity prices tumbled. In 2010, average Chinese growth hovered around 10%. It is now between 6% and 7%. More manageable than the heady days of seven years ago, yes, but there are fears that a lack of economic reform could see growth fall to 5% as President Xi Jinping balances the drive for a more efficient economy (with all the dislocating restructuring costs and possible job losses that could incur) with the need to keep political tension to a minimum. In a jittery world, China's debt mountain can

Summary: In his new book Grave New World, Stephen King says: "For better or worse, China is simply too big to be ignored."


Dr Waleed Abdalati told the BBC the that continued access to data is in "everyone's best interest". Many US scientists are rushing to copy information onto servers outside the control of the federal government. They are afraid the Trump administration will curb access to climate and other research. The President-elect has blown hot and cold on the issue of climate change, having previously tweeted about global warming being a hoax. On Wednesday, one of his advisers compared scientists who support the mainstream view on global warming to flat-Earthers. "There was an overwhelming science that the Earth was flat and there was an overwhelming science that we were the centre of the world," said Anthony Scaramucci, a member of the Trump transition committee, on CNN. "We get a lot of things wrong in the scientific community." Now at the Co-operative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Dr Abdalati served as Nasa's chief scientist in 2011, for two years. He says it is too early to tell if this type of rhetoric from the Trump team will be backed up by action against scientists working on climate issues. "I do think that when it comes to access to federal databases, and information that the taxpayers have paid for, there would have to be a tremendous paradigm shift to actively take steps to make those data unavailable, and I think doing so would be an enormous disservice to the citizens of this country and to the world in general," he said via email. "I do think that the scientific community, educators, members of the private sector who rely on these data in their businesses, and others will need to make clear that continued access to these data, which have been paid for by the taxpayers, allows their full value to be realized and is in everyone's best interest." Other researchers are taking a more pessimistic view on the question of data access and are encouraging colleagues and students to make copies. Prof Robert Paterson, from the University of Texas, Austin, says that he learned this the hard way under the administration of George W Bush, another president cool on climate. "Within a month of coming into office the EPA website went down for three weeks and when it went back up stuff wasn't available anymore," Prof Paterson told BBC News. "If history repeats itself with another administration that is basically a naysayer to climate change science, I would say it would be prudent for folks to do what they can to keep as much as they can on mirror sites." Other scientists are concerned about nominations to key government areas such as former Texas governor Rick Perry at Department of Energy (DoE) and Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt at the EPA. Both have heavily criticised the agencies they now lead. Attempts by the Trump transition team at the DoE to obtain a list of all those employees who had worked on climate change have provoked anger as well as fear. "I was horrified by the report with regard to Department of Energy scientists being named.

Summary: Limiting access to federal research would do an "enormous disservice" to the US and the world according to former Nasa chief scientist.


He faces a number of charges. First, he pulled out of a long-planned trip to Moscow after the US missile strike on a Syrian airfield. It was agreed the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson should go instead. Poodle, cried his critics. Next, Team Boris briefed journalists that the foreign secretary wanted to get the G7 to agree new sanctions against Russia at its meeting in the Italian city of Lucca. But Mr Johnson entirely failed to persuade other countries to agree. Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said there was no consensus new sanctions would help and argued they could push Russia into a corner. Mr Johnson's own view of the Syrian conflict seems to have swerved around like a shopping trolley since he became the UK's chief diplomat in July. Giving evidence to a House of Lords committee at the start of 2017, he signalled a shift in UK policy towards Syria. Mr Johnson said the "mantra" of calling for President Assad to go had not worked and the military space had been left open to Russia to fill. The Foreign Secretary told peers President Assad should be allowed to run for election as part of a "democratic resolution" of the civil war. Now, however, Mr Johnson believes the Syrian leader has to go. How much of this is fair? And what might the episode say about Boris Johnson's standing in Theresa May's government? First, the UK was a bystander to the Trump administration's missile strike on Syria. The government was given a courtesy call to say it was coming but the UK was not asked to be involved. Mr Johnson's trip to Moscow (which would have been the first by a British foreign secretary to Russia for five years) was long planned and quickly binned. I understand Mrs May told Mr Johnson it was his call whether he wanted to go or not. After speaking to Rex Tillerson, Mr Johnson and his US opposite number agreed it was best for one man to deliver a single message to Moscow. Mr Johnson then spent a weekend hitting the phones to other G7 countries trying to get a united position agreed ahead of the meeting in Lucca. In its final communique, the G7 did agree to state the Assad regime had to end. But further sanctions - an idea endorsed by Number 10 - got nowhere. It was clearly a snub to Mr Johnson although government sources insist sanctions have not been taken off the table. On Wednesday, the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, said other countries were "less forward-leaning" than the UK on the issue. Diplomacy is tough. But it may have been unwise for the Foreign Office to suggest sanctions were an ambition when key G7 nations clearly didn't agree. At the weekend, I was told by Team Boris that he was very relaxed about the sniping and criticism being lobbed his way in recent days. And Mr Johnson has provoked quite a lot since he became foreign secretary, largely because of his use of decidedly undiplomatic language. He was taken to

Summary: There is, to use Boris Johnson's own lingo, a "whinge-o-rama" raging among the foreign secretary's political opponents and in parts of the press about his performance in the current Syria crisis.