Fast forward about 20 years, and it's fair to say he has done just that. The business he runs, Frasers Hospitality, is one of the world's biggest providers of high-end serviced apartments. Its 148 properties span about 80 capital cities, as well as financial hubs across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. But it almost didn't get off the ground. When Mr Choe was appointed to launch and lead the company, Asia was booming; the tiger economies of Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore were expanding rapidly. But as Frasers prepared to open its first two properties in Singapore, the Asian financial crisis hit. It was 1997. Currencies went into freefall. Suddenly, people were losing their jobs and stopped travelling. Mr Choe recalls asking staff if they really wanted to continue working with the firm, because when the properties opened they might not get paid. "It was really that serious," he says. "I remember tearing up because they said 'let's open it, let's open it whether you can pay us or not'." Survival, Mr Choe admits, came through a bit of luck, and the misfortune of others. He had convinced the board at parent firm, property group Frasers Centrepoint, to open serviced apartments rather than hotels - partly because getting planning permission in Singapore was easier. But he also sensed it was a big, untapped market. And at the time of the crisis, it proved to be exactly what customers wanted. "As we were going through this difficult patch, there were protests and riots in Jakarta," he says. "A lot of companies like Microsoft called up looking for rooms for their staff because they were moving out of Jakarta." Frasers' 412 apartments were quickly in demand. Occupancy soon hit 70%, and then 90%. Explaining the popularity of serviced apartments, Mr Choe says that if people are staying somewhere for just a few days, they happily stay in hotels, but if they are going to be somewhere for one month to eight months, the walls of hotel rooms "close in on you". But now, Mr Choe, 57, faces new challenges - the travel tastes of millennials and the disruptive nature of Airbnb. "The way to tackle Airbnb is not to ignore it. I will never underestimate Airbnb," he says. There's been no significant impact on Frasers yet. Big corporations still prefer to put employees in big service apartments, he says, because they can guarantee a level of safety and security. But that is likely to change, Mr Choe admits. "I have two daughters who to my chagrin use Airbnb," he says. "We took a family trip to Florence and I stayed in this wonderful boutique hotel, but paid a bundle for it. "When my daughter joined us, she said, 'I'm just staying next door and paying about 80 euros'. We paid about 330 euros. "I asked why they stayed at Airbnb. They say 'it's like a surprise, it's part of the adventure'." And so now, Mr Choe wants to bring some of that vibrancy to Frasers. While neutral colours, beige curtains

Summary: On the first day in his new job, Choe Peng Sum was given a fairly simple brief: "Just go make us a lot of money."


"The accident meant the motorway was closed, making travel to Mourneview Park impossible for the team and fans travelling from Belfast," said the Irish Football Association. A new date for the match has yet to be confirmed by Uefa. Northern Ireland have three points from their first two Group Six qualifiers.

Summary: The Women's Euro 2017 qualifier between Northern Ireland and the Czech Republic in Lurgan on Friday was postponed after a serious accident on the M1.


The Sunday Times says the missile veered off course during a test in June last year - weeks before the Commons voted to spend £40bn renewing Trident. Questioned by Andrew Marr, the PM refused to say four times if she had known about the test ahead of the vote. The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon called for a "full disclosure" of what happened. According to the Sunday Times, an unarmed Trident II D5 missile veered off in the wrong direction towards the US - instead of towards Africa - when it was launched from a British submarine off the coast of Florida. In July - days after Mrs May had become prime minister - MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of replacing Trident. During the debate, Mrs May told MPs it would be "an act of gross irresponsibility" for the UK to abandon its nuclear weapons. MPs backed its renewal by 472 votes to 117. However, all 52 SNP MPs voted against it - as did Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. When asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show whether she had known then that a misfire had happened, Mrs May said: "I have absolute faith in our Trident missiles. "When I made that speech in the House of Commons, what we were talking about was whether or not we should renew our Trident." She was asked a further three times - but did not answer the questions. The Ministry of Defence did not give details of the test process but said it had been a success. Scottish First Minister, Mrs Sturgeon - a long-standing opponent of Trident, whose submarines are based at Faslane, on the River Clyde - said the apparent misfire was a "hugely serious issue". She tweeted: "There should be full disclosure of what happened, who knew what/when, and why the House of Commons wasn't told." Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn said the reports called for "a serious discussion". He told Sky News: "It's a pretty catastrophic error when a missile goes in the wrong direction, and while it wasn't armed, goodness knows what the consequences of that could have been." Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary, said it was "completely unacceptable" that Mrs May had "side-stepped" questions. She called for the prime minister to give "a full explanation" to Parliament on Monday. Admiral Lord West, the Labour peer and ex-Royal Navy officer, said it was "bizarre and stupid" to not tell anyone about the test. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) described reports of a misfire as a "very serious failure". "There's absolutely no doubt that this would have impacted on the debate in Parliament on Trident replacement," its general secretary Kate Hudson said. A statement issued by both Downing Street and the MoD said the capability and effectiveness of Trident was "unquestionable". "In June the Royal Navy conducted a routine, unarmed Trident missile test launch from HMS Vengeance, as part of an operation which is designed to certify the submarine and its crew. "Vengeance and her crew were successfully tested and certified, allowing Vengeance to return into service. We have absolute confidence in

Summary: Theresa May is coming under pressure to say whether she knew about a reported misfire of the UK's nuclear weapons system before a crucial Commons vote.


A spokesman for Palm Beach Gardens police in Florida confirmed to the BBC they were investigating a fatal crash involving the Grand Slam champion. A man was taken to hospital after the accident on 9 June and died two weeks later from his injuries, he said. According to TMZ, which broke the story, police believe the seven-time Grand Slam champion was at fault. But a lawyer for Williams said it was an "unfortunate accident". The man who died, Jerome Barson, was travelling with his wife who was driving their vehicle through an intersection when the accident happened. Williams' car suddenly darted into their path and was unable to clear the junction in time due to traffic jams, according to witness statements in a police report obtained by US media. Mrs Barson was also taken to hospital but survived. "[Williams] is at fault for violating the right of way of [the other driver]," the report said, adding that there were no other factors like drugs, alcohol or mobile phone distractions. The 37-year-old tennis star reportedly told police she did not see the couple's car and she was driving slowly. Police spokesman Major Paul Rogers said police were investigating whether the incident was connected to Mr Barson's death. Williams' lawyer Malcolm Cunningham told CNN in a statement: "Ms Williams entered the intersection on a green light. The police report estimates that Ms Williams was travelling at 5mph when Mrs Barson crashed into her. "Authorities did not issue Ms Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one." Next week, Williams is due to play at Wimbledon in London, where she is seeded 10th.

Summary: US tennis star Venus Williams has been involved in a car accident that led to the death of a 78-year-old man.


The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea did, however, allow Ghana to continue developing current oilfields. These include the so called-Ten fields, part owned by UK firm Tullow Oil. Ivory Coast had asked that all drilling be suspended, but the tribunal ruled this would risk "considerable financial loss" to Ghana. Instead, it told the West African nation to "take all necessary steps to ensure than no new drilling either by Ghana or under its control takes place in the disputed area" and to "refrain from granting any new permit for oil exploration and exploitation in the disputed area". The area is believed to contain large reserves of oil, which both countries are keen to exploit. Pending a ruling on the precise maritime border, the tribunal told both countries to "pursue co-operation and refrain from any unilateral action that might lead to aggravating the dispute". The ruling was welcomed by Tullow Oil, which owns a large stake in the near $5bn (Â£3.3bn) Ten project, which could reportedly produce up to 80,000 barrels a day. "Following this ruling, the Ten project can move ahead and we will now await instructions from the government of Ghana with regard to implementing those provisional measures that have been ordered by [the tribunal]," a Tullow spokesman said.

Summary: Ghana has been told by an international tribunal not to begin any new offshore drilling for oil in disputed waters with the Ivory Coast.


The public car park is just off the Upper Newtownards Road, one of the main routes into the city. Thousands of wooden pallets are now piled up where previously there were parked cars. The bonfire makers are involved in a dispute with the city council over the storing of pallets. They say the council collected pallets from the area earlier this year, agreed to store them and return them this month but failed to do so. Bonfire builder Macauley McKinney, 21, said: "We had an agreement with the council that they were going to store the pallets in a safe place, and now because the agreement was broken, they've let us down." Belfast City Council is not commenting in detail on the issue, as an investigation has been called into the storing of pallets. A spokesperson said: "It was agreed at a meeting of Belfast City Council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on Friday that an investigation and full review, led by the chief executive with independent input, would be carried out into the issue of collection and storage of bonfire material, and the future approach of bonfires across the city." The committee's decision needs to be approved at a full council meeting next week. Traditionally, bonfires are lit in many loyalist areas of Northern Ireland on the "eleventh night" - the eve of the Twelfth of July, an annual celebration to mark William of Orange's victory over King James II at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

Summary: A car park in east Belfast has been closed to the public by young men building bonfires.


Reports on Wednesday suggested more than one iguana was actually filmed, with scenes then stitched together. But the BBC has said only one animal was chased by the snakes - with other iguanas only filmed for close-ups. The scene quickly went viral when it was aired last year and later won a Bafta for must-see moment. The iguana hatchling, filmed in the Galapagos, eventually got away - much to viewers' relief. The Daily Mail claimed the episode was embroiled in a "fakery row" after producer Elizabeth White told the Media Production Show: "It wasn't the same iguana, no, and often we have to augment it with other clips. "Unfortunately lizards, snakes and iguanas aren't good at 'takes'." But the BBC defended the Sir David Attenborough-fronted programme, with a spokeswoman saying: "The BBC strongly refutes any suggestion that the award-winning iguana v snakes sequence was 'faked'. "The final iguana chase in which one iguana escapes the snakes was - unusually for natural history filming - shot using two cameras, allowing us to follow both the individual iguana and the snakes' point of view. "What was captured in the field was extraordinary animal behaviour which had never been witnessed or filmed before." She added: "As is common in natural history film-making, pick-up shots were filmed separately - for example close-ups of iguana eyes - to make the story of the sequence as clear as possible for the audience. "This is absolutely in keeping with the norms of natural history film-making - and absolutely in line with the BBC's editorial policy guidelines, and was a true representation of animal behaviour." Other BBC nature documentaries have previously been accused of faking footage. Frozen Planet, also fronted by Sir David, showed footage of newborn polar bear cubs in a den with their mother in 2011 - but it was filmed in an animal park, rather than in the wild. The BBC denied misleading viewers, with Sir David saying it would have spoiled the atmosphere to point out where the filming had taken place adding: "It's not a falsehood and we don't keep it secret either". And then there was the Blue Planet footage shot in a lobster tank - but the BBC said this was done to protect the environment. 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: The BBC has denied claims award-winning series Planet Earth II faked a nail-biting scene showing a baby iguana being chased by racer snakes.


Margaret Aspinall and Trevor Hicks campaigned for more than 20 years to secure fresh inquests into the deaths of 96 people in the disaster. Mr Hicks' daughters Sarah, 19, and Victoria, 15, and Mrs Aspinall's son James, 18, were among those who died at the FA Cup semi-final in April 1989. Mrs Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said she would accept it on behalf of the families. A jury is currently hearing the new inquests in Warrington before coroner Lord Justice Goldring. Mrs Aspinall said: "It's not just about Trevor Hicks and Margaret Aspinall, it's about everybody involved in this. It's all about the people who stood by us. "From the beginning, when you are fighting against everything, nearly 26 years ago, you had this stigma against you all the time, fighting against that, I feel we have turned it all around now and the stigma is going away. "People are seeing now, the real people, what the genuine people are like, and the people who stood by the families and stayed with them all these years, so it's for them as well." Mr Hicks, president of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: "On a personal level, obviously I'm very flattered. I know it's a bit cheesy but I'm also a bit humbled as well. "It's not just for me. As it says in the citation, it's for services to the bereaved families. "It's been a hard slog. We've been accused many times of being vindictive - and lots worse than that. But we've always tried, as a family support group, to play fair." Fellow campaigner Anne Williams, who died in April 2013, was honoured with the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Ceremony in 2013. Ms Williams, 60, fought for a new inquest into her son Kevin's death. Two investigations are being carried out into the aftermath of the disaster - one led by police and one headed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. Other Merseyside & Cheshire honours include: CBE OBE MBE

Summary: Two Hillsborough campaigners have been appointed CBE in the New Year Honours.


"Fracking" involves pumping water and chemicals into shale rock at pressure. The joint report from the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering say the technique is safe if firms follow best practice and rules are enforced. Exploratory fracking is being mooted in at least seven sites around the UK. The report was commissioned by the government's chief scientist, Sir John Beddington, following the decision last year to halt the UK's most advanced project, in Lancashire, after fracking caused small earth tremors. "Our main conclusions are that the environmental risks of hydraulic fracturing for shale can can be safely managed provided there is best practice observed and provided it's enforced through strong regulation," said the report's chair, Prof Robert Mair from Cambridge University. "The UK regulatory system is up to the job for the present very small scale exploration activities, but there would need to be strengthening of the regulators if the government decides to proceed with more shale gas extraction, particularly at the production stage," he told BBC News. The report contains 10 top-line recommendations for strengthening regulations, including: Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves drilling down into shale formations and fracturing the rock using explosives or hydraulic pressure. Water is pumped in containing sand particles that prop open the cracks in the shale, allowing the gas out, and a tiny amount of chemicals. In the US, concerns have been raised that the gas or the chemicals can enter drinking water supplies. However, the report concludes that gas contamination should not be a problem - the risk is "very low" - provided that fracking takes place at a depth of many hundreds of metres, a long way below the level of aquifers, and that the wells are properly constructed. Each well is lined with layers of steel and cement; and if this stays intact, the scientists conclude, gas leakage should not be a problem. They also say that with good management of waste water, chemical contamination should be avoided; they criticise the US practice of leaving it in open ponds, which would not be permitted in the UK. The report says the risk that fracking will generate significant seismic events is also small. The actual explosions are far too small to be noticed at the surface, said Prof Zoe Shipton from the University of Strathclyde. "If the fluid moves into existing faults in the rock that are close to slipping anyway, you'll bring that slippage forward in time," she said. "But the Magnitude 2.3 event in Blackpool last year - that is like a lorry going past your house - in fact the British Geological Survey can't measure below Magnitude 2 in towns because of the traffic." The European industry is in its infancy compared with the US, and governments' views on the technology are mixed. Fracking has been banned in France, but countries such as Poland are taking a strong interest. UK ministers see shale gas as a way of cheaply bridging the transition to a low-carbon fuel mix, despite calculations showing that widespread adoption without carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Summary: A gas extraction method which triggered two earth tremors near Blackpool last year should not cause earthquakes or contaminate water but rules governing it will need tightening, experts say.


Alongside the likes of Little Simz and Lady Leshurr, she's part of a groundswell of female voices in the male-dominated world of UK hip-hop and grime. Two years ago, the 23-year-old was studying for a degree while working 12-hour shifts in a betting shop to make ends meet. She would scribble down lyrics in her spare time as her male contemporaries - Section Boyz, Bonkaz and her cousin Stormzy - were starting to break through. Realising the job was holding her back, she packed it in and started to make her name with her savage, witty lyrics and sense of fun. Her breakthrough video, Station, was shot, without permission, at a local railway station, with Nadia dancing nonchalantly on the tracks as a train pulled in. More recently, the colourful, funky single Skwod saw the rapper take over the streets of London with a girl gang, complete with body-popping Beyonce choreography and all. She spoke to the BBC about her upbringing in Croydon, the rappers she looks up to, and why she read the dictionary as a child. For people who haven't heard you, describe what they're missing. My sound is just really bassy, hard-hitting, dancehall, hip-hop infused fun. I call it magic. And funny, too. Your lyrics have proper punchlines. Yeah, quite a few! Do you work hard on them? It varies, depending on what it is I'm creating. A lot of the time I don't even write the bars. It's all in my head, really. Apparently you used to read the dictionary as a child? That is true, yeah! What's your favourite word? Antidisestablishmentarianism. It's one of the longest words in the English language. Have you ever tried to get it into a song? I've been asked and I'm definitely working on it! It might not fit on a single cover, but it could definitely fit in a lyric. What triggered your interest in words? It was learning about synonyms that did it for me. I was like, "Wow, you can use another word to mean the same thing as this word?" It just went crazy from there. When did you first perform in public? Ooh… The first time I performed in public? To be fair, growing up I was always performing. It didn't have to be on a stage. It could be a family event and I would just make it about me, somehow. I would perform anywhere. Going up in a lift, on the side of a road, wherever. One of your teachers said you were the most entertaining pupil she ever had. Yeah, that was touching… And actually, I do agree. There's a fine line between "entertaining" and "troublemaker". How often did you end up on the wrong side? Ha ha! Some days it did tip over into what some teachers would call "disruptive". But I thought it was creative. What did you study at university? Music and music management. It was very helpful when signing my deal - because there were things I definitely wouldn't have had a clue about prior to taking that course. At

Summary: Young UK rapper Nadia Rose has taken fifth place on the BBC's Sound of 2017 list, which showcases emerging artists for the coming 12 months.


The Welsh pop legend accused the BBC of "sub-standard behaviour" when it dropped him from the contest last year. But ITV has bought the rights to broadcast the programme from 2017 and has now invited him back. He will be joined in the big red chairs by long-serving judge Will.i.am, Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson and rock star Gavin Rossdale. Sir Tom said: "I had some great times on the show and I can't wait to again discover and help some brand new talent. And of course be back with my pal Will.i.am." The 76-year-old appeared as a judge on the first four series but was not involved in the latest run. Last year, he said he was disappointed BBC executives told him "with no consultation or conversation of any kind" that he would not be returning. Sir Tom is known for hits including It's Not Unusual, Green Green Grass of Home, Delilah and Sex Bomb. Jennifer Hudson, who appeared on American Idol in 2004, won an Oscar for best supporting actress for Dreamgirls in 2007 and a Grammy Award in 2009. She said: "I couldn't be more excited to join the amazing panel of coaches on The Voice UK." Rossdale is the frontman of rock band Bush, the former husband of singer Gwen Stefani and father of model and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Daisy Lowe. He said he was "so thrilled to be joining The Voice UK" after appearing as a guest on the US version of the series two years ago. He added: "I have always been extremely proud to fly the flag for British rock music and I can't wait to join this incredible panel and help discover some new talent." ITV Network head of entertainment Siobhan Greene said she was "absolutely chuffed to bits with the line-up". She continued: "All four coaches are global artists in the music industry and are at the top of their game." Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: Sir Tom Jones is to return as one of the judges on talent show The Voice UK when it moves to ITV next year.


Spurs, who are having a new £400m stadium built next to their existing home White Hart Lane, could also play next season's home Champions League games at the national stadium. They aim to move into their new 61,000-seat home before the 2018-19 season. "We're a long way down the path on reaching an agreement," Dyke said. "I think there's some discussion about whether they'll play their Champions League games there at Wembley next year but I don't know much about that." Tottenham's north-London rivals Arsenal hosted Champions League games at Wembley in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Dyke also said Chelsea could play home games at Wembley in the near future. The Blues have plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge, which could leave them needing a temporary home for several seasons. "I think Chelsea might come for a longer period," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "Chelsea have got really exciting plans for their stadium. They're going to demolish the whole thing and build a whole new stadium on the existing site. "If they came to Wembley, that would mean them coming for three years."

Summary: Tottenham are close to a deal to play home games at Wembley in the 2017-18 season, says Football Association chairman Greg Dyke.


GB were beaten 24-18 by Israel, 37-14 by Hungary and 46-14 by Netherlands. The men's and women's teams had their £2.92m funding to support elite athletes removed after London 2012. "Although we did not make the finals, there are some great young handball players in this country," said British Handball director David Meli. "Our aim now is to find a way of bringing additional funding into the association to allow us to run other teams in both male and female competitions." Netherlands won all three games to secure their place at the finals in Rio, which take place from 19 July to 2 August.

Summary: Great Britain failed to qualify for the men's Under-21 World Handball Championship after losing all three qualifying games at Kent's Medway Park.


The Labour leader said his party would invest in infrastructure but expected action on low wages and workers' rights in return, while there would also be an increase in corporation tax. He told the CBI that Labour's planned "national investment bank" would boost lending to small and medium-size firms. The Tories said Labour only offered "spending, borrowing and taxing". Mr Corbyn told delegates at the CBI's conference he would not tell them how to run their organisations but would not "stand back when there is injustice in the workplace or the boardroom". He warned of "real problems" in today's jobs market, citing low wages, insecure temporary contracts and the gender pay gap. "For too many families in Britain increasingly insecure work means they cannot plan for their future, or how to pay the bills, mortgage or rent," he said. "There are far, far too many people struggling to make ends meet". Mr Corbyn joked he and the CBI would both have been "shocked" if they had been told two years ago he would be addressing the conference. But he said Labour had "plenty of common ground" with the organisation. He vowed Labour would be "on the side of the innovators, entrepreneurs and investors", saying its investment bank plans would "unleash the creativity and potential of entrepreneurial Britain". He said both the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump in the United States represented "an unmistakable rejection of a political establishment and an economic system which hasn't been working for most people. "It's a system that's delivered ballooning inequality along with falling or stagnating living standards for the majority." Labour says it would increase borrowing to invest in infrastructure, and Mr Corbyn urged Chancellor Philip Hammond to "change course and take the bold action necessary to support our economy". He said Labour would increase investment in green technology and boost house building. Labour's "settlement for business", he said, "will mean some increase in corporation tax while maintaining one of the lowest rates in the world". He added: "But see it as a sound investment not only in your own business's long-term future but for the common good of the country." Mr Corbyn also warned of a "chaotic" Brexit and said Labour would campaign for Britain to "retain full access to the single market". Conservative Party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin said: "Jeremy Corbyn has shown once again that all Labour offer is a recipe for economic ruin, while they're totally out of touch with the public's concerns on immigration as we leave the EU." Prime Minister Theresa May addressed the CBI earlier, announcing Â£2bn of annual investment in research and development by 2020 and an industrial strategy aimed at spreading economic growth across the UK.

Summary: Jeremy Corbyn has promised Labour will work with business leaders if they "live up to their side of the deal".


Satellite images taken on 14 February appear to show two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system on Woody or Yongxing Island in the Paracels. The presence of missiles would significantly increase tensions in the acrimonious South China Sea dispute. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said reports were a Western media invention. But Mr Wang defended "the limited and necessary self-defence facilities" on islands inhabited by Chinese personnel as "consistent with the right for self-preservation and self-protection.... under the international law". Asked about the reports, US Secretary of State John Kerry attacked China's increased "militarisation" of the contested region, saying it was a "serious concern". Taiwan's defence ministry said it had "learned of an air defence missile system deployed" by the Chinese on Woody Island. It would not say how many missiles had been deployed or when, but told the BBC they would be capable of targeting civilian and military aircraft. The commander of the US Pacific Fleet confirmed the deployment to Reuters news agency. Adm Harry Harris said such a move would be "a militarisation of the South China Sea in ways" China's President Xi Jinping had pledged not to make. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said there were "serious concerns" over China's "unilateral move to change the status quo" in the region, and "we cannot accept this fact". China has been carrying out extensive land reclamation work in the region, which it says is legal and for civilian purposes. But the work has angered other countries which also claim the territory, and there is growing concern about the implications of the area becoming militarised. The latest images of Woody Island were captured by ImageSat International. They show a close-up of a section of beach, the shape of which resembles the northern coastline as it appears on other images, and point out two missiles batteries. Each battery is made up of four launchers and two control vehicles. Two of the the launchers appear to have been erected, says the report. An image taken of the site on 3 February shows the beach empty. Fox News quoted a US defence official as saying the missiles appeared to be the HQ-9 air defence system, with a range of about 200km (125 miles). China's deployment of long-range surface-to-air missiles to the South China Sea is a clear escalation, but it is not a surprise. Nor is it China's first deployment of advanced military technology to Woody Island (Yongxing Dao). Last November, photos appeared on the internet of Chinese J-11 fighter jets landing on the newly-enlarged runway there. Sending the missile batteries now could be a warning to Vietnam, or a response to the US Navy, which sailed a missile destroyer past Woody Island at the end of January. So far Beijing has been careful not to put any weapons on its newly-constructed islands further south, in the Spratly group. That would be much more provocative. Last month Beijing even sent two civilian airliners to land on its newly-completed runway at Fiery Cross Reef. It was a good publicity stunt. But no

Summary: China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, Taiwan says.


A head teachers' conference has heard claims of threats such as dead animals being left in school playgrounds. "Trojan Horse has not gone away," said Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, head of Anderton Park School in Birmingham. Responding to the claims, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "There is no place for extremism in our schools." The National Association of Head Teachers' annual conference in Liverpool heard warnings that problems over extremism remained unresolved and schools could still face pressure on issues such as tackling homophobia. The so-called Trojan Horse inquiries followed allegations that there were organised attempts by hardline Muslim groups to undermine head teachers and take over schools in Birmingham. Head teachers at the conference complained that no governors had been barred as a result of the inquiries and they called for a database which would identify individuals removed from governing bodies. Ms Hewitt-Clarkson told the head teachers' conference: "Trojan Horse has not gone away. Those of us who were involved, we knew it was the tip of the iceberg. "We still have dead animals hung on the gates of schools, dismembered cats on playgrounds. We have petitions outside schools, objecting to teachers teaching against homophobia." There were threats on social media, she said, such as "Any head teacher who teaches my children it's alright to be gay will be at the end of my shotgun." Ms Hewitt-Clarkson said she knew of a school which had found a dismembered cat in the playground, while another had a dog hanging from the railings. Head teachers warned that despite the high profile reports following the Trojan Horse claims, the response had been inadequate. Alison Marshall told the conference: "Despite all the evidence we have, we're faced with a situation where not one single governor implicated in the Trojan Horse scandal has been investigated or even banned. Where is the justice in that?" And Ms Hewitt-Clarkson warned that the problems underlying the Trojan Horse claims could "start up again". "All the behaviours and things we saw before are still there. So too have promises that have been broken," she told the NAHT conference. There were particular concerns about the lack of scrutiny over the role of governors, highlighted by the Trojan Horse inquiries. Tim Gallagher told delegates the lack of regulation meant it was "blindingly obvious" that there would be problems with governing bodies. "Many, many of our members have suffered greatly from rogue governors," he said. The conference carried a motion calling for a national register of governors who have been removed or barred so that schools and local authorities can check the suitability of governors. The BBC revealed earlier this year that there is no central record of governors held by the Department for Education, which would also show people serving as governors in multiple schools, one of the concerns raised in the Trojan Horse inquiries. Mrs Morgan, responding to the heads' warnings, said: "There is no place for extremism in our schools and we continue, absolutely, to work to eliminate any form of extremism." But the Conservative education secretary said: "This is a reminder

Summary: Head teachers have warned that intimidation is still continuing after the investigations into the so-called Trojan Horse scandal.


And many of those communities will have voted Labour. For years this was a party heartland which was home to big beasts like Tam Dalyell and Robin Cook. Before his death, Mr Cook had a majority of more than 13,000 - he commanded the support of more than half of the electorate. But much has changed here. The mines are closed, the economy is now focussed on some remnants of small industry, retail and elsewhere. Livingston and its surrounding towns often acts as feeders for Edinburgh. Robin Chesters is director at the Scottish Shale Industry Museum. "There are still communities here who remember those days," he says, "it's the parents, it's the grandparents - but in places like Livingston there have been tremendous changes in population." The Labour candidate here is a vocal supporter of Jeremy Corbyn. And she thinks the Labour leader's message is appealing to voters. "I think for a long time communities like this were taken for granted the SNP had something really positive to offer - that was independence. But we've now seen the reality," she says, referring to a perceived lack of progress under the SNP Scottish government. The choice, she says, is clear: A Labour government or a Conservative government. "I think that's cutting through." Some here though don't seem to mind the idea of a Conservative government all that much. The Tories here are buoyed by local election results and national opinion polls. Their candidate thinks he is in with a good chance of beating Ms Wolfson - putting the party once seen as the enemy of miners above Labour for the first time in modern history here. Damian Timson says: "There are two types of Conservatives - there's this bogeyman conservative that people talk about and then there's the real conservative; the likes of myself and Ruth Davidson and everyone else and I think at last the message has got out that we're a party for everyone." But this seat was won comfortably by the SNP in 2015 - Hannah Bardell took even more of the vote that Robin Cook had back in 2005 (she won 57% of the vote - a majority of almost 17,000). "People have found that the SNP have been a strong voice for them in Livingston - I've done everything in my power to raise constituency issues on the floor of the house," she says. "There has certainly been big changes in Livingston. But what West Lothian and Livingston have been very good at doing is bouncing back - and what the SNP have offered is support for the new industries." The Lib Dem candidate Charlie Dundas will be hoping he improves on his showing from 2015 - when the party won just 2.1% of the vote - losing its deposit and finishing behind UKIP. His pitch? "There's only one party that is standing up for the two unions that they believe in - Livingston voted to remain in the UK back in 2014; Livingston voted to remain the EU."

Summary: The Five Sisters in Livingston are an imposing reminder of West Lothian's industrial past - huge mounds of discards from the old shale mines that once dominated the economy - and community life - here.


De Roon moved to Teesside in June 2016 for an initial £8.8m fee and played 33 Premier League games last term. The Netherlands international, 26, scored five goals in 36 league and cup games during his spell at Boro. Meanwhile, manager Garry Monk confirmed the Championship club's interest in signing Chelsea midfielder Lewis Baker. "He's a target and one of many that we've had throughout the summer months," said Monk. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Italian Serie A side Atalanta have re-signed midfielder Marten De Roon from Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee, 14 months after selling him to Boro.


Media playback is not supported on this device The news of Annan Athletic's 4-1 fourth-round win over Hamilton Academical was far-reaching. Omar, the son of refugees from Iraqi Kurdistan, was featured in the local press there. "There's a big following there now, my uncle tells me," said the Glasgow University student. "A lot of them, when they are looking out for scores, will look out for Annan Athletic now." Annan's dream ended in the fifth round though, when they lost 4-1 to Morton. For more information about how to get into football, take a look at the Get Inspired page on the sport.

Summary: Goal hero Rabin Omar made headlines when his club from the fourth tier of Scottish football dumped a Premiership side out of the Scottish Cup.


The 36-year-old defender, who took up a coaching role at St James Park last year, has not featured in City's first team since the end of February. "Regarding the playing, I know in my head that things are slowly coming to an end," he told BBC Sport. "I'm not knocking on (manager) Paul Tisdale's door asking why I'm not playing every week, that's for sure." Butterfield has been at Exeter for three seasons, having spent eight years at Crystal Palace, where he famously scored a six-minute hat-trick against Wolves in the FA Cup in 2010. "At the minute it is a little bit of an emergency style usage of myself," Butterfield added of his role within the Exeter playing squad. "We've not openly discussed where we're going forward with that, I'm sure next season it'll be more coaching-based, with perhaps the registration still being held as a 'what if'. "I'm enjoying what I'm doing with Tis (Tisdale) and the rest of the coaching staff and I'm certainly enjoying working with the lads on the coaching front and I hope they're enjoying working with me. "I'm thankful to Tis for giving me the opportunity to use the transition into the coaching. "It's a win-win for both as Tis uses me if and when and I'm alongside him every day in training and close to the boys trying to get the best out of them."

Summary: Exeter City player-coach Danny Butterfield says his playing career is coming to an end.


The Transforming British Tennis Together initiative aims to make the sport more accessible. Over the next 10 years, it will raise the number of covered and floodlit courts by 50%, refurbish facilities and make courts easier to book online. The LTA's Alastair Marks said: "We're focused on getting the next generation of players on court and having fun." Get Inspired: LTA's £250m for better tennis access The governing body will invest £125m to improve existing community facilities and is hoping to source a further £125m through matched funding. Only 7% of Britain's 23,000 courts have covers and one in seven park courts have floodlights. With the new funding, the LTA aims to deliver: The initiative has been tried out on a trial basis in 10 towns and cities, including Sheffield, where £1.5m was invested and has increased the number of people playing tennis by 54% over the last three years. Marks, participation director at the LTA, added: "There's never been a better time to invest in making our tennis courts the social hubs of their communities once again." Clubs and communities can register their interest in bidding for the funding here.

Summary: The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is leading a £250m investment to improve grassroots facilities.


Kevin Patrick Dawes, 33, was abducted in 2012 as he entered Syria. US officials told the Washington Post that the Syrian government never acknowledged detaining Mr Dawes, but they believe the government or an affiliated group was holding him. The State Department said Mr Dawes was turned over to Russian authorities. The Russia government has been backing the government of President Bashar al-Assad amid a civil war, which is now in its sixth year. The Czech government, which represents US diplomatic interests in Syria, helped secure his release. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the US is working with the Czech officials to free Austin Tice and other missing or detained Americans in Syria. Mr Tice, a journalist, disappeared in August 2012 while working in Syria. He appeared blindfolded in a video a month after his abduction but has not been heard from since.

Summary: A US freelance photographer who has been held in Syria for almost four years has been released, the State Department said.


BHS.com will employ just 84 people, a fraction of the 11,000 who lost their jobs after efforts to find a buyer for the high-street business failed. The last of BHS's 163 department stores was closed last month. The new website, which is owned by the Qatari Al Mana Group, will go live in the UK on Thursday. "We are nimble and efficient, but with a great brand, strong customer base and a proven and dedicated team," said David Anderson, the managing director of the new online operation. Mr Anderson added that the website would have "a number of advantages over a typical start-up", including an "iconic" brand and a loyal customer base in the UK, including 1.2 million former online shoppers. BHS.com will sell roughly 75% of the items available on the former online shop, including bedroom, bathroom, cushion and lighting ranges. The new owner of BHS' online shop, Qatari conglomerate Al Mana Group, already works with a number of high-street brands, such as Zara, Mango, United Colours of Benetton and Reebok. Mr Anderson said an all-new online technology platform had been developed for BHS, "so we are not inheriting any legacy systems". He said the majority of people who worked for the previous BHS online operation had been recruited for the new business.

Summary: The collapsed retailer BHS is to re-launch as an online shop, selling some of the most popular items previously available on its website.


The proposals mean charges would be placed on 625 spaces in the area and restrictions placed on a further 741. Reading Borough Council has spent four years designing the scheme "to relieve parking pressures at the hospital" and to make parking easier for residents. The petition, set up by hospital staff, describes the scheme as "problematic". The online petition opposes the introduction of pay and display meters for Addington Road, Erleigh Road and other roads around the hospital in Reading. Clare Goulbourn-Lay, a Royal Berkshire Hospital midwife, set up the petition to express her concerns about the potential consequences of the scheme. "By making changes to this road, you're not just making it difficult for the staff, you're making it difficult for the patients and pushing the problem further out," she said. "With the university so close as well, there simply isn't enough parking space as it is. To add another restriction is just silly." She has called for the scheme to be cancelled or redesigned to "help make spending time with loved ones easier" and to limit the "stress and anxiety" of staff and patients. John Sharpe, who lives on Erleigh Road, has called the plans "divisive" and said he is concerned the restrictions will make parking pressures worse. "I'm scared it will become impossible to live in the area," he added. Reading Borough Council said "up to five years of public consultation had taken place on the principle of prioritising parking for residents in the area" and that further public input on the plans are being sought. Residents have until 13 June to submit their views to the council.

Summary: Plans to cut free parking on roads around the Royal Berkshire Hospital have been opposed by a petition of more than 2,300 signatures.


Leonie Granger from Gillingham, Kent, was sentenced at the Old Bailey having been found guilty of manslaughter. Her boyfriend Kyrron Jackson, 28, and his friend Nicholas Chandler, 29, were found guilty of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years. Granger targeted Mehmet Hassan, 56, in a Mayfair casino in March last year. Judge William Kennedy described the attack as "pitiless and wicked", adding: "It was quite simply an act of brutality which defies reason and compassion." Granger's lawyer Orlando Pownall said she only took part in the plot as she was in love with Jackson and "fell in with his desires" and now "deeply regretted" her actions. "Her head was turned by Jackson, who she loved, and to some extent by Chandler who was persuasive and superficially charming," he said. But Judge Kennedy said she had been "deceitful from the outset" and had "lost her sense and compassion" when she got involved. He added that she clearly cared more for Jackson than he cared for her. Granger, who posed under the name of Rachel, was wined and dined by the divorced father of three who boasted to friends he was not paying her to be with him, the court heard earlier. On the night he was killed, Mr Hassan had taken Granger to the upmarket Nobu restaurant before giving her Â£1,000 to gamble with at the nearby Palm Beach Casino. The two were seen kissing passionately by a poker supervisor, before leaving the casino together for Mr Hassan's flat in Islington. Granger then let Jackson and Chandler into the poker player's flat before leaving in a taxi. Both men tied up Mr Hassan with parcel tape and a neck tie before kicking and stamping him to death, the trial was told. Afterwards, while he lay dead in a pool of blood, all three were filmed on Granger's mobile phone throwing Â£50 notes around a room and even stuffing them in their underpants. Commenting on the footage, Judge Kennedy told the three defendants: "The eloquence with which it speaks about you is deafening."

Summary: A woman who set a "honey trap" for a professional gambler who was kicked to death for his winnings has been jailed for 16 years.


If Prime Minister Theresa May does not appear to have had a particularly good night, Ruth Davidson, the Tory leader in Scotland, certainly has. The Scottish Tories have seen double-digit increases in their vote in almost every seat. They've more than doubled their returns in some places where the party was previously unelectable. First they knocked off Angus Robertson, the SNP's deputy leader and top dog at Westminster. They had called that their "Portillo moment" - but their best was yet to come, as they dethroned Alex Salmond in Gordon. They even overturned the fourth-safest seat in the country, in Banff and Buchan. Other Scottish Tory gains include: It's been a long time since the Tories have had a night like this in Scotland. In four elections in a row, they returned a single MP. The year before that, 1997, they got zero. You have to go back to 1992 for the last time they won more than a single seat in Scotland. They ended up with 13 - the party's best showing north of the border since 1983. What this Tory resurgence means for the rest of the UK in terms of parliamentary calculations is unclear. The margins are razor-thin, so every seat is precious. But the Tories are resolute in what they believe it means for Scotland. "Indyref2 is dead," Ms Davidson says. The prospect of a second independence referendum has been at the core of the Tory campaign, and indeed their entire revival in Scotland. The SNP have a majority of seats, and thus a "triple lock" mandate for that referendum, according to their manifesto - but it certainly seems a more distant prospect than ever. And while Mrs May's future might now be in doubt, Ms Davidson's star is burning more brightly than ever.

Summary: Election night has turned out to be a night of contrasting fortunes for the Conservative and Unionist Party.


The crash happened at Evanton at about 17:20 on Saturday. The fire service and the air ambulance was sent to the scene. The occupants of all three vehicles were injured, but the extent of their injuries was not known, police said. A spokesman added: "Inquiries are ongoing into this matter and no further witnesses are sought at this time."

Summary: Several people have been injured in a three-car collision on the A9 near Dingwall in the Highlands.


Martin McCauley was seriously wounded and a teenager was killed when police opened fire on a hayshed in County Armagh in 1982. It later emerged that the security services had secretly recorded what happened. The evidence was not made available to the court during his trial. The 52-year-old, from Lurgan, County Armagh, was arrested along with Niall Connolly and James Monaghan in Colombia in 2001 and accused of IRA training of rebel FARC guerrilla forces. They were initially cleared of the charge, only to be convicted on appeal and sentenced to 17 years in jail. But the three men avoided imprisonment by fleeing Colombia in 2004, turning up in the Republic of Ireland a year later. Even though Mr McCauley faces extradition to South America if he returns to Northern Ireland, the Court of Appeal in Belfast is examining a weapons conviction for which he received a two-year suspended jail sentence. Police claimed Martin McCauley confronted them with a rifle at a hayshed 32 years ago during the so-called RUC shoot to kill incident. He was seriously injured and Michael Tighe was killed when RUC officers opened fire. In 1985, Martin McCauley was convicted of possession of three rifles found inside the shed and given a two-year suspended sentence. He had insisted he and Michael Tighe, had not been armed and that the police opened fire without warning. The police told the court that was not true. Years after his conviction, it was revealed that MI5 had a listening device hidden inside the hayshed at the time of the shooting that recorded what happened. That recording could have re-established whether the police issued any warnings or made any reference to Mr McCauley being armed before they opened fire. The existence of the recording was not made known to the court at the time of his trial. Its existence was discovered by the former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir John Stalker, as part of his investigation into allegations that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was operating a shoot to kill policy. He also discovered that the recording was later destroyed. Last year, the Criminal Cases Review Commission referred his case to the Court of Appeal, on the basis that potentially significant material had been withheld from the judge. In a dramatic development on Wednesday, Gerald Simpson QC told the court he had been instructed to read a statement on behalf of the prosecution service. It said material relevant to the decision to prosecute Mr McCauley was withheld from the director of public prosecutions at the time, from the court and from the defence in the trial. The statement said this served only to undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system and to bring it into disrepute. The lawyer told the three Appeal Court judges that the prosecution service would not be making any submissions to uphold the conviction and invited them to exercise their discretion to quash it. The judges will sit next week to decide whether to do so. Mr McCauley's lawyers will argue that the conviction should

Summary: The Public Prosecution Service has said it will not oppose an appeal by one of the so-called Colombia Three against a weapons conviction.


The alert began just after midday when police received a report of a suspicious device at the back of business premises on Dunluce Street. Officers cordoned off the scene and part of the street was closed. It reopened at about 17:30 BST. The suspect object was examined by Army bomb experts who declared it a hoax device. Chief Inspector Stephen McCauley said: "Police acted quickly to keep people safe and away from the suspicious object. "Many businesses and a few residents in the area were evacuated. "The lives of local people have been disrupted today and I lay the blame on those who planted the hoax device. Their actions are irresponsible and show disregard for the local community. "Hoax devices can be very realistic and similar in look to the real thing. Where there is a clear threat to life, police must take action to keep people safe."

Summary: A security alert in the centre of Larne, County Antrim, has ended and been declared a hoax.


Mr Turnbull said the titles were "not appropriate" in modern Australia, and that Queen Elizabeth had accepted the cabinet's recommendation to drop them. Former PM Tony Abbott reintroduced knighthoods and damehoods in 2014. His controversial decision to grant Prince Philip a knighthood in January was widely seen as one of the factors which ended his term as leader. Mr Abbott at the time said Australia was honouring the Duke of Edinburgh's lifetime of "service and dedication", but later said the decision was "injudicious". He was ousted as leader of the centre-right Liberal Party by Mr Turnbull in September. Analysis: Jon Donnison, BBC News, Sydney The decision to give Prince Philip a knighthood was hugely unpopular in Australia and seen as one of the biggest blunders of Tony Abbott's brief time in office. Now the new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who in 1999 led Australia's unsuccessful campaign to abandon the monarchy and become a republic, has dropped knights and dames. The prime minister will have the chance to discuss the matter with the Duke of Edinburgh's son later this month, when Prince Charles comes to Australia on a royal visit. Mr Turnbull has recently said he remains a republican but says he does not regard the issue as a priority for his government. End of 'Knightmare' poses republican question In a statement, Mr Turnbull said the Order of Australia awards were "an important way of honouring the achievements and service of many Australians, including those unsung heroes who might not otherwise be recognised outside their local communities". But he said his cabinet had recently reviewed the system and decided that the knighthoods and damehoods were "not appropriate in our modern honours system". Existing knights and dames would not be affected by the change, he said. The opposition Labor party welcomed the move, with shadow treasurer Chris Bowen describing the titles "a national disgrace". But he said it was "not appropriate" for Australia to be "clinging onto imperial Britain through our honours system". "We shouldn't be celebrating the fact that knights and dames are gone, we should be lamenting the fact that they came back under this government," ABC News quoted him as saying. However, monarchist groups in Australia criticised the decision. Prominent Australian monarchist David Flint accused Mr Turnbull of trying to get "revenge" for the failed 1999 republic referendum, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Mr Flint, the head of the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy organisation, said scrapping the titles means Australia can't give international recognition to its best soldiers, sportsmen and singers. Australia's honours system Commonwealth honours systems Alongside Prince Phillip, three people have received the honour since 2014 - former New South Wales governor Marie Bashir, former Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and the former Chief of the Defence Force Angus Houston. Australians rallied together online under the hashtag #KnightsAndDames to welcome Mr Turnbull's announcement. Many agreed that this was a step forward for Australia. Others felt there were more pressing issues to be dealt with.

Summary: Australia will no longer appoint knights and dames under its honours system, PM Malcolm Turnbull has said.


Sevilla, winners of the tournament in 2014 and 2015, led early on through Vitolo's close-range strike. Marlos equalised with a composed finish from 18 yards before Taras Stepanenko headed the Ukrainian side in front before half-time. But Kevin Gameiro's late penalty earned the Spaniards a draw. The French attacker showed no signs of nerves, converting confidently from the spot after Facundo Ferreyra fouled Vitolo just inside the area. The result leaves Sevilla on course for a third consecutive Europa League success, with the two away goals making them firm favourites to advance to the final in Basel. No team has won three consecutive European titles since Bayern Munich achieved the feat 40 years ago, and if Unai Emery's side progress from next Thursday's second leg in Spain, only Liverpool or Villarreal stand between them and a piece of history. The first leg of that tie ended 1-0 to Villarreal. Sevilla have not won away from home all season in La Liga and have managed just one victory on their travels in this competition, so a draw in Lviv represents a fine achievement. But their home form is excellent - they have won 14 of 18 league games at their Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium - meaning their bid to become the first team to win the Europa League three times in a row remains very much alive.

Summary: Holders Sevilla came from behind to earn a draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final in Lviv.


The party's economy spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth warned steel's troubles were a "canary in the mine", warning of deeper problems across a range of industries. These include basic metals, chemicals and wood. The Welsh government called on Westminster to address the impact of high energy prices on industry. The UK government has been asked to comment. Plaid said Gross Value Added (GVA) figures - which measure the value of goods and services produced - show the so-called foundation industries in Wales have suffered a 39% decline in the five years to 2013. Mr ap Iorwerth urged the Welsh government to take action to help industries combat high energy costs. He said: "Figures show that the threat to our economy runs far deeper than steel, but affects the range of industries that our economy is built upon. "This includes the chemical industry, other metals, and wood products. Wales' foundation industries have witnessed a steep decline." He said UK government should also work with the EU to ensure maximum flexibility in use of procurement legislation so that they can better protect British industry. A Welsh government spokesman said: "No-one has defended the steel industry more than the Welsh government. "We have raised with the UK government over several years our concerns about the impact high UK energy prices are having on the competitiveness of our industries and again call on them to address this major problem. "The economy minister has set-up an industry-led task group to gather examples of good procurement practices and to identify support other EU countries have provided to their steel industries." Pro Steel Engineering in Caldicot, Monmouthshire, is only three years old but has benefited from contracts in London, including the new Olympic Stadium roof in London for West Ham United and strengthening the Hammersmith fly-over. Director Richard Selby said: "We're fortunate we're expanding and are hoping to start recruiting in a couple of months and we have a full order book. "We've had the ability to stay agile and seizing the opportunities. "But the foundation industries need a lot more support, particularly with the energy costs we have, and we need for the Welsh government and Westminster to get behind them to help them thrive." Economist Prof Calvin Jones, of Cardiff University, said the foundation industries were still important in terms of their high economic value and for being iconic. But he said Wales' growth areas had been in retail, hotels, back-office financial services and the public sector. "We have to think about how they will fulfil Wales' economic destiny as we'd like to see it," he said. "Of course, on current structures they can't, they simply aren't like Tata which is a company which is incredibly valuable in so many ways. "A back office for a bank simply can't do the same things for Wales, no matter how many bums on seats there are in those call centres. They don't provide the same jobs or a narrative for the Welsh economy that will give us a future vision." Prof Jones said the steel industry in Wales had done

Summary: The crisis in the steel industry could signal potential problems across other core Welsh industries, Plaid Cymru has warned.


Shafiq Mohammed was also found to have resisted arrest at a demonstration in Monkton, South Ayrshire, in 2015. The 50-year-old former Scottish Refugee Council worker was said to have verbally abused a woman and three men. However, the sheriff did not formally proceed to conviction of the accused in respect of the charges. At Ayr Sheriff Court, Sheriff Weir said he would consider a submission from Mr Mohammed's lawyer under section 246 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 when a further hearing is held in December. He adjourned the case for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report. During the court case, the sheriff heard how tempers flared as members of the far-right anti-immigration Scottish Defence League staged a counter demonstration against pro-refugee demonstrators on 15 November last year. It followed 150 refugees being granted emergency accommodation at the Ayrshire town's Adamton Country House Hotel. Mr Mohammed was said to have shouted that the group were "nothing but white bastards". He denied behaving in a racially aggravated manner which was intended to cause alarm and distress. Mr Mohammed claimed the four witnesses had conspired to make up the allegations against him. Sheriff Robert Weir QC found that Mr Mohammed had behaved in the manner outlined in the charges but opted to reserve his verdict, adjourning the case until December. He said it had been a "troubled case" and said the atmosphere at the rally had been "rendered toxic by other people". The sheriff told Mr Mohammed his actions were "to be deplored". The court heard Mr Mohammed had previously worked for property firm Orchard & Shipman, which has been paid more than Â£60m to house refugees in Scotland. He is currently involved in the Asylum Seeker Housing (ASH) Project - an organisation campaigning on asylum seeker housing issues in the west of Scotland.

Summary: A pro-refugee campaigner racially abused counter demonstrators at a rally to welcome Syrian refugees to Scotland, a court has heard.


It's the fifth coin portrait to have been created during the Queen's reign. It was unveiled in a special ceremony in London and coins carrying the new design will also begin being made from today. But it may take a little while for the coins to get into your pockets - new coins tend to go to cash centres and banks first.

Summary: A new picture of the Queen to appear on coins has been unveiled.


It is believed to have left the park, near the small town of Beaufort West, through a hole under the fence. "A helicopter is on standby and rangers are walking around with attacker dogs in case they came across the lion," South African National Parks official Fayrouch Ludick told the BBC. A tourist was killed last week by a lion at a game park near Johannesburg. African news updates The American woman was mauled after the lion jumped through a car window which was open in breach of park rules. Ms Ludick said park officials were confident that the three-year-old male lion, which escaped from the Karoo National Park, would be recaptured. "The spoor has been found by the trackers, but it's just a matter of keeping up with it through the mountains and ravines," she said, South Africa's Eyewitness News reports. The Karoo National Park is in a sparsely populated area surrounded mainly by farms. Ms Ludick warned people not to approach the lion if they saw it. "Can't really judge the temperament of the lion because it is wild and it stays in a national park of under 90,000 hectares of land. It is not tame and has no exposure to humans often so there is no telling what it can do if it does come into contact with a human," Ms Ludick told the BBC. News of the lion's escape is spreading on local social media under #missinglion. The lion was believed to have escaped on Friday, and a farmer who spotted lion tracks on his farm alerted park officials, South Africa's News24 website reports. Park officials believe a hole formed under the fence after a heavy flow of water, making it possible for the lion to escape, it reports.

Summary: Game rangers are searching for a lion which escaped from a wildlife park in South Africa's Western Cape province.


One Syrian boy happily shows a model he has made out of cardboard - a neat house, complete with a shiny red roof, bright blue walls and tiny windows that swing open. It is a bitter sweet achievement. He has designed his dream house from memory of a time before, for there are no windows to open here. We are in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, and the schoolroom in this camp, like all the 40 or so other buildings, is made of wooden frames on concrete floors, covered in plastic sheeting. Much of it is decorated with incongruous advertising pictures, black-and-white shots of men in sunglasses and designer stubble. UK Prime Minister David Cameron wants to take refugees directly from camps like this in the Middle East, rather than absorb the people who have already made the journey to Hungary, Greece or Italy. The logic is that it will stop people making the perilous voyage across the Mediterranean. It makes a lot of sense. But it may already be too little, and far too late. Taking 4,000 more people each year until 2020 will hardly dent the problem. The border with Syria is only a few miles across the hill rising above the camp. The people here can still hear the war they fled, as President Bashar al-Assad's bombs land on a besieged town. Life is definitely safer this side of the border. But it is not comfortable. There are rats, the drinking water is dirty, and while it is now stifling under the September Sun, in winter the snow is 3ft (1m) high and they freeze. More importantly, life is getting worse and the pressure to leave Lebanon is growing all the time. One man, Mzead al-Ali, tells me he is on the brink of following those who have made the perilous exodus, leaving his wife and four children, including two seven-month-old twins, behind in the camp, so he can send them money. His brother left three days ago for Turkey. They haven't heard from him since he went, and don't know if he is safe. His mother wants to talk about it but has to keep pressing her hands flat against her face, to stop the tears. This is not, according to the government here, a refugee camp but a temporary settlement, and there are thousands like it. Lebanon is a country of four million people, and it now hosts well over a million refugees from its war-riven bigger neighbour. A third live in camps like this, but life is difficult also for others who have more conventional accommodation. The burden on Lebanon is nearly unbearable, as a government minister told me, and there are rising tensions. The refugees' presence puts pressure on the already dubious efficiency of water and electricity, schooling and health care. The charities are running out of money, and food aid has been slashed and slashed again. It is due to be cut again soon. Refugees can't get work permits so can't earn money for the papers they need to renew every year - the $200 (Â£130)

Summary: The little children trailing round behind us rush forward in their excitement, herding me into their makeshift schoolroom.


Camilla bought a box of mangoes with a Brixton Â£10 note, introduced last year to try to keep the money of local people within the community. The couple were surrounded by shoppers as they walked along Electric Avenue. They came to Brixton to see work which has started to revitalise the borough. It was Charles' first visit to the area since 1996, when he was accompanied by the former South African president Nelson Mandela. Greengrocer Derek Chong, who has run a stall on Electric Avenue for 20 years, said Camilla had been "nice and pleasant" when she purchased the fruit. "She asked me what was nice, what would I recommend, and I said we've got some nice mangoes. "She asked me were they ripe and I said yes - they're from the Dominican Republic." Mr Chong is one of 170 local retailers who accept the Brixton Pound. Customers exchange traditional pound coins for Brixton Pounds and then spend them at the market or in participating shops. During the visit, Prince Charles spent time talking to youth worker Marcus West, who works with children nearby on an estate off Coldharbour Lane. Mr West said: "He's on the level, really down-to-earth. They were very cheery. The prince is a lovely man." He added: "I told him I was working with young kids and he said, 'Keep up all the good work.'" Prince Charles also visited the Railway Hotel, at the invitation of his charity The Prince's Regeneration Trust. The trust hopes to restore and refurbish the building, where once Jimi Hendrix and The Clash played, as a new community and business centre.

Summary: The Duchess of Cornwall has used some of the currency accepted by businesses in south London - known as Brixton Pounds - on a visit to a local market with the Prince of Wales.


Scientists used information about the geology of the country to predict the areas most likely to be affected by the poison. The report is published in the journal Science. Arsenic occurs naturally in the Earth's crust, but if it leaches into groundwater, long-term exposure can cause serious health risks. These include skin problems and cancers of the skin, lungs, bladder and kidney. Geological maps Until now, estimating the scale of arsenic contamination in large countries has been difficult. China is thought to have more than 10 million drinking wells, and each needs to be screened to establish whether any toxic compounds are present. This process could take decades. Instead, researchers from Switzerland and China looked at geological maps of the country. Dr Annette Johnson, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) and a co-author of the study, explained: "In the last few years the amount of geospatial information - electronic maps - that's become available is large. You have information such as climate data, land use, and distance to the river or elevation." Using this information, and by looking at the types of rocks present in the country, and in particular their age, the researchers pinpointed the regions where the toxic element is most likely to be found. Their findings suggest that 19.6 million people in China could be exposed to unsafe levels in their drinking water, including some living in areas areas not previously thought to be at risk. Dr Johnson told the BBC World Service programme Science in Action: "They are areas along river basins where there is irrigation and agriculture, including areas that were known previously such as the Huhhot basin in Inner Mongolia, but there are also new areas in the central Sichuan province and along the east coast." The researchers say the findings could help the Chinese authorities with their well-screening programmes. Dr Johnson explained: "What it is very important to do is to go to the areas that are hotspots and screen those first. The chances are you will find more contaminated wells than wells that are not contaminated. "And in the other areas, you still have to make sure you do screening for arsenic, but it is probably not such a high priority." Wells that are contaminated could be either treated or taken out of use, she added. The researchers believe this new prediction method could used elsewhere around the world. Arsenic contamination of groundwater is found in central Europe, South America, parts of the US and Asia. But one country that could benefit is Bangladesh, where arsenic poisoning has been described by the World Health Organization as a "public health emergency". It is estimated that between 35 million and 77 million people there are at risk of drinking contaminated water.

Summary: Nearly 20 million people in China could be exposed to water contaminated with arsenic, a study suggests.


Media playback is not supported on this device First-half tries from Jonny May and Courtney Lawes were matched by a near-identical pair by George Ford and Owen Farrell in the second period to overwhelm the visitors. England had failed to beat the Springboks in their previous 12 meetings over 10 years, but after a Grand Slam in spring and whitewash of Australia in summer, the autumn has begun with more history being made. Inspired by a note-perfect display from scrum-half Ben Youngs, this performance was further undeniable evidence of the vast improvement made under the wily Jones. Watch: England v South Africa highlights iPlayer Read: 'With every game a little more promise shows for England' Listen: England can get a lot better - Jones Just over a year ago, England were knocked out of the World Cup they were hosting at the group stage, a mile away from competing with the best in the world. Now only New Zealand are ranked ahead of them, that status entirely deserved despite the obvious room for further improvement. After an early penalty and drop-goal from South Africa's Pat Lambie, England showed their ambition, Ford using Elliot Daly as a decoy runner in midfield off quick line-out ball to put Marland Yarde and Mike Brown in space, May finishing in the corner with trademark speed on his return to the side. But the Springboks' power was hurting England, with six penalties conceded in the first 20-odd minutes and clean line-breaks made by both props. Lambie's second three-pointer regained the lead for the visitors at 9-7. Gradually, England found the balance between pragmatism and adventure. Youngs' kicking and sniping helped regain the initiative, Farrell landed a penalty and then the men in white struck again. With the ball going through hands again Daly kicked long from inside his own half, May forced JP Pietersen into a fumble, Brown kicked on and second row Lawes dived on the loose ball as it rolled over the try-line. Farrell added the conversion and then Daly marked the occasion of his first England start with a monstrous penalty from halfway for a lead of 20-9 at the interval. Now it was England with the power, Billy Vunipola sucking in tacklers with his carrying, the Springboks' defence stretched and then fatally weakened. Youngs spotted space around the fringes on the opposition 22, beat blind-side flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit with an outrageous dummy and found Ford on his right shoulder to put his fly-half away for their side's third try. South Africa came into the match having lost four of their past five games, and shipped a half-century of points at home to the All Blacks in their last outing. A breakaway try from replacement Johan Goosen briefly gave them hope, but when Youngs foxed Du Toit with a replica dummy to send Farrell away, England's authority was once again absolute. Willie le Roux crossed late in the left-hand corner to underline England's need to tighten their defence. But in difficult conditions, this was an accomplished display, and with Fiji in London next

Summary: England stretched their perfect record under Eddie Jones to 10 matches as they demolished a weary South Africa at a rain-soaked Twickenham.


Sarries beat Tigers in the final round of pool matches, and will play Aaron Mauger's side at Allianz Park again. Quins, seventh in the top-flight, go to an Exeter side hoping to reach the final for the third time in a row. Welsh regions Dragons, Scarlets, Ospreys and Cardiff all failed to make it into the last four. The Anglo-Welsh Cup did not take place last year due to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The semi-finals will take place between 10-12 March, with the final to be staged at the Twickenham Stoop.

Summary: Reigning champions Saracens will host Leicester, with Exeter at home to Harlequins in an all-Premiership semi-final line-up in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.


Lee, who died last year, is revered by Singaporeans, while his children are respected members of the establishment. His son, Lee Hsien Loong, is prime minister. The family had presented a united front, but that cracked in recent days when Lee Wei Ling, a prominent doctor and newspaper columnist, publicly objected to what she saw as excess in the one-year commemorations. She also accused the government - led by her brother - of exploiting his legacy for its own gain, which Prime Minister Lee has rebutted. The exchange has shocked Singaporeans - public disputes among the establishment in this tightly controlled city are extremely rare, let alone one involving the country's equivalent of the royal family or the Kennedys. It has also fed into ongoing discussions on the tricky issue of how best to remember Lee Kuan Yew, a beloved idol who hated being one. Lee's death on 23 March last year prompted a massive outpouring of grief among Singaporeans who queued for hours to pay their respects, surprising even government officials. At least 100 events were organised for the one-year anniversary, ranging from solemn ceremonies and a candlelight vigil to tree-planting and kayaking events. Wax statues of Lee - widely known as LKY - and his wife were put on public display with flowers laid at their feet, a schoolbook teaching Lee's values was launched, while some ardent fans online even claimed to have seen his face in the clouds. Two days after the anniversary, amid unease in some quarters about the commemoration's intensity, Ms Lee posted a disapproving piece on Facebook arguing that her father would have objected. "Any veneration could have the opposite effect and lead future generations of Singaporeans to think that my father's actions were motivated by his desire for fame, or creation of a dynasty. He strove hard and determinedly in life to advance Singapore, and not for his place in history, or leaving a great legacy," she wrote. She later accused the government of wanting to "glorify my father", and alleged that a newspaper was doing the government's bidding by refusing to publish the piece unedited. The paper, The Straits Times, strongly denied her claims of censorship. In a now-deleted post of an exchange with the paper's editors, she wrote that her brother "has no qualms abusing his power to have a commemoration just one year after LKY died... if the power that be wants to establish a dynasty, LKY's daughter will not allow LKY's name to be sullied by a dishonourable son." One Sunday, the prime minister released a statement saying her accusations were "completely untrue", adding that his government felt the level of commemoration and activities "were generally appropriate". In Singapore, Lee's admirers face the dilemma of how to honour a famously unsentimental figure who sternly disapproved of any worship - he refused statues and monuments in his name, and wanted his home to be eventually knocked down to prevent it from becoming a shrine. In a 1984 interview, Lee had made clear his objections to the idea of a personality cult in

Summary: A rare spat among Singapore's first family has left citizens agog and fuelled debate on how the city-state's founding father Lee Kuan Yew should be remembered.


Jack Beales, 93, of Rhyl, carried out the attacks while she was a young girl, mainly when he was in his 70s. He denied five charges of rape and six other sexual offences but was unanimously convicted by the jury at Mold Crown Court on 9 December. Sentencing him on Wednesday, Judge Rhys Rowlands said Beales had destroyed his victim's childhood. His victim, now aged in her 30s, took to the witness stand to read her victim impact statement. The court heard the abuse began when she was aged six and continued for about 10 years. She said she had wanted to commit suicide and hoped, when she confronted Beales last summer, it would bring some kind of closure. But she said it had not and she was still on strong medication for depression and anxiety, and was awaiting counselling. The court had heard she confronted Beales at his home and he admitted in front of her mother and his wife he had groped her as a child. He later said "that was what men did". The woman said every time she came into contact with Beales he made hurtful comments. She said: "Once again I felt suicidal and felt I could not continue suffering while he was living a happy and carefree life, with no apparent suffering." The woman said one of her biggest wishes in life was to start a family. But she added: "I worry that there may be internal physical damage due to the abuse which may mean I am unable to conceive or carry a child to full term." She said she felt she could not trust anyone and saw the world "as a very dangerous place". "I am hyper vigilant when kids are left unattended or unsupervised around men," she told the court. "I feel unable to relax, and as though I have a responsibility to be watchful over others." Defending barrister Andrew Green said Beales had no previous convictions and accepted some acts had taken place but he denied other allegations including all the rapes. Jailing him, Judge Rowlands said Beales did not have "an ounce of remorse" and was "devoid of any moral compass at all". He will have to serve a further 12 months on licence. Det Insp William Jones, of North Wales Police, said: "John (Jack) Beales was a manipulative and depraved sexual predator who committed multiple offences over a sustained period of time. He is now thankfully behind bars. "No child should ever have to experience what the victim went through." An NSPCC Wales spokesman said the victim "must be commended for showing incredible bravery in reporting what happened to her so Beales could eventually face justice for his crimes".

Summary: The victim of a pensioner jailed for 13 years for horrific sex attacks has told of the abuse that ruined her life.


The Swift Archway Cranford 545 caravan was stolen from a site in Yaxley, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday night. Davis tweeted "My touring caravan was stolen.. even though it was locked up with hitch & wheel lock! I want to swear... #rotters". He added the thieves could have "headed north or south on A1, or west on A14". Cambridgeshire Police said: "We have had a report of a caravan being stolen in the Yaxley area between 5pm on Thursday and 12.45pm on Friday. We are investigating." Davis, who played the role of Wicket in the third of the original Star War movies, is also appearing in the forthcoming Star Wars: Episode VII. Davis's credits include Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films and Nikabrik in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Anyone with information about the caravan is asked to call Cambridgeshire Police.

Summary: Star Wars and Harry Potter star Warwick Davis, who played an ewok in Return of the Jedi, has taken to Twitter to help recover his stolen caravan.


Police in Madhya Pradesh state told reporters sedition was "hard to prove". The men have been charged with "disturbing communal harmony" instead. They were arrested after their Hindu neighbours complained they had burst firecrackers during the game, which saw Pakistan beat India by 180 runs. Senior police officer RR Parihar said that an additional charge of conspiracy against the men would also remain. "It's difficult to prove the sedition charge. Moreover, none of them has a criminal background," he told reporters. The accused were sent to jail in the city of Khandwa on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of the men, calling the arrests "patently absurd". Sedition is one of the most serious charges under the Indian penal code. People charged with sedition have to surrender their passports, are not eligible for government jobs, must appear in court as and when required, and spend money on legal fees. If found guilty, they could be sent to prison for life. The India Today website quoted police as saying that the men were charged because of the anti-India slogans and not because they were cheering for Pakistan. However family members of the accused have denied the charges against them. "We don't know who burst crackers in support of Pakistan. All these charges against my son are fabricated," Gulzar Tadwi, the father of one of those arrested, told BBC Hindi. Sikhander, who uses one name, said police had come in the night and taken away his sons without even telling them why. He also denied that anyone in his house had cheered for Pakistan. This is not the first time Indian Muslims have got into trouble for cheering for the Pakistan cricket team. In 2014, 66 Muslim students from Indian-administered Kashmir were kicked out of their university in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and charged with disturbing communal harmony. And in 2016, police were sent into a university in Indian-administered Kashmir after clashes between students from the state, the only Muslim majority one in India, and other parts of the country.

Summary: Indian police have dropped sedition charges against 15 Muslim men arrested for allegedly shouting "anti-India and pro-Pakistan" slogans during the Champions Trophy cricket final.


Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has asked the interior minister to take steps "immediately" to dissolve the Revolutionary Nationalist Youth (JNR). Five people are under investigation over the death of Clement Meric, 18. He was badly beaten in a clash between far-right and anti-fascist activists in Paris on Wednesday, and later died. The Paris Prosecutor, Francois Molins said according to witnesses the two groups had run into each other by chance in a busy shopping district near St Lazare train station, where a fight broke out. He said the arrested suspects claimed to have responded to provocation by the left-wing group. All five suspects went before a judge on Saturday, two days after they were detained. According to the prosecutor, the main suspect named Esteban, 20, was being investigated on suspicion of murder. "The [suspect] named Esteban acknowledged to police that he had struck Clement Meric twice - bare-fisted, he claimed - including the blow that caused him to fall to the ground," Mr Molins said. Other witnesses said "Esteban" had worn a knuckle-duster. "A friend of Clement Meric said he saw him with a knuckle-duster, while another witness at the scene referred to a 'shiny object' in his hands." Two sets of knuckle-dusters had been found at his home, the prosecutor added. The teenager was placed on life support but was declared brain dead and died on Thursday. French President Francois Hollande said he condemned the attack "in the strongest terms". France has seen increasing tension between left and right, following a fierce debate over the introduction of same-sex marriage. The JNR is the militant wing of a far-right movement known as the Third Way. It has denied any link to the brawl. Its leader, Serge Ayoub, has been questioned by police following the killing but is not a suspect. But Mr Molins said on Saturday that all the suspects under investigation had ties to the Third Way. Only one, a young woman named Katia, was said to have admitted being a member, he added. Prime Minister Ayrault said in a statement: "I have asked [Interior Minister Manuel Valls] immediately to begin the procedure... to proclaim the dissolution of the Revolutionary Nationalist Youths." The government has vowed to crackdown on fascist groups. Mr Valls said: "Sadly such movements are resurging... racists, anti-Semites and homophobes". France's main far-right party, the National Front, described the killing of Mr Meric as "appalling".

Summary: The French government is to take steps to break up a far-right group allegedly linked to the death of a left-wing activist.


Fly-half Billy Burns was the Premiership side's hero, scoring all 16 of their points before they resisted a battling comeback from the French team. Burns intercepted and ran the length of the field for the opening try after an even first half had finished 6-6. The hosts hit back through Damien Lagrange but his try was unconverted. The Cherry and Whites will face either Stade Francais or local rivals Bath - who meet in Paris on Sunday - in the final in Edinburgh on Friday, 12 May. Defeat for La Rochelle was the French Top 14 leaders' first at home this season. Gloucester, the 2014-15 winners, were never behind in the match, taking a six-point lead early on through Burns' boot before the hosts hit back to level before the break, and then defended resolutely in the closing stages. Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw made his return from injury from the replacements bench for the Cherry and Whites, having not featured since picking up an ankle injury during the Six Nations. Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys: "The effort the players put in out there was unbelievable. We showed character and spirit against an unbelievably good team. "I'm delighted for everyone at the club. So much of what we planned to do came off, particularly in the first 30 minutes, and we hung in there as the game went on. "To defend the way we did against an unbelievably physical team was really pleasing and I'm thrilled to get back to another European final." La Rochelle: Murimurivalu; Lacroix, Jordaan, Aguillon, Rattez; James, Januarie; Pelo, Maurouard, Atonio (capt), Nailiko, Tanguy, Sazy, Veivuke, Gourdon. Replacements: Seneca, Corbel, Boughanmi, Cedaro, Lagrange, Retiere, Bales, Rawaca. Gloucester: Marshall; May, Trinder, Atkinson, Halaifonua; Burns, Heinz (capt); Hohneck, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Thrush, Moriarty, Rowan, Morgan. Replacements: Matu'u, McAllister, Thomas, Galarza, Ludlow, Laidlaw, Twelvetrees, Sharples. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.

Summary: Gloucester reached their second European Challenge Cup final in three seasons as they held on to win an absorbing semi-final at La Rochelle.


The attack happened in a lane between Great Western Road and the Auchentoshan Estate at about 01:30 on Saturday 21 November. Three of the victims were 15 and two were left with life-threatening injuries. The other victim was 18. Two 16-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy are expected to appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

Summary: Three youths have been arrested over the stabbing of four teenagers in Clydebank.


Police were called to the property in Thornhill Road at about 11:00 on Saturday following the discovery of the body. The death is being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination will be held to establish the cause. A Police Scotland spokesman said a disturbance had earlier been heard in the block of flats. Forensic examinations are taking place at the scene and there is an increased police presence in the area. Officers are appealing for any witnesses who may have been in the Thornhill Road area between 17:00 on Friday and 11:00 on Saturday to come forward. Det Ch Insp Jim Smith said: "This is a heartbreaking time for the deceased's family and they are being supported by officers at this time. "We are aware that sounds of a disturbance were heard within a block of flats in Thornhill Road and are keen to hear from anyone who was in that area during the evening of Friday 10th April and into the early hours of Saturday 11th April. "Anyone who saw or heard anything that was out of the ordinary is asked to contact Police Scotland immediately."

Summary: The body of a 30-year-old man has been found at a flat in Falkirk.


Horror stories have been handed down the generations about the mysterious site, known as Deadman's Island, so the BBC's Inside Out South East programme took a boat across to investigate whether any of the rumours were true. Lots of people have since been talking about it on social media sites. Here are the answers to six things you wanted to know. 1. Where is Deadman's Island and who owns it? It lies at the mouth of The Swale, opposite the town of Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey, off the north Kent coast. The uninhabited mudbank is owned by Natural England, who lease it to two people. The wetland site is protected land, and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and recognised to be of international importance under the Ramsar convention. It is also an important bird breeding and nesting site. 2. Can anyone visit? No, the island is completely out of bounds to the public. The Inside Out team was only allowed to visit after receiving permission from the leaseholder and because it was not the bird breeding season. 3. Who were the people buried there? The remains are believed to be those of men and boys who died of contagious diseases on board floating prisons, known as prison hulks, which were moored off the Isle of Sheppey more than 200 years ago. They were buried in unmarked coffins in six feet of mud. 4. Why are their remains being exposed? Rising sea levels and coastal erosion over the years have begun to slowly wash away their final resting place, leaving wooden coffins and skeletal remains sticking out of the mud. They are only visible when the tide is out. 5. Will the bodies be reburied? The remains are being washed out into the sea, and would be difficult to re-bury. Coincidentally, during the Napoleonic wars, many French prisoners of war were held around the coast at Chatham, with those who died buried on the nearby marshes. When erosion started to reveal the bodies, they were exhumed and reburied on St Mary's Island. When the land was later needed for redevelopment, they were disinterred again and reburied at St George's Church, now the St George's Centre, at Chatham Maritime. 6. Have archaeologists visited the island? Kent archaeologist Dr Paul Wilkinson was taken to the island by Inside Out, and confirmed the bones were human remains. It is not known if any archaeologists have surveyed the area as nothing has been made public. You can see the full story on Inside Out, on BBC One South East and London on Monday 30 January at 19:30 GMT, and later on the BBC iPlayer.

Summary: The remains of dozens of people who were buried more than 200 years ago are being slowly exposed on an island in Kent.


The 29-year-old Scot has signed a two-year contract with the Gloucestershire outfit. Prior to joining Hibs in August 2016, Graham had spells at six other Scottish sides, including Dundee United, St Johnstone and Ross County. He will be available for Saturday's league visit of Crawley Town, subject to receiving international clearance. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: League Two club Cheltenham Town have signed Hibernian striker Brian Graham on a free transfer.