Mark King, 21, earlier admitted stabbing 37-year-old Steven Downes in the Dennistoun area of Glasgow at 01:30 on 17 January 2015. He was told he would also be supervised for three years after his release. King is already serving four-and-a-half years for another stabbing carried out in July 2015 while he was on bail. For that offence he was also ordered to be supervised in the community for two years following his release. The court heard that in the January attack, Mr Downes had been stabbed in the back, face, arm and side and had suffered a punctured lung. Judge Lord Clark highlighted the "pattern of knife-carrying" King was developing and told him a substantial prison term was the only appropriate sentence. King was assessed as being at "maximum risk" of re-offending or causing harm to the public. During his evidence, Mr Downes said he had asked King and his friends in the close to keep the noise down because his children were sleeping. King, who was armed with a knife, ran up the stairs towards him. Mr Downes said: "I think I got stabbed when I got dragged out of my house with my jumper over my head. "A group were kicking my door open and bottles were getting flung. "I blacked out and ended up in the Western Infirmary suffering from a punctured lung." Passing sentence at the High Court in Livingston, Lord Clark told King he had been convicted of assaulting Mr Downes to his severe injury to the danger of his life and of attempting to murder him. "You tried to force entry to Steven Downes' flat. The door was kicked open and Steven Downes was dragged out of the flat and struck on the head and stabbed," he said. "He had a stab wound to his back, stab wounds to his face and arm and a stab wound to the left side resulting in a collapsed lung and bleeding into his chest cavity. "The injury to his left arm required to be stapled, the injury to his back was life-threatening and other injuries have resulted in permanent scarring." He added: "Your repeated involvement in offences involving knives is a very serious matter. "The report notes you are beginning to develop a pattern of knife-carrying which is assessed as representing an increased risk to local communities. "I see no alternative to a substantial custodial sentence." He warned King that any breach of the licence conditions could see him taken back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. Matt Jackson, defending, revealed his client had been convicted of assault to severe injury and danger of life, along with other offences, and was on High Court bail when he committed the crimes. Mr Jackson said King had been "a young lad with terrific prospects" before he turned to offending while out of work. "Every once in a while in one's professional career one encounters an individual [whom] its baffling to understand how he's involved in and is convicted of these very serious offences.

Summary: A man has been jailed for 10 years for the attempted murder of a father who had asked him to keep the noise down in a common close of his flat.


Joe Root, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali and Mark Wood also return for the tie with Pakistan at Old Trafford on 7 September after missing Sri Lanka in July. Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, James Vince, and Dawid Malan all miss out. However, rapid T20 specialist Tymal Mills retains his place. Stokes missed the tie against Sri Lanka, which England won by eight wickets, but has figured in the ongoing five-match ODI series, in which they have beaten Pakistan in the first three fixtures. England impressed at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, scoring an international ODI record 444-3. Hales scored 171 in that match, the highest score by an England batsman in limited overs cricket, while Root added 85 - his fifth consecutive ODI half-century. Liam Dawson took 3-27 on debut against Sri Lanka, but misses out as Test spinner Ali returns, while Malan drops out of the squad without making his debut. National selector, James Whitaker, said: "It is excellent to see the progress we are making in white ball cricket across both formats. "It is testament to the excellent work being nurtured in the county structure and through the England Lions, that there is a depth of quality pushing the nucleus of the current group." England Twenty20 squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Sam Billings (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Tymal Mills (Sussex), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

Summary: Ben Stokes has returned to the England Twenty20 squad for the first time since being hit for four sixes in the final over of the World T20, when West Indies beat England.


They ruled that Attorney General John Larkin QC's bid came too late. Mr Larkin sought to refer the verdict against Ashers bakery to the UK's highest court under devolution issues. In October, the Appeal Court upheld a ruling against the bakery's Christian owners that their refusal to make a cake iced with the slogan "Support Gay Marriage" was discriminatory. A long-running legal battle ensued when customer Gareth Lee sued after his order was declined at the company's Belfast city centre shop in May 2014. The gay rights activist had requested a cake depicting Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie with the slogan for an event to mark International Day Against Homophobia. Bakery bosses refunded his money for the order because the message went against their Christian faith. The McArthur family, who run the firm, insist their problem was with the cake and not the customer but Mr Lee claimed he was left feeling like a lesser person. Last week, lawyers for the bakery were formally refused leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, though the McArthur family can now petition directly for a hearing in London. Mr Larkin backed the family's case but his attempt to invoke his powers has now been rejected. He was intending to ask the Supreme Court to rule on issues related to devolution. Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan ruled in the Court of Appeal that this step came after the case had ended. "We do not consider there are exceptional circumstances in this case which require us to re-open proceedings," he said.

Summary: Northern Ireland's top law officer cannot refer the "gay cake" case to the Supreme Court, senior judges have said.


Protesters hung a sign over the city's famous Rialto bridge and some carried suitcases to symbolise having to leave. Locals say they are being forced out by high rents, housing shortages and a surge in the number of apartments being rented to visitors at inflated prices. The population of Venice has dropped to under 55,000, from about 175,000 in 1951. Some of the protesters were received by the city hall and later said they were encouraged by the meeting. The number of people in the picturesque and car-free lagoon-side city swells in the daytime, especially in peak season when as many as 60,000 tourists can visit. Earlier this year, people on small boats tried to stop a cruise ship from docking. The city's mayor has proposed taxing day trippers to help deal with the problem. "Venice is losing 1,000 residents each year," said Matteo Secchi, head of the association venessia.com which organised the rally. "We are turning into Pompei, a town which people come to visit and say it's magnificent, but no-one lives there."

Summary: Hundreds of residents of Venice have staged a protest against the rapid depopulation of the Italian city.


Witnesses told officers they heard a gun being fired near Anfield Road Primary School at about 09:00 GMT. Pupils and staff there and at the nearby All Saints Catholic Primary School have been ordered to stay indoors while police investigate. Ch Supt Mark Harrison said it "beggars belief" it would happen at a school. Members of the public told police the shot was fired at a dark coloured car by a white man in a grey hooded top who was on foot. A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said local hospitals had been checked and "no-one has sought medical attention for injuries caused by a firearm". She said officers were making house-to-house inquiries and studying CCTV footage of the area. Ch Supt Harrison said the attack "appears to be targeted" and was particularly worrying as "a child could have been seriously injured or worse". He said police wanted to hear from those inside the car "so we know they are safe". Anfield Road Primary School's headteacher Clair Drew-Williams said her pupils were "safe and unaware of the incident". "The site was not evacuated, the school day is continuing as normal and a trip for some pupils took place as planned," she said.

Summary: A shot was reportedly fired at a car outside a primary school in Liverpool as parents were taking their children inside, police have said.


"I have been asked in my younger years to consider joining, and I just never felt ready or prepared," said Ms Seifert, who started working as a model at the age of 14 and later worked as a television presenter. But the moment finally arrived in 2009, after she had finished a nursing degree in New York. At the age of 25 - the limit for most pageants - time was running out. Ms Seifert trained for over a month at a so-called beauty camp, setting her sights on representing the Philippines at the Miss Universe competition. But she said pageant organisers disqualified her days before the finals over bikini photos published in a men's magazine. Undaunted, she decided to take part in another national pageant weeks later. Not only did she win the national Miss Earth title, she went on to compete in the international pageant, where she was crowned runner-up out of 80 competitors from all over the world. Beauty pageants have been popular in the Philippines since they were brought to the country by the American colonial government in the first half of the 20th Century, says Jose Wendell Capili, an academic at the University of the Philippines in the capital, Manila. Opposition from feminists, if there is any, is muted. The recent successes of candidates in international competitions have heightened interest even further. Mr Capili, who wrote a book about Philippine pageants, says that as a result, pageants have become more competitive. "In the old days, an untrained candidate may end up winning a title either because she is a great beauty or is someone from a pedigreed family," he said. "These days, there are talent scouts and modelling agencies who actually train some of the girls, months, even years, before the national competition." One of the most successful beauty camps is headed by Jonas Gaffud, who is CEO of a large modelling agency, Mercator. He and a teams of mentors field an average of 10 candidates a year. The mentors work for free, and many of the women dominate the national pageants and go on to place well internationally. Mr Gaffud is credited with helping Megan Young win the first Miss World crown for the Philippines in 2013. His team's beauty queens have also been finalists in every Miss Universe pageant since 2010. Some have also placed in previous Miss World and Miss International finals. In scouting a potential candidate, Mr Gaffud said that height - at least five feet five inches tall (165.1cm) - and "the beauty of face" were most important. But training was just as important. He said candidates need to start training at least six months before a competition. This included studying the pageant's cause, learning how to walk on stage, knowing how to do hair and make-up, exercising to tone the physique and practicing how to answer questions, he said. Ms Seifert, who trained at another beauty camp, said that the hours spent training were intense. "There are different exercises that you do, all the way from head to toe. Stretching, neck

Summary: Sandra Seifert is tall, pretty, smart and articulate, but it took a while for her to decide she wanted to take part in a beauty pageant in the Philippines.


In his regular BBC Sport column, football pundit Robbie Savage looks at why Liverpool look a long way off repeating last season's title challenge, how they should line up against Chelsea and the physical and mental battle Steven Gerrard faces to secure a long-term future with the Reds. It is only six months since Steven Gerrard's slip helped the Blues clinch a famous win on Merseyside that derailed Liverpool's title bid. Back then, at the end of April, the title was in the Reds' grasp. This weekend, I think we will see again how far away they are from mounting another title challenge. They are miles away from the level required for that, and will have to improve and work hard just to get in the top four. If they manage it, then securing back-to-back seasons in the Champions League should be seen as success for Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers. But not all their fans see it that way. I had some unhappy Reds supporters calling me up on 606 on BBC Radio 5 live last weekend to give their manager stick. Part of Liverpool's problem is that they overachieved massively last season, which has raised expectations unrealistically. That is not Rodgers' fault. Where he can be questioned is in the transfer market, especially up front. Between them Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge scored 52 of Liverpool's 101 Premier League goals last season. With Suarez sold and Sturridge playing only three out of 10 league games so far this season because of injury, Rodgers has lost a lot of goals from his line-up. But he has had money to spend and I do not think he has bought the right strikers to fit his system. Looking at Rodgers' options up front for Saturday, Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini are his three available front men, and the bottom line is that they are not good enough. It is not just that they do not look like scoring. There is a big difference in their work-rate compared to what Suarez and Sturridge gave the team. That means Liverpool are not starting games with the same intensity they did last season, or pressing teams high up the pitch to force them into mistakes. Doing that in 2013-14 Liverpool scored 59 first-half goals, 13 more than any other team, and scored in the first half of 34 out of 38 league matches - again the most in the top flight. In their first 10 games of this campaign, they have only managed a total of four goals before half-time, in three different matches. Instead of being on the front foot, they are having to chase games. They look pedestrian and that is not just the centre-forward's fault. When I have watched them, no matter what formation they play, they do not seem to have any runners going past their striker from midfield. Again, last season that used to happen all the time, but I was at St James' Park last weekend to co-commentate on their defeat by Newcastle, and the only player to run

Summary: Chelsea's return to Anfield on Saturday brings back unhappy memories for Liverpool and their immediate future is not much brighter either.


Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams died in 2012 in a barrage of bullets fired by 13 officers in a car chase. Michael Brelo, 31, the only officer to be charged, was cleared of voluntary manslaughter at the court in Cleveland. The US has seen a series of police race-related killings, some of which have led to serious civil unrest. In Cleveland itself, the police shooting last November of a 12-year-old black boy, Tamir Rice, as he waved a replica firearm, fuelled the national debate over police use of deadly force. The ruling has caused anger in the community but protests held after the verdict have been peaceful. Protesters gathered outside the cordoned-off courthouse, some chanting, "Hands up, don't shoot!" They later marched from the courthouse to the recreation centre where Tamir Rice was shot. Some 200 people also held a mock funeral procession in the city, carrying a black coffin and singing to mark six months since the shooting of Tamir Rice. Some held signs that said: "Will I be next?" Analysis: BBC North America correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan The dramatic car chase that ultimately led to the deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams happened more than two years ago, but many are hearing their story for the first time. Police shootings aren't uncommon, but events in Ferguson and more recently Baltimore have propelled these issues to the top of the agenda, forcing America to take a long hard look at the way it handles these cases. In this instance, the judge decided to acquit Michael Brelo - a conviction required a burden of proof he believed wasn't there. But recent protests on the streets of Cleveland show that campaigners are keeping up momentum in raising the wider issues of police brutality. Earlier this week activists took to the streets to highlight the number of black women victims of police violence. The #SayHerName #BlackWomenMatter campaign is designed to raise awareness of black female victims, who don't always attract the same level of media attention. Police Chief Calvin Williams vowed to support peaceful protest but warned the city would not tolerate violence. The case involving the deaths of Russell, 43, and Williams, 30, had sparked a department of justice inquiry that concluded Cleveland police had engaged in a pattern of excessive force and violation of civil rights. Only Mr Brelo was charged because prosecutors said the pair in the car were no longer a threat when he climbed on to the bonnet of their car and fired 15 shots through the windscreen in 7.4 seconds. But the judge said that as other officers had fired in a 137-shot barrage, he could not rule beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Brelo was responsible for the deaths. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John O'Donnell also cleared Mr Brelo of the lesser count of felonious assault. The judge said he would not "sacrifice" Mr Brelo if the evidence did not warrant conviction. "Guilty or not guilty, the verdict should be no cause for a civilised society to celebrate or riot," he said. County prosecutor Timothy McGinty said

Summary: A US policeman who climbed on to a car bonnet and fired repeatedly through the windscreen at unarmed black occupants has been cleared of all charges.


The English pairing of Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins topped Group C and come up against Mark Allen and Joe Swail, runners-up in Group D, in Wuxi. Group A winners Wales, with Mark Williams and Ryan Day, play Group B runners-up China A, who have Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo in their team. Holders China B against Belgium and Thailand v Iran complete the line-up. At the previous event in 2015, teenage Chinese duo Zhou Yuelong and Yan Bingtao, now 17 and 19 respectively, shocked Scotland's former world champion John Higgins and Stephen Maguire to claim the title. This year, the Scots, who had Anthony McGill in place of Maguire, failed to reach the knockout stages after finishing third in Group D.

Summary: England will face Northern Ireland in Saturday's quarter-finals of the Snooker World Cup in China.


Whether or not he is on the formal menu, Mr Snowden will certainly colour their conversation and the press conference that follows. Ms Merkel's trip to the US is markedly different in tone and substance from her last visit to Washington in June 2011. Back then, there was a state dinner during which Mr Obama presented her the Medal of Freedom. He talked of a productive partnership with Ms Merkel, one of the few world leaders with whom he has established a warm connection. She referred to him more than once as "dear Barack". This week's meeting is much shorter and will be all business. Three years ago, the leaders spent considerable time talking about the Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria, and G8 efforts to support those democratic transitions. They reiterated the desire to achieve negotiated settlements to the vexing challenges of the Iranian nuclear programme. They discussed the pending change in military strategy in Afghanistan and the need to overcome trade barriers and accelerate economic growth. Three years later, the policy outlook is vastly different, although thankfully not all bad. For example, not only are negotiations with Iran under way, there is a decent chance they will be successful. The war in Afghanistan is winding down. The Afghan presidential election is going surprisingly well. Whoever replaces President Hamid Karzai is likely to agree to a follow-on Nato mission there. The most urgent regional transformation is not the Middle East, where an Arab Spring has, with the exception of Tunisia, become a humanitarian nightmare, but Ukraine, where Russian President Vladimir Putin has already overseen the redrawing of the European map and may be agitating for more. There is no longer a G8, but a G7, trying to co-ordinate sanctions that impose costs on Mr Putin while minimising the impact on the European economy, not as easy a task as some suggest. The costs to Mr Putin are increasing, even if the ramp is not as steep as pundits and even some government officials on this side of the Atlantic would prefer. This week the US imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia's high tech sector and the EU quickly followed suit. Such co-ordination is important since the lift over time will be much heavier in Europe. Its level of integration with Russia exceeds that of the US. Mr Obama is right to be patient while maintaining firm pressure on Europe to move beyond its comfort zone. Ms Merkel is not only crucial to meaningful European action, she is the only Western leader with real potential to influence Mr Putin. The Obama-Putin relationship has hit a brick wall. She arrives in Washington undoubtedly stung that a German-led European monitoring team is being held by separatists in Sloviansk, Ukraine. She has every right to expect Russia to use its influence to gain their release. The fact they have not is a clear indication of its intent to further escalate the crisis. While in Washington, Ms Merkel will also meet the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde. As much

Summary: When German Chancellor Angela Merkel sits down for lunch on Friday with US President Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and Ukraine will be the main course, and Edward Snowden the centrepiece.


YouTube said the video - its most watched ever - has been viewed more than 2,147,483,647 times. It has now changed the maximum view limit to 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, or more than nine quintillion. Gangnam Style became a worldwide hit when it was released in 2012, largely due to the surreal video. How do you say 9,223,372,036,854,775,808? Nine quintillion, two hundred and twenty-three quadrillion, three hundred and seventy-two trillion, thirty-six billion, eight hundred and fifty-four million, seven hundred and seventy-five thousand, eight hundred and eight. Why was Psy nearly too much for YouTube? YouTube's counter previously used a 32-bit integer, which is a unit used to represent data in computer architecture. This means the maximum possible views it could count was 2,147,483,647. On 1 December, it posted a statement saying: "We never thought a video would be watched in numbers greater than a 32-bit integer... but that was before we met Psy." Google, which owns YouTube, later told website The Verge that engineers "saw this coming a couple months ago and updated our systems to prepare for it". YouTube now uses a 64-bit integer for its video counter, which means videos have a maximum viewer count of 9.22 quintillion. Psy has yet to comment although news of YouTube's change was posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages. The second most-watched video on YouTube - Baby by Justin Bieber - lags behind Gangnam Style by more than a billion views.

Summary: The music video for South Korean singer Psy's Gangnam Style exceeded YouTube's view limit, prompting the site to upgrade its counter.


The Australian Open champions, seeded fourth in Monte Carlo, sealed victory in 67 minutes. The Briton and the Brazilian went 4-0 up in the opening set and held firm to remain top of the ATP doubles rankings. A reflex Murray volley sealed the match and improved their season record to 17 wins and only three defeats. In the final they will meet either Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who beat Murray's brother Andy and Dominic Inglot on Friday, or Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. Brazilian Melo would have regained his individual number one doubles ranking with victory alongside Dodig of Croatia. But the second seeds, playing in their first semi-final of the year, were unable to take any of their four break points and decisively lost serve in the ninth game of the second set. Never want to miss the latest tennis news? You can now add this sport and all the other sports and teams you follow to yourpersonalised My Sport home.

Summary: World doubles number one Jamie Murray and partner Bruno Soares reached the Monte Carlo Masters final with a 6-2 6-4 win over Marcelo Melo and Ivan Dodig.


Christopher Huxtable, 34, from Swansea, had been missing since the collapse in February. His body was found on Wednesday and workers who carried out the search formed a guard of honour as it was driven from the site in the early hours of the morning. Ken Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, both from Rotherham, remain missing. The body of a fourth man, Michael Collings, 53, from Brotton, Teesside, was previously recovered from the site. Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris, who has been involved with the family since the incident, said they still did not know all the facts about the collapse. She said: "I feel very sad. My heart and my prayers go out to the family who have waited desperately for Christopher's body to be found. They can finally have closure, and say goodbye to him and grieve his loss. "But let's not forget that there's two other families who are still waiting for their loved ones to be returned." The building was due for demolition when it partially collapsed in February.

Summary: A body found in the ruins of a collapsed building at Didcot Power Station has been identified.


The Spanish-language TV network had cancelled its contract to broadcast the Miss USA pageant which is co-owned by Mr Trump. Univision had said last week it would not air the pageant because of what it called insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants. Mr Trump is running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Mr Trump has accused Univision of stifling his freedom of speech in order to boost the Democratic Party frontrunner, Hilary Clinton. While announcing his candidacy earlier this month, he had accused Mexico of sending rapists and other criminals to the United States. He also pledged to build a "great wall" on the US border with Mexico and insisted it would be paid for by Mexicans. He later insisted he was criticising US lawmakers, not Mexican people. US TV network NBC has also said it would not be airing the Miss USA and the Miss Universe pageants both owned by Mr Trump. Responding to the announcement, Mr Trump said he would consider suing NBC.

Summary: The US presidential candidate Donald Trump has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Univision.


Froome clocked 51 minutes and 18 seconds for the 37.5km stage from Bourg-Saint-Andeol to La Caverne du Pont-D'Arc, which Dutchman Tom Dumoulin won in 50 minutes and 15 seconds. Bauke Mollema finished sixth to go second in the overall standings. There were doubts the stage would go ahead after Thursday's attack in Nice. Tour officials decided to continue with the race, with a heightened security presence, after at least 84 people were killed when a lorry drove through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the southern French city. There was a sombre atmosphere at both the start and finish lines on stage 13, with most riders not learning of the news from Nice until they woke up on Friday morning. "We want this day to be a day of dignity as a tribute to the victims," said race director Christian Prudhomme. "The race must continue." There was a minute's silence held before the first rider set off on the course, and another minute's silence was observed as the jersey holders stood on stage after the day's racing had finished. The riders, including Froome, placed their bouquets of flowers on an empty podium in a symbolic tribute for the victims in Nice. Froome, who lives in Monaco, just 12 miles (20km) from Nice, said: "This is definitely a time for people to stand together. It definitely puts things into perspective for us. "I'm happy with how the stage went but everyone's thoughts are with the people in Nice. It's a special place for me, close to where I'm based, and I can't imagine what everyone is going through." Stage winner Dumoulin added: "On one side I'm a very happy man but on the other side it's a very sad day. "I woke up to the terrible news from Nice and there was a question whether we should race. It was a just decision in the end to race. It's terrible what happened and it shadows the day a lot." On the road, it proved to be a crucial day for 2013 and 2015 champion Froome, as he increased his lead on all of his yellow jersey rivals. Last year the 31-year-old collected the yellow jersey on stage seven and never relinquished it. "There will be a strong breakaway group but it will probably come back together and end in a bunch sprint finish" Read Geraint's preview of stage 14 And since wearing the maillot jaune on stage eight this year, the Team Sky rider has continued to put more time between himself and the other contenders. His time trial may have been one minute three seconds slower than Dumoulin's superb stage-winning pace, but he was almost two minutes quicker than Mollema, who is now his closest threat for the overall lead. Fellow Briton Adam Yates, 23, dropped from second to third, but continues to have a remarkable Tour, finishing seven seconds quicker than the highly regarded Nairo Quintana. Colombian Quintana looks devoid of form, having been unable to chase Froome, Mollema and Richie Porte up Mont Ventoux on Thursday, and now falling to

Summary: Britain's Chris Froome extended his lead in the Tour de France to one minute and 47 seconds by finishing second in the stage 13 time trial.


But if you thought that meant he was about to announce some pre-election giveaways in order to woo undecided voters you're likely to be disappointed. Some areas did see announcements that are aimed at stimulating growth - the chancellor announced provisional agreement had been struck to allow Greater Manchester to keep 100% of the additional growth in local business as part of the government's drive to build a "northern powerhouse". In fact his speech was peppered with place names - from funding to help boost the oil industry in Aberdeen to a £1 billion world-first scheme to provide green energy from the tides of the Severn estuary and £60 million of funding for energy research in the Midlands. But, despite the fact he was on his feet for over an hour, the South East region was conspicuous by its absence in his Budget speech. Measures that had been trailed, such as increasing inheritance tax, which would have helped those with properties in the South East which have increased in value, are now going to be reviewed before any changes are implemented. Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here There are measures which will be welcomed. The Budget book recognised that housing remains a significant challenge across the South East. The government created an Urban Development Corporation to drive forward development of a new garden city in Ebbsfleet. Board members are due to be announced and it's due to be up and running by next month. For individuals, he announced a new ISA to help first time buyers - those who save £12,000 will see their savings increased by £3,000 in order to help them onto the housing ladder. But, other than that, there was very little to bring cheer. It's always said George Osborne delivers very political Budgets and this one was no different. I think he's taken the calculated risk that levels of income in the South East remain a lot higher than in other parts of the country so therefore it will be of greater benefit to help boost the economy in places like the North West and Yorkshire, rather than Kent or Sussex. Also, when you look at the raw politics of this region's 29 MPs, 25 of them are Conservatives. Labour has so far failed to make the resurgence in the South East they would have liked ahead of this election. Of course there are marginal seats - Hastings and Rye, Brighton Kemptown, and Hove and Portslade are all held with majorities of less than 2,000. But the Conservatives are far more confident of holding on in these seats than in other parts of the country - in fact there were nine mentions of Birmingham in his speech. Warwickshire North, held by the Tories with a majority of just 54 votes, will benefit from the funding for energy research at the universities. Of course political opponents have seized on the chancellor's new-found affection for the north of England. There is a mention in the budget red book about

Summary: Chancellor George Osborne has delivered his final Budget before the general election - his message was that Britain is growing again - in fact faster than any other major advanced economy in the world.


It says "cosmetic lightening and hygiene creams... that de-pigment the skin... are now forbidden". Whitening creams have been popular for years among young women - and some men - across Africa, who believe they make them more beautiful. But medical experts say they may cause cancer, diabetes, severe skin conditions and other diseases. "The number of people with side-effects caused by these medicines is really high," Christian Doudouko, a member of Ivory Coast's pharmaceutical authority, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. Latest African news updates Africa: Where black is not really beautiful British consultant dermatologist Justine Kluk told the BBC the major concern was over unregulated products, which may contain ingredients such as mercury or excessive amounts of steroids. "If one thinks about steroids being present in these products, they're often present in much higher quantities than we would prescribe," she said. She said the creams can cause a variety of health issues, such as "acne, thinning of the skin, glaucoma or cataracts if applied near the eyes". "Or if applied liberally to the whole body, [they can] cause high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, weight gain, mood disturbance due to absorption of large amounts of steroids," she said. However, analysts say the ban may not stop people buying the products. They are still used in The Gambia despite a ban. South Africa has the world's toughest laws against skin lighteners, having prohibited the most active ingredient - hydroquinone, but a University of Cape Town study found that more than a third of South African women still buy them. The use of whitening creams in Africa is most widespread in Nigeria - where more than 75% of women buy them, according to a 2008 UN Environment Programme study.

Summary: Ivory Coast has banned skin-whitening creams because of health concerns, the health ministry says.


Media playback is not supported on this device Usain Bolt's defeat by Justin Gatlin in the last individual 100m he will ever run proved several things: that sport has less time for happy endings than scripted dramas; that time catches up even with someone who has made it his business escaping it; and that even the biggest party can be pooped if you let the wrong characters in. East End dramas need their villains, and on Saturday night in Stratford Gatlin played that role to eye-popping perfection. Twice caught doping, once facing a lifetime ban that was reduced first to eight years and then to four, he has long been the anti-poster boy for track and field - lacking any obvious remorse, humility left for others, a frequent swaggering reminder that cheats can still prosper should their legal team find the right angle to work. Not all the rancour has made logical sense. Others at these World Championships have returned from suspensions. Russia is banned indefinitely for its 21st century take on state-sponsored doping. Only Gatlin was booed every time he took to the blocks, from heats on Friday morning to semi-finals on Saturday evening and then the final itself. So it was that as he thrust his upper body across the finish line just after 21:45 BST - almost unnoticed in lane eight, outside the peripheral vision of Bolt in four and young American Christian Coleman in five - a wave of shock rolled around the packed slabs of supporters, turning to disbelief, to not wanting to accept what had just happened, to hoping something might suddenly be revealed to make it right. Gatlin does not find charm easy to access. He slammed on the brakes, jumped to attention and put a single, admonishing finger to his lips, daring the crowd to mock him now. Revenge, it seemed, was his - for the catcalls of the past two days, for those who considered him shot at 35, for the mess Bolt has made of his tilts at world and Olympic gold since he returned to competition an older and unapologetic man in 2010. And then you heard the crowd respond again, first the thousands close to him on the top bend, then those all around the oval track. "Usain Bolt! Usain Bolt! Usain Bolt!" This was Gatlin's moment of triumph: unacknowledged, unwanted, first mocking and then being mocked in return. The lap of honour? That went to Bolt. The first interview with the in-field presenter? Bolt. The one all the spectators ran down to trackside to touch and to photograph and to seize for selfies? Bolt. A victory, but a pyrrhic one. A defeat, but one that was treated like a triumph. The strangest of nights, and a strange truth: Gatlin may have deserved all of that - but he deserved this win too, in its technique and focus if not its ancestry. Media playback is not supported on this device In 2015, expected to beat an ailing Bolt at the last World Championships in Beijing. He had led with 15

Summary: And so a perfect career ends in an imperfect way.


His first spell at the club saw him win the Premier League twice, the FA Cup, the League Cup twice and the Community Shield. He was one of the most colourful characters in the British game and has since enjoyed success at Inter Milan and Real Madrid before returning to London. BBC Sport looks at some of Mourinho's best quotes and controversies. On becoming Chelsea manager for the first time: "I have top players and I'm sorry, we have a top manager. Please do not call me arrogant because what I say is true. I'm European champion, I'm not one out of the bottle, I think I'm a special one." On bird flu: "I'm feeling a lot of pressure with the swan in Scotland. It's not far and I'm more scared of the swan than of football. What's football compared to life? A swan with bird flu, for me that's a drama." On drinking wine with then-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson: "After the game, after the press conference, we were together in my office. The wine we were drinking was very bad and he was complaining. When we go to Old Trafford it's my birthday and I will go with a beautiful bottle of Portuguese wine." Media playback is not supported on this device On eggs: "Omelettes, eggs. No eggs, no omelettes. And it depends on the quality of the eggs in the supermarket. They are class one, two or three and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes. When the class one eggs are not available you have a problem." On being sacked: "If the club decide to sack me because of bad results that's part of the game. If it happens I will be a millionaire and get another club a couple of months later." On Chelsea's pitch: "Sometimes you see beautiful people with no brains. Sometimes you have ugly people who are intelligent, like scientists. Our pitch is a bit like that. From the top it's a disgrace but the ball rolls at normal speed." On playing Chelsea, while manager of Real Madrid: "If I play them in the Champions League, I want to go there and kill them - that's my message," Then-Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez: "If Chelsea are naive and pure then I'm Little Red Riding Hood." Then-Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock: "My wife will be glad about Mourinho coming to Bramall Lane because he's a good looking swine, isn't he?" Career record up to 1 June 2013 Former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen: "When Mourinho says training will last one-and-a-half hours it will never last a second longer." Then-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba's reaction to Mourinho leaving the London club: "I find Jose's 'eviction' hard to take. I could not see the blow coming so brutally. "It changes an awful lot of things. I am in the sort of nervous state I've never dreamed about before. Many of us used to play first and foremost for the manager. Now we need to forget those feelings and find another source of motivation." Ian

Summary: Jose Mourinho is back as manager of Chelsea after leaving Stamford Bridge in September 2007.


Media playback is not supported on this device First-half tries from Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard opened a lead of 16 unanswered points as England shipped penalties and made basic errors across the park. England struck back with a fine try from Ben Foden and closed to within seven points with three minutes left when Mark Cueto capitalised on a break from replacement Matt Banahan. But they ran out of time and inspiration as Les Bleus set up a deserved semi-final clash with Wales. France, so poor in their pool matches, were a side transformed as they took revenge for their World Cup defeats of 2007 and 2003. "England were blown away in the first half and probably got a proper telling off. They came out with a little more pace and precision but they made too many mistakes with knock-ons, penalites and turnovers. England were never going to score from 80m out. "Those who have watched England before could see they were not any different but whereas Scotland and Argentina couldn't last the distance and England won late on, France were a different outfit." The defeat will leave manager Martin Johnson under pressure after his gamble of pairing Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at 10 and 12 failed to ignite the England back line, while his forwards were repeatedly second best at the set-piece and in the loose. Johnson's contract expires in November, and four weeks as memorable for scandals off the pitch as any achievements on it will do little to appease the notoriously twitchy committee-men at the Rugby Football Union. France were supposedly a team in pieces, beaten by Tonga just a week ago and with coach Marc Lievremont publicly berating his players, but so clear-cut was their victory that much of the atmosphere had been sucked from the contest long before the end. England had an early opportunity with a line-out deep in French territory after a clever grubber from Foden only for Lionel Nallet to burgle back possession, and they then tore into France again as Alexis Palisson was smashed backwards after taking a garryowen and Manu Tuilagi thundered into Morgan Parra. After spluttering sporadically for four games, England's Kiwi campaign ended as it probably deserved to: in defeat, to a team that was more dynamic, more clinical and far more composed when it mattered most. Read more from Tom's blog But it was the most fleeting of false dawns. Dmitri Yachvilli slotted a penalty from distance after Flood failed to release his man on the deck, and France took a grip they would never relinquish. Wilkinson was struggling, sending the re-start straight into touch and flinging a pass the same way, and France then went close to the first try of the contest as Clerc took a long pass out on the left and was just bundled into touch by the corner flag. Yachvilli made it 6-0 with a second sweet strike from 45 metres after Matt Stevens was penalised for collapsing a scrum, and then slid another penalty just wide from the same spot. England's

Summary: England's World Cup dreams fell apart under a French onslaught on a night when their shortcomings were brutally exposed at the quarter-final stage.


Glamorgan's total was dominated by Nick Selman's mature 101 off 144 balls, his second first-class century. But seamers Matt Taylor and Craig Miles made sure wickets fell at regular intervals in cloudy conditions in the Welsh capital. Gloucestershire struggled in turn as the bowlers remained on top all day. Selman's century, after being dropped on eight in the first over, was a welcome return to form for the Brisbane-born opener after a string of low scores following his hundred against Northants at Swansea. Aneurin Donald's quick-fire 36 off 30 balls was the next best contribution as Taylor and Miles prospered in the afternoon. Graham Wagg and Timm van der Gugten scrambled Glamorgan to a consolation bonus point. Gloucestershire's innings was a question of survival in the evening gloom, with the day ending evenly balanced. Glamorgan are being led by Michael Hogan for the first time in the absence of Jacques Rudolph, who has a neck problem. Glamorgan batsman Nick Selman told BBC Wales Sport: "It was good to get some runs for a change, the wicket was a bit slow and they bowled a bit short early on so I got through the first 25 overs and it got easier to bat from there, but it was a bit disappointing to get out just after I got a hundred. "(My season) was going well up until after (a century in) Swansea, after Swansea four ducks in a row, but it was good to spend some time in the middle at Northants. "Opening the batting in county cricket over here (in the UK), it's definitely hard, you get some good balls, you play on some green wickets and I was struggling a bit. "I was happy to get a few today and hopefully I can continue that for the rest of the season." Gloucestershire seamer Matt Taylor told BBC Radio Bristol: "There's definitely a bit on offer out there (for the bowlers), we didn't start exactly how we'd like but we got there in the end and we'd take bowling them out for 220. "I was pretty happy with that (hitting the stumps three times), the same plan as always is to hit the top of off-stump and luckily they missed them today. "I was pleased to get an opportunity in T20 and the white-ball stuff this year, now I'm getting an opportunity with the red ball it's great. "It's definitely going to be tough (for the Gloucestershire batsmen), they're a good bowling attack but hopefully we can dig in and get to a reasonable score."

Summary: Gloucestershire finished day one on 62-3 in reply to Glamorgan's 220 all out at the SSE Swalec Stadium in Cardiff.


The Conservatives want a report into the spending on the 218 "procurement cards" used for government spending. A further £475,540 was spent in the first three months of 2015/16. A review was conducted in April 2014, but Welsh ministers said they do not publish the results of internal audits. However, all internal audits are shared with the public spending watchdog, the Wales Audit Office. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: "Unfortunately, the minister [Finance Minister Jane Hutt] is refusing to publish that report, which leaves a number of questions unanswered: is the taxpayer getting value for money?" The Tories say they would encourage public bodies to publish all spending of more than £500. A Welsh government spokesman said: "During the audit process for the Welsh government annual accounts, the Wales Audit Office has the opportunity to review all of the Welsh government's financial transactions. "If Mr Davies is suggesting that civil servants are improperly using procurement cards then he should raise his concerns with the permanent secretary."

Summary: More than £3.8m has been spent in the last three years by civil servants using Welsh government-issued credit cards, prompting calls to reveal what the money has been spent on.


John Duns Scotus was born in the town of Duns around 1266. A series of events kicks off with a talk in its Volunteer Hall on Saturday followed by a walk on Sunday and an library exhibition opening on Monday. Dr Philip Tonner, head of philosophy at Hutchesons' Grammar School, said Duns Scotus remained a significant figure. He said he was considered by some to be a precursor of other major philosophers such as Rene Descartes and Immanuel Kant. The festival hopes to bring the importance of his works to a new audience. "One of the problems, of course, is that medieval philosophy became seen to be something associated with very esoteric problems about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin and so on," said Dr Tonner. "This is a very unfair depiction of what medieval philosophers were trying to do. "It is one of those unfortunate accidents of history that it has become associated with Duns Scotus who in many ways is certainly one of Scotland's most important philosophers and one who is still making headlines in both theology and philosophy."

Summary: A festival is under way in the Borders to mark the 750th anniversary of the birth of one of Scotland's most important philosophers.


A Munster statement said O'Connell, 36, would provide "invaluable technical expertise and advice" to the Irish province's next generation of players. "Every club in the world would love to have an iconic figure such as Paul O'Connell involved in their set-up," said Munster chief Garret Fitzgerald. O'Connell made 174 Munster appearances and earned 108 Ireland caps. "As a Limerick native and proud Munster and Irishman who has played and led teams for Munster, Ireland and the Lions, we were very eager to secure his services in some capacity," added Fitzgerald. "An appointment such as this is a further boost to our academy staff and young players, and to the organisation as a whole." The Limerick man, who played on three British & Irish Lions tours, was forced to retire from the game in February after being unable to recover from serious hamstring injury sustained at last year's World Cup. The injury meant that O'Connell was forced to cancel his contract with French club Toulon. Former Lions captain O'Connell spent 14 seasons at Munster and helped the province win two European Cup titles and three Celtic Leagues. O'Connell was also part of Ireland's Grand Slam winning team in 2009 and captained his country to successive Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015. Munster have appointed former South African international Johan 'Rassie' Erasmus as their Director of Rugby for next season with Anthony Foley's job title remaining as head coach.

Summary: Munster great Paul O'Connell will work with the province's academy in a part-time mentoring role over the next year.


The girl was forced into a vehicle in Bishop's Stortford at about 20:30 GMT on 16 February and dropped off near the town's railway station the following morning. An E-fit image of the attacker has now been released. Police said the attack had caused "concern within the community". The girl was forced into a dark-coloured vehicle, thought to be a Land Rover, and taken to an unknown location, believed to be outside the county of Hertfordshire, where she was sexually assaulted. Ch Insp Gerry McDonald of Hertfordshire Police said: "I believe local people hold the key to our investigation. "This is an extremely serious matter and one which, understandably, has caused concern within the community. "We have conducted a number of inquiries in the local area but would ask anyone who was around between the times mentioned and who has not yet spoken to police to contact us if you have any information which may assist our investigation. "I would like to reiterate that this is an unusual incident and would reassure everyone that investigations into this incident are a priority."

Summary: Police are hunting for a man who raped a 14-year-old girl from Hertfordshire while holding her prisoner for nearly 12 hours overnight.


They left Budapest station on foot after a stand-off with police, defying official efforts to take them to reception centres and register them. Earlier on Friday another group escaped along railway tracks in Bicske, to the west, from a train stopped by police. European Union states are struggling to agree on how to deal with the crisis. The surprise announcement by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff late on Friday night followed several days of chaotic scenes. Janos Lazar said Hungary would offer buses to those walking along the main motorway to Vienna, as well as to migrants still at Budapest's Keleti railway station. The buses would take people to Hegyeshalom, on the border with Austria. Hungary had not yet had a response from the Austrian government so he did not know whether they would be allowed in to Austria, he added. "We are taking this step so Hungary's transportation is not paralyzed during the next 24 hours," Mr Lazar said, according to the Associated Press. It was unclear whether migrants would be happy to get on the buses, after several hundred were encouraged to get on a train on Thursday that did not then head to Austria. The BBC's Matthew Price, walking with the migrants, said that as night fell, many continued to walk, but others - including a family with five children - appeared to stop for the night on the hard shoulder, or in adjacent fields. Hungary has become a major transit nation for people fleeing the Middle East and Africa, seeking to reach north and west Europe.

Summary: Hungary is to send buses to transport migrants to Austria's border after more than 1,000 began walking there earlier on Friday.


"It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the death of our beautiful, dynamic and one-of-a-kind mother," the statement said. The British-born writer, sister of actress Joan Collins, died in Los Angeles, her spokeswoman said. Collins's raunchy novels of the rich and famous sold more than 500 million copies in 40 countries. In a career spanning four decades, all 32 of her novels appeared in the New York Times bestseller list. The family statement said the writer lived "a wonderfully full life", adored by family, friends and readers. "She was a true inspiration, a trailblazer for women in fiction and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words," it added. Collins was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer six-and-a-half years ago, according to US celebrity magazine People. She told the magazine in her last interview on 14 September that she had told few people about her diagnosis other than her three daughters, and did not regret her decision. "I did it my way, as Frank Sinatra would say," she said. "I've written five books since the diagnosis, I've lived my life, I've travelled all over the world, I have not turned down book tours and no-one has ever known until now when I feel as though I should come out with it." She was in the UK less than a fortnight ago on a promotional tour for her latest book. Her sister Joan, 82, who only learned the news herself in the last fortnight, told People magazine she was "completely devastated". "She was my best friend. I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and a beautiful person and I love her," she said. Jackie Collins, who was born in London, began writing as a teenager, making up racy stories for her schoolfriends, according to a biography on her website. Her first novel, The World is Full of Married Men, was published in 1968 and became a scandalous bestseller. It was banned in Australia and branded "disgusting" by romance writer Barbara Cartland. In 1985, her novel Hollywood Wives was made into a mini-series by ABC, starring Anthony Hopkins and Candice Bergen. Collins said that she "never felt bashful writing about sex". "I think I've helped people's sex lives," she said. "Sex is a driving force in the world so I don't think it's unusual that I write about sex. I try to make it erotic, too." Collins had lost her mother, second husband and fiance to cancer. She told the Press Association earlier this month that she had chosen to celebrate life rather than mourn those she had lost. "I refuse to mourn people, because everybody dies," she said. "Death and taxes, you can't avoid either". Private memorial services are due to be held for her family in both the UK and in the US.

Summary: The novelist Jackie Collins has died of breast cancer at the age of 77, her family said in a statement.


The 22-year-old Algeria international moved to the German side on a season-long loan in August and has made 20 Bundesliga appearances. He has agreed a four-year deal with the Gelsenkirchen team, although neither club has revealed details of any fee. Bentaleb had made 66 appearances for Spurs since joining as a teenager.

Summary: Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nabil Bentaleb will join Schalke on a permanent deal at the end of his loan spell this summer.


Musgrove Park Hospital said the cause of the "technical issues" in the hired facility was being investigated. Surgery was carried out on 62 patients with just under half reporting complications while some 15 people had "more significant" corneal issues. The use of the mobile facility was ceased when the issues were discovered. All affected patients have been spoken to and care plans are now in place for their ongoing treatment, a hospital spokesperson said. Vanguard Healthcare had been hired to provide the theatre to help clear a backlog for some ophthalmic services. The unit, which consists of an anaesthetic room, operating theatre and two-bed recovery, is at the hospital until the end of the year. Vanguard said it was "co-operating fully" with the hospital for the investigation which would focus on the drugs, equipment, sterilisation and protocols used. "The majority of operations were successful, however a number experienced an unusual level of discomfort after surgery," added a spokesperson. "We have, with the hospital, conveyed to the patients our concern and sympathy for the discomfort or distress they have experienced." The hospital's chief executive, Jo Cubbon, said the issues meant many patients who had already waited longer than they should have, will now have to wait again for their operation. "We are very sorry this has happened and are working to put a solution in place so that these patients will receive their treatment as soon as possible," Ms Cubbon said.

Summary: About 30 patients in Somerset who had cataract surgery inside a mobile hospital theatre have been left with blurred vision or other complications.


A woman got out of the vehicle and an unknown man jumped in and took the car. Police said it happened at Boucher Crescent in south Belfast at about 17:25 GMT. Members of the public managed to stop the car but the man fled on foot. A short time later a man in his 30s was arrested and remains in custody. The two children were unharmed.

Summary: A man has been arrested after a car was stolen with two young children inside.


The 30-year-old made 219 appearances for the Cherries in a five-year spell for the club between 2006 and 2011. After 94 appearances for Pompey, he left in the summer, having turned down a new contract with the club. Hollands will go into Steve Davis's squad for Saturday's League Two trip to Newport County. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Crewe Alexandra have signed former Bournemouth and Portsmouth midfielder Danny Hollands on a five-month deal running until 19 January.


Russia's foreign ministry condemned the "atrocious crimes of extremists". Sunday's attacks hit the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, south of Syria's capital Damascus, and the city of Homs. So-called Islamic State (IS) said it carried out the attacks. Both targeted areas dominated by Islamic minorities reviled by IS. Four blasts in Sayyida Zeinab killed at least 83 people, according to state media. A monitoring group reported that 57 people, mainly civilians, were killed in a double car bombing in Homs. The UK-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) put the toll from the Damascus attacks at 120 and said they were among the deadliest to occur during the whole of Syria's civil war. SOHR also reported on Monday that heavy fighting had cut off the government's only supply route to the northern city of Aleppo. IS and other Islamist militia had cut the road between Aleppo and the town of Khanasser to the south-east, it said. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict. Some 11 million others have been forced from their homes, of whom four million have fled abroad - including growing numbers who are making the dangerous journey to Europe. History of the conflict - how the civil war has spread Maps of the conflict - the shifting territorial gains The Sayyida Zeinab district is the location of Syria's holiest Shia Muslim shrine, said to contain the grave of the Prophet Muhammad's granddaughter. The district was hit by suicide attacks last month that left 71 people dead and which IS fighters also said they had carried out. On Sunday US Secretary of State John Kerry said a "provisional agreement" had been reached with Russia on a partial truce. However he admitted issues remained to be resolved and said he did not expect any immediate change on the ground. Earlier this month, world powers involved in the crisis in Syria agreed to seek a "cessation of hostilities", but the Friday deadline came and went. In Homs, the blasts happened in a predominantly Alawite district, the sect to which President Bashar al-Assad belongs. One of the early centres of the uprising against President Assad, Homs was once dubbed the "capital of the revolution". But rebels left the city late last year under a ceasefire deal, leaving the city in government hands. The latest blasts came as President Bashar al-Assad told reporters Syrian refugees should not be scared of returning home. Mr Assad, who has long been accused of persecuting his own people, said ordinary Syrians who had fled the conflict due to the "standard of living that has been deteriorating drastically" could go back without fear of action by the government.

Summary: Russia has said bomb attacks which killed at least 140 people in Syria were aimed at "subverting attempts" to reach a political settlement.


During a turbulent five-month period, the 32-year-old retired from one-day international cricket but starred in Tests, before becoming upset by a Twitter parody account. He later reversed his limited-overs decision but was then dropped entirely over "provocative texts" about team-mates. Here, BBC Sport charts every twist and turn of the saga that ended on Wednesday, when it was announced the batsman is to undergo a "re-integration" period before his expected return to action. Test record: 88 matches, 151 innings, 7,076 runs, highest score 227, average 49.48, 27 fifties, 21 centuries ODI record: 127 matches, 116 innings, 4,184 runs, highest score 130, average 41.84, 23 fifties, nine centuries T20 international record: 36 matches, 36 innings, 1,176 runs, highest score 79, average 37.93, seven fifties Discontent first emerged in May when Pietersen announced his decision to retire from ODI internationals, despite scoring hundreds in each of his last two innings. He cited the "intensity of the international schedule and the increasing demands on my body". The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) insisted he also had to retire from International Twenty20 cricket, too, in accordance with their rules. Pietersen announced he would concentrate solely on Tests, but said: "For the record, were the selection criteria not in place, I would have readily played for England in the upcoming ICC World Twenty20." In early August, Pietersen scored 149 against South Africa in the second Test at Headingley, claiming he was in the "best form of my life". Media playback is not supported on this device But he then made outspoken comments at a news conference suggesting the final Test at Lord's could well be his last for England. Pietersen was also understood to be angry at a Twitter parody account that mocked him, especially as some members of the squad followed and engaged with it. At the news conference, he said: "I love playing Test cricket, but there are obstacles and I'll decide what happens at the end of the next Test." Ex-England captain Alec Stewart said: "It's important to stress no player, however good, is bigger than the team and no-one is irreplaceable." The dispute escalated following claims Pietersen sent text messages to South Africans AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn during the Headingley match that allegedly criticised England captain Andrew Strauss. But Pietersen took the cricket world by surprise on 11 August by reversing his decision to quit limited-overs cricket in a video interview with his management company. The interview was posted on video-sharing website YouTube on the eve of the squad announcement for the final Test. In it, Pietersen said: "I'm not going anywhere. I want to make myself available for selection for every single form of cricket for England. I love winning for England. I can't wait to play in Straussy's 100th Test next week." But former England captain Geoffrey Boycott said: "When you have said something that is not nice about the captain of England, you have to front up face to face." Media playback is not supported on this device On 12 August, Pietersen was dropped from the final-Test

Summary: Kevin Pietersen described his dispute with England as a "horrible situation" after signing a new contract that should see him finally return to international duty.


Appearing close to tears in a televised address, she apologised for allowing a long-standing friend inappropriate access to government policy-making. She agreed to be questioned over the scandal but did not offer to resign. Choi Soon-sil is suspected of using their friendship to solicit donations to a non-profit fund she controlled. Ms Choi is in detention facing charges of fraud and abuse of power. The main opposition party said the president's apology lacked sincerity and it called on Ms Park to step back from state affairs. Scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators demanding Ms Park's resignation in central Seoul on Friday. A friendship too far in Seoul? Ms Choi, a long-time friend of Ms Park's, is the daughter of Choi Tae-min, a shadowy quasi-religious leader who was closely linked to Ms Park's father, then-president Park Chung-hee. On Friday, Ms Park went on TV to deny allowing cultish rituals to be held in the presidential palace. "There have been claims that I fell for a religious cult or had [shamanist rituals] performed in the Blue House, but I would like to clarify that those are absolutely not true," the president said. She said she took sole responsibility for access to government documents and was willing to be investigated. She had, she said, "put too much faith in a personal relationship and didn't look carefully at what was happening". Anyone found to have done wrong would be punished, she said, and "if necessary, I'm determined to let prosecutors investigate me and accept an investigation by an independent counsel too". The scandal has left Ms Park with an approval rating of just 5%. She has already replaced her prime minster, reshuffled her cabinet and dismissed several aides, but there are growing calls for her resignation or impeachment. Choo Mi-ae, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said she did not believe the apology was genuine and called on her to accept a new prime minister recommended by parliament. Ms Park became her country's first female president when she was elected in a close-run contest in December 2012.

Summary: The South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, has publicly denied falling victim to a religious cult as scandal threatens to engulf her leadership.


Thames Valley Police made the discovery after being called to the property in Iffley Road at 14:58 BST. They are treating the death as "unexplained". The force said Iffley Road would be closed to drivers and pedestrians for a "number of hours" between The Plain and Circus Street. Officers are appealing for information from the public.

Summary: The body of a man has been found at a property in Oxford, police have confirmed.


After the pre-season transfer window from 1 January to 18 March and the first half of the league campaign, Manchester City Women lead the WSL 1 table ahead of defending champions Chelsea Ladies and third-placed Birmingham City. Keep up to date with all of the key confirmed signings before the season resumes on 26 June. Media playback is not supported on this device In Katie McCabe (Shelbourne FC, forward) Danielle van de Donk (Goteborg FC, midfielder) Fara Williams (Liverpool, midfielder) Josephine Henning (Paris St-Germain, defender) Asisat Oshoala (Liverpool, striker) Out Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool, goalkeeper) Chioma Ubogagu (Houston Dash, forward) Jade Bailey (Chelsea, midfielder) Carla Humphrey (Doncaster Rovers Belles, midfielder, on loan) In Andrine Hegerberg (Kopparbergs/Gothenburg, midfielder) Isabelle Linden (FFC Frankfurt, striker) Marisa Ewers (Bayer Leverkusen, defender) Corina Schroder, (Liverpool, defender) Ann-Katrin Berger (PSG, goalkeeper) Out Jo Potter (Unattached, midfielder) Jade Moore (Unattached, midfielder) Remi Allen (Reading, midfielder) Christina Torkildsen (Coventry United, midfielder) Karen Carney (Chelsea, midfielder) Chelsea Weston (Notts County, defender) Becky Spencer (Chelsea, goalkeeper) In Karen Carney (Birmingham City, winger) Becky Spencer (Birmingham City, goalkeeper) Jade Bailey (Arsenal, midfielder) Beth England (Doncaster Rovers Belles, midfielder) Out Marija Banusic (Eskilstuna, forward) Marie Hourihan (Manchester City, goalkeeper) Jenna Dear (Everton, midfielder) Laura Coombs (Liverpool, midfielder, on loan) Millie Farrow (Bristol City, striker, on loan) Jodie Brett (Bristol City, midfielder, on loan) Atlanta Primus (Yeovil Town, midfielder) In Jess Sigsworth (Notts County, striker) Anna Moorhouse (Durham, goalkeeper) Becky Easton (Liverpool, defender) Katrin Omarsdottir (Liverpool, midfielder) Natasha Dowie (Liverpool, striker) Carla Humphrey (Arsenal, midfielder, on loan) Alexandra Gummer (Adelaide United, defender) Maz Pacheco (Liverpool, defender, on loan) Out Beth England (Chelsea, midfielder) In Sophie Ingle (Bristol City, midfielder) Siobhan Chamberlain (Arsenal, goalkeeper) Laura Coombs (Chelsea, midfielder, on loan) Caroline Weir (Bristol City, midfielder) Emma Lundh (Lillestrom SK, striker) Mandy van den Berg (Lillestrom SK, defender) Natasha Harding (Manchester City, midfielder) Alex Greenwood (Notts County, defender) Shanice Van De Sanden (FC Twente, striker) Out Becky Easton (Doncaster Rovers Belles, defender) Ingrid Ryland (undisclosed club, defender) Line Smorsgard (undisclosed club, striker) Katrin Omarsdottir (Doncaster Rovers Belles, midfielder) Libby Stout (Boston Breakers, goalkeeper) Natasha Dowie (Doncaster Rovers Belles, striker) Fara Williams (Arsenal, midfielder) Lucy Staniforth (Sunderland, midfielder) Hannah Dale (Bristol, midfielder, on loan) Corina Schroder, (Birmingham City, defender) Maz Pacheco (Doncaster Rovers Belles, defender, on loan) In Tessel Middag (Ajax, midfielder) Megan Campbell (Florida State University, defender) Jane Ross (Vittsjo, striker) Marie Hourihan (Chelsea, goalkeeper) Nikita Parris (Everton, striker) Kosovare Asllani (Paris St-Germain, striker) Out Krystle Johnston (Sunderland, midfielder) Emma Lipman (Sheffield FC, defender) Kathleen Radtke (MSV Duisburg, defender) Natasha Flint (Notts County, striker) Alex Brooks (Everton, goalkeeper, on loan) Natasha Harding (Liverpool, midfielder) Georgia Brougham (Everton, defender) In Jo Potter (Unattached, midfielder) Jade Moore (Unattached, midfielder) Lizzie Durack (Havard University, goalkeeper) Natasha Flint (Preston North End, striker) Megan Walsh (Everton, goalkeeper) Maja Krantz (Linkoping, defender) Angharad James (Bristol City, midfielder) Aivi Luik (Melbourne, defender) Chelsea Weston (Birmingham, defender) Rachel Yankey (Arsenal, midfielder, on loan) Out Jess Sigsworth (Doncaster Rovers Belles, striker) Alex Greenwood (Liverpool, defender) Desiree Scott (Kansas City, midfielder) In Remi Allen (Birmingham City, midfielder) Kayleigh

Summary: The Women's Super League transfer window re-opened on Friday, 3 June and will close on Thursday, 30 June.


Ece Heper, 50, was arrested on 30 December in the north-eastern town of Kars, her lawyer Sertac Celikkaleli told The Canadian Press. Canadian officials say they are offering consular assistance, but released no further information. Turkey's penal code states that anybody who insults the president can face up to four years in prison. Ms Heper's friend Emrah Bayram told the BBC she was arrested for Facebook posts critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "It's ridiculous, she's expressing her opinion," he said. Friends say Ms Heper, who lived in Ontario and is reportedly a Canadian-Turkish citizen, has "some health issues" and they are worried about her access to medication while in detention. Along with her lawyer, they fear it could be at least a month before her case goes to trial. They have contacted human rights organisations over her case. Mr Erdogan has been accused of mounting a growing crackdown on freedom of speech. Almost 2,000 cases for insulting Mr Erdogan have been opened in recent years. They include a former Miss Turkey and a 16-year-old student. Another man was found guilty of insulting the president and given a suspended one-year jail sentence after he shared images comparing Mr Erdogan to the fictional character Gollum.

Summary: A Canadian dual national has reportedly been detained in Turkey for allegedly insulting the country's president.


The prime minister will meet Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy in Madrid before heading to Paris. He believes the EU needs to change to allow Britain, or other member states, not to be bound by all its decisions. Ahead of the talks, he told European newspapers support for EU membership was now "wafer-thin" in the UK. Mr Cameron has argued a new settlement is needed before UK voters are asked if they want to end ties with Brussels. In his keynote speech on Britain's future in Europe earlier this year, he pledged to hold an in-out referendum during the early part of the next parliament - by the end of 2017 at the latest - if the Conservatives win the next general election. Mr Cameron will make his first official visit to Madrid for bilateral talks with Mr Rajoy on Monday morning, before travelling to Paris for a working dinner with French President Francois Hollande. He will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel later this week. The UK prime minister is facing resistance from France and Germany over his plans to create fresh EU agreements. The BBC's Tom Burridge, in Madrid, said this would be an important week of diplomacy for Mr Cameron. "If Mr Cameron is to achieve his goal of a more flexible European Union, in which some countries, and in particular non-eurozone members like Britain, can opt out of certain European laws and directives, he'll have to win over these key European players," he said. "However the priority right now, for Germany, France and Spain is how to fix the economic crisis within the eurozone. And for that to happen, all three countries are committed to the idea of more Europe, not less." Ahead of his European visit, Mr Cameron told reporters three treaties had been put forward since he had become prime minister in 2010. "So I'm sure there will be treaty change," he added. "I'm absolutely convinced that there will be the need to reopen at some stage these treaties, not least to solve the problem of the eurozone. "The eurozone in my view needs to have further treaty change, and just as eurozone countries will argue that it's necessary to have treaty change, I think it's perfectly legitimate to argue that non-eurozone countries might need to have treaty changes that suit them." In joint interviews with five European newspapers, Mr Cameron said the EU had "sometimes overreached itself with directives and interventions and interference". He said the best outcome for Britain would be "membership of a reformed European Union", while arguing the case for a "more flexible Europe". "Britain is not in the single currency; neither are many other countries. You know, some countries want to go ahead with the financial transaction tax. We don't," he said. "I think we can have a flexible Europe where we don't all have to do the same things in the same way at the same time." In his interview Mr Cameron stressed it was important to respond to falling support for the EU in Britain. He said: "The two themes of

Summary: David Cameron is embarking on a series of visits to Spain, France and Germany in a bid to sell his idea of reforming the European Union to other leaders.


Sir Keir Starmer said there was a "very strong case" for the Crown Prosecution Service to make the final decision on whether to prosecute cases. Currently, police forces in England and Wales decide whether to pass a case on to the CPS after investigating a death. The CPS said cases should be referred to a prosecutor as early as possible. Department of Transport figures show 113 cyclists were killed in the UK last year. Last year a Freedom of Information request by BBC's Newsbeat found that between 2007 and 2014 there were 276 recorded incidents where a cyclist was killed in an accident involving a motor vehicle. Of these, 148 - 54% - resulted in the driver of the vehicle being charged with an offence. Of those found guilty, fewer than half went to prison. Sir Keir, now a Labour MP, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme that if a death was involved and it was serious enough to have had a criminal investigation "then it really ought to go off to the CPS for the final decision". In Scotland, if evidence suggests the driver is to blame for a collision that leads to a cyclist's death, a report is to be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. But data compiled from a 2014 freedom of information request to Police Scotland suggests this happened in only a small number of cases. Cycling campaigners are calling for a change in liability - who is considered responsible for a collision - in civil cases. At the moment there is no presumption on either side. Last year, my dad Mick was killed as he cycled through central London. After three weeks in a coma, he died. At the inquest the driver said the first she realised was when she heard a noise, like something falling from the sky. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. We had questions about how the police were investigating from very early on. Potential witnesses weren't chased as we would have liked and we felt they just didn't think about what we were going through. A year on from my dad's death we held a vigil at the spot where his crash happened. That day, the police told a journalist they would pass the case to prosecutors - which could lead to a trial. It felt like progress. But this changed just four days later when police again went straight to the journalist, saying the case was actually closed. I still want to know more about what happened on the night of my dad's crash and the only option for my family is a private prosecution. The Met Police said they followed all available lines of enquiry in this case. Rhia Favero, from the cycling charity CTC, said it supported the argument of "presumed liability" - placing the onus on the driver to demonstrate they were only partially liable for an accident. "Currently it's often on the victim to prove liability - which seems very unfair, " she said. Sir Keir said the debate over liability had been going on

Summary: The way cycling deaths are treated by police and prosecutors may need to change, the former Director of Public Prosecutions has said.


"Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication...and WOW, Comey is a leaker!" he tweeted early on Friday. Mr Comey told Congress under oath he believed he was fired to influence his investigation into the Trump campaign. The ex-FBI boss led one of several Russia inquiries before he was sacked. It is not clear what falsehoods Mr Trump is referring to but his lawyer has rejected as untrue several key parts of Mr Comey's testimony. Mr Comey, who testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, said the president pressured him to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Mr Flynn was himself forced out after misleading the vice-president about conversations with Russia's ambassador before Mr Trump took office. Mr Comey also said the president defamed him and the FBI by claiming the agency was "poorly led", which Mr Comey called "lies, plain and simple". He said he began writing memos after his meetings with Mr Trump because he was "honestly worried he might lie". He leaked details of his memos after an account of it had already been published in the press. As a result of that episode, a special counsel was appointed to lead an independent investigation into the Trump campaign's potential ties to the Kremlin. But there is no known evidence of collusion between Russia and the US, and President Donald Trump has dismissed the story as "fake news". After the hearing, the president's personal lawyer issued a statement rejecting many of Mr Comey's allegations. Marc Kasowitz said on Thursday that the president never sought to impede the investigation into possible Russian interference in the US election and that Mr Comey's leaks should be investigated. He also said the testimony confirmed that Mr Trump was not under investigation as part of any probe into Russian political meddling. Hours later, Mr Trump ignored reporters when asked about whether Mr Comey was telling the truth.

Summary: US President Donald Trump has broken his Twitter silence after James Comey's explosive testimony to appear to accuse the former FBI chief of perjury.


In 2016, there were 5,826 reported cases, with holidaymakers losing Â£7.2 million in total, an average of Â£1,200 per person. The most common scams involved plane tickets, online accommodation bookings and timeshare sales. Action Fraud said reports of scams had risen consistently over the past five years. More than a quarter of those affected said the scams had a significant impact on their health or finances. About 260 people said they needed medical treatment as a result, or were at risk of bankruptcy, according to Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre. Sports events and religious festivals are a common target for scammers due to the limited supply of tickets resulting in higher prices. Holidaymakers are being persuaded to part with their cash with fake accommodation websites and adverts, with fraudsters are also hacking into official accounts to target people. Tony Neate of fraud prevention group Get Safe Online said holidays are seen as a "big-ticket item" so present "the perfect opportunity for cyber criminals to swindle unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned money". He said people should do as much research as they could about the organisation they are booking through "and ensure that they are a reputable travel operator that is a member of a recognised trade body like Abta". "By booking in haste, you could not only risk losing a huge amount of money, but also disappoint family and friends when it comes to that long-awaited escape," he added. Scam victim Stephanie Gager used cash and a bank transfer to pay for a non-existent holiday. She says when she received paperwork with all the right logos and flight information on, she assumed it was legitimate. She was asked to pay a deposit and then told the company she would pay the remaining balance within a fortnight. However, she was then told she had to pay into a bank account "immediately" to get the holiday at a low price. "When I got to the airport they said to me, 'you're not booked on the flight'. Of course I was devastated," she told BBC Breakfast. "[Airport staff] said this happens a lot, it's worth paying that extra more to actually make the flight." She admitted in hindsight she should have heard alarm bells at the point she was told to pay money into a bank account, and has since been given advice about how to avoid fraud. Authorities say they believe criminals are taking advantage of the lack of awareness of the UK's strict regulations on travel companies. Fake websites have encouraged tourists to pay via bank transfer or cash, claiming these are the only methods which are protected by their own bogus insurance policies. But in reality, these methods make it harder for people to get their money back. Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade organisation Abta, said: "Abta is regularly contacted by members of the public who have been caught out by increasingly sophisticated travel-related frauds. "We know at first-hand that the loss and shock of finding that your flight or holiday accommodation has

Summary: The number of British tourists hit by booking scams rose by 19% last year, according to Action Fraud.


The old Victoria Ground, next to the A500, shut in 1997 when the club moved to the Britannia Stadium and has remained vacant ever since. Plans for the 16-acre site include 130 homes being built initially, followed by a further 70. David Sidaway, from the council, said he was proud to have secured investment for the "very important site". A plan to build offices there was shelved in 2004 and in 2007 St Modwen said the recession had affected development opportunities. Further plans for housing were announced in 2013 but never happened. Dave Smith, from developer St Modwen Homes, said: "We understand that the Victoria Ground is an important site for both the people of Stoke-on-Trent and the city council. "Having taken the comments from the public consultation on board, particularly for the second phase of development, we are looking forward to turning our plans for the Victoria Ground site into reality and breathing new life into the community and surrounding area." After working with the Environment Agency over potential flooding issues, a nearby primary school to include sports pitches in the development and holding a public consultation, plans will be submitted by the end of the month, the council said.

Summary: The former home of Stoke City FC is to be redeveloped into 200 homes, a park and fields, the council says.


The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) on Sunday showed that factory activity unexpectedly shrank in October to 49.8, below the 50-point mark, which suggests contraction. It is also marks the third consecutive month of contraction in manufacturing. The Shanghai Composite closed down 1.7% to 3,325.08, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed down 1.2% at 22,370.04. A private survey, which focuses on smaller to mid-size firms, also showed on Monday that factory activity fell for the eighth month in a row in October, but it was an improvement from the previous month. The Caixin/Markit manufacturing PMI was up to 48.3, from 47.2 in September. Angus Nicholson, market analyst at trading firm IG, said manufacturing activity in China should pick up in the last few months of the year. "The key takeaway from the manufacturing PMIs is that activity in China has stabilised in the wake of significant monetary easing and fiscal spending," he said in a note. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended down 2.1% to 18,683.24 - leading the losses in the region. Investors will be watching shares of Nissan after it posted a rise of 37.4% in net income for the six months ending in September. The focus will also be on US data, with key employment figures due on Friday, which could influence the timing of the Federal Reserve's highly anticipated decision to raise interest rates. In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1.4% to 5,165.80 ahead of the central bank's decision on interest rates on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to keep interest rates at a record low of 2%. Westpac shares were down 2.5% after it wrapped up Australia's bank reporting season, seeing a 3% rise in its annual cash profit. The country's four major banks are preparing for their slowest earnings growth since the global financial crisis, due to low interest rates and a cooling economy. Bucking the trend, South Korea's Kospi index finished up 0.3% to 2,035.24 points.

Summary: Asian markets started the week with losses as investor confidence was dented by China's manufacturing data.


Culture Secretary Maria Miller said "decriminalisation of the licence fee should be on the table" during the BBC's charter review before 2017. The BBC said changing the law could lead to more people failing to pay. In 2012 about 155,000 were convicted and fined for not paying the £145.50 fee. In total 180,000 people were prosecuted for not paying their licence - which is needed to watch or record live broadcasts on any device - accounting for more than one in 10 criminal prosecutions that year. In October 2013 Huffington Post reported that in response to a Freedom of Information Request the Ministry of Justice had revealed that 107 people were jailed between January 2011 and March 2013 for failing to pay fines related to not having a TV licence. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has now told the Daily Telegraph "serious work" would be done on the proposal to make non-payment a civil offence and that it could ease the pressure on criminal courts. He said: "The culture secretary and I both agree that this is a really interesting idea - particularly given the pressure on our courts system. "Our departments will be doing some serious work on the proposal." Ms Miller said: "This is an interesting idea but timing is crucial and decriminalisation of the licence fee should be on the table during charter review, not separate to the process.'' The BBC's current Royal Charter, which expires in 2016, sets out how it should be funded, what it does and how it is managed. A spokesman for the culture secretary added: "Maria will put decriminalisation of the licence fee on the table during charter review discussions, but to do it before makes no sense. "She has made clear that the BBC needs to get its house in order, particularly when it comes to governance and transparency, having decriminalisation on the table during the negotiations will focus the BBC's minds." But Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen is seeking to introduce the change through an amendment to the government's Deregulation Bill. It would make non-payment of the licence fee a civil matter, with a fine for offenders set by the government. He told the Daily Telegraph: "It is outrageous that so many people are brought in to the criminal justice system through this means. "I believe that non-payment should be treated in the way that parking tickets are. "It is absurd that the courts are being clogged up by such a minor offence." The newspaper reported that the amendment had been backed by 101 cross-party MPs. A BBC spokesman said: "Legislation is a matter for the government, however changing the law could lead to higher evasion. "Just a 1% increase in evasion would lead to the loss of around £35m, the equivalent of around 10 BBC local radio stations."

Summary: Not paying the TV licence fee could become a civil offence, rather than a criminal one, under plans being considered by ministers.


The Dow closed up 0.7% at 18,506.41, while the S&P 500 index added 0.5% to close at 2,163.75. Data showing China's economy expanded by a better-than-expected 6.7% in the second quarter boosted sentiment. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 rose for a fifth straight day by 0.7% to close at 16,497.85 points. An outperformer is messaging app Line, which has seen shares closing 31% up in its trading debut in Tokyo after gaining more than 26% in New York on Thursday. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.3% to finish the day at 5,429.60 and South Korea's stock market closed 0.4% higher at 2,017.26. Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed 0.5% higher at 21,659.25 and the Shanghai Composite closed flat at 3,054.30. Margaret Yang from CMC Markets in Singapore said the global share rally was due to a "flood of liquidity". "Equity valuations have been elevated by the prolonged low interest rate environment and markets are expecting more monetary easing from the Bank of Japan, European Central Bank and Bank of England to support the fragile economy," she said. Singapore's stock market resumed trading as normal on Friday after a major disruption the previous day. All trading had to be halted after a technical glitch affected its confirmation system. This is the fourth major interruption to its trading system in two years. Singapore Exchange's chief executive, Loh Boon Chye, issued an apology for the interruption. "Our recovery time has to be better and we must minimise downtime for market participants," he said in a statement. Singapore's Straits Times index closed 0.6% higher.

Summary: Asian stock markets have recorded further gains after shares on Wall Street hit fresh record highs and China economic data beat expectations.


Six people died and 15 others were injured when the lorry went out of control on 22 December 2014 after the driver, Harry Clarke, 58, blacked out. The inquiry, before Sheriff John Beckett, examined the circumstances of the tragedy over five weeks of evidence at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Sheriff Beckett's determination will be issued at 12:00 on Monday. The announcement, by the Judiciary of Scotland on Twitter, stated: "Glasgow Bin Lorry FAI: Determination to be issued at 12 noon on Monday 7 December 2015. A summary will be available from 11.30 on Monday." The inquiry was convened after the Crown Office said it would not prosecute anyone over the crash - a highly controversial decision that was defended by Scotland's top law officer, the Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland. The FAI examined Mr Clarke's health, the bin lorry vehicle and the route it took on the day of the crash. During evidence, it emerged that Mr Clarke was unconscious at the wheel of the Glasgow City Council bin lorry when it veered out of control on Queen Street. Just 19 seconds later, the vehicle came to rest against the Millennium Hotel in George Square, with six people dead and 15 injured. The FAI heard that Mr Clarke suffered an earlier blackout at the wheel of a stationary bus in 2010 and that this episode, and his history of dizziness and other ailments, were not disclosed to Glasgow City Council and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). In his evidence, Mr Clarke refused to apologise and answer all questions put to him as it emerged he may face a private prosecution from some of the bereaved families. He was later suspended from his council job and resigned before he was due to face a disciplinary hearing. Mr Clarke later issued a statement to the BBC stating that he apologised "unreservedly" for his role in the tragedy. Those killed in the crash were Erin McQuade, 18, her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and his 69-year-old wife Lorraine, from Dumbarton, Stephenie Tait, 29, and Jacqueline Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh.

Summary: The findings of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the Glasgow bin lorry crash will be issued on Monday.


Old hands at the book club game are husband and wife team Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan and Oprah. Their clubs began on TV but the new breed has, from the off, been virtual - online and on apps. And the main players are almost exclusively female, including Emma Watson, Reese Witherspoon, Florence Welch, Zoella and Sarah Jessica Parker, as are the clubs' members. It would be easy to be cynical about this new trend but it has its merits, says Claire Armitstead, associate editor for culture at the Guardian. "These celebrities want to show they are intelligent people and not just celebrities, that's perhaps their motive for it. "But what they bring is their brand. There are so many books in the world that any kind of 'sorting hat', to use a Harry Potter term, is a good thing for reading." Debut writer Caz Frear knows the benefit of star endorsement. This week she sees her first novel, crime thriller Sweet Little Lies, hit the shelves after winning Richard and Judy's second Search for a Bestseller competition. She says it was the couple's name that encouraged her to enter. "It was the possibility of their validation, they are huge names in the literary world. You think, if they like it then I must have something. There were other competitions that weren't small fry but I wanted to put myself in the strongest position." The Richard and Judy club has grown into a polished brand in collaboration with high-street chain WH Smith since starting on the couple's Channel 4 chat show in the early 2000s. Now only online (and in stores), it is more successful, says Madeley. "I knew it would be fine, we are a brand and, in fact, we're selling more books than before... the internet is king. Books are submitted for consideration by publishers, which inevitably leads to recurring well-known names. But the final selections - issued three times a year - are made on quality alone, says Madelely. "We choose a lot of established names, yes, but it's entirely on merit. We love finding new talent like Caz... you need fresh blood all the time... books are the stuff of life." If he and Finnigan keep an eye on the new celebrity clubs, it's from an interested, not competitive, stance. "We're all out there to get people reading," says Madeley. A recent survey by The Reading Agency showed two thirds of people would like to read more but are too busy. Yet, the agency's chief executive supports Armitstead's "sorting hat" theory: "Most people also said they struggled to find a book they liked. Recommendations are the most likely thing to convince people to read more literature... however they are signposted to books, it can only be a good thing," says Sue Wilkinson. Harry Potter star Emma Watson points her followers towards powerful feminist literature through her club Our Shared Shelf (OSS) on the Good Reads website. She is also active on Instagram. Watson launched OSS in 2016 following her appointment as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and her HeForShe

Summary: Celebrity book clubs are becoming increasingly popular, but is this a great thing for reading or just another vanity exercise?


BBC Radio Leicester reports the 24-year-old will join the Foxes for a fee of about £6m. Kante made 37 appearances for the French top-flight side last season, scoring two goals. If the deal goes through, he will be new manager Claudio Ranieri's first signing for the club. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: Leicester City are set to sign Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante for an undisclosed fee after he passed a medical at the Premier League club.