The Test was as good as saved. Needing to bat through the day, England had all 10 wickets in hand at lunch and were 103-0 soon after. That they ended 207 all out, losing by an innings and 75 runs, was gut-wrenching. It rendered all the talk of fight, spirit and character that we have heard from within the camp as worthless. Was it Alastair Cook's fault that England lost in that way? Absolutely not. He actually batted very nicely to get England through the morning session, only to be let down by the majority of team. However, when you have presided over something so cataclysmic in sport terms as that, then it is only natural that both Cook and the powers that be in English cricket may be thinking differently about his future as captain than they were at the start of the match. Going back to how the speculation about Cook's future began - a story at the start of the tour where he said he was looking forward to not being captain - I believe he simply gave an honest answer to a question he was asked. The truth is that England do not appoint captains forever. Cook and director of cricket Andrew Strauss do meet for debriefs at the end of every series. The captaincy is regularly reviewed. However, Cook's candid comments gained more attention because it was quite widely known that he was nearer the end of his tenure than the beginning. Before this final-Test defeat, it was quite likely Cook's future was largely in his own hands. I still suspect part of the England hierarchy will want him to stay on for next winter's Ashes series, but it might also be that the likes of Strauss and the rest of the management team feel they have to draw the line now. As for Cook, if he was feeling bullish about his future as skipper, he may not be any longer. He is probably coming to the realisation the decision on the captaincy may not be as much in his hands as he thought. Indeed, everyone involved could reach the conclusion it is the right time to make a change, so that new energy, focus and direction is brought to the job. There is sense in that. If Cook either resigns or is sacked, then the players in his team must share the responsibility. I have said previously that, even although England were expected to lose this series, we wanted to see improvement in individual players who were leaving with new skills that would have made the trip worthwhile. When you see a collapse like the one in Chennai, you wonder how much has been learned. In that respect Moeen Ali, as just one example, will have the finger pointed at him for an awful stroke that began England's ultimate demise. With runs not even in the equation, he skipped down the pitch at Ravindra Jadeja and was caught at mid-on. It was completely reckless, and beyond me to explain what he was trying to achieve. That

Summary: England's collapse on the final afternoon of the fifth Test is one of the worst I have seen - and I have witnessed a few.


A PSNI officer posted on Facebook on Wednesday night that the petrol bombs had been found in Colinview Street and were designed to be thrown at officers. They said it followed an incident at Lanark Way earlier this week when a petrol bomb was thrown at police as they stood among a crowd of people including young children. It did not ignite and fell on ground. The police officer described the petrol bomb attack as "sheer recklessness". "Why do some people think it's acceptable to throw items such as this at another human being?," the post said. The police officer added that the 16 petrol bombs had been stashed in Colinview Street "to be thrown at officers again". "Have a think about what you are doing engaging in this type of behaviour, it can't be stressed enough how dangerous this is," the PSNI officer said. "Are we really promoting a society where people are effectively trying to set light to police officers at their day's work?"

Summary: Police seized 16 petrol bombs in west Belfast after one was thrown at officers in the area earlier this week.


Security consultant Paul Moore examined the publicly available information of the UK's six biggest ISPs. He said he found plenty of bugs that could be exploited by hackers. But he said most ISPs had been in contact with him and had worked to tighten security once told of the issues. The audit of TalkTalk, Sky, BT, Plusnet, EE and Virgin Media was kicked off in the wake of the TalkTalk hack, which saw the personal details of 157,000 of its customers exposed. More than 15,600 bank account number and sort codes were stolen. Similar problems to those encountered by TalkTalk could have been experienced by any of the major ISPs, Mr Moore believes. "There have been a couple of incidents where I had to contact ISPs to report things that were serious," he told the BBC. The audit found a variety of problems, including passwords stored in plain text, exposed code that would allow hackers to inject their own code on to ISPs' websites and, potentially load malware on to them, and issues with encryption certificates that meant Mr Moore could apply for them from the certificate authority and pose as the webmaster for a set of ISP-owned websites. Mr Moore said he was impressed by most of the ISPs's responses when he raised the issues with them. "Ordinarily they would not be so open and honest with me but, after what happened at TalkTalk, they have been stepping in quickly," said Mr Moore. "On one occasion I notified BT and PlusNet about a bug at 14:00 and they kept people back until 22:00 to fix it." But, he added, TalkTalk was yet to contact him. TalkTalk did supply a statement to the BBC saying it had "integrated Paul Moore's comments into an ongoing programme of work". "We constantly run vulnerability checks using industry-standard third party tools. The vulnerability exploited by the hackers was not picked up by this testing, and if it had been, we would clearly have acted on that information straightaway to secure our system," it added. Sky told the BBC: "We take our customers' security very seriously. We constantly review our systems and we have robust, independently assessed protocols in place to make sure customer information is as secure as possible." Prof Alan Woodward, a security expert at Surrey University, said he was shocked by the findings. "TalkTalk still has problems and others have not dissimilar ones," he said. "I find it very surprising that after the TalkTalk hack, they [the six ISPs] still appear not to be attending to the basics. He added: "ISPs are the single biggest handlers of our personal data and I would expect them to get this right."

Summary: The security of the UK's biggest internet service providers needs "major improvement", according to one expert.


If you wanted to know what was what in the on-going shambles at Dundee United then get yourself to the Phoenix in Nethergate, that was the message. The oracle would be there in his usual spot, left-hand side of the bar, stick, maybe a dog. You'll hear him before you see him; gushing with insight and invective on the downfall of his beloved Arabs. On Thursday lunchtime we arrived at the Phoenix; a Derek-free zone. "He's not about," says the barman, who neither knows nor cares about the travails at Tannadice. All of it goes in one ear and out the other when Del is in full flight. "He's away in Iceland," says a regular. "That's where he had his accident. Skied into a tree while dressed as Santa." There's black comedy in the tale of the mysterious Blind Derek and that's fitting given why we're in town. United fans are beleaguered as never before, but they're not beyond a bit of dark humour. Theirs is a miserable plight, but they can laugh at it, too. Walking down Nethergate there's a man who turns out to be a United fan waiting to cross the road. Is he going to Dens Park on Monday night to witness the possible humiliation of his team by their city rivals? "No," he says, deadpan. "I'm going into jail for the evening. I'll get more peace in there." Thursday was a dank day in Dundee; rain and a touch of sleet. Outside St Mary's parish church, there's a man herding people into his drop-in centre. A Dundee fan, as it turns out. A grandson of John Petrie who, as an 18-year-old, scored 13 goals in Arbroath's historic 36-0 Scottish Cup victory over Bon Accord in 1885. "United could do with him," he smiles. "I'm half expecting to see some of them coming in for divine intervention. Maybe it's too late for them now. Ah, you don't like to see it. I mean that. I don't want United to be relegated." The fatalism is everywhere. There are no dreamers knocking around in the Tannadice support. Nobody has even the faintest hope of a great escape for Mixu Paatelainen's side, who will be relegated if they do not win on Monday. Fans talk about the past, which was not always glorious, that's true, but it was better than the dreadful place the club is in now. There was a connection, a feeling of togetherness, but the bond has been lost. As you go about the city and talk to the supporters the message of the shattered link between the club and its fans repeats over and over again. There's refuge from the rain in the back of Groucho's Record Shop, owned by Alastair Brodie and managed by Frank Mills - a pair of United fans since they were kids. Frank is just back in the door from Tannadice. He went to buy his early-bird season ticket and did so with a heavy heart. He's going on Monday, too. He fears he'll see his team relegated, but he's going anyway.

Summary: Word had it that Blind Derek had all the answers.


Brian Farrell admitted conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, in March this year. Silk Road 2.0 was shut down in 2015, following Operation Onymous, raids that targeted almost 400 suspected illicit marketplaces around the world. At the time, it was generating sales of about $8m (Â£5.5m) a month and had about 150,000 users. Ross Ulbricht, who set up the original Silk Road, was sentenced in May 2015 to life in prison on several charges including distributing drugs. Silk Road 2.0 was a copy of the original site and allowed people to use bitcoins to anonymously buy and sell drugs and other illegal goods and services via the Tor dark web network. Farrell, who operated online using the alias "DoctorClu", had admitted his involvement with the site when prosecutors had been searching his Washington home in 2015, court papers revealed. Blake Benthall, arrested in 2014, denies creating the Silk Road 2.0 site.

Summary: An American who helped run a successor to the Silk Road drug marketplace has been sentenced to eight years in jail.


The Tigers opened talks with an interested party in May. They have been up for sale since 2014, after the Football Association turned down owner Assem Allam's request to change their name to Hull Tigers. It has been a tough summer for Hull, who have just 13 fit players because of injuries, and whose manager Steve Bruce was a candidate for the England job. Bruce was interviewed on Monday for the England post, which is set to go to Sunderland's Sam Allardyce. A club statement said: "Whilst the owners intend to continue discussing a sale to interested parties in September, the priority for the coming weeks is strengthening the squad ahead of the start of the new Premier League season, particularly given the number of injuries sustained to key players during pre-season." Hull - who won promotion back to the top flight in May - open the Premier League season by hosting champions Leicester on Saturday, 13 August.

Summary: Hull have put takeover talks on hold until September to "ensure stability during the transfer window".


European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said the process should begin "immediately". And several EU foreign ministers have urged Britain to start the process soon. But Mr Hammond insisted that "nothing is going to happen at the moment". The timing of the formal notification of intention to leave the EU was in Britain's hands and talks would not start until a new prime minister was chosen to replace David Cameron, he said. Mr Hammond's position was supported by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff, who said Britain's politicians should take time to review the consequences of leaving the EU. "Politicians in London should take the time to reconsider the consequences of the Brexit decision - but by that I emphatically do not mean Brexit itself," Peter Altmaier told Reuters news agency. Mrs Merkel said on Saturday that the EU had "no need to be particularly nasty in any way" in the negotiations with Britain, and that deterring other countries from leaving the bloc should not be a priority in the talks. The EU has clarified the way the UK can kick start formal negotiations to exit the bloc following Thursday's referendum. It says Britain can trigger Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, which sets a two-year deadline for a deal, by making a formal declaration either in a letter or a speech at a meeting of the European Council, the gathering of ministers from each EU state. UK PM David Cameron has said he will step down by October to allow his successor to conduct the talks. Since Thursday's vote there has been intense speculation about when, and how, the UK might begin formal negotiations. The UK's decision to leave the EU has sent shockwaves across the continent with leaders of Eurosceptic parties in France, the Netherlands and Italy demanding referendums in their own countries. In response, some EU politicians have called for speedy reforms to quell further unrest. French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron suggested a new mission statement should be drafted and put to a referendum of all EU citizens. "We've never had the courage to organise a true European referendum in its real sense," he told a conference. "We would first build this new project with European peoples and then submit this new roadmap, this new project, to a referendum [across the bloc]." The first summit of EU leaders with no British representation will be held on Wednesday, a day after Mr Cameron holds talks with members. Global stock markets and the pound fell heavily on the news of the so-called "Brexit", while credit rating agency Moody's cut the UK's credit rating to "negative". Brexit: What happens now?

Summary: Britain will resist pressure from the European Union for a swift start to negotiations on its withdrawal from the bloc, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has indicated.


Border Force officers found 19 Albanians and one Syrian hidden in a trailer carrying machinery at North Shields ferry terminal in 2015. The HGV driver, Marek Niedzwiecki, 33, was jailed for five years at Newcastle Crown Court. Accomplices Ferdinand Gjolla and Armando Mekolli were jailed for eight and three years respectively. All three were found guilty of conspiring to facilitate unlawful entry into the UK following a 13-day trial. The Home Office said officers inspected Polish national Niedzwiecki's lorry when it arrived from Ijmuiden, Holland, on 1 September 2015. Their investigation led them to the home in Redhill Avenue, Barnsley, of Albanian national Gjolla, 41. The Home Office said Gjolla was the main organiser while Niedzwiecki, an HGV driver, was responsible for transporting the people into the UK, and Mekolli, 30, assisted Gjolla with the transportation of them once they arrived in the UK. Rachael Luther, from the Immigration Enforcement Criminal Investigations team, said: "This was a well-run organised crime group motivated by money. "Their sole aim was to breach the UK's immigration controls and bring people into the UK illegally." Of the 20 people found in the back of the lorry, 16 have been returned to Albania. The Home Office said the cases of the remaining four are being progressed in line with the immigration rules.

Summary: Three men who tried to smuggle 20 people into the UK in a lorry have been jailed.


Holders Hibernian or Hearts will host the winners of another replay, between Clyde and Ayr United. Celtic, already League Cup winners, will entertain Championship side St Mirren and Partick Thistle travel to Aberdeen in the two clear-cut ties. Rangers host the winner of the replay between Hamilton Academical and Championship side Dunfermline Athletic. Media playback is not supported on this device It means the Premiership's top three sides have been handed home ties in the quarter-finals to be played over the weekend of 4/5 March. The other hosts will be either Hearts, sitting fourth, or last year's winners after the Edinburgh rivals drew 0-0 at Tynecastle on Sunday. Championship leaders Hibs also played their neighbours at the same stage last season, winning a replay at Easter Road, and went on to beat Rangers in the final. Last season's runners-up won the last of this weekend's fifth-round ties, edging out Championship outfit Greenock Morton 2-1 in Glasgow. Media playback is not supported on this device The Ibrox side, presently under caretaker manager Graeme Murty after Mark Warburton's departure on Friday, will find out their opponents on Tuesday, when Premiership rivals Hamilton entertain Dunfermline. League Two outfit Clyde host Ayr of the Championship on the same night, while Hibs host Hearts the following Wednesday. Premiership leaders Celtic will be strong favourites to progress having been drawn at home to St Mirren, who are currently bottom of the Championship. Aberdeen, sitting second in the top-flight, host Thistle in an all-Premiership tie. Aberdeen v Partick Thistle Celtic v St Mirren Hearts or Hibernian v Ayr United or Clyde Rangers v Dunfermline Athletic or Hamilton Academical Ties to be played over the weekend of 4/5 March.

Summary: Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen were all handed home ties after the draw for the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.


Around 155 countries are expected to formally sign the deal at the UN, setting in motion events that could see the treaty operational within a year. The UN says the expected record turnout for the signing shows overwhelming global support for tackling rising temperatures. But some environmentalists have dismissed the event as a "distraction". Despite the absence of President Obama, around 60 world leaders are expected here at UN headquarters, including French President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Trudeau from Canada. But their signatures alone will not be enough to make the Paris agreement operational. The legal requirements mean that each country will have to go through a process of ratification. For some this will require nothing more than the assent of the political leader as in the example of the United States. Others though, such as India and Japan, will have to take the document to their parliaments; some may need new laws. The European Union is expected to lag behind on this issue as it has not yet agreed with the 28 member states on how emissions cuts will be shared out. Each member state will also have to ratify the deal individually. Some countries, including the Marshall Islands, Palau, Fiji and Switzerland, have already completed this step and will be able to formally join the agreement on April 22. To become operational, the treaty needs at least 55 countries representing at least 55% of global emissions to complete all the steps. While this is a tough threshold to reach an unusual coalition of interests is making it possible. Firstly President Obama is keen to ensure the deal is operational before his successor takes office next January. If the next President wants to take the US out of an established treaty they will have to wait for four years - by which time they may no longer be in charge. Many of the least developed countries are pushing forward as well because a clerical error in the drafting of the new agreement means it becomes operational as soon at it hits the 55/55 mark, and not in 2020 as many people had supposed. Poorer countries fear that if the threshold is reached they could be left out in the cold if they haven't ratified, meaning they would not be able to influence the rules and organisation of the new deal. "There was a little buzz a few weeks back with someone suggesting that some of the smaller counties should refrain from signing, in order to get a better deal," explained Reid Detchon from the United Nations Foundation. "The fact that there is this large number of developing [countries] that are coming to the table here says that argument hasn't taken root and they really saw how deeply their own national self interest was bound up in success here." Scientists and analysts are also keen on a speedy implementation of the agreement for different reasons. According to a new study by researchers at Chatham House, leaving any increase in the level of carbon cutting ambition until 2025 as detailed in the

Summary: The first significant step to putting the Paris Climate Agreement into practice will take place on Friday.


More than 100 officers surrendered at the base in Badakhshan province. They were released after reportedly handing over their weapons. The surrender was the largest by Afghan security forces since Nato ended its combat mission in December. The Taliban have stepped up attacks during their annual spring offensive. A police spokesman said the officers were freed following a deal between the militants and the local police commanders who surrendered on Saturday evening. Some officials blamed the central government for failing to send reinforcements to break the siege by the militants. The base, in the province's Wardoj district, was cut off after heavy rains destroyed roads into the area, said Badakhshan police chief General Baba Jan. It was not clear why reinforcements were not flown into the area, though the province's steep valleys often make aircraft landings difficult. The Taliban issued a statement saying it had released the 110 police officers, their local commander and the head of the local border police after making an agreement.

Summary: The Taliban have seized a police base in northern Afghanistan and captured scores of officers after three days of fighting, officials say.


Lord Oakeshott has donated Â£600,000 to Lib Dem, Labour and Green candidates in an attempt to prevent a Conservative win in May's General Election. He quit facing disciplinary action for commissioning research suggesting the party would do better without Mr Clegg. Berwick candidate Julie Porksen said his donation was just one of many. "I've received support from people from across the political spectrum and those who have no political allegiance at all," she told the BBC's Sunday Politics. Lord Oakeshott's aim for a Labour-Lib Dem coalition headed by Ed Miliband were "his views", she said. In an interview with the Financial Times, the former peer said: "I've taken a leave of absence from the Lords and am just a non-party social democrat now but I want to help save our country from a Tory government cringing to UKIP."

Summary: A Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate has defended accepting money from a peer who left the party after plotting against its leader Nick Clegg.


George Allen, 37, and his five-year-old son, Geordie, are critically ill in hospital after the incident at Killowen Primary School in Lisburn on Tuesday. Mr Allen's seven-year-old daughter, Georgia, is stable. The vice-principal of the school resuscitated Mr Allen using a defibrillator. Education Minister Peter Weir praised the staff's "swift response" to the "traumatic situation". He said his "hopes and prayers" were with Mr Allen's family. Although the school was closed on Wednesday, staff met with independent counsellors to prepare them for any questions the children might ask when they return. Democratic Unionist Party councillor Jonathan Craig, who sits on the school's board of governors, said the vice-principal would need support after his efforts at the scene. "I know that over the next 24 hours, the real impact of what has occurred will probably hit him. "That's where we need specialist help to try and counsel and give guidance to him and the rest of the staff." Mr Allen is being treated in the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. His children are at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and are thought to have suffered burn injuries.

Summary: The education minister has commended staff at a County Antrim school for their actions after a father and his two children were hit by lightning.


Peake won silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and is targeting a Team GB spot in Rio. The 30-year-old aims to break the Welsh record, which she currently holds, at Cardiff International Sports Stadium. "I've done a lot of competitions trying to get the magical bar that is the Rio qualification," Peake said. "There's quite a few goals for the weekend. "A personal best would be nice and would also be a Welsh record. I've equalled it so far this year so I'd really like to step that up a notch." British Athletics has set 4.50m as the qualification standard for Rio with Peake setting a personal best of 4.40m.

Summary: Pole vaulter Sally Peake hopes victory at Saturday's Welsh Senior Athletics Championships in Cardiff will take her as step closer to the Olympics.


The head teacher of Sandown Bay Academy resigned and the board of governors was replaced earlier this year. Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) said it intended to merge it with Ryde Academy to make "one great school". It said falling numbers and the consequent impact on finances had prompted the decision. Sandown Bay Academy came out of special measures two years ago, but is still seen as underperforming. Pupil numbers have fallen to fewer than 1,000 from 1,252 in 2012. In a statement, AET, the biggest academy chain in England, said: "It has been becoming increasingly difficult for the school to fund the teachers and the educational resources needed in order to provide the education we would all want for the students. "We believe that merger offers the best option all round, and that out of these two schools we can create one really great one." If approved, the principal of Ryde Academy, Joy Ballard, will oversee the transition between the two schools. A spokesman said no decision had been made on whether to operate two campuses or on any job cuts. A public consultation is to be held on the plans, with the final decision made by the government after the general election.

Summary: A troubled Isle of Wight academy is set to merge with another school, its sponsor has announced.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Leinster back-rower has been out for a number of weeks with a calf injury but has taken a full part in training since Tuesday. Iain Henderson starts in the second row as Donnacha Ryan has been struggling this week with a knee injury. Ian Keatley is named as fly-half Paddy Jackson's understudy on the bench, which also includes winger Tommy Bowe. Media playback is not supported on this device Ryan has been suffering from a niggling medial ligament injury and has not trained since Tuesday. "We wanted a bit more certainty about him but at the same time Iain has done a super job for us in the past," explained Ireland coach Joe Schmidt at the team announcement. Keith Earls and Simon Zebo start on the wings. Regular number 10 Johnny Sexton was ruled out of the Murrayfield match earlier this week as the calf injury he picked up in Leinster's Champions Cup game against Castres on 20 January has not yet fully healed. The 31-year-old has an "outside chance" of being fit to face Italy in Rome on 11 February, according to Schmidt. Sexton's unavailability leaves Ulster's Jackson to make his sixth start in eight games for Ireland, his last coming in the victory over Australia in Ireland's final autumn international in November. Munster flanker Peter O'Mahony is out with a hamstring problem so open-side O'Brien joins blind-side flanker CJ Stander and number eight Jamie Heaslip in the back row. Andrew Trimble's absence with a groin injury left Earls and Zebo as obvious choices to join full-back Rob Kearney in the back three, with Bowe getting the nod among the replacements ahead of Craig Gilroy or Tiernan O'Halloran. Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw form the midfield pairing, with Conor Murray joining Jackson to make up the half-back partnership. Up front, the front row combination of Jack McGrath, Rory Best and Tadhg Furlong is retained, while Devin Toner joins Henderson at lock. Uncapped hooker Niall Scannell and his Munster front-row partner John Ryan are listed as replacements in preference to James Tracy and Finlay Bealham. BBC Scotland's Tom English Ireland's team is formidable, despite Johnny Sexton not being in it. It's an illustration of their depth that Donnacha Ryan, a standout in the second-row in the victory over New Zealand, can't now get into the 23. Jared Payne and Jordi Murphy, two more heroes from that historic victory, are long-term injuries, but Ireland are still loaded with class, power and experience. Ireland: R Kearney; K Earls, G Ringrose, R Henshaw, S Zebo; P Jackson, C Murray; J McGrath, R Best, T Furlong; I Henderson, D Toner; CJ Stander, S O'Brien, J Heaslip. Replacements: N Scannell, C Healy, U Dillane, J Ryan, J van der Flier, K Marmion, I Keatley, T Bowe.

Summary: Flanker Sean O'Brien has been named in the Ireland team to face Scotland in Saturday's Six Nations opener.


The Latics are seven points from safety with six games remaining including tough trips to Brighton and Reading. David McGoldrick put Ipswich ahead midway through the first half, slotting in Myles Kenlock's pass, before Freddie Sears raced clear to double the lead. Wigan improved after the break, Bartosz Bialkowski saving brilliantly from Ryan Colclough and Alex Gilbey, but Sears pounced late on to make it 3-0. The win relieved some of the pressure on Town boss Mick McCarthy, following seven draws in their last eight matches, and they are now nine points clear of the relegation zone. A lack of goals has been one of the Tractor Boys' main issues this campaign, with only Wigan and Rotherham scoring fewer, but striker McGoldrick ended a 15-game drought to set the ball rolling. It was the Republic of Ireland international's first goal since netting the winner in the reverse fixture on 17 December. Sears has also been struggling to score this campaign, but the former West Ham forward showed superb composure to fire past Matt Gilks for his fourth goal of the season. His second had an air of fortune as Gilks saved his first effort, which then fell at his feet for an easy tap-in - but the game was already over at that point. With an average of 49 points keeping teams in the second tier since three points were introduced for a win in the early 1980s, the Latics, on 34 points, may need to win five of their last six matches to avoid an immediate return to League One. Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy: "I am delighted about the result and the performance and also a little bit relieved about the fact we got three points and other results went for us. "I thought David McGoldrick and Freddie Sears epitomised our performance, but I am also not going to just sit here crowing about everything. "At the start of the second half, it seemed we were conspiring to give them a goal and our fabulous goalkeeper made sure it wasn't 2-1 - though I think we deserved the 3-0 win." Wigan interim manager Graham Barrow: "The scoreline was fair as we gave them all three goals - but for Matt Gilks in goal, it could have been much worse. "I am not even going to pretend that was okay. It was suicidal stuff, real kamikaze football and I do personally feel let down. "Things were said in the dressing room, but they will stay in the dressing room, but the club, supporters and staff don't deserve that kind of performance. Our defending has actually been quite sound this season but all of a sudden that went up in smoke." Match ends, Ipswich Town 3, Wigan Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 3, Wigan Athletic 0. Attempt missed. Gabriel Obertan (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Substitution, Ipswich Town. Dominic Samuel replaces David McGoldrick. Foul by Dan Burn (Wigan Athletic). David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Wigan

Summary: Wigan's Championship relegation worries deepened with defeat at Ipswich.


The West Ham striker is charged with driving a car while a baby was being held by a passenger. Snodgrass, 29, is alleged to have driven on Duke Street, Glasgow, on 17 April with too many people to fit a baby seat in. The baby is alleged to have been in the arms for a rear seat passenger. Snodgrass, originally from Glasgow, was not at the city's Justice of the Peace Court when the case called. Defence lawyer Martin Black told the court "he didn't think he had to be" when asked why his client was not present. The Crown requested a warrant which was granted by JP Eunice Paton.

Summary: A warrant has been issued for Scotland international footballer Robert Snodgrass after he failed to turn up for his court trial.


It would also cut foreign aid in order to spend 2% of GDP on defence. The party said there was "not a cigarette paper" between the defence policies of the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems. The Conservatives accused UKIP of "playing politics with the military... in an irresponsible way". The dedicated veterans' minister would be part of the Cabinet Office rather than the Ministry of Defence. They would ensure veterans get specialist support, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said. This would include priority access to social housing and a fast-track card for NHS mental health services. During a visit to the West Midlands, Mr Farage accused the Conservative Party of being guilty of "shocking double standards" over defence and foreign aid. The Conservatives and Labour have not committed to matching the 2% Nato spending target, which was met during the last Parliament, beyond 2016. Mr Farage said: "No previous Conservative prime minister in history would have countenanced sanctioning continual rises in foreign aid giveaways while at the same time pursuing a programme of continual cuts in defence." This election issue includes foreign policy and the role of UK’s defence forces at home and abroad. Policy guide: Where the parties stand He said troops who had served more than 12 years would, under UKIP, be offered jobs in the police force, prison service and the borders agency. Campaigners have long called for a national defence medal, awarded by the Queen, for everyone who serves in Britain's armed forces. Mr Farage said the medal could be worn by all veterans during parades, and would mean "millions of people would feel more engaged". UKIP say extra spending on defence would come through cutting the foreign aid budget by £9bn per year. Last year, the foreign aid budget was £11.7bn. A Conservative Party spokesman said the UK had the second largest defence budget in Nato and would spend over £160bn in the next decade on new military equipment. He added: "We've also enshrined the armed forces covenant into law so our troops are treated with the respect they deserve. "It comes down to this: you can only have strong armed forces if you have a strong economy first." Speaking to reporters during his visit to Dudley where the defence policy was set out, Mr Farage said UKIP's support had dipped since the "euphoric" feeling that followed the party's by-election wins in Rochester and Clacton last year. Everybody had "peaks and troughs", he said, adding that the by-election wins of Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless had caused a "slightly euphoric" feeling among UKIP supporters but the party is "back a bit since then." This week Prime Minister David Cameron urged UKIP supporters to "come home" to the Tories, saying the general election was not the time to register a protest vote. UKIP called his comments "absurd". Subscribe to the BBC Election 2015 newsletter to get a round-up of the day's campaign news sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon.

Summary: UKIP has set out its defence policy, including a new independent veterans' minister and a national defence medal for all members of the armed forces.


Ross Simons, 34, and his wife Clare, 30, died at the scene of the incident in Hanham, near Bristol, on Sunday. The matter has been referred to the police watchdog, the IPCC. Police arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and a 35-year-old woman, on suspicion of dangerous driving. In a statement, the families of the couple said they were "completely devastated". They added: "A very special couple have been taken from us and we have no words to describe our loss." Meanwhile friends said the couple had desperately wanted children and had just been given the go-ahead to start IVF treatment. Avon and Somerset Police said an officer was alerted to a Citroen Picasso travelling along Lower Hanham Road at speed, shortly before 16:00 GMT on Sunday. A spokesman said the officer indicated to the car to stop but it made off. The officer began to follow the car but lost sight of it. Police said that shortly afterwards the car struck another vehicle and then collided with the cyclists. They confirmed the Independent Police Complaints Commission was investigating. Friends of Mr and Mrs Simons said they had been married for about 18 months and had been together for several years. Diane Pullin, from Kingswood, said she got to know the couple because her son-in-law Darren worked for Mr Simons' father. "They are a lovely family, so kind and so helpful," she said. "They don't deserve this. They'd just had news that they were able to have fertility treatment... everything to live for. "It's just terrible and it shouldn't have happened. "Two young people with their lives in front of them... snapped away just like that." Mrs Pullin said her daughter Shelley and her husband had been out for a meal on Saturday night with Mr and Mrs Simons. "They desperately wanted children and it wasn't happening," she said. "They'd just been given the go-ahead. They were so happy on Saturday night. "My daughter says she's got helium balloons at the top of her stairs wishing them luck and she can't even look at them." Speaking after laying flowers, family friend Steve Camm said: "They were like two peas in a pod. "They were never apart. They could never do enough for anybody. They were caring people. "They always did random stuff. You could never stop them from having fun." And the Reverend Peter Cook, of Hanham Baptist Church, said the incident had "ripped the community to its heart". He said: "I was just told about it when I was about to start my evening service and I really thought the person telling me was having me on. "We stopped the service and prayed for what was going on - it seemed just so implausible." Insp Frazer Davey said: "Following investigations overnight the circumstances of this collision have become much clearer. "However I would appeal to anyone who witnessed this incident or saw this car in the area shortly before the collision to come forward and contact us."

Summary: A car involved in an apparent hit-and-run with a couple on a tandem bicycle was being followed by police at the time, it has emerged.


French embassies, consulates, cultural centres and schools in some 20 countries will be closed for the next few days as a precaution. Government ministers voiced concern at the Charlie Hebdo cartoons but defended the freedom of the press. Riot police have been deployed around the magazine's offices in Paris. The magazine has confirmed that its website has been attacked. Its paper edition features caricatures which play on both the uproar in the Islamic world over an amateur video which mocks Islam and the row over the publication in France of topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge. A tenet of Islam bans the portrayal of its founder, the Prophet Muhammad. Some 30 people have died in violent protests which erupted early last week over the Innocence of Muslims video, which was made in the United States. The dead include the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans, who died in Benghazi. US and other Western embassies have come under attack in mainly Muslim countries. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was "concerned" at the cartoons and had ordered "special security measures... in all the countries where this [publication] could pose a problem". By Christian FraserBBC News, Paris The French schools are already closed in Tunisia. In Libya, French journalists are withdrawing from known hotels. And in the Muslim community of Belleville in Paris, they have been buying the latest edition of Charlie Hebdo just to rip it up. No wonder the French authorities are concerned. The foreign minister acted quickly this morning in an attempt to suppress the anger, while articulating the government's frustrations. The decision to print the cartoons at a time when Western embassies are already threatened, he said, would only "add fuel to the fire". Last night Charb, the editor of Charlie Hebdo, told me he rejected criticism that he was inciting violence, putting French lives at risk. He was using the cartoons, he said, to make fun of the film rather than the Prophet. But he would know what the reaction would be. Even as he left his offices last night, the riot police were there, on stand-by as a precaution. And this morning the magazine's website was hacked. The French authorities have turned down an application from the Muslim community for a demonstration on Saturday. The request was initially lodged in response to the controversial American film. Mr Fabius says he "sees no reason to allow conflicts that do not concern France into the country". But the government's decision is harder to defend now that the magazine has decided to publish, though clearly there are public order issues. These are highly offensive images, even to non-Muslims. The closures relate to possible protests following weekly Muslim prayers. No list of countries affected was immediately available. However, the following measures have been put in place: A statement about the cartoons on the French foreign ministry's website quotes Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault as saying "freedom of expression is one of [France's] fundamental principles", as are secularism and respect for religious convictions. "And this is why, in the

Summary: Security has been increased at France's interests abroad after a French satirical magazine published obscene cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.


Raikkonen was 0.109 seconds clear of his team-mate, with Rosberg 0.237secs off the pace as Ferrari hinted they may offer a threat to Mercedes in Shanghai. Hamilton, with a five-place grid penalty as a result of a gearbox change, was 0.433secs off the pace. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fifth ahead of Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen. Defending champion Hamilton, who trails Rosberg by 17 points in the standings, said it had been "a difficult day" and said it had been "quite windy" on the track. He added: "Ferraris are particularly strong, so I think we're going to have a fight this weekend. "It seems like we're going to have a bigger fight than we've ever had, so it'll be good for the fans." Double world champion Fernando Alonso, who has been cleared to race after missing the last grand prix in Bahrain on medical grounds, was 11th quickest, just ahead of McLaren team-mate Jenson Button. Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix - the third of the season - is live on the Sport website and radio 5 live at 07:00 BST. There was no repeat of the spectacular left-rear failures that afflicted Williams driver Felipe Massa twice and Renault's Kevin Magnussen in the first session. Massa was 14th after the team apparently solved the two wheel failures suffered by the Brazilian in the first practice session. Williams head of performance Rob Smedley said the team were "fairly confident" they knew what the problem was but refused to go into details. Valtteri Bottas, who was 10th, said the team had found a problem with the "rim clearance" - the distance between the inside of the wheel and the wheel assembly. Magnussen also had a problem with the left rear of his car in the first session. That turned out to be a suspension failure and he did not run in the second session as the team worked on a solution. Ferrari's pace in heading the Mercedes in the timesheets might appear to suggest that they can challenge McLaren this weekend, but Ferrari have flattered to deceive already this season. Vettel, for example, was fastest in final practice at the last race in Bahrain, only for the Mercedes cars to go half a second quicker than the Ferraris in qualifying. "If we get everything right, we can potentially be a bit closer," said Vettel. "But it is only Friday, so I wouldn't put too much importance in the times." Headline lap times can be misleading as teams can manipulate the fuel loads, while the times set on the race-simulation runs on heavier fuel loads can present a more accurate picture. On these, Mercedes had a clear pace advantage, although Raikkonen appeared able to make the super-soft tyre on which the top teams will start the race last longer at a stronger pace than Rosberg and Hamilton. Chinese Grand Prix Second practice results Chinese Grand Prix coverage details

Summary: Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel topped second practice at the Chinese Grand Prix, ahead of Mercedes duo Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.


The 42-year-old was crossing Rutherglen Road, near its junction with Glasgow Road, when he was hit by a Mercedes Vito at about 18:05 on Wednesday. He died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The 21-year-old man who was driving the van was not injured. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash, which happened between the Rutherglen and Oatlands areas, to contact them.

Summary: A man has died after he was struck by a van while crossing a road in Glasgow.


Mark Jones, 43, who had been in hospital since the incident on 26 July, died on Saturday. Two men have been charged with attempted murder and having a shotgun following the shooting on New Road, Mountain Ash. South Wales Police said a review of those charges would now take place. Edward Bennett, 47, from Mountain Ash, and Stephen Bennett, 52, from Pontypridd, were both remanded in custody after appearing at Cardiff Crown Court in August. Det Ch Insp Ceri Hughes said: "Our thoughts are with Mark's family who are being supported by a family liaison officer at this difficult time. "A review of charges in relation to the two men in custody will now take place."

Summary: A man who was in a critical condition after a shooting in Rhondda Cynon Taff two months ago has now died, police said.


Bangladesh police are investigating the murder of an Italian aid worker who was shot on Monday, with the Islamic State group saying it is responsible. The two-Test series was due to begin in Chittagong on Friday, 9 October. "One man gets killed, an Italian, and the tour is off. We've had 50,000 people killed in Pakistan," Khan said. Khan was referring to figures estimating the number of "fatalities in terrorist violence" in Pakistan since 2003. In May, Pakistan hosted their first home full international fixture since gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lanka team on its way to play in Lahore in 2009. "A certain amount of tension is likely through terrorism, but they have to trust the Bangladeshis, the Indians, the Sri Lankans and Pakistanis. We give them 100% protection," Khan added. "Some of the countries, like Australia and New Zealand, are perhaps oversensitive." Cricket Australia had initially delayed the team's scheduled departure on 28 September while it worked on a "revised security plan". But it now says that official advice means it had "no alternative but to postpone the tour". The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said it was "disappointed" by the decision but is "committed to rescheduling the series at a later date". On Wednesday, the BCB had promised "VVIP" treatment for the Australian team, saying they would be given the same level of security afforded to visiting heads of state. England are due to tour Bangladesh to play two Tests and three one-day internationals in October and November 2016.

Summary: Australia were "overly sensitive" to postpone their tour of Bangladesh over security concerns, says Pakistan Cricket Board president Shahryar Khan.


Police later named the woman as Joy Robson, 50, from the Isle of Skye. The boy was taken to hospital but police said his condition was not believed to be life-threatening. The incident happened on the first stage of the Highland Car Club Snowman Rally in Glenurquhart Forest, at Balnain. The rally was abandoned. It had been the opening round of the 2013 Scottish Rally Championship. Officers said one other person had been hurt in the collision but they were not seriously injured and were described as "walking wounded". The injured eight-year-old was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Neither the driver nor the co-driver of the rally car were injured in the incident. In a statement, the Highland Car Club said: "Following an incident on special stage 1 of the Snowman Rally in which an adult spectator was fatally injured the event has been abandoned. "The club extends its sympathies to the families of those involved." The statement said the club would be co-operating fully with Northern Constabulary's investigation. The event attracted 110 competing crews and was due to include five stages.

Summary: A woman has died and an eight year-old boy was injured after a rally car left a forest track and hit spectators in the Highlands.


"We save people here every day," said the 46-year-old policeman - managing to sound both proud and chiding and the same time. Mr Hassan has now spent three years assigned to the lifeguard unit that patrols the beach. At high tide on a recent Friday afternoon, thousands of mostly young Somalis were playing in the surf - a scene of cheerful relaxation that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago in a city notorious for its decades of anarchy, famine and violence. "This place is bangin'! Beautiful!" said an exuberant 21-year-old named Hassan Mohammed. Like many others at the shore, he was from the diaspora and spoke English in a broad London accent. "Never been here before. Very nice country. I'm born and raised in Europe. I thought it would be like seeing the end of the world. But it's improved very much," he said. Several restaurants have opened up at Lido beach, their shaded tables packed with Mogadishu's wealthier elites. "Octopus, sea turtle, lobster, shrimp - it's all over this place! Somalia is the most rich in seafood," said Lule Dhan, an Ethiopian who is executive chef at the Benadir Beach Restaurant. "This fabulous city... is not what the media portrays," he declared. "Absolutely, I'm here to stay," said the restaurant's slightly less effusive co-owner, Abdi Resak Jamcale, who has returned to Somalia after two decades in California. "I'm not making a profit but I'm breaking even. We need new laws to have more foreign investment here. For years people here never knew what's wrong and what's right - whoever has the gun [was in control]. But we're getting there, slowly," he said. Read Andrew's other reports from Somalia: 'Why I left al-Shabab' Getting round remittance bans In a country famous for its entrepreneurial culture, Lido beach's popularity has attracted a range of new business ventures - the most visible being the stalls renting out bright red life jackets to the many less confident swimmers. "When the security improves, everything gets better. Before there was no work at the seaside, but now we're very proud to have this business," said Mariam Hassan Ali, 45, sitting beside an inflated inner tube that she also rents by the hour. But if Lido beach is a clear indication of the growing sense of optimism in Mogadishu, this is not a city in which one can, or should, drop one's guard for long. Later in the afternoon, the local district police chief arrived and demanded that we leave the beach immediately, hinting darkly that our film crew might be working on behalf of al-Shabab. To reinforce his point, he was brandishing a grenade with some enthusiasm. Further down the beach, Hassan Mohammed - the young visitor from London - also began sounding slightly less emphatic about the city's charms when I asked him if he had any concerns about security, and al-Shabab. "No. No. You talk about that and they'll come to you! You don't talk about that - not even a little bit. I'm scared of that. This country's un-trustable, the people

Summary: Abdullah Mohammed Hassan climbed down from his perch, and strolled purposefully into the sea to rescue yet another bather who appeared to be struggling against big waves and a rocky, barbed-wire-infested shoreline at Lido beach, on the northern edge of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.


Retailers must now ensure the products are covered up and no longer in public view unless a customer asks for them. Shop managers and assistants who break the law could face fines of up to Â£5,000 and six months in prison. The move follows similar restrictions introduced for larger stores and supermarkets in 2012. Other outlets such as pubs and clubs also have to keep cigarettes out of sight. Cardiff retailer Bobby Singh called the ban "pathetic" and said he did not believe it would stop people smoking. Public Health Wales backed the new law and said the restrictions were a "very important development in improving health in Wales". A spokesman added: "They will play an important role in reducing the appeal of smoking."

Summary: Display restrictions on cigarettes and tobacco products sold by small traders in Wales have come into force.


The victim was queuing for food at the branch in St George's Street, Canterbury at about 02:15 GMT on Friday when the assault occurred. Investigating officers said three men entered the restaurant and began being noisy and bumping into people. It is believed one of the group then set light to the woman's hair. Officers have released CCTV images of three men they are keen to speak to regarding the attack. Det Sgt Barry Carr said: "Fortunately the fire was put out quickly and the victim was not seriously hurt, but things could clearly have turned out much worse. "This was a nasty and extremely dangerous thing to do, and I urge anyone who recognises the men in the CCTV images to contact me as soon as possible."

Summary: A woman had her hair set alight in a "nasty and extremely dangerous" attack at a McDonald's restaurant in Kent, police said.


PC Keith Burgess, 41, who was based at Southampton Central police station, also faces three counts of misconduct in public office. Hampshire Constabulary said he had been suspended from duty until the criminal investigation is completed. He was bailed to appear before Guildford magistrates next month.

Summary: A Hampshire police officer has been charged with making indecent images of a child, sexual assault and grooming a girl under 16.


Former civil servant Sir John Chilcot will appear before MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee on 18 October. The report, which took seven years to complete, criticised Tony Blair and his government's case for going to war in 2003. Mr Blair defended his actions, saying military action had been justified. The Chilcot Inquiry, which began its work in 2009, after UK troops left Iraq, did not attempt to reach a verdict on the legality or otherwise of the military action. Mr Blair has continued to insist the decision to remove Saddam Hussein was justified, although he has acknowledged that the intelligence on which it was based was flawed. Appearing before a separate committee of MPs last month, Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heyward said he and other civil servants were in the "preliminary" phase of learning lessons from the report in terms of how government should operate in future. He said he was frustrated at the length of time the inquiry had taken but believed that it could not have been expedited without changing the large terms of reference or restricting access to vital declassified documents and other material. The liaison committee, made up of the chairs of individual parliamentary committees, is best known for questioning the prime minister of the day two or three times a year.

Summary: MPs will question the chairman of the Iraq War Inquiry later this month for the first time since it published its official report in July.


The Mercian Regiment said Private Derby XXXI was officially selected by the Duke of Devonshire from his flock at the Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire. The Swaledale Ram helped to form a guard of honour for a Premiership rugby union match on Saturday. Lance Corporal Derby XXX, who switched on Ashbourne's Christmas Lights in 2014, died in November. Private Derby XXXI, who will be based at RHQ Mercian, Lichfield, Staffordshire, is set to begin training for tasks including leading soldiers out on parade and marching out the players at Derby County. The animal's first public appearance will at an Aviva Premiership rugby union match between Worcester Warriors and Sale Sharks at Sixways Stadium, Worcester. The ram is the 31st mascot going back to the Indian Mutiny War in the mid-19th Century. The first Private Derby was acquired in 1858 by the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot and became the mascot of the Mercian Regiment when it formed in 2007. The animal has his own army number, gets paid to buy his rations and can take his holidays during the mating season at Chatsworth.

Summary: A British Army regiment has announced its new sheep mascot following the death of its predecessor.


The Fraser of Allander Institute reckons that growth this year will be 1.9%, the same as its forecast for last year, for which official data has not been finalised. That is a reduction on the 2.2% forecast for 2016 that it published in November. For 2017, the forecast has fallen from 2.5% to 2.2% in those past four months. The economists at the Strathclyde University institute warned that growth was too dependent on household spending based on credit, which they said was unsustainable. They explained that the benefits of cheaper oil had not fed through to the economy as strongly as the harm it had done to the energy sector itself. The sustained low price was further pulling back on investment plans. The economists argued that this month's Westminster budget should avoid a further squeeze on spending, as tax revenues appeared to fall short of previous expectations. Prof Brian Ashcroft, author of the regular Fraser of Allander reports, said that would slow growth further and worsen the flow of tax revenues to the exchequer. The report said that job creation should continue but forecasted a slower rate of growth. The central forecast for net employment increase was 36,800, whereas in November, it was 45,000. The report also warned of the effect of the UK being taken out of the European Union, following the referendum in June. It claimed the uncertainty about the outcome of the vote would have a negative effect on investment. Its analysis of the European choice was that "it is difficult to imagine that it would help improve Scotland's competitive position to our trade with the EU". It noted that the fall in electronics and other manufacturing exports had meant Scotland already found it hard to penetrate open EU markets. The Strathclyde report said Scottish exporters would find it more difficult if the trade arrangements were changed. Also, productivity could be slowed, when it was already relatively weak. The latest report from Fraser of Allander noted that the Scottish economy still benefited from low inflation and low interest rates and earning power had been increasing slowly. However, it reflected on the strength of Sterling, making imports cheaper and exports more difficult. That factor had weakened in recent weeks, though trade had been slowing globally. It said growth had been depending too much on rising and unsustainable household debt. Paul Brewer, a senior partner at PwC which sponsors the Fraser of Allander reports, said: "The potential for the forthcoming budget to exert further fiscal tightening, oil price uncertainty and the uncertainty surrounding the potential outcome of the EU referendum, together create a difficult environment for business and investor confidence." He suggested the UK Chancellor could help the economy with a further cut in tax on oil producers. At sector level, the analysis said the service sector was the driver of growth, although financial services showed little sign of recovery to pre-recession levels. The production sector had contracted in the most recent official data, and construction had ceased to be the driver that it was of Scottish growth.

Summary: Growth in the Scottish economy is failing to pick up pace, according to one of Scotland's main forecasters.


The Hollywood A-lister turned up unexpectedly at Sunrise of Sonning, a care home in Berkshire, on Sunday to treat resident Pat Adams. Staff had written to Clooney, who lives nearby, telling him a visit would make Pat's dreams comes true. "This was a classy gesture from a wonderful man," a Sunrise UK spokesman said. "She was absolutely thrilled to meet her great icon, and it was such a lovely surprise to see George greet her with flowers and a card." The spokesman said Clooney was holding the letter staff had sent to him when he rang the doorbell asking for Pat. He said staff regularly try to fulfil their residents' wishes as part of an ongoing programme, but added: "They didn't think they would be able to pull this one off." The care home's concierge, Linda Jones, posted on Facebook that she was in "utter shock" when she saw the Oscar-winning star arrive. She said that Pat "loves George Clooney and mentions everyday how she would love him to meet him". Clooney moved to Sonning, where he lives with his human rights lawyer wife Amal, in 2014.

Summary: George Clooney has surprised an 87-year-old fan with a bouquet of flowers for her birthday.


Insp Ken Mackaill and Det Sgt Stuart Hinton are accused of gross misconduct over accounts they gave of a meeting with Mr Mitchell, and could be sacked if the disciplinary charges are proved. The meeting followed claims the Tory MP called police "plebs", which he denied. Another officer, Sgt Chris Jones, has been cleared of misconduct. Det Sgt Hinton is from Warwickshire Police, Insp Mackaill works for West Mercia Police and Sgt Jones for West Midlands police. All three officers, who are Police Federation representatives in the Midlands, met the Conservative MP at his Sutton Coldfield constituency office in October 2012 to find out what he had said during a row in Downing Street. It followed reports he had sworn at officers and called them "plebs" for refusing to let him cycle though the street's main gate. After the meeting the men said Mr Mitchell had not given a full account and called for him to resign. But a recording of the meeting cast doubt on what they had said. The three officers then faced further criticism over evidence they gave to MPs before the home affairs select committee in October 2013. Carl Gumsley, commissioner for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), directed Warwickshire Police on Monday to hold a misconduct hearing for Det Sgt Hinton. This was after the force declined to follow Mr Gumsley's earlier recommendation that there was a case to answer. West Mercia Police had decided, in line with Mr Gumsley's opinion, that Insp Mackaill has a case to answer for gross misconduct, and he should therefore face a misconduct hearing. In 2014, a High Court judge rejected a libel case brought by Mr Mitchell against the Sun newspaper, concluding that "on the balance of probabilities" he had called a police officer a "pleb". Mr Mitchell has accepted he used bad language but said he had not used that particular word. He paid Â£300,000 in legal costs after losing the case. Last year, the High Court described a misconduct investigation into the actions of the trio as "lamentable" saying there was a "series of errors and irregularities". The case was then referred back to the IPCC.

Summary: Two police officers face misconduct hearings over the "plebgate" affair involving ex-chief whip Andrew Mitchell, the police watchdog has said.


Ray Houghton's tumbling goal celebration at the 1994 World Cup and Salvatore Schillaci's whoops of delight after scoring in the same fixture four years earlier are snapshots of the fervour on display. Angelo Fusco, 81, has been a keen observer of Italy's games against the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland for decades, and can boast connections linking all three. He was brought up in Belfast, educated in Dublin, and his father had strong links with the Comino Valley. "I always supported Italy in football and Ireland in rugby as I went to school in Dublin at Blackrock," he said. "Italy comes just a wee bit above the Irish, my mother was Irish and my dad was Italian. "My brother, Carlo, supported Inter Milan and the other three brothers, myself included, supported AC Milan. "I remember in 1990 when Italy won against Ireland at the World Cup, someone threw a brick through the window of a brother's shop in Belfast. "My favourite Italian players have been Cesare Maldini and his son Paolo. I saw Cesare play for AC Milan in the 1963 European Cup final in London against Benfica, I went over to the match with my brothers. "I also went to the Rome derby once between AS Roma and Lazio - I don't know all the Italian curses, but there was a lot of swearing around me. "My brother Carlo played for Distillery, Cliftonville and Portadown in the Irish League. "At Portadown he was a teammate of Wilbur Cush who went on to play at the 1958 World Cup for Northern Ireland." Angelo and his brothers witnessed the infamous 'Battle of Belfast' in December 1957, when Northern Ireland and Italy drew 2-2 in an explosive encounter at Windsor Park. Juan Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia, who scored Uruguay's winning goal in the 1950 World Cup final before becoming a naturalised Italian, both featured in the game. It was invalidated as a World Cup qualifier after the Hungarian referee Istvan Zolt's flight was held up by fog, but its new designation as a "friendly" did not stop tempers boiling on and off the pitch. "We all, as brothers, went to the game against Northern Ireland in Belfast in 1957, we were all there supporting Italy and it was a shambles," Angelo said. "It was supposed to be a World Cup match, but the referee did not turn up. "In those days, the goalkeeper in Italy was sacrosanct and was not to be touched. Northern Ireland forward Peter McParland tackled the goalkeeper and took him out, the match turned on that. "When the fans invaded the pitch after the match, they got one of the full-backs on the ground, Harry Gregg and some of the other Northern Ireland players got round him and shielded him." Angelo also recalled how both sets of players met up at a dance hall venue in north Belfast after the game. "There was a big do at the Floral Hall at Bellevue, which was attended by players from the Italian and Northern Ireland teams," he added. "We as brothers

Summary: When the Republic of Ireland and Italy clash at football, passion and pride are usually not far away.


The retailer has been under fire over zero hours contracts and disclosure that staff at a warehouse were paid less than the minimum wage. Independent shareholders had called for changes to the way the company was run. Sources told the BBC that Mr Forsey was "not coerced", and that Mr Ashley is a permanent replacement, not temporary. The billionaire businessman has given up his role as executive deputy chairman. BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam said sources told him that the shake-up was not part of a plan to take Sports Direct private. There has been speculation that, following months of criticism of the company, Mr Ashley wanted to remove Sports Direct from the stock market. Mr Ashley, who owns more than 50% of the company, said in a statement: "I feel like I have lost my right arm, but I do hope to have the opportunity to work with Dave again in the future." Mr Forsey has worked for the retailer for 32 years after starting as a part-time worker when he was 18. Earlier this year he agreed to forgo a £3.7m share award in recognition of the problems at the company. Mr Forsey said: "I have given my entire working life to the company and in return the company has given me amazing opportunities and experiences." Sports Direct's board made two other changes, promoting Karen Byers to the role of global head of operations, and Sean Nevitt to the role of global head of commercial. Amid criticism over Sports Direct's working practices and bad publicity, there had been calls by shareholders for the removal of chairman Keith Hellawell. The company, which has around 450 retail outlets, came under the spotlight after an investigation uncovered that staff were kept on site at its giant Shirebrook warehouse in Derbyshire after their shifts for body searches. These took so long that their pay effectively dipped below the minimum wage. Mr Ashley, Sports Direct's billionaire founder, was called to answer questions from MPs, who compared working practices at the warehouse with "that of a Victorian workhouse than that of a modern High Street retailer". In the wake of that, the sportswear chain's lawyers produced a critical report of its working conditions. The company was criticised for its use of zero hours contracts. It says it will offer workers who want them guaranteed hours. It also said it would put a worker on the board. That report also criticised Mr Forsey for failing to inform the Sports Direct board about some of the issues at Shirebrook. But calls for an independent review continued and earlier this week, Sports Direct said it would authorise such a study of working practices and corporate governance, following concerns raised by shareholders. Mr Ashley denied knowing much about the way Shirebrook operated, telling the BBC: "You'd be surprised how little I knew of what was going on." Like so many in the company's hierarchy, Karen Byers, Sports Direct's new global head of operations met founder Mike Ashley informally and has known him a very long time. She's been with the

Summary: The founder and majority owner of Sports Direct, Mike Ashley, has stepped in as chief executive after the surprise resignation of Dave Forsey.


Jin Ok scored the game-winning goal after GB had come back from 2-0 down. Third-period goals from Angela Taylor and Leanne Ganney levelled the game after Jong Su-hyo and Won Chol-sun had put North Korea in charge. The game gives Britain their first point of the tournament but they are bottom of Group A after three games. "Nobody likes losing and it's disappointing," said Britain's head coach Cheryl Smith. "I am more disappointed because we took some risks. We were 2-0 down, took a risk and got the goal back. "We got our heads together and the girls listened and we got back into the game. "The game was going our way when we got back into it at 2-2, but we just didn't finish it. "We had the chances in overtime but we just did not get it done." Britain, who have also lost to the Netherlands and South Korea in this event, return to action tomorrow when they face Slovenia at 16:30 (08:30 BST).

Summary: Great Britain's women fell to an overtime defeat by North Korea in their third Group A game in World Championship Division Two in Gangneung.


There will be posters with the slogan "liar, liar" aimed at MPs who U-turned over their pledge to oppose fee increases for universities in England. "We won't let them trade lies for power again," said NUS president Toni Pearce. "The system now is fairer than Labour's fees system," said a Lib Dem spokesman. The coalition government's decision to raise tuition fees in England to a maximum of Â£9,000 provoked a series of sometimes violent student protests. Much of the anger was aimed at the Liberal Democrats, who had targeted the student vote in 2010 with personal pledges to vote against any tuition fee increase. In the current election campaign, the NUS is seeking to mobilise the student vote against MPs who had promised to oppose higher fees but then voted to almost treble them. "I'd like to say directly to Nick Clegg that your apology won't cover any of the Â£40,000 debt that students will graduate with for the first time this summer," said NUS president, Ms Pearce. "They pledged to scrap tuition fees - they lied. We won't let them trade lies for power again. We represent seven million students and are urging every single one across the country to vote against broken pledges." This election issue includes funding for schools, university tuition fees and early years education. Policy guide: Where the parties stand The campaign will involve advertising vans, billboards and newspaper adverts, says the NUS. It is aimed at 28 Liberal Democrats, including leading figures such as Nick Clegg, David Laws and Vince Cable. There are also two Conservative MPs who are accused by the NUS of failing to keep a promise to oppose the fee increase. There were another 21 Liberal Democrat MPs who kept their pledge to vote against the fee increase. The NUS also published a poll of issues that will be important to student voters, which found the biggest concern is cost of living. There have been warnings from students of a lack of recognition for problems in paying for accommodation and living costs and lack of maintenance loans. Labour has promised to cut tuition fees to Â£6,000 per year, while the Conservatives want to lift the cap on undergraduate university places and have called for more value for money for students. Some university leaders have been critical of proposals to cut fees, arguing that higher fees have not deterred poorer students. University applications dipped when fees were increased, but have since recovered to record levels, with more disadvantaged students applying than when fees were lower. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: "I'm not prime minister, I lead a party of 8% of MPs in the House of Commons, there was no money left... Labour had introduced and whacked up fees before we had come into office. "But I actually think what we did was incredibly impressive for the smaller party in the coalition, all our front page priorities we stuck to - and we will do so again." And a Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "There will be some people who will judge us for

Summary: The National Union of Students has launched a "payback time" campaign against MPs who broke their 2010 election promise over tuition fees, including leading Liberal Democrats.


It investigated online agents Booking.com, Expedia and hotel group InterContinental Hotels (IHG). The probe initially suspected the deals infringed competition law as they limited price competition. But it has now allowed such deals subject to certain conditions. The OFT has enabled online agents to discount the hotel's room price, to promote more competitive pricing. Previously, the websites were unable to offer discounts. Under the conditions, the OFT said consumers must first sign up to a membership scheme with a hotel, either of the agents, or another online agent. Customers must have also previously booked one room at the full rate with the online agent or hotel, to be eligible for future discounts, said the OFT. Booking.com and Expedia are two of the UK's largest online travel agents. The OFT launched its investigation in 2010 to look at allegations that there could be agreements and concerted practices resulting in fixed or minimum resale prices. Whether or not the move will open up competition and drive down prices is subject to some debate. Gaucho Rasmussen, enforcement director at the OFT, said he had looked at the conditions "very, very carefully". He said: "We did some consumer research and a significant amount of people would shop around and use smaller websites and new starters." Mr Rasmussen said the OFT had carried out two consultations and the decision was the best outcome. He said as the market kept changing, smaller websites could innovate and find a way to keep ahead. Dorian Harris, founder of discount booking website Skoosh, said he did not think the move would open up the market and push prices down. He said: "I am baffled by the outcome." Smaller companies, such as Skoosh, could not afford to change their marketing strategy and hotel contracts to accommodate the OFT's conditions, so would struggle to offer the discounts, he said. Mr Harris says the conditions would discourage new consumers from using smaller, unknown websites rather than Booking.com or Expedia: "The OFT have not understood the market. It is a huge failure in assessment." He said consumers would not want to pay for a full-rate room, to qualify for the discount rooms, from a new website such as Skoosh. They would instead prefer to get the discount straight away from larger websites, such as Expedia, where customers would most probably have already bought a premium-rate hotel room from, to qualify. He said the conditions would reinforce Booking.com or Expedia's dominance, adding the OFT had "pandered to the interests" of the two big companies. The OFT's Mr Rasmussen acknowledged there was a chance the set-up could lead to further monopoly, but he said the OFT would be monitoring movements in the market.

Summary: The OFT has made a move to try to help people access discounts when booking online, after closing an investigation into competition practice between three companies.


John McIlwaine, grew up in Portadown, County Armagh, but worked at the University of Bradford. He died at the age of 49 on Tuesday night. He was in charge of the team that recovered the remains of Danny McIlhone in 2008 and Charlie Armstrong in 2010. Mr Armstrong's daughter Anna McShane recognised his dedication. "I remember him as an awfully nice man who was so good to our family. He worked tirelessly in the most dreadful conditions to find my father," she said. "May he rest in peace." Mr McIlwaine had previously described it as a "privilege" to lead searches for the Disappeared and said their success had far outstripped predictions at the start of the process. Geoff Knupfer, the chief forensic scientist and investigator with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR), said: "John began work with the ICLVR in 2006 and with his great knowledge and experience made a huge contribution to our work. "Searching for the Disappeared in bleak and inhospitable places requires a special kind of dedication and commitment as well as great skill and that is what John had in abundance." Seventeen people - 16 men and a woman - were abducted and murdered by republicans between 1972 and 2003. The ICLVR was established in 1999 to obtain information in strictest confidence that may lead to the location of the remains of the Disappeared. The bodies of 10 people have been recovered. Sandra Peake, from the Wave Trauma Centre, which has supported the families of the Disappeared since 1995, said: "John had a way of humanising the science which helped families understand more clearly what was being done to find their loved ones. "There was a bond between John and the families and that is reflected today in the number of them who have contacted Wave to express their shock and sorrow." A spokesman for the University of Bradford said staff and students had been left shocked by the tragedy. "John was an incredibly motivated, loyal and reliable individual," he said. "He inspired and supported hundreds of students in archaeological sciences, he supported the local community in West Yorkshire in so many ways and he achieved a life's ambition in helping to ameliorate the pain and suffering of families of the Disappeared. "This is a very sad time for staff and students at the University of Bradford, both present and past."

Summary: Tributes have been paid to a forensic archaeologist who led the searches for the Disappeared - people murdered and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.


For £39m, the firm is buying what is estimated to be up to a quarter of the timber released by NRW every year. Auditor General Huw Vaughan Thomas said he was unable to satisfy himself on whether the decision to make the deal was lawful. NRW disputed the findings. The allegations have been made in a response to the 2015/16 accounts of NRW by Mr Thomas, who called the deal "irregular". He said the decision-making process was not transparent and expressed "doubt" over whether it met EU state aid rules. "I have not been able to satisfy myself that the decision to agree those contracts was lawful and did not involve the provision of state aid," he wrote. The identity of the company has not been revealed because NRW said the matter was commercially sensitive. As a condition of the contract, the company said it would construct and operate a new saw line at its Welsh premises by 31 March 2016 but NRW said that condition was not met and was extended by 12 months. NRW would not say whether the condition had been met since last March. A report by the auditor general said that in 2014, NRW entered into an agreement with a sawmill operator for eight connected timber sales contracts, in a bid to try to halt the spread of a disease. The firm purchased both spruce and larch timber, the latter of which was from forests where a fungus disease - P Ramorum - that causes extensive damage was present. But the report said no other potential purchasers were given the opportunity to bid for the timber. The value of the contract was designed to enable the operator to make a major investment in the sawmill - the operator said four of the contracts for larch would not have been enough to invest in the new saw line. NRW told auditors it had to act, that there was no alternative and that it was highly unlikely that any other operators would have been interested. But Mr Thomas believed the 10-year-long deal would have been an opportunity other operators may have been interested in. This, the lack of market testing and the fact NRW admitted in internal documents that the award of the contract gave rise to the risk of challenge by another company, led the auditor to believe it should have been referred to Welsh Government because it was contentious and could have repercussions on the wider market. But it was not referred to the Welsh Government in that way, and as a result the contracts were "irregular" in the auditor's view. Mr Thomas also said that the awarding of contracts to the sawmill operator was neither "robust nor transparent", saying NRW was unable to provide "sufficient contemporaneous documentation" that demonstrated what it took into account when it decided to enter the contracts. "In the absence of sufficient evidence, I have been unable to satisfy myself that NRW's decision to enter into these contracts with the sawmill operator was taken in accordance with public law principles," he wrote.

Summary: A 10-year deal by Natural Resources Wales to sell timber to a sawmill was made without other companies being allowed to bid, the Auditor General for Wales has said.


Across the world, drug laws are being relaxed, from Uruguay to Portugal, Jamaica and the Czech Republic. Does this mean the war on drugs has been lost? The BBC World Service's The Inquiry hears from four expert witnesses, including a former Colombian president and a drugs prosecutor turned defence lawyer. After many years prosecuting drugs offences as an Assistant US Attorney, growing frustration with the approach inspired Bonny Klapper to become a defence attorney. "About 10 years into my career, it really hit me that the people I was prosecuting were not just drug traffickers. They were mothers, they were fathers, and I really began to take an interest in why these individuals got involved in drug trafficking." One Colombian drug runner had a big impact: "At 14 he had a choice: go work in the emerald mines, or do something else. So he started in the emerald mines, and it was a horrible experience. And then he was offered the chance to work as a driver for one of the leaders of the Norte Valle Cartel. He started as a driver, and ultimately rose up through the ranks. "In countries like Colombia, sometimes if you want to support your family - and you don't come from a wealthy family or you're not highly educated - drugs is the only path that you have to get yourself out of poverty." She noticed other problems back in the US at the other end of the chain: "[We] would prosecute money remitter houses in Queens that were sending drug money to Colombia. We prosecuted one, we shut it down, and the next day another one opened up in the same location. Or we prosecuted very high level traffickers, either in the US or in Colombia, and once they were extradited, someone else came in to take their place. "We've shifted the problem from Colombia to Mexico. Now all of Central America is inundated because the traffickers got sophisticated, and they're moving through Guatemala and Honduras, and those countries are turning into narco states." She argues the approach to drugs users is equally flawed: "The prison system is a disaster. There's virtually no rehabilitation. Locking up low level individuals who have drug problems or who have limited other options is not effective, because they go to jail, they come out, they get involved with drugs again, and they go right back to it. "I have nothing but praise for the law enforcement agents I've worked with [but] so many of them have said to me 'we're fighting a war that can't be won the way we're fighting it'. "The war itself is at a draw. And I believe that draw will be maintained indefinitely unless there's a dramatic change in our approach to drugs and drug trafficking." Former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria worked on the Global Commission on Drug Policy report in 2011 which called on states to decriminalise drugs. "Our recommendation is regulation for everything. That's what Portugal did. "If you look at the last 50 years, what has been done? In the US,

Summary: Forty-four years after President Nixon declared "war on drugs", four US states have now agreed to legalise the sale of marijuana and most Americans support legalisation.


Southern Water said the pipe burst in Chestnut Avenue had affected homes in the SO53 and SO16 postcodes leaving them with no water or low pressure. The company said supplies would gradually return to normal later as the main was being repaired. Chestnut Avenue is expected to remain closed until Friday as the burst had caused substantial damage. Engineers have closed off the road between the Bournemouth Road junction and the Tollgate junction.

Summary: A burst water main in Eastleigh has caused flooding in a road and left about 4,000 homes without water.


New City manager Pep Guardiola is keen to make Stones his next high-profile transfer of the summer. Stones was one of only two outfield players not to see action in England's disappointing Euro 2016 campaign. Talks have yet to take place, but the asking price would make Stones, 22, Britain's most expensive defender. Everton have no need to sell, but the possibility is growing that Stones will leave before the start of the new Premier League season. He was at the centre of a transfer battle last summer when Everton rejected a succession of bids rising up to almost £40m from Chelsea, simply refusing to sell to then manager Jose Mourinho. Guardiola has made Stones, who has 10 England caps, a priority target as he prepares to renew his rivalry with Mourinho, who is now across the city at Manchester United, and looks certain to get his man. Manchester City have already signed Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund and completed a £13.8m deal for Spain forward Nolito from Celta Vigo after their interest in Euro 2016 was ended by Italy. Everton will give any money they get for Stones to new manager Ronald Koeman to increase his already considerable transfer fund. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Manchester City want to buy Everton defender John Stones, but would have to pay the Goodison Park club around £50m for the England international.


Meanwhile, the big four of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray show no signs yet of retiring, while others such as Wawrinka, Berdych, and Nishikori also provide competition and excitement for fans and backers of the sport. So it may come as something of a surprise to learn that ATP chief executive Chris Kermode, the man behind the continued upwards trajectory, is about to launch a major review looking ahead to what direction men's tennis should take from 2018 onwards. "We will start the process in 2016, taking a hard look at the long term, and what the ATP stands for," he tells me. "Can we offer a better service to players and tournaments? Can we do better in our marketing and promotion, and use social media and digital better? "We will look at how we connect with our audiences, at our TV coverage, our structure of tournaments. Also how many should be in the calendar, and where they should be based? It will be a major work." He says there are "five tennis stakeholders" to consider - players, tournaments, fans, sponsors and the media. The ATP's review comes after another successful sell-out World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena, where close to 263,000 fans watched the top eight players compete. It brought the overall attendance on the 2015 ATP World Tour season to an all-time record of 4.5 million fans (excluding Grand Slams). Mr Kermode says some 15% to 20% of the ATP's annual revenue's annual revenues come from the end of year finals, so as an event it is "financially very important". Now, the finals will stay in London until 2018, beyond the original 2016 deadline. And Mr Kermode says that while other cities offered more money, they did not provide the profile - or "statement for tennis" - he says they currently enjoy at the O2. The 50-year-old also says he has made a conscious effort to present the ATP finals in a different way to other London tournaments, Wimbledon and the Aegon at Queen's (where he used to be tournament director). "We have made it an entertainment event as much as a sports event," says Mr Kermode. World Tour Finals sponsor Barclays will pull out after the end of 2016, as it cuts back its sport sponsorship, but Mr Kermode says the ATP is confident of finding another big backer. "The issue for us at present is whether we go for a two year sponsor deal around London, or a longer deal that is linked to London and another venue somewhere else," says the keen Neil Young music fan. "We are talking to five companies as potential sponsors, and want to be quick in securing a deal." The ATP has been boosted by the fact that in the past six months it has secured deals worth $160m (Â£106m) over the next five years. These include a deal with Emirates, reportedly worth $50m, to replace beer brand Corona as an ATP World Tour sponsor. The airline's logo will replace those of the Mexican beverage on nets at events. New deals

Summary: Men's professional tennis has enjoyed another high-powered year, with record attendances at the Association of Tennis Professionals' (ATP) World Finals in London last month, as well as a number of major new sponsor deals signed.


Since 2014, the government has said key nursery workers must have at least a grade C in GCSE English and maths. But campaign group Save our Early Years said there was now evidence that this requirement was blocking staff career paths and deterring new starters. The Department for Education said it was working with the profession on a future staffing strategy. Figures from qualifications body Ofqual show about 12,500 students completed the Level 3 Early Years Educator course between July and September 2015, compared with 18,000 in the same period in the previous year - a fall of about 30%. The course, which takes between one and two years to obtain, enables students to obtain their first jobs in nurseries and work with children aged under five. But industry leaders warn the drop in the number of those completing it is evidence of an impending recruitment crisis, which is already damaging the quality of childcare on offer to parents. It also puts in jeopardy government plans to introduce 30 hours of free childcare to all three and four-year-olds from 2017, they say. Under current rules, staff are only allowed to look after a specified number of children: The government requires that there must always be at least one member of staff qualified to Level 3 on duty, which means these staff are essential to all nurseries. Julie Hyde, executive director at the childcare qualifications awarding body Cache, said if the government did not reverse its decision, there would be "no nursery staff and therefore parents would have no childcare". Liz Bayram, chief executive of the charity Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, said nursery chains were able to move staff around to cover gaps, but sole nurseries would be hardest hit by the crisis, she added. In the association's survey of 75 Further Education college leaders, almost three quarters (72%) reported that enrolments on Level 3 courses had decreased in the latest academic year (2015-16), compared with the previous year. A separate survey of 278 private nursery owners and managers across England suggested the main reasons for nursery staff leaving their jobs were low pay and a lack of progression due mainly to the GCSE requirements. Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, which conducted the poll, said: "The serious staffing problems caused largely by these GCSE requirements can make these businesses unsustainable and force them to turn away children." June O'Sullivan provides care for 4,500 children at 38 nurseries across London. As chief executive of London Early Years Foundation, she is currently grappling with her business's recruitment and retention policy to try to fill 90 vacancies (of her 650 staff) for Level 3 nursery workers. She fears that unless the government changes the requirements, the industry will end up with more unqualified staff and nurseries will see a high turnover of staff. "People just don't understand the importance of the harmonious relationship you have to build with the children, their parents and the staff," she says. If parents can't be sure their children are in safe hands,

Summary: Nurseries in England are struggling to recruit qualified staff putting them at risk of closure, campaigners have said.


Scientists at Imperial College London examined the bone structure of hip-fracture patients who had been treated with bisphosphonates. They found evidence the drugs were linked to microscopic cracks, making bones more fragile and prone to break. Osteoporosis affects three million people in the UK. What is osteoporosis? Losing bone is a normal part of the ageing process, but some people lose bone density much faster than normal. This can lead to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures. Bisphosphonates - the main treatment for osteoporosis - are an extremely successful and commonly prescribed class of drugs that slow down the natural processes by which the body removes ageing or damaged bone. But doctors have raised concerns about the number of fractures occurring among elderly patients who have been taking the drugs for a long time. To find out why, the team led by Dr Richie Abel took samples of bone from 16 hip-fracture patients and studied them at the Diamond Light Source - the massive doughnut-shaped Syncatron or particle accelerator at the Harwell campus in south Oxfordshire. "What we wanted to see was whether the bone from bisphosphonate patients was weaker or stronger than bone from untreated controls," Dr Abel explained. "Rather startlingly, we found the bone from the bisphosphonate patients was weaker. That's a conundrum because the bone should be stronger." By bombarding the samples with X-rays 10 billion times brighter than the Sun, the team were able to generate images of the internal structure of the bones in unprecedented detail. These showed microscopic cracks building up in the bones of patients treated with bisphosphonates. Dr Abel said: "The drug is clearly working, but it also leads to the build-up of micro-cracks in the bone and that could increase the likelihood of a fracture." It's a surprising result, but the study was small and the work is at an early stage. Even so, Prof Justin Cobb, a co-author on the paper, says the discovery raises important questions about how we prescribe bisphosphonates for long-term conditions such as osteoporosis. "There's no hurry, but we should think about how long people are taking them for, and how we might monitor the development of these micro-cracks," he said. In the meantime the researchers say people should continue to take medications prescribed by their doctor. If you answered: "Yes," to more than one of these questions, then you may be more at risk of developing osteoporosis: •Has anyone in your family ever been diagnosed with osteoporosis? •Have you ever broken a bone after a minor bump or fall? •Are you female and aged over 50? •Do you drink more than three units of alcohol a day? •Do you miss out on summer sunlight (through being housebound, avoiding the sun, always covering your skin or wearing sunscreen)? •Do you miss out on doing at least 30 minutes of activity five times a week? Source: National Osteoporosis Society

Summary: Drugs used to treat weak bones in elderly patients suffering from osteoporosis may actually make them weaker, research suggests.