Grace Taylor, who was backpacking, had been uncontactable since 16 February, her mother Sam Taylor said on Facebook. The family filed a missing person report to Dorset Police on 21 February. Then on 22 February, Ms Taylor contacted her family, who booked her a flight home, although her mother said she did not board the flight. Sam Taylor said her daughter had called from Ao Nang in Krabi province. Mrs Taylor said Grace Taylor was "very stressed and frightened saying that people were trying to hurt her and were following her and she wanted to come home". She added that "all previous backpacker sightings have reported that she is disorientated and not in a good mental state". She appealed to the backpacker community to help locate her daughter. A member of the family is flying to Thailand to search for Ms Taylor and bring her home, she said.

Summary: A 21-year-old woman from Swanage, Dorset is missing in south Thailand, according to her family, who have posted an online appeal for help.


A crane was used to lift the scanner into place and the operation took several hours to complete. The multi-million pound investment has been partly funded by charitable donations. By 2012, the scanner appeal had raised £2m, and back then the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said it expected the machine would be in place by 2013/2014. At that stage, the total capital cost was estimated at £4m, with additional annual running costs of £1.9m. The then Health Minister Edwin Poots committed £2.75m towards the project in November 2012 and described it as a "vital service". He said he was delighted that it was finally going to be installed and that the delays had been caused by practical issues. "Obviously it is something that the Belfast Trust were dealing with but the hospital that it is being placed in is a very old building," he said. "The first problem that they came across was asbestos and there was considerable asbestos removal to take place, so that was the first delaying factor. "Another thing that impacted on it was that the actual scanner is a considerable weight and the ground had to be piled for the scanner to be installed. "That piling was taking place actually within a building, so one can understand that that was a huge engineering challenge to take on." Mr Poots said that once it was installed it would have "life-saving consequences" and make a "huge difference" for the services provided at the children's hospital. Brian Barry, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust's director of specialist hospitals, said the new scanner would help to reduce waiting times. "Previously our children in Northern Ireland had to go and have MRI scans in an adult environment," he said. "We now have a whole new purpose-built, child-friendly environment and have increased the amount of sessions available, so there is more service and a better service, Monday to Friday." The scanner should be operational within two months and will be used in the diagnosis of a wide range of medical conditions, including cancer.

Summary: A new MRI scanner has been delivered to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.


The Princeton Review survey also placed Abertay ninth in the world for its postgraduate gaming courses. The university was the first in the world in 1997 to offer degree level qualifications in computer games development. The Princeton Review surveyed 150 institutions offering game design. The University of Malta was the only other European institution to make either list, coming in at 23rd for postgraduate courses. Prof Gregor White, head of Abertay's school of arts, media and computer games, said: "To be featured so highly in this prestigious ranking for a third consecutive year is testament to the hard work, dedication and excellence of my colleagues in the school and across the university. "To make advances in both lists is an incredible achievement and is particularly pleasing in this anniversary year." The survey included questions about academic offerings and faculty credentials to their graduates' starting salaries and employment experience. Princeton Review editor in chief Robert Franek said: "Game design is an exciting field and programmes are springing up in colleges all over the world. "As we continue to help students find the best programme for their needs and interests, we strongly recommend Abertay and each of the other schools that made our 2017 ranking lists."

Summary: Abertay University's computer gaming courses have been ranked the best in Europe for the third consecutive year in an annual college admissions survey.


Gunners Joseph Rowbottom, 27, from Wrawby, North Lincolnshire, and Albert Venus, 22, from Hull, died on 24 May 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres. Their remains were found during work on a new housing estate. Relatives attended Ypres Town Cemetery where their bodies were reinterred, in coffins draped with the union jack. The soldiers' remains, with shoulder titles from the North and East Riding Batteries of the RFA, were uncovered in the town in April 2013. Ministry of Defence (MoD) researchers were only able to identify the two men of the six found. Gunner Venus's great nephew John Howden, 73, from Roos, East Yorkshire, was handed the folded union jack that had draped his coffin. He said: "When they handed me the flag I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes and I did not think it would affect me that way. "You are at a distance and all of a sudden you're involved and it's near, it's just emotional." Mr Howden said he had not known about his great uncle until he got a letter from the MoD. He said he was pleased the link was proved following a DNA test. Caroline Rowbottom, Gunner Rowbottom's cousin's granddaughter, received the flag on behalf of his relations. Mrs Rowbottom, from Brigg, North Lincolnshire, said it had been a shock when the family received an MoD letter. "Up until that point we did not even know of his existence - we did not have him in the family tree, which is very sad. "The ceremony itself was very moving and very well put together," she said. The traditional five-gun salute did not take place due to the heightened security level in the country in the wake of last month's attacks in Brussels. Gunner Rowbottom had been a milkman before the war and was nicknamed Milky Joe in the local newspapers. Gunner Venus enlisted in the 2nd Northumbrian Brigade in December 1914 and joined the Hull Batteries to complete his training as a gunner.

Summary: Six British soldiers who fought in the First World War have been given military burials more than a century after they were killed in Belgium.


It took $36.4m (£26.7m), trouncing Melissa McCarthy's latest comedy, Tammy, which took $21.2m (£15.6m). "This ranks as one of the lowest fourth of Julys ever," said Paul Dergarabedian, from box-office tracker Rentrak. Takings were down 44 per cent compared to last year. US Independence Day weekend is traditionally marked by the release of "tentpole" movies - from Back to the Future to Terminator 2 and Men In Black. Last year's major release was animation Despicable Me 2, which went on to take $368m (£214m), making it the fourth-biggest movie of the year in the US. But this year, there was no major release to coincide with the holiday. Michael Bay's Transformers, the fourth in the series, has a cast led by Mark Wahlberg. It has received generally poor reviews from critics, as has Tammy. The only other major new release was the horror film Deliver Us From Evil, starring Eric Bana. It opened in third place with $9.5m (£6.9m). The box office will be hoping for a boost next weekend with the release of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, starring Andy Serkis and Gary Oldman. It is expected to be one of the summer's big hitters.

Summary: Transformers: Age of Extinction has held on to the number one spot at the North American box office on an unusually quiet 4 July weekend.


Media playback is not supported on this device Hosts GB are aiming to win the event for the first time and were indebted to goalkeeper George Pinner who made a series of saves to keep the game level. Mark Glenghorne came closest to a winner for GB, but was denied by Simon Orchard in the Australia goal. "As a team we pride ourselves on our defence," Pinner told BBC Sport. "It really was a great performance with everyone throwing themselves in there, putting their bodies on the line and that's what you need to win tournaments." The Champions Trophy in London sees six of the best teams in the world compete in the final major international tournament before this summer's Rio Olympic Games. All six nations will face one another in the pool stage, with the top two ranked teams facing off for gold on the final day - those ranked third and fourth will compete for bronze. Earlier on Friday, South Korea took an early advantage with a 2-0 defeat of Belgium, while defending champions Germany needed a late equaliser to salvage a 3-3 draw against India. The GB men will face 2014 Champions Trophy runners-up India in their second fixture at 16:00 BST on Saturday and will be hoping for goal-scoring improvements. They relied not only on Pinner but also two crucial video referrals, which overturned a penalty stroke and a goal, having both initially been awarded to Australia. "We take encouragement from the result and we know the performance can get better," captain Barry Middleton told BBC Sport. "Tournament hockey isn't always about who plays their best at the beginning, it's about if you can build through the tournament and finish strong and that's what we're looking to do."

Summary: Great Britain's men began their Champions Trophy campaign with an encouraging 0-0 draw against world number one side Australia.


Ben Hooper started his 2,000-mile (3,200 km) swim from Dakar harbour in Senegal, west Africa. Mr Hooper's four-month attempt is due to end in Natal in north-east Brazil, next March. The 38-year-old long-distance swimmer from Cheltenham is hoping his sponsored Swim The Big Blue challenge will raise Â£1m for charity. Other people have attempted the swim, but were not ratified by Guinness World Records. French swimmer Benoit Lecomte was credited as the first to swim across the Atlantic without a kickboard in 1998, but this was not verified. Mr Hooper said he faces hazards such as storms and ocean predators. "The idea is to get across safely and I think my only real fear is if something goes mechanically wrong with me. "Beyond that I am not too worried about marine life. I am going into their world, so I need to be respectful," he said. "I've already met sharks and jellyfish and nothing has eaten me yet." Mr Hooper is swimming freestyle front crawl for up to 12 hours a day, and will have to eat 12,000 calories a day to maintain his strength. He is accompanied by two support boats. The crews include a medic, body therapist and an official observer who will be reporting back to Guinness. Nigel Taylor-Schofield, captain of one of the support vessels, said before the swim: "There are not many 'firsts' left in this world and I am looking forward to helping Ben join that exclusive and elusive club." Mr Hooper has completed 12 million metres (7,456 miles) of ocean and pool swimming in preparation.

Summary: A man has set off in a bid to set the first official world record for swimming across the Atlantic Ocean.


A spokesman said both men were in their 60s, but gave no further details. The men reportedly ran into bad weather as they were coming down the mountain over the weekend. Last week, the remains of two Japanese climbers who disappeared 45 years ago were found on the Matterhorn, one of Europe's highest mountains. DNA tests helped identify those remains - the latest to have been discovered with the melting of ice on the mountain. The 4,478m (14,700ft) Matterhorn has a distinctive pyramid-shaped peak, making it one of the world's most recognisable mountains. Hundreds of people have died trying to reach the top.

Summary: Two Japanese climbers who scaled the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps have been found dead on the mountain, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.


The young woman and her diving buddy were exploring the wreck of sunken cargo ship near Lochaline. She was rescued at 11:16 by Oban's RNLI lifeboat, whose crew included a doctor with experience of working with divers in similar situations. She was taken to a waiting ambulance in Oban, then transferred to a recompression chamber at Dunstaffnage.

Summary: A diver has been rescued from the Sound of Mull by a lifeboat crew, after suffering from the bends.


Sir Steve Webb, director of policy at Royal London, wants the government to encourage more people to claim them. Parents who give up work are given NI credits while their children are under 12, to help them get a state pension. If they return to work, relatives can claim the credits instead. To qualify for the so-called grandparents' credit, such relatives need to be of working age, while caring for the child in question. In the year to the end of September 2016, only about 1,300 people claimed the credits, according to a response to a Freedom of Information request. However, Sir Steve said that as many as 100,000 relatives could get them, if only they were made aware. "The scheme is not much use if hardly anyone takes it up," he said. "The government needs to act quickly to alert mothers to the fact that they can sign over the National Insurance credits that they do not need." Any close relative can apply for the National Insurance credits, but it's most likely to be a grandparent, as long as they're under pension age. Each year of caring for a child under 12, qualifies them for an extra £231 of annual pension. Which is valuable if they don't have a full National insurance record and aren't earning enough to pay National Insurance anyway. If families think they've missed out, they can make backdated claims for all the years back to 2011. A grandparent or other relative who takes part in the scheme for a full year is able to claim an extra 1/35th of the state pension. That is worth £231 a year, or about £4,600 over a 20-year retirement. In response, the government said that as many as 5,000 people in total had benefited from the scheme - officially known as Specified Adult Childcare credits - since it started in 2011. "These credits are available to people in a small number of specific circumstances," said a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). "As with all credits, details of the Specified Adult Childcare credits are well publicised on GOV.UK and are promoted through a number of consumer websites." Those who have missed out on the scheme can make back-dated claims. The application form can be found on the government's website.

Summary: Tens of thousands of grandparents are missing out on National Insurance (NI) credits which could be worth more than £230 a year when they retire, a former pensions minister has said.


The Addicks dropped into the relegation zone following Tuesday's 3-0 defeat at home to Preston. The 40-year-old has been in charge at The Valley since January. "I need to worry only about the next game, how I pick the team and how I encourage the squad to bring the result on Saturday," he told BBC Radio London. Charlton have only won two of their 12 league games this term and Luzon described the defeat by Preston as "a difficult night". However the Israeli, who previously worked under Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet at Belgian side Standard Liege, says recent injury problems have hampered his team selections. "We know that we have a crisis with the injuries in the last two months," Luzon said. "This is the situation. This is our squad. Without a pure wide player in the eleven, it is difficult to create chances and get the result. "I hope on Saturday some of them will come back and help us to choose a normal eleven with balance. Then we can play football."

Summary: Charlton Athletic head coach Guy Luzon is not concerned about his future despite a run of eight games without a win in the Championship.


The Kemp's ridley turtle was one of two found on beaches near Formby, Merseyside, and Cumbria's Walney Island on 22 December. The reptile found in Merseyside died soon after, but the other was being looked after at the Lake District Coast Aquarium in Maryport. Aquarium owner Mark Vollers said it had struggled to feed itself. The turtles were believed to be from the Gulf of Mexico 5,000 miles (8,000 km) away and were among a small number which washed up on British and European shores last month. Mr Vollers told BBC Cumbria: "We thought we had a 50/50 chance, which would've improved if it had started feeding. "It was getting some sustenance in other ways but not really enough to recover. "We were following a strict agreed protocol arrived at after consultation with vets here and in other countries - people who have experience of this species of turtle." The turtle, possibly aged about 20, is now with a specialist vet who will determine the cause of death. Source: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

Summary: A turtle, thought to be from the Gulf of Mexico, that washed up on a Cumbrian beach has died.


The group says it has 1.5 terabytes of the company's data and has posted episodes of Ballers and Room 104 online. It added that more material would be released "soon". HBO confirmed it had experienced a "cyber incident" in a statement. In an email published by Entertainment Weekly, the hackers appeared to offer more details in exchange for favourable coverage. "Hi to all mankind," they wrote. "The greatest leak of cyber space era is happening." They encouraged recipients to download the material and added: "Whoever spreads well, we will have an interview with him." Reports have said the allegedly stolen Game of Thrones script appears to be from the fourth episode of season seven, which is currently being broadcast. The BBC has not been able to independently verify that the hackers possess the material they claim to have stolen. HBO confirmed that a "cyber incident" had resulted in the compromise of information. "We immediately began investigating the incident and are working with law enforcement and outside cybersecurity firms," the firm added. "Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold." The intrusion was "obviously disruptive, unsettling, and disturbing for all of us," said chairman and chief executive Richard Plepler in an email to HBO employees.

Summary: A group of hackers claims to have stolen the script for a forthcoming Game of Thrones episode and other data in a breach at entertainment firm HBO.


7 October 2016 Last updated at 18:17 BST Journalist Didi Akinyelure investigates why African art has become big business.

Summary: Buyers of African art have descended on London this week for an auction at Bonhams and the 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair.


The video of Bailey Matthews showing him abandoning his walking aid to cross the finish line has been viewed on Facebook more than 27 million times. Bailey, from Doncaster, was given the Richard Whiteley award at a ceremony in Leeds on Friday night. Cricketer Joe Root received the Sporting Achievement award. The Yorkshire Awards, now in their 27th year, "recognise the many and varied achievements of people and businesses in the county". Bailey competed in the children's event at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire in July, swimming 100m, riding a bike for four km and running for 1.3 km. Despite stumbling twice on his way to the finish line, he picked himself up and ran the final 20m of the course without his walking frame. Bailey's family said: "We are extremely honoured to receive the Richard Whiteley award for Bailey's efforts and it makes it all the more special with being proud northerners." Sheffield-born Root became the leading batsman in the ICC world rankings after helping England beat Australia to regain the Ashes. The 24-year-old has established himself as one of England's key performers and is closing on 3,000 test runs. Root said the award was a "real honour" and he wanted to thank everyone who had supported him. TV chef Rosemary Shrager, who has worked and lived in Yorkshire for many years, was presented with the Woman of the Year award, while Rotherham-born William Hague was named Man of the Year. Mr Hague, former MP for Richmond, said: "Whatever I have done, and wherever I have been in the world, I have never stopped being a Yorkshireman, and never will." Sir David Wootton picked up the Lifetime Achievement while Huddersfield-born poet Simon Armitage won the Arts and Entertainment award. Mr Armitage's numerous accolades include a BAFTA winning film Feltham Sings for which he received an Ivor Novello award. The Business Enterprise award was given to timber company Howarth Timber. Starting in Leeds in 1840, it has expanded from a one-man business to an employer of more than 1,000 people. North Yorkshire famer Gareth Barlow was presented with the Countryside award while junior football coach Stephen Shipley won the Community Hero award.

Summary: An eight-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who was filmed completing his first triathlon unaided has been honoured at the Yorkshire Awards.


Coffins representing two men and two women who resisted the Nazis in World War Two were carried through the French capital before being interred. The coffins contained only soil from the fighters' graves as their relatives did not want their bodies disturbed. French President Francois Hollande said the group "embodied the spirit of the Resistance". A ceremony was held at the Pantheon alongside the coffins of Germaine Tillion, Genevieve de Gaulle-Anthonioz, Pierre Brossolette and Jean Zay. Tillion, who died in 2008, and de Gaulle-Anthonioz, a niece of former French leader Charles de Gaulle who died in 2002, were caught and deported to the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany. Brossolette, a radio journalist who broadcast on the BBC during the war, committed suicide after being arrested and tortured in 1944. Zay, who was minister of education before the war, was killed in 1944, having tried to set up a government-in-exile in north Africa. "Faced with the occupation, with submission, they gave the same response," Mr Hollande said. "They said 'no', immediately, firmly, clearly." Mr Hollande drew parallels with those who marched in French cities on January 11 this year, days after terror attacks on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a kosher supermarket. The induction now sees three women interred at the Pantheon, after the scientist Marie Curie. There are now 74 men interred at the mausoleum, the first being the writer Victor Hugo.

Summary: France has honoured four members of the French Resistance with a ceremony at the Pantheon mausoleum in Paris.


Kelly Mahon, of John Broad Avenue, Arleston, was arrested after the infant was reported missing from his home on 24 February. He was found safe and well the same day. Mahon, 41, admitted one charge of kidnap at Shrewsbury Crown Court and was remanded in custody. Judge Robin Onions told the defendant she was likely to receive a custodial sentence "of some length". During a hearing at Telford Magistrates' Court last month the prosecutor told the court the kidnap had been "pre-planned". Kelly Crowe told magistrates on 26 February: "When officers go around there (to Mahon's home) a number of baby items were present; cots, clothes, baby clothes, both female and male and also a to-do list. "She made reference to sterilisers, nappies, and milk for babies." The case has been adjourned until 12 May.

Summary: A woman has admitted kidnapping a nine-week-old baby boy in Telford.


Fears have been expressed by some in the industry that a breakdown in the current agreement could result in more cash machines charging a fee. LINK - which operates the network of 70,000 ATMs in the UK - said that its commercial model is "under review". Some banks are thought to be unhappy about the fees they currently pay. As a result all 38 members of the LINK network are due to have a series of meetings to try to reach an agreement, beginning next week. At the moment around 75% of ATMs are free to use. But Peter McNamara, the Chief Executive of Note Machine, a member of LINK, said that consumers could face being charged at many more of them. "If the proposals that are being put forward by LINK went ahead, we estimate that you could be losing up to a quarter of the free-to-use ATM sites in the UK," he told BBC Radio Five Live. At the centre of the dispute are the so-called interchange fees. When a customer of one bank uses a cash machine belonging to another bank, the customer's own bank pays a fee to the operator, in the region of 25p. It's thought that banks with a large number of card-holders feel they are being unfairly penalised. "Some of the very big banks have a lot of cardholders who do a lot of transactions, and they feel that perhaps their share of what they are putting in the pot that pays for ATMs is disproportionate and potentially too high," said Mr McNamara. "They may go outside the LINK mechanism to find a cheaper way of making those machines run, which is the risk in the system that could develop." LINK said the discussions could take several months. "We operate in a competitive market and there are other ATM networks in the UK available for card issuers and ATM operators if our model becomes unattractive," a spokesperson said. "We are working hard to avoid this situation."

Summary: The operator of the UK's ATM network has said it is working hard to keep cash withdrawals free for millions of bank customers.


They own the boundary wall along the River Arun at Arundel, West Sussex, which gave way in January after high tides and heavy rainfall. But their insurers have refused to pay for repairs and the Environment Agency said it is the owners' responsibility. Local MP Nick Herbert described it as a "deeply unsatisfactory situation". Johnny Boylan, who is one of three affected homeowners, said the wall collapsed eight months after he and his partner moved into their house on River Road. He said they repaired the top section of the wall when they moved in but had not realised at the time they owned the full wall down to the river bed. "There is no mention of the river wall in our deeds," he said. "It's an ancient part of the wall and now our insurance company is saying we are not insured because it was neglected." Mr Boylan and his partner are currently unable to live in the property. "It's a deeply unsatisfactory situation," Mr Herbert, MP for Arundel and South Downs, said. "The Environment Agency and the public authorities are saying this is the householders' responsibility. "That would be fine except that the insurers are saying this is the Environment Agency's responsibility." He added the "poor policyholders" were now in a position where they may have to meet the bill "of several hundred thousand pounds". The Environment Agency said its last inspection in September 2015 had not highlighted any "major issues" along the wall. It said affected homeowners were "co-ordinating how repairs to this private flood defence will be taken forward, and we continue to advise them as appropriate".

Summary: Residents who had to evacuate their homes after a river wall collapsed are locked in a dispute over repairs they fear could cost £500,000.


Hughes was carried off on a stretcher at the Sydney Cricket Ground after he was struck on the top of the neck by a short-pitched delivery from Sean Abbott, 22, during a Sheffield Shield game against New South Wales on Tuesday. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has paid this tribute to Hughes, describing him as a "hero to kids around the nation". Australia cricket team coach Darren Lehmann, via Twitter: "RIP you little champ, we are all going to miss you. Love, prayers to all the Hughes family xxxx." Cricket Australia on Twitter: "The strength of the cricket family is more important than ever on this incredibly sad day. Please keep Sean Abbott in your thoughts." Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott: "Phillip Hughes was a young man living out his dreams. For a young life to be cut short playing our national game seems a shocking aberration. He was loved, admired and respected by his team-mates and by legions of cricket fans." Media playback is not supported on this device Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard: "It's a terrible accident and it should be seen in that light, it's nobody's fault. It's a terrible accident and it's a terrible loss to his poor family and I send my prayers and thoughts to them." England batsman Nick Compton, who played with Hughes in Sydney and shared a house with him in London in 2009: "He was a very, very close friend of mine. He was a cheeky, funny, positive guy. Looking back, I feel like he's made the most of his 25 years and it breaks my heart to think of a guy who I certainly thought would go down in the record books as one of the better run-scorers in Australian cricket." The England team released a statement on Twitter, saying: "Our deepest sympathies go out to Phil Hughes' family, friends and teammates at this incredibly sad time. Phil was admired and respected by all he played with and against and will never be forgotten by the cricket community." England bowler Stuart Broad on Twitter: "Just can't believe it, heartbreaking stuff. RIP Phil Hughes." England bowler Jimmy Anderson on Twitter: "Can't quite believe the news. Devastating. My thoughts go out to Phil Hughes' family and friends. Thoughts also with Sean Abbott." England batsman Joe Root on Twitter: "Awful to wake up to the news of Phil Hughes. Tragic day for the sport. Thoughts go out to those close to him." Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Twitter: "NO NO NO NO NO. RIP, Hughsey #63notout" Lord's Ground on Twitter: "Absolutely devastated to wake to the news of Phil Hughes' death. The MCC Flag at Lord's will be lowered in his memory." MCC president David Morgan: "Cricket can be a dangerous sport, but for a talented young man to lose his life playing the game he loved is beyond most people's comprehension." ECB chairman Giles Clarke: "He was an extremely popular and hugely respected cricketer in England and Wales not only as a successful tourist with various Australian teams but also as a

Summary: Cricketers, politicians and sports people have paid tribute to Australia cricketer Phillip Hughes, 25, who has died two days after being hit by a ball while batting for South Australia in a domestic game.


The station, based in Toxteth, was set up as part of a government initiative three years ago and has been supported by money from the BBC licence fee. Another operator, Made TV, provided further support, but the BBC understands the station has struggled. Bay TV's chief executive said he hoped it would be sold as a going concern. Chris Johnson added he was optimistic the channel would continue. Peter Harold, of Skelmersdale-based adminstrators Refresh Recovery, said a meeting with the station's 20 staff had been held. He said more than one buyer was interested in taking over the business, "but we have a few more hoops to jump through first". Bay TV, which was awarded a licence in February 2013, continues to broadcast and can be viewed on Freeview and Virgin. In addition to news, sport and music, the station also covers arts, culture and religion.

Summary: The owners of Bay TV, Liverpool's local television station, have insisted it will survive despite going into administration.


Four-month-old Ted visits Wales twice a month to see his grandparents in Carmarthenshire and the TV star hopes he will be brought up to be bilingual. He will be heading back again with his mother for the Champions League final. Ms Jones will present a One Show special from Cardiff on Friday, the eve of the men's match. The 40-year-old, who returned from maternity leave to the BBC One show part-time in April, said she was excited to be in the city for an event of such magnitude. "Working in Cardiff is a dream for me - the city will be buzzing," she said. "That's one of the best things about Cardiff - when we're hosting events like this the city comes alive." The Ammanford-born star lived in Cardiff for years and said it still felt like her home, adding she missed it "lots and lots". As a Welsh speaker herself, Ms Jones said she hoped to pass on the language to her son and had spoken about it with her husband, Charlie Thomson, who is from New Zealand. "It's hard in London but I will definitely speak Welsh to him and Charlie knows the odd word," she said. "There's a Welsh primary school here [in London] and I would love him to go there. "It's part of my heritage and is a big part of my identity. It's a big thing for me for Ted to experience it - I really benefitted from being bilingual." She admitted it had been "tough" going back to work with such a young baby, although she joked that The One Show was "a break" from the "really hard job of motherhood". "Going back part-time was the right thing to do - it's good for Ted to know women work," she added. "And actually it comes down to necessity, there's no choice, I have to work." She said she was looking forward to showing The One Show team "Cardiff at its best" and will even host a tour of the city for the programme, which she will be co-hosting with Patrick Kielty and Jason Mohammad from Cardiff Bay. Top of her must-see sights? "It's got to be Cardiff Castle," she said. "There's a lot of history for us there as we got married there. It has beautiful grounds for a picnic and has lots of interesting history. And the view from the top is spectacular. "I'm a bit out of the loop with where to go for a night out having had a baby but you can't go wrong with Cardiff Bay on a sunny evening." It is, perhaps, where she will be heading after finishing her live broadcast for The One Show on Friday. "I'm having my first night out with my friends since having the baby afterwards," she added. "It's going to be amazing. I know Cardiff will do us proud." The One Show - Live in Cardiff is on BBC One at 19:00 BST on Friday, 2 June

Summary: The One Show presenter Alex Jones has spoken of her wish to teach her baby son to speak Welsh but admits it might be a struggle while living in London.


Many students smuggled in textbooks and notes into the examination centres despite tight security - and parents and friends were photographed scaling the walls of test centres to pass on answers to students during the current secondary school examinations. The examinations, held by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), began on Tuesday and are scheduled to go on until 24 March. Officials say more than 1.4 million students are taking the tests. Most of the incidents of cheating this year have been reported from Saharsa, Chhapra, Vaishali and Hajipur districts. Local newspapers have been full of photos of parents and relatives trying to help their children cheat even at considerable risk to their own lives, BBC Hindi's Manish Saandilya reports from the state capital, Patna. Some photos even show policemen posted outside the centres accepting bribes to look the other way, our correspondent adds. Photojournalist Dipankar, who took the photos in Saharsa district, says when he went into the examination hall and began taking pictures, the students did not seem worried at all. Despite the many reports that have appeared in the local newspapers, the authorities seem uninterested in taking any action against the students, he says. Dipankar says during a raid at just one school on Wednesday, the authorities seized sheets containing answers which filled up nine sacks. Nearly 20 parents were detained briefly for trying to help their children cheat, but they were let go after a warning, he adds. At some schools, like this one in Saran in Chhapra district, parents also clashed with the police. Those caught cheating can be barred from taking an examination for up to three years, they can also be jailed or ordered to pay a fine, but punishment in such cases has rarely been reported in Bihar. Education officials say they are committed to holding free, fair and peaceful examinations, and that examination centres are being filmed and special "flying squads" of officials are making surprise visits to the centres. They say at least 400 students who have been caught cheating have been expelled. But they say the government alone cannot stop cheating without help from students and parents. "What can the government do to stop cheating if parents and relatives are not ready to cooperate? Should the government give orders to shoot them?" the Times of India quoted Bihar Education Minister PK Shahi as saying.

Summary: Cheating in exams is fairly common in the Indian state of Bihar, but new images have emerged which show just how large-scale and blatant the practice is.


The scandal began in May when the payslips of top managers at the state insurance company were leaked to the media, showing they were receiving very generous salaries. In the weeks that followed more payslips mysteriously found their way into the public domain, revealing the earnings of a range of officials from top civil servants to bank bosses. Some were apparently getting around 50 times the minimum public sector wage. Many were also being paid big bonuses and extras, taking their overall salaries to upwards of a hundred times the average household income. In a country where public sector jobs are normally considered as low paid, and where civil servants often take second jobs to make ends meet, the revelations came as a shock. Spin-off media reports about bank executives staying in $5,000 (Â£3,800)-a-night hotel rooms on business trips only added to public anger. The saga has been a major blow to the reputation of the government of President Hassan Rouhani. The millions of Iranians who voted for him in the 2013 were hoping for change and in particular an improvement to their country's dire economic situation. Although the president has delivered on his election promises of resolving the stand-off over Iran's nuclear programme, and opening the way for sanctions to be lifted, there has been little concrete improvement in ordinary people's lives so far. Hardliners have seized the opportunity to attack Mr Rouhani and his team as Iranian politics moves into a higher gear ahead of presidential elections due to take place next May. There has been a drumbeat of negative coverage in the conservative media. Things have also got personal with critics targeting Mr Rouhani's brother, Hossein Ferydoun, who has been accused of having close links to some of the officials at the centre of the scandal. Many Iranians have been taking to social media to vent their fury. "Why such high payments to officials whose inefficiency is evident all over the country?" asked one Twitter user called Sharzad. "Is this the new way of tackling corruption?" "Now I've seen their payslips, I understand why officials used to say 'the sanctions have no effects whatsoever'," said another Twitter user, Ilkar. "Iran needs a few Robin Hoods!" quipped another, Mohammad. Even the country's supreme leader was moved to intervene, branding the salaries, unacceptable and "astronomical". Mr Rouhani and other officials have repeatedly said that the problem is not widespread and that only a handful of managers earn what they call "irregular salaries". A number of officials named in the payslip revelations have now been sacked, and one senior banking official - Ali Rastagar Sorkhei, from Mellat Bank - has been arrested. This week the government announced that it was introducing a new cap on state officials' salaries. But many Iranians say all this has come too late to stop the tide of resentment. Reports of businesses failing to pay their employees on time or at all, and disputes over low wages, are becoming regular occurrences in Iran. In May, 17 gold miners in West Azerbaijan province in north-west Iran were lashed

Summary: "Payslip-gate", as it has come to be known, has been dominating the news headlines in Iran for months.


Until now agencies such as the FBI had not needed a warrant to use machines called cell-site simulators that track the locations of phones in the area. Authorities say they have been an important tool in fighting crime. However, civil liberties groups have expressed concern at potential invasions of privacy. The new rules will come into effect immediately and also mean that "when the equipment is used to locate a known cellular device, all data must be deleted as soon as that device is located, and no less than once daily". "Additionally, the policy makes clear that cell-site simulators may not be used to collect the contents of any communication in the course of criminal investigations. This means data contained on the phone itself, such as emails, texts, contact lists and images, may not be collected using this technology," according the justice department. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called the new rules "a positive first step". "However, this policy... does not apply to other federal agencies or the many state and local police departments that have received federal funds to purchase these devices," Nathan Freed Wessler, staff attorney at the ACLU, said. The ACLU has previously said it has identified 53 agencies in 21 states that own the equipment. The ACLU also expressed concern that the new rules state that "there are limited exceptions in the policy for exigent circumstances" where a search warrant will still not be necessary. By mimicking a legitimate mobile tower and tricking every phone in range into connecting to them, cell site simulators "catch" the international mobile subscriber number (IMSI) and electronic serial number (ESN) of each and reveal the exact location of its user. Campaigners say they are therefore very difficult to use in a targeted manner, as when used in urban areas thousands of people's mobile phones are swept up in that dragnet.

Summary: The US justice department says federal agencies will have to obtain search warrants to use technology that tracks mobile phones under new guidance.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 26 October 2014 Last updated at 00:31 BST She released her first solo album Malagasy Blues Song in 2013, but she has a long career behind her. She comes from a musical family of 15 children, and in this performance for the BBC's Africa Beats series, she is supported by her brothers, Pata and Dozzy Njava, and her cousin Christian Ravalison, all of whom are respected musicians in Belgium, where they now live. Lala Njava is passionately concerned by the issues her native land faces, especially deforestation, and is donating a portion of the revenues from her CD sales to a tree planting project. More from Africa Beats

Summary: Lala Njava's music is grounded in Madagascan tradition but is enriched with jazz, trance and afrobeat.


"Rodrigo was nurturing the dream of being a professional footballer. He had been born with a real talent and everyone in his family and his community knew that he was really good at football." The teenage boy described by outreach worker Antonio Carlos da Silva could be any of Brazil's football-mad youngsters. But Rodrigo Kelton had not just stood out in training sessions. At only 14, he had already overcome great odds to make it to that age alive. Rodrigo was one of the thousands of children born into hardship in the north-eastern state of Ceara, where according to official figures more than 133,000 people live on less than 70 reais ($30; Â£18.50) a month. Born into deep poverty and drug addiction, Rodrigo was driven by severe social problems into a perilous existence on the streets of the state capital, Fortaleza. But according to Mr Silva, the outreach worker who first met Rodrigo living on the streets and persuaded him to move into a shelter in 2009, he was on the brink of turning his life around. "He was hoping to turn professional, so that he could help his mother get treatment for her drug addiction and buy her a house," Mr Silva recalls. Part of what helped him was being part of the Brazilian team competing in the Street Child World Cup, a global tournament that puts the spotlight on issues affecting street children. The tournament currently under way in Rio is the second such event to be held uniting teams of street children from 19 countries, four years after the inaugural competition in Durban. Bernardo Rosemeyer is the founder of O Pequeno Nazareno, a non-governmental organisation which runs the shelter into which Rodrigo moved aged nine. He says the prospect of competing in the Street Child World Cup instilled discipline in Rodrigo's life. "He had stopped taking drugs and was going to school as part of the conditions to play in the tournament," Mr Rosemeyer explains. "Being in the team was a light in his life. He was even getting on better with his mother who came to all the training sessions." But what happened to Team Brazil's best striker shortly before he was due to take part in the Cup reflects the bitter reality of children at the bottom of Brazil's society. In February, Rodrigo decided to move back to the favela, or shanty town, where his family lived. He liked a girl there and dismissed warnings by social workers about the risks of returning to the dangerous neighbourhood. As he left his home on the day of his 14th birthday with his older brother Raphael, the brothers were shot at by members of a drug gang in retaliation for an alleged robbery several years before. Rodrigo was killed and Raphael only survived because the gun had jammed. The news hit his team mates hard. "I told the players about his death when we all met up to take the bus to the training session," recalls Mr Silva. "At first, they did not believe me and thought I was

Summary: The brutal killing of a promising teenage street footballer has concentrated minds in Brazil ahead of the World Cup this summer.


The prime minister has said curbs on EU citizens' freedom of movement in the UK would be a red line for her and she has ruled out a points-based system. However, 770,000 EU nationals living in the capital should be eligible for a visa to ensure their future in London, the chamber of commerce said. They make up 15% of London's employees. EU nationals also contribute more than £26bn to London's Gross Value Added - the value of goods and services produced - and they pay direct taxes of about £7bn a year. Their departure from the workforce "would be economically harmful, impacting on various key industries and putting pressure on public funds", the chamber's research suggests. It could particularly hit construction, where foreign workers make up a third of the workforce, and financial services, where they make up a quarter. In that sector there are acute worries post-Brexit about the future of passporting rights - an agreement that allows UK businesses to offer financial services anywhere in the EU and the wider European Economic Area including Norway, Iceland and and Lichtenstein, without the need for licences in individual countries. Although this has yet to be clarified by the government, it is thought EU immigrants will in future have to enter the UK under the same arrangements applicable to non-EU migrants now which imposes minimum salary levels and insists on firm job offers. Research suggests that by 2020, London may have lost access to 160,000 migrant workers, and there would be a loss to economic output of nearly £7bn a year and direct tax contributions of about £2bn. The report recommends: City Hall said the mayor was committed to keeping London open to foreign talent, but he is yet to commit to special immigration measures. Speaking at an event launching the report, Ben Johnson, an adviser to the mayor on business, said the ability to attract foreign workers was vital along with "privileged" access to the single market. He said the priority was to secure the future of the workers here now, although there was no explicit support from him for any of the business proposals. Greater London Authority Conservative group leader Gareth Bacon said: "Now that we have won the war over Brexit and have re-secured the power to govern ourselves, we have a great opportunity to shape our immigration policy in ways that best suit our needs and ambitions. "Whether this should involve special arrangements for London is yet to be determined, but the LCCI proposals are worthy of consideration and make a valuable contribution to that debate."

Summary: London needs its own visa system to allow higher levels of migration to avert economic decline post-Brexit, a leading business organisation has said.


The Euro 2012 co-hosts took the lead when Yarmolenko seized on goalkeeper Samir Handanovic's unconvincing punch. Seleznyov slid in to convert the overlapping Artem Fedetskiy's cross after the break. Josip Ilicic wasted a fine chance for Slovenia, but his side were fortunate not to fall further behind in the tie. Seleznyov side-footed a tame shot against the post after Denys Garmash had directed a powerful header straight at Handanovic under little pressure. Ukraine have lost in five previous qualifying play-offs for major tournaments - including a 3-2 aggregate reverse when they played Slovenia for a place at Euro 2000. With former heavyweight boxing champion, now mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko watching on in the stands, there seemed little chance of a repeat as Yarmolenko - the target of an unsuccessful bid by Premier League side Everton in August - and Yevhen Konoplyanka pulling the strings. Despite a spell of late pressure, Slovenia, who picked up two of five yellow cards in a tetchy encounter, will have to show more adventure in the return in Maribor on Tuesday. Match ends, Ukraine 2, Slovenia 0. Second Half ends, Ukraine 2, Slovenia 0. Corner, Slovenia. Conceded by Yevhen Khacheridi. Foul by Oleksandr Karavayev (Ukraine). Bojan Jokic (Slovenia) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Ukraine. Oleksandr Karavayev replaces Andriy Yarmolenko. Substitution, Slovenia. Zlatan Ljubijankic replaces Milivoje Novakovic. Attempt missed. Yevhen Konoplyanka (Ukraine) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ruslan Malinovsky. Foul by Ruslan Malinovsky (Ukraine). Jasmin Kurtic (Slovenia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Ukraine) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Ukraine). Nejc Pecnik (Slovenia) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Ukraine. Artem Kravets replaces Evgen Seleznyov. Attempt saved. Ruslan Malinovsky (Ukraine) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Andriy Yarmolenko. Substitution, Ukraine. Ruslan Malinovsky replaces Denys Garmash. Denys Garmash (Ukraine) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kevin Kampl (Slovenia). Foul by Yevhen Khacheridi (Ukraine). Nejc Pecnik (Slovenia) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Yevhen Konoplyanka (Ukraine). Branko Ilic (Slovenia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Nejc Pecnik (Slovenia) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Bojan Jokic with a cross. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Denys Garmash (Ukraine) because of an injury. Substitution, Slovenia. Nejc Pecnik replaces Valter Birsa. Attempt missed. Yevhen Khacheridi (Ukraine) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high following a corner. Corner, Ukraine. Conceded by Miso Brecko. Yevhen Konoplyanka (Ukraine) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Branko Ilic (Slovenia). Corner, Ukraine. Conceded by Bojan Jokic. Evgen Seleznyov (Ukraine) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Andriy Pyatov. Serhiy Rybalka (Ukraine) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Summary: Ukraine built a comfortable lead over Slovenia in their Euro 2016 play-off as Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Seleznyov scored in a 2-0 win in Lviv.


The blast tore through the crowded Jameela market in the predominantly Shia district of Sadr City. The Sunni jihadist group, Islamic State (IS), said it was behind the bombing and that it targeted Shia militiamen. Meanwhile, medics say more than 20 civilians died when bombs dropped by the Iraqi air force hit a maternity and children's hospital in Falluja. The city lies west of Baghdad and has been controlled by IS since January 2014. The violence comes after a top American general said the US should consider embedding American troops with Iraqi forces if progress was not made in the fight against IS. Raymond Odierno, the army's outgoing chief of staff, told reporters that such forces would have a support rather than a combat role. Thursday's bomb attack in Sadr City was one of the deadliest in the capital since Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi took office a year ago. In a statement posted on Twitter, IS said the truck bomb targeted Shia militiamen from the Mahdi Army and the Popular Mobilisation forces, who have been battling the jihadist group in northern and western Iraq for more than a year. Sadr City has been the target of several bomb attacks this year claimed by IS militants, who consider Shia to be heretics. Dozens of people have been killed in bombings across Baghdad in recent months. In May and July, large car bombs exploded outside two prominent hotels. IS also continues to control vast swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq, but air strikes by a US-led coalition have helped Iraqi pro-government forces regain some territory since last August. "I believe that if we find in the next several months that we're not making the progress that we have, we should probably absolutely consider embedding some soldiers with them, and see if that would make a difference," said Gen Odierno, who retires as US Army chief of staff on Friday. "I think that's an option we should present to the president." Gen Odierno warned that swift and more aggressive US military action would be effective only in the short-term. "We'd probably be right back where we are today six months later," he said. "I absolutely believe that the region has to solve this problem. The US cannot solve this problem for the region." The US has already sent some 3,500 military trainers and advisers to Iraq. But the Americans' aim of training 24,000 Iraqi troops has not been achieved, with only 9,000 coming forward, according to US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter.

Summary: At least 59 people have been killed after a truck bomb exploded in north-eastern Baghdad, Iraqi officials say.


Researchers at the University of Sheffield said the tumours were effectively "fertilising" the bone to help themselves grow. The study, in the journal Nature, said it may be possible to protect bone from a tumour's nefarious influence and consequently stop the cancer's spread. Cancer charities said this opened up "a whole new avenue for research". Around 85% of breast cancers that spread around the body end up in bone, at which point the cancer is difficult to treat and more deadly. The scientists, in Sheffield and the University of Copenhagen, discovered patients with secondary cancers had higher levels of an enzyme called LOX being produced by their tumours and released into the blood. Bone is constantly being broken down and rebuilt. But in a series of experiments on mice, the research team showed LOX was disrupting the process and leaving lesions and holes in the bone. Using drugs to block LOX prevented the cancer from spreading. Dr Alison Gartland, a reader in bone and cancer biology at the university, told the BBC News website: "We think it's a significant breakthrough in trying to prevent metastases (secondary tumours) in breast cancer. "The cancer cells in the primary tumour are actually fertilising the soil for the future growth of itself, LOX is changing the environment in bone to make it better to grow." The animal tests also showed that a set of osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates could prevent the spread of cancer. Bisphosphonates also interfere with the way bone is recycled in order to strengthen it. They are already given to some cancer patients, but the Sheffield team believe they could have a much larger role. The effect was discovered only in oestrogen-negative breast cancers. They account for around a third of cases, but are far more deadly. Katherine Woods, from Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "By unveiling the role that the protein LOX is playing, these results open up a whole new avenue for research and treatments that could stop breast cancer spreading to the bone. "The research also adds weight to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of bisphosphonates in stopping secondary breast cancer in its tracks. "The reality of living with secondary breast cancer in the bone is a stark one, which leaves many women with bone pain and fractures that need extensive surgery just when they need to be making the most of the time they have left with friends and family." The findings may also apply in colon cancer.

Summary: Breast cancers can manipulate the structure of bone to make it easier to spread there, a study has found.


Taylor already knew he was through before his 7-5 win over Adrian Lewis as Dave Chisnall could only draw against James Wade. Michael van Gerwen will meet Gary Anderson in next Thursday's other last-four match at London's O2 Arena. Van Gerwen topped the table after beating Scotland's Anderson 7-4. Fellow Scot Wright finished second to qualify for his first play-offs with a 7-1 victory over already-eliminated Raymond van Barneveld. Taylor will go in search of his seventh Premier League crown buoyed by a convincing win over reigning champion Van Gerwen in week 14. The Stoke thrower, 56, is retiring after the 2018 PDC World Championship concludes in January. Dave Chisnall (Eng) 6-6 James Wade (Eng) Phil Taylor (Eng) 7-5 Adrian Lewis (Eng) Peter Wright (Sco) 7-1 Raymond van Barneveld (Ned) Michael van Gerwen (Ned) 7-4 Gary Anderson (Sco) There will be live text coverage of the semi-finals and final on Thursday on the BBC Sport website from 19:00 BST.

Summary: Phil Taylor set up a Premier League play-off semi-final with Peter Wright after claiming the last qualifying spot in Aberdeen.


The new College of Policing guidance is designed to help officers prosecute without relying on victims' evidence. It also advises senior officers about the need for specialist staff to deal with cases of abuse and ensure victims receive the best possible support. David Tucker, from the college, said a change was needed within policing in attitudes towards domestic abuse. The College of Policing guidance focuses on abusive relationship dynamics. A new domestic abuse offence of "coercive and controlling behaviour" within relationships is expected to come into force later this year, after it was unveiled by Home Secretary Theresa May last year. This type of behaviour can include the abuser preventing their victim from having friendships or hobbies, refusing them access to money and determining many aspects of their everyday life. The college is releasing a "toolkit" for officers who are first at the scene of an incident, as well as checklists for call handlers and counter staff in police stations for when they are contacted about domestic abuse. Mr Tucker, head of the college's crime and criminal justice faculty, said: "Our research indicated the need for a culture change within policing attitudes towards domestic abuse. "Sometimes police cannot understand why a victim would stay in an abusive relationship. "There are dozens of reasons why victims feel unable to leave or support prosecution. "It is the responsibility of the perpetrator to stop the abuse and the responsibility of the police to bring the perpetrator to justice - the victim is not responsible for either." He said police needed to investigate domestic abuse "pro-actively" and should be "properly trained". Polly Neale, chief executive of the charity Women's Aid, said it was "vital" that police officers understood coercive control to help them identify victims. Diana Barran, from the charity SafeLives, said the new guidance was "a huge step forward in helping police to understand the complex nature of domestic abuse and - in particular - coercive control".

Summary: Police officers in England and Wales are to get specialist advice on how to spot patterns of domestic abuse.


The Center for Disease Control (CDC) said 45 people had been infected with a strain of E. coli, 43 of whom reported eating at a Chipotle restaurant. The cases were in California, Minnesota, New York and Ohio. Earlier this month, the chain temporarily closed 43 outlets in and around Washington and Oregon states. This was after health officials investigated an E. coli outbreak that made at least 22 people ill. "The epidemiologic evidence available at this time suggests that a common meal item or ingredient served at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants in several states is a likely source of this outbreak," the CDC said. "The investigation is still ongoing to determine what specific food is linked to illness." Chipotle shares are now down by more than a fifth this year, valuing the company at $16.7bn (Â£11bn). E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. It is a type of bacterium present in the gut of humans and other animals. Most strains are harmless but some can produce toxins that cause illness in humans.

Summary: Shares in Chipotle have slumped more than 12% after US health authorities reported more cases of E. coli linked to the Mexican restaurant chain.


Lynn Davies, 58, from Neath, was given a deal by Cardiff Crown Court judge Patrick Curran QC in October and given six months to repay the cash. The court heard on Friday Davies had paid up before the deadline and his jail term was suspended for two years. He charged victims £500 on top of every £1,000 borrowed and loaned £23,395 over seven years, pocketing £33,425. Davies, who threatened his victims if they did not pay, was caught out after an anonymous tip-off to the Wales Illegal Money Leading Unit. Davies previously said he did not have the funds to pay back his five victims but has since repaid the profit he made, which waa almost £10,000. Prosecutor Timothy Evans told Cardiff Crown Court: "The money has been paid into a bank account. Where it has come from is a matter to him, but his victims have their money back." Davies told one of his victims he would "smash her partner's head in" if she failed to meet his demands. Father-of-one Davies, who lives in Melyn, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of unlicensed money lending. Judge Patrick Curran QC said: "If the money was repaid, the court would consider suspending your sentence and I have been told that you have paid the money. "The law is in place to protect the weak from people such as you. "This sort of activity exploits the vulnerable and draws people deeper and deeper into debt."

Summary: A loan shark has taken a judge's offer to avoid an 18-month prison sentence by repaying his victims.


Elderly World War Two veterans lead the crowd. And many of the participants are carrying flowers to lay at the Freedom Monument, Latvia's symbol of national independence. They have come here to commemorate those who died defending Latvia against the Soviet Union in the war. But with Russian troops now in nearby Ukraine, many in the Baltics are alarmed that history may be about to repeat itself. "If Ukraine falls, then Russian ambitions won't stop with this. I believe we will be next in Russia's list of actions," said one young man who had come to take part in the procession. "It shows the attitude of Russia - how it goes into another country very easily and acts in an aggressive manner," said another. But this annual memorial service is highly controversial. These elderly veterans fought against Russia - but for Nazi Germany. The Baltics have spent much of their history being buffeted between neighbouring imperial forces. And in WWII, having already suffered severe oppression under Stalin, many Latvians saw Hitler's forces as the lesser of two evils - Latvia's only chance of not slipping back into Stalinist oppression. But the veterans and their supporters are accused of being Nazi sympathisers - particularly by Latvia's large Russian-speaking community. About 1,000 Russian-speakers have gathered behind police barricades near the monument to protest. "Fascists go home!" shout some. "Shame! Shame!" shout others. This year security is particularly tight, with as many police officers as participants, amid fears that the instability in Ukraine will spark ethnic tensions here. It is a similar dynamic to Ukraine: pro-Moscow local Russian-speakers accusing pro-Western nationalists of being right-wing extremists. And like Ukraine, some Russian-speakers here say they are discriminated against by mainstream society. "I feel like a person who is second-class," says Aleksandr Gaponenko, a Russian-speaker who moved to Soviet-era Latvia with his parents 59 years ago, when he was a one-year-old. "We want equal rights for our languages, and we want equal social and economic rights." Latvia country profile According to the Latvian authorities, throughout the 20th Century people from elsewhere in the USSR were resettled in the Baltics as a deliberate Soviet policy to water down Baltic culture and destroy local national sentiment. And still today Russian-speakers are sometimes pejoratively called "occupiers". So when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Mr Gaponenko, like many Russians, was not automatically granted Latvian citizenship, and lost his job in Riga city council. Today he is classed as a "non-citizen" - which means he is still not allowed to work for the state and does not have the right to vote. Around 300,000 Russian-speakers, or 13% of Latvia's population, are so-called "non-citizens". And they live in an EU member state and member of Nato. To become Latvian, they have to prove their knowledge of the Latvian language and culture in a citizenship test - even if they were born here. Some Russian-speakers, such as Mr Gaponenko, refuse to take the test, saying that the country where they have spent all their lives should grant them citizenship automatically. Others, particularly older people,

Summary: A mournful procession of about 1,500 Latvians winds its way through Riga's medieval Old Town singing traditional Latvian songs.


"In full co-ordination with the government of Iraq, we're deploying a specialised expeditionary targeting force to assist Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces," Mr Carter said. The operators would carry out raids, free hostages and capture IS leaders. They would also conduct "unilateral operations" in Syria, he said. Islamic State conquered large swathes of Iraq and Syria in the summer of 2014. A US-led coalition of 65 countries is conducting a campaign against the militants in both countries. Mr Carter made the announcement in remarks to the House Armed Services Committee in Washington on Tuesday. He did not offer specifics on troop numbers, but said they would also be focused on securing Iraq's borders and building the capacity of the Iraqi government forces. US special forces have already conducted operations in both Syria and Iraq - notably the killing of the IS oil chief Abu Sayaff in eastern Syria and the freeing of prisoners from the IS-held town of Hawija near Kirkuk in Iraq. But this is a clear indication from the Pentagon that their role will become more significant. The "specialised expeditionary targeting force", as the Iraq group is being called, will not only assist local forces but will also conduct further "unilateral" raids into Syria. While this does not amount to significant numbers of boots on the ground, it is an escalation of America's role in direct combat. Mr Carter said there was now an important opportunity to divide IS militants in Iraq from those in Syria. In October, the US announced it would send up to 50 special forces soldiers to northern Syria as military advisers to Kurdish and rebel forces.

Summary: The US is to deploy a specialised force to Iraq to build pressure on Islamic State militants, US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter has said.


Up to a dozen A-29 Super Tucano aircraft would be sold to Nigeria to help fight Islamist militant group Boko Haram, unnamed US officials said. The deal, which is not yet official, will require approval from Congress. Boko Haram's deadly insurgency has displaced more than two million people. The deal, said to be worth up to $600m (Â£490m), was agreed by the Obama administration, but was reportedly halted on the day it was due to be sent to Congress, after a catastrophic incident involving the Nigerian military. About 90 people, mainly women and children, were killed in January when the Nigerian Air Force mistakenly bombed a camp in the country's north-east, which was hosting thousands of those who had fled Boko Haram. An aid distribution was taking place at the time of the attack, according to medical charity MSF. The Nigerian government indicated last month that the deal might be back on, following the first phone call between President Muhammadu Buhari and President Donald Trump. "President Trump assured the Nigerian president of US readiness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism," Mr Buhari's office said in a statement. The US congressional source said human rights concerns remain, despite support for the sale from some lawmakers, Reuters news agency reports. The US Air Force described the A-29 aircraft as a "game-changer" when they were deployed in Afghanistan in 2016. They can be armed with two wing-mounted machine guns and can carry up to 1,550 kg of weapons. But the aircraft that would be sold to Nigeria come with a "very basic armed configuration," one of the unnamed US officials told Reuters.

Summary: The Trump administration plans to sell military planes to Nigeria despite concerns over rights abuses and a botched air strike that killed scores of civilians in January, US media say.


Ryan Watson was taken to Wishaw General following an incident in Wilson Street on 11 August but later died. Police have appealed to people in the local community for information. Det Insp Mark Bell from Police Scotland said: "From the enquiries my team have conducted so far, I am confident that the answer to Ryan's death lies within the local community of Larkhall." He added: "A young man's life has been taken away needlessly and the family of Ryan deserve to know the truth about what happened to him. "Ryan had a partner and a young son who will have to continue their lives without him. His mum and dad have lost a son, his brothers and sister have lost a much loved brother. "I'm making a direct appeal to those within the community, to search their conscience, and contact us with any information they may have because I know somebody knows who did this."

Summary: A murder inquiry has started following the death of a 24-year-old father in South Lanarkshire.


Margaret Fleming, 36, was last seen at her home in Inverkip by her two carers at about 17:40 on Friday 28 October. She is described as about 5ft 5in tall, with collar-length black hair, brown eyes and has a heavy build, although her weight can fluctuate. Police had said they were trying to build a picture of Ms Fleming's life, part of which she kept "quite private". When last seen, she was wearing a green tartan fleece or jumper, dark jeans or trousers, and dark Karrimor-type boots. She also had a satchel-type handbag. A police spokesman said: "There is a specialist search team combing the area around where the missing person was last seen, this includes in the garden of her last known address." Speaking earlier this month, Ch Insp Elliot Brown, area commander for Greenock, said: "We are currently working with limited information and whilst it does seem like this is quite an unusual missing person case, it is challenging. "As we continue to try to piece together Margaret's life, we understand she kept a side of her life quite private so we're trying to look into this in a bit more detail to see if this will help with our inquiries. "We are working backwards to try to find out more about Margaret, so we've been speaking to friends and family members to establish a clearer picture of her life over the years." The detective said that Ms Fleming was a student at James Watt College in Greenock between 1996 and 1997. He said he was keen to speak to anyone who remembered her from then, and who might have been in touch with her over the years.

Summary: Police have searched the home and garden of a vulnerable woman who has been missing for a month in Inverclyde.


Julia Knight, 56, had denied trying to kill Irene Robson, 81, but admitted administering the insulin at Horton Hospital in Banbury in October 2014. During a trial at Oxford Crown Court, Knight said she did it so her mother would not be discharged from hospital. Prosecutors said it was a "premeditated, cold-blooded attack". The trial heard Knight forged a prescription for insulin, which she collected at a Sainsbury's store in Banbury. Knight told jurors she had wanted to make her mother a "little bit poorly" and described it as "a stupid, stupid, thing to do". Updates on this story and more from Oxfordshire She also told the court she had attempted suicide in 2006 by injecting herself with insulin. Det Insp Craig Kirby of Thames Valley Police said: "This is an incredibly sad case. "It was only following a large scale police investigation, when the weight of evidence became overwhelming, that Julia Knight finally admitted injecting her mother with insulin, something she had repeatedly denied during a number of police interviews. Adrian Foster, chief crown prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service said: "It is impossible to imagine a more vulnerable victim. "Knight embarked on a premeditated, cold-blooded attack on her mother by illicitly injecting her with a potentially lethal dose of insulin while she was an inpatient on a ward after suffering a fall at home. "The insulin, obtained by Knight via a forged prescription, caused Irene's blood sugar concentration to drop to a lethal level and she fell into unconsciousness, but hospital staff managed to save her life. "There is no doubt that as a qualified practising nurse and with her medical knowledge of the effects of unprescribed insulin that Knight intended to kill her mother." Ms Robson died in September but the trial heard her death was not relevant to the case. Knight is due to be sentenced on Friday.

Summary: A nurse who injected her mother with insulin as she lay in hospital after a fall has been found guilty of attempted murder.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 25 August 2015 Last updated at 11:43 BST Open Bionics says its device can be made faster and more cheaply than current alternatives. It intends to launch a service next year that will 3D-scan amputees and then build and fit them with a custom-fitted socket and hand for about Â£2,000. Olly McBride showed the BBC's North America technology reporter Dave Lee how its current prototype works.

Summary: A prototype 3D-printed robotic hand is this year's UK winner of the James Dyson Award.


Inflation, as measured by Consumer Prices Index (CPI), rose to 0.1% in May, up from -0.1% in April. The biggest contribution to the rise came from transport, notably air fares, the Office for National Statistics said. In April, CPI inflation turned negative for the first time since 1960, mainly due to a drop in air and sea fares. ONS statistician Philip Gooding said: "Last month CPI turned negative, mainly because of falling transport fares due to the timing of Easter. This month, that fall has been reversed." He added that the falls in food and fuel costs over the past year "have eased this month, helping to push inflation up". While the prices of food and fuel rose in May from the previous month, the prices were still lower than a year earlier. However, while the overall effect of food and fuel on CPI inflation pulled the rate down by about 0.5 percentage points in May, this was less pronounced than the month before when the prices had a negative effect of 0.7 percentage points. Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown, said that "seasonal factors surrounding the timing of the Easter holiday were at work in last month's figures - CPI inflation was pushed down by cheaper air fares relative to last year. Now those factors have dropped out of the calculation we are back where we started." Negative inflation "proved both marginal and fleeting", said Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight. "We doubt that deflation will recur in the UK, although it cannot be completely ruled out if oil prices take a renewed appreciable downward lurch," he said. Nevertheless, inflationary pressures "remained limited in May and core inflation was still only 0.9% after hitting a 14-year low of 0.8% in April," Mr Archer added. Martin Beck, senior economic advisor to the EY ITEM Club, said that CPI inflation measure could briefly turn negative again during the summer. "Petrol prices, having rallied earlier in the year, have stabilised lately, while today's producer prices data indicates that there are no inflationary pressures coming along the supply chain," Mr Beck said. In May Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, a separate measure which includes housing costs, was 1%, up from 0.9% in April. Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said he expects inflation to remain low in the short term. The Bank expects near-zero inflation to help the UK economy by boosting the spending power of households. Chancellor George Osborne said "a powerful mix of low prices and rising wages" was "good news for working people and family budgets". Nevertheless, he said: "Of course the job is not done and we will continue to remain vigilant to all risks, particularly when the global economic situation is so uncertain." Labour's shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Shabana Mahmood, said that despite the low level of inflation, "many households are still struggling to pay the bills". "We need stronger action now to raise productivity to deliver sustainable growth and rising living standards," she said.

Summary: Transport costs helped the UK's inflation rate turn positive in May after one month of negative inflation.


Media playback is not supported on this device Key football officials met in Doha to discuss a number of options following fears a summer event would endanger the health of players and fans. Summer temperatures in Qatar can exceed 40C while those in November and December drop to around 25C. Tuesday's recommendation is expected to be ratified by Fifa's executive committee in Zurich on 19 and 20 March. Taskforce chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa also recommended that the 2022 tournament should be shortened by a few days. There has already been speculation that the tournament could start on 26 November and end on 23 December. However, Fifa has already said there are no plans to reduce the size of the tournament from 32 teams or 64 matches. The other dates under consideration were May and January-February. Fifa said a number of options had been discussed but felt that November-December was the best one because: Media playback is not supported on this device Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said there were "pros and cons" for all options but said the "one solution" was November and December. Sheikh Salman added: "We are very pleased that, after careful consideration of the various opinions and detailed discussions with all stakeholders, we have identified what we believe to be the best solution for the 2018-2024 international match calendar and football in general." Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce said moving the World Cup to the winter was "common sense" but that a final on 23 December would be too close to Christmas and Britain's traditional festive matches. "That's the only reservation I would have and I would like it a week earlier," said Boyce. "But I want to wait until the Fifa executive committee meeting to hear all the details about the dates." Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said he would do all it could to protect the traditional festive period for club matches. That stance was echoed by Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the English Premier League. "We've got to make sure we keep the Christmas and New year programme intact," he said. Not so much a shock, more "the day many in football had feared", according to BBC sports editor Dan Roan. "Despite rampant opposition, Fifa says this unprecedented break with tradition is in the interests of players and fans," he said. "But the ramifications are considerable, causing havoc for fixture calendars in an estimated 50 countries. "Here in Qatar, this feels like the moment when the build-up towards 2022 can really begin and many will welcome Fifa asserting their power over the top clubs in the interests of a first World Cup in the Middle East. "It also compounds the controversy that surrounded a host nation dogged by allegations of corruption and the abuse of migrant workers. The rifts that already divide the sport today feel wider than ever." BBC Radio 5 live's sports news correspondent Richard Conway said Europe's leading leagues and clubs would be disappointed after losing "this argument" but indicated the row over dates would rumble on. Richard Scudamore, chief executive of

Summary: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar should take place in November and December, a Fifa taskforce has recommended.


Merlin Entertainments Group (MEG), which runs the attraction, filed an application in 2014 to build lodges which was rejected by the council. The Warwick Society said the plans for glamping - or luxury camping - were not in keeping with the landscape. MEG has previously said the site would "benefit the wider economy". The firm applied for permission to erect up to 20 permanent lodges, and create room for 41 glamping tents on land known as "Foxes Study". It was previously granted permission to erect a temporary site for "medieval glamorous camping". Neighbours at the site objected to the lodges, with one saying the move would be the "first step in turning this historic heritage site into a theme park". James Mackay, chairman of the Warwick Society, said: "Merlin is a very successful company but the proposal to use part of a Grade I listed landscape for holiday lodges is not at all satisfactory." Warwick District Council said any public inquiry would probably be held in March. However, it added MEG had submitted a revised application - a "scaled-down" version of the original - which would go before the planning committee in September or October. MEG said: "Warwick Castle submitted an appeal to the decision to refuse our planning application to build new accommodation, several month ago. "However we have also been working closely with the experts at Historic England to develop a significantly revised and reduced accommodation proposal which we hope will be approved. If the current application is approved we will not progress with the appeal."

Summary: The owners of Warwick Castle are appealing after a council rejected plans to put a permanent "glamping" site in its grounds.


Mark Dornan, 22, was arrested after officers from the UK Border Force intercepted a parcel sent from Belgium. The parcel was opened at a Royal Mail depot in Coventry and found to contain over half a kilo of the Class B drug. Police obtained a search warrant and raided Dornan's home in Raploch, Stirling on 8 April. Stirling Sheriff Court was told officers found a shoebox in his bedroom containing digital scales, almost Â£570 in cash, and a card containing notations. They also found a message on a phone about an agreement to supply someone with a half-ounce of the drug for Â£125. Dornan, a plasterer from Raploch, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of herbal cannabis. Defence agent Frazer McCready said his client, a father-of-one, had no criminal record. Mr McCready said: "He was having financial difficulties, and was clearly beyond his means. "Unfortunately rather than go to some sort of debt counselling, as he is now doing, he foolishly decided to embark on this exercise with regard to his debts by involving himself in the supply of cannabis. "Clearly that type of drug was going to be intercepted, and it was. "There were consequences immediately." Sheriff Wyllie Robertson told Dornan that despite the fact he had no offending history, he had "no alternative" but to impose the jail sentence, because of the value of the drug involved.

Summary: A man who ordered cannabis on the "dark web" and planned to deal the drug to clear his debts has been jailed for six months.


In 2014, the largest colony of the rare seabirds was at Winterton, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk but the birds have since moved north to Sea Palling. Two years ago there were 300 pairs of the rare seabird. This year there are just 190 pairs at Sea Palling. The RSPB said the species is declining. Little terns travel 3,000 miles from west Africa to breed on the UK coast but, according to the RSPB, the numbers returning to the UK have declined by between 30-50% since last year. It said the site near Sea Palling is still the country's largest colony, despite the significant drop in numbers. Fabienne Fossez, the Little Tern warden for RSPB East Norfolk, said: "We're extremely concerned, it's a species in decline and they are in real trouble. "What we don't know is what goes on out in west Africa in the winter but it is something to do with the climate, weather and food. "Nevertheless, we have a really good success story here near Sea Palling, despite all of the odds." Ms Fossez said 380 chicks have hatched at the east Norfolk site since mid May. Her team has been maintaining a 24-hour surveillance of the colony in order to protect the birds. But she said the breeding birds have not had the same level of success elsewhere. "The little terns have had a really difficult time this year," she said. "On the north Norfolk coast they were completely washed out at the beginning of June. We were protected here on the east coast and we are fortunate that there are just little terns nesting here."

Summary: Wildlife conservators have said they are "extremely concerned" that the number of little terns nesting in the UK's biggest breeding colony dropped by almost half in a year.


They have occupied a floor of the university's administration building. The students, from the Fossil Free QUB group, began their action following a winter graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon. They claim they will "indefinitely" occupy the floor, at the rear of the 'quad' in the main Lanyon building. The building is home to the university's finance, academic and student affairs departments. The students are calling for the university to withdraw its investments entirely from fossil fuel corporations and to pursue a renewable energy agenda. One of the students involved, Sean Fearon, said the university was being "intransigent" in refusing to commit to divestment. "They have offered to review their ethical investment policy, which we see as an attempt to slow the campaign," he said. "We want a timetable for a five-year programme for the university to withdraw any investments in fossil fuels. "As the United Nations Conference on Climate Change is ending, it is symbolic that we've taken action to fight for our future and a cleaner planet." He said the students planned to stay in the building until the university negotiated "properly" about their investments. In a statement, a spokesman for Queen's said: "At its meeting on 14 October 2015, the university investment committee agreed to carry out a comprehensive review of its investment policy. "The review is expected to take six to nine months and will be informed by best practice in the area of socially responsible investment. "As part of this review the university has engaged directly with students of Fossil Free QUB. "To help inform the investment policy review a workshop will be held in early January 2016 and will include students from Fossil Free QUB."

Summary: About 15 students are occupying part of a Queen's University Belfast building in protest at its failure to commit to divestment from fossil fuels.


The sculpture, in his hometown of Barnsley, has become a magnet for revellers who have hung condoms and pants from it. Mr Bird, who has been spotted removing the items himself, said he did not mind his statue being treated in this way. The sculpture has been raised to make it harder to reach the statue's finger. The life-size artwork shows the legendary former umpire raising his index finger to indicate a batsman is out. Other items to have been hung from it have included pumpkins and chip boxes. Mr Bird said he did not mind people having fun hanging items from the statue but worried about people falling off the plinth. He said: "I think it's respect they have for you that the only thing they have not done is damage it. "I do not mind doing it at all. They can take as many photographs as they like but they're climbing on to it and they might fall off." Sculptor Graham Ibbeson said the plinth beneath the statue would be raised to about 5ft high (1.5m). He said: "We are not going to stop it. What we are going to do is make it a little more difficult. "We are raising him up where he belongs. "On Friday and Saturday night everybody who wobbles home from the town after a few sherberts seems to gravitate towards that finger, with knickers, brassieres, condoms, whatever. "Dickie has been seen occasionally on Saturday morning cleaning the debris off himself, so it needed to be done. "It's horrible when people are abusing it like that. It is a bit of fun... but it is a bit inappropriate." Mr Ibbeson has also designed statues of comedians including Eric Morecambe, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, as well as famous sporting figures such as Fred Trueman and William Webb Ellis. Work to raise the statue was carried out on Friday and an unveiling ceremony is due to take place on Sunday.

Summary: A statue of former Test cricket umpire Dickie Bird has been elevated to stop people hanging rude items on his outstretched finger.


In a Facebook posting, Collins claimed "a close mutual friend" said Mitchell "is walking, talking, painting some, doing much rehab every day". Folk singer Mitchell has been undergoing treatment since she was found unconscious in her home in March. She is known for songs like Big Yellow Taxi and Case of You. "I have another friend who went through something similar," Collins' post continued. "It does take a long time, three years for my friend, who has really totally recovered professionally and personally. I will try my best to see our songbird when I am in LA in the coming weeks." In June, singer David Crosby - who dated Mitchell in 1967 - said she was not speaking. He told the Huffington Post: "She took a terrible hit," he said. "She had an aneurysm, and nobody found her for a while. And she's going to have to struggle back from it the way you struggle back from a traumatic brain injury." However, her lawyer Rebecca J Thyne, who visited Mitchell at her Los Angeles home contradicted that assessment saying: "It was clear that she was happy to be home and that she has made remarkable progress. "She has physical therapy each day and is expected to make a full recovery." Mitchell's friend Leslie Morris, has been acting as her temporary conservator. Tyne has recommended that she remain under a conservatorship until Mitchell fully improves.

Summary: Singer Joni Mitchell is recovering from a stroke and brain aneurysm earlier this year, her friend and fellow singer Judy Collins has said.


Wayne Maycock, Paul Bromwich and Admi Headley were last seen at HMP Leyhill at about 16:45 GMT on Sunday. Avon and Somerset Police has appealed for anyone who sees them, or knows of their whereabouts, to make contact. HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire is the only minimum-security prison in the South West. Headley was sentenced in 2006 for rape and robbery, Maycock was jailed in the same year for GBH, while Bromwich was sentenced in 2001 for rape. Earlier, the police force suggested all three were convicted of rape but this information was later amended. A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Public protection is our top priority. We take absconds from custody extremely seriously. We are working closely with the police and are urgently investigating this incident." According to Avon and Somerset Police: Leyhill, near Wotton-under-Edge, is a category D prison housing more than 500 inmates, including some on life sentences.

Summary: Two convicted rapists and a man convicted of assault - all considered to be a "risk to the public" - have absconded from an open prison.


Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier have been charged with attempted murder over the attack. Last week, a Wisconsin judge decided that they should be tried as adults, meaning they could face decades in jail if convicted. The victim, 12 at the time, was stabbed 19 times but survived. She was found by a cyclist crawling from the woods where she was attacked with stab wounds to her arms, legs and torso, after the attack in May 2014. A judge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of both girls at a hearing on Friday. Investigators say the two girls had been plotting for months to kill their victim in "dedication" to Slender Man, a fictional horror website character. They spoke of their desire to become the paranormal figure's "proxies" by killing to demonstrate their loyalty, police said. A lawyer for one of the girls told the AP news agency before the hearing that his client would enter a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Their lawyers have previously argued for the case to be heard in juvenile court, saying both teenagers were suffering from mental illness. Following the attack, the suspects were found walking near a local highway and a knife was found in one of their backpacks. The victim has recovered and since returned to school.

Summary: Two 13-year-old girls accused of stabbing a classmate to please the online horror character Slender Man have pleaded not guilty in court.


Baxter, 24, played the last of his 93 league games for United in February, with the ex-Everton trainee then banned for an unspecified reason by the club. In July 2015 he was suspended by the Football Association for failing an out-of-competition drugs test. Midfielder Ryan Flynn, 24, who scored 13 goals in 153 league games, has also been released. Meanwhile, Dean Hammond, who made 34 Blades appearances during his loan spell from Leicester City in the 2015-16 season, has activated a clause in his contract to remain at Bramall Lane on a permanent deal. However, the 33-year-old has immediately been placed on the transfer list alongside Kieron Freeman, Kieran Wallace, James Wallace, Paul Coutts, Martyn Woolford and Diego De Girolamo. Goalkeeper George Long has been offered a new deal while Alex Baptiste, David Edgar and Conor Sammon have left the club after their loan deals expired. Mark Howard, Bob Harris, Callum McFadzean, Terry Kennedy, Harrison McGahey, Jay McEveley, Florent Cuvelier and Jamal Campbell-Ryce have all been released.

Summary: Forward Jose Baxter, who was suspended twice in nine months, is among 10 players released by Sheffield United.


The Northampton hooker is expected to be named skipper by new head coach Eddie Jones on Monday. Hartley has been banned for over a year in total during his career. But Rugby Football Union chief executive Ritchie said he had "paid the penalty", adding "I don't think it precludes him [from being captain]". Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Ritchie added: "It is primarily a matter for the head coach, and I'm not going to hinder that in any way. "It's a matter of balance and perspective, and Dylan I'm sure brings many positives as well to the set-up." Ritchie confirmed the RFU is monitoring the case of young flanker Sam Underhill, who plays for Welsh region Ospreys. The 19-year-old is English and is on the radar of England boss Jones, but is ineligible to be picked for his country while playing outside the English Premiership. Underhill - who has captained England at Under-18 level - is studying at Cardiff University and is contracted to Bridgend and the Ospreys. However, Ritchie says Underhill's case may be viewed differently to the likes of those who play in France, and that he may be treated as a special case given his age. "I think we need to look at that, and we are having some discussions about that," Ritchie added. "We want to keep people who have played in our age-grade teams, as he has. We maybe need to look at whether it is different for elite squads compared to development squads." Ritchie says French club Toulon's bid to join the Premiership is a "long shot". The Toulon president Mourad Boudjelall has written to Premiership Rugby this week about the prospect. The RFU council would have to approve any change to England's elite competition, and Ritchie believes there are numerous obstacles in Toulon's way. "I think it's a challenging proposition," Ritchie said. "I would think it's a long shot, but having said that it's for others to discuss as well, and we've not really sat down and had a proper, considered conversation about it yet. "But in some ways it's interesting Mr Boudjellal thinks that playing rugby in England is good for Toulon, so we should look at that as a positive." Despite England's disappointing performance at the World Cup, the RFU says it is on course to meet legacy targets. Early evidence shows participation is increasing, including 8,000 adults returning to the game during and after the tournament, and the RFU has launched programmes to get more schools and clubs playing the sport, and will also provide 100 new artificial pitches across the country. "We really are trying to use the opportunity the Rugby World Cup gave us to grow the profile of the game - and participation in the game - across the country. The hard work has started for us now as we try and maximise the opportunity," said the RFU's rugby development director Steve Grainger.

Summary: Dylan Hartley's disciplinary record should not prevent him being appointed England captain, according to the head of English rugby Ian Ritchie.