Mr Maduro said the room would be kept intact and a wing of the presidential palace turned into a monument to Mr Chavez's "Bolivarian revolution". Mr Chavez died of cancer last month. Following his death, presidential elections were called for 14 April, pitting Mr Maduro against main opposition candidate Henrique Capriles. Mr Capriles says that despite Mr Maduro's attempt at portraying himself as Mr Chavez's heir, the acting president lacks the late leader's charisma. "I'm going to look after it for a few years, but it'll always be Chavez's home," Mr Maduro said referring to the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, where Venezuela's presidents have their office. Full of confidence ahead of Sunday's polls, Mr Maduro said he would "occupy a small office in Miraflores in another wing", so that Venezuelans could roam the rooms of the presidential palace and "learn how the commander had lived, and what he had eaten". Fierce battle Since Mr Chavez died on 5 March, Mr Maduro has cast himself as his natural successor in office. He has called himself "Chavez's son" and said that the late president had appeared to him in the form of a little bird. Speaking last week at the official start of the presidential campaign in the house where Mr Chavez was born, Mr Maduro said a small bird had flown around him three times and looked at him "oddly", at which point he he had felt in his soul it was a message from Mr Chavez. "I felt its blessing, telling us: 'Today the battle begins, go for victory, you have my blessing'," Mr Maduro said. Henrique Capriles mocked Mr Maduro saying that he had "not seen a little bird, but swallowed one, the one he has in his head!" He has also questioned Mr Maduro's ability to lead the country saying that "whatever the outcome, I don't see how Nicolas Maduro has the capacity to stay for an extended time in government". Mr Capriles has dismissed polls that suggest Mr Maduro has an unassailable lead over him. "Of course I can win," he told AFP news agency, "Maduro lacks charisma and leadership". Mr Maduro said his rival was "jealous" and promised to beat him by 10 million votes in Sunday's polls.

Summary: Venezuela's acting president Nicolas Maduro says he will turn the office where the late President Hugo Chavez worked into a museum.


John Stollery, 58, a social worker from Nottinghamshire, was one of 30 UK holidaymakers killed by a gunman near Sousse last year. His wife Cheryl said her husband was the most "fantastic man" and his legacy could bring about "peace" and "understanding". The terror attack on June 26 claimed the lives of 38 people. The attack in the resort of Port El Kantaoui was claimed by the so-called Islamic State. Mr Stollery worked at Nottinghamshire County Council for 33 years and for the last 16 years was a social worker, working with children in care. Mrs Stollery said she had been focussing on what good could come following her husband's death. She said: "Hopefully [the] legacy of John's of making somebody else's life brighter and fulfilling their dreams, might bring about some better understanding and hopefully some peace. "Acts of violence are not the answer. "He was the most fantastic man I could have met. He made a difference in so many ways to myself, Matthew our son, to the people that he worked with." Neil Duckmanton, Mr Stollery's best friend, said: "If there was anything he could do for anybody, he would, and he did that with me for 30 years." He will be remembered at a service at St Edmund's Church in Walesby, Nottinghamshire.

Summary: A victim of the Tunisia beach massacre is to be remembered in a church service one year on from the attack.


The 96-year-old announced his retirement in May, after decades of supporting the Queen, as well as attending events for his own charities and organisations. Prince Philip is also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, but who is he and why is he so important? The Duke of Edinburgh is the Queen's husband - they've been married for nearly 70 years. They met while Prince Philip was an officer in the Navy during World War Two. He and the Queen have four children: Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne. Prince Philip is also the grandfather of Princes William and Harry, and the great-grandfather of Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Although he isn't the king, his job title is pretty special. He's the Queen's 'consort' - and his role is to support Queen Elizabeth II. He now holds the record for the longest-serving consort in British history! Prince Philip was born in 1921 on the Greek island of Corfu. His family left Greece when Philip was just a one-year-old baby. He spent his childhood in France, Germany and then here in Britain. He celebrated his 96th birthday in June 2017. Philip gave up his job in the Navy after Queen Elizabeth II's father died and she became Queen. He has always thrown himself into his role of supporting her and has found a real passion in doing charity work. One issue he cares about a lot is wildlife conservation - something he spoke to Newsround about back in 1986. You may also have heard of one of his most important and famous charities: The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. It offers challenges and adventure to thousands of young people in the UK. Since the Duke of Edinburgh's Award was launched in 1956, millions of young people have taken part in the scheme. Philip also has a reputation for speaking his mind, and sometimes his comments have caused some people embarrassment. However, he is also praised by many for his dedication and his unique way of doing things. The Queen is not only the head of state of the UK but she's also Head of the Commonwealth - an association of 52 countries, many of which used to be part of the British Empire. As well as visiting parts of the UK, part of the Queen's job involves visiting these other countries, meeting people and doing lots of charity work, which Prince Philip often helps her with. Since 1952, Prince Philip has completed 22,219 royal engagements on his own. Every year the Royal Family carry out over 2,000 official visits throughout the UK and worldwide. As the Queen and the Duke have become older more of these royal duties have been passed to the younger members of the family. While Prince Philip's diary of events will come to an end in August, Buckingham Palace has said he may still decide to attend certain events alongside the Queen in the future. The Queen's public schedule will continue as normal.

Summary: The Queen's husband Prince Philip will take part in his final public meeting before he officially retires from royal duties.


Media playback is not supported on this device It began when he left behind a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for the wonder and wastelands of Sierra Leone five years ago. It will end when he walks through the front door of the family home in Lisburn, Belfast for Christmas, having lived through an incredible time in modern history. Very few 29-year-olds have managed a national football team. None have done it while that country is being brought to its knees by Ebola. "I'm very sad, very emotional," he said. "Saying goodbye to Sierra Leone was very emotional, very difficult. I don't keep my distance from things; I invest emotionally. The country has become part of me." Having been an academy coach with the New York Red Bulls, McKinstry was appointed technical director of the Craig Bellamy academy in Sierra Leone at the age of 24. By 27, he was manager of the national team. Within 18 months his squad were in the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time. "I've made a career of proving doubters wrong," he said. Two months ago he was sacked by email, as the Ebola outbreak gathered momentum. "We believed we had the chemistry, cohesion and spirit to achieve anything. But the Ebola outbreak changed everything. Circumstances meant that, in the end, it was an impossible job." McKinstry stepped off a plane four hours before we met in a London hotel. He had not slept for the best part of two days. The journey to Freetown Airport had to be made by boat to avoid some of the areas worst affected by Ebola. An early flight meant crossing the night before. A night at an airport, one plane to Morocco, another to London followed by a medical check by customs officers is no ordinary preparation for an interview. But for a man who has spent much of the past six months living in lockdown, being among the bustle again is a welcome change. His time in Sierra Leone has now come to an end. The memory of it will, however, live on. "In the last month or so when I went into Freetown for supplies, I started to see more of the Ebola response teams, with the full yellow bio-hazard suits," he said. "You might see an ambulance driving past and even the driver would be in the full bio-hazard gear. "When you see that it really does bring it home to you just how serious the situation is." McKinstry was offered a way out, a safe passage home in July, but refused it. Many of the players in the academy were from affected areas, he felt he had a duty of care not to walk away and send the young footballers into danger. Instead he quarantined the academy behind the gate and walls of the compound. "When the outbreak started a lot of people ran for cover," he said. "But Ebola is a disease of contact, if you remove the contact, you remove the risk. So that is what we did. We moved everyone

Summary: Johnny McKinstry is on the final leg of a remarkable journey.


The top seed was hampered by an ankle knock at the start of the second set but fought back from 5-3 behind to win in straight sets. Murray, 27, only hit 14 winners to his opponent's 25, but made 17 unforced errors compared to Pospisil's 26. The Scot now faces eighth seed Gilles Simon of France in the quarter-finals. The first set went with serve until the eighth game when Murray took advantage of some tame Pospisil serves to break and then he held comfortably to take the first set in 36 minutes. The world number four then landed awkwardly on his left ankle in the first game of the second set but, despite hobbling and in pain, he took control after breaking Pospisil with a great return down the line to move 3-2 up. However, the Scot, who beat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-3 6-2 in the first round, then lost his way and was broken back immediately thanks to the Canadian's best return of the match. Pospisil went in front on his own serve before the world number 59 claimed the vital break to move 5-3 up as Murray picked up a code violation for smashing his racquet. The Scot showed his mettle to immediately break back and then levelled at 5-5. Murray then won a hard-fought 11th game of the set after several deuces before serving out to win the match. He now faces Gilles Simon, who progressed thanks to a routine 6-4 6-3 win over Jeremy Chardy.

Summary: Britain's Andy Murray beat Canada's Vasek Pospisil 6-3 7-5 in the second round of the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.


Powell, 22, scored 12 goals in 41 appearances for Championship side Wigan during a loan spell in 2013-14. He joined United for £3m from Crewe in 2012 and was loaned out to Leicester City and Hull City before his contract expired in June. "He is the one player we wanted this summer and we are so happy we've got him," said Wigan boss Gary Caldwell.

Summary: Wigan Athletic have signed former Manchester United midfielder Nick Powell on a three-year contract.


The sum, covering January 2013 to October 2014, included money spent on in-house staff, third party companies and advertising agencies. Some residents said this was a "waste of money" and the States would need to "measure its effectiveness". Deputy Heidi Soulsby said when it comes to advertising "we've got to think in a modern way - this is the digital age". Ms Soulsby said currently States accounts do not show what is spent on advertising and promotion. She said the States hoped to produce a set of accounts that were "more meaningful and transparent". The figures, from an access to public information request, showed in-house staff costs came to just over £397,000 for the time period. The cost of third party public relation companies was just over £300,000 with two thirds going to tourism marketing spend and other promotional work. The total cost for advertising was just over £1.1million, which includes legally required adverts. Nearly £800,000 of the advertising cost was for States recruitment and advertising purposes. Guernsey's States chief executive, Paul Whitfield, said £300,000 being spent on third party public relations firms would be subject to a States-wide procurement policy. He said civil service public relations roles could be changed to reduce costs for taxpayers. Adam Riddell, chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Channel Islands, said any organisation needed to justify its spend on public relations activity, and that justification needed to be based on "whether that spend has produced the desired outcomes".

Summary: The States of Guernsey spent £1.8m on PR and advertising over 22 months, figures released to the BBC show.


The judge in charge of the case rejected the request by prosecutors to drop the charges against the striker. Messi and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding Spain of more than €4m (£3.1m; $5m). They deny any wrongdoing. Lawyers acting on behalf of the tax authorities demanded 22-month jail sentences for both defendants. Prosecutors allege that Jorge avoided paying tax on his son's earnings by using offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay in 2007-09. Messi's lawyers had argued that the player had "never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analysing" the contracts, El Pais newspaper reported earlier. "There are rational signs that the criminality was committed by both accused parties," wrote the judge in a court filing, according to the AFP news agency. No date has been set for the trial of the 28-year-old footballer - the four-time World Player of the Year and one of the richest athletes in the world. In June, the high court in Barcelona ruled that Messi should not be granted immunity for not knowing what was happening with his finances, which were being managed in part by his father. The income related to Messi's image rights, including contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food Company. Messi and his father made a voluntary €5m "corrective payment" - equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest - in August 2013.

Summary: Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi and his father should stand trial on tax fraud charges, a court in Spain has ruled.


Omari Mwanahamisi put Tanzania ahead after only 26 minutes and she doubled the lead just before half-time. Kenya pulled a goal back through Christine Nafula but the 2016 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers were unable to find an equaliser. In the play-off for third place, which was also played on Tuesday, Ethiopia thrashed Uganda 4-1.

Summary: Tanzania beat Kenya 2-1 on Tuesday to win the inaugural Cecafa Women's Championship in Uganda.


If, and when, their big day comes, it could be an expensive business covering the cost of hotels, caterers, photographers and florists, not to mention clothes, rings and a honeymoon. Campaigners estimate that the average Australian wedding has a price tag of around 35,000 Australian dollars ($27,000; Â£18,000). "The world's expert body on the economic impact of marriage equality, the Williams Institute at UCLA, says the most conservative estimate for the [potential] wedding spend of Australian same-sex couples is A$161m," says Rodney Croome, the national director of Australian Marriage Equality. "It could be as high as A$600m. "On top of this, Australia's failure to achieve marriage equality is a competitive disadvantage when it comes to attracting those skilled migrants and investors for whom non-discriminatory laws are important." This week the campaign for reform in Australia received some high-profile support from Alan Joyce, the openly gay, Irish-born chief executive of the airline Qantas. He told the Sydney Morning Herald: "I've had people coming up to me in the business community and saying that their son, their daughter is finding it tough (being gay), even in this day and age. "Talking about how important it is for a business leader ... to express our views on things. It is a role model thing." The Flying Kangaroo has a long tradition of equality for its staff. Tim Harcourt, an economist at the University of New South Wales Business School, says Australia's national airline has been a beacon of progressive thinking. "When I worked at Qantas they were always ahead of the game in providing benefits for same-sex partners, whether it be travel or superannuation or so on," he tells the BBC. "It has worked out pretty well on the basis that having a happy and egalitarian workforce is good for productivity." Other corporate heavyweights are joining the campaign for same sex marriage in Australia. Telecom giant Telstra Qantas and PricewaterhouseCoopers have signed an open letter urging the conservative government to consider the economic benefits of reform. They have been joined by the nation's biggest banks, ANZ, the Commonwealth and Westpac, along with retailer David Jones. The letter states: "Not only is marriage equality the only truly fair option, but it's also a sound economic option given that a happy workforce is a productive one. "To remain competitive, and to attract top talent from around the world, organisations - and nations - must create a fair and respectful environment for all." Alex Greenwich, an openly gay member of the New South Wales parliament and a former businessman, who ran a recruitment agency before entering politics, believes that employees who are happy and respected at work are more productive. "There have been so many studies done on the importance of diversity within the workplace and the importance of accepting and treating your staff well in the workplace. "It's kind of a no-brainer," says Mr Greenwich, who believes it is time for Australia to shed its reputation for sexual intolerance. "We know that gay and lesbian people are out and open in very senior levels in a number

Summary: In Australia, at least 18,000 same-sex couples are waiting for the law to change to allow them to get married, according to the University of Queensland.


Media playback is not supported on this device Cavendish, who has won 30 stages at the Tour de France, came sixth in the first of six events - the scratch race. He was second fastest in the individual pursuit and seventh in the elimination race with three more events on Monday. Becky James broke the women's sprint Olympic record in qualification and is in Monday's quarter-finals along with fellow Briton Katy Marchant. Cavendish, 31, began his campaign with a hard-fought sixth-placed finish in the scratch race, after Denmark's Lasse Norman Hansen, the London 2012 Olympic champion and Roger Kluge took the top two spots by gaining a lap on the field. In the individual pursuit, Cavendish recorded a time of four minutes 16.878 seconds and caught reigning world champion Colombian Fernando Gaviria Rendon in the process. That temporarily gave the Manxman the outright lead, before Hansen set a new Olympic record of 4:14:982, beating Sir Bradley Wiggins' time set in 2008, to win his second event in a row. However, Hansen dropped from first to sixth overall after he was the first rider to fall out of the elimination race which sees the rider in last position at the end of every second lap ejected from the race. Cavendish was looking comfortable as other riders dropped out but he was ejected, despite not being the last rider over the line, when he overtook a rider while off the inside of the track, and was awarded seventh place. France's Thomas Boudat, the 2014 world champion, leads on 106 points, two more than Italy's Elia Viviani who won the elimination race, with Cavendish third on 96 points. The fourth event - the time trial - starts at 14:21 BST on Monday, before the flying lap and points race events. Wales' James won a silver medal in the keirin on Saturday and maintained her good form on Sunday as she set a new Olympic record during the sprint qualification. James recorded a time of 10.721 seconds to beat the 10.724 set by fellow Briton Victoria Pendleton at the 2012 Olympics in London. That saw James become the fastest qualifier and she comfortably beat Olga Ismayilova of Azerbaijan by a margin of 0.165 secs to move into the quarter-finals, which take place from 14:00 BST on Monday. Marchant also advanced in style as she defeated Canada's Monique Sullivan after posting the second fastest qualification time. Australia's defending champion Anna Meares was beaten by Lithuania's Simona Krupeckaite but won a repechage race to reach the last eight. Media playback is not supported on this device Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Great Britain's Mark Cavendish is third after day one of the men's omnium as he aims for his first Olympic Games medal.


This afternoon, the Labour leader returned to the stage - in shirt sleeves this time - to face questions from his audience. One introduced herself: "Christina Rees, newly-elected Labour councillor for Bridgend." So far so good. But then it got trickier. "And you haven't kissed me, Ed, but you kissed Barbara yesterday and I'm extremely jealous," joked Christina. A look of mock alarm came over the leader's face as he assured delegates: "Don't get the wrong idea by the way." Christina told her leader how Labour had won a by-election in Bettws: "The Tories only got 12 votes!" Ed Miliband started to look concerned: "Don't give us all the Bridgend results because we might be here....." He cut swiftly to his next questioner - Barbara Jones, from Caerphilly, who introduced herself thus: "I am the lucky one that got the kiss yesterday and I've had so many texts you wouldn't believe it." Had he not been wearing television make-up, Ed Miliband surely would have blushed. Instead, he briefly referred to delegates as "comrades" for the first time, while imploring Barbara to move on. Barbara moved on, but 24 hours into the era of "one nation Labour" the leader has discovered that you can't please all the people all the time.

Summary: Ed Miliband may have wowed delegates with his "look - no notes" speech to the Labour conference but not everyone is going home happy.


The women, aged between 18 and 29, have been recruited on social media. Five of them are now living with IS militants in the conflict zones, according to a special investigation by Victoria Police. Concern has been rising since mid-2014 about Australians going to the Middle East to fight for IS. The government will soon introduce legislation allowing it to strip dual citizens fighting in Iraq or Syria of their Australian citizenship. People working in Australia to support militant groups will also be targeted by the changes. Task Force Pax was established in April to monitor Victorians believed to be involved with insurgents. Officials from the task force told local media on Friday that another four Melbourne women made it as far as Turkey before being turned back by authorities. One other was stopped by customs officers in Australia while two remain unaccounted for. The young women are all from Melbourne's northern and south-eastern suburbs. Assistant Commissioner Tracy Linford said two forensic psychologists had been embedded in the task force to help investigators understand why the young women were trying to join IS. "The use of psychologists provides us with a far more comprehensive risk assessment and also assists in identifying early intervention opportunities," she said. "This gives us the chance to focus on identifying those youths most at risk of radicalisation and to engage with them or their families directly." Local media reported that one of the women was 21-year-old Zehra Duman, who allegedly travelled overseas in December to join Mahmoud Abullatif, a Melbourne man believed to be a Islamic extremist. She travelled to Syria without her parent's knowledge, The Age newspaper reported. It is believed Abullatif was killed while fighting with IS in January but Ms Duman has yet to return home. Police said the young women were being sold a romantic view of life with IS, and had lied to their families about their travel plans. Authorities were warning parents and friends of young women about the lure of IS, saying the women could end up in arranged marriages, or forced into sexual servitude in the Middle East. "Our intelligence tells us these women are going over there to meet their partners, to marry somebody in an arranged marriage or be pushed into sexual servitude," Assistant Commissioner Linford told reporters. The Herald Sun newspaper said mother Dullel Kassab was another of the women identified by police. The Australian government believes at least 100 Australians are fighting with militant groups in the Middle East. Another 150 people in Australia are known to be supporting such groups, while Australia's intelligence agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), is investigating about 400 high-priority terrorist cases.

Summary: As many as 12 young women have tried to leave Melbourne to join the Islamic State (IS) militant group, according to Australian police.


Japan's shares rose despite a central bank survey showing firms expect inflation to rise 1.4% a year from now, casting doubts on the bank's pledge to hit 2% this fiscal year. The Nikkei 225 ended up 1.5% at 19,312.79, leading the region's gains. That is its biggest daily percentage gain since 12 February. Investors are also awaiting key jobs figures from the US on Friday. Concerns over the health of the world's largest economy were raised after data on Wednesday showed the pace of US manufacturing growth in March eased to its slowest in nearly two years. The dollar remained under pressure, buying 119.62 yen. In China, the Shanghai Composite closed 0.4% higher at 3,825.78, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended up 0.8% at 25,275.64. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 closed up 0.7% at 5,898.6 as bank stocks were boosted on growing expectations of an interest rate cut by the central bank next week. A private survey also showed that inflation rose from a five-year trough in March as petrol prices rebounded. The TD Securities-Melbourne Institute's monthly measure of consumer prices rose 0.4% in March, from February when it had been unchanged. The annual pace was up to 1.5%, from 1.3%, but stayed well below the central bank's target band of 2% to 3%. The Australian market will be closed on Friday and Monday for the Easter holiday. South Korean shares closed flat after data showed the country's seasonally-adjusted current account surplus in February at a record high for the second consecutive month. Exports in February rose by 2% from January while imports fell 0.4%. The benchmark Kospi index was at 2,029.07.

Summary: Asian shares rose on Thursday despite investors being cautious ahead of a Good Friday public holiday in some major markets.


The Cheetham Hill Asda Living store will turn off escalators, screens and music for an hour on Saturday 7 May. Customers will also be offered a picture map of the supermarket. General manager Simon Lea came up with the idea after watching an autistic child and his mother struggle on the shop floor. Follow the latest news updates from across Greater Manchester "When we open the doors you will be able to hear a pin drop. That's the plan," Mr Lea told the Manchester Evening News. "I suffered for many years with anxiety and I used to absolutely hate going into busy stores. If we can make a few small changes to give these customers a better shopping experience and make them comfortable then I know the store will be a better place to shop for everyone," Mr Lea said. The store will open an hour early and no announcements will be made during the quiet hour between 08:00 and 09:00 BST. Source: The National Autistic Society Asda said it would monitor feedback from the trial and would consider rolling it out to other stores. The National Autistic Society (NAS) said it welcomed the move as shops and other public spaces could be "extremely challenging" because of bright lights, strong smells and crowds. NAS Campaign manager Tom Madders said: "It can cause [autistic people] to feel overwhelmed by 'too much information'. This can be excruciatingly painful or cause extreme anxiety. This may lead to a meltdown or - all too often - people avoid these places and choose not to go out at all. "Asda's initiative is a great example of an organisation taking the trouble to understand how autistic people experience the world and we hope other retailers are inspired to follow their example."

Summary: An Asda supermarket in Manchester is introducing a "quiet hour" to help autistic shoppers who can feel stressed by noise.


McClaren, who led the Magpies to six wins in 28 Premier League matches, was replaced by Benitez in March, but the Spaniard could not prevent them from being relegated to the Championship. "I conceded too much, especially early on, instead of saying 'we need this and this'," McClaren told BBC Radio 5 live. "I hope they've allowed [Benitez] control of everything." He added: "Listen to him, this is what he wants, these are his requirements, this is the team he needs to make." Newcastle sat 19th in the table when McClaren departed, with a 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth his final match in charge. "The mistake I made was I compromised too much," said the former England, Derby and FC Twente manager. "I wanted to get enough results on the field so I could gradually gain a bit more control. But I think you have to be domineering as you go in, you have to make sure you get what you want." The 54-year old is confident the Magpies have learnt from his experience and will afford Benitez greater control as he bids to return Newcastle to the top flight. "I think now with Rafa being in there he will be allowed to take control of media, of staff, and of recruitment - which is the most important thing," he said. "You have to make sure that you work together to establish what you want, what you're comfortable working with."

Summary: Ex-Newcastle United boss Steve McClaren hopes new manager Rafael Benitez will be allowed greater control at the club.


At least two have been treated for symptoms of poisoning after being walked near a cricket pitch in Fordham Heath, Colchester, the RSPCA said. The charity has received another report of poisoning and said it was aware of a number of other owners who said their pets had also been ill. The RSPCA has advised dog walkers to avoid the area "until we know more". The dogs which were treated, both suffered "severe sickness" after being walked in a field near Eight Ash Green Cricket Club in Spring Lane, the animal charity said. More on this and other news from Essex Their owner, who did not want to be named, said: "My dog was constantly licking his feet...then he started burning up, he was sweating and had a temperature. "He was having trouble breathing, his tongue and mouth were blistered and he collapsed. It was very awful." The dogs were taken ill last week, although one had suffered similar symptoms after being walked in the area in May. Their owner has so far faced vets bills of more than Â£1,000. "I've spoken to other owners whose dogs have been sick and collapsed too, after walking around the field near the cricket pitch," she added. In a statement Eight Ash Green Cricket Club said it was aware of reports of suspected poisonings and "wishes to confirm that it does not use any chemicals that will prove harmful to animals or wildlife". The RSPCA said an inspector was investigating whether anything toxic had been accidentally or deliberately left in the area near the club. The charity said dog owners should contact their vet immediately if their pet showed signs of poisoning, which included vomiting, appearing drunk and uncoordinated, seizures and difficulty breathing.

Summary: Pet owners are being warned to be vigilant after a series of possible dog poisonings.


He collided with a black Vauxhall Insignia on the junction of Wian Street and London Road in Holyhead shortly before 12:30 BST on 3 June. The man, who was local to the area, was taken to a hospital in Stoke but has died from his injuries. North Wales Police are investigating the incident and want to speak to witnesses of the collision.

Summary: A 92-year-old man has died in hospital after being hit by a car on Anglesey last week, police have confirmed.


The pound started to rise just before the first results came in as traders predicted a win for the Remain side - eventually hitting a high of over $1.50. But as reality sank in and the Leave side pulled away the currency went into freefall touching lows of $1.30, levels not seen since 1985. Since then the pound has had some better days but has still lost over 13% of its value against the dollar. The value of a nation's currency is often described as its effective share price - a gauge of how investors see the strength of the economy. "The fall in the pound can be seen as a barometer of sentiment in the markets," says Jeremy Stretch, a currency analyst at CIBC. "If a currency falls traders are effectively saying that it needs to go lower to make it attractive enough for them to make investments." Despite having fallen to lows we have not seen for 30 years, some in the market think the pound could still fall further against the dollar. "When you look at how quickly the pound has fallen in the past, I don't think it is beyond the bounds of possibility that we could see the pound in the low $1.20 range against the dollar," says Simon Derrick, head of currency research at Bank of New York Mellon. So what does history tell us about one of the key drivers of the UK economy? November 2007: sterling reached $2.11 The pound soared from $1.40 in 2002 right up to $2.10 in October 2007. British tourists flocked to the US as the pound strengthened, often coming backed weighed down with suitcases full of clothes and gadgets. "It was in some respects the golden days for the UK with a booming financial sector and the sense of 'Cool Britannia' in the country," says Prof Albrecht Ritschl an economic historian at the London School of Economics. The pound strengthened as the UK economy boomed, inflation stayed relatively low and interest rates offered a decent return for investors. "It was a very settled economic environment with few political upheavals, completely different from the post-Brexit world we see today," says Howard Archer, an economist at IHS Global Insight. Those heady days of economic boom were replaced with the financial crisis of 2008 which saw the pound collapse as the UK economy fell into recession. The pound fell 35% to lows of about $1.40 in early 2009, before picking up as the UK slowly emerged from the downturn. February 1985: Sterling reached $1.05 Back in February 1985, the pound slid to $1.05. But unlike today it was less a story of pound weakness and more to do with a very strong dollar. The combination of Ronald Reagan as US president and the tenure of Paul Volcker as chairman of the Federal Reserve saw the dollar appreciate 26% between 1980 and 1984. President Reagan instituted a series of tax cuts and spending rises in an attempt to revive the economy. This in turn pushed up long-term interest rates, attracting inflows of capital

Summary: As the nation anxiously waited for the EU referendum results last month, currency traders were busy making bets on which way the vote would go.


For Fahad bin Mohammed Al-Attiya, it is the nightmare scenario. He is the executive chairman of the Qatar National Food Security Programme. The small Gulf state is 100% dependent on desalinated water. Mr Al-Attiya says such a scenario would threaten the very survival of Qatar and its population of more than two million. "We need to have clean water," he says. "A situation like the Gulf of Mexico where BP lost two or three million barrels of oil - if that happens in the [Persian] Gulf the consequences would be severely different." Qatar sits on the world's third largest gas field and is investing billions into mega-reservoirs at home to give it some kind of water security. But water is not the only problem. Despite being the richest country per capita in the world, Qatar also needs to import 90% of its food. "Qatar is... hydrocarbon-rich," said Mr Al-Attiya, speaking on a special In the Balance discussion on food security for the BBC World Service. "But certainly water-poor and food-poor. "Not only that, but for our own development we have to import the... labour to develop our country so we need to import even further to feed the nation." Where the solution to water security is largely domestic, food security involves a tangle of trade, diplomatic and political issues. Qatar joins a growing list of countries that includes other Gulf states, India, China and South Korea, that are not just importing food but buying the land abroad on which it is grown. These countries are often accused of "land grabs" - the buying up of millions of hectares of overseas agricultural land with scant regard for the livelihoods of local farmers or the environment. The charity Oxfam claims land eight times the size of the UK was sold off globally in the last decade, enough to grow food for a billion people. It says that more than 60% of investments in agricultural land by foreign investors between 2000 and 2010 were in developing countries with serious hunger problems. Two-thirds of those investors plan to export everything they produce on that land. But the truth is, for all its wealth, an investor like Qatar can itself be at the mercy of global weather, disease and politics. The price Qatar pays for losing imports is not just financial - it is often the physical loss of food to eat. Mr Al-Attiya points out that many of Qatar's trading relationships fell apart in 2010 when India, Russia and other countries blocked exports in the face of the worst droughts in a century. "That made countries like ours question how much faith we put in free trade." So he says that Qatar has to have a bigger vision. "We will not go in and invest simply to service our population of 2.5 million people. It doesn't make any economic sense. "We will go in and invest to service the country, and the region - and the globe at large. "I say there is no direct link between investment in a foreign country and food security of

Summary: Imagine this: an oil spill the size of the Gulf of Mexico 2010 disaster, but this time in the Persian Gulf.


On Friday, the Florida jury ruled Gawker had violated Hogan's right to privacy, awarding him $115m (Â£79m) for economic damage and emotional distress. But jurors decided on the additional measure as a punishment for the company and a deterrent to others. Gawker, who warned the verdict was already "debilitating", will appeal. The video was posted in 2012 after Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, was secretly recorded having sex with his friend's wife. Hogan's legal team successfully argued the New York-based website violated his privacy and the video was not newsworthy. The closely-watched case raised questions about the freedom of the press in the digital age and could lead to greater caution among online sites. Gawker Media was hit with a $15m ruling, while owner Nick Denton was stung with an additional $10 million. The editor who posted the video and wrote the accompanying post, AJ Daulerio, must also pay $100,000. However correspondents say the company stands a good chance of getting the damages reduced or reversed on appeal. The jury was told that Gawker Media is worth $83 million, while Nick Denton has a total of $121 million. Mr Daulerio has no assets, the court heard, only thousands of dollars in student debts.

Summary: Ex-professional wrestler Hulk Hogan has won a further $25m (Â£17m) in punitive damages from gossip site Gawker over the publication of a sex tape.


Electrons are negatively-charged elementary particles which orbit the nuclei of atoms. The discovery is important because it may make some of the emerging theories of particle physics - such as supersymmetry - less likely. The research, by a team at Imperial College London, is published in the latest edition of Nature journal. In their scientific paper, the researchers say the electron differs from being perfectly round by a minuscule amount. "Conventionally, people think that the electron is round like a little ball. But some advanced theories of physics speculate that it's not round, and so what we've done is designed an experiment to check with a very, very high degree of precision," said lead author Jony Hudson, from Imperial. The current best theory to explain the interactions of sub-atomic particles is known as the Standard Model. According to this framework, the electron should be close to perfectly spherical. But the Standard Model is incomplete. It does not explain how gravity works and fails to explain other phenomena observed in the Universe. So physicists have tried to build on this model. One framework to explain physics beyond the Standard Model is known as supersymmetry. However, this theory predicts that the electron has a more distorted shape than that suggested by the Standard Model. According to this idea, the particle could be egg-shaped. Researchers stress that the new observation does not rule out super-symmetry. But it does not support the theory, according to Dr Hudson. He hopes to improve the accuracy of his measurements four-fold within five years. By then, he said, his team might be able to make a definitive statement about supersymmetry and some other theories to explain physics beyond the Standard Model. "We'd then be in a position to say supersymmetry is right because we have seen a distorted electron or supersymmetry has got to be wrong because we haven't," he told BBC News. Dr Hudson's measurement is twice as precise as the previous efforts to elucidate the shape of the electron. That in itself does not alter scientists' understanding of sub-atomic physics, according to Professor Aaron Leanhardt of the Unviersity of Michigan in the US. But the prospect of improved measurements and the potential to shed light on current theories of particle physics has made the research community "sit up and take notice". "A factor of two doesn't change the physics community's general opinion of what's going on," he told BBC News. But he added that improved measurements could start "constraining the possible theories, and what could be discovered at the Large Hadron Collider at Cern and what you might expect in cosmological observations." Current theories also suggest that if the electron is more or less round, then there ought to be equal amounts of matter and anti-matter - which, as its name suggests, is the opposite of matter. Instead, astronomers have observed a Universe made up largely of matter. But that is an observation that could be explained if the electron were found to be more egg-shaped than the Standard Model predicts. Although the shape of the electron could

Summary: The most accurate measurement yet of the shape of the electron has shown it to be almost perfectly spherical.


Media playback is unsupported on your device 18 June 2015 Last updated at 15:10 BST All the big gaming companies including Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are showing off what they've been working on. Virtual reality usually involves putting on some glasses that contain video screens. The specs give you the impression you're in a totally different world, that changes as you look around the room. For years, virtual reality has been tipped as the next big thing in technology - but now it looks like it might finally be ready for action. Radio 1 reporter Steffan Powell sent us this report from E3.

Summary: Gaming experts are predicting a big future for virtual reality at E3 - the world's biggest convention for games.


An international team of maritime archaeologists are diving, excavating and recording the wreck of Dutch ship the Rooswijk off the Kent coast. All 300 shipmen died when the vessel, carrying coins and silver ingots, sank on Goodwin Sands in January 1740. Never before have any of the Dutch East India Company's 250 wrecks been scientifically excavated on this scale. Historic England manages the protected site and is working with the Dutch government, which owns the ship's remains. It is only now, after more than 250 years, that the sands have shifted enough to unveil the wreckage. Some explorations were carried out last year and those finds are being showcased as part of the #Rooswijk1740 project, led and financed by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, with open days in Ramsgate between 19 August and 16 September. They include a large seaman's chest, pewter jugs, ornately carved wooden knife handles and leather shoes. The current mission will see archaeologists delve further into the storage rooms and living quarters in the stern of the ship. Martijn Manders, project leader of the Rooswijk Excavation and Maritime Heritage programme manager at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, said: "The Goodwin Sands has been a treacherous place for ships throughout the centuries and is now a treasure trove for archaeologists. "The rapidly shifting sands mean that the site is even more exposed now than it was during our initial dives to assess the condition of the Rooswijk last year. This makes the excavation urgent." The wreck is high on the Heritage at Risk register due to its exposed remains and vulnerability to the shifting sands. Alison James, maritime archaeologist at Historic England, said: "Wrecks such as the Rooswijk are time capsules that offer a unique glimpse into the past and tell a story. "We look forward to the fascinating insights and discoveries that the Rooswijk excavation will uncover this summer."

Summary: A ship excavation is expected to reveal a "treasure trove" of items and stories from Europe's global trading history.


Sean Earle snatched the bag of Linda Clarke, who had cut her wrists and walked out of hospital before sitting on a ledge over the M602 in Salford. After she fell to the ground, the 26-year-old "saw his opportunity" to steal her bag before running off, Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court heard. Earle, of Trevelyan Street, Salford, was bailed until sentencing on 17 July. Mrs Clarke, who had two daughters and was a full-time carer of her autistic son, walked out of Salford Royal Hospital in the early hours of 17 April. CCTV footage showed Earle walking the same way before approaching her as she made her way to the bridge nearby. A driver, who saw Mrs Clarke and Earle on the bridge, decided to turn back to check on her welfare. He saw Earle running away and realised the 55-year-old woman had "gone over the wall and is lying on the carriageway", prosecutor Shazia Aslam said. Police were called but Mrs Clarke, who was also a grandmother, was pronounced dead in hospital. It was then discovered that her handbag was missing and a policeman identified Earle from the CCTV footage. In a victim impact statement, Mrs Clarke's husband Gary said his wife's death had devastated the family and Earle had "added to our pain" with his "despicable" theft. Lorna Wincote, defending, said Earle was not charged with anything related to Mrs Clarke's death after an "extensive" police investigation. "He is also a person who suffers from his own mental health issues," she added.

Summary: A man has admitted stealing the handbag of a female carer after she fell to her death from a motorway bridge.


A group of about 400 people, made up of the 15-year-old's friends, relatives and neighbours, took part in the Wear Pink for Paige walk on Saturday. The walkers stopped at the spot in Clydebank where Paige's body was found and a single balloon was released. John Leathem, 31, has appeared in court charged with murdering Paige. He was fully committed for trial at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday. He made no plea or declaration and was returned to custody. Paige's body was found in a wooded area just off Great Western Road in Clydebank at lunchtime on 21 March. The teenager was last seen near a deli in the town before setting off for her part-time hairdressing job. Hundreds of people gathered for a memorial event a Clydebank park on Saturday 26 March. The Titan Crane in Clydebank was also illuminated pink in memory of the teenager.

Summary: Hundreds of people have paid their respects to schoolgirl Paige Doherty by walking through the streets of her home town wearing pink.


The 6ft 5in star had been diagnosed with brain cancer and was in intensive care in New York before his death on Wednesday. His son Rory said in a statement: "He was full of knowledge and kindness and goodness. "He always wanted to share the great and beautiful things in life." Herrmann played the beloved grandfather Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, a waspish family drama set in a storybook Connecticut town. Lauren Graham, who played Herrmann's on-screen daughter Lorelai Gilmore during the show's seven series, remembered the actor as the "kindest, classiest, most talented man" and said it was a "devastating blow to lose him". "Ed Herrmann's combination of pure charisma plus his distinctive voice lit up any room he entered," she added. "He had a gentlemanly manner, a wicked sense of humour, and a sharp wit. He was well-read, interesting, and just plain fun to be around." Kelly Bishop, who played his wife Emily Gilmore, said she was "somewhat stunned" by his death, having only found out he was ill a few weeks ago. "I think everyone who knew or worked with Ed found him to be absolutely delightful," she said in a statement. "Everything looks a little dim, as if the lights went down." The actor, who trained at London's Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, was singled out for praise when Entertainment Weekly picked Gilmore Girls as one of its "new TV classics" in 2009. Describing him as an "on-screen pro", it said he could "advise, hector, and soothe with debonair slyness". But his son, Rory, said his father's favourite role had been US President Franklin D Roosevelt, whom he played in the TV movies Eleanor and Franklin and Eleanor and Franklin: The Whitehouse Years in 1976 and 1977. The actor reprised the role in the 1982 movie musical Annie, and provided the voice for FDR in Ken Burns' documentary series The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, last year. Herrmann also starred in Joel Schumacher's teen vampire film, The Lost Boys, alongside Kiefer Sutherland, where he played Max; and won a primetime Emmy in 1999 for his guest role in the Boston-based legal series The Practice. His Broadway credits included the original run of Love Letters in 1989, The Deep Blue Sea with Blythe Danner in 1998 and George Bernard Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession, for which he won a Tony Award in 1976. He often appeared on the big screen in major films including The Wolf of Wall Street, The Aviator and Reds, and recently appeared on shows such as Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother and The Good Wife. His manager Robbie Kass said in a statement: "Besides being an accomplished actor, [Herrmann] was also a true gentleman and a scholar, as well as being incredibly kind and decent man. He will be sorely missed." Herrmann was surrounded by his family including his wife, Star, and three children when he died.

Summary: Actor Edward Herrmann, best known for his roles in TV show Gilmore Girls and vampire movie The Lost Boys, has died aged 71.


The body of Andraya Lyons, 39, was found in Drew Street, Swindon at 05:40 GMT on Saturday. Anthony Porter, 32, has appeared before Swindon Magistrates' Court charged with murder. Her family said: "We are completely devastated to have lost Andraya... The past few days have been really difficult for us as a family." "She was a devoted mum to her boys and very much loved by all who knew her," they said. Adding: "We will always treasure the memories we have of Andraya." Mr Porter, also from Swindon, has been remanded in custody and will appear before Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday.

Summary: Tributes have been paid to a "devoted mum" found dead after a house fire.


The Amateur International Boxing Association has said pro boxers will compete in Rio if a constitutional change is agreed next month. But Tyson, 49, a former Junior Olympic winner, said: "Some pro fighters are going to get beat by the amateurs. "It's just going to happen, I really believe that." Tyson won gold at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympics and, speaking at the 33rd IBF convention in China, said professional boxers would find the fast-paced fighting style of their amateur counterparts difficult to contend with. "If they are like the amateur fighters that I was fighting in the 80s... they are going to beat some of the champions, it's just going to happen," he insisted. Lennox Lewis, another former world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist, is also not in favour of the idea, branding it "preposterous". Tyson has also revealed he is an admirer of Briton and controversial current world champion Tyson Fury. Fury ended Wladimir Klitschko's nine-year reign as champion in November but has become better know since for a string of outspoken remarks. "One guy, Tyson Fury, I like to watch him because he has my name and stuff," Tyson said. "Everybody says 'ah, he's a bum', but I like him. "He beat Klitschko, so what are you going to say? That this guy is still a bum, but he beat the greatest fighter in the last 15 years?"

Summary: Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson says the idea of professional boxers at the Olympics is "ridiculous" - because they would lose to amateurs.


Daron Dylon Wint, 34, who had previously worked for the victims' family business, was detained late Thursday in the US capital. He is accused of killing the four victims and setting the house on fire. Police refused to confirm reports Mr Wint was identified by DNA from the crust of a pizza delivered to the home. Savvas Savopoulos, 46, chief executive of American Iron Works, was found dead in his family's home in Woodley Park, northwest Washington, just blocks away from the home of Vice-President Joe Biden. Police discovered his body alongside those of his wife Amy, 47, his 10-year-old son Philip and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, an El Salvador national. A week after the gruesome discovery, investigators have provided few details in a case that has shocked the city and its high-profile social circles. There have been media reports of a $40,000 cash drop being made to the home hours before the incident, and a text message from Mrs Savopoulos telling a member of staff not to come into work that same day. The Washington Post reported that a delivery order was placed with a local pizza company while the family was being held hostage and DNA found on a crust has been matched to Mr Wint. Police officials would not confirm or deny this report to the BBC.

Summary: Police have arrested a man they believe held a family and housekeeper hostage in their Washington DC home before killing them.


Derby fans were left with a sinking feeling despite seeing the end of their goal drought at the iPro Stadium, while an England Under-19 keeps banging them in for Bristol City. They are just two of five things you may have missed from Saturday's EFL action. Remember that kid at school who found football insanely easy? Tammy Abraham was probably one of those people. He scored 74 goals in 98 youth games at different levels for Chelsea and has carried on that form since joining Bristol City on loan. The 18-year-old has taken well to life in the Championship, netting his seventh league goal of the season against Fulham on Saturday, and his 10th in 12 appearances in all competitions since moving to Ashton Gate. His early volley against the Whites helped set the Robins on their way to a 4-0 win at Craven Cottage - and their first league win since beating Aston Villa on 27 August. England Under-19 international Abraham is one of 38 players Chelsea have out on loan and it looks like he will be one to watch this season, as he bids to become a long-term successor to Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi at Stamford Bridge. If you are a fan of well-drilled free-kick and corner routines, then Queens Park Rangers might be the team for you. The west London side are yet to score from open play in the Championship this season, with all 11 of their goals coming from set-pieces. Centre-back Steven Caulker helped continue that trend on Saturday, heading home Tjaronn Chery's corner to give Rangers a 1-1 draw at home to Birmingham. Even though four of their 11 league goals have come from the penalty spot, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side give new meaning to the cliche "dangerous from set-pieces". Derby County reached the Championship play-offs last season but former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has not had a great start to life at the iPro Stadium. The Rams are the lowest scorers in the whole of the EFL so far this season, having found the back of the net just three times in their first nine league games. Striker Matej Vydra bagged Derby's first home goal of the Championship campaign to give them the lead against Blackburn, ending a goal drought of more than 425 minutes in the east Midlands. But any joy could not have lasted long, as Rovers equalised within a minute and then Danny Graham scored the winner three minutes later to give the visitors a 2-1 victory. Pearson's side are now 22nd in the table, just a point above bottom side Wigan. Cheltenham manager Gary Johnson said his return to Yeovil Town on Saturday would "feel like a home game". The 60-year-old spent seven years in charge of the Glovers over two separate spells, leading the club out of non-league in 2003 and into the Championship for the first time in their history in 2013. Johnson spoke of his hopes of "a happy return" to Huish Park but that did not prove to be the case - the Robins were

Summary: The nights may be drawing in and autumn is coming, but the English Football League continues to provide thrills and spills for players, managers and supporters.


The Labour leader has outlined his party's business manifesto, which includes a promise to "return Britain to a leadership role" in Brussels. The PM has pledged an in/out referendum by the end of 2017, while the Lib Dems are "unambiguous" in their EU support. Meanwhile, some firms criticised the use of their quotes in a Labour advert. Mr Miliband used the first official day of election campaigning to unveil his party's Better Plan for Business during a speech at Bloomberg's European headquarters in London. 'Over-stepped the mark' To reinforce Labour's business message, the party also took out a full-page advertisement in the Financial Times, setting out its determination to "put the interests of Britain and British business first rather than risk an EU exit". But a spokesman for Siemens said Labour had "over-stepped the mark" by quoting its chief executive, Juergen Maier, in the advert. In it, Mr Maier says: "The prospect of a referendum that may or may not happen, at a date yet to be decided upon, with a choice between two unknown options, is profoundly worrying for business leaders." While the quote is not disputed, a spokeswoman said the firm would be contacting Labour to express its displeasure. "We did not give them permission [to use the quote]. We did not know about this. We are an apolitical organisation," she said. Analysis by Business Editor Kamal Ahmed Labour has quoted a number of pro-EU company leaders in the full page advert the party has taken out in the FT today. "We would be devastated - as a company that loves London and wants to be in London - if Britain were out of Europe," is the view of Andrew Mackenzie, chief executive of the mining giant, BHP Billiton. My Labour sources were being very careful to explain last night that the business leaders quoted in the advert were not endorsing Labour. They were simply being quoted to show the strength of feeling about Europe. What is interesting is that Labour has chosen the first day of the election campaign to focus on an area - business - some see as a weakness for the party. Read more Kellogg's said "eyebrows were raised internally" when the company was told its head of UK and EU operations, Jonathan Myers, would be quoted. But a spokesman said it was too late to have the remarks removed by the time they were told about them on Sunday afternoon. Asked about the quotes, Mr Miliband said: "We've simply quoted public statements by these businesses about the place of Britain in the European Union. "Lots of businesses all round this country aren't necessarily going to be supporting Labour or the Conservatives but they do have a very strong view about our place in the EU." 'Start a revolution' Meanwhile, Labour's economic claims were also called into question by one of its leading donors, Dr Assem Allam, who told the Daily Telegraph that its plans for a "mansion tax" and a rise in the top rate of tax were "alienating" wealth-creators. Mr Miliband retorted that unlike

Summary: David Cameron's pledge to hold a referendum on Britain's EU membership is "a clear and present danger" to jobs and business, Ed Miliband has warned.


Electricity North West said about 680 customers in Bury and 480 in Rochdale were still cut off. The company has reconnected more than 24,750 customers in the past two days. Thanking people for their "goodwill", incident manager Steve Cox said the "focus today is to ensure power is restored for the remaining customers". Further updates about this and other flooding stories on the BBC live page Elsewhere in the area, a major clean-up is continuing following the floods on Saturday. In Rochdale, dozens of town centre businesses were underwater, after the River Roch burst its banks, while in nearby Littleborough, about 100 properties and two care homes had to be evacuated. Rochdale Labour MP Simon Danczuk said more needed to be done to prevent flooding, including the diverting of overseas aid funds. "Why do we spend money in Bangladesh when it needs spending in Great Britain?" he said. "What we need to do is to sort out the problems which are occurring here and not focus so much on developing countries. That has to be our priority." The Environment Agency have said flood defences across the UK need a "complete rethink" following the recent flooding. The clearing-up operation in Bury has seen a housing association praise the "instinctive community spirit" of those hit by the floods. Irwell Valley Housing Association's Cath Mustafa said about 100 of their residents had been hit and the "resilience of everyone affected and the instinctive community spirit to pull together at such a difficult time is truly astonishing". Central Salford suffered its worst flooding for nearly 70 years as homes in Kersal, Lower Broughton and Trinity were evacuated. A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said they had received more than 300 flood-related calls. She said it was believed crews had "rescued up to 1,000 people in less than 24 hours when water levels rose so rapidly yesterday that whole towns were cut off".

Summary: More than 1,100 homes in Greater Manchester remain without power following flooding in the area across the weekend.


His arrest over the death of model Reeva Steenkamp has stunned the country where he is considered a national hero. The 26-year-old is due to appear in court on Friday. Mr Pistorius made history in London last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. By Pumza FihlaniBBC News, Johannesburg There is widespread shock and disbelief in South Africa after athlete Oscar Pistorius was arrested over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. There has been an outpouring of grief for the model, along with many messages of support for the six-time Paralympic champion, who has earned huge public admiration for his long battle to be allowed to compete in the Olympics. The common thread for many is disbelief - at the implication this has for the athlete's future but also at the tragic end of the celebrity couple's love story. The pair apparently started dating in November, frequently posted loving messages about each other on social network Twitter and were seen at high-profile events arm in arm. Their relationship seemed perfect. He is known as the "blade runner" because of the carbon fibre prosthetic blades he races in. He was born without a fibula in both legs and had his legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday. Police were called to his home in the upmarket Silver Woods gated compound on the outskirts of South Africa's administrative capital in the early hours of Thursday morning. They found paramedics treating a 29-year-old woman with four gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. She died at the scene, and officers recovered a 9mm pistol. Early reports suggested Mr Pistorius might have mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder. Police say neighbours heard screaming and shouting around the time of the shooting, and that they had been called to investigate incidents of a domestic nature at the same house in the past. They also said that they would oppose any bail application. Hours later, after being questioned by police, Mr Pistorius left a police station accompanied by officers, his face mostly covered by the hood of a grey jacket. His court hearing was originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon but had been postponed until Friday to give forensic investigators time to carry out their work, said Medupe Simasiku, a spokesman for the prosecution. Mr Pistorius's father, Henke, declined to comment but said: "We all pray for guidance and strength for Oscar and the lady's parents.'' Miss Steenkamp's publicist confirmed to the BBC that the 29-year-old model had died. "Everyone who knew her is in tears. She was an absolute angel, the sweetest, sweetest human being, a kind human being," Sarit Tomlinson said. In her last Twitter messages, Miss Steenkamp had spoken about her excitement about Valentine's Day. "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow?'' she tweeted. "It should be a day of love for everyone.'' Mr Pistorius dominated in his category at successive Paralympic Games, but in 2008 he won a legal battle over his blades - which critics said gave him

Summary: South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is facing a murder charge after his girlfriend was shot and killed at his Pretoria home.


Daimler, which owns the luxury car maker, has been under intense pressure from police and prosecutors. Authorities are investigating the possible manipulation of diesel exhaust emissions in passenger cars. A Daimler spokesman said the software fix, which will cost about 220m euros (Â£195m), was not linked to the police investigation. He said the "voluntary service measure" was to cut nitrogen oxide pollution. "The service actions involve no costs for the customers. The implementation of the measures will be starting in the next weeks," Daimler said. The measures come after German MPs last week questioned Mercedes-Benz executives about emissions. At the time the carmaker agreed with the transport ministry to undergo another round of emissions tests. In May German police searched 11 offices of the carmaker as part of an investigation into possible fraudulent emissions data by employees. A total of 23 prosecutors and 230 police officers took part in the search in the states of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Berlin, Lower Saxony and Saxony.

Summary: Three million Mercedes-Benz owners in Europe will be offered a software fix for their diesel cars.


More than 60,000 vials, said to contain anabolic steroids, were recovered in an operation by Garda (Irish police), customs and a medicine watchdog. Human growth hormones and erectile dysfunction pills were also found during Thursday's raids in Muff and Lifford. A man in his 30s was arrested, but later released without charge. The Health Products Regulatory Authority, the Republic's medicine watchdog, said evidence of an illegal manufacturing operation had been found. The PSNI had carried out further searches in Northern Ireland, it said.

Summary: Steroids and medicines with an estimated street value of some 2m euros (Â£1.7m) have been seized in Donegal.


It comes after a bidder to run University Hospital of Hartlepool's fertility services was rejected, despite already running services there. Hartlepool Borough's council asked the area's clinical commissioning group (CCG) to explore with the bidder how it could reach the required standard. But, the CCG said it could not lawfully treat one bidder differently. Care Fertility, which operates 15 clinics across Britain and supports fertility services in Hartlepool, said in January it was "disappointed not to be awarded the contract". The council's audit and governance committee asked the CCG to discuss with the firm how it could reduce risks highlighted in its rejected tender. The CCG said this was not "reasonably practicable". "It is simply not the role of the CCG to guide bidders to make successful tenders," it said. It would be an "unusual and unwelcome" precedent for the CCG to advise bidders and would lead to accusations of unfairness if it did not do the same for all other bidders in the future, it said. It also said re-tendering would take too long, could increase clinical risk and prolong the gap in the delivery of the service and there was "no guarantee that the outcome would be any different". Last year, the council was granted a High Court injunction to stop the unit's closure, after which it was announced an alternative provider would be sought to run fertility services, including IVF. The CCG had said it could not recruit enough staff to keep the unit going.

Summary: Health managers planning to close a hospital fertility unit have refused to put the service back out to tender.


Gosport's HMS Sultan and Fort Blockhouse are among 91 Ministry of Defence sites now set to close - 35 were previously earmarked. The town's borough council said the loss of more than 1,000 sailors from the area would affect the economy. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon announced the closures on Monday. He the closures would deliver better value for money and release enough land across the UK to build 55,000 homes. It is also estimated that about Â£140m will be saved over the next decade by selling off the sites, which Sir Michael said would be reinvested in creating "areas of military expertise" in locations across the country, including a specialised infantry group in Aldershot. Leader of Gosport Borough Council, Mark Hook, said: "We are relieved the majority of jobs will remain in the area, but we'll lose the economic benefits of having more than 1,000 sailors based in the town." He admitted the authority could not stop the sale of the land, but said it would work to get the "best possible outcomes" for the town. He said it would be "seeking assurances" from the MoD that the sites could be redeveloped for business use. "We need to reduce the impact on the area by using these sites to create business spaces that will bring with them opportunities and jobs to benefit local people," he said. Unions have described the plans - which are part of a review of Ministry of Defence land - as "brutal" and have also promised to fight the closures.

Summary: The government will be lobbied by a Hampshire council over its plans to sell off an additional 56 defence sites by 2040.


The aid package, worth 500m euros (£365m), was announced at a meeting of EU farm ministers in Brussels. It is understood the bulk of the money will be used to support the dairy sector in the various member countries. But there will be no increase in the milk intervention price, a key demand of Northern Ireland's dairy industry. It is the price at which Europe buys milk and milk powders to shore up the market and currently stands at about 16 to 17p. The commission said raising the price was not the "appropriate policy" and would not solve the current market problem. It added that it would create an "artificial outlet" for EU dairy products, pushing market prices further down. The commission's aid package is intended to help farmers' cash flow problems and stabilise agricultural markets. However, DUP MEP Diane Dodds said it "falls well short" of what is needed. She called on EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to rethink and do more, especially on the milk intervention price. Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill said: "We have thousands of farmers on the streets of Brussels here today waiting for answers and waiting for a glimmer of hope in terms of what support they're going to achieve. "That information still isn't clear at this minute in time." During the talks, thousands of European farmers held protests near the EU headquarters over falling farm produce prices and many blocked streets with tractors. Representatives of Northern Ireland's farming industry were among those attending the demonstrations, 23 of them from the UFU. In the meeting, the commission said it would give member states the flexibility to advance up to 70% of direct subsidy payments to farmers and 85% of rural development payments from 16 October. They are normally paid in December. The commission said it would allow for flexibility about the checks normally done before payment. However, the UFU questioned whether, given the complexity of checks under the new Common Agricultural Policy payment system, farmers would get their money any earlier. The aid package includes new private storage schemes for dairy protein products and pigmeat; an attempt to remove trade barriers in non-EU countries and more missions to non-EU countries in an attempt to open new markets. Farmers have been under pressure for some time, due in part to a Russian ban on EU food imposed in response to EU sanctions over Ukraine. A slowdown in the Chinese economy and the shrinking of markets in some oil producing countries has also had an impact. Northern Ireland's farmers have the complication of a weak euro, making their exports to the Eurozone more expensive. In the dairy sector, 85% of milk produced in Northern Ireland is destined for the export market. Latest figures show that in July, farmers in Northern Ireland got 18.87p a litre for milk - about 10p a litre below production cost.

Summary: The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has said it is "disappointed" by the aid package for European farmers announced by the European Commission.


They ran in seven tries to finish second in Pool Three and book their British & Irish Cup quarter-final spot. "There was some sloppiness in there that we'll have to rectify in the week," Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall. "I thought the score flattered us a little bit - it was only in that second 20 minutes in the first half where they missed a few one-on-ones." Alex O'Meara scored a hat-trick at the Mennaye, with captain Chris Morgan, Bar Bartlett, Jake Parker, and Alex Day also going over. Pirates had Marlen Walker sin-binned while fly-half Bartlett suffered a rib injury, with the club awaiting results from an x-ray. "Us coaches are always going to be picky with the performance," added Cattle. "When we had the sin-binning it looked a little bit disjointed from the scrum but they're things we can iron out."

Summary: Cornish Pirates coach Gavin Cattle says his side has room for improvement despite their 50-24 win over Connacht.


The incident occurred in the 84th minute of Wednesday's Confederation Cup match between Sudan's Al Merreikh and Kawkab Marrakech of Morocco. Caf is reviewing the incident and awaiting the match officials' report. Kawkab won the match 2-0 - with two penalties - for a 2-1 aggregate win. Caf director of communications Junior Binyam told BBC Sport: "Investigations are being carried out and the the case will be submitted to the disciplinary jury." Kawkab were 1-0 up in Wednesday's second leg of the play-offs tie - with the score 1-1 on aggregate - when a number of Merreikh club officials entered the field. In the ensuing melee, Al Merreikh's director football Hatim lashed out with his left arm and seemed to strike Otogo-Castane on the right side of his head. After play resumed, Kawkab went on to win an 89th-minute penalty which they converted to earn their place in the group stage of Africa's second tier club competition.

Summary: Al Merreikh official Hatim Mohamed Ahmed is being investigated by the Confederation of African Football after he appeared to hit Gabonese referee Eric Otogo-Castane in the face.


Home captain Karen Carney had the best chance of a goalless first half but her volley was saved by Hedvig Lindahl. Jo Potter's curling free-kick put the hosts ahead shortly after half-time. Chelsea were unable to respond and defeat ended their hopes of winning a domestic treble this season. After a slow start, the visitors ended the first half the stronger, and City keeper Sophie Baggaley did well to turn Gemma Davison's low shot around her near post, before Millie Bright's dipping effort went narrowly over the bar. Two-time finalists Birmingham took the lead after the break when Potter found the top corner with an expertly-taken direct free-kick. South Korea international forward Ji So-Yun saw her shot blocked as Birmingham defended in numbers, and Hannah Blundell's effort was deflected wide. David Parker's side are now unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions and have won seven of their last nine. Birmingham City boss David Parker told BBC Sport: "It was a top-class display from our side. I think that we were definitely the better side throughout the game. "We know how good Chelsea are going forward, their front four is magnificent, and we had stop them where we thought their strengths were. "All week I did think we'd beat Chelsea, so that's where we think this group are." Chelsea captain Gilly Flaherty told BBC Sport: "Credit to Birmingham today. They deserve that win. "If you're up there with the best, you've got to accept that pressure. I don't think pressure affected us today. "Don't take the credit away from Birmingham. They were the better team and they deserve to get into a semi-final." Birmingham City: Baggaley, Carter, Mannion, Harrop, Allen, Linnett, Carter (c), Potter, Lawley, Westwood, Windell. Subs not used: Sargeant, Ayisi, Wellings, Torkildsen, Haines, Peplow. Chelsea: Lindahl, Blundell, Bright (Spence 64), Flaherty (c), Fahey, Davison, Aluko (Ayane 80), Ji, Kirby, Borges, Coombs. Subs not used: Chapman, Brett, Kitching. Attendance: 516 Referee: Mark Griffiths.

Summary: Birmingham City stunned Women's Super League One leaders Chelsea on Sunday to reach the semi-finals of the Continental Cup.


Both blasts went off on Thika road, a busy highway north-east of the city. The buses were crowded at the time of the explosions, which police said were caused by improvised devices. Sunday's attack was the second in Kenya in as many days. Recent violence has been blamed by the government on Somali Islamist group al-Shabab. According to reports, the two explosions went off outside a hotel and at an underpass not far from Kasarani, north-east of the capital. Kenya's National Disaster Operations Centre said 20 of those wounded were in a critical condition. The buses were badly damaged by the explosions. Television footage showed a gaping hole in one, while the doors and windows were blown out of the other. On Saturday, a grenade was thrown in a bus in the coastal city of Mombasa leaving four people dead and another 15 wounded. The bus had just travelled from Nairobi. There was a second blast near a beach-front hotel, but no-one was hurt. The al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab has launched a series of attacks against Kenyan targets in recent years in retaliation for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia since 2011. In September, at least 67 people were killed when al-Shabab fighters seized the upmarket Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi for four days. Kenya has vowed to halt attacks by militant Islamists and arrested some 2,000 people in the capital last month.

Summary: Three people have been killed and at least 62 others wounded in two explosions on passenger buses in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, officials say.


The East Riding of Yorkshire Council refused planning permission for the scheme at North Ferriby, near Hull, in May 2013. The developer St Modwen appealed to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Greg Clark, who has rejected the plan. The company said it was disappointed and is considering its options. The Melton Fields project would have consisted of 510 houses and a care home. The company also applied for permission for an alternative smaller scheme of 390 homes. Villagers mounted a campaign against the development, with more than 1,200 people writing letters objecting to the plans. East Riding council rejected both proposals claiming the land had been earmarked for employment rather than residential use. The developer appealed against the council's decision to the government's Planning Inspectorate, which held a public inquiry last year. Councillor John Mabbett, vice chairman of North Ferriby Parish Council, described the secretary of state's refusal as "a victory for common sense". "Had this ill-conceived development been approved our community would have been overwhelmed by its size and the fabric and character of the village would have been harmed for ever," he said. A spokesperson for St Modwen said: "We firmly believe that our proposals for a residential development represent the most viable option for the site, and for the region. "Our proposals would not only deliver much needed family homes, but also bring important investment and jobs to the local area."

Summary: The government has turned down plans to build more than 500 homes near an East Yorkshire village.


The vote held on Friday was for 68 seats out of the 290 in parliament. It meant that nervous Iranians woke up on Saturday morning to an all new political landscape. For the first time in 13 years moderates and reformists now have a majority in parliament. While it was not a sweeping victory for the supporters of President Hassan Rouhani, it was still a surprise win, especially given the months of heavy campaigning against the government's policies. Hardliners had a majority in the outgoing parliament. In the three years since Hassan Rouhani took office, they have bitterly opposed most of government's plans, organising a fierce attack on the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Some MPs have even gone so far as to describe Foreign Minister Javad Zarif as a traitor. The popular moderate who negotiated the nuclear deal has regularly been subject to harsh criticism in parliament and is under constant threat of impeachment by fundamentalist MPs. Now almost all those MPs have been unseated by moderate or reformist counterparts, and those who remain either supported the deal or at least never attacked it as vociferously as their unseated comrades. Many observers argue the nuclear deal not only brought an end to years of harsh international sanctions but was also the deal-breaker in the elections. The people were saying no to those who had promised to stop the deal. What puts this victory in a more meaningful context is the fact that it was achieved despite almost all well-known reformists being banned from running in the elections and a complete lack of media coverage of their campaign in the run-up to the elections. State TV and media never gave equal coverage to reformists or moderate candidates and even led a campaign against the deal in recent months. The only medium available to pro-government candidates was the internet and social media, which they used to the maximum in getting their message across, especially to the young and women. The triumph of the reformists should lead to a major realignment within parliament, making it more supportive of President Rouhani. But it will by no means end the president's problems when it comes to delivering his election promises. The nuclear deal has hit some rough patches on its way to implementation. Apart from domestic oppositions from hardliners in parliament and other unelected bodies, there are still a lot of obstacles to overcome outside of Iran. The international banks still have not opened up to Iranian businesses and in the US, conservatives in Congress are doing all they can to derail the deal. Any more delays in its implementation and ensuing lifting of sanctions would harm President Rouhani's economic reform plans and would prepare the ground for hardliners to recover from the this week's defeat in order to reshape their campaign against the government. Time is not on the moderates' side and the new momentum could die down easily if it is not supported by economic rewards. This is a worry that every unseated hardliner MP is focusing on from now onwards.

Summary: The run-off parliamentary election win by the moderate government of Iran is a crucial victory for them.


Ball made just one replacement appearance after a rib injury picked up in October restricted his chances. "I'm really excited, there's been a lot of hard work gone in and some disappointments along the way" he said. The 19 stone seven Scarlets forward will partner Alun Wyn Jones at lock after Luke Charteris was ruled out. The hand injury suffered by Bath's Charteris and Bradley Davies' long-standing knee problem meant that Ball was the obvious choice to step in for the Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on Sunday. Meanwhile, Newport Gwent Dragons forward Cory Hill sits on the bench ahead of uncapped Osprey Rory Thornton. The Wales camp are hopeful that Charteris will be available to face England six days later. Ball's only international start since the 2015 World Cup was in the friendly against England in May 2016. "In the Six Nations last year, I came in with an MCL (knee ligament injury), then in the autumn with my ribs as well, it's been a bit of a frustrating time for me and I hadn't hit the form I wanted to over the last year and a half" Ball told BBC Wales Sport. "I'm back playing a lot of rugby and I'm very excited to be playing [in Rome], there's always been a good log of second rows in the Wales set-up and it's up to me to put my stamp on the shirt." Autumn on the sidelines Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac described Ball as a "man on a mission" with some fine displays over the Christmas and New Year period. That came after an awkward experience in November, when he made a brief replacement appearance against Japan but missed out to Charteris, Jones and Hill against South Africa. "Being [in the Wales camp] and watching the boys playing and not being involved is heartbreaking," he said. "You always want to be here and involved in some way, sometimes it even drives you a bit more seeing boys coming in and doing well." New freedom for Italy Ball, who wins his 22nd cap in Rome, says Italy could be free to play more open rugby, conditions permitting, under new coach Conor O'Shea. "Conor O'Shea has brought something a bit different, he's freshened things up and they'll be a revived team," he added. "He was saying they've got the freedom to go out there and play, and teams like that are always dangerous." Ball and Jones will be up against Treviso's Marco Fuser and his Scottish-born partner George Biagi, now with Zebre.

Summary: Wales lock Jake Ball says he wants to put his stamp on a second-row shirt after the "heartbreak" of the 2016 autumn series.


The Wasps player-manager has been named League One manager of the month for February after three wins and a draw and his side sit second from top. "Since I took myself out of the team we've started playing well," he told league sponsor Ladbrokes. "I was finding it difficult at the beginning to do both. I wasn't giving 100% to either role." But the 35-year-old midfielder, who took charge in October after Jack Ross moved to Goodwin's former club, St Mirren, is not ending his playing career just yet. "I'm not making an official announcement that I'm retiring," said Goodwin, whose side sit second in the table and look certainties for at least a promotion play-off place. "I still keep myself fit and train with the boys twice a week and, if needs must, if we get a number of suspensions and injuries between now and the end of the season, I want to be able to play. "At this moment in time, the lads who are in my position are playing extremely well and I couldn't justify playing myself. "I felt it was better for me if I was going to give the opportunity the best crack then I should take myself out of the playing side of it, which has benefitted me greatly. "I'm now able to see the bigger picture from the side of the park and able to have more of an influence on tactical decisions and substitutions." Alloa began the month with a 2-2 draw at home to leaders Livingston and have since narrowed the gap at the top to seven points with nine games left. "At one stage, they had a 12-point gap and people probably looked at it and thought it was impossible for us to catch them," said Goodwin. "But we never believed that it was over and still don't to this day. "They're certainly in the driving seat, it's their's to lose, but if they're going to win the league then they'll have to go and get it. We won't hand it to them. "If they go and lose on Saturday and we win then it's down to four and we have to play each other."

Summary: Jim Goodwin has put Alloa Athletic's turnaround in form down to his decision to drop himself.


Simone Sorensen scored the crucial spot-kick after Austria missed their first three penalties. The Austrians will rue wasting the best chance of the match when Sarah Puntigam fired over a first-half penalty. Denmark also went close in normal time through Sanne Troelsgaard, whose strike came off the crossbar. The Danes will face the hosts in the final after their 3-0 win over England in the second semi-final. It was a tight and tense semi-final between Denmark, the two-time semi-finalists, and tournament debutants Austria. Denmark, beaten at the last-four stage four years ago, were second best to the unfancied Austrian side during the first 45 minutes. Dominik Thalhammer's side should have taken the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 13th minute. Maja Kildemoes was the unlucky Dane when she was judged to have intentionally moved her arm to block Verena Aschauer's effort. Freiburg midfielder Puntigam stepped up, but blazed her penalty over the bar. Denmark's best effort of the opening half fell to Rosengard's Troelsgaard, whose angled left-foot strike struck the bar. It was not until extra-time that either goal was seriously threatened again. First, Katrine Veje's effort cleared the Austria bar with a strike from eight yards. And then Pernille Harder, arguably the player of the match, headed over in the final few seconds before the spot-kicks. Media playback is not supported on this device Match ends, Denmark Women 0(3), Austria Women 0. Penalty Shootout ends, Denmark Women 0(3), Austria Women 0. Goal! Denmark Women 0(3), Austria Women 0. Simone Sørensen (Denmark Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner. Penalty saved! Verena Aschauer (Austria Women) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the top left corner. Penalty saved! Sofie Pedersen (Denmark Women) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the bottom left corner. Penalty saved! Viktoria Pinther (Austria Women) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner. Goal! Denmark Women 0(2), Austria Women 0. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner. Penalty missed! Bad penalty by Laura Feiersinger (Austria Women) right footed shot is just a bit too high. Laura Feiersinger should be disappointed. Goal! Denmark Women 0(1), Austria Women 0. Nadia Nadim (Denmark Women) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner. Penalty Shootout begins Denmark Women 0, Austria Women 0. Second Half Extra Time ends, Denmark Women 0, Austria Women 0. Substitution, Denmark Women. Nicoline Sørensen replaces Katrine Veje. Attempt missed. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) header from very close range is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Katrine Veje with a cross. Corner, Denmark Women. Conceded by Virginia Kirchberger. Attempt missed. Katharina Schiechtl (Austria Women) header from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Carina Wenninger following a set piece situation. Foul by Sanne Troelsgaard (Denmark Women). Viktoria Pinther (Austria Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Pernille Harder

Summary: Denmark will face the Netherlands in the final of Women's Euro 2017 after defeating Austria in a penalty shootout.


John Key said the toll was expected to rise further, adding: "We may be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day." The tremor caused widespread damage as it occurred at a shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) during lunchtime when Christchurch was at its busiest. The mayor of New Zealand's second-biggest city says 120 people have been rescued from the ruins. The country's deadliest natural disaster in 80 years struck at 1251 (2351 GMT on Monday), 10km (6.2 miles) south-east of the city. The damage is said to be far worse than after the 7.1-magnitude quake on 4 September, which left two people seriously injured but no fatalities. Christchurch earthquake: Eyewitness accounts The epicentre of that quake, which occurred in the middle of the night, was further away from the city and deeper underground, but it still caused an estimated $3bn (Â£1.9bn) in damage. TV pictures of the aftermath of Tuesday's disaster showed scores of collapsed buildings in the South Island city of nearly 400,000 people. Shocked survivors could be seen wandering the rubble-strewn streets, which cracked open as the ground beneath was liquefied by the tremor. Police said that the dead included people on two buses which were crushed by falling buildings. Helicopters plucked survivors to safety from rooftops, and dumped water on fires. Officials said up to 30 people were feared still trapped inside the razed Pyne Gould Guinness building, where screams have been heard from the ruins. Trapped under her desk inside the building, Anne Voss told Australia's Channel Seven by mobile phone: "I am hoping they will get me out soon because I have been here so long. And it's dark. And it's horrible." Asked whether she was injured, she said: "I know I am bleeding and I can feel the ground is quite wet. I think it's blood." A dozen visiting Japanese students are among those reported missing. Bystanders have been using bare hands to try to free survivors trapped under debris. Many injured people were carried out on blood-soaked stretchers or in the arms of shocked workmates and strangers. Some escaped on ropes lowered from office towers. Others managed to crawl out of the rubble. By Jonathan AmosScience correspondent, BBC News By nature, earthquakes tend to cluster in space and time. And Tuesday's tremor in Christchurch is almost certainly related to the much more energetic event that hit the region last September. The critical difference on this occasion is the ground broke almost directly under the country's second city, and at shallow depth, 5km (3 miles) below the surface. Contrast this with September's magnitude 7 quake: its epicentre occurred some 40km west of the city and at a depth of 10km, and it continued to rupture mainly away from the major built-up areas. New Zealand lies on the notorious Ring of Fire, the line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions that circles virtually the entire Pacific rim. The country straddles the boundary between two tectonic plates: the Pacific and Indo-Australian plates. On South Island, the location of the latest quake, the plates rub past each other horizontally. Depth

Summary: New Zealand's prime minister says at least 65 people have died after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch.


The Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs said blood samples from about 35 fighters revealed traces of sulphur mustard. It did not say if any of the peshmerga had died as a result of the attack, or how severely they had been wounded. Mustard gas can burn skin and cause severe respiratory problems, and is banned under international law. The exposure took place along the front lines near the northern Iraqi towns of Makhmour and Gwer, the ministry said in a statement. Roughly 37 mortars were fired in the attack, the statement added, "releasing white smoke and a black liquid". The ministry called on countries fighting IS to give peshmerga fighters equipment for protection against chemical attacks. Several countries including the United States are already giving military assistance to the Kurdish fighters. This is not the first time IS has been accused of using chemical weapons. In March, Kurdish authorities in Iraq said they had evidence that IS had used chlorine gas. That allegation, by the Kurdistan Region Security Council, followed similar claims that the group had used low-grade chemical weapons against Iraqi security forces. The director of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons expressed "serious concern" in August over the possibility IS was using prohibited chemical weapons. The UN recently adopted a resolution aimed at identifying those behind chemical weapons attacks in Syria. IS already has a large arsenal of conventional weapons and military vehicles seized from the Iraqi army, much of it produced by the United States. Iraq Kurds were the victim of a major chemical weapons attack by the Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein in 1988, which left thousands dead in the city of Halabja.

Summary: Islamic State (IS) militants fired mortar rounds containing mustard agent at Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq, Kurdish officials say.