It has announced that loans made to students in England between 2002 and 2006 will be put up for sale - to be followed by other pre-2012 loans - with the aim of raising £12bn. Universities Minister Jo Johnson said the sale would have "no impact on people with student loans". But the National Union of Students said it was an "ugly move on students". "It is outrageous that bankers will profit off the backs of graduates who took out loans because they had no other option," said the union's vice-president Sorana Vieru. The government has had a long-standing aim to sell the student loan book to private investors - with types of loans being sold in separate stages. Over the next four years it aims to dispose of the loans from before 2012, when tuition fees in England were trebled to £9,000 per year. The slice of loans now being put on sale - dating from 2002 to 2006 - have a face value of £4bn. The government is promising that there will be "no changes to the terms and conditions" for borrowers - so that rates of repayment for former students will remain the same. It means that interest on these student loans will become an income for private investors, but repayments will continue to be collected through taxation and the Student Loans Company. The Intergenerational Foundation think tank has calculated that a student borrowing for three years' tuition could pay back £54,000 - before debts are cancelled after 30 years. The Universities Minister Jo Johnson says the sale of assets is part of the drive to bring "public finances under control". But he said it would "only proceed once we are satisfied that it represents value for money for the taxpayer". David Gauke, chief secretary to the Treasury, said it was the right time to start the sale process. "This sale makes sense for taxpayers and will play an important contribution in our work to repair the public finances," he said. But John Pugh, the Liberal Democrats education spokesman, said: "The Conservative Brexit fire-sale is well underway, as ministers scrabble around to sell just about anything that isn't nailed down." Earlier versions of student loans have previously been sold - but it is now approaching the point in which the bigger "income-contingent loans", introduced in 2006 when fees rose to £3,000, will be the next in line for sale. The National Union of Students attacked the sale as "economic illiteracy" and warned that it would begin a process in which loans would have to be made more attractive to private buyers - at the expense of student borrowers. "It doesn't just penalise students and graduates, it is taking money from the public purse which could and should be spent on services over the long term," said Ms Vieru. However, Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that there was much "misinformation" about the sale of loans, and the key issue was making sure that the taxpayer received good value. "What the government is doing may make

Summary: The government has started the process of selling more student loan debt to the private financial sector.


The alcohol is flowing, the skirts short: this is the epitome of Turkey's most liberal, Westernised city - and my first stop as I travel across the country ahead of Turkey's upcoming election. "You have pepper spray, you have tear gasâ€¦but we're still freeâ€¦this country is ours," the fans sing. On the stage at Izmir's seafront is Duman, one of Turkey's best-loved rock bands. As they belt out tunes about the anti-government protests of 2013, the thousands-strong crowd goes wild. "When I was studying in Poland, people there thought Turkey is a heavily Muslim country; that the women are all covered and men have four wives," laughs Serbay Kos, a volleyball trainer. "But Izmir isn't like that - we're like Europe and America." He takes a swig of beer as the song changes. "I'm worried that this government is trying to make Turkey into a more Muslim country, like Iraq or Syria - but we want to be free." It is a sentiment you hear frequently in this relaxed, coastal city - Turkey's third largest. Izmir has always looked across the Aegean to Europe; its Greek heritage and affluent bon-viveur feel shaping its politics. The centre-left Republican People's Party, or CHP, has its stronghold here - Izmir is known as the "CHP's castle". Staunchly secular, it is the party of modern Turkey's founding father, Kemal Ataturk. In the last election, the CHP took 44% of the vote in Izmir - more than double its national share. And it is aiming higher for the poll on 7 June. Many here fear the growing conservatism of the current government. Under the 12-year rule of the Islamist-rooted AK Party, constitutionally-secular Turkey has fundamentally changed. There is now a push to raise a "pious generation" - in the words of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - and CHP-dominated Izmir appears increasingly isolated. But in the Bostanli market of Izmir, local CHP candidate Zeynep Altiok is full of confidence. We stroll through the rows of artichokes, succulent tomatoes and oranges. These are rich pickings for the customers - and for campaigning politicians, as she secures vital votes. "Turkey is a big mosaic," Ms Altiok tells me, as she is handed a slice of melon by one supporter. "There should be no extremes. Neighbours live beside each other, one wearing a headscarf, one without - that's what we must do. "But the government labels you: you're either with them or against them. We have to break this." Warm words, but the CHP's history isn't exactly inclusive. For decades it embodied old-school nationalism, taking a hard line towards Turkey's minorities, especially the Kurds. And it is still seen by critics as the party of the so-called "white Turks", the wealthier, Westernised parts of society. But Ms Altiok insists the party has changed. "It's now totally modern. We don't discriminate. Our approach is to bring freedom for everybody in this country." At the top of its agenda is the issue of women's rights. The government has constantly stressed its vision of stay-at-home mothers, urging three children per family. Last year,

Summary: The guitar riff builds, the lyrics boom out - and Izmir's music-loving fans roar.


O'Grady dedicated the final hour of his Sunday show to the entertainer, who died last week following a stroke at her Spanish villa. He told his listeners: "We lost the queen of showbiz herself and I lost a very good friend." The presenter appeared to be overcome with emotion after playing the star's 1966 hit Alfie. "That always does me in that one - completely finishes me off," he said. O'Grady joked about Black's wish to be remembered as a singer rather than a presenter, saying: "She said to me 'I want singer on my headstone', and I said, 'Why do you want to be known for being a sewing machine?'" The presenter played a host of songs by Black, including You're My World and a duet with her friend Cliff Richard. Since her death on 2 August, Black has made a posthumous comeback to the UK music charts with her 1983 compilation album The Very Best Of... reaching number 14 in the album chart. O'Grady added: "Cilla is back in the chart and she would be absolutely thrilled - she would be modest about it, but she would be thrilled." Black's body was flown back to the UK, her publicist confirmed on Friday but no funeral details have yet been released.

Summary: BBC Radio 2 presenter Paul O'Grady has choked up as he paid tribute to his "good friend" Cilla Black.


And the classic BBC comedy series Fawlty Towers is being deployed by some teachers in an attempt to give Japanese students an example of spoken English - rather than focusing on written language and grammar. Japan's government and businesses want to use the Olympics to boost tourism and global trade and to present a positive image of Japan to the world. So the government needs to ensure a supply of English speakers to be Olympic volunteers and work in the accommodation, tourism, and retail industries. There is also a demand for professionals, such as doctors and nurses, to speak to visitors or competitors in English. Japan's government has been working to bridge this English language gap. The subject is now taught in school from when students are eight or nine years old and remains compulsory for the next seven years. University students and school teachers have been sent on trips abroad to learn English, and many universities are giving language lessons to prospective Olympic volunteers. There are even proposals to create an "English village" in Tokyo, populated entirely by English-speakers, where learners could immerse themselves in the language. But early indications are that progress has been slow, and the country still comes surprisingly far down global rankings of English proficiency. More stories from the BBC's Global education series looking at education from an international perspective, and how to get in touch. You can join the debate at the BBC's Family & Education News Facebook page. Japan is 40th out of 48 countries on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), and last year it fell from "moderate proficiency" to "low proficiency" on EF's English Proficiency Index. So why is learning English so difficult for the Japanese? Megumi Tada, an education expert at Hirosaki University, said the main reason is "the lack of teachers who can effectively use the language". When the Kyoto Board of Education asked middle school English teachers to take the TOEIC, fewer than one in four teachers reached the threshold for language skills good enough for most social demands and limited work requirements. Ms Tada said that although the government has now introduced English in primary schools, most of the teachers in these schools are not qualified to teach the language. She said a better way to improve English teaching would be to increase the number of trained teachers in primary and secondary schools, and to train them for longer. There are also questions about the way English is taught in schools. The focus tends to be on grammar, vocabulary and writing, which are repeatedly tested in high-pressure exams. As a result, English is rarely spoken in Japanese classrooms. Junnosuke Nakamura, who leads the education company EF in Japan, has said that "too often in our schools, a Japanese national is teaching English in Japanese, and English must be taught in English". He said the government's reforms "have not actually changed anything at a fundamental level". Helen Bentley, who worked on Tokyo's Olympic bid for communications firm Finsbury, said: "There are relatively few opportunities to use spoken English

Summary: Japan is struggling to make sure it has enough proficient English speakers when it hosts the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.


Above a link to an article about the fund hitting £1m, Dominic Peacock wrote "I've just donated", before making an offensive comment. The East Riding of Yorkshire councillor later deleted it and said: "I shouldn't have put it on in the first place." Council leader Stephen Parnaby said he would not tolerate such remarks. Labour MP Mrs Cox died when she was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on Thursday. A fund set up in her memory has received more than £1m in donations. Mr Parnaby said: "Following inappropriate and offensive comments made on social media relating to the sad and tragic death of Jo Cox MP, I have suspended councillor Dominic Peacock from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Conservative Group with immediate effect. "I shall be reporting this to a meeting of the full group and my recommendation will be that he be expelled. "This is not the time for inappropriate remarks, however intended, and I will not tolerate them in my group, and residents should expect their elected representatives to act in an appropriate and compassionate way." He said he would be asking the Conservative group to make a donation to the memorial fund. Mr Peacock posted the comment in the Vote Leave Beverley & Holderness, Haltemprice & Howden page on Facebook. A spokesperson for the Vote Leave campaign also condemned the remark, saying: "These comments are appalling, abhorrent and we believe that he should be thrown out of the Conservative Party. "He is not welcome to campaign with us." Mr Peacock, who is the councillor for Minster and Woodmansey Ward, "apologised unreservedly" but declined to comment further when approached by the BBC. His comments have also sparked a series of angry responses on social media. Chevan Ilangaratne wrote on Facebook : "What an utterly odious and inappropriate comment to make following what was an absolute tragedy for mankind last week." Jonathan Ware described the comment as "absolutely ghastly", while Tony Green called it "an absolute disgrace".

Summary: A Conservative councillor has been suspended over an offensive Facebook post he wrote mocking fundraising in memory of killed MP Jo Cox.


Norwich Crown Court was told Malcolm Blissett changed a foster carer's records over a two-year period. He had been told to remove any material that "incriminated carers". Leia Dowsing, of Suffolk Police, said most changes were in fact to spelling, grammar and punctuation but documents should not have been altered. She told jurors words had also been changed, chunks of test were missing and questions to the children had been removed from the record. The court heard Mr Blissett had been told to ensure all reports were "grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes and there was nothing that incriminated the carers". "That is what he told me," said Miss Dowsing, who added that making such changes was "entirely wrong". Ann Cotcher QC, defending one of the accused, Michael Rogers, said: "The majority of changes were not really relevant. "Some were punctuation, some were spelling; changes or restructuring of sentences; removal of words; addition of words, and there was removal of leading questions." The abuse is said to have been carried out against two boys and three girls in and around Norwich and London. The defendants are Marie Black, 34, from Norwich; Mr Rogers, 53, from Romford, Carol Stadler, 59, Anthony Stadler, 63, Nicola Collins, 36, Andrew Collins, 52, Judith Fuller, 32, Denise Barnes, 34, Kathleen Adams, 84, and Jason Adams, 43, all from Norwich. All deny all the charges they face, except Mr Adams, who admits four of five child cruelty charges. The trial continues.

Summary: A social worker made more than 250 alterations to the accounts of children making sexual abuse allegations against 10 people, a court has heard.


It will be the first public engagement for maritime expert Jeffrey Mountevans, who is the 688th mayor to fill the position, representing the city in financial and business matters across the world. Since 1215 every newly-elected Lord Mayor has to leave the City of London and travel through to Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown. The procession has moved from river barges, or floats, to horseback and then to a parade surrounding the State Coach. Hundreds of thousands of spectators join the Lord Mayor on the streets of London in what is said to be the world's largest un-rehearsed parade. This year's pageant is set to be 7,000 strong, including featuring more than 170 horses, 140 vehicles, Taiko drummers, vintage steamrollers, tractors, fire engines, armoured vehicles, the Batmobile, a replica of Noah's Ark and a tank. To celebrate the show's 800th birthday, the St Mary-le-Bow church bells will ring out a special 800-change at 12:00 GMT. Artwork for this year's show was created by British pop artist Sir Peter Blake, who also drew the album cover for the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Summary: A historic carnival will mark the 800th anniversary of the role of Lord Mayor of the City of London next Saturday.


Mark Munro, 31, and James Robertson, 27, pushed Russell Robertson over railings at Bainsford Bridge, Falkirk, on 29 May last year. Mr Robertson, 27, suffered a skull fracture caused by his head hitting a metal stanchion as he fell. The two men, who were accused of murder, were convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. The High Court in Glasgow heard that Mr Robertson would have been unconscious when he went into the water. His body was recovered from the canal more than an hour later. The court heard that all three men had been at the Warehouse nightclub in Falkirk and were making their way home after 03:00 when an incident occurred. James Robertson was approached by Russell Robertson and they began fighting, before Munro, who had been on the phone, became involved. The trial heard the men tipped Mr Robertson into the canal and then ran off without a backward glance. Both accused blamed each other during the trial. Robertson admitted being in an initial struggle with Russell Robertson, but claimed he was walking away towards Falkirk when he went into the water. Nightclub security manager Kevin Gibney said he saw Russell Robertson disappear off the bridge as he struggled with Munro and Robertson. Mr Gibney said: "One minute he was there and the next he was gone. The two gentlemen ran across the road." Judge Lady Carmichael deferred sentence until 23 August at the High Court in Edinburgh and detained both men in custody.

Summary: Two men have been convicted of killing a stranger by throwing him over a bridge into a canal.


About 20 firefighters helped bring the fire under control at Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, on Saturday night. It is not thought anyone was injured. An investigation is under way to find out how the fire started. Pictures circulated on social media showed smoke from the fire was visible from several miles away from the site.

Summary: A large blaze has ripped through the site of a former mushroom farm in North Yorkshire.


United boss Louis van Gaal is trying to strengthen his squad after they finished fourth in the Premier League. Germany international Schweinsteiger, 30, and 29-year-old Spain player Ramos are among those who interest him. Ramos' contract with Real expires in 2017, while Schweinsteiger's Bayern deal runs until 2016. Scorer of Real's injury-time equaliser in their Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid in 2014, Ramos has made 445 appearances for the club since joining from Sevilla in 2005. He has 128 Spain caps and was in the starting line-up as they won Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup. Schweinsteiger also has a World Cup winners' medal - starting for Germany in their victory over Argentina last year. He has been with Bayern all his career and won his eighth league title in May. He also won the Champions League in 2013. Real's interest in goalkeeper David De Gea will be used by United in their attempt to sign Ramos. Van Gaal said at the end of last season it would not be easy to keep De Gea - United's player of the year for the second successive year. The 24-year-old Spain international has refused to extend his contract beyond 2016. The Red Devils have been linked with several potential replacements during what Van Gaal said could be a "rough" summer for some of his players given the changes he anticipated. "A club like Manchester United has to be like that," said Van Gaal in May. "When you purchase other players you get a stimulus." Van Gaal is particularly keen to recruit a right-back, central defender, central midfielder and striker. United, who have already bought PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay for £31m, are also interested in Tottenham forward Harry Kane. Barcelona full-back Dani Alves also interested them, but he has signed a new deal at the Nou Camp.

Summary: Manchester United are interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos.


Figures obtained by the BBC through the Freedom of Information Act show the stun guns were used 34 times in 2010 and 65 times last year. Human rights groups say they were being used too readily. Devon and Cornwall police said the rise could be linked to the increased number of officers now trained to use Tasers. Of the force's 3,200 officers, 480 are trained to use Tasers, up from 150 before 2009 and spending on the weapon rose from Â£33,470 in 2009 to Â£101,379 last year, according to an FoI request . Nineteen of the 34 people that were shot with a Taser in 2010 were charged with an offence, and 37 of the 65 shot in 2011 were charged. Eulette Ewart, from the human rights group Amnesty International, said Tasers should only be used in "limited circumstances " where there was a "serious threat to life or serious injury". She said: "Given the increase, one must question whether the incidents in 2011 merited the need for a Taser to be drawn as opposed to 2010 when it was only drawn 34 times. "We are not against Tasers but they are very dangerous and so they need to be used in a very limited set of circumstances." The force's criteria for using Tasers states that they can be used if officers get permission from a senior officer and "in the course of their duty, may have to protect the public, themselves and /or the subject(s) at incidents of violence or threats of violence of such severity that they will need to use force". Nigel Rabbits, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall branch of the Police Federation, the officers' staff association, wants most frontline officers to have Tasers. He said: "In Devon and Cornwall, it has been recognised that Tasers are a really useful safety measure for officers and the public. "They are really safe. Most people recover really quickly from a Taser and walk away."

Summary: The number of times police have used Tasers in Devon and Cornwall has nearly doubled over a two-year period.


He appeared before 15,000 activists in Jackson, Mississippi, being introduced by and sharing the stage with Mr Trump. And he said the party could "beat the pollsters" in the presidential race. Mr Trump, who is trailing his rival Hillary Clinton in the opinion polls, backed the UK's exit from the EU. In a tweet last week, Mr Trump said: "They will soon be calling me Mr Brexit." Mr Trump introduced Mr Farage as the man who "brilliantly" led the UK Independence Party's campaign to secure a vote on the future of the UK's 40-year membership of the European Union. Mr Farage began his address by saying he had a "message of hope and optimism" for the Republican Party. He drew on parallels between Mr Trump's bid for the White House and that of the Brexit campaign's "people's army of ordinary citizens", which he said engaged successfully with the public prior to the UK's referendum vote on whether to leave the EU. He told those gathered: "If you want change in this country, you better get your walking boots on, you better get out there campaigning. "And remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment." Mr Farage also said the Republican campaign represented a "fantastic opportunity". He added: "You can beat the pollsters, you can beat the commentators, you can beat Washington." Mr Farage, who attended the Republican convention in Cleveland last month, had previously said he would not "fall into the trap" of personally endorsing Mr Trump in his quest to reach the White House. However, during his rally appearance he said that if he were an American, he would not vote for Mrs Clinton "even if you paid me". By Gavin Hewitt, in Jackson, Mississippi Donald Trump showered Nigel Farage with praise as the leader who had helped Britain regain control of its borders. The two men shook hands and then Mr Farage spoke for 10 minutes. He was greeted with strong applause. He said there were parallels between Brexit and what was happening in the US - little people let down by global corporations. "We made June 23 our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment", he told a crowd waving "make America great again" placards. From the side of the stage Mr Trump smiled and clapped. Mr Farage spoke about when President Obama came to the UK and urged voters to remain in the EU. "He talked down to us," he said, "he treated us as nothing." Mr Farage said "I can't possibly tell you how you should vote", but added he would not vote for Hillary Clinton "if you paid me". It was not an endorsement but it came close. The UKIP leader earlier told local radio in the state that the similarities between Brexit and the US election were "uncanny". Speaking on Super Talk Radio in the US state, Mr Farage said he had been part of a "political revolution" in the UK and there were the makings of a similar movement in the US. He compared the federal

Summary: Outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage has urged Republicans to "get your walking boots on" and drum up support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.


It has been launched by the association that represents thousands of officers. The Police Federation said officers took 37,674 days off sick last year because of the problem. Federation chairman Mark Lindsay described the resources the PSNI devotes to tackling the issue as "pitiful and wholly inaccurate" In his speech to the association's annual conference in Belfast, he described the current situation within the police as "a professional scandal". "This problem needs this urgent intervention," he said. "Whole families are suffering because those hurting are falling through the cracks." He said the fund announced on Wednesday would be used during the next three years to provide additional therapists and psychologists dealing with the issue. Mr Lindsay said the fund was a temporary measure, and that it was the "statutory duty" of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Department of Justice to address the problem. Last week, three officers who have been treated for post traumatic stress disorder PTSD spoke to the BBC about their experiences, and problems getting treatment.

Summary: A £1m fund has been set up to help police officers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and other psychological illnesses.


A strong El Nino is likely to increase prices of staple foods such as rice, coffee, sugar and cocoa, say scientists. Forecasters agree that the El Nino effect, which can drive droughts and flooding, is under way in the tropical Pacific. But they say it is too early to say how severe it will be. Reduced rainfall could be felt in India and West Africa as early as June, say scientists. The consequences of El Nino are much less clear for Europe and the UK, although they can lead to British winters that are dry with heavy snowfall. "It's likely there will be at least a moderate El Nino this year," said Prof Adam Scaife of the Met Office. "I think there is very good agreement across the different [forecasting] centres that this is coming." He said there was a 70% chance of a "moderate" El Nino event towards the end of this year that is likely to lead to droughts and crop failures. Although it is too early to say how strong the event will be and whether it will persist throughout the year, a strong El Nino has the potential to "disrupt global food markets", said Dr Nick Klingaman of the University of Reading. He said coffee plantations in Brazil "already on the brink of failure" could be jeopardised, while reduced rainfall in Australia could affect banana and sugarcane crops as well as cattle herds. A moderately strong El Nino in 2002 was linked with a drier monsoon than normal in India, ruining crops such as groundnut and rice. "Most El Ninos historically have had a global impact on food prices," he said. "We tend to see an increase in price of 5 to 10% on average for things like coffee, soybeans and cocoa." The El Nino five years ago was linked with poor monsoons in Southeast Asia, droughts in southern Australia, the Philippines and Ecuador, blizzards in the US, heatwaves in Brazil and extreme flooding in Mexico. Prof Eric Guilyardi of the University of Reading said current models point to an event on a similar scale to that of 2009/10, but perhaps as strong as in 1997/98, which was particularly extreme. However, he cautioned that "every El Nino is different, so its impacts are different". The warming of parts of the ocean is also likely to have a knock-on effect for global temperatures. "Global temperatures are very high and this is partly attributable to the El Nino evolving now," said Prof Scaife. The El Nino is a warming of the Pacific Ocean as part of a complex cycle linking atmosphere and ocean. An El Nino comes along about every two to seven years as part of a natural cycle. Research suggests that extreme El Nino events will become more likely as global temperatures rise. Models suggest that climate change could double the number of extreme El Ninos after 2050. Follow Helen on Twitter.

Summary: Global food markets could be disrupted by the El Nino event predicted for later this year.


They compared pictures collected by a US reconnaissance programme with recent satellite data to measure the extent of glacial melt. They believe the now-declassified images could help to show how other remote regions have changed over time. The research was presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall meeting in San Francisco. “This imagery will be getting used more and more,” said Josh Maurer from Columbia University in New York. The images were taken by a United States spy satellite programme that went by the codename of Hexagon. During the 1970s and 1980s, it launched 20 huge reconnaissance satellites into space, which secretly snapped areas of interest below. The images were taken on rolls of film, which were then dropped by the satellites, and collected mid-air by passing military planes. The material collected was declassified in 2011 and is now being digitised by the US Geological Survey (USGS) for scientists to use. Among the spy images are pictures of the Himalayas, an area for which historical data is scarce. By comparing them with more recent satellite imagery from Nasa and Jaxa (Japanese Space Agency) scientists have been able to see how the region has changed. “What we are trying to do is to quantify by exactly how much are the glaciers retreating, how much ice are they losing and at what rate,” said Josh Maurer. “So we’ve used the images to extract 3D models of the terrain back in the 1970s. “We can see the height of the glacier ice in 1973, and we take those elevation models, and can take the difference between those and the modern day elevation models, and we can work out how the ice volume is changing over time.” The researchers have found that the extent of the ice loss has been great. “At every point on the glacier surface across the whole of the Himalayas a quarter of a metre of water is being lost each year,” said Mr Maurer. “I wouldn’t say it’s surprising given the climate data we have, but it is very very interesting to see how much ice is lost. “And populations downstream where they depend on these water resources are going to be affected. “As the glaciers shrink and retreat, the amount of run-off they provide to these streams will increase in the short term as they melt, but over the next 100 years it will decrease more and more, and that’s going to have a negative impact on water resources.” He said that the images from the Hexagon programme are now being used by various research groups to track how other parts of the Earth have changed over time. Follow Rebecca on Twitter

Summary: Scientists have used Cold War spy satellites to reveal the dramatic environmental changes in the Himalayas.


Nikola Zhulev, 30, is still charged with murdering 49-year-old Alan Gardner and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by hiding his body. He was formally acquitted at the High Court in Livingston of stealing Mr Gardner's Toyota 4x4 and valuables from his home in Balbeggie. Closing speeches in Mr Zhulev's trial will be made today. Prosecutors also withdrew a charge alleging that Mr Zhulev sold Mr Gardner's gold at a pawn shop and used his credit card to buy takeaway meals. He was also found not guilty of driving the car without an MoT certificate and possessing and dealing in heroin in the days leading up to the discovery of Mr Gardner's body. The jury watched a video recording of Mr Zhulev being interviewed by Det Con David Budd on 11 May 2015. Det Con Budd asked him: "Are you going to tell us anything about what happened?" Mr Zhulev replied: "No." He then gave 'no comment' replies to questions about the last time he had contacted or seen Mr Gardner. The trial before Lady Rae continues.

Summary: A Bulgarian man accused of murdering a Perthshire jeweller has had theft and fraud charges against him dropped.


Gareth McAllister, 18, is also accused of inflicting wounds on a 74-year-old man during a triple stabbing in Glengormley, County Antrim. All three alleged victims are members of the same family. Mr McAllister, of Rogan Manor in Newtownabbey, was arrested at a nearby petrol station on Wednesday night. A man aged 20 had suffered a slash wound to his forehead in an alleged attack at the house on the Antrim Road. His 51-year-old father and his grandfather also sustained cuts as further violence broke out at the nearby garage, according to police. Mr McAllister appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court on a total of 10 counts. He is charged with the attempted murders of Jonathan and John Green, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Derek Green. The other alleged offences include: possessing a bread knife in public; four assaults on police representatives; a separate assault on John Green last Saturday; and criminal damage to his front door. Mr McAllister spoke only to confirm he understood the charges against him. Although no further details were disclosed, a detective constable said he could connect the accused to the alleged offences. A defence lawyer said he was not applying for bail "at this time". A judge remanded Mr McAllister in custody to appear again by video-link next Thursday.

Summary: A teenager has been remanded in custody charged with the attempted murder of a father and son in a knife attack on the outskirts of north Belfast.


A leak at Llanfairpwll on Sunday morning affected supplies to some customers there and in parts of Gaerwen, Porthaethwy and Llangefni. A spokesman said: "Our team is working on the leak and we hope that all supplies will be back to normal this morning." Welsh Water apologised to customers for any inconvenience.

Summary: Parts of Anglesey have been left without water after a leak, Welsh Water has confirmed.


Frampton has not fought since his loss to Leo Santa Cruz in their WBA title fight in Las Vegas in January. Mexican Gutierrez, 23, has lost just one of his 35 fights and is a former WBC Silver featherweight champion. Frampton initially expected to fight Santa Cruz for a third time this summer but that bout failed to materialise. Former two-weight world champion Frampton confirmed last week that his next fight would be in his home city. Media playback is not supported on this device Guitirrez, known as the 'Jaguar', turned pro at just 15. He said he was relishing next month's showdown with Frampton. "I'm very happy for this news they gave me. I know it will be very difficult, but I have the character to prevail," he said. "I'm going to put in soul, life, and heart and I will fight for what I most want, that's why I'll prevail." Frampton told a packed audience at the announcement at the Europa Hotel in Belfast that he was "excited to be back boxing at home". "I was hoping this fight would be at Windsor Park but it wasn't to be. My dream is to fight at Windsor Park and I want to do that at some point," said Frampton. "The SSE Arena is where I believe the best performance of my career has been, against Chris Avalos. The atmosphere there can't be replicated anywhere else. It's spectacular. "I wanted a tough fight and I know I'll need to be at my best. If I'm not, I may lose this fight."

Summary: Carl Frampton will make his ring return against Andres Gutierrez at Belfast's SSE Arena in a WBC world featherweight title eliminator on 29 July.


Speed cameras in Perth reportedly captured the yellow Carrera 911 travelling at 122km (76 miles) an hour in a 70km zone last Sunday. The man was charged under Western Australia's anti-hooning laws, which are named after "hoons" a term to describe a dangerous, speeding driver. The luxury car has been seized for 28 days, Forrestfield Police tweeted.

Summary: An Australian man, 88, has had his Porsche impounded after being charged with reckless driving, police say.


The Uruguay forward turned in Lucas Moura's cross to put the visitors ahead at the break. Thomas Meunier headed against the Nantes bar before Cavani sealed the win with a thumping 25-yard free kick. PSG, bidding for a fifth straight title, have won their past four games by scoring 15 goals and conceding none. Unai Emery's third-placed side have 45 points from 21 games - one behind Nice, who drew 1-1 at Bastia on Friday. Second-placed Monaco, above PSG on goal difference, will go top if they avoid defeat when they host second-bottom Lorient on Sunday. Elsewhere on Saturday, Guingamp stayed in fifth after drawing 1-1 at home against 10-man Rennes. Bordeaux moved above opponents Toulouse into eighth place with a 1-0 home success, while Metz boosted their survival hopes with a 2-0 home win against Montpellier. Mid-table sides Dijon and Lille remain 15th and 14th respectively following their goalless stalemate. Match ends, Nantes 0, Paris Saint Germain 2. Second Half ends, Nantes 0, Paris Saint Germain 2. Foul by Maxwell (Paris Saint Germain). Adrien Thomasson (Nantes) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hatem Ben Arfa. Offside, Paris Saint Germain. Thiago Motta tries a through ball, but Hatem Ben Arfa is caught offside. Attempt blocked. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hatem Ben Arfa. Attempt saved. Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt blocked. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Hatem Ben Arfa. Attempt missed. Valentin Rongier (Nantes) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Attempt saved. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ángel Di María. Foul by Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain). Adrien Thomasson (Nantes) wins a free kick on the left wing. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Lucas Lima. Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Hatem Ben Arfa replaces Edinson Cavani. Attempt blocked. Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Edinson Cavani. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Maxime Dupé. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Lucas Lima. Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Koffi Djidji (Nantes). Corner, Nantes. Conceded by Thiago Silva. Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Adrien Rabiot replaces Marco Verratti. Substitution, Nantes. Adrien Thomasson replaces Amine Harit. Attempt missed. Emiliano Sala (Nantes) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Amine Harit. Attempt saved. Ángel Di María (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Felipe Pardo (Nantes) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Lucas Moura (Paris

Summary: French champions Paris St-Germain moved within a point of Ligue 1 leaders Nice as striker Edinson Cavani's brace earned a 2-0 win at Nantes.


Bed Bahadur Sunuwar was one of more than 150 local and foreign runners in the race, which began at Nepal's base camp. The annual run marks the anniversary of the first summit of the peak by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary in 1953. The winner completed the race, which ended about 2,000 metres further down the slopes, in four hours and 10 seconds. "The route is very challenging but amazing too. I feel proud to be the winner," the 29-year-old man said. Around 30 local runners were joined by about 130 from around the world, including the UK, US, China and Australia. A Nepali man was also the winner in 2015. This is the first climbing season on Everest after two seasons hit by disasters - an avalanche that killed 16 mountain guides in 2014, and a fatal earthquake in 2015. The 2016 season has not been without tragedy though, with several deaths from altitude sickness during a particularly busy period on the peak. On Friday, officials announced they had found the body of an Indian climber on the upper slopes, taking the season's death toll to four.

Summary: A Nepali soldier has won the world's highest marathon on Mount Everest.


Swansea University analysed data from nearly 360,000 children aged between six and 18 between 2003 and 2013. It followed a health warning in 2003 that children should not be given most antidepressants. The unpublished research triggered a Welsh government circular saying other methods should be tried first. The 30% rise came despite a significant fall in 2003-4 following health warnings about the risk of suicide in young people. The report, which has not been published, also showed the drug citalopram was routinely prescribed despite not being licensed for use in children. The Welsh government wrote to health professionals that only fluoxetine (Prozac) has been shown to be effective in young people. A Welsh government spokesman said it expected GPs to use their clinical judgment in deciding treatment, and to use NICE guidelines which recommend psychosocial interventions should be considered as an alternative to antidepressants. The report said the figures could reflect better access to treatment, and a positive shift towards helping people address mental health issues at a younger age. But it added: "On the other hand this may represent an increasing tendency to prescribe medication where other treatment options such as psychological therapies are limited or not available at a primary care level. "This may be a particular issue in more deprived areas where incidence is nearly double that in more affluent areas." It comes as research has shown a 54% increase in the number of children and young people prescribed antidepressants in the UK between 2005 and 2012. George Watkins, 20, from Cardiff, experienced side-effects after being prescribed antidepressants as a teenager. "I would open my eyes in the morning, I still get nightmares about this, about waking up every morning staring at the ceiling and wondering if this was the day when I would feel clear-headed. "It was a very rushed appointment, it was five minutes, 'describe what you're feeling'. "I was still on the medication that I was prescribed when I was 14 or 15 last November, when I had just turned 20," he said. Children's Commissioner for Wales Sally Holland told BBC Wales the long-term effects of anti-depressant drugs in children were not really known. "NICE guidelines are very clear: children and young people must have medication as a last resort," she said. "There should be a month of careful watchfulness and then they should be offered psychological therapies and they should only be offered medication along side psychological therapies if the therapy doesn't work. "It seems sad to me that George hasn't had that."

Summary: There has been a 30% increase in the number of children in Wales prescribed antidepressants over 10 years, figures obtained by the BBC have shown.


It suggested 91% of people were satisfied with GP care and 92% with their last NHS hospital appointment. Finance Minister Jane Hutt said it was "heartening" to see such high levels of satisfaction. The survey was an "important resource" which would help "support the delivery of public services", she added. Asked to rate services on a scale of zero to 10, the average rating for health services was 6.3 and education 6.6, with performance of the Welsh government just above the middle of the range at 5.6, all in line with previous years. On other aspects of life, there were large majorities satisfied with their accommodation (94%), recycling services (82%) and the level of respect in their local community (79%). Overall, the survey of more than 14,000 people found that 83% were satisfied with their daily lives. Other less positive findings included: There were mixed views on the performance of councils, which have been getting to grips with steep budget cuts. People agreeing that their local authority provides high quality services fell from 57%, in both of the two previous years, to 53%. This varied from 42% in Blaenau Gwent believing their local services were high quality to 65% in Conwy. Across Wales, just 37% agreed that their council "does all it can to improve my local area". Powys came off worst on this question, with just 29% agreeing with the statement, while Caerphilly got the best result, where 45% agreed. Welcoming the overall results, Ms Hutt said: "It is particularly heartening to see such high levels of satisfaction with the NHS and education. "The survey is an important resource for us and will support the delivery of public services. "Hearing the views of people across the country will help us make Wales an even better place to live, work and enjoy." No wonder the Welsh government sounds happy - after a year when their record on public services, health in particular, has been under scrutiny like never before, it seems the people who use those services have had a positive experience. The data confirms a paradox any politician who's knocked on a voter's door will recognise - people tend to think their own experience is good, but have a perception that the overall picture is poor. Not that anyone should run away with the idea that life in Wales is without its problems. Forty percent of people report finding it difficult to keep up with the bills, although that figure is lower than in previous years. And one in five say they feel "materially deprived" - going without a holiday, failing to put anything aside or feeling unable to have the heating on. It's not all good news for the Welsh government either - although the public has rated elements of the NHS and education highly, the administration that delivers them gets only a modest score: 5.6 out of 10.

Summary: People across Wales remain "highly satisfied" with the NHS, education and with their daily lives, according to a national survey.


Michelle Thomson told MPs that she was "not a victim, I'm a survivor." She shared her personal story during a Commons debate focused on UN International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women. Ms Thomson was comforted by SNP members at the end of her speech, which left Speaker John Bercow visibly moved. During the same debate, Labour MP Tracy Brabin recounted how a man attempted to rape her when she was at university aged 20. Ms Thomson told the debate that she had been raped, "as is common", by someone who was known to her. The MP added: "He had offered to walk me home from a youth event and in those days everybody walked everywhere, it was quite common to do that. "It was early evening, it wasn't dark. I was wearing - I'm imagining, I'm guessing - jeans and a sweatshirt." Ms Thomson said she knew the area but they went a slightly different way, noting: "I didn't think anything of it. "He told me he wanted to show me something in a wooded area and at that point, I must admit, I was alarmed. I did have a warning bell - but I overrode that warning bell because I knew him and therefore there was a level of trust in place. "To be honest, looking back, at that point I don't think I knew what rape was. It was not something that was talked about." Ms Thomson added: "It was mercifully quick and I remember first of all feeling surprise, then fear, then horror as I realised I quite simply couldn't escape - because he was stronger than me, and there was no sense even initially of any sexual desire from him, which I suppose, looking back, again I find odd." She said that afterwards she walked home alone crying, cold and shivering as she was in shock. Ms Thomson said: "I didn't tell my mother, I didn't tell my father, I didn't tell my friends and I didn't tell the police. I bottled it all up inside me. "I hoped, briefly and appallingly, that I might be pregnant so that would force a situation to help me control it." Ms Thomson said she felt "ashamed" that she had "allowed this to happen to me", debating internally what had happened. Ms Thomson said she later told a school boyfriend, who was "supportive", but that she had carried feelings of "guilt, anger, fear, sadness and bitterness" for many years. She said she felt a "duty" to tell husband when she got married 12 years later, but it was only when she was in her mid-40s that she took steps to get some help. Ms Thomson said the rape "fatally undermined" her self-esteem, confidence and sense of self-worth, but that despite this she is "blessed" in her life and happily married for 25 years. She said she thought carefully before deciding to share her story, adding: "There is still a taboo about sharing this kind of information and certainly for people of my generation - it is truly shocking

Summary: A Scottish MP has moved colleagues to tears after revealing in the House of Commons that she was raped at the age of 14.


When Ogrizovic kept goal for City in their 1987 FA Cup final win over Tottenham, they were restricted to the regulated allocation of 25,000 tickets. But on Sunday there will be close to 43,000 City fans heading for Wembley. "It's a special day for all of us, the fans particularly," he told BBC Sport. "This is a one-club city. You don't bring 40,000 to a cup final if there's not a good fan base, if there's not a real interest in the club." City goalkeeping coach Ogrizovic, 59, will have the honour of leading the team out against Oxford. And City's travelling support will be one of the biggest-ever followings for a club game at Wembley, bettered only by the 44,000 allocation given to winners Southampton against Carlisle United in the 2010 final. It is all the more impressive given the struggles the Sky Blues have gone through in recent seasons. Even if they win on Sunday, they could soon be adding their name to the list of teams to reach a Wembley final and be relegated in the same season as they are bottom of League One, and 11 points from safety. Despite the pre-Wembley boost of two home wins in four days, the prospect of going down to English football's fourth tier for the first time since 1959 remains their likely fate. Although Premier League relegation in 2001 after 34 years in the top flight marked the start of Coventry City's decline, the club has fallen further since the 2007 takeover by current owners Sisu, a London-based hedge fund. After going down to League One in 2012, Sisu became involved in an ongoing off-field rent row with the city council, who were then part-owners of the Ricoh Arena. It led to the Sky Blues spending a season playing home games in Northampton, before returning to the city to discover that Premiership rugby union club Wasps had been invited to buy the stadium - and become their new landlords. The fans' inevitable frustration at the handling of affairs on and off the field has often boiled over into massed protest, which has been the backdrop to the current season. "It's unfortunate what's happened," Ogrizovic told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. "There are so many reasons and factors, I wouldn't know where to start. "But, at some stage, this club will turn around and let's just hope Sunday is the start. This is a competition that's got its critics but, when you get into the later rounds, it's one that everyone wants to win. "There's a lot going from Oxford too. There'll be nearly 80,000 there. They can't all be wrong. "We're not covering up the cracks. It's been a disappointing season, there's no getting away from it. But that will be forgotten on Sunday. The fans have talked about it for ages. I've never been to the new Wembley before and it looks a bit special. Let's go down there and try to put a few smiles on faces. "You find out about players in big competitions. How will the team react

Summary: Coventry City legend Steve Ogrizovic says the size of their travelling army of supporters for Sunday's EFL Trophy final against Oxford United sums up the "special" spirit of the Sky Blues.


The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill creates police commissioners and changes the balance of power with chief constables. At the heart of the government's proposals is a complete overhaul of the local control of police forces. There are 43 forces for England and Wales and the government says it won't be merging them. Instead, it says it wants to strengthen local democratic control by creating Police and Crime Commissioners for each force. The commissioner will be directly elected and will hold the chief constable to account - meaning they will be able to hire and fire chief constables. According to the legislation, the commissioner's basic duties will be to publish a "police and crime plan", set local police and crime objectives and the budget. The commissioner will also set the amount of the "precept" that their local electors have to pay, the part of police funding collected through the council tax. The chief constable will appoint all other officers and will "retain responsibility for the direction and control of the police force". The police commissioner takes over the responsibilities of the current police authorities - but they will have the additional power of being able to sack a chief constable. Under the current system, chiefs are appointed by the force's police authority in consultation with the Home Office. Each force in England and Wales outside of London will elect a police commissioner in May 2012. The commissioners will be able to hold office for two terms. London is being treated differently because the Metropolitan Police Commissioner is Britain's top police officer with national duties including co-ordinating counter-terrorism. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner is appointed directly by the Home Secretary who has to take the view of the Mayor of London into account. Police Authorities will be scrapped. Instead, they will be replaced by a new body called a policing and crime panel. Police authorities oversee the budget and workings of a force and are comprised of local councillors, magistrates and other independent members. The new panels will scrutinise the work of the commissioner, rather than the chief constable. They will comprise local councillors and other co-opted members. In its original consultation on the future of policing, ministers said they wanted to see the "police family extended" by encouraging more people to volunteer to help out. In the 1950s, there were almost 70,000 Special Constables in the UK. Today, there are about 14,000. The government says it wants a "step change" in the level of volunteering and is also asking people what they think about a new category called police reservists. The government has not spelled out the role of a reservist, what powers they would have, or how that would differ to the specials. Secondly, ministers suggest that local people could take part in "joint patrols with the police, looking out for their neighbours". it's not clear at this stage whether any of thes The other pillar of the proposed reforms is at the opposite end of the policing spectrum and concerns tackling organised crime. The former Labour government created the Serious

Summary: Home Secretary Theresa May has launched major reforms of policing in in England and Wales.


The visitors led at the break through Helder Costa's penalty after Dave Edwards was felled by Jon McLaughlin. Burton piled on the pressure after half-time and levelled when former Wolves winger Michael Kightly marked his debut by tapping in from two yards. Woodrow hooked in the winner deep in injury time after Wolves failed to clear a corner. Burton's win means they remain three points clear of the Championship relegation zone after third-from-bottom Blackburn also snatched a late victory over QPR, while Wolves drop to 18th after Nottingham Forest's injury-time win over Aston Villa. In a scrappy first half of few chances, Lasse Vigen Christensen, on loan from Fulham like Woodrow, volleyed over Tom Flanagan's cross, while Wolves striker Nouha Dicko saw a shot tipped around the post by McLaughlin. The visitors finally took the lead five minutes before the break when Costa drilled his spot-kick high into the net after McLaughlin brought down Edwards. But Paul Lambert's side struggled to create anything of note after the break as Burton dominated. Carl Ikeme tipped a Kightly shot around the post and a free-kick over the bar before the winger, who joined on loan from Burnley on deadline day, finally claimed the equaliser by converting Marvin Sordell's pass. And Nigel Clough's side, who grabbed an injury-time equaliser when the two sides drew 1-1 at Molineux in September, got the winner when Woodrow turned in Flanagan's header from close range in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Burton manager Nigel Clough: "It's about time we had one go in our favour. We have had enough heartaches to last us three seasons in the first 20-odd games. "It's about the first time anything has really broken for us in the last minute in the penalty area. The corner has come in and just dropped to two of our lads and Cauley has ended up putting it in. "The two new lads get the goals and it makes a difference when you can bring a few bodies in during January. "We have created a few chances throughout the season, but it's nice now to have people who can finish them off." Wolves head coach Paul Lambert told BBC WM: "In the first half I thought we did a lot with the ball. We got the lead and it gives you something to go with at half-time "But in the second half we were not the same and we allowed Burton to come back into the game. "The first goal is poor from our point of view, because it's too easy for them to get through our defence. For the second, our marking was not good enough at the set play. "We have set ourselves such a high standard so the disappointment is there for everybody today. Sometimes you need a reality check, and today we just weren't good enough." Match ends, Burton Albion 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Second Half ends, Burton Albion 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Goal! Burton Albion 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Cauley Woodrow (Burton Albion) left footed shot from very close range to the

Summary: Cauley Woodrow scored an injury-time winner as Burton Albion fought back from a goal down to beat Wolves.


The Financial Exclusion Committee says banks are failing the customers who need them the most, leaving the poorest to rely on expensive products. It adds that controls on "rent to own" products and other high cost credit deals must be introduced urgently. Banks should be required to have a duty of care towards their customers. The report highlights how regulation has been successful in battling abusive practices by payday loan companies. The government asked regulators the Financial Conduct Authority to limit the interest rates they are able to charge. It calls for similar restrictions to be applied to other forms of high cost credit, charges for unarranged overdrafts and "rent to own" products. These are products that allow customers to buy items, such as televisions or mobile phones, through rental deals which can cost as much as four or five times the normal price tag. Debt charities say that as high cost loan companies have been pushed out, demand for credit by people in poverty has moved into other areas. The government is urged to appoint a minister for financial inclusion who has to report annually to Parliament on progress made towards addressing financial exclusion. Committee chair Baroness Tyler of Enfield said: "Too many people still have no bank account or cannot get access to basic or fairly priced financial services. "The 'poverty premium' - where the poor pay more for a range of services from heating their home to accessing credit - contributes to a vicious circle driving people ever deeper into debt and distress." She added that the victims of financial exclusion were "often the most vulnerable in society - the elderly, the poor or those living with physical disabilities or mental health issues". "Action must be taken to ensure the financial system in this country works for all. All too often, disabled customers are being failed by banks who are not adjusting their communications and procedures to serve them properly, she said. The committee had been told of banks contacting deaf people by phone and sending written PIN numbers to blind people instead of using Braille, she added. The British Bankers Association said it was already working closely with the government, the regulator and consumer advocates on a number of the areas highlighted in the report. "We will consider the report's recommendations in detail and reflect on how they might be adopted by the industry going forward," it added. Polly Mackenzie, director of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: "For too long it's been assumed that when people with mental health problems get behind on bills, or struggle to stick to their budget, it's because they're lazy or incompetent. "That's simply not true, and we are delighted to see the Lords committee recognise this and the need for banks to step up and offer support. "It's time for banks to adapt their services to help support people when they're unwell."

Summary: The banks and financial regulators should do more to tackle the vicious cycle of debt and overcharging, says a Lords committee.


Leicester City 1-0 Southampton Manchester United 1-0 Everton Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea Arsenal 4-0 Watford Bournemouth 0-4 Manchester City Norwich City 3-2 Newcastle United Stoke City 2-2 Swansea City Sunderland 0-0 West Bromwich Albion West Ham United 2-2 Crystal Palace Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Summary: Premier League previews and reports as Spurs are held to a draw and Leicester beat Southampton to move seven points clear at the top.


Wasilu Umar admitted killing her husband, who was more than twice her age, by concealing rat poison in his food, the police in Kano said. Three other people also died and 10 were taken to hospital apparently after eating the same food. Child marriage is common in Nigeria, especially in the mainly Muslim north. The girl's father had forced her to marry the 35-year-old man, police said. The marriage took place last week, police superintendent Musa Magaji Majia told the Associated Press news agency. The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says Islamic police are trying to stop parents from forcing children into marriages against their will and the father could be charged. The teenager is likely to be tried in a juvenile court.

Summary: A 14-year-old girl in the northern Nigerian state of Kano has confessed to killing the man she was forced to marry, police say.


The Scottish government included funding for the scheme in its budget following criticism of rail services. Fares will rise in 2017, but Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said passengers with monthly or annual season tickets will get a week's worth of free travel. Scottish Labour, which has called for a freeze on all rail fares, said the plans do not go far enough. They said the "vast majority" of passengers would still face record fares in January. Finance Secretary Derek Mackay announced the plans during his budget statement, where he claimed a full freeze would be too expensive and would hit investment in the rail network. The government said its plans could deliver greater savings for customers with annual or monthly season tickets even with fares set to rise in 2017, and said further deals would be announced for other passengers. Mr Yousaf said he was confident ScotRail could deliver "the service we expect", after a "particularly challenging" year of delays and disruptions on the network. He said: "Passengers rightly deserve an efficient and value for money rail network. "By offering a 'free week' we can in many instances match or even provide better savings for passengers than if we offered a fares freeze. "And as service improvements and investment also impact on those across the country who do not use season tickets, we will put in place a number of promotions and fare offers throughout the year to ensure they also benefit from this investment." An example cited by the government was that the cost of annual and monthly season tickets between Glasgow and Edinburgh will go up by £72 and £82.80 in 2017 respectively, while they claim the 'free week' plan would see regular travellers save £95.50. ScotRail will designate a specific period in 2017 during which the free travel will be available. The group's managing director Phil Verster said the network was undergoing its biggest upgrade since Victorian times. He said: "Our customers have been incredibly patient during the big projects like Winchburgh Tunnel last year and Queen Street Tunnel earlier this year. "The free week of travel for our season ticket holders is a 'thank you for your patience' while we work to deliver a rail network that all of Scotland can be proud of." However opposition parties said the measures do not go far enough. Labour's transport spokesman Neil Bibby said the government had been "forced" into concessions by pressure from politicians and passengers - but said the plans didn't "hit the mark". He said: "Labour's fare freeze policy would have benefited every ScotRail passenger - the SNP's policy won't. "After all the delays and disruption people have had to put up with on the railways, no passenger should face a fare hike in the New Year. "The bottom line is that fares will still rise to record levels in January for the vast majority of passengers as planned. It is insulting to ask passengers to pay a penny more for the shocking ScotRail service they have been receiving."

Summary: A £3m package of "targeted discounts" for Scottish rail passengers with season tickets has been announced.


The actor, on his fourth outing as 007 in Spectre, had told Time Out magazine that he would "rather slash [his] wrists" than make a fifth Bond film. But he told the BBC: "I'm quite straightforward and I say things when I feel it and then I change my mind. "I'm just like everybody else. People latch onto things. There's not a lot I can do about that." Spectre, which is released on Monday, sees Bond battling a criminal syndicate led by Franz Oberhauser, played by Christoph Waltz. A preview screening in London on Wednesday to film critics and journalists was greeted with applause and cheers. Among the five-star reviews were the Telegraph's Robbie Collin, who said Spectre combined "hold-your-breath action and ghosts of 007's past". Speaking to the BBC's Lizo Mzimba on Thursday, Daniel Craig said he and director Sam Mendes had wanted to celebrate Bond but "didn't want to look back and copy what's been done before". He acknowledged that most Bond fans have a "very particular memory about certain Bond movies" and that it would be "unwise to ignore all of that". The actor said that having a producing credit on the film was "the high point" of his career. "I knew when I accepted the role that it would turn my life upside down and it did. There's no getting away from it. "I'm still enjoying it much more than I ever did because I've been allowed to bring what I know to the role. I've been involved with every aspect of film-making." Asked if he had made a decision about carrying on as Bond, Craig added: "No - this is what's going on at the moment. I'm enjoying this."

Summary: Daniel Craig has said he has not made any decisions about whether he will carry on playing James Bond.


The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken into foster care in Gloucestershire while on a supervised visit with its father. The parents should have been given 14 days notice, and "serious errors" were made by the local authority, a family court ruled. Gloucestershire County Council has apologised and said it had now updated its policies. Judge Stephen Wildblood, in the family court in Gloucester, found the authority's actions were unlawful and had breached the family's human rights. He said the authority did not pay sufficient regard to a care plan and a court's care order, it failed to comply with regulations, and no legal advice was sought before the child was taken into care last month. The mother, who is in her early 20s, told the BBC it had been "incredibly traumatic and distressing" and that she hoped no other family had to suffer in the way that she and her child did In a statement the council said it apologised "unreservedly". "In our attempts to safeguard the welfare of this child, members of our children's social care team breached the terms of a previous court order. "We also apologise to the child and the parents for our actions in this case and for any distress caused. "This should never have happened and we have updated our policies and put in place safeguards, including ensuring that the assistant director or other senior officer will have oversight of all cases where action to remove children, who are subject to care orders, are being considered." The child, who is aged under two years old, has since been returned to its mother.

Summary: A baby was removed from its vulnerable mother unlawfully, a judge has ruled.


McManus is getting married on Saturday to Dunloy and Antrim camogie player Aileen Martin. The Cushendall man played a pivotal role as he struck 1-13 in last weekend's dramatic 3-20 to 2-22 extra-time win over Carlow. Paul Sheehan hit 0-15 for Down as they beat Roscommon 2-24 to 1-20. However, Down's recent form suggest that the Saffrons should still be good enough to see off the Mourne County with something to spare despite McManus' absence. SATURDAY SUNDAY

Summary: Antrim will hope Neil McManus' absence will not unduly hinder them in Saturday's Christy Ring Cup game against Down at Cushendall.


Lawyers told a High Court judge on Friday that both sides had agreed to pause the legal fight for one month. Sir Cliff is suing the BBC and South Yorkshire Police over coverage of the 2014 raid. Lawyers for the singer previously said he had suffered "profound and long-lasting" damage from the incident. Mr Justice Mann, who has been overseeing the preliminary hearings at the High Court in London, indicated that he would review matters in the near future. Sir Cliff was investigated over historical sexual assault allegations, which he denied, and the case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in June last year because of insufficient evidence. The singer is seeking "very substantial" compensation because he says the coverage of the raid at his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, invaded his privacy. BBC editors have previously apologised for distress but have said they will "defend ourselves vigorously". A spokeswoman said the BBC had reported Sir Cliff's "full denial of the allegations at every stage". South Yorkshire Police have apologised "wholeheartedly for the additional anxiety caused" by the force's "initial handling of the media interest" in its investigation into the singer.

Summary: Sir Cliff Richard and the BBC have agreed to try to reach a settlement over coverage of a police raid on the singer's home.


Ireland's O'Driscoll, 34, was expected to be named captain in Sam Warburton's absence, but has been omitted from the squad by head coach Warren Gatland. Tours: 4 (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013) Matches: 18 (8 Tests) Tries: 9 (1 in Tests) Captain: 7 times (1 Test) Test record: 2 wins, 6 defeats "O'Driscoll has been quiet. But he has been the clarion call once [lock] Paul O'Connell got injured," said Wood. He added on BBC Radio 5 live that the XV had left him "totally at a loss". Former Ireland and Lions lock Willie John McBride believes Australia coach Robbie Deans will be "laughing" at the "absolutely amazing" decision to drop O'Driscoll. On BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, he said: "I must admit I am quite gutted today because Brian O'Driscoll in my book has been the greatest player Ireland has ever seen. "You live and die by your decisions, though, so we will see what happens at the weekend." The series is currently level at one game apiece after Australia hit back with a gritty 16-15 second Test victory following the Lions' 23-21 win in the opener. Gatland - who also coaches Wales - has made six changes to the team beaten in Melbourne, with 10 Welshmen set to start in Sydney. England prop Alex Corbisiero and Ireland flanker Sean O'Brien come into the pack while four Welshmen - fit-again centre Jamie Roberts, hooker Richard Hibbard, scrum-half Mike Phillips and number eight Toby Faletau - complete the changes. Media playback is not supported on this device Lock Alun Wyn Jones captains the side while the 10-strong contingent equals the record for Wales - the previous occasion was the first Test against Australia in 1950 - while England hold the overall record with 12 players in the 1880s. "You should pick a team with the best players in it and for me the ethos of the Lions is slipping," added McBride. "I don't think this is the concept of the Lions that I know but let's see what happens on Saturday, we will all eat our words if we win." The direct approach favoured by Gatland has been dubbed "Warrenball" by sections of the Australian media and Wood - who played on two Lions tours and featured 58 times for Ireland - admitted he was concerned about the tourists' lack of creativity. The 41-year-old said: "You could say he is picking on form, but he has picked an unbelievably direct team, with very little guile, specifically to play this game-plan. "You just wonder if they got a lucky bag and picked some names out. The Lions won the first Test and made eight changes to their squad. The Wallabies won the second and probably won't make any changes. The Lions lose by one point and there are six changes in the team and three guys on the bench who were nowhere near the team for the second Test. I was convinced Brian O'Driscoll should have been named as captain. It's catastrophic leaving him out. He's still one of the top centres

Summary: Former Lions hooker Keith Wood says the decision to drop centre Brian O'Driscoll for Saturday's deciding Test with Australia is a "terrible mistake".


Students from Wales will be able to claim up to £4,954 in grants and borrow the rest, wherever they study. The announcement comes ahead of the publication of the Diamond report into higher education and student finance. One senior academic has warned that Welsh universities could become "second rate" if they could not increase fees. Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: "This decision gives certainty for those who want to go to university for the academic year 2017/18, giving people the option to study where they choose, including in England where tuition fees are set to increase." Currently, students from Wales pay the first £3,900 of their annual tuition fees, with the Welsh Government paying up to £5,100. As well as the tuition fee grant and loans, Ms Williams announced a means-tested maintenance grant of up to £5,161. She has argued that living costs are a bigger barrier than tuition fees to poorer students going to university. The UK government linked its permission for higher fees at English universities to better teaching, with the new maximum of £9,250 possibly increasing by inflation in future years. In August, Swansea University vice-chancellor Prof Richard Davies warned higher education in Wales risked becoming "second rate" if colleges could not increase their fees as in England. Responding to Friday's announcement, he claimed there had not been "enough time for the Welsh Government to look at this properly since the announcement in England". "I hope they find some way of allowing for inflation," he added. The National Union of Students president Fflur Elin welcomed the news. She said: "We want to ensure that students from all backgrounds can access high quality courses. The cost of the courses should not be a barrier." Welsh Conservatives education spokesman, Darren Millar AM, said: "We welcome the move towards means-tested maintenance grants and the anchoring of tuition fee costs."

Summary: Welsh university tuition fees will be pegged at £9,000 next year despite colleges in England being given the go-ahead to charge up to £9,250.


Media playback is not supported on this device PE teacher Vicki Randall turned to coaching after being forced to give up playing netball and football because of injury. The 29-year-old has encouraged more than 200 girls to play sport every week. "I say quite often to them I don't care about the score, I just want them to enjoy it," Vicki said. "I know that they appreciate everything that I do and at the end of the sessions they'll all say thank you." Vicki set up Cwmbran Youth netball club in 2009 with just five girls, which has now grown to 14 teams. Three players have recently been selected for Wales' under 17 squad. She also organises a weekly 'netball tots' club for children aged between one and five. She also runs Risca Netball Club, managing all five of their teams in the South East Wales League. Vicki also set up Cwmbran Celtic Ladies football team in 2012, guiding them to promotion to the Welsh Premier league two years later and also started a reserve team to encourage women to take up the sport. She typically spends four evenings a week coaching sport after work, often more than one session per evening. At weekends, she spends most Saturdays organising netball matches and tournaments, before devoting up to seven hours on a Sunday to her football teams. Despite undergoing nine operations on her knee she has continued to coach, sometimes on crutches or in a wheelchair. Vicki was nominated by Ann Daley from Pontypool whose daughter plays netball with Cwmbran Youth. "Vicki has given so much to so many, volunteering all her free time," Ann Daley said. "She has had a massive impact in raising levels of participation in sport for girls and women in South East Wales. Vicki really is an Unsung Hero." Vicki's achievement will be recognised at the Wales Sport Awards 2016 on Monday, 5 December at Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, She will share the stage with the night's other big winners including Coach of the Year, Team of the Year and the prestigious BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year. The Wales Sport Awards 2016 will be broadcast live from 19.30 GMT on Monday, 5 December at the BBC Wales Sport website and also on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button. The event will also be live on BBC Radio Wales. The Wales Sport Awards is an event, organised in partnership by BBC Wales and Sport Wales. It aims to recognise the best achievements at elite and community level in Welsh sport. Watch BBC Wales Today at 18:30 GMT on BBC One Wales this evening to see the moment presenter Claire Summers surprises Vicki with her Unsung Hero award.

Summary: A volunteer netball and football coach from Cwmbran has been named as BBC Wales Sport's Unsung Hero for 2016.


Police are deployed near Tahrir Square, the symbolic centre of the uprising. Thousands of homes have been raided, as the authorities look for people who might be planning protests against President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Local and international human rights activists say the situation in the country has never been worse. Mr Sisi led the military's overthrow of Mubarak's Islamist successor, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013 following mass protests. Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed and 40,000 are believed to have been jailed in a sweeping crackdown on dissent. Most of them have been supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, but secular activists have also been prosecuted for breaking an anti-protest law. There is little trace of the revolution that swept an autocrat from power five years ago, and Egypt's latest strongman is keen to keep it that way, reports the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo. Mr Sisi, a retired field marshal who was elected president in 2014, has vowed that there will be a firm response to any unrest on the anniversary. "The security and stability of nations are not to be toyed with," he said in a speech over the weekend at a ceremony marking Police Day, which also falls on Monday. Our correspondent says protests are already virtually banned. And in recent days police have raided about 5,000 homes in central Cairo, looking for anyone who might be planning to take to the streets. The faces of Egypt's revolution - where are they now? Egypt's 18-day revolution Spotlight on human rights in Egypt Some activists have been arrested, others driven into hiding. Many icons of the revolution are already behind bars, our correspondent adds. An interior ministry official told the AFP news agency that the raids were not aimed at "squeezing the youths but avoiding chaos and infiltration of rioters among them". The Muslim Brotherhood has called for protests on Monday. But one leading activist told the BBC that he and many others would be staying home, rather than trying to return to Tahrir Square. "People who protest are going to pay with their lives for, or be sentenced to over 20 years in jail," he said. "The price is too high." Amnesty International warned on Sunday that Egypt was now "mired in a human rights crisis of huge proportions", as the country "reverts back to a police state". "Peaceful protesters, politicians and journalists have borne the brunt of a ruthless campaign against legitimate dissent by the government and state security forces," said Said Boumedouha, the group's deputy Middle East and North Africa director. "Tens of thousands have been arrested and the country's prisons are now overflowing, with widespread reports of torture and hundreds held without charge or trial," Mr Boumedouha added

Summary: Security has been stepped up in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on the fifth anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.


All-rounder Procter, 28, hit 822 runs and two centuries batting at three during 2016 and played in every County Championship game. Spin bowler Parkinson, 19, made his Red Rose debut in June against Warwickshire where he took a first innings' 5-49. "I couldn't be happier to sign a new deal. I've really enjoyed my first full season as a professional," he said. Procter added: "Playing for Lancashire is all I've ever wanted to do, so to sign a new two-year contract is fantastic. I've enjoyed the responsibility of batting at the top of the order this summer."

Summary: Lancashire pair Luke Procter and Matthew Parkinson have both signed new two-year contracts.


Chesterfield's Dan Gardner was unfortunate to see a bending 27th-minute drive from inside the box hit the post. It was the Addicks' turn to be denied by the woodwork seven minutes later as Nicky Ajose burst through on goal and beat Ryan Fulton, only to see his effort come off the post. A superb one-handed save by Ryan Fulton prevented Josh Magennis heading Charlton in front shortly before the break. Northern Ireland international Magennis again went close with his head 12 minutes into the second half, placing his attempt inches off target after being picked out by Ricky Holmes' delivery. Ajose should have broken the deadlock with a quarter of an hour remaining but instead headed wide when it looked easier to score. But the opener eventually arrived four minutes from time when substitute Novak headed home from a Holmes cross. Jay O'Shea almost grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser for the Spireites with a shot that was deflected agonisingly behind for a corner as Charlton held on to seal back-to-back home victories. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Charlton Athletic 1, Chesterfield 0. Second Half ends, Charlton Athletic 1, Chesterfield 0. Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ricky German (Chesterfield). Corner, Chesterfield. Conceded by Patrick Bauer. Attempt blocked. Jay O'Shea (Chesterfield) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Chesterfield. Ricky German replaces Ched Evans. Substitution, Chesterfield. Kristian Dennis replaces Liam Graham. Foul by Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic). Connor Dimaio (Chesterfield) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Goal! Charlton Athletic 1, Chesterfield 0. Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ricky Holmes. Attempt saved. Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Ian Evatt. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Lee Novak replaces Nicky Ajose. Corner, Chesterfield. Conceded by Morgan Fox. Delay in match Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) because of an injury. Jason Pearce (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield). Attempt missed. Nicky Ajose (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic). (Chesterfield) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Nicky Ajose (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ian Evatt (Chesterfield). Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Jordan Botaka replaces Ademola Lookman. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) has gone down, but that's a dive. Attempt missed. Jay O'Shea (Chesterfield) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Chesterfield. Jay O'Shea replaces Dan Gardner. Corner, Chesterfield. Conceded by Andrew Crofts. Attempt blocked. Ademola

Summary: A late headed winner from substitute Lee Novak secured Charlton a scrappy triumph over Chesterfield.


Phillips, part of Wales' squad for the November Tests, suffered the injury in Scarlets' loss to Ospreys on Saturday. The 27-year-old, capped three times, was on the bench in Wales' historic victory against South Africa. But Scarlets scrum-half Gareth Davies is fit again after a knee injury. Once-capped Davies could face Ospreys in the Pro12 on Saturday after playing in Llanelli RFC's 58-21 Welsh Premiership win over Bridgend last weekend. Davies was injured in Scarlets' 26-13 Pro12 win over Newport Gwent Dragons on Sunday, 5 October, ruling him out of Wales' November Tests. The 24-year-old made his Wales debut as a replacement on their June, 2014 tour to South Africa having shone for the west Wales region last season. Wales begin their Six Nations campaign at home to England on Friday, 6 February, before ending the tournament away to Italy on Saturday, 21 March. Phillips was an unused replacement against the Springboks and Fiji during the autumn campaign and won his last international cap against Tonga in November 2013. He will undergo surgery on his right shoulder on Friday, 2 January after being replaced just before full-time in the 17-15 defeat at the Liberty Stadium. Fellow Scarlets hooker Ken Owens, who deputised for then-injured Richard Hibbard in South Africa, is also yet to return after undergoing neck surgery in September. "Ken's still a few weeks away - we're not putting a deadline on that," said Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac. Gloucester's Hibbard was unable to play in Wales' November win against the Springboks because the game was played outside World Rugby's Test window. That gave Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin the chance to play in the 12-6 win.

Summary: Scarlets hooker Emyr Phillips is likely to miss Wales' Six Nations campaign as he prepares to undergo surgery on a dislocated shoulder, which will sideline him for up to 12 weeks.


Arturo, nicknamed "the world's saddest animal", lives alone in a concrete enclosure in Mendoza, where temperatures can top 100F (38C). The bear, 29, has been seen pacing in his pen and showing behaviour some have likened to depression. Photos of him circulated online have led hundreds of thousands of people to urge his transfer to a zoo in Winnipeg. The director of the Mendoza Zoo said earlier this year it would be unsafe to move the bear due to his age, but that hasn't stopped some high-profile support for a move. "If you love animals the way I do, you're going to want to sign the petition to save the Argentinian polar bear, Arturo," former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. "His current living situation is very sad, and he deserves to be saved." Animal rights groups have expressed concern for Arturo, whose enclosure partner, Pelusa, died two years ago. An online petition calling on Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to transfer Arturo to Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg has garnered a great deal of attention. The Canadian zoo - which opened its International Polar Bear Conservation Centre earlier this month - has previously said it would accept Arturo, but the decision to transfer him rests with the Argentinian zoo.

Summary: Nearly 200,000 people have signed a petition to get a despondent polar bear moved from Argentina to Canada.


It has told AMs that almost 40,000 hours were "lost" in 2014 because of so-called "handover delays". Its report indicates that is up from around 8,000 hours lost in 2008. The ambulance service's chairman also said its "long-standing and complex problems" were now being tackled. He was giving evidence to the assembly's health committee, as it began a short inquiry into the performance of the ambulance services in Wales in the light of recent concerns about its performance. Any wait longer than 15 minutes to transfer patients into hospital is logged as a handover delay, often caused when emergency unit beds are full. The ambulance service says the delays not only present "risks to patients waiting in vehicles" but are "arguably a greater risk" to patients "in the community". That is because when crews are tied up outside A&E they are not able to respond to other urgent calls, which can mean no ambulances are available. Research by the BBC also suggests the ambulance service in Wales, during a four-month period last autumn, faced consistently longer delays than anywhere in England or Northern Ireland. Between August and November last year the Welsh Ambulance Service reported the longest "average handover time" for 13 weeks of a 16-week period. In 10 weeks out of the 16, the Welsh Ambulance Service also had the longest single delay of any recorded by the 11 ambulance services that provided information. The maximum recorded wait for an ambulance patient in Wales exceeded five hours in three of the weeks. Those delays occurred at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan and Wrexham Maelor Hospital. The report to the assembly's health committee suggests handover delays are contributing to problems the ambulance service is encountering in its response time performance. The most recent statistics published last week showed that only 48.5% of urgent Category A calls received a response within eight minutes in January. The target is 65%. But other factors, the evidence suggests, are at play: Addressing the committee, ambulance service chairman Mick Giannasi listed actions being taken to overcome "long-standing and complex problems", including a "significant" improvement to industrial relations with staff. "We absolutely acknowledge that the performance of the emergency ambulance service in Wales is not acceptable, particularly not in terms of its achievement against the eight-minute response times target," he said. "We accept progress is slow, but we passionately believe now that I think our plans will deliver," he added. Meanwhile, the author of a review into the ambulance service said improvements were taking longer than she wanted. Prof Siobahn McClelland called for major changes when she published her findings, commissioned by the Welsh government, in 2013. She said some of her recommendations were being introduced in an NHS that was a "very complex organisation that is sometimes very slow to change". Before the committee meeting, a Welsh government official commented: "We expect all patient handovers to be completed in order of clinical priority and in a timely manner. "Health boards should take responsibility for reducing lengthy patient handover delays. We continue

Summary: Patients could be at risk because there's been a five-fold increase in delays faced by ambulance crews outside hospitals, according to the Welsh Ambulance Service.


Joel Richards, 20, was left at Birmingham's City Hospital on Sunday, where he died from his injuries. West Midlands Police said a 17-year-old arrested at a service station on the M40 near Oxford on Monday had been charged with Mr Richards' murder. The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, will appear at Birmingham Magistrates' court on Thursday.

Summary: A teenager has been charged with the murder of a man who was left outside a hospital after being stabbed.


Her condition is stable and she has been advised to rest, doctors at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital said. Mrs Gandhi, 69, is the widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. She is the head of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has mostly governed India since independence in 1947. Mrs Gandhi was admitted earlier this month after suffering from dehydration, fever and sustaining an injury during a campaign event in the city of Varanasi. She underwent surgery to repair the shoulder injury, and was discharged from hospital on Sunday. "Sonia Gandhi's medical condition at the time of discharge from the hospital is stable. She has been advised rest and continuation of medicines," DS Rana of Ganga Ram Hospital was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency. "Mrs Gandhi is likely to visit the hospital for further evaluation of her condition in the coming week." Her party lost the 2014 general elections to Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 2011 Mrs Gandhi went to the US to receive surgery for an undisclosed medical condition. In 2013, she was taken to a hospital for a few hours after she fell ill in parliament. And in 2014, she was admitted to a Delhi hospital for treatment of an infection.

Summary: The leader of India's main opposition Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, has been discharged from hospital where she had surgery to repair a shoulder injury, doctors say.


Patients often have a catheter fitted, either to drain urine stuck in the bladder or to monitor urine output. But these flexible tubes can harbour nasty bugs and cause infection. Scientists at University of Southampton have shown in the lab that diluted honey stops some common bacteria from forming sticky, hard-to-remove layers on surfaces such as plastic. In theory, a honey solution might be useful for flushing urinary catheters to keep them clean while they remain in the bladder. Many more trials would be needed to check it would be safe to use in humans, however. Honey has been used for centuries as a natural antiseptic. People have used it to treat burns and wounds and many companies now sell a range of "medical grade" honey products that comply with regulatory standards. The laboratory work, published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, looked at two common bacteria that can cause urine and bladder infections - E. coli and Proteus mirabilis. Even at low dilution - about 3.3% - the honey solution appeared to stop the bacteria from clustering together and creating layers of known biofilm. Dr Bashir Lwaleed's team used Manuka honey (made by bees that feed on the nectar of the manuka tree) in their study because this dark-coloured honey from Australia and New Zealand is known to have bacterial-fighting properties. They say other types of honey might work too, but they have not tested this. Dr Lwaleed said: "Nobody knows exactly how or why honey works as an antibacterial. And we don't know how well honey would be tolerated in the bladder. We are the first to propose this." Prof Dame Nicky Cullum is an expert in wound care and has looked at the evidence around honey as a treatment. She said: "This work from Southampton is at a very early stage so we shouldn't get too excited. But it is an interesting avenue that is worth pursuing. "Obviously, we'd need more studies to check that it wouldn't irritate the bladder or cause any other problems. "People like things that are natural but they are not always more effective."

Summary: Honey and water might be a useful weapon against urine infections in hospital patients, say UK researchers.


Harrold has scored nine goals in 68 games for Crawley since signing from Bristol Rovers in June 2014. The 32-year-old acted as player-manager in the Reds' final game of last season following Dermot Drummy's departure. "I feel like I've got a bit of a point to prove after my injuries and the tough season last year," he told the club website.

Summary: Crawley striker Matt Harrold has signed a new contract to stay with the League Two side until the end of next season.