Police believe it was planted by "violent dissident republicans". The device - which police described as more intricate than a pipe bomb - was reportedly discovered under a car at Ardanlee, in the Culmore area of the city, on Wednesday morning. Children were in the area at the time, police said. Police have not confirmed whether anyone was injured in the blast. Debbie Watters, vice-chairwoman of Northern Ireland's Policing Board, said the officer had had a "very lucky escape". The area remains cordoned off and a number of homes have been evacuated in an ongoing security alert. The device was intended to kill and inflict harm in the community, said the PSNI's Supt Gordon McCalmont. "This was an attempt to kill one of my colleagues," he said. "My thoughts are with my colleague and his family. You can imagine the impact this trauma will have on them." Ms Watters said she was grateful that the "evil intent" of those responsible had not succeeded "Such activity reinforces the continuing threat that exists for our police officers both on and off duty," she said. "As a community, it is our responsibility to ensure those behind such activity are brought to justice." Police have extended the security cordon to all of Spruce Meadows and part of Ardanlee while the investigation continues. Residents who were asked to leave the estate are using the nearby St John's Parish centre until they are allowed to return home. Mary Davey, who lives at Ardanlee with her three young children, said she was shocked by the incident. "We looked out the window and saw the police cars arriving with the lights flashing and then the tape going over across the front of the estate," Mrs Davey told BBC Radio Foyle. "We're very angry, they're putting everyone's life at risk, not just the people they are targeting." Her husband, Barry, said they had lived in Derry peacefully for 20 years. "We have three young children here and I'm from Belfast, so where we can actually go is very limited," he said. "We're anguished because this is not daily life for us. We came here thinking we would have a quiet life, people don't want this." Meanwhile, in a separate incident, homes were evacuated in County Tyrone after the discovery of a pipe bomb at Sion Mills. Police have not linked the two incidents. The Sion Mills security alert ended shortly before 17:00 GMT.

Summary: A bomb has exploded outside the home of a serving police officer in Londonderry as Army technical officers were trying to defuse it.


The Australian hit a nine-under-par 63 at Sawgrass to move ahead of a group of five players that includes England's Justin Rose and Ireland's Shane Lowry. Lowry picked up seven shots on the back nine to come home in a tournament record 29 strokes. Masters champion Danny Willett is seven adrift on two under, while world number two Jordan Spieth is level par. Rory McIlroy, the world number three, also finished nine shots off the lead after a 72 containing two birdies and two bogeys. Day, starting on the back nine, began his round with three straight birdies and reached the turn in four under par. He then added five more birdies when he got to the front nine to equal the course record shared by Martin Kaymer, Roberto Castro, Greg Norman and Fred Couples. Lowry, 29, has recorded only one top-10 finish this season but joined Rose and American trio Bill Haas, Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale in a homeward run that included chipping in for an eagle-three at the par-five 11th. Willett and Spieth, both playing their first tournaments since an Augusta duel won by the Englishman, ended up well adrift on a day of low scoring. Indeed, Spieth took a seven on the par-five ninth, his final hole, after taking five shots to get down from a greenside bunker.

Summary: World number one Jason Day equalled the course record to take a two-shot first-round lead at the Players Championship.


Welfare crews warned it risked death because it was so woolly from living in the wild for several years. More than 40kg (88lb) of wool was removed in what the RSPCA says is the heaviest wool haul from one shearing. National shearing champion Ian Elkins was urgently called in on Wednesday to tackle the mammoth merino. Mr Elkins described Thursday's marathon sheering session as one of his biggest challenges, saying he had never seen anything like it in 35 years of work. Chris the sheep had to be sedated during the very delicate operation. Mr Elkins said he was proud Australia had claimed the title from New Zealand, likening it to "the rivalry on the rugby field". The massive bundle of fleece tipped the scales at more than 42kg (92lb), but was revised down to 40kg (88lb) to counter the weight of the bag. Animal welfare officials said Chris was "four-to-five times its normal size" before going under the knife. In 2004, Shrek the New Zealand sheep was found after six years on the loose. The animal - also a merino - later lost his giant 27kg (60lb) fleece in a televised shearing broadcast live around the world.

Summary: An overgrown Australian sheep affectionately named Chris has set a new unofficial world record following a hair cut from five shearers.


They studied 156 stroke patients with different patterns of brain injury. More of those with insular cortex damage successfully gave up smoking and reported fewer withdrawal symptoms than the other stroke patients. Experts say targeting this brain area may help other smokers quit. Most stop smoking medicines currently on the market work by blocking the brain's reward pathways in response to nicotine. And patches and gums aim to lessen cravings by supplying a controlled dose of nicotine as the person weans themselves off tobacco. But post-graduate researcher Amir Abdolahi and colleagues believe the insular cortex could be a valuable new target for quit smoking aids. Therapies that could hone in on this area of the brain and disrupt its role in addiction, potentially with new drugs or other techniques such as deep brain stimulation or transcranial magnetic stimulation, should be explored, they say. "Much more research is needed in order for us to more fully understand the underlying mechanism and specific role of the insular cortex, but it is clear that something is going on in this part of the brain that is influencing addiction," Dr Abdolahi said. The research findings are published in two medical journals - Addiction and Addictive Behaviors. The patients in the study were smokers who had been admitted to hospital because of a stroke. Medical scans revealed that 38 of them had suffered damage to the insular cortex, while the remaining 118 had damage to other parts of the brain. All of the patients were encouraged by their doctor to quit smoking. The researchers followed the patients for three months to see how many actually quit, and how easy they had found it. A few dropped out of the study. Of those remaining, almost twice as many patients with strokes in the insular cortex successfully abstained from smoking for three months (22 out of 32 patients, or 70%) compared with those with strokes in other parts of the brain (38 out of 103 patients, or 37%). And they suffered less from withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, hunger, rage, sleeplessness and anxiety. The findings support those of earlier work by Dr Antoine Bechara, from the University of Southern California, who reported that stroke patients with damage to the insular cortex had said their body had "forgotten the urge to smoke". The insular cortex lies deep in the brain and has widespread connections to surrounding regions. Experts believe its primary role is to do with desires and emotions.

Summary: A particular region of the brain may drive smoking addiction, say scientists who found stroke survivors with damage to their insular cortex more easily kicked the habit.


He completed the 138 nautical mile voyage from Cowes to Dinard in nine hrs three mins and six secs last month. It has been acknowledged as the fastest single-handed crossing in a yacht less than 60 feet long by the World Sailing Speed Record Council. "It's fantastic news and a great feeling to have an official world record under my belt," Sharp said. Find out how to get into sailing with our special guide. Sharp sailed his 40-foot Imerys yacht between the isle of Wight and northern France on 24 November, taking almost three hours off the previous record that had stood for 12 years. "Imerys was on fire in these windy conditions. These latest Class 40's are seriously optimised racing machines, averaging speeds of 15 knots and surfing at over 20 knots," he said. "It is still difficult to believe that Imerys managed to carve three hours off the previous time. Hopefully this sets the bar high enough to hold on to the record for some time at least."

Summary: Jersey-based sailor Phil Sharp's has had his single-handed cross-Channel record officially ratified.


The Xylella fastidiosa bacteria also threatens citrus fruit and vineyards. The Commission says at least 10% of the 11 million olive trees in Lecce are infected. It wants Italy to destroy infected trees and restrict any trade in species vulnerable to the disease. New emergency measures are to be proposed by the Commission this week. Thousands of hectares of olives are affected by the outbreak - a major worry for Italy, which is the EU's second biggest olive oil producer after Spain. The Commission set out a range of measures to contain the outbreak last July, but says the situation has deteriorated since then and more action is needed. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says the disease, which kills trees by desiccation, is spread by various sap-sucking insects. An EFSA spokesperson told the BBC that there remain "a lot of uncertainties" about the Italian outbreak, despite a comprehensive EFSA study of it published in January. "Even trees not showing symptoms might carry the bacteria, which makes it really difficult. Just cutting down trees with symptoms might not be enough," he said. Italian officials in Lecce say 15km-wide (nine-mile) buffer strips will be created around plantations which have infected trees. Those strips should be free of species vulnerable to the disease, so that the blight is contained. Local officials, quoted by Italy's AGI news agency, suspect the disease entered Italy through ornamental plants imported from Costa Rica. The Xylella blight has previously ravaged vineyards in California and citrus groves in Brazil, EFSA says. A local campaign group called Peacelink disputes the EU data on the disease, however, arguing that a fungal infection is most likely to blame. In a letter to EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, Peacelink says more than 500 olive trees treated for fungi have recovered since spring last year. It says research by the University of Foggia pointed to fungi, rather than Xylella, as the cause. Peacelink urged the EU not to destroy olive trees en masse in the affected area, saying such a move would be "totally unnecessary".

Summary: Italy must step up efforts to contain a bacterial disease blighting olive trees in the southern province of Lecce, the European Commission has warned.


The figure, based on the American toy GI Joe, was first hit shelves in 1966 and quickly became a must-have. Palitoy, based in Coalville, Leicestershire made its own British version with beards, gripping hands and "lifelike hair". Fans and collectors met on the "sacred ground" of the former factory, now a conference centre, for AMCom16. The action figure - never called a doll for fear of alienating boys - was hugely popular in the 1960s and 70s but then lost out to Star Wars. Meanwhile, Palitoy shifted manufacturing of all its products abroad and by the mid 1980s had ceased trading. Bob Brechin was the firm's chief designer and modelled Action Man's famous grip on his own hand. He said: "[Collectors] don't grow up do they?... They are reliving their childhood really. It's great that they do because it keeps it alive." Organiser Alan Dawson said it was a nostalgic event and many people had brought their children to show what their own childhood was like. "The genius was calling it Action Man because it opened up the door for non military - the football player, the Olympic athlete, the rock climber, the Arctic explorer. Parents who didn't approve of war toys would still let their children play with them. "It's become part of the DNA of that generation, those generations between 1966 and 1984."

Summary: Fans of Action Man have gathered at the spiritual home of the popular toy to celebrate his 50th birthday.


Investors remain optimistic that the election win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's party over the weekend will lead to more stimulus measures. Mr Abe had described the vote as an endorsement of his reform policies and promised new government spending to help the economy. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index closed 0.8% higher at 16,231.43. In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended the day up 97.63 points at 21,322.37 while the mainland Shanghai Composite closed up 11.31 points at 3,060.69. Australia's benchmark ASX/200 index in Sydney rose 0.7% to close at 5,388.54. With the iron ore price seeing a strong rise overnight, shares in commodity-related companies were among the best performers. Atlas Iron saw an 18% surge while Fortescue gained 6% and BHP Billiton was up just over 3%. In South Korea, the Kospi closed up 0.7% at 2,005.55.

Summary: Japanese shares rose for a third day in row, leading a positive trend across the Asia Pacific region.


Explosives lit up the sky and loud bangs were heard as the fire took hold at 05:00 BST on Bitterne Road West. Homes and properties within 100 metres (328ft) of the fire on the site of the Southern Fireworks Factory and the Flower Factory were evacuated. No-one was injured. Surrounding roads are expected to remain closed overnight. More than 70 firefighters in 13 engines and support vehicles helped bring the blaze under control. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service group commander Howard Watts said: "It was a challenging scene when we arrived - with all the explosions we couldn't get too close to the fire. "Our main concern making sure everyone in the area was safe and to make sure no-one was in the building." At the height of the blaze, a plume of black smoke billowed over the area. Resident Jill Sainsbury said she heard an "almighty bang" and saw different colours appear in the sky at around 05:00. She said: "We thought it was coming from the river until we saw a massive plume of smoke coming from the Fireworks Factory near the Flower Factory. "The fireworks had been going off for at least an hour - it has stopped now - but certainly the plume of smoke is still pouring over the river and the city." Ryan Gregory, who lives nearby, said he initially thought the bangs were gunshots. He said: "I looked out of my window to see there was a lot of smoke. Immediately I knew it was from the Firework Factory, but I didn't expect it to go up in the blaze that it did." The A3024 Bitterne Road West and and Bitterne Bridge have been closed in both directions while firefighters deal with the blaze. Southampton City Council said it had lifted the toll on the Itchen Bridge until the road reopens. The authority said the road closures were expected to remain in place overnight Southern Water also warned the considerable use of hydrants in the area had left some residents with poor pressure or temporary loss of their water supply. Bitterne Manor Primary School on Quayside Road was also closed. A rest centre has been set up at the Ascension Centre in Thorold Road for 60 residents who have had to leave their homes. The council confirmed a licence to store fireworks had been issued to Southern Firework Factory Ltd in September. A spokesman said the storage conditions at the premises "complied with the relevant conditions". "At the time of the licence application the premises was purely commercial with no residential accommodation attached. As such the licence permitted 250kg (550lbs) net explosive content to be stored in a steel container secured against unauthorised access," he said.

Summary: A huge blaze broke out at a shop in Southampton, setting off dozens of fireworks stored inside.


Jose Ortiz was on board the 5-1 second favourite - trained by Todd Pletcher - to emulate brother Irad Ortiz Jr, who won the same race last year on Creator. Tapwrit's late charge overhauled Irish War Cry in the closing stages to win by two lengths in New York, with one-eyed horse Patch, a 13-1 shot, in third. The Triple Crown includes the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. It is Pletcher's third victory in the race and his second of the Triple Crown this season, after winning the Derby with Always Dreaming.

Summary: Tapwrit won the Belmont Stakes ahead of 3-1 favourite Irish War Cry in the final leg of the US Triple Crown.


Media playback is not supported on this device The Stoke City forward, 32, limped off after 64 minutes of Monday's 1-1 Group E draw with Sweden in Paris. Walters has not trained since and his absence for the Belgium game was confirmed on Friday. West Brom midfielder James McClean, Walters' replacement against Sweden, is expected to start in Bordeaux. Media playback is not supported on this device Belgium - ranked second in the world - lost 2-0 to Italy in their opening game. Italy, who beat Sweden 1-0 on Friday to seal their progress into the last 16, take on the Republic in Lille next Wednesday. "He thinks he is going to be able to make the Italian game," O'Neill said of Walters on Wednesday. Wes Hoolahan's opener for the Republic against Sweden at the Stade de France was cancelled out by a Ciaran Clark own goal. "If that performance doesn't lift you, nothing will," said O'Neill. "We will have to show the same attitude again, go and compete and be strong on the ball." Media playback is not supported on this device

Summary: Republic of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters has been ruled out of Saturday's Euro 2016 clash against Belgium because of an Achilles injury.


Sarah Papachristophorou admitted supplying substances to the victim, 77, and stealing up to Â£1,000 from him. The 47-year-old, who worked as a nurse for more than 20 years, was sacked from her job at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital following the allegations. She was caught when the victim's relatives set up a secret camera. CCTV showing her taking cash was played at her Birmingham Crown Court sentencing. The former health worker had also pleaded guilty to supplying the man, who was a family friend, with zopiclone, tramadol and diazepam. She had taken the class C drugs from her work, which the sentencing judge described as "a gross breach of ethics". Papachristophorou's barrister Daniel Church asked for a suspended jail term, adding the former nurse, of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, had shown genuine remorse. But Judge Philip Parker QC said the aggravating features of the case were "odious and despicable" and jailed the married mother of two for 12 months. A spokesman for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said Papachristophorou no longer worked for the organisation, having been dismissed on 10 May.

Summary: An NHS hospital nurse who supplied a man with prescription drugs taken from her workplace has been jailed for what a judge called "despicable" crimes.


John Baird's cool finish from a tight angle proved to be the difference. That lead was nearly added to when Will Vaulks hit the crossbar from 20 yards, then Morton's Declan McManus did the same from 30 yards. The game ended on a low note with Falkirk's on-loan Norwich midfielder Conor McGrandles suffering a serious leg injury. Apart from Ton midfielder Joe McKee almost scoring directly from a corner and Vaulks' looping effort at the other end, the opening exchanges at Cappielow matched the dull weather. But the uncovered, wet Bairns fans had something to cheer about when Baird used all his know-how to net his 17th goal of the season in front of the away end. The ball had been booted high into the air in Morton's box and Baird outmuscled home defender Conor Pepper as it dropped, before staying calm to place it beyond goalkeeper Derek Gaston. Vaulks' technique was ideal as he watched a side-footed curler kiss the the top of the woodwork soon after. Morton's McKee directed a header wide when well placed and on-loan Fleetwood Town striker McManus - a revelation for Ton last season - went closer with a dipping free-kick just prior to half-time. Bobby Barr rifled in a low left-footed shot just wide of the far post and McManus tested Danny Rogers again as Morton pushed for the equaliser. But clear contender for man-of-the-match Baird came closest to hitting the back of the net in the second 45 minutes, forcing Gaston to make a brilliant clawed save from his half-volley. McGrandles - in his second spell at Falkirk - came off the worst in a crunching tackle with McKee near the end, for which the Morton player was booked. It meant eight minutes of added time but the visitors held on to secure their first victory since 2 January.

Summary: Falkirk beat Morton to land their first win in six games, moving two points behind Hibernian in the Championship.


At least 10 more women were wounded, medical sources said. A Houthi rebel spokesman said the strike was followed by a second which hit emergency responders in Arhab, 40km (25 miles) from Sanaa. The rebels blamed a US and Saudi-backed coalition for the bloodshed, who are yet to comment. The coalition has been fighting the Houthis and forces loyal to a former Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, since March 2015. Its aim is to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Abdel-Rahman al-Ahnomi, a spokesman for the Houthis, said the twin strikes killed and wounded dozens of people. However, other reports from the scene said there was only one air strike. Conflicting reports are common in the chaos following air raids in Yemen. Yemen's war has killed more than 10,000 civilians and displaced more than three million people since 2015. The conflict and a blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition have also triggered a humanitarian disaster, leaving 80% of the population in need of aid. Doctors Without Borders warned this week of a worsening situation in the city of Taiz, where hospitals have been repeatedly attacked and where 200,000 people face food, water and medicine shortages. The US was criticised last month over a raid on a village in central Yemen, in which a number of civilians died - many of them children. Its target was the house of a suspected leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). US media now report that the dead included a tribal leader allied to the internationally-backed president. A US Navy Seal was also killed in the attack, and six American soldiers were wounded.

Summary: Eight women and a child have reportedly been killed in an overnight air raid on a funeral reception near Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa.


13 March 2012 Last updated at 18:31 GMT Nan Weidong and Nan Weiping have been transforming vegetables into musical instruments for two years. Their dad was a music teacher and encouraged them to be musical from a young age - but carrot panpipes probably weren't what he had in mind! Weidong says it's important the veg is fresh - otherwise it risks being out of tune. And no vegetable is too much of a challenge: they've turned a sweet potato into an ocarina, a bamboo shoot has become a flute, and a yam has doubled up as a whistle. Watch the clip to see them in action!

Summary: We were always told to not play with our food, but these two brothers from China clearly never listened!


The man was walking near Slieve Binnian on Monday when he fell at about 16:30 BST. Other walkers spotted him and raised the alarm. A team of 18 people from the Mourne Mountain Rescue Service helped the man before he was airlifted to hospital. The man had been in a place known as the water slabs, said Martin McMullan, a rescue team coordinator. He described the area as very slippery and quite challenging. "It seems that he lost his footing at the top and then slid down part of the water slabs and started to tumble before he came to rest at the bottom," said Mr McMullan. "He had taken quite a fall and sustained multiple injuries primarily to the upper part of his body. "We treated him for head, neck and chest injuries as a result of that fall." The Mourne Mountain Rescue Service was also involved at the weekend in the search for the two missing crewmen of an Irish Coast Guard helicopter that crashed off Blacksod in County Mayo. Both men have been missing since Rescue 116 crashed on 14 March.

Summary: A man is in a critical condition in hospital after falling up to 50 metres in the Mourne Mountains.


The 21-year-old will finalise a £31m move to Old Trafford when the transfer window opens in June. Depay made his final appearance for PSV on Sunday, playing 83 minutes of their 3-2 victory at Den Haag. He finished the season as Eredivisie's top scorer with 22 goals as PSV secured their first Dutch title since 2008.

Summary: PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay has completed a medical at Manchester United.


The 44-10 win sees Ireland go top of Pool D and they can seal a quarter-final spot if they beat Italy at the Olympic Stadium next Sunday. "Next week is the pivotal week. It's pressure for us and pressure for Italy," said Schmidt. "That is why people come to a World Cup - they want to see how teams respond." After facing Italy, Ireland complete their pool fixtures with a match against France on 11 October. "For us it starts in earnest now, because we know we can qualify if we win next weekend," added Schmidt. "The game against France just decides who we play in the quarter-final if we can win next week. "Italy, after a win and a loss, need to win to qualify. It becomes a last-16 game for us." Ireland must wait to find out if Rob Kearney will be fit after he was injured in scoring the fifth try shortly after coming on as a substitute. "Rob was involved in a high-speed play after coming on the pitch and just after scoring the try he's jarred himself," Schmidt added. "We hope it is not too much but the next 24 to 48 hours will tell if he has done anything telling for next week." Losing Kearney would be a setback for Ireland, but several players impressed in a dominant performance against Romania. Schmidt made 12 changes with Italy and France in mind, but his altered line-up showed few signs of weakness, scoring six tries, including four in the second half. Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls crossed the line twice each, before Kearney and Chris Henry added two more late on, and Simon Zebo also staked a claim with an impressive display at full-back. "There were a number of players who performed really well and will create a big of selection headache for Italy," Schmidt said.

Summary: Ireland's World Cup campaign "starts in earnest now" after Sunday's convincing bonus-point victory over Romania, according to coach Joe Schmidt.


Martin John Neeson, from Magowan Park, appeared at Londonderry Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH). The assault happened at Magowan Park at about 04:00 BST on 28 August. A 35-year-old man from Ballykelly sustained serious head injuries in the incident and remains in a critical condition in hospital. Mr Neeson is also charged with having a knife with intent to cause GBH. Both offences are alleged to have taken place in the early hours of Sunday morning. The defendant told the court that he "disagreed with all that". He was remanded in custody until 5 September for a potential bail application.

Summary: A 36-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attacking a man in Londonderry.


The 36-year-old was due to captain the county in their final four Division One fixtures, but has been asked to rest a hamstring injury by Cricket Australia. "We are naturally disappointed that Adam cannot return," said managing director of cricket Angus Fraser. "He is a fine player and a highly respected member of our squad. His presence will be missed." Voges has played 18 Tests for Australia and featured in all three games of their recent series defeat by Sri Lanka. He had made six Championship appearances for Middlesex before that tour, scoring 388 runs.

Summary: Championship leaders Middlesex will be without Australia batsman Adam Voges for the remainder of the 2016 season.


At closing, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 44.98 points, or 0.7%, at 6,371.18. Aerospace firm Rolls-Royce led the downward trend, shedding 4.2% after media reports of an inquiry into the EU's airline maintenance market. However, British Airways owner IAG rose 1.19% on a broker upgrade. Mining giant Glencore began the session as the 100-share index's biggest gainer after it said it had started the sales process for two of its copper mines. Shares in Glencore initially jumped 1.55% on the news that the mines, in Australia and Chile, were up for sale, but at close, they were down 6.2%. Glencore is attempting to reduce $30bn (£19.5bn) of debt created by its 2013 takeover of Xstrata. Against the dollar, the pound was 0.22% higher at $1.5350 and gained 0.19% against the euro to €1.3500.

Summary: (Close): London's leading shares dipped in Monday morning trading, indicating that an eight-day run of gains might be coming to an end.


The Gunners were extremely poor and were outplayed for long periods at home, but they still picked up a point and actually created enough chances to win the match because of the brilliance of Mesut Ozil. I would not even say Ozil had a particularly good game but he got his side out of jail with his cross for Kieran Gibbs' equaliser. Ozil had already provided two balls from a free-kick and a corner that Olivier Giroud should have scored from - he hit the bar with his first header and sent the second one wide. Tottenham knew how dangerous he was because they stopped him from getting on the ball in open play until the final 15 minutes, but his magic touch was still able to rescue Arsenal from what would have been a very bad defeat. Ozil had already made 47 chances this season going into Sunday's game, the most in the Premier League alongside West Ham's Dimitri Payet. That works out at an average of almost five a game in each of his previous 10 appearances. In the first half at Emirates Stadium, however, the German did not even have a sniff of creating an opening in open play. That was because, from the off, Spurs had the perfect game plan. They identified Arsenal's best two players as Ozil and Alexis Sanchez and they stopped their supply at source, pressing high to stop the Gunners from building from the back. Any time Ozil, Sanchez or Santi Cazorla did get the ball, they had two or three men on them straight away and they took them completely out of the game. Ozil dropped deep to get the ball and could not do any damage from there. It was only in the last 25 minutes that Ozil began to get any time in possession in the Tottenham half, and he made it count. I think he is at his most deadly when he picks up the ball when an initial attack has been cleared. The defence pushes up and Ozil is just waiting for them to do that so he can deliver it into the space they leave behind. I have seen it happen time and time again and it was a similar story on Sunday when he picked up the ball and spotted Gibbs's run to the far post. It was his 10th assist of the campaign, four more than anyone else, and he set a Premier League record for making a goal in six successive games in the same season. Some people still seem to have the perception that Ozil is lazy, or a luxury player, so it is worth highlighting again how hard he actually works. He does more work for the Arsenal team than any other midfielder or forward bar Aaron Ramsey and covers a lot of ground right across the pitch. I think it is easy to get the wrong idea because of his style on the ball. Someone like Alexis Sanchez looks busier because he does a lot of one-twos and plays with more urgency.

Summary: Arsenal got absolutely battered for most of Sunday's 1-1 draw in the north London derby against Tottenham - their fans must have been wondering what was happening, because it was embarrassing at times.


CNOOC had offered to pay $27.50 cash per share for Nexen in July, a 60% premium on its share price at the time. However, the deal still needs to be approved by the Canadian government which has launched a review to assess its benefit to Canada. If approved, the deal will be China's largest foreign business takeover. "The offer is a compelling one, and offers benefits for all Nexen's stakeholders, including employees and communities," CNOOC spokesman Peter Hunt was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. "CNOOC Limited will continue to pursue all regulatory approvals required to close the transaction." While Nexen shareholders have backed the deal, there seems to be growing opposition to it among politicians and even the general public in Canada. Canada's biggest opposition party, the New Democratic Party (NDP), has voiced its concerns over the deal. "We're very concerned about the potential sale of a strategic Canadian asset, not only to a foreign enterprise, but one that is wholly controlled by a foreign government that doesn't follow the same market rules as Canada," said Thomas Mulcair, leader of the NDP. "The question is how can it be in Canada's interest, how can it be of a net benefit to Canada, to sell a strategic natural resource to a corporation that is wholly owned by a foreign country?" Meanwhile, according to a latest survey conducted by Abacus Data, 69% of Canadians are also against the deal, while only 8% approve of it, with the rest being unsure. "A majority of those opposed to the deal (58%) cited the fact that Nexen operates in one of Canada's core strategic industries, and a foreign company should not have control of such an important resource," Abacus Data said. Mr Mulcair added that the survey indicated that "Canadians share our concerns". Canada's government has the right to block any foreign investments over 330m Canadian dollars if it believes they are not in the country's best interests. CNOOC, which is China's biggest offshore oil producer, has made commitments to ensure the authorities that the deal will bring benefit to the country. It has said that it will retain Nexen employees and make Nexen's Calgary office as its headquarters for North and Central America. It has also offered to list shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Kevin Reinhart, Nexen's interim chief executive, said the Chinese firm also wanted to keep the Nexen brand name. "This transaction will in no way close the book on Nexen or our way of doing business," he said.

Summary: Shareholders of Canada's Nexen have approved the takeover bid by China's state-owned CNOOC to acquire the firm in a $15.1bn (£9.3bn) deal.


Joshua, 27, knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in May to add the WBA title to the IBF strap he already held. But Tyson - a two-time world heavyweight champion - has warned the position can be "a crown of thorns". In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Radio 5 live boxing's Mike Costello, Tyson outlined his belief in Joshua's ability, gave his views on a potential Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor bout and offered insight into the man who turned him into the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Tyson describes Joshua as a "happy fighter" who is "fast for a big guy", and his admiration grew when the Briton survived the first knockdown of his career to stop Klitschko in the 11th round at Wembley Stadium. He places huge emphasis on the heart Joshua showed to "finish the job", insisting such grit is the most important quality in the sport. "Joshua has the potential to do a lot of things," said Tyson, 50. "He's got the look and throws a lot of hard punches. But there is so much pressure on him. I was in Dubai and there are big posters of him there." Tyson was stopped from entering the UK in 2013 because of previous convictions, one of which saw him serve three years of a six-year jail sentence imposed in 1992 for raping a teenage beauty-pageant contestant. In a career packed with incident, he also regained the WBC world title after his spell in jail, bit the ear of Evander Holyfield during a 1997 bout and filed for bankruptcy in 2002, three years before his final fight. He told 5 live's boxing podcast: "The heavyweight championship will drive people crazy, you know that right? It's like a crown of thorns. Everyone wants to use you for something. It's like being the President of the United States. "Joshua can't get the big head. He has to focus on fighting. When you start focusing on money, girls or whatever it is, it's going downhill. No religion, nothing, you can do those things when the fight is over. Let's see if he can handle that stuff. "It's his time. I could be wrong, I'm not the gospel of boxing but he impressed me with Klitschko." A similarity between Tyson and Joshua can be drawn as both men found boxing after difficult spells in their youth. By his own admission, Tyson lived in the "hell hole" neighbourhood of Brownsville in Brooklyn, New York. Joshua meanwhile, pled guilty to possession of cannabis with the intent to supply just over a year before he won Olympic gold in 2012. Tyson, whose father had left and mother had died by the time he was 16, found Cus D'Amato - who became his legal guardian, taught him to read and write, and coached him on the road to boxing stardom. His new book, 'Iron Ambition', focuses on his relationship with D'Amato, who Tyson says forced fighters to visualise success and believe in themselves. "I never had a father figure but I knew what it was like to have a father being with

Summary: Anthony Joshua must prove he can handle the pressure and distractions of holding world heavyweight titles, says former champion Mike Tyson.


South Africa needed only 14.4 overs to reach their target of 172, with AB de Villiers making 71 in just 29 balls. It gave them a 2-0 T20 series win to go with their 3-2 one-day series victory. "The first half of the trip was very exciting," Bayliss said. "But we got worse as the series went on, and South Africa got better." England won the four-match Test series 2-1 and took a 2-0 lead in the one-day international contest, before losing the final five fixtures on the tour (three ODIs and two T20s). Their batting collapsed dramatically at the Wanderers, with seven wickets falling for 14 runs and the bowlers were then subjected to an onslaught from De Villiers and Hashim Amla, who took their team to 121-0 after just eight overs. The South Africans struck 16 fours and nine sixes, with Amla unbeaten on 69 from 38 balls. Such an emphatic defeat was ominous for England, who begin their ICC World Twenty20 campaign against West Indies in Mumbai on 16 March and face South Africa two days later. "It's a bit of a reminder for people at home not to get too far ahead of themselves," Bayliss admitted. "We have played some good cricket, but this is a young group of players and performances like this will happen from time to time." The tourists changed their team for Sunday's match at the Wanderers, bringing in batsman Sam Billings for bowling all-rounder David Willey. "In India we'll definitely be playing two spinners, so we just wanted to try having that extra batter, which we've done before, and just the five bowlers," Bayliss added. Asked about the effects of a long tour he added: "I'm sure fatigue had a very small part to do with it, probably more mental than anything else. We've been away for five months apart from a week in between, when you count the UAE. "But that's something these young players have got to get used to and if that's part of the learning curve for these young guys, there's something to learn from." England skipper Eoin Morgan, who was run out at the non striker's end for 38, lamented: "Quite simply, we underperformed. "The majority of our batting went really well - we were on course to get 185, 190, possibly 200. "Myself and Jos Buttler were going really well, then we lost two wickets in two balls, and then from there we lost six wickets in the space of no time. I don't think we were too far behind the game, but the way we started with the ball allowed South Africa to get on top. "The inconsistency is because we are inexperienced, and that is going to come. With that comes a great brand of cricket that is really exciting and can beat any side in the world."

Summary: England coach Trevor Bayliss admitted South Africa's nine-wicket Twenty20 thrashing of his team in Johannesburg was "men against boys".


In the year to October 2015, 135 transgender hate offences were recorded, compared with 108 last year. The Met said the rise was partly explained by more people reporting such crimes, and urged any victims of transphobia to come forward. One London-based LGBT charity said the real number of offences was higher. The Met figures also show that homophobic crime has risen by 21% - from 1,421 offences in 2014 to 1,724 in 2015. Melanie Stray, from LGBT charity Galop, told the BBC this type of crime was still being underreported. She said: "The figures that are being reported in London in a year, we have clients that experience that themselves in a year. "I think it's the everyday stuff that happens - people couldn't report all of it because they'd spend their lives speaking to the police." Commander Mark Chishty from the Met stressed the need for victims to contact the police in every instance, saying: "However mundane you think it is, it's very serious to us. "It's important that we tackle this so we start curbing this type of behaviour within society - it's not tolerable, it's not part of our values and we want to deal with it." The Met recently formed a special hate crime senior partnership group between the police and community representatives, working alongside its dedicated LGBT Liaison Officers.

Summary: A 25% increase in hate crimes against transgender people has been recorded in London this year, according to figures released by the Met Police.


Olivia Edohasim, nine, died when the black Toyota Auris she was travelling in hit a brick wall on Manchester Road, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, on 7 May. Police have released two CCTV images of a Citroen and a Range Rover to encourage the drivers to contact them. Although not involved, police think they may be able to aid the inquiry. Police said a man, 45, and a girl, 11 - who were also in the car and are believed to be related to Olivia - are still in hospital but are "recovering well". Police said neither the driver of the Citroen C3 or a dark coloured Range Rover Evoque have come forward to speak to police. Sgt Brian Orr, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "We don't believe the drivers of these vehicles have done anything wrong or were involved in the collision." He said new information about where the vehicles were may "jog some memories". He said: "Moments before the collision the Citroen C3 is seen to be travelling along Stamford Brook Road heading in the direction of Manchester Road." He said it was then overtaken by the Toyota car Olivia was travelling in near the park entrance of Trafford College. The Citroen then turned left on to Manchester Road towards Sale. The driver of the Range Rover Evoque turned right on to Stamford Brook Road from Manchester Road and passed the Dulux building. Sgt Orr believes the Range Rover driver saw the Toyota Auris overtake the Citroen and flashed the main beam headlights at the Toyota. The Range Rover then continued along Stamford Brook Road towards Turnbull Road.

Summary: Police are urging two drivers who may have seen a crash in which a young girl was killed to come forward.


10 June 2016 Last updated at 16:01 BST The airport has been built in St Helena, which is in the South Atlantic Ocean, between Africa and South America. The project has cost 285 million pounds and was due to open in May. A test flight at the airport wasn't able to land because it set ofo the aircraft's warning system for high winds.

Summary: An airport that was meant to open on a British overseas territory has been delayed because its too windy there.


The Conservatives won power promising: "If an EU migrant's child is living abroad, then they should receive no child benefit". The letter from EU President Donald Tusk, setting out a possible new deal for the UK, says something rather different - such benefits could be indexed "to the standard of living in the member state where the child resides". Rather than "no child benefit", EU migrants from poorer countries would receive less child benefit. Opponents of the Tusk deal have been quick to suggest even this negotiated position is impractical. So could it work? There are approximately 2.4 million EU migrants living in the UK - but less than 1% of them are receiving child benefit for children back in their homeland. Revenue & Customs suggests about 20,000 EU nationals receive the payment in respect of 34,000 children in their country of origin at an estimated cost of about £30m. Most of those payments are for children resident in Poland, but several thousand Irish and French citizens resident in the UK also receive UK child benefit payments for children residing elsewhere. It is a situation many regard as unfair. However, simply stopping the benefit altogether has proved tricky because it breaches a fundamental principle of the European Union - that EU citizens should have the same access to social protection as others in the country where they are living and working. What makes child benefit unique among welfare payments is the recipient of the money - the adult EU migrant - can be in one country while the dependent is in another. So the solution proposed is that "equal access" takes into account the living standard of the country where the child resides. We do not yet know the details, but it is likely that average or "median" incomes could be used as a measure for living standards in each member state. In the UK, child benefit for the first child is £20.70 a week - roughly 5% of the weekly median income. That 5% figure could be used to calculate the payment in each EU state, based on its own median income. In Romania, for example, rather than £20.70, the rate based on Romanian average incomes might be about £3.50. A similar figure could be derived for each EU member state and the payments adjusted accordingly. Almost all would be lower - but some single-market countries, such as Luxembourg, might expect a higher rate to reflect their higher living standards. There have been suggestions having many different rates for child benefit would give government computers the collywobbles. However, HMRC (which administers child benefit) and the Department for Work and Pensions already complete millions of complex international welfare transactions every year. EU or EEA (European Economic Area) citizens living in the UK fill out a detailed form before they can claim benefits. Sometimes, their work and social security history requires money transfers between countries to reflect residency in different parts of the EU. Experts say it would be feasible and, arguably, fairer to introduce such a system. But it would not make

Summary: It is not quite the pledge he made in his manifesto, but is David Cameron's compromise on paying child benefit to EU migrants workable?


The blast occurred on Monday evening at the plant in Zhangzhou. State news agency Xinhua reported one injury. The plant produces paraxylene (PX), a flammable chemical used in polyester and plastics manufacturing. The location of PX plants in China has sparked protests from residents, including violent demonstrations last year in Guangdong province. Many residents fear pollution from the plants is hazardous to health. The South China Morning Post reported that this was the second blast at the plant in two years. The plant in Zhangzhou is operated by Dragon Aromatics, one of the largest independent PX producers in China. It has not yet commented. China Central Television (CCTV) carried footage of the fire, with flames shooting into the air, but provided few details. Xinhua said the blast occurred at about 19:00 local time (11:00 GMT) in a pumping station. Facts: Paraxylene (PX) Basic raw material which when refined is used to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyesters The fibres and films produced are used to make water bottles, other containers, fabrics including clothing and curtains, and x-ray and photographic film Can cause dizziness and nausea if inhaled or ingested. If skin is contacted, it should be rinsed and then washed with soap and water. Can cause issues with the central nervous system The Zhangzhou fire department said about 430 fire-fighters were at the scene. The Post quoted one resident who lives across the harbour from the plant, about 10km (six miles) away, who said his flat shook with the explosion. Lin Chen told the paper: "I heard a loud bang at home. Everyone in my county saw it. The plant was burning. We can still see it. But I don't smell anything weird now. I think it's because we're upwind." Protests remain rare in China, where it is illegal to demonstrate without a permit, but environmental campaigns are growing in number. In recent years paraxylene has become a focus of such protests, forcing the delay or cancellation of plants, much to the dismay of the national government, correspondents say. A protest about a PX plant in Maoming, in southern Guangdong province, turned violent last April, with tear gas fired and several demonstrators injured.

Summary: An explosion has ripped through a chemical plant in south-eastern China's Fujian province, sparking a major fire.


Santa Cruz defeated Frampton in a Vegas rematch to reclaim the title he lost in New York last year, but has dampened talk of a third meeting in Belfast. "I think more likely first I would like to unify with Lee Selby," he said. "Selby is calling me out, so I want to make it with him and get the win and then fight [Abner] Mares or Frampton." Selby's camp say they will discuss the prospect with Al Haymon, who advises both fighters, and that a fight with the Mexican would be their "first choice". The Barry boxer stopped Spain's Andoni Gago on the undercard of the Tony Bellew v David Haye bill at the O2 Arena on Saturday and has made clear he is now a free agent after his four-year agreement with Matchroom concluded. Find out how to get into boxing with our special guide. "We will discuss options with Al Haymon this week," Selby's manager Jamie Sanigar told BBC Wales Sport. "We want the biggest fights now and a unification with Santa Cruz is top of the list. The winner of Selby v Santa Cruz would be king of the castle in the featherweight division." Selby is supposed to fight mandatory challenger Jonathan Victor Barros next after their previous fight was cancelled at the last minute. A unification fight with Santa Cruz could well be an attractive proposition to both organisations, though the IBF says it has heard nothing on a potential unification duel and expect Selby's camp to negotiate with Barros. "Selby and Barros have been ordered to negotiate again. They have until 2 April," the IBF told BBC Wales Sport. "We have not been approached about a unification and [Selby] will likely have to fight Barros prior to a unification with Santa Cruz." The IBF says Barros' issues that led to their previous fight being postponed have been resolved. The Nevada Athletic Commission did not give an explanation other than the Argentine had not met its requirements. Santa Cruz believes a unification fight with Selby would be the preferable option. "I want to fight the best. There is Lee Selby, I want to unify against him, Abner Mares, Carl Frampton, I will fight any of them," Santa Cruz confirmed. "But I think more likely first I would like to unify with Lee Selby, I don't know about a date yet, but maybe June, July, or August. We will talk about it."

Summary: WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz says he wants a unification fight with IBF champion Lee Selby before facing Carl Frampton again.


Davis, 20, has made three Championship appearances this season, with his 7-146 against Glamorgan the best 2016 figures by a Derbyshire bowler. Hemmings, also 20, made his first-class debut against Worcestershire in June. "They will benefit greatly from another winter working with the first team," head coach John Sadler said.

Summary: Derbyshire pace bowler Will Davis and all-rounder Rob Hemmings have signed two-year contracts, keeping them with the county until 2018.


Since then, the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine has been rolled out across 130 countries and halved the number of new cervical cancers. The HPV vaccine also protects against cancers in the throat and mouth in both men and women. Prof Ian Frazer said the vaccine could eradicate cancers caused by HPV within 40 years. "It helps not only control cervical cancer but also the oropharyngeal cancer - the cancers inside the mouth that are caused by these viruses," Prof Frazer, chief executive of the Translational Research Institute, said. "If we vaccinate enough people we will eliminate these viruses because they only infect humans. And in Australia there's already been a 90% reduction in infections in the 10 years the programme has been running." HPV is a very common virus that lives on our skin and other areas of the body, including the mouth, genital areas and anus. It can be passed through skin-to-skin contact and genital contact. The virus is most often passed during vaginal and anal sex, but can also be transmitted through oral sex. "The papilloma viruses that cause cancer are very common indeed," Prof Frazer said. "Most people get rid of the virus themselves without knowing they've contracted it, but 1% of the population that get it get persistent infection that lasts over five years. If they do that they've got a very good chance they'll get a cancer." Prof Frazer, the late molecular virologist Dr Jian Zhou and a research team used genetic engineering to build a virus replica to create the vaccine. With millions of doses of the vaccine administered worldwide, the number of new cases of cervical cancer has reportedly halved. "We know that 170 million doses of vaccine have been given out," Prof Frazer said. "If you do the sums on that, one in a hundred people were going to get a cancer that could kill them." Some parents have reservations about their children being vaccinated on the grounds that it may encourage promiscuity. Others object to vaccinations over safety fears. "In countries like the US where the vaccine isn't so widely taken up, that's a little bit disappointing because cervical cancer still kills several thousand women in the US," he said. "Then, of course, we've got the problem of the 250,000 people that die from cervical cancer in the developing world." Researchers are continuing to refine the effectiveness of the vaccine and ensure more widespread inoculation. "We're moving from a vaccine that protects against two common strains of the virus that cause cancer to a vaccine that protects against nine common strains," Prof Frazer said. "If we get that rolled out we will eventually get rid of all cancers that get caused by this virus."

Summary: The world's first cancer vaccine was administered in Australia exactly 10 years ago.


In excess of £8bn will come into the league from new broadcast deals. But Wenger says clubs will need that additional cash to meet the rising cost of transfer fees and player wages. "What will happen is the prices of the players will go up and you will need this supplement of money coming in to buy new players," he said. "I believe that the pressure on spending the money will become bigger and you cannot necessarily distribute the money to other people." Wenger said the vast amounts of money now being spent on players in China was evidence that the Premier League could fall behind if it does not continue to bring in new talent. In the past 10 days, Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs have spent: Wenger says the new trend of spending in the Far East could be a concern and drive up the cost of players across the globe. He added that the first £100m transfer will soon be "easy to reach". Asked if the amount Chinese clubs are able to spend on transfers is a worry to the Premier League, the Frenchman replied: "Yes, of course. "China looks to have the financial power to move the whole league of Europe to China." But he added: "Will they [the CSL] sustain their desire to do it? Let's remember, Japan started to do it a few years ago but slowed down. "I don't know how deep the desire in China is, but if there's a very strong political desire, we should worry."

Summary: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned extra television revenue for Premier League clubs will be used to buy players rather than cut ticket prices.


The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger warns too many children have to survive on crisps and energy drinks when school kitchens are closed. One group had to drop out of a summer football scheme because they had not eaten a meal in days, its report says. The Department for Work and Pensions says it is committed to tackling child poverty and disadvantage. According to the report, children at risk of holiday hunger include an estimated: For both groups, school holidays place extra burdens on family budgets in terms of food, fuel, activities and childcare. The report says this is sometimes "compounded" by a shortage of skills to cook and shop on a budget. It claims the loss of free school meals adds between £30 and £40 per week to parents' outgoings for one child. The Family and Childcare Trust told the inquiry that three out of four local authorities do not have enough childcare in the school holidays. Parents working on zero-hours contracts were said to be particularly vulnerable to the higher costs of childcare. Evidence during the two-month long inquiry to the group, included children reported to have vomited from lack of food, while others were being fed flavoured water or cereal as their parents could not afford proper meals for them. Referring to the group which had to drop out of playing football, the report says: "Their bodies simply gave up on them," says the report. Too many children return to school malnourished, sluggish and dreary, says the report. They are often weeks or months intellectually behind their better-off classmates who have a more wholesome diet during the holidays, it adds. It urges the government to set aside 10% of the tax on sugary drinks, due to start next year, to allocate £100,000 to every council to fund schemes to ensure that children are properly fed during the school holidays. It claims the cost of providing free meals and activities during holidays can be £1.50 per child per day. The report urges ministers to impose a statutory requirement on local authorities to run schemes delivering "free meals and fun" for children during school holidays, with voluntary groups "in the driving seat wherever possible". In the "fifth richest country in the world, too many children are stalked by hunger," said committee chairman Frank Field in his foreword, describing the evidence as "staggering". While highlighting examples of those tackling the problem, he said "abolishing hunger during school holidays is beyond the ability of individual community groups and volunteers alone". Dr Philippa Whitford, a vice chair of the group, said that losing access to free school meals during the holidays could "simply be the final straw which overwhelms some families' ability to keep their children fed and, particularly, nourished". "Hidden hunger does not just result in underweight children... those who are eating a stodgy low-protein diet, with no fresh fruit or vegetables, can end up both obese and yet malnourished," she said. In its response to the report, the Department for Work and Pensions also said the employment rate was the joint

Summary: Going hungry in the school holidays is a growing problem for up to three million UK children, MPs and peers say.


Seven photographs taken in the Norfolk countryside by photographer Josh Olins will appear in the June edition. In her first sitting for a magazine, the duchess is seen looking relaxed and wearing casual clothes. The shoot was in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, where two images are being displayed in the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition. The duchess, who has a keen interest in photography, has been patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said: "Josh has captured the duchess exactly as she is - full of life, with a great sense of humour, thoughtful and intelligent, and in fact, very beautiful." He said the images also encapsulated what Vogue had done over the past 100 years - "to pair the best photographers with the great personalities of the day, in order to reflect broader shifts in culture and society". Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, said: "To be able to publish a photographic shoot with the Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine." The collaboration for the June edition had resulted in "a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known", she said. Other royal portraits to have featured in the fashion magazine include Diana, Princess of Wales - who graced the cover four times - and Princess Anne. The duchess is to visit the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on Wednesday, Kensington Palace said.

Summary: The Duchess of Cambridge will feature on the cover of British Vogue to mark the magazine's centenary.


Earlier this week, the administration certified to Congress - as it must every 90 days - that Iran was abiding by the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name given to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. But the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, later underlined that his country's policy towards Iran was under full-scale review. And in a message that will be heard loud and clear in Tehran, he castigated Iran's "alarming and ongoing provocations" and described the country as "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism". There was a broader warning, too. "An unchecked Iran," he said, "has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea". So is the Trump administration behaving inconsistently? Well, probably not. Certifying that Iran is upholding its end of the bargain does not preclude a fundamental US policy review - one that would be normal for any incoming administration, and, given the personnel surrounding US President Donald Trump, is likely to be far from sympathetic to Tehran. The Iran deal of course was famously characterised by then candidate Mr Trump as one of the worst deals ever negotiated. For now it is still there and for all we know it may have considerable life in it yet. The problem for US policy is to grapple with three aspects of Iran and its behaviour. Firstly, there is the nuclear issue, and whatever the controversy surrounding the nuclear deal, it does impose constraints on Tehran's nuclear programme in return for tangible economic benefits. Iran at the moment is not "unchecked", to use the term mentioned by Mr Tillerson. Many western experts back the deal even if they have little enthusiasm for it. Even senior security figures in Israel - who opposed the Obama administration's negotiation of the agreement - have tacitly accepted that it does provide a framework to manage the problem. Reports suggest that even the Saudis - also long-time opponents of the agreement - have counselled Mr Trump not to abandon it. Of course it will not last for ever. And one of the strongest arguments of the deal's critics has always been: What will happen 15 years after the implementation of the deal, when some of the key provisions restricting Iran's nuclear activities expire? One hope was that it would provide a platform for improved relations between Washington and Tehran. Well that has not proved to be the case. Tensions are rising in the Gulf; the wider chaos in the region which finds Washington and Tehran almost always on different sides has seen to that. Indeed Mr Tillerson's tough rhetoric may inevitably influence the ongoing presidential election campaign in Iran - and not in a positive way, at least as far as western interests are concerned. The hope that by the end of the JCPOA's term, Washington will be dealing with a different Tehran, seems as fanciful as ever. Beyond the nuclear issue and bilateral relations there is the thorniest problem of all, Iran's regional role. Iran is now a crucial player, from Syria to Lebanon;

Summary: Once again rhetoric and reality in the Trump administration appear to be at odds with each other.


Sarah Pond said a member of staff at the Staffordshire theme park said: "You need to get off, you have one hand." "Never in my life have I been spoken to like this," said Miss Pond. "I was not offered a reason why when I explained I have been on this ride about 10 times." Alton Towers said it had apologised to Miss Pond, who was not allowed to ride the rollercoaster for safety reasons. More on this story and updates from Stoke & Staffordshire "We are in contact with her directly and will endeavour to reach a resolution," the theme park said in a statement. Miss Pond was barred from the Smiler rollercoaster, the ride on which several people were seriously injured last year. In a Facebook post, Miss Pond, 33, from Shrewsbury, said she had been "astonished" to see a girl with her arm in a plaster cast allowed on to the ride. She wrote: "I read the rules of the ride. You need to be able to walk 25m without help. And climb a ladder. Well I can assure you I can, nothing is wrong with my legs!" She added: "I'm still angry and upset. Never in my 33 years of life have I been treated with such discrimination over being born without my hand. "I am not registered disabled as I'm too able bodied and for that reason can't claim any benefits." A spokeswoman for the theme park said: "On arrival at the ride entrance, our staff did advise that for safety reasons, she would not be eligible to ride the Smiler. "We aim to ensure that disabled guests are treated with respect and in a manner that is appropriate to their needs, whilst maintaining equality for all of our visitors." Miss Pond said the experience had put her off ever going to Alton Towers again and disputed the claim she was told at the ride's entrance she could not go on the rollercoaster. Alton Towers' owners, Merlin Attractions, face a large fine as a result of the Smiler crash last June. Last month Merlin admitted a health and safety breach over the crash, which resulted in two women having leg amputations.

Summary: A one-handed woman who was barred from a rollercoaster at Alton Towers has accused the venue of discrimination.


Terri Calvesbert, now 19, suffered 85% burns as a toddler at her Ipswich home in 1998. Recent pictures of her posted on social media prompted online abuse, and were shared thousands of times. Terri, who said she is "strong enough" to cope, has launched an online anti-bullying page, and is petitioning the government to take action. Now living in Sudbury, she said was "really angry" at a Facebook post which asked people to "like and share" if they were "not ashamed" of a picture of her. The post has been reported to the social media site. However the teenager insisted living with such serious burns has equipped her with the strength to cope with online trolls. Terri, whose story was first reported in the Ipswich Star, said: "I can't pretend for a single moment that it's been easy for me growing up, but I'm a stronger person as a result. "I'm not going to let it get me down, but I do want it to stop." Terri and and two friends, Michelle Wright and Gavin Jaques have set up a Facebook site called the Campaign to stop cyber bullying. They will urge the government to get Facebook to take down offensive posts, delete accounts and track offenders down. Her friend, Michelle Wright, said: "Most people would be appalled that trolls could pick on her. I just knew a lot of people would have got behind it. Terri is so brave." MP James Cartlidge has taken up the case and has written to home secretary Amber Rudd to bring it to her attention. Facebook said attacks of this kind would not be tolerated and that the offensive content had been removed.

Summary: A woman badly burned in a house fire as a baby said she refuses to be defeated by cyber-trolls who bullied her online.


Tipu Sultan, 32, a father-of-two, was shot at close range outside Herbs n Spice Kitchen, Lake Avenue, South Shields, on 7 April. Northumbria Police confirmed it had arrested two men aged 47 and 24, and a woman, 27, on suspicion of murder. A 44-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. A reconstruction of the killing was broadcast on the BBC's Crimewatch programme, which police said resulted in a number of fresh leads.

Summary: Four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a man who was shot dead outside a takeaway.


The organisation says many of those returning to Somalia are motivated by fear of being forced out. Tens of thousands of refugees have been making the journey back home after years in the camp. Both Kenya and Somalia say it is time Dadaab was shut down. But HRW says Kenya is not giving the refugees a real choice between being repatriated or staying. It also says the UN's refugee arm, the UNHCR, is not giving the refugees accurate information about security conditions in Somalia and they face serious risk of persecution or threats to their lives if they return. Pressuring refugees to return to a place where their lives or freedom could be under threat is a breach of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the organisation says. Some of the refugees are also choosing to leave because they fear being deported later and forfeiting a $400 (Â£300) UN cash grant, the organisation says. "There is no way these returns can be considered voluntary," said HRW's Bill Frelick. Some refugees who have left Dadaab have since found themselves stranded near the border after regional leaders in Jubaland, which borders Kenya and where most of the returnees are going, stopped receiving them, citing inadequate humanitarian support. The Dadaab camp in Kenya is home to more than 300,000 Somalis. It was set up in 1991 to house families fleeing conflict and some people have been living there for more than 20 years. Kenya says attacks on its soil have been planned in the camp.

Summary: The repatriation of Somali refugees from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya fails to meet international standards for voluntary return, a Human Rights Watch report has found.


Kun Shan Chun, a naturalised US citizen born in China and known as Joey, admitted in court to sending sensitive information to a Chinese official. US Attorney Preet Bharara said he had threatened the country's security through a "duplicitous" betrayal. Chun "deeply regrets" what he did and loves the US, his lawyer said. While he could face a sentence of up 10 years in prison, the government and defence agreed a sentence of between 21 and 27 months "would be appropriate", the New York Times reports, citing the plea agreement. The Chinese Embassy in Washington is yet to comment, the Associated Press reports. Chun, 46, worked for the FBI as an electronics technician from 1997 until his arrest in March. He was introduced to a Chinese government official during a trip to Italy and France in 2011, the Department of Justice says, and they continued to meet privately abroad. He is accused of having covered up his connections with at least one Chinese government official and a Chinese technology company, Zhuhai Kolion, in which he had an "indirect financial interest", according to the justice department. Court papers in New York said in 2013 he sent an unnamed Chinese official a chart showing the FBI's organisational structure and two years later sent photos of restricted documents about surveillance technologies. Chun also provided the identity and travel schedule of an FBI agent, Assistant US Attorney Emil Bove said. He was rewarded financially and through perks such as holidays and hotel stays, according to authorities. According to the complaint, he was caught after offering to help an undercover agent transmit sensitive government information to his Chinese associates.

Summary: An FBI employee with top secret security clearance has pleaded guilty to acting as an "agent of the Chinese government", the US says.


Laura Davies, 21, was attacked near the Essex Horse and Pony Protection Society base in Basildon, where she lived and worked. Judge Charles Gratwicke described it as "a brutal and sick, callous killing". Jordan Taylor, 22, of Basildon, must serve a minimum of 23 years in jail for murdering Miss Davies just moments after she had ended their relationship. Follow live updates on this story and other Essex news Taylor had denied murder but was found guilty by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday. Sentencing him to life in prison, Judge Gratwicke told Taylor: "The jury saw through your lies, and saw you for what you are - a devious, jealous and ruthless individual prepared to unleash extreme violence on anyone who crosses your path. "This was a brutal and sick, callous killing." During the eight-day trial the court heard Taylor and Miss Davies had been together since December 2014. He had moved into the flat which came with her job as a groom at the sanctuary. Miss Davies had told friends she planned to end the relationship on the evening of 3 July last year - the night she was murdered. The kitchen knife Taylor turned on Miss Davies had been used with such force it was bent to a 45-degree angle. The court heard Taylor claimed he stabbed her twice in self-defence after she attacked him. Things went "foggy" after that, he said. He said he could not remember most of the attack and denied murdering Miss Davies. However, the Crown Prosecution Service described it as a "vicious and sustained attack" carried out by Taylor while he was in a "jealous rage" after Miss Davies ended the relationship. Prosecutors said the attack on Miss Davies began in the flat in Pitsea Hall Lane, then continued outside as she fled in her pyjamas. Taylor had denied initially making "disfiguring" cuts to Miss Davies' face and left breast as "punishment" for trying to end the relationship, before eventually going on to kill her. CCTV footage showed Taylor attempting to hoist Miss Davies' near-lifeless body over a hedge out of view. He was found by police crouching in bushes near her body. Miss Davies died later that night in Basildon Hospital. Taylor was charged with her murder. The jury heard Taylor, a martial arts enthusiast, had tried to control a number of aspects of Miss Davies' life. Her mother Dyanne Lambert told the court he would not allow her daughter to wear short-sleeved or low-cut tops and the couple would often argue. "She became very quiet and didn't want to talk about what was going on," she said. Speaking after Taylor was sentenced, Mrs Lambert said: "Obviously nothing will bring our Laura back but we are glad that he will be off the streets for a very long time. "Twenty-three years is long, but it will not bring our baby back." Miss Davies' father, John Davies, said: "We've lost Laura forever and it's very hard to deal with. "We thank the justice system for all their work and for the sentence,

Summary: A man who murdered his girlfriend by stabbing her 80 times in a "jealous rage" has been jailed for life.


The Outlaws' assistant head coach has been asked to assist with the pre-match warm-up at his home ground. Franks, 38, who played a solitary one-day international, in 2000, described the call as a "pleasant surprise". "It's a wonderful opportunity to see England's best prepare for a very exciting series," he said. "It's an opportunity to pick some brains and look at the best players and how they go about their work, because the best coaches learn from the players." Franks' senior international experience to date is limited to a wicketless nine overs and just four runs with the bat in a defeat by the West Indies, also at Trent Bridge. But, after a stint in 2015 coaching the United Arab Emirates. he has developed a growing reputation as a coach at Nottinghamshire, and was promoted to become Peter Moores' first-team assistant in November,

Summary: Nottinghamshire's Paul Franks will join England's coaching staff for the Test match against South Africa at Trent Bridge in July.


Peter Atilla, 46, from Northampton, said he had a sleep condition called sexsomnia. Mr Atilla was accused of having sex with a woman while she slept after she invited him in bed "for a cuddle". Methyr Tydfil Crown Court heard he had returned from a tour of Afghanistan the day before, and may have been in "action mode" when he went to sleep. Two psychiatrists told the court it was "possible" the defendant suffered from parasomnia - defined as unwanted behaviour during sleep. Dr Chris Idzikowski said a subset of parasomnia was sexsomnia - a type of "confusional arousal" - which can lead to sexual behaviour from a person in deep sleep. Dr Idzikowski said: "If he arrived back in action mode it's potentially something that would come through in his sleep. He said Mr Atilla, a former Royal Logistics Corps officer who served "with distinction" in the first Gulf War, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, may have been triggered by something as simple as a sound. He admitted the evidence the disorder led to Mr Atilla having sex with the woman while asleep was "weak" but said he could not exclude it from being possible. Another psychiatrist, Dr Chandan Seghal, said he too "could not exclude" the attack relating to a sleep disorder, but agreed the evidence was "weak." Mr Atilla told the court he had "no memory" of the alleged incident.

Summary: A former soldier accused of rape has been cleared after a court heard he was suffering from a sleep disorder.


In a series of tests, researcher Ann Smet, of the University of St Andrews, offered the animals a choice between two identical buckets, then pointed at the one containing a hidden treat. From the first trial, the elephants chose the correct bucket. The results are published in the journal Current Biology. The scientists worked with captive elephants at a lodge in Zimbabwe. Prof Richard Byrne, a co-author on the research, said the elephants had been rescued from culling operations and trained for riding. "They specifically train the elephants to respond to vocal cues. They don't use any gestures at all," said Prof Byrne. "The idea is that the handler can walk behind the elephant and just tell it what to do with words." Mud bath: Why elephants enjoy a good wallow Despite this, the animals seemed to grasp the meaning of pointing from the outset. This makes them the only non-human animals to understand the gesture without being trained to do so. In previous studies, Prof Byrne said, our closest primate cousins, the chimpanzees, proved to be "hopeless" at at similar task. Ms Smet added that she had been impressed by the animals' apparently innate understanding of the gesture. "Of course we had hoped that the elephants would be able to learn to follow human pointing, or we wouldn't have done the experiment in the first place," she said. "But it was really surprising that they didn't seem to have to learn anything. "It seems that understanding pointing is an ability elephants just possess naturally and they are cognitively much more like us than has been realised." Source: BBC Nature Watch how elephants use mud as a sunblock Prof Byrne said studying elephants helped build a map of part of the evolutionary tree that is very distant from humans. "They're so unrelated to us," he told BBC News. "So if we find human-like abilities in an animal like an elephant, that hasn't shared a common ancestor with people for more than 100 million years , we can be pretty sure that it's evolved completely separately, by what's called convergent evolution." The researchers said their findings might explain how elephants have successfully been tamed and have "historically had a close bond with humans, in spite of being potentially dangerous and unmanageable due to their great size". But the scientists added the results could be a hint that the animals gesture to one another in the wild with their "highly controllable trunks". Ms Smet told BBC News: "The next step [in our research] is to test whether when an elephant extends its trunk upwards and outwards - as they regularly do, such as when detecting a predator, this functions as a point."

Summary: African elephants have demonstrated what appears to be an instinctive understanding of human gestures, according to UK scientists.


The Israeli company behind the AirMule has already successfully tested it flying itself without being tethered to the ground for safety reasons. It aims to be able to deliver models to military customers in the next decade. One expert said the drone was impressive but raised safety concerns. Urban Aeronautics has received financial support from the Israeli government for the project, and its chief executive said it could help save lives. "[It could fly to] anyone out in the field who needs water, food, batteries, supplies, medical equipment and so forth," Rafi Yoeli told the BBC. "Later, it could be used to fetch soldiers that you don't want to leave behind or are wounded. "There are plenty of situations where you cannot send a helicopter - for example, in the middle of fighting where you want to evacuate people from a street or from a narrow roof. "Eventually, there could be civilian applications, such as rescue missions in the mountains or flying into disaster areas - for example, nuclear facilities where no person in a helicopter could get in." Urban Aeronautics has carried out nearly 200 test flights of the AirMule, including its first untethered trial at the Megiddo airfield in northern Israel on 30 December. The machine, 6.2m (20ft) long and 2.3m (7.5ft) tall, takes off vertically, like a helicopter. The company aims to make it able to fly at a maximum speed of 180km/h (112mph) and as high as 18,000ft (5,500m) once a more powerful turboshaft engine is fitted. Mr Yoeli said his team also needed to upgrade the aircraft's flight control system to make it capable of flying in rain and other bad weather. In addition, he said, further work had to be done before he could say what lifespan it would have. "When you supply a vehicle to the customer, you need to offer them a guarantee that it will work for 500 hours or 1,000 hours or so many take-offs and landings," he said. "So, we need to develop the knowledge of the lifespan of the components and maybe redesign some of them. "This will be an expensive aircraft. "There is nothing out there that has the dimensions of a Humvee [military vehicle] yet can take off vertically with 500kg of supplies and fly for an hour." Before the end of 2016, he added, the plan was to demonstrate it could fly itself at low heights over obstructed terrain without the risk of a collision and to carry out the first robotic delivery of a parcel at a destination. A drone expert from Imperial College London said the aircraft could prove groundbreaking, but the engineers would have to prove it did not pose a threat to other aircraft or people living under its flight path. "The vehicle design and control system is impressive," said Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan. "Evacuation of injured people, delivery of supplies or equipment, and intelligence support could represent the first use of autonomous systems in defence and humanitarian relief operations. "But a vehicle this size obviously brings very significant safety issues. "Experiments for large

Summary: The maker of a drone designed to carry loads of up to 500kg (1,100lb) says it plans to see if it can fly itself between trees and other obstacles before the end of the year.


Aras Mohammed Hamid, 27, and Shivan Hayder Azeez Zangana, 21, known as Azeez, were jailed for seven years and three years respectively. They were convicted in December of preparing acts of terrorism. A third man, Ahmed Ismail, 19, was jailed for 18 months for failing to alert authorities to their plot. See more stories from across Coventry and Warwickshire here Azeez, of Washington Road, Sheffield, was sent to the UK by his family to keep him safe after battling extremists with the Kurdish Peshmerga separatist group, Kingston Crown Court heard. He was turned by fellow Kurd, asylum-seeker Hamid, and agreed to change sides and go with him to fight for IS. The two were discovered by police sleeping at a Birmingham mosque on 17 May, days after several of Azeez's worried relatives had called 999 with concerns about what he was planning. He had fled his home and bought a plane ticket from Gatwick to Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq. While Azeez was arrested at the mosque in Holyhead Road, Handsworth, Hamid, of no fixed address, had items confiscated but was not detained. He was discovered two days later hiding in a lorry on the A2 near Dover, Kent, while trying to smuggle himself out the UK. He had a fake Bulgarian passport. Hamid was also convicted of assisting another in commission of terrorist acts and admitted a charge of possession of an identification document with improper intent. Ismail, of Portwrinkle Avenue, Coventry, was convicted of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism. Hamid and Azeez were each ordered to serve an extended period of 12 months on licence at the end of their sentences.

Summary: Two Kurds living in the UK are jailed for terror offences after trying to join so-called Islamic State fighters in Iraq.


Bayley, 29, defeated Ukraine's world number one Maksym Nikolenko 3-2 in the class 7 final. Wilson, 21, overcame former world champion Richard Csejtey, from Slovakia, 3-2 in the class 8 final. Another Briton, Martin Perry, lost to France's Bastien Grundeler in the class 6 semi-final, but took bronze. Find out how to get into disability sport with our special guide.

Summary: British Paralympic table tennis champion Will Bayley and Rio 2016 team-mate Ross Wilson both won singles gold at the PTT Bayreuth Open in Germany.


The 20-year-old has played three times for the Tractor Boys this term, all in the League Cup, scoring one goal. Yorwerth, a Wales Under-21 international, joined Ipswich this summer after leaving Cardiff City. He is eligible to make his debut for the Reds, who are currently one place off the bottom in League Two, in Tuesday's visit to Newport County. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.

Summary: League Two strugglers Crawley Town have signed Ipswich Town defender Josh Yorwerth on a one-month loan deal.


Mae'r ffigyrau diweddaraf sydd ar gael yn dangos fod 158 o fabanod yn farw-anedig yng Nghymru yn 2015 - 0.47% o gyfanswm y genedigaethau. Ond er bod llawer o fenywod yn chwilio am gefnogaeth, meddai elusen Sands, mae dynion yn llai parod i wneud. Dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru fod cymorth ar gael drwy wasanaethau profedigaeth y byrddau iechyd. Mae Sands yn cynnal gwasanaeth cofio ddydd Sul yng Nghaerdydd i rieni sydd wedi eu heffeithio ar ôl colli plentyn neu'n geni plentyn marw-anedig. Roedd Heatherjane Coombs 36 wythnos yn feichiog gyda'i mab Xander pan gafodd hi drafferthion yn 2004. Bu farw ei mab yn y groth a bu'n rhaid iddi roi genedigaeth iddo ddeuddydd yn ddiweddarach. Dywedodd Mrs Coombs, 43, sydd bellach yn gadeirydd grŵp Sands yng Nghaerdydd a Chasnewydd, fod y gefnogaeth gan y fydwraig iddi hi wedi bod yn wych, ond doedd na neb i siarad gyda'i gŵr. "Bydd llawer o bobl yn gofyn i'r tad, 'sut mae eich gwraig?' neu 'sut mae eich partner?, a phrin iawn y cewch chi bobl yn gofyn 'sut ydych chi?'," meddai. "Dwi'n meddwl fod hynny'n rheswm arall pam ei fod yn dabŵ gyda dynion, achos dyw cymdeithas yn gyffredinol ddim yn gwneud iddyn nhw deimlo y gallan nhw siarad yn agored." Ychwanegodd ei gŵr Dave, sydd hefyd yn cynorthwyo gyda gwasanaethau Sands, fod cefnogaeth i dadau wedi gwella ers ei golled ef ond bod mwy eto i'w wneud. "Fel partner rydych chi'n troi at fod y person sydd yn parhau i ennill y bara menyn. "'Dych chi'n ceisio parhau i weithio, cefnogi, chi yw'r un sy'n gorfod aros yn gryf, ond beth sy'n digwydd yw 'dych chi'n disgyn yn ddarnau nes ymlaen," meddai. "Mae angen dweud wrth ddynion, mae'n iawn i alaru, mae'n iawn i ypsetio ac yn y pen draw, er lles eich iechyd corfforol, emosiynol a meddyliol, mae'n dda i alaru achos [fel arall] mae'n tueddu amlygu'i hun fel salwch corfforol neu feddyliol nes ymlaen." Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru: "Mae colli plentyn neu eni plentyn marw-anedig yn gallu bod yn dorcalonnus i rieni'r babi, ac i aelodau eraill o'r teulu. "Dyna pam fod gan bob bwrdd iechyd yng Nghymru eu gwasanaeth profedigaeth eu hunain sydd yn cynnig cefnogaeth nid yn unig i rieni, ond y teulu'n ehangach." Ers colli Xander mae Mr a Mrs Coombs, sydd heb gael unrhyw blant eraill wedi i ddau gael eu camesgor, wedi sefydlu'r grŵp yn ardal Caerdydd a Chasnewydd i gefnogi teuluoedd eraill. Bydd y gwasanaeth cofio blynyddol yn cael ei gynnal am 11:30 yng Nghapel Wenallt, Amlosgfa Thornhill ac yn cael ei arwain gan y Parchedig Rhiannon Francis, o gaplaniaeth Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru.

Summary: Mae angen gwneud mwy i annog tadau i chwilio am gymorth pan mae eu partneriaid yn colli plentyn neu'n geni plentyn yn farw, yn ôl gweithwyr elusen.


Apache, a Jack Russell Terrier, was reluctant to leave the Belasco Theatre stage, where Rylance is starring in Richard III and Twelfth Night. "He made an excellent entrance, but I'll have to teach him a few things about exits!" said Rylance, winner of two Tony awards. The actor plays the medieval monarch and noblewoman Olivia in the two plays. London's Globe Theatre is staging the productions, with Richard III in the afternoon and Twelfth Night in the evening - a total of six hours of theatre. The company, putting on Shakespeare on Broadway for the first time, is following the Tudor tradition of having an all-male cast playing all of the roles, including the female ones. Rylance, who added that his dog was also making his New York theatrical debut, was called "astonishing" in a review by Ben Brantley of the New York Times. "This is how Shakespeare was meant to be done," he added. The two plays and gender-swapping roles allow him to be "as brilliant in trousers as he is in a dress", added the review. Marilyn Stasio, writing in Variety, said that Rylance's portrayal of Richard III was "an assassin consumed less by envy and hatred of his victims than loathing for his own twisted self." Stephen Fry, making his New York stage debut as Malvolio in Twelfth Night, was praised for his sympathetic portrayal of the usually malevolent character. The New York Times said: "Malvolio is refreshingly embodied by Mr. Fry with the complacency and affectation of someone you might recognize from your own office." Brantley said that the two productions were "a source of radiant illumination for the audience, while the bewilderment of the characters onstage floods us with pure, tickling joy. "I can't remember being so ridiculously happy for the entirety of a Shakespeare performance since - let me think - August 2002." He went on to explain this was when he last saw Twelfth Night at the Globe Theatre in London, starring Mark Rylance. Both plays are due to continue at the Belasco Theatre until 30 November.

Summary: Actor Mark Rylance has made his Broadway Shakespeare debut - but was upstaged by his own dog's performance.


The 34-year-old trailed 1-0 and 2-1 and despite going in level at 2-2 at the mid-session interval after two 50-plus breaks, he was not happy. "There was lot riding on it and it took me a little longer than I anticipated to settle down. "Even though I made a good break to go 1-1, I just never felt I had completely settled," said the world number 24. The Londoner produced a magnificent 131 in the fifth frame and added two more to make it four in a row and leave him needing just one for victory at the York Barbican. Northern Ireland's Swail, the world number 58, pulled one back, but Gould's fourth half-century of the match secured a quarter-final meeting with David Grace. Gould, who had never previously been beyond the second round of the UK Championship, added: "I was pleased to come out at 2-2 after the interval. And I said to myself it was the time to step up. "The 131 was the first frame after the interval and that gave me the impetus to carry on. "I got in to a rhythm and a stride and when I get I am quite hard to stop. It was important for me to stamp my authority on the match." Leeds potter Grace, who is ranked 81 in the world, beat former world champion Peter Ebdon in the fourth round.

Summary: Martin Gould said he felt the pressure in the early stages of his 6-3 last-16 UK Championship win over Joe Swail.


The 133-year-old statue depicted General Robert E Lee, the top military leader in the Confederacy, crossing his arms as he faced north towards his old enemy. Critics say monuments to the Confederacy are racially offensive, but supporters say they are important symbols of the city's Southern heritage. The three other statues were all removed at night to limit clashes. The workers on the job were wearing bullet-proof vests as well as masks. In a statement on Thursday, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said the condemned statues "were erected decades after the Civil War to celebrate the 'Cult of the Lost Cause', a movement recognised across the South as celebrating and promoting white supremacy." Barricades went up overnight around the park where the 16ft (4.8m) statue was perched atop a 60ft column. The cables for a nearby streetcar were also temporarily taken down to allow construction equipment into the park. Before police cleared the area on Thursday, nearly 200 protesters gathered to voice support and opposition to the monument. Demonstrations were mostly peaceful, local media report. The only flashpoint was when a pro-removal protester snatched a Confederate battle flag. One man was arrested for climbing on to the monument's pedestal and refusing to come down. The monument to Lee was erected on 22 February 1884 - nearly 20 years after the Civil War ended. On the day of the unveiling, a crowd of nearly 15,000 people came to watch, the Daily Picayune newspaper reported the next day. At the exact moment that the statue was unveiled, a 100-gun salute was fired, and "a mighty shout went up from the soldiers of the Confederacy", the Daily Picayune reported. City officials say the monuments will be moved somewhere such as a museum where they can be "placed in their proper historical context from a dark period of American history". But WWL-TV has found the removed monuments to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and PGT Beauregard in a city-owned scrap yard. Supporters of the monuments say they are a cultural legacy that promotes heritage rather than racism. The decision to remove the statues came in December 2015, six months after a white supremacist shot dead nine black worshippers at a South Carolina church.

Summary: Masked city workers in New Orleans have removed the last of four monuments to the pro-slavery rebellion defeated in the US Civil War.


The Kurdish Peshmerga had held 20% of the town since December 2014, and although there had been daily fighting since then, the two sides had been at a stalemate. Since Thursday, though, the Kurdish forces - backed by US air strikes - have made important ground, cutting early on the Highway 47 which passes Sinjar, the main supply line between IS' self-styled capital of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in northern Iraq. Capturing Sinjar will not only secure the highway, but the road south of Sinjar, towards the IS-held town of Baaj, is also reported to be under control of the Peshmerga forces. This is supposed to provide a buffer zone large enough to keep Sinjar safe in the near future. However, it is by no means preventing IS from using scores of small countryside roads south of Sinjar that are still available until the winter weather makes them unusable. The next step has to be against the IS-held town of Tal Afar, and then Mosul. If not, Sinjar will always face attacks from those points. Yet, if Sinjar is de facto Kurdish territory, Tal Afar and Mosul are not. Profile: Who are the Peshmerga? Who are the Yazidis? Tal Afar is populated with Arabs and Turkmen: this means that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will not have any strategic interest in liberating and holding an area to which it has no claim. The same goes for Mosul and Baaj. While KRG President Massoud Barzani has repeatedly hinted that his government would contribute to the retaking of Mosul, recapturing an Arab city could be perceived as an act of Kurdish aggression against Arabs, raising tensions with the Baghdad government and potentially harming the Kurdish minority that has continued to live in Mosul since IS took it. Tactically, the town of Baaj, situated on higher grounds than Sinjar, will remain a perfect spot to target Sinjar. Since the Peshmerga do not possess long-range missiles, how will they be able to create a strong enough buffer zone for the 3,000 Yazidis trapped on the mountain for more than a year to be able to safely return and live in their homes? Moreover, as the IS frontline has been dissolved in Sinjar, IS is likely to return to its next best tactic: sending armoured vehicles packed with explosives to Peshmerga positions. Once again, the Peshmerga are underequipped to face this daily threat. The impending attack on Sinjar was an open secret. Two weeks ago, I witnessed long military convoys that were already on their way to retake the town, only to be derailed by a claim by Peshmerga rivals - Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels based in northern Iraq that it had already been recaptured from IS. The claim did not just halt Peshmerga operations: it gave ample time for IS fighters to prepare and tactically retreat from Sinjar, just as they did in Tikrit last spring, only to take Ramadi a few weeks later. The PKK is not the only local force that might get in the way of the Peshmerga as they

Summary: Retaking Sinjar would be extremely important strategically and for the morale of the Kurdish people in their fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) - but what happens in the days and weeks afterwards will be crucial.


Connors, 21, began his career with Fulham and joined the Daggers in 2011 on a two-year scholarship. "He is versatile, can play in two or three positions and he knows Scott Doe and Luke Howell from their time at Dagenham," said boss Luke Garrard. "Jack's signing was important for us in terms of quality and squad depth."

Summary: Boreham Wood have signed defender Jack Connors on loan from League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge until the end of the season.