The Gateway offices are occupied by Citi, the global financial services group. Selling agents CBRE say it is the largest office investment to come onto the market in Northern Ireland in the last decade. In 2014, Ulster Bank sold most of its Titanic Quarter loans to the US hedge fund Davidson Kempner. Such a fund will typically look to get a return on its money within a few years either through asset sales or loan refinancing. The Gateway offices are likely to be attractive to institutional investors such as pension funds.

Summary: An office development in Belfast's Titanic Quarter has been put up for sale with a price tag of £29m.


He was due to open in the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton on 10 April, but died three days beforehand. The theatre said the role of Willy Loman would now be taken by TV and film actor Nicholas Woodeson. Shows in Northampton have been postponed and the play will now open in Cambridge in May, ahead of a UK tour. Pigott-Smith died at the age of 70, a month after collecting an OBE for services to drama. More news from Northamptonshire He had been rehearsing the role of Willy Loman in Miller's play which was expected to open at the Northampton theatre ahead of a tour including Cambridge, Bath, Exeter, Edinburgh and Oxford. A spokesman for the Royal & Derngate said the decision to proceed with the production and tour of Death Of A Salesman was made after consulting the "acting company, creative team and touring partners". Pigott-Smith's replacement, Woodeson, is well-known for roles in a number of dramas including Taboo, The Living and the Dead, Rome, Mapp and Lucia, and also for film roles including in the Bond movie Skyfall. The play will now open at Cambridge Arts Theatre on 4 May. Ticket-holders for the postponed run in Northampton would be offered a refund, or tickets for the rescheduled run at the Royal & Derngate at the end of the tour, organisers said.

Summary: Theatre directors have confirmed a show will go on despite the death of its star, the actor Tim Pigott-Smith.


But it was no run-of-the-mill event. Hosted by the company's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employee network, and billed as a "LGBT recruiting and networking dinner", it triggered controversy in this largely conservative nation-state. Local newspaper MyPaper ran a piece ahead of the dinner entitled: "Wanted by Goldman Sachs: LGBT employees". News of the event caused enough handwringing that Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing publicly expressed concern. While discrimination had "no place in our society", foreign companies should "respect local culture and context" and "not venture into public advocacy for causes that sow discord among Singaporeans", he said. The incident, however, raised questions over how far companies should pursue their diversity policies in countries which may not agree with them. The minister's statement comes as more multinational companies are stepping up to publicly support Singapore's annual gay rights event, Pink Dot, happening on 28 June. Gay sex is banned in Singapore, but companies including Google, Barclays, J P Morgan, Goldman Sachs and BP are on board as corporate supporters for what has become the city-state's biggest annual gathering organised by civil society. None of the companies have indicated they will pull out, despite Mr Chan's warning. Asked why it went ahead with its dinner, a Goldman Sachs spokesman told the BBC it regularly holds recruitment events and "our goal is to hire the best people we can find and to build diverse teams". Asked about their stance, JP Morgan said it "believes in the importance of diversity in the workplace", while Barclays said that it is committed to "a culture of meritocracy, where people are judged on professional performance rather than their personal lives". Google, meanwhile, said "a diversity of perspectives, experiences and cultures" among its workers would lead to "the type of products and innovation that everyone can benefit from". 'Good sense' The issue of gay rights has become increasingly fraught in Singapore. The authorities have pledged not to actively enforce the law that bans gay sex, but public promotion of homosexuality in the media is frowned upon. From Pink Dot to "pink whale" Last year's Pink Dot drew 21,000 attendees, and organisers expect even more this year. The first Pink Dot in 2009 saw 2,500 pink-clad supporters forming the eponymous dot at Hong Lim Park. Over the years, that dot has expanded to cover the entire park, which takes up nearly a hectare in Singapore's city centre. Organisers now jokingly call it a "pink whale". Pink Dot has moved carefully, eschewing traditional protest activism for a soft-pedal approach. It touts a fuzzy slogan "Supporting the freedom to love" and its main event is a family picnic. This may have made it easier for the authorities to let Pink Dot carry on, although they have set limits on how far it can grow. For the second time in a row, the authorities have turned down their application to shift the event to a larger space at Marina Bay, calling the proposed venue not "suitable". Organisers were "disappointed", but understood that officials had "a duty to balance

Summary: In May, a dozen university students showed up for dinner at Goldman Sachs' office in Singapore's business district.


Media playback is not supported on this device Britain led New Zealand 21-0 at half-time and clung on as the All Blacks responded with three second-half tries. They go on to face Argentina in the quarter-finals at 22:00 BST. New Zealand were in danger of going out but qualified after Fiji's 24-19 win over the USA, and the All Black Sevens will play Fiji in the last eight. The other quarter-finals will see Japan take on France and South Africa play Australia. Britain's men are aiming to secure a medal in Rio, having seen the women's team play so well to reach the semi-finals, then miss out on bronze after a 33-10 defeat by Canada in the third-place match. New Zealand, meanwhile, have had a difficult tournament, with 15-a-side World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams being ruled out of the Olympics after partially rupturing an Achilles tendon during the All Blacks Sevens' shock 14-12 defeat by Japan. The All Blacks Sevens only made it through to the last eight as one of the two best third-placed finishers in the group stage. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.

Summary: Britain's men finished top of Pool C in the Olympic rugby sevens by beating New Zealand 21-19 to make it three wins from three matches.


The 15cm high concrete wall is topped with razor wire, miniature US flags and includes 'Keep Out' signs written in both Spanish and English. It was created by LA-based street artist Plastic Jesus and was inspired by comments made by the Republican Presidential nominee last year when he outlined plans to build a wall along the US-Mexico border to stop illegal immigrants. Curious tourists snapped photographs of the Los Angeles structure, while a picture of the unusual artwork posted on the artist's Instagram account received more than 14,000 likes by Thursday morning. One person called the wall "the most genius vandalism of the star yet," while another said it was the "best thing I've seen all day." There were also those who were unimpressed by the Trump-attacking artwork, with one user exclaiming that "A Trump presidency is what the US needs." In an interview with the BBC, Plastic Jesus explained why he had built the 'wall': "I wanted to create a piece that drew attention to [Trump's] potential policies," he says. "I knew this week was the republican convention and I suppose I was capitalising on the momentum of the convention." And so, on Tuesday afternoon he took his tiny wall made from wood and concrete, and placed it on top of Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He says the response to his wall has been largely supportive. "I went to Hollywood Boulevard yesterday to take photographs and found myself in an absolute bottleneck of people taking photographs of the piece - it's been absolutely crazy." The artist, who emigrated to the US from the UK nine years ago, says he's not a fan of Donald Trump, "In the US you'll interact with immigrants from all over the world and it's one of the things that makes the US so great. Donald Trump's policy proposals are a threat to all of the immigrants." Donald Trump received the 2,327th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 for his work on America's The Apprentice. By Daniel Avis, BBC's UGC and Social News team

Summary: Donald Trump's controversial call for a "great, great wall" on the US-Mexico border has yet to be realised but a tiny, tiny one has been built instead - surrounding his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


There's no getting away from it - the big-screen adaptation of the 1990s TV series is simply two hours of pure entertainment. The action sequences are huge, the soundtrack is awesome, and the people are ludicrously good looking. But it's also just totally ridiculous, which may not surprise those who have seen the trailer. Or read the somewhat less-than-kind reviews. Dwayne Johnson - the highest paid (and most annoyingly likeable) movie star in the world - takes the lead in the reboot as Mitch alongside Zac Efron, who plays Brody. Kelly Rohrbach, Alexandra Daddario and Priyanka Chopra also star, and there are, most importantly, cameo appearances from David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. (I would've thought they'd want to keep those as a surprise, personally, but their names appear in giant letters at the beginning alongside the rest of the cast.) But this incarnation of Baywatch is much more knowing and tongue-in-cheek than it was in Hasselhoff and Anderson's day. The film itself is long - presumably to allow for the slow-motion button to be used to its full potential when any character is running down the shoreline. Those who lived through the TV show will remember the appeal of such bouncy scenes, which were a key part of helping the series become a worldwide phenomenon. And a phenomenon it was. Baywatch became the most-watched television show in the world at the time and represented a huge cultural shift. Anderson was the embodiment of a look which rose to prominence in the 90s - skinny, blonde, and enhanced by plastic surgery. But strangely, the show arguably also had a moral compass, which may help explain why it got its early evening slot on TV. The lifeguards were portrayed as something of a family, working as a cohesive team and looking out for each other while saving lives. A lot of the storylines felt wholesome and saw characters doing the "right thing" - an odd juxtaposition with the highly sexualised elements of the series. Mitch's relationship with his son is a good example - Hasselhoff's character is seen as a model single father to Hobie, doing his best to raise him with good morals and life skills despite the absence of the boy's mother. But in many other ways, Baywatch is rather problematic. It goes without saying that, in real life, very few of us indeed look as good as the Baywatch lifeguards as they dash down the beach in their orange swimsuits. The male characters played by Johnson and Efron are muscular to a borderline unhealthy degree, while the women are tanned, big-chested and and impossibly skinny. Nearly 30 years on from the show's TV premiere, you'd like to think we've come further than still accepting these as beauty ideals. Stars such as Lena Dunham and Sarah Hyland have started to hit back at "body shaming" in recent years - a term which barely existed when the TV show aired. Social media has helped drive a movement of being proud of who you are and how you look, and there's now a bigger

Summary: It's strange to go to the cinema and come out feeling like you've seen an utterly brilliant film and a truly awful film at the same time - but the new Baywatch really does tick both boxes.


The B4270 and other local roads are affected, Vale of Glamorgan council has said. The blaze at Llandow Industrial Estate started on Thursday, and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews are still on site. Residents are also being advised to keep windows and doors closed. A fire service spokesperson said: "Our crews are monitoring the fire and will do so over the coming days to ensure that the incident is contained." Officials said no asbestos is believed to be at the site. However, Public Health Wales (PHW) said substances in the smoke could cause coughing, wheezing, breathlessness and chest pain. People with asthma and other respiratory conditions may be "particularly susceptible" to the smoke and should carry and use their medication. Andrew Kibble of the PHW environmental public health team recommended people stay out of the smoke and if at home, close doors and windows. The council's emergency planning team is working to limit disruption. Local schools have been advised to open as usual, and there is no impact on the local water supply.

Summary: Drivers have been warned to take care as smoke from a 2,000-tonne rubbish fire near Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan is being blown over roads.


The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was looking into more than 100 allegations. It said complaints had been made against 42 named officers and a number of "unknown" officers. The complaints include allegations of neglect of duty and of corruption. In a statement the IPCC said its investigation had "expanded" since it announced in November it was investigating 10 officers involved in incidents highlighted in Professor Alexis Jay's report into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Rotherham. The Jay Report, published in August, found the abuse of 1,400 children in the town over a 16-year period was ignored by agencies. The IPCC said: "Since that announcement we have received 30 complaints relating to South Yorkshire Police's handling of CSE in Rotherham. "The complaints contain more than 100 allegations against 42 named police officers, both retired and serving, as well as a number of allegations against officers whose identities are currently unknown. "Work to establish the identity of the unknown officers and to identify any links between the different complaints and incidents is ongoing. "The allegations range from neglect of duty by failing to adequately investigate on the basis of intelligence or to deal with incidents appropriately, inappropriate comments and suggestions of corrupt relationships between police officers and offenders." It said it was also investigating a claim that South Yorkshire Police "failed to act on information passed to them in 2004 and 2006 about alleged child sexual exploitation in Sheffield", in relation to two named officers who are now retired. In a statement, the force said: "South Yorkshire Police has referred a number of allegations to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in relation to child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. "We remain committed to assisting them with their independent investigation into any alleged misconduct."

Summary: The police watchdog has said it is investigating complaints against 42 South Yorkshire Police officers over the handling of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.


Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo killed Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, judges said. The backpackers' bodies were found on a Koh Tao island beach in September 2014. The defendants' lawyers say they will appeal. The accused retracted their initial confessions, saying police had tortured them. Mr Miller's brother said justice had now "been delivered". Miss Witheridge's family said they needed time "to digest the outcome of the trial verdict". At a Thai court in Koh Samui, three judges found the two bar workers - who were migrants from Myanmar - guilty of murder and ordered they face the death penalty. Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller were found on a beach having been bludgeoned to death, and a post-mortem examination showed Miss Witheridge had been raped. Prosecutors said DNA evidence collected from cigarette butts, a condom and the bodies of the victims, linked Lin and Phyo to the deaths. By Jonathan Head, BBC South East Asia correspondent The investigation has been a muddled affair. The first officers on the scene were local police with apparently no idea how to seal off a crime scene. Thailand forensic scientist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, whose institute was not allowed any involvement in the investigation, testified the crime scene had been poorly managed and evidence improperly collected. Other flaws exposed during the trial included the police's failure to test Miss Witheridge's clothes or the alleged murder weapon for DNA. The key question though, hung over one piece of evidence that did tie the defendants to the crime: the alleged match between their DNA and that recovered from semen found on Miss Witheridge's body. The date of the original DNA analysis was said to have been 17 September, but the report submitted to court was dated 5 October - two days after police had announced a positive match. That unexplained discrepancy inevitably raises suspicion that perhaps the result was manipulated. Read more from Jonathan: A flawed and muddled investigation Lawyers defending the accused argued DNA from a garden hoe - allegedly used as the murder weapon - did not match samples taken from the men. They also claimed evidence had been mishandled by police and the pair's confessions were the result of "systematic abuse" of migrants in the area. Andy Hall, international affairs adviser for Migrant Worker Rights Network, which represented the men, said: "We strongly disagree with the decision of the court. This investigation was a shambles from the beginning. "The defence team have had access to all the information in this case and the information we saw did not comply with international standards." He said the defence team would mount an appeal in the case. Hannah Witheridge, 23, was a University of Essex student from Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Having earned a degree with first-class honours from the University of East Anglia she was working towards a masters degree in speech and language therapy in Essex. Her parents Tony and Sue, brother Paul and sisters Tania and Laura, described her as a "fun, vibrant and beautiful young woman" who

Summary: Two Burmese men have been found guilty and sentenced to death for murdering two UK tourists in Thailand last year.


After nearly 40 years of being a housewife, she launched her business at the age of 64. She designs bespoke children's furniture which all come with an individual story book. The products are manufactured in Poland. Zandra lives with her husband in a comfortable, leafy suburb, in Hertfordshire. She says she was not forced into self-employment financially - she simply wanted to unleash her creative side. "I suppose it was all the ideas I had, they were so different and there were so many of them," she enthuses. "I did a lot of market research and the response I got was, 'Yes that's great, we'd sell that.' So I progressed from there." She launched Fairytale Furniture at the onset of the recession and has survived the downturn. Now in its sixth year of trading, she hopes to finally turn a profit. Zandra is already exporting to South Africa, Dubai and Singapore and has her eye on cracking the US market. She buys in expertise, when needed, including a marketing expert and an export adviser. She loves the flexibility of being self-employed. "I can work at midnight if I want to, I can take a longer lunch if I want to - especially when the weather is good - and I can make the time up later. I just love it, I love all of it. It's fun." Self-employment is one of the big stories of the recovery. One in seven workers in the UK are now working for themselves. The latest jobs figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there are now 4.54 million self-employed people. That is about 8% higher than a year ago. In fact, there are now 780,000 more people in employment than there were this time last year, and 40% of those are self-employed. Over the longer term, the biggest rise in self-employment has been seen in the number of older workers. According to the ONS, self-employment among the over-50s is up 36% on 10 years ago. The independent think tank the Resolution Foundation believes the main reason for this is the fact that self-employment seems to be growing as an alternative to retirement. It says that more than a quarter (28%) of the rise in the number of people working for themselves is due to a decline in the rate at which people leave self-employment. Through analysis of data from the ONS, the Resolution Foundation also found that more than half of self-employed people aged 60 or over now work part-time, that is up from 46% in 2005. In other words, self-employment is increasingly an option that allows older people to keep earning but by working less. This trend helps explain the big growth in overall part-time self-employment seen in recent years. The proportion of women joining these ranks is also growing. Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS But for many people, self-employment has often been a last resort, especially as the recession took hold. Akbar Vindhani was forced into working for himself after being unemployed for three months with no sign of a job,

Summary: Zandra Johnson is living proof that it is never too late to start your own business.


Mr Cruz told reporters that Mr Trump was behind a story in the National Enquirer that alleged Mr Cruz has had extramarital affairs. Mr Cruz called the story "garbage, complete and utter lies". "It is a tabloid smear and it has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen." As evidence that Mr Trump planted the story, Mr Cruz pointed out that the only person quoted by name in the Enquirer story was Roger Stone, a former top adviser to the Trump campaign. He also noted that Mr Trump and National Enquirer CEO David Pecker are close friends. Ted Cruz came out swinging on Friday, condemning the Trump campaign in the strongest possible terms. Some of those terms may require additional explanation. "He is a man for whom a term was coined for copulating with a rodent," Mr Cruz said of Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser. "Well let me be clear, Donald Trump may be a rat, but I have no desire to copulate with him." What? Mr Cruz is referring to an obscene rat-themed euphemism for political dirty tricks. Mr Stone is credited with coining the phrase. Mr Stone got his start in politics working for President Richard Nixon. He later lost a position with Senator Bob Dole after a newspaper columnist named him as one of Nixon's "dirty tricksters". Such tricks included ordering hundreds of pizzas to be delivered to rival campaigns, cancelling opponents' rallies, and engaging in deplorable behaviour while pretending to represent other candidates. Through the years, Mr Stone worked for various Republican politicians including Ronald Reagan. And he's never shed his reputation for hardball attacks. In a 2007 profile in the Weekly Standard, Mr Stone was dubbed the "boastful black prince of Republican sleaze". Asked whether he would still support Mr Trump, the current front-runner, if he won the Republican nomination, Mr Cruz did not answer directly. But the Texas senator said: "I'm not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and my family." "I had absolutely nothing to do with it," Mr Trump said in a statement. On Tuesday, the candidates, who had been on good terms earlier in the campaign, began trading insults on Twitter. Mistakenly believing the Cruz campaign had produced an attack advert about his wife Melania, Mr Trump on Twitter threatened to "spill the beans" on Mr Cruz's wife, Heidi. Mr Cruz responded saying his campaign did not produce the advert, calling Mr Trump "classless" and a "coward". The next day, Mr Trump continued, posting an unflattering photo of Mrs Cruz on Twitter. Mr Cruz responded, calling Mr Trump a "snivelling coward" and told him to "leave Heidi the hell alone".

Summary: The feud between Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump is becoming increasingly personal, with Mr Cruz accusing "sleazy Donald" of spreading rumours.


The party, which was the third biggest group after the last local election, took four seats from Labour, one from the Tories and one from an independent. The final result at the Little Thurrock Blackshots ward was won by the Conservatives by one vote over the UKIP candidate after three recounts. UKIP and the Conservatives have 17 seats each, and Labour 14. There is one independent. The parties are now in discussion about whether a coalition can run the authority. Thurrock Tory group leader Rob Gledhill and UKIP leader Graham Snell said they believed they could work together. Basildon - where UKIP took two seats, one from Labour and one from the Lib Dems - and Southend-on-Sea councils remained with no one party in overall control. Harlow Council was held by Labour, and Castle Point and Brentwood councils were held by the Conservatives. Colchester City Council remains with no party in overall control. The counts for Rochford Council and Epping Forest are taking place on Friday. The tensions at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet were palpable. Just when the final declaration seemed imminent it went to a third recount and became even more nail-biting. Thurrock was a top target for UKIP on a national basis, and in the end they fell agonisingly short in coming out level with the Conservatives. Nonetheless, they're jubilant at having picked up six seats, which the leader Graham Snell puts down to his colleagues' hard work on local issues such as housing, jobs and the environment. Thurrock is now in an unprecedented situation with joint council leaders. Graham Snell and Robert Gledhill agree that there is common ground on about 70% of issues. In particular, they're united in their opposition to any new Thames river crossing coming through Thurrock.

Summary: UKIP have won six seats on Thurrock Council, missing out on being the largest party by a single vote.


In the six months to 13 August, sales climbed 14.4% to Â£259.5m, with profits rising 20.5% to Â£21.5m. This was despite rival retailers struggling due to unseasonal weather. "This is the company's first update since Brexit, and is a strong showing," said George Salmon, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. "The second half of the year is more important to Ted Baker than the first, nonetheless the news that sales growth remains robust provides reassurance that the group can continue to thrive, even in challenging times." The company, which opened its first store in Glasgow in 1988, now has 470 outlets worldwide selling fashion and accessories. It grew in all its markets, with retail sales in the UK and Europe - its biggest market - up 8.5%. In North America sales climbed 28.7% and they were 15.8% higher in Asia. Online sales meanwhile leapt 29.7% as the firm invested in web design, personalised content and language-specific websites. Brands such as Next and H&M have reported below-forecast results this year, with sales hit by colder weather in March and April this year. However, Zara-owner Inditex reported strong first-half profits, driven partly by rising online sales.

Summary: Fashion group Ted Baker has reported strong profits for the first half of 2016 despite challenging trading conditions.


A final decision on the new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset, could be announced next week during Chinese president Xi Jinping's state visit. Security sources have told The Times the scheme poses a threat to national security - and a senior Tory MP has called for an inquiry. But No 10 said it would not sign the deal if it thought security was a risk. Chancellor George Osborne has already announced a Â£2bn government guarantee to secure Chinese funding for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, to be jointly built with French energy giant EDF at an estimated cost of Â£24.5bn. The final go-ahead for the deal could be announced next week - paving the way for a second new reactor to built by the Chinese and French consortium at Sizewell, in Suffolk. If an agreement is reached, work could then start on the first Chinese-designed and built nuclear reactor in Europe, at Bradwell, in Essex, where a previous British-built reactor is in the process of being decommissioned. Caroline Baylon, a cyber security specialist at the Chatham House think tank, says Chinese investment is a "good thing" for the UK but "when it comes to very sensitive sectors of the economy we have to be very, very careful". Some argue that China would not attack its own nuclear plants, she tells BBC News, but it could obtain access to UK technologies that would give it an insight into any vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure systems. China is "well known for cyber-espionage" and, in common with other advanced nations, is already seeking out such vulnerabilities to allow it to hide potentially malicious software that could be activated later, says Ms Baylon, who recently co-authored a report on cyber-security at civil nuclear facilities. The trend in the global nuclear industry is towards the nationalisation of nuclear power, or at least the sourcing of components from "friendly countries," to safeguard critical systems - but the UK takes a very "permissive" attitude to the issue that is potentially "very dangerous," she warns. There is a "gentleman's agreement" between nations not to attack infrastructure, but Ms Baylon adds that "if the international situation changes, the UK may find itself in a tricky spot if this Chinese deal goes through. Today's alliances are not tomorrow's alliances." Construction of the first Hualong One reactor began in May in China's Fujian province, according to World Nuclear News. Gaining regulatory approval from the UK authorities for the design would be a major boost to the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation's hopes of exporting the technology around the world. But senior UK defence and security sources reportedly are concerned that the state-controlled company, which helped develop China's nuclear weapons, poses a national security risk. They fear "trapdoors or backdoors" could be inserted into IT systems, allowing Beijing to bypass British security measures. Responding to concerns, David Cameron's official spokesman said: "We have the Office for Nuclear Regulation - which is our independent nuclear regulator - which has very strict regulations in place in terms of how nuclear plants are operated and the

Summary: Downing Street is playing down security fears about plans to give China a stake in Britain's nuclear power industry.


A mouse was seen running around the cabin floor of the Chicago-bound flight. Staff tried to trap the tiny rodent but they couldn't find him. It's not the first time a tiny stowaway has caused problems; two flights from New York to London were cancelled in 2009 after mouse sightings. Officials had to ground the plane in Sweden and had to find alternative flights for all 250 passengers. The airline's boss said that the mouse could be a safety risk if he tried to nibble through the aircraft's wires.

Summary: When passengers started boarding a flight from Stockholm in Sweden they spotted an unusual passenger scurrying between the seats.


The information was given by the UK government in response to a freedom of information request by the Ferret investigative journalism website. It did not disclose who the companies were or where they have applied to extract shale gas. But Scotland's shale reserves are said to be focused in the central belt. The UK government's Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been offering exclusive rights to exploit onshore oil and gas resources under its 14th licensing round. But a decision on who will be awarded the licences in Scotland, and whether they should be awarded at all, will not be taken until after full powers over fracking are devolved to Holyrood under the Scotland Bill. The Scottish government placed a temporary moratorium on fracking in January while a study was carried out into is potential impact. In its response to the Ferret, the DECC said a total of nine companies had applied for the rights to 19 blocks in Scotland, each covering 100 sq km. But the DECC said it could not name the companies, or say where the blocks were, for commercial confidentiality reasons. Stuart Haszeldine, a professor of geology at the University of Edinburgh, told the Ferret: "It is very likely most of the applications for shale exploitation by fracking will focus around east Glasgow, north Lanarkshire, the northwest corner of south Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Edinburgh city, southwest and south coastal Fife, Midlothian and the north west of East Lothian." These areas were identified in a British Geological Survey (BGS) study of the Midland Valley - which runs across central Scotland - as having the greatest potential for shale extraction. The BGS report suggested there was only a "modest" amount of shale oil and gas in place in the area, with its central estimate for shale gas put at 80 trillion cubic feet, and its central estimate for shale oil put at six billion barrels Anti-fracking campaigners have raised concerns about the environmental impart of the controversial technique, which they argue is "dirty and dangerous". But supporters accuse environmental groups of scaremongering on the issue, and say shale gas extraction is an important potential energy source that could become a major new industry for Scotland. Find out more....

Summary: Nine companies have applied for licences to carry out fracking operations beneath 1,900 sq km of land in Scotland, it has been revealed.


The country's federal cartel office suspects the social network's privacy terms violate data protection laws. It is looking into whether Facebook's "dominance" means those terms also constituted an abuse of market power. The formal probe is the first of its kind the social network has faced. Facebook said it was confident it complied with the law. "Dominant companies are subject to special obligations," said Andreas Mundt, the president of the cartel office. "These include the use of adequate terms of service as far as these are relevant to the market "For advertising-financed internet services such as Facebook, user data are hugely important. "For this reason, it is essential to also examine under the aspect of abuse of market power whether the consumers are sufficiently informed about the type and extent of data collected." His investigation would focus on Facebook's US operation, as well as its German and Irish subsidiaries, the cartel office said in a statement released on Wednesday. It said Facebook was dominant in the social media market and relied on advertising revenues generated on the basis of a "large amount of personal user data". And users had to agree to this collection of data as a condition of their being able to use the network. "It is difficult for users to understand and assess the scope of the agreement accepted by them," it said. "There is considerable doubt as to the admissibility of this procedure, in particular under applicable national data protection law. "If there is a connection between such an infringement and market dominance, this could also constitute an abusive practice under competition law." A Facebook representative said: "We are confident that we comply with the law, and we look forward to working with the Federal Cartel Office to answer their questions." The German authorities are working in "close contact" with the European Commission, the competition authorities of the other EU member states and data and consumer protection officers. European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso said the EU executive shared the view of the German cartel office that the mere infringement of data protection rules by a dominant company did not automatically amount to a competition violation. "However, it cannot be excluded that a behaviour that violates data protection rules could also be relevant when investigating a possible violation of EU competition rules," he added, while declining specific comment on the new case. Speaking in Germany in January, the European commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager said her agency was taking a harder look at whether the collection of vast amounts of consumer data by big internet companies violated competition rules.

Summary: German authorities are investigating Facebook for suspected abuse of its dominant market position.


Wilson, 24, is the only addition to the 18 women who formed the first group to be given central contracts in 2014. The right-hander made her international debut in 2010 but has not represented England since 2011. "She thoroughly deserves to be awarded a central contract," said ECB director of women's cricket Clare Connor. "She scored significant runs throughout the summer and has been a dedicated member of the England women's performance squad during the past 18 months." Following defeat by Australia in the multi-format Ashes series earlier this year, England appointed Mark Robinson as head coach in November. The former Sussex coach's first series in charge will be against South Africa in February 2016, with three one-day internationals followed by three T20 Internationals. England will also take part in the 2016 World Twenty20 in India, overseas tours to West Indies and Sri Lanka and a home series against Pakistan in what Connor called "the busiest ever 12 months for England women". She added: "The awarding of central contracts ensures that the squad will be as best prepared and supported as possible for each of those contests." Full list of centrally contracted professionals: Charlotte Edwards (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kathryn Cross, Georgia Elwiss, Natasha Farrant, Lydia Greenway, Rebecca Grundy, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Fran Wilson, Danielle Wyatt

Summary: Middlesex batter Fran Wilson has been awarded a central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board for 2016-17.


The club has not been able to buy players since January this year after breaching Financial Fair Play rules. The news came the day after the club removed Russell Slade from his position as manager to take up a new role as the club's head of football. Slade will be in charge of the team for the last time when they play their final match of the season against Birmingham City at home on Saturday. The sanction will be lifted after the game, and means the club can start looking at potential summer recruits with the transfer window due to open on 10 June. Chief executive Ken Choo insisted the club would not rush appointing Slade's replacement. "We will take our time - we need to get the right person into the role," he said.

Summary: Cardiff City's transfer embargo has been lifted by the Football League.


The unnamed man was left stranded on Townshend Island, off the coast of Queensland, for three days after the crocodile sank its teeth into his boat. He told authorities he fended off the animal before paddling to the island, where he stayed for three days. He was rescued by helicopter on 6 August after activating a locator beacon. "He was very fortunate," a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority told AFP. "It didn't pierce the kayak. He said he was running on adrenaline [to get to the island]." The man was prevented from leaving the island by bad weather and a low tide. He activated his rescue beacon after running out of provisions. Saltwater crocodiles are the world's largest living reptiles. They have become more common in Australia since becoming a protected species in 1971. Read more:

Summary: A man whose kayak was attacked by a saltwater crocodile has been rescued from an island in Australia.


Offences for which lower compensation was awarded included ones involving drink, drugs or violence. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority said statutory guidance obliged it to reduce or refuse awards if victims had unspent convictions. A leading child abuse lawyer called for a review of the "scandalous" approach. Alan Collins said civil case judges increasingly took the opposite view, and accepted that abuse could have a lifelong effect, with addictions being a possible consequence. Since 2010, CICA - an executive agency sponsored by the Ministry of Justice - has awarded compensation to 12,665 people who were sexually abused as children, or as adults lacking mental capacity. But some 438 people have had their government-funded compensation reduced because they had committed criminal offences themselves, the BBC learned after a series of Freedom of Information requests. Of the 27 cases where compensation was reduced between June 2014 and June 2015, half were for drink, drugs, theft or property offences. Eight involved violence against people. CICA would not say how many applications by such victims had been rejected. "The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme has always asked that awards are reduced or refused if the victim had unspent convictions," it said in a statement. The Ministry of Justice said the refusal or reduction of an awarded payment reflected the fact the individual "may have caused distress, loss or injury to another person, and cost the taxpayer money through a police investigation or court proceedings". It said there were no plans to review the scheme. Odette Tovey, a Sheffield-based legal representative for several grooming victims whose applications have been rejected by CICA, said: "The crimes committed against the victims far outweigh the crimes that these victims committed." Some of these had been abused for many years, from their early teens, added Ms Tovey, and CICA was their only route to potential compensation. Ms Tovey said CICA needed to take into consideration that victims' crimes "were as a result of mental health problems developed because of the period of abuse they went through". Victims could be eligible for compensation of Â£27,000 if no deductions were made, said Ms Tovey. The average award after CICA compensation reduction was Â£8,423. Jane was groomed and abused for more than four years after running away from her South Yorkshire home at the age of 15. She was given drugs and alcohol and forced to have sex with men she did not know. A lead witness at her abuser's trial, Jane was turned down for compensation because she has unspent convictions for theft and assault - offences which took place before the trial took place and when she says she was addicted to so-called legal highs. She has since given up drugs, has married, and is pregnant with her first child. Jane - not her real name - has paid back the money she stole and says she feels remorse for her actions, but says they should not negate her compensation. She told the BBC: "I've hurt someone else, they didn't expect to be hurt, they didn't deserve to be hurt, I just hurt

Summary: Compensation has been reduced for more than 400 sex abuse victims in Britain who later committed criminal offences, the BBC has learnt.


Chris Martin headed the hosts into the lead from Cyrus Christie's cross after Tom Ince had earlier seen a deflected effort hit the Town post. The Terriers had chances to get back in the game but Jamie Paterson dragged a shot just off target from 15 yards. Ince's shot struck the crossbar before sub Johnny Russell wrapped up the victory with a smart curling finish. It was just a third win in 11 matches for the Rams but victory maintains their hopes of pushing for an automatic promotion place. Darren Wassall's men are seven points behind second-placed Middlesbrough having played a game more. Huddersfield were competitive throughout but defeat means they drop to 18th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone. The Rams travel to QPR on Tuesday while Huddersfield host Reading, looking for their first win in four matches. Derby head coach Darren Wassall: "We believe in Chris Martin but what we did do at Brentford [on 20 February] was have a long chat before the game and say we wanted him firing on all cylinders because he's a great asset to the club. Media playback is not supported on this device "He hadn't scored in open play since October so we decided to leave him out for the Brentford game and he agreed with that decision. Since then, I think it was a weight off his shoulders and his attitude was great. "He came on at Brentford and scored a wonder goal and he's not looked back since. That's all we've done, we told him we really rate him as a player and he's responded which is full credit to him." Huddersfield head coach David Wagner: "Derby had to produce one of their best performances today to be able to beat us and so we can leave the stadium with our head up. "I think there were only some small key points that decided this game and those were in Derby's direction which is why we lost. "It's important that you trust and believe in yourself and sometimes you get what you deserve and sometimes not. Today I think we didn't get what we probably deserved, which was a draw or maybe more.

Summary: Derby County remain in fifth place in the Championship after a win over Huddersfield.


James Duddridge, who has tabled a no confidence motion in Mr Bercow, said he had used his job to "pontificate" on international issues and had spoken publicly against Brexit. The Speaker, who recently criticised US President Donald Trump, told students on 3 February he had voted Remain. Lib Dem chief whip Tom Brake said Mr Bercow was "even-handed" in his job. And the Speaker's spokeswoman said he had been "scrupulous in ensuring that both sides of the argument are always heard". But speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Duddridge said: "Enough is enough. "We need a new more impartial Speaker." Although Mr Duddridge is currently the only signatory to his motion, he said he had received calls from ministers and MPs from different parties saying they too would vote to oppose Mr Bercow if it was debated. He said Mr Bercow had done "some very good things" during his time in the chair, but added: "One of the key roles of the Speaker is you must not speak on policy issues. "He's broken that rule, he's broken his employment contract effectively with members of Parliament - he should resign, and if he doesn't, the vote of no confidence will go ahead." He claimed there would have to be a vote to "resolve" his motion, although Early Day Motions tabled by MPs rarely make it as far as a Commons debate. Mr Brake, a member of the House of Commons commission, said there had been a longstanding campaign by some Conservative MPs to get rid of Mr Bercow. He said the Speaker's style "may feel like Marmite to some but in practice he is balanced". On his blog, UKIP MP Douglas Carswell criticised Mr Bercow's "morally perverse" stance against President Trump but said he would not back an attempt to unseat him. Mr Carswell pointed to Commons debates to come as the UK leaves the EU, adding: "Brexiteers should be exclusively focused on winning those fights - not picking others." Before the recording of his Brexit comments emerged, Mr Bercow, who was a Conservative MP before becoming Speaker, was already facing calls for him to be replaced for voicing his opposition to US President Donald Trump addressing Parliament on his UK state visit. Talking to Reading students, Mr Bercow said: "Personally, I voted to remain. I thought it was better to stay in the European Union than not." He said this was "partly for economic reasons - being part of a big trade bloc - and partly because I think we're in a world of power blocs. "I think for all the weaknesses and deficiencies of the European Union, it's better to be part of that big power bloc in the world than thinking you can act as effectively on your own." He also said immigration was a good thing and expressed concern Labour had not done more to strike a "very clear, resonant Remain note". When he was elected Speaker in 2009, Mr Bercow said he would serve for no more than nine years. Responding to the row over his

Summary: A Conservative MP who is attempting to oust Speaker John Bercow says he should quit or face a vote of no confidence.


In a letter urging congregations to vote on 7 May, the House of Bishops does not endorse a political party but encourages debate on issues such as nuclear defence and the economy. It speaks of Britain's "almost moribund political culture". Conservative MP Conor Burns said the letter was "naive", but David Cameron said he welcomed the move. The 52-page letter - an unprecedented intervention by the House of Bishops - says "it is the duty of every Christian adult to vote, even though it may have to be a vote for something less than a vision that inspires us". The Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James, said there was "disengagement with the contemporary political culture" and rejected the pleas of some, such as comedian and actor Russell Brand, for people not to vote. He told reporters: "We as bishops are not as sexy as Russell Brand but we say 'do vote, do engage and do use the hard-won political freedoms that you possess'." The letter says the country needs "a new approach to political life that will change the political weather as decisively as did the administrations of 1945 and 1979". "The ideals that the Big Society stood for should not be consigned to the political dustbin," the letter adds. The Big Society was among the Conservatives' flagship 2010 election policies and encouraged greater personal responsibility and community activism in shaping society and running public services. But by January 2013 charities expressed "huge frustration" at a lack of progress with the idea, which they said appeared to be "going nowhere". The document covers various issues including: The bishops are well aware that their pre-election letter will be seen by some as a left-wing document - although they have been at pains to stress that their intention is not to back one party over another, nor to create a wish-list of policies - although they do ask voters to back the "living wage". They say that the two UK administrations that offered genuinely new visions - Clement Attlee's Labour party in 1945 and Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in 1979 - changed the way people in Britain looked at society, politics and the role of government and human relationships - but that today, neither vision addresses contemporary needs, at a time of increasing public alienation from mainstream politics. In recent weeks, the Archbishops of York and Canterbury have asked questions about the increasing divides between North and South, or richest and poorest in the UK. So this latest intervention, questioning what kind of society an increasingly diverse Britain wants to be, and what kind of power it wishes to wield on the world stage, is a sign of a Church more willing to use its position to speak truth unto power, even if it is not always welcomed. Conservative MP Nadine Dorries said she believed the letter had "glaring inaccuracies" regarding the economy and the Church should be more concerned with issues people wanted to hear its views on, such as abortion. She said the bishops had a "very definite left-wing leaning to

Summary: Politicians need to deliver a "fresh moral vision" ahead of the general election, the Church of England says.


Military sources told Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper the soldier was a member of Joint Task Force 2, and made the shot from a high-rise building. It took the bullet almost 10 seconds to hit its target, it reports. The Canadian Special Operations Command confirmed to the BBC the sniper "hit a target" from that distance. The shot, which sources tell the paper was filmed, is thought to be a record for the longest confirmed kill. The sniper worked in tandem with an observer, who helps to spot targets, and used a standard Canadian military issued McMillan TAC-50 rifle. "The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [so-called Islamic State] attack on Iraqi security forces," a military source told the paper. "Instead of dropping a bomb that could potentially kill civilians in the area, it is a very precise application of force and because it was so far away, the bad guys didn't have a clue what was happening." The source described the difficultly of the shot, which required the shooter to account for wind, ballistics, and even the Earth's curvature. Military experts believe the successful shot may have set a record. The previous record was held by British sniper, Craig Harrison, who shot and killed a Taliban attacker from 2,475 metres in 2009 using an L115A3 long range rifle. The government of Canada's Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau halted air strikes against the so-called Islamic State in 2016. But at the same time, Mr Trudeau announced plans to treble the number of special forces on the ground, as well as increase the number of Canadian Armed Forces members who are tasked with training and assisting local forces.

Summary: A sniper in the Canadian special forces shot and killed an Islamic State (IS) fighter from a distance of 2.1 miles (3,540m) in Iraq last month.


29 May 2015 Last updated at 11:20 BST Tapirs are relatives of the horse and rhino and are usually found in South America. This one was born at a zoo in Prague, in the Czech Republic. Once the baby is about two months old, he will lose his stripes and turn brown.

Summary: This stripy little cutie is a baby tapir that was born on Thursday morning.


United manager Jose Mourinho is keen on the 22-year-old, who can play at centre-half or right-back. A group from Benfica is reported to have travelled to England on Monday to discuss a potential transfer with the Premier League club. United have not commented but Vitoria said: "If there are exits we will find solutions." Reports suggest he would become the club's most expensive defender of all time, costing between £38m and £42m. Their record is England international Rio Ferdinand's £29.1m move to Old Trafford from Leeds in 2002. Lindelof, who has 11 caps for Sweden, played in Benfica's Portuguese league game against Rio Ave on Wednesday, their last game for two weeks. His agent Hasan Cetinkaya told Swedish media there was "a bid on Benfica's table" and that he would be meeting with the club, but refused to comment when asked specifically about an offer from Manchester United. Mourinho, who spent more than £150m on players in the summer, is keen to make changes to his squad during the January transfer window. Although the Portuguese has said he will not force anyone out, midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger are the most likely to depart, along with Memphis Depay. France international Schneiderlin, 27, has attracted interest from Everton, as has Netherlands winger Depay, although Italian side Roma are another club keeping an eye on the 22-year-old. Former Germany captain Schweinsteiger spoke to MLS outfit Chicago Fire, with other US clubs also keen on taking the World Cup winner, who has returned to first-team training after being frozen out by Mourinho at the start of the season.

Summary: Benfica coach Rui Vitoria has not ruled out Sweden defender Victor Lindelof joining Manchester United next month.


With three days of campaigning until polling day, parties are concentrating on key seats. High profile campaigning was put on hold on Sunday by all the main parties, except UKIP, following the London Bridge terror attack. Both the First Minister Carwyn Jones and Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood will be in north Wales. The Welsh Labour leader will start the day in the Ynys Mon constituency, where his party faces a stiff challenge from Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives, and will finish in Wrexham. Ms Wood is also campaigning on Anglesey. For the Conservatives, both Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies have visited the constituency of Gower.

Summary: Leading Welsh politicians have resumed general election campaigning on Monday following the terror attack in London.


Shanay Walker was found dead in her bed in Nottingham in July 2014. Juanila Smikle, 53, of Easegill Court, Top Valley, is accused of cruelty to Shanay and to four other children, dating back to 2011. Mrs Smikle's daughter Kay-Ann Morris, 24, of Nottingham, denies murdering Shanay, her niece, and charges of cruelty against two other children. Ms Morris elected not to give evidence at the trial at Nottingham Crown Court. Describing her own childhood, Mrs Smikle told the jury she had been routinely beaten with tree branches while growing up in Jamaica in the 1960s and 1970s. She described being "peppered", meaning that a vinegar, salt and chilli pepper solution was poured on to her genitals. She said her upbringing made her think beatings and "pepperings" were right and fair. The court heard how Mrs Smikle beat each of her own eight children in Jamaica but when she moved to the UK, she realised it was not acceptable. She said Kay-Ann and her twin sister Kerry-Ann would "never forgive me for beating them because they're hurt and vexed." However, the court was told that in January 2007, Kay-Ann was "peppered" by her sister at the instigation of Mrs Smikle after she had lied about having sex. At this point, Kay-Ann Morris broke down in the dock. The jury was told that within a few months of this incident both twin daughters had moved out of the home. Subsequently Kay-Ann and Shanay came back to live with Mrs Smikle. Asked by the defence if she had ever smacked Shanay, Mrs Smikle replied: "Never". The trial continues.

Summary: A woman accused of harming her seven-year-old granddaughter has told a court she was beaten as a child.


Media playback is not supported on this device The 53-year-old's stock has never being higher after leading the Lions to a thrilling drawn Test series in New Zealand. Gatland extended his Wales contract in 2013, keeping him in charge until the end of the 2019 World Cup. "My focus is now on Wales, preparing for the World Cup in Japan," he said. "I am a firm believer of what will be will be so I won't be looking too far ahead. I am looking forward to the next few years with Wales and then see what other opportunities are out there." Gatland took the reins with Wales in December, 2007, and led them to 2008 and 2012 Six Nations Grand Slams as well as a World Cup semi-final in 2011. Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Martyn Phillips has said he would be prepared to release Gatland from his contract if the New Zealander wanted to leave. But Gatland - who has been tipped as a future All Blacks head coach - reiterated his intention to see out his current WRU deal. Media playback is not supported on this device "My focus is on Wales, for the autumn internationals and then looking towards the 2019 World Cup," he added. "I'm definitely finishing up there, unless they decide to get rid of me sooner!" Gatland coached the Lions to a series win in Australia four years ago and has not ruled out taking charge again - if asked - for the next tour to South Africa. "You never say never," said Gatland. "If there's a chat and opportunity to think about 2021, to do maybe the three as a head coach, to win two and draw one wouldn't be a bad achievement." Lions tour manager John Spencer said he had no doubt Gatland had proved his coaching credentials during the tour to New Zealand. "You have to be a very shrewd coach to come to New Zealand and achieve what the players have achieved," Spencer said. "Without doubt I think he's the best head coach in the world... I think he's proved that with our guys. "I don't want to take anything away from Wales, because he's got a job to do there, but I think his achievements on this tour have opened up the future for him. "It's an incredible achievement to come halfway round the world, to adapt to all the difficulties you have with travelling and then to play back-to-back world champions on their own park, and to be as successful as he has been."

Summary: Wales head coach Warren Gatland says he will honour his current contract after returning from his second stint in charge of the British and Irish Lions.


Alan Cronin, 60, from Guilden Sutton, near Chester, was found with serious injuries near Rossett flyover on the A483 Wrexham bypass on Thursday. Polish national Damian Niepieklo, 22, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop and failing to report an accident. He was remanded in custody to appear before magistrates on Monday. Mr Cronin, died following the collision at Junction 7 of the northbound carriageway at about 14.20 BST. Ch Insp Darren Wareing repeated an earlier appeal for witnesses, urging anyone with information to get in contact via the 101 line. In a tribute, the family of Mr Cronin, a member of Chester Triathlon Club, described him as the "best possible dad, husband, brother and partner to have, willing to do anything for anyone".

Summary: A man has been charged in connection with the death of a cyclist in a Wrexham crash, say North Wales Police.


Reports in the Netherlands say ex-Manchester United defender Jaap Stam, who recently left his role as a coach at Ajax, is a contender for the job. McDermott, 55, returned to the Madejski Stadium in December for his second spell as boss of the Royals. But he only won nine of his 30 games in charge and the Berkshire side finished 17th in the second tier. A club statement said it had been a "difficult decision" for the board of directors to relieve McDermott of his duties. Reading said they would now undertake a "rigorous recruitment process" in order to identify the former Arsenal midfielder's successor. McDermott led the Royals to promotion to the Premier League in 2011-12, but he left the club in March 2013 after just over three years in charge. Reading had also enjoyed considerable cup success under McDermott, reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2010 and 2011. He agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal on his return to the club in December and again led the Royals to the last eight of the FA Cup, where they were beaten by Crystal Palace. Reading lost six of their final seven Championship games this season and finished the campaign 12 points above the relegation zone.

Summary: Championship side Reading have sacked manager Brian McDermott after just over five months in charge.


Kimberley Renicks, 27, is Britain's top-ranked player at -48kg but needs a strong run of results to leap almost 25 places into the world's top 16. "We budgeted for £20,000 for the full year. We got £8,000 and that's all spent," said Louise of her fundraiser. "Unfortunately, in judo there is only a small amount of funding." The Renicks sisters, from Coatbridge, enjoyed high profiles during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, winning the host country's first gold medals. However, the battle for funding, combined with recurring injuries, led 32-year-old Louise to retire from competitive judo this summer. She now combines a part-time job as a sports development officer with coaching her younger sister and helping her realise her dream of fighting in Rio. Louise sees part of her role as shielding Kimberley, who has returned from a shoulder injury, from the stress of finding money for flights and accommodation, with the duo using a crowd-funding website. Money from Judo Scotland, who are allowing Louise to help with her sister's programme up until the Olympics, will cover Kimberley's costs in January but Louise feels British Judo should be doing more to help in the months that follow. "The British trials are in two weeks' time and it will be Kimberley's last competition of the year," she said. "Even getting the number one spot, she will be hoping British Judo can provide something. "I know that January competitions are covered so it's February and March competitions that we need to worry about. "Even taking the British number ones for the girls and the boys in the seven weight categories, that's 14 athletes but only eight athletes get that funding. "Money might go to athletes in other weight categories with a slightly better record. "[Since the Commonwealth Games] money went up in certain areas but it's not gone up so much in the elite side to give athletes a wage to be able to live and pay for competitions. "It's still quite low there, but in the development side, the recreation side, the active side, all that has gone up in Scotland. "It's hard to go to the Olympics and get your dream." The sisters targeted an initial six events to boost Kimberley's ranking points, but she lost in the first round of the first two, then picked up two bronze medals before two last-16 finishes in Grands Prix. "Out of the 500 points she needed, she came away with just over 120 so we need in the 300 mark," said Louise of her sister's Rio target. The Renicks' travels for ranking points in the coming months will take in 12 competitions and will include destinations such as Cuba, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina, plus some in Europe. "I'm going to the other side of the world to fight the athletes that, if I do qualify, I will come up against at the Olympics," said Kimberley. "You have to learn how to fight their style. "It's a full-time job but you don't get paid for it. That's the hardest bit. But walking away from Rio

Summary: Louise Renicks is concerned that a lack of funding will shatter her sister Kimberley's dream of competing for Britain's judo team in the Olympics.


He died on Monday, aged 89, in a nursing home in Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, following an illness. Bishop Casey resigned as Bishop of Galway following the revelation he had been making payments to a woman in the United States for a long period. He had a relationship with an American divorcee and was the father of her son. Peter Murphy was born in 1974 and was the result of Bishop Casey's affair with Annie Murphy. Speaking on BBC's Evening Extra programme, Michael Kelly of The Irish Catholic newspaper described the event as "the beginning of the end of the extreme dominance of the Catholic Church in Irish public life". When the relationship became public in 1992, Bishop Casey resigned his post and went to America. He later moved to Mexico to learn Spanish, worked as a missionary priest in Ecuador and then worked in a parish in England before retiring to Galway 14 years later. In 2006 he came home to live in Shanaglish, near Gort, County Galway, and then Carrigoran Nursing Home in County Clare in 2011. Born in County Kerry on 24 April 1927, Bishop Casey was educated in Limerick and in Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1951. For the next nine years he worked as a curate in two Limerick city parishes before being appointed to the Irish Emigrant Chaplaincy Service in England. He became well-known while working in London for sourcing adequate housing for thousands of Irish emigrants. On Monday, the Catholic Church said "his passionate advocacy for social justice and for those marginalised by inequality gave him a significant public profile and his work in this area continued throughout his life". He was appointed Bishop of Kerry in 1969 before taking on the larger and more high-profile diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh in 1976. "Perhaps the highlight of his time in Galway was his organising and hosting the visit of Pope John Paul II to the city in 1979 to meet and pray with 300,000 young people from all over Ireland," the Catholic Church said. Bishop Casey was present at the funeral of his murdered friend Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador when the liturgy was interrupted by bombs and intense gunfire which left almost 50 mourners dead. He also voiced strong objections to the visit of US President Ronald Regan to Galway in 1984 because of "American foreign policy". Archbishop Eamon Martin said: "It is with great sadness that I learned today of the death of Bishop Eamonn Casey. "I wish to sincerely acknowledge the contribution of Bishop Casey to the work of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference over twenty-three years during his time as Bishop of Kerry and as Bishop of Galway".

Summary: Former Bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey, who was at the centre of a scandal that rocked the Catholic Church in the early 1990s, has died.


It was drawn up following the death of 16-year-old Bailey Gwynne, who was stabbed during a fight with a fellow pupil at Cults Academy. Staff will be provided with clarity on the recording of incidents in schools, pupil searches and when and how to confiscate weapons, including knives. The schoolboy's killer is serving nine years for culpable homicide. An independent review into the death of Bailey in October last year found his death was "potentially avoidable" if teachers had known his attacker carried a knife. The review, conducted by child welfare professional Andrew Lowe, made 21 recommendations. Other actions approved by the council include providing professional learning opportunities to teachers in order that they can deliver anti-weapon and knife crime lessons. Gayle Gorman, director of education and children's services, said: "The report before committee outlined and demonstrated Aberdeen City Council and our partners clear commitment to implement the recommendations of the review - and indeed to go further to ensure that our children, young people, families, communities and staff are as informed as they can be regarding the tragic and devastating consequences of carrying weapons. "I know that no strategy, or indeed case review, will alter the fact that Bailey is no longer with us and that his loss is keenly felt by all who knew and loved him. "As always my thoughts are with Bailey's family."

Summary: A strategy aimed at preventing knives and weapons getting into Aberdeen schools has been approved.


VW was the seventh most criticised firm in a top 10 dominated by energy and chemical companies, according to consultancy Sigwatch. Shell was the most criticised by campaigners, followed by Monsanto, which makes genetically modified food. Sigwatch monitored more than 7,500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The campaigners ranged from Greenpeace to Occupy to the consumer advocates Which? and groups focused on very specific issues such as airports expansion. Singled out for most praise were NestlÃ©, Marks & Spencer and McDonald's. But it was the increased criticism of VW which was one of the most striking findings, according to Sigwatch. "Volkswagen didn't even figure as an NGO target in 2014. By 2015 they were the top seven most hated company in the world as far as NGOs went," Sigwatch managing director Robert Blood told the BBC. "It's entirely because of 'Dieselgate'," he said, as pressure groups relaunched campaigns against greenhouse gas emissions with a new focus on VW. VW was found in September to have fitted millions of US cars with defeat devices which disguised emission levels in diesel cars. Half of the top-10 most criticised companies on Sigwatch's list were energy firms, because of "the elephant in the room - climate change," Mr Blood said. Top was Shell, but TransCanada, ExxonMobil, EDF and BP also featured. Shell said it would continue to engage with NGOs to ensure a "high-energy, low carbon, responsible energy future for our planet". The "most sensitive" companies to NGO concerns were food companies and retailers. That included M&S, which was praised for its environmental and animal welfare work, Mr Blood said. "It knows what its customers want and its customers are Greenpeace supporters," he said.

Summary: German carmaker Volkswagen was one of the "most disliked" companies for pressure groups last year following its emissions scandal, a survey has found.


Mr Trump called it a "very precarious" issue for the party and said that Mr Cruz's nomination could be challenged in court. Mr Cruz was born in Calgary to an American mother and a Cuban father. Most legal experts believe Mr Cruz meets the requirements to be president. The Cruz campaign responded by saying Mr Trump had "jumped the shark" - a pop culture reference to when a TV show or fad has overreached and fallen into decline. The Texas senator is performing well in polling in the early voting state of Iowa. While Mr Trump leads most polls, several surveys show Mr Cruz is the top choice of likely Republican voters. Much of Mr Trump's support comes from independents, disillusioned Democrats and people who have never voted before. Some analysts are predicting that Mr Cruz will win because of how the voting process is structured in Iowa. The caucus format requires more time and dedication from voters than a typical US primary election. Before Mr Trump became a presidential candidate, the New York businessman had repeatedly questioned President Barack Obama's citizenship. Mr Obama was born in Hawaii to an American mother and a Kenyan father. Authorities in Hawaii and Mr Obama both provided detailed birth records after some conservatives such as Mr Trump questioned where he was born. Mr Obama's allies have said the "birther" movement was a racist effort to discredit the county's first black president.

Summary: Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has questioned whether rival candidate Ted Cruz is eligible to become his party's nominee because he was born in Canada.


It took some amazing photos of the dwarf planet and now scientists are hard at work looking through all the information it sent back. Here's Newsround's rundown of the most interesting things we've discovered about Pluto so far from the New Horizons probe. The high-resolution cameras on board New Horizons have shown Pluto to have a distinctive heart-shaped crater on its surface. The shape is believed to have been caused by an impact at some point in the past. One side of the heart is smoother than the other, and researchers believe the crater is filled with frozen gases from the atmosphere, including nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. The first image released by Nasa showed Pluto to be reddish in colour. But, this doesn't mean it's the same as the other famous red planet, Mars. Both planets are red, but for different reasons, due to the ways chemicals react in their atmospheres. New Horizons has provided more accurate information about Pluto's size, and we now know it's about 80km wider than previously predicted. Nasa experts say it's around two-thirds the size of our Moon. This means that Pluto is likely to be made up of less rock and more ice beneath its surface, according to members of the mission team. One of the main things we learned is that Pluto does have a polar ice cap. Scientists had thought this before but couldn't prove it until they saw the new images beamed back from the probe. Temperatures on Pluto are extremely cold! They range from -172 to -238 degrees Celsius depending on where it is on its orbit. Experts had assumed that the dwarf planet was cooling but the new data shows that this isn't happening. The New Horizons probe is 5 billion kilometres from Earth. This means it can only send back its information to mission control in the US very slowly. So, just one black and white picture of Pluto would take over three hours to transmit back to Earth. Getting all the data from its flypast of Pluto last week will take almost 16 months. So, we can look forward to lots more new discoveries about the far away dwarf planet over the next year or so.

Summary: The New Horizons probe successfully completed its fly-by of Pluto last week.


David Brickwood, 74, was stabbed five times in Northampton on 26 September in a "violent and dreadful" attack. One of his sons, Dale Brickwood, said the family was becoming "increasingly frustrated" the killers had not yet been brought to justice. Police said the case was "a priority" they were "committed" to solving. Mr Brickwood was attacked when several men broke into his Lindsay Avenue home in the early hours of the morning. He was left with multiple stab wounds to the head, leg and hand. The scrap metal dealer was known to keep money in his house. His son Dale said the family was not sure how much was taken but during a Crimewatch reconstruction on 8 February police appealed for "anyone [who has] come into contact with a large amount of old style £20 and £50 notes" to come forward. His son said watches and jewellery were also taken. The offenders would have been "covered in blood", officers said, but despite that, no-one has been charged. Two men arrested shortly after the murder were released with no further action. Three other men remain on bail. Mr Brickwood criticised Northamptonshire Police for a lack of communication, saying: "We seem to be finding information and giving it to them." The police "don't really talk to us", he added. Northamptonshire Police said two family liaison officers had been assigned plus a "dedicated team of detectives". Det Ch Insp Mick Graham, leading the investigation, said: "I can fully understand that the family and friends of David may be frustrated. "The investigation team share that frustration and empathise with David's family." He said there was "a lot of rumour and speculation locally", but added: "We need the people with the critical pieces of information and evidence to come forward." However, the family has been left "so demoralised" after the recent Crimewatch appeal failed to lead to further arrests, Dale Brickwood said. "It's disgusting. Five months after our dad was murdered and no-one's been caught. Where do we go from here?" Crimestoppers has offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Summary: The son of a man murdered at home five months ago has said his family is "demoralised" by the apparent lack of progress in the investigation.


Mourinho has already made three big summer signings and is closing in on Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Schweinsteiger, 31, looks like being one of nine players who may leave. The midfielder, who has announced his international retirement, trained on his own as United's full squad trained together for the first time. Forwards Adnan Januzaj, Will Keane and James Wilson, midfielder Andreas Pereira and defenders Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Tim Fosu-Mensah, Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair are also reportedly set to be made available, though some may only leave on loan. With all the other senior players who were absent from the recent tour of China present, Schweinsteiger's absence from Thursday's squad training session is being viewed as significant. United paid a reported £14.4m to sign him from Bayern Munich 12 months ago but the move did not work out as planned. Injury restricted Schweinsteiger to 31 appearances and he was involved in just seven of United's final 34 games, including missing the FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace. He injured a knee on international duty in March and only returned at Euro 2016, when he scored on his first appearance, as a substitute, against Ukraine. Of the other players who did not train with the United squad on Thursday, Januzaj has had the biggest fall from grace. The 21-year-old Belgian was one of the star performers in David Moyes' single season in charge, when he earned himself a big increase in a five-year contract. But his progress was not maintained and he was loaned to Borussia Dortmund last season. He did not start a league game and the German side were happy to let United cut the deal short midway through the season when Louis van Gaal's squad were badly affected by injury. He then featured for 17 minutes in three substitute appearances. Since his arrival, Mourinho has signed Villarreal defender Eric Bailly for about £30m, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee and former Paris St Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer.

Summary: German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger's future at Manchester United is in doubt following Jose Mourinho's appointment as manager.


The move was part of a plan to clear a 100m (328ft) security zone around the camp's perimeter, an official told AP. But some migrants and activists said the places of worship had not been included in the demolition plans, local media reported. The Jungle is used by about 5,000 migrants who say they want to reach the UK. The church's pastor clashed with police during the demolition but the mosque had already been abandoned and there were no protests, the unnamed official said. No-one was hurt and the migrants were free to build new churches and mosques, the official added. However, civil society groups working in the camp claimed the authorities had promised not to demolish them in the first place. "It was agreed that the church and the mosque would stay. By demolishing them, the authorities are showing contempt for NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and are seeking conflict with the migrants who used these places," said Christian Salome of the NGO Auberge des Migrants, the Voix du Nord newspaper reported. Tea, rivalry and ambition at 'Jungle hotel' Jungle migrants prepare to move Migrants resist relocation to containers There is still a church and about six mosques in the Jungle, Mr Salome added. The French authorities have been clearing a 100m zone between the Jungle and a nearby motorway. They have also encouraged the migrants inside the camp to move into new accommodation made from shipping containers. The 125 converted containers are equipped with electricity, heating and bunk beds, and each one can accommodate 12 people. About 1,000 migrants have taken up the offer, but others refused and moved their tents further inside the Jungle, despite the poor living conditions.

Summary: French authorities have demolished a makeshift church and mosque at the Calais camp known as the Jungle.


The Terriers took a fifth-minute lead through Elias Kachunga's header but Jonny Howson equalised for the hosts just 66 seconds later. Kachunga put the visitors back in front before the break when he poked an effort past John Ruddy via a deflection off Sebastien Bassong. The Canaries had chances in the second half but defeat means they have now lost seven of their last nine games. Relive Norwich v Huddersfield For David Wagner's side victory was their third in successive games after five without a win, but their first goal came about in controversial circumstances. Kachunga looked to be in an offside position when Tommy Smith crossed in from the right, however the header was allowed to stand. The Canaries got back into the match almost immediately when Robbie Brady hooked a cross to captain Howson to head home his fourth goal of the season. But, soon after Terriers forward Nahki Wells nearly capitalised on a wayward Graham Dorrans backpass, Kachunga was given too much space in the middle of the park to run forward, play a one-two with Smith and prod in his ninth of the campaign. Kachunga missed a similar chance for a hat-trick in a second half which Norwich shaded, but could not find a way past Town goalkeeper Danny Ward, as Nelson Oliveira's attempted lob went wide of the mark when he was free in the box. Sebastien Bassong almost equalised late on with a powerful header from a corner but it was not to be and the home fans let out a chorus of boos at the final whistle. Norwich manager Alex Neil: "The disappointing thing is we had a lot of clear-cut chances that we didn't take. "Ultimately goals change games. There was certainly enough there to score goals. "In the first half we lacked intensity, we looked leggy. In the second half we were more energetic." Huddersfield boss David Wagner told BBC Radio Leeds: "We wanted to be confident and play with our identity. We were very strong in the first half and I think we deserved the three points. "When you play Norwich away there will be hard moments but we were lucky and I'm very proud. "Kasey Palmer was outstanding tonight. His work with and without the ball was class. "This was a great week and I'm giving the players tomorrow off! It's important they spend time with their families around Christmas." Match ends, Norwich City 1, Huddersfield Town 2. Second Half ends, Norwich City 1, Huddersfield Town 2. Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Michael Hefele replaces Rajiv van La Parra. Attempt missed. Sebastien Bassong (Norwich City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Robbie Brady with a cross following a corner. Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Christopher Schindler. Offside, Huddersfield Town. Tommy Smith tries a through ball, but Kasey Palmer is caught offside. Attempt saved. Sebastien Bassong (Norwich City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Robbie Brady with a cross. Corner, Norwich City. Conceded

Summary: Huddersfield moved up to third in the Championship with victory at Norwich.


The £80,000 needed for a monument to Alice Hawkins was given in one donation from a city businessman. Ms Hawkins, a shoe machinist, helped lead the Suffragette campaign in Leicester and gave speeches in London. Her grandson said the statue would be in recognition of all the women who fought for universal suffrage. The anonymous donor had originally pledged some of the funds needed for the artwork but was moved to donate the full amount after watching the film Suffragette. Ms Hawkins' grandson, Peter Barratt, said the donor had "made dreams and ambitions come true". "The statue will feature Alice but it is in recognition of all the women in the Leicester Suffragette movement 100 years ago, to gain a basic human right that that we all have today." Ms Hawkins left school in Stafford in 1876 to start work as a shoe machinist, later joining Equity Shoes, which encouraged workers to take part in political activism. From there she joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and was one of 18 women to be jailed when they were charged by mounted police in Hyde Park in February 1907. After her time in prison, she organised meetings and protests in Leicester, inviting Sylvia Pankhurst and helping form the city's section of the WSPU. She died in 1946, aged 83, and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave. Mr Barratt said he was now inviting ideas from artists for the statue and hoped it would be put up in about 18 months' time.

Summary: A statute to a Leicester woman, jailed five times for her part in the Suffragette movement, will be built after an anonymous donor came forward.


Katie Perrior, who served as director of communications for 10 months, said she and others were not able to "speak freely" and her advice was not heeded. She accused the PM's chiefs of staff Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy of treating ministers with a lack of respect. The PM is being urged to make changes after losing her majority. The BBC understands Mrs May has been warned she faces a leadership challenge on Monday unless she sacks her two closest advisers. Mrs May, who is seeking to form a government with the support of the DUP, has said she will look at "personnel issues" amid anger in Tory circles about the role of Mr Timothy and Ms Hill in the drafting of the party's manifesto and the overall conduct of the election campaign. Ms Perrior said Mrs May was a "good person" who would take personal responsibility for the campaign but suggested the set-up in No 10 was not working. "Being in the Home Office for such a long time with her top team, she became accustomed to that being it and of course running the Home Office is very different from running the country," she told BBC Radio 4's Today. "She needed to broaden her circle of advisers and have a few grey hairs in there who had been around the block a bit in politics who could say 'don't do that and don't make enemies when you don't need to'." She suggested that Mr Timothy and Ms Hill - the PM's "gatekeepers" who worked for her in the Home Office - were too protective of the prime minister and had a negative influence on how No 10 functioned, often "bellowing" at other staff. "We would be able to speak freely if they weren't around and if they were, you don't speak," she said. "Sometimes we would sit there and hear Fiona come up with things which, quite frankly, were crazy and say nothing." Asked if the two aides treated cabinet ministers badly, as has been reported in the newspapers, she replied "There was not enough respect shown to people who had spent 20 years in office. I felt sending people rude text messages was unacceptable. "What the PM needs when you are going through a tough time like negotiating Brexit is diplomats, not street fighters. They only know one way to operate and that is to have enemies. I am sure I am one of these this morning." Ms Perrior, a PR specialist who previously worked on Boris Johnson's 2008 mayoral campaign, said she had expressed her concerns before leaving in April about how things were done and "that did not go down very well, as you can imagine". Although she had never intended to stay in the role for more than two years, she said she concluded that remaining was "pointless" as former journalist Ms Hill had made it "pretty clear" she wanted to be communications director during the campaign. "If you feel you are actually not being listened to then there is not point you being there... in

Summary: The atmosphere in Downing Street under Theresa May is "pretty toxic" and its operation "dysfunctional", a former aide of the prime minister has said.


Media playback is not supported on this device Philippe Coutinho scored the only goal in the quarter-final replay to book a last-four tie with Aston Villa. It came after defeats by Manchester United and Arsenal brought criticism and reports of "crisis talks". "A lot has been made of that meeting but the review was very important in how we want to work," said Rodgers. Media playback is not supported on this device "I'm a coach who speaks openly to players. If you don't review and analyse your performance, how can you get better?" Rodgers said this week's meeting had been no different to the others he held during the impressive 12-match run that yielded 32 points before those recent defeats. "It's something that we've done all year," said Rodgers. "It provides us the lever to move forward - how can we be better, how can we improve? "I'd seen all of this about saving our season. It wasn't about saving our season. "We just needed to stay calm. Our two performances against Arsenal and Manchester United weren't to the standards we'd set for three months." Liverpool will now face Aston Villa in the semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, 19 April. Henderson's perfect present The victory was particularly significant for captain for the day Jordan Henderson as it came hours after the birth of his second daughter. "His wife had a child during the night. Jordan had to go away, he hadn't slept much and then travelled all the way back again. "He said 'boss, as soon as the baby's out, I'll be coming back'." Mixed emotions for Ince over Gerrard send-off Paul Ince is hoping his old club Liverpool will win the FA Cup in former team-mate Steven Gerrard's final match for the club on his birthday, 30 May. There will still be a sense of regret though. "It would be nice for Steven Gerrard to finish at Liverpool by winning something," Ince said on BBC Match of the Day. "But I wish it had been the Premier League. Someone of his greatness should have won the Premier League."

Summary: A Liverpool team meeting after recent defeats had a key role in their FA Cup win at Blackburn, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.


It will bring together British, Irish and German naval representatives, along with 200 descendants of those killed. The event is being held on the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, the biggest and deadliest sea battle of the war, when 6,000 men in the Royal Navy were killed - 358 were Irish. The commemoration will take place on HMS Caroline. It is the only remaining ship from the 1916 battle off the coast of Denmark. The battle was fought between 31 May and 1 June 1916 and involved about 250 ships. It saw the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, based at Scapa Flow in Orkney, clash with the German High Seas Fleet. The centenary of the battle will be marked in Scotland, where a service in Orkney will be attended by German President Joachim Gauck along with the Princess Royal. Representatives of all the nations connected to the battle, including Ireland, will attend that service. A service of remembrance will also take place on board HMS Duncan at Jutland Bank, the site of the battle. There will be a live stream of the ceremony on the BBC News NI website from 12:20 BST on Tuesday.

Summary: Belfast is to host a special all-island commemoration for Irish sailors who died in World War One.


The author was trying to find a publisher for The Cuckoo's Calling, which was eventually released in 2013. Rowling posted the rejections on Twitter, saying she was doing so to encourage other aspiring writers. One of the letters, from publishing house Constable & Robinson, says it "could not publish [The Cuckoo's Calling] with commercial success". The letter goes on to suggest politely that Galbraith "double check in a helpful bookshop" or in the twice yearly "buyer's guide of Bookseller magazine", about who the current publishers of his fiction genre are. The letter adds "a writers' group or writing course may help" Galbraith to get constructive criticism of his debut crime novel. The second letter, from Creme de la Crime publishers, explains simply that they have become part of Severn House Publishers and are "unable to accept new submissions at the moment". Rowling, who has more than seven million Twitter followers, posted them in response to a fan's request for a picture of a rejection letter. She explained: "The Potter ones are now in a box in my attic, but I could show you Robert Galbraith's?" The Harry Potter author removed the signatures from the letters because she said she was posting them "for inspiration, not revenge". "I wasn't going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen," she added. Author Joanne Harris joined the Twitter discussion, joking that she got so many rejections for her 1999 novel Chocolat that she had "made a sculpture" out of them. The novel went on to become hugely successful and was made into a film starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp. The Cuckoo's Calling was eventually published by Sphere Books, an imprint of Little, Brown & Company. The book sold about 1,500 copies before Rowling's identity as the author was revealed by the Sunday Times newspaper. It was Rowling's second novel for adults, having released The Casual Vacancy under her real name in 2012. The Harry Potter series of books has to date sold more than 400 million copies. The eight film adaptations of the books have been named as the second-highest grossing franchise and film series of all time. Rowling has also been named as the first female novelist in the world to become a billionaire.

Summary: JK Rowling has shared two rejection letters she received for her first novel writing as Robert Galbraith.


Eilidh Doyle won last month's British indoor title over 400m and knows what it take to succeed on the European stage, having won gold in the 4x400m relay and silver in the 400m in Gothenburg four years ago. Much has changed for the 30-year-old since she last competed at the European Indoor Championships. She's now an Olympic bronze medallist for one. Having decided against competing in Prague in 2015, Doyle opted to include Belgrade in her schedule this year, and she will again compete in both events. "Indoors is a bit of a no-no for me, I don't really do it very often," Doyle told BBC Scotland. "My last full indoor season was in 2013, but we kind of thought this year that we'd kick off the season early, so it's gone well. "When I did it in 2013, it paid off pretty well. I had a good indoor season but a really good outdoor season as well, it kind of carried through. And that's what we're sort of thinking this year; get a good indoor but really use it for the outdoor which is the main thing." While Doyle is looking at the bigger picture, with the World Championships in London this summer, she is keen to add to her indoor medal haul. "Championships are always about trying to get a medal; you want to bring something home," she said. "But I think for me because it is indoors and it is 400m, not my preferred event over the hurdles, it's more of a step to the outdoor season. "Obviously I want to come here and contend and win a medal but if I run a great time and don't make the podium, I'm not going to be too disheartened. Ultimately I just want to have a great performance, but yes it would be great to bring a medal home." While the focus is more about performance for Doyle, one of her fellow Scots on the GB team is desperate to win her first senior major medal. Laura Muir is in the form of her life - having already broken three indoor records this season. Her latest impressive feat came two weeks ago in Birmingham as she set a new British mark in the 1,000m - breaking Kelly Holmes' record from 2004. Already in 2017 she'd claimed the European 3,000m and British 5,000m indoor records. Doyle, who like Muir hails from Perthshire, continues to be impressed by her fellow Scot. "You look at the likes of Laura, she is known throughout Europe and worldwide because of how fast she's ran. "I think it's great to have Scottish athletes on the map. It's brilliant for the sport and I think it's definitely come from Glasgow 2014. "There's definitely been a big push in Scottish athletics, there's so many of us that are making teams, winning the British Championships, breaking British records, European records and it's just really, really encouraging." While Muir targets medals in both the 1500m and 3,000m in Belgrade, she won't be short of Scottish company in either event. Eilish

Summary: Six Scots are competing in Belgrade, Serbia for the European Indoor Athletics Championships starting on Friday, and there are high hopes for some.